# The Film Maven > Insider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### About the Film Maven URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/about/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T00:15:09.000Z It’s a really hard time to be any type of journalist, but especially in the entertainment field. Film criticism and writing about movies are slowly being punted to free sites only and/or A.I. content. When I left my most recent journalism job I was worried about what to do. Part of me wanted to get back to why I love writing and entertainment in the first place. I missed writing things that interested me, and was uninterested in focusing on clicks. That’s where creating The Film Maven has been so fantastic. It’s allowed me to share the parts of myself I love: talking about movies I love, movies I hate, and the elements of the industry that keep me mired in this hellhole. Whether you’ve met me through social media, seen me on TCM, or watched me moderate a panel you know how much entertainment means to me. The Film Maven hopes to expand those conversations and let me share more of myself along the way. If you don't know me, I'm Kristen! I'm a freelance pop culture journalist whose bylines have appeared in [*Variety*](https://variety.com/author/kristen-lopez/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), [*The L.A. Times*](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2025-10-13/roofman-movie-true-story-jeffrey-manchester-channing-tatum-kirsten-dunst-derek-cianfrance?ref=thefilmmaven.com), the [Golden Globes](https://goldenglobes.com/contributors/by-kristen-lopez/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), and [*The Hollywood Reporter*](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/author/kristen-lopez/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), to name a few. I'm the former film editor for [*TheWrap*](https://www.thewrap.com/author/kristen-lopez/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and the former TV Editor for [*IndieWire*](https://www.indiewire.com/author/klopez5411/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). I'm the author of two books, [*But Have You Read the Book: 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films*](https://amzn.to/4osvduV?ref=thefilmmaven.com), which TCM and Running Press put out in 2023, and [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/47Y5Ta6?ref=thefilmmaven.com) which Bloomsbury Academic debuted in November 2025\. I'm currently in the works on a second volume of [*But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), coming out July 28th, and *Welcome, Boils and Ghouls: The Complete Oral History of Tales From the Crypt* which is dropping in August 2027. ## Let's Work Together! [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) - Book 1:1 time with me to discuss: - Writing a book proposal or getting into publishing - How to break into entertainment journalism, ideating, pitch creation - Disability access consulting - Available to moderate events and run Q&As - Writing book forewords ## Why Support? Your subscription, either paid or free, helps support an independent disabled female journalist! I don’t toot that horn often but considering how the entertainment industry, particularly journalism, is still dominated by white, able-bodied men, your support helps balance the scales a very teeny tiny bit. There’s a huge difference between how the trades write about movies and how I write about it. I’ve been working as an entertainment writer for over a decade and would love to keep doing it for as long as I can, on my own terms. I’m also hoping to grow a community of film and disability lovers, authors, and just cool people who want to talk about entertainment and why we love it. And last, but certainly not least, your dollars help support my two cats, Elliott Stabler (yes, big SVU fan) and Mittens! They're classy cats with expensive tastes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/8887.JPEG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/1000000341.JPEG) Either way, thank you for being here. \-Kristen ## The Film Maven Privacy Policy Last updated: March 6, 2026 The Film Maven operates http://www.thefilmmaven.com. This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use and disclosure of Personal Information we receive from users of the Site. We use your Personal Information only for providing and improving the Site. By using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. **Information Collection And Use** While using The Film Maven, we may ask you to provide us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to your name and email address ("Personal Information"). **Log Data** Like many site operators, we collect information that your browser sends whenever you visit our Site ("Log Data"). This Log Data may include information such as your computer's Internet Protocol ("IP") address, browser type, browser version, the pages of our Site that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages and other statistics. In addition, we may use third party services such as Google Analytics that collect, monitor and analyze this. **Communications** We may use your Personal Information to contact you with newsletters, marketing or promotional materials and other information that pertains to the site. You information is never used by The Film Maven for outside purposes. **Cookies** Cookies are files with small amount of data, which may include an anonymous unique identifier. Cookies are sent to your browser from a web site and stored on your computer's hard drive. Like many sites, we use "cookies" to collect information. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Site. **Security** The security of your Personal Information is important to us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. **Changes To This Privacy Policy** This Privacy Policy is effective as of March 6, 2026 and will remain in effect except with respect to any changes in its provisions in the future, which will be in effect immediately after being posted on this page. We reserve the right to update or change our Privacy Policy at any time and you should check this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Service after we post any modifications to the Privacy Policy on this page will constitute your acknowledgment of the modifications and your consent to abide and be bound by the modified Privacy Policy. If we make any material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will notify you either through the email address you have provided us, or by placing a prominent notice on our website. **Contact Us** If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/05/Career-Consulting.jpg) ### The Film Maven FAQ URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/faq/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T14:57:25.000Z Have a question for Kristen at The Film Maven? Consider looking at the below! ### **What Does The Film Maven Cover?** Like the title implies The Film Maven covers the film world. We publish reviews, essays, interviews and analysis of movies both new and classic. However, we’re in our “spaghetti at the wall” era and enjoy writing about other things. So you’ll see discussion of TV, disability in pop culture, and the world of entertainment journalism. There is nothing really off-limits at The Film Maven so long as it feel like it’d be “TFM approved.” We also cover LA-based entertainment events. ### Will you review my film? Because I'm currently the sole writer for The Film Maven my time is limited. The scope of the site is strictly new and classic, studio released features. Independent film coverage is limited and is at my discretion. I do **not** review short features, films without distribution, or accept unsolicited asks for reviews. Members of my paid subscription tier, known as the [Gold Star Crew](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/), do get article shout-outs celebrating and bringing awareness to their projects, though these are **not** presented with opinion or as review. *The Film Maven does not review content in exchange for money.* ### Will you interview me or my client? Attend my event? Like the previous question I'm very selective about my interview subjects. That being said, if you or your client has a large project coming out and a highly unique angle I'm open to discussing it. As far as events, if they have an entertainment angle and are in Los Angeles, I'm open to attending. ### How can I work with Kristen and The Film Maven? I am available for the following: Commissioned writing (essays for anthologies, articles, etc.). Media interviews. Career consultations with an emphasis on entertainment journalism and nonfiction pop culture publishing. Q&A moderation (experience in above and below the line talent for FYC season). Film introductions. Disability related media consultations for businesses with a speciality in wheelchair use and physical disabilities. Sponsorships, brand ambassadorships, and social media collaborations. ### Do you do sponsored content? I am open to sponsored content opportunities with brands, studios and features. These are **not** reviews. Worth reaching out to me via email to discuss. ### I’m a writer who wants to write for TFM. How can I and what are your rates? The Film Maven is hoping to open up freelance film pitches in 2025\. Film and TV reviews and interviews are a possibility. The site is also open to film and TV essays and analysis, as well as reported pieces. Writing about the entertainment journalist scene, the role of disability or other marginalized communities in the pop culture world, etc. However, in the interest of transparency and to not waste anyone’s time, I'm very limited on freelance commissions and rates are $50. ## I want to learn more about entertainment journalism or disability. Do you teach on that? I do consulting on how to enter entertainment journalism (teaching pitching, networking, etc.), writing a book, as well as consulting on disability. If you'd like to book a one-to-one appointment you can do so at my Calendly link below. Please note I do charge $100 an hour with a free 15-minute consult available. ## I have a tip or a Hollywood story you should report on. We’re always seeking story ideas or things you’ve hearing. You can email The Film Maven direct at **thefilmmaven8\[at\]gmail\[dot\]com**. ### I have a question not answered here. What’s the best way to get in touch? You can email Kristen at **thefilmmaven8\[at\]gmail\[dot\]com**. ## Let's Work Together! Schedule a Consult With Me [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### The Trade URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-trade/ Last updated: 2025-09-02T02:59:25.000Z _No content available._ ### Popcorn Disability URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/popcorn-disability/ Last updated: 2025-09-02T03:02:57.000Z _No content available._ ### Movie Reviews URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/movie-reviews/ Last updated: 2025-09-02T03:03:54.000Z _No content available._ ### The Film Maven Gold Star Crew URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T16:14:31.000Z **Meet the Gold Star Crew—the people who help me do the work I love to do.** The Silver and Gold Film Mavens are people who support my projects by providing recurring support. Together, they form a network that supports independent entertainment journalism in a non-AI world. *Want to join them? Learn why you should become a paid subscriber:* - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **One free career coaching session with me every month** to discuss getting into journalism, publishing, newsletter monetization, whatever. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026) - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like [The Trade](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/), [Women They Warned You About](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/women-they-warned-you-about/), [Journalism is Fucked and We're All Doomed](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/) and [Popcorn Disabilities](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/). [The Film MavenNot an influencer, just an overworked, underpaid entertainment journalist talking about movies and what you should spend your money on.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-3.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) Thank You for Supporting and Believing in Me and My Work! ## [Refer your friends and get rewards! ](https://referralrocket.io/campaign?id=cDfB6kbl&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ## Film Maven Gold Star Crew 🌟= Silver Film Mavens 💫= Gold Film Mavens 1. Carrie Peel 💫 2. J Cassar 💫 3. Jerilyn Elise Miripol 💫 4. Beth Golterman💫 5. JI 💫 6. Steven Belgard🌟 7. Jo Uhrich💫 8. Andrew F. Peirce💫 9. Anthony Francis🌟 10. Heila Rogers🌟 11. Wendy Zaballos 💫 12. Nadine Whitney 💫 13. Kathy Gibson🌟 14. Altus Lee💫 15. Orla Devlin🌟 16. Libeth Morales💫 17. Lucy May💫 18. David Fox💫 19. Alexandra Bowser💫 20. Nick Honeywell🌟 21. Colin Foster🌟 22. Jacob Haller💫 23. Melissa Heeney💫 24. Carole V. Bell🌟 25. Paulette Conway🌟 26. Wouter de Boer🌟 27. Mitch Santell💫 28. Susan Barb🌟 29. Ann Laabs🌟 30. Kat Arnett🌟 31. Colin Dickey🌟 32. Gregory Thompson🌟 33. Charlie Jane Anders🌟 34. Jeremy Scholl💫 35. Naomi Nelson💫 36. Sarah E Wethern💫 37. Matt McDaniel💫 38. Sofiya Cheyenne💫 39. Wiley Sutton💫 40. Rachel Dinga💫 41. KYoder💫 42. Franker Cline💫 43. Mark Murphy💫 44. Tasya Swisko💫 45. Sandeep Chandowalia💫 46. Elissa Farkas💫 47. Kiahamarafisch💫 48. Jason Reynal💫 49. Lawrence Carter-Long💫 50. Media Path Podcast💫 51. Shupei💫 52. Ethan Luce💫 53. Jeremy Fuster💫 54. Lgdfry💫 55. Julie Ruth Cohen💫 56. Sabbamonte💫 57. Childe.Dirk💫 58. Tamaryn💫 59. Morozco64💫 60. Bonfiglio💫 61. BJ Colangelo💫 62. Ashley Eakin💫 63. Jessi Parrott💫 64. Talleri Mcrae💫 65. LMoore💫 66. Tonia Steed💫 67. Chelsea Meister💫 68. Josh Hornbeck💫 69. Julia Mazza💫 70. Kathia💫 71. Alcmatta💫 72. Kevin Turner💫 73. Cassidy Dimon💫 74. Barbara Doss💫 75. Holly Alarcon💫 76. Teresa Castner💫 77. Scott Phillips💫 78. Staskelv💫 79. S. David Miller💫 80. William Bibbianni💫 81. Scott Mendelson💫 82. Cameron Curtis💫 83. Virginia Yapp💫 84. Don Comm PR💫 85. Angel Giuffria💫 86. Tari Hartman Squire💫 87. Dkod💫 88. Debann💫 89. Matthew Jackson💫 90. Gregory Ayers💫 91. Linoleum Podcast💫 92. Valerie Kalfrin💫 93. Devin Meenan💫 94. Alan Katz💫 95. Michael Haider💫 96. Rhelm💫 97. Freejena💫 98. Simon Thompson💫 99. Nathan Rabin💫 100. Deirdre Davidson💫 101. Annabelle Foster💫 102. Andrea Olcsvary💫 103. Peter Kilkenny🌟 104. Amanda Mullen💫 105. Daniel Fisher🌟 106. Kevin Bannerman💫 107. Adriana Gomez-Weston💫 108. Joseph Gunther🌟 109. Nathalie Rayter🌟 110. Carli E. Spina💫 111. William Arceneaux🌟 112. Rafael Jasso💫 113. Rachel Mason🌟 114. Lily💫 115. Julie Wyman💫 116. Zach Eastman💫 117. Jason💫 118. Evalyn Gelhaus💫 119. Kasey💫 120. Ernesto A. Garza💫 121. Neeley Drown💫 122. Mary💫 123. Cynthia J. Vinney💫 124. Meredith Nudo💫 125. Christina Ortega💫 126. Lucie Goulet💫 127. Julia Sullivan🌟 128. Inara💫 129. B G 💫 130. John Smitg🌟 131. Emily Edmond🌟 132. Dustin Kogler🌟 133. Taylor M Hodgkins🌟 134. Janette Davis💫 135. Daniel Montgomery💫 136. Jack Savige💫 137. Russel W Roots💫 138. Ariel Baska💫 139. Jeremy Fassler💫 140. Shari Hamrick Grewal💫 141. Vanessa Armstrong💫 142. George Wishart🌟 143. Lee Rosen💫 144. Alise Chaffins💫 145. Llai💫 146. Keith Murfee-DeVoncini💫 147. Mildred A. Shelton💫 148. Sue Horn🌟 149. D.J. Grothe💫 150. Christina Lane💫 151. Elizabeth Rajchart🌟 152. John Roman💫 ### Tip Jar URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/tip-jar/ Last updated: 2026-04-07T19:06:05.000Z _No content available._ ### Advanced User Settings URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/advanced-settings/ Last updated: 2026-04-07T19:06:06.000Z _No content available._ ### Group Subscriptions URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/group-subscriptions/ Last updated: 2026-04-07T19:06:06.000Z _No content available._ ### Referral Page URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/referral-page/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T18:15:21.000Z _This page is for paying subscribers only._ ### Give a Gift Subscription URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/gift-subscription/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T20:20:22.000Z _No content available._ ## Posts ### Being Heumann Review: The Disability Representation We've Been Waiting For URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/being-heumann-review/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T03:52:03.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** D.J. Grothe, Christina Lane, John Roman, Carrie Peel, J Cassar, Jerilyn Elise Miripol, Beth Golterman, JI, Jo Uhrich, and Andrew F. Peirce💫 *Congrats to *Gold Star Crew member Talleri Mcrae* who won my Kristen's Favorite Things box during our first paid subscription drive! As well as *Julie Wyman, who won the flex prize*!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- I've spent years writing about disability representation in the movies. ([I even wrote a book about it!](https://amzn.to/4cEvDKR?ref=thefilmmaven.com)) No movie is perfect, but there are some that, in spite of their flaws I've come to appreciate. There are many I've outright hated. So it's understandable that I come to movies about disability with my defenses up. Sian Heder's *Being Heumann* had a hard bar to cross. It isn't just a movie about disability, but about one of the founding voices of the disability rights movement, Judy Heumann, and a civil action that changed how society saw disabled people. And while Heder herself isn't disabled, there's a clear awareness of how important this movie is for everyone to see. Make no mistake, *Being Heumann* is a movie whose significance most abled critics and viewers won't understand. But it represents a breaking of perceptions not just on disabled people, but on the history of disability in film itself. In a landscape where [Section 504 was most recently deemed unnecessary](https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2026/09/08/trump-administration-wants-to-strike-rules-on-community-integration-for-people-with-disabilities/32159/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) by our American government, *Being Heumann* is both a vital and bittersweet example of a history that's been ignored for decades. The most follows wheelchair user and activist Judy Heumann (Ruth Madeley). In 1977, with the hopes of getting the President to sign Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, allowing disabled people to live in their homes and generally be out more in society, Heumann organizes an occupation of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) federal building in San Francisco. We're introduced to Judy Heumann in 1972, the camera angled at waist height. This world is one pre-ADA, something most film viewers probably won't recognize as movies today, made post-ADA, often present fantasy versions of the past wherein accessibility barriers are absent. People walk past Heumann and her cohorts, comprised of allies both abled and disabled, without a second glance. One man flips a coin into a cup of coffee one of the disabled men is drinking, presuming him homeless. It's a cold, harsh world that, too often in film, we don't see. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/09/images-2-1.jpeg) Heumann, irritated and looking to make a splash, tells her compatriots to "put me in the fucking street" and proceeds to stare down a bus. Mind you, this is a world without curb cuts, leaving Heumann to have to wheel in the street in order to get from A to B. This is who Heumann is, a foul-mouthed raconteur who literally looks death in the eye and dares it to claim her. But it's easy to understand why. As Heumann herself later explains, she was denied the ability to go to school, deemed a liability and a "fire hazard." Like so many of the people who protest alongside her, she wants to be seen and respected. Rebekah Taussig's script could easily present Being Heumann as a prototypical message movie, wherein a marginalized community triumphs over injustice. That overarching theme is there, but the movie is far more nuanced if you know about what the 504 protests accomplished, what the ADA didn't, and where we are with disability rights in general today. As the movie lays out, before 504 disabled people were often institutionalized, or forced to become burdens to familial caregivers. The people that gravitate towards Heumann's cause are those seeking independence, and a means of living well in a world that's not designed for them. I've [written in my book](https://amzn.to/4cEvDKR?ref=thefilmmaven.com) about how Tod Browning's 1932 movie *Freaks*, about a troupe of circus oddities, remains the only U.S. made movie with a predominately disabled cast. Pretty sure *Being Heumann* officially breaks that record. When Heumann, galvanized, tells everyone they're going inside the HEW building to take it over, it's a thunderous moment of watching wheelchair users, people on crutches, the blind, etc. all try to find their way, together, in order to take it over. Having never seen so many disabled actors on one screen, let alone showing off their individual conditions, it's so powerful. And there is time devoted to how the various different communities all want the same things, yet refuse to work together. That above scene of the takeover is a beautiful example of co-operation, as wheelchair users help lead blind protesters in. Everyone in Heumann's orbit has an interesting story to tell, from Brad Lomax (Antwan Tolliver), a disabled former Black Panther, to Andrew Pilkington's performance Hale Zukas. The script deftly flitters between stories to illustrate how varied disability is. Heumann may be the face of it – and the movie isn't shy about her privilege as a white woman – but it doesn't ignore the contributions made from disabled people of color or the disabled gay community. Madeline Delp, as Judy's right-hand woman Kitty Cone, is a scene stealer in the film. A vibrant young woman whom Heumann describes as a socialist in pearls, Delp's sensitivity is a necessary foil for Heumann. Where Judy is all barbs, Kitty is soft. Yet that doesn't mean Kitty is a pushover. She is able to match Judy's ferocity, inch for inch. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/09/Being-Heumann-Mark-Ruffalo-090126-32735e6f4fc74dfea85390bba0b3d5af.jpg) In Madeley's hands, Judy Heumann is a flawed woman. She can be acerbic, and outright mean. She encapsulates, as Lawrence Carter-Long calls it, the "messy middle" that is disability representation. Madeley gives Judy just enough vulnerability to make her a real person yet the magic is in her inner fire. That tenacity allows her to be seen, and desired, by fellow activist Jim Pechin (Jon Beavers), and the pair have a flirtation and sexual attraction that's desperately needed in the world of disabled representation. The fact that she's a bitch who isn't afraid to say the truths about disability. At one point, a television reporter (a charming Dylan O'Brien) tells Judy her story inspires people which, if you're disabled, you've heard before. Madeley's Heumann bluntly asks him, "Inspired to do something? Or just inspired?" That sense of inspiration isn't evident in *Being Heumann*, more so a frustration that something as simple as signing the piece of legislation that includes Section 504 wasn't immediately signed. Mark Ruffalo's Joseph Califano, the then-Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, is the movie's baddie. Though that might be a misleading term as there's nothing mustache-twirling about Ruffalo's Califano. He's not a bad man, just your typical man working in government, one who wants to appease those signing his paychecks and balancing a thousand disparate interests. And that's really Being Heumann's strength. These aren't people who hate disabled people but, through their actions, show they don't really care about them. There are abled allies in the movie, all of whom do good work, from Roberta Colindrez's Joni Breves (who has some fierce chemistry with Madeley) to the aforementioned O'Brien. The latter is especially note-worthy for being the typical outsider whom, in any other movie, would be the person whose eyes we see this through. His Evan White (a name so appropriate to his character) starts out the film as the typical cringe-inducing reporter, ignoring the disabled who can't speak and generally being an embarrassment. However, he shows the allied change that often happens once people spend time in the community. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) And that's where *Being Heumann* could certainly be accused of being simplistic. There are elements that can seem twee. Photographers just happen to be at a protest Judy is at. There are several grand speeches and moments meant to make the fire rise up in your belly. But the movie also understands that this is a moment in time. The third act isn't a grand sweeping moment of triumph. There was far more work to be done after, as the various clips of civil disobedience leading to the passage of the Americans With Disabilities act shown during the end credits prove. And there's far more work to be done now. But this movie finally illustrates a piece of disabled history, any piece. *Being Heumann* is an essential piece of disabled cinema, laying out a stark foundation for the fight for disability rights. It doesn't the heartwarming charm of director Sian Heder's previous film, *CODA*, but has far more power and impact. Ruth Madeley is a revelation as Judy Heumann. Do I believe this movie will compel Hollywood to tell more disabled stories? No, sadly. But the fact that this movie exists at all is kind of a miracle. ## Grade: A- *Being Heumann is in theaters November 13.* **If you liked this review, paid Film Mavens get the stuff I can't publish anywhere else:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [7 Best Things I Watched and Read in AugustAll the books and movie I recommend from the last month.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-bfa2010e-f0ee-4f6d-a6e3-caad1fa3bd35.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/MV5BMTc3MjY1NjU3OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTU0ODQyNA@@._V1_-53d15733-5226-4efa-9703-a94771cbac4a.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-august-2026/) [Is Hollywood’s Nostalgia Train Headed for a Crash?More signs modern culture might be dying on the vine.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-c2b13e58-cecb-42d5-b26b-8a65fd4aa283.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/days-of-thunder.jpeg-cc9f857e-97b9-4f6b-8f9c-51abdc260735.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/hollywood-nostalgia-remakes/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- ### Thomasin McKenzie Reveals the Dark Backstory She Created for The Uprising [Video] URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/thomason-mckenzie-audrey-hepburn-the-uprising/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T19:34:42.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Russel W Roots, Ariel Baska, Jeremy Fassler, Shari Hamrick Grewal, Vanessa Armstrong, Lee Rosen, Alise Chaffins, Llai, Keith Murfee-DeVoncini, and Mildred A. Shelton💫 *Members get access to exclusive articles, bi-monthly Zoom mixers, swag, and free consultations and mentoring with me.* [***Learn more and invest today!***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) [*Become a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and join the community that supports independent journalism, free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Paul Greengrass's latest feature, *The Uprising*, is one built for our times. Detailing the Peasants Revolt of 1381, and starring Andrew Garfield as a ploughman who becomes the leader of a rebellion, it's impossible not to see the parallels to what's going on today. And for its cast, including actress Thomasin McKenzie, that was forefront of her mind while making the film. " The film is painfully, undeniably relevant to where the world is at today," McKenzie told The Film Maven. "I'm the kind of person who thinks that we should always be learning from the past in order to move into the future." Whether one is talking about a 1300s rebellion or disability in film (shameless plug), movies offer an opportunity to learn about cultures, times, and people we'll never meet. "I really love expressing how I feel about the world through film because it's such an accessible way for people to learn," McKenzie said. In the film, McKenzie plays Alyce, a troubled nun seeking redemption. She joins the growing rebellion, struggling between a thirst for revenge and genuine belief in what's being attempted. The actual rebellion was something McKenzie, a New Zealander, knew nothing about before embarking on the project. "My introduction to Alyce was kind of through learning what it would have been like as a young woman at that time," she said. "And coming up with her backstory and her circumstances. What led her to where we meet her up to revolting. Paul and I discussed where she may have been coming from, what had happened to her and her family during the plague, and what led her to becoming part of the church, becoming a nun, and then what led her to becoming a follower of John Ball \[played by Jamie Bell\]." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/09/FotoJet-2026-08-26T125831.897.jpg.webp) McKenzie eventually conjured up a whole backstory that wasn't on the page, including that Alyce grew up in the marshes and her family was killed during the plague. Though the actress doesn't remember the specifics now, her interest was so granular she had even thought of what industry her family was in. "She had an option between destitution or becoming a nun and she decided to become a nun," she said. "She thought that she was safe and protected in the church, and then she was taken advantage of and cast aside." Alyce's motivation, as McKenzie envisioned it, was a dark story of revenge, but within that a search for justice. The actual rebellion sequences are pure Greengrass, intense and unflinching. The camera gets right into the scenes of struggle, violence, and anarchy in a way that becomes claustrophobic and frightening. McKenzie can only describe it as "intense," admitting that however the audience feels watching it was certainly how it was to film it. "I have to admit there was a day, or a scene or two, where I just had to step away," she said. "There was a lot of people charging and shouting, horses running through." There were moments where the actress openly felt scared. "I felt really carried by the energy of everybody there, all of the background actors, who were some of the best I've ever worked with in my life. It felt like everybody was in it together." **There's more to this conversation. The best part of my interview with Thomasin McKenzie is waiting for Film Mavens.** **Unlock the full interview by becoming a member of the Gold Star Crew to read part where McKenzie talks about how she prepped to play Audrey Hepburn.** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Practical Magic 2 Review: There's Little Magic Left in This Spell Book, And It's a Shame URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/practical-magic-2-review-sandra-bullock-nicole-kidman/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T15:41:09.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:* D.J. Grothe, Christina Lane, Carrie Peel, J Cassar, Jerilyn Elise Miripol, Beth Golterman, JI, Jo Uhrich, Andrew F. Peirce, Wendy Zaballos💫*And welcome new Gold Star Crew member John Roman**💫 *Congrats to *Gold Star Crew member Talleri Mcrae* who won my Kristen's Favorite Things box during our first paid subscription drive! As well as *Julie Wyman, who won the flex prize*!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Like any good millennial movie, *Practical Magic* tends to be on at least one channel near daily (alongside *The Devil Wears Prada* and the *Father of the Bride* movies). A movie that repeatedly opens up its world to viewers regularly is one that any sequel has a high bar to cross, more so when there's nearly thirty years separating the original from its return. This year's [*Devil Wears Prada 2*](https://thefilmmaven.com/devil-wears-prada-2-review-meryl-streep-anne-hathaway/) certainly felt like a way to easily snag millennial dollars, and while it doesn't earn waiting so long to return, it at least attempted to tell a continuing story. *Practical Magic 2* doesn't appear to understand what made the original movie so appealing, short of its plot which has the characters recount in "do you remember when..." moments ad nauseum. Gone is the whimsical Alan Silvestri score, the pure romance, even the kookiness, all of which made it the '90s Halloween film it's become. In its place is an overlong, tepid retconning of the first film that's grim and lacks little in the humor and romance department. Maria's curse, which doomed every man who dared love an Owens woman to a tragic death (and was supposedly broken at the end of the original), has proven to be back with a vengeance. And when it comes to take the life of Sally's (Sandra Bullock's) daughter Kylie's (Joey King) new boyfriend it takes the young girl on a trip to England to find a way to save him. Sally and her sister Gillian (Nicole Kidman) are hot on her trail, forced to band together with a shadowy professor of dark magic (Lee Pace), who might have it bad for Sally. *Practical Magic 2* presumes you haven't seen the first once, let alone a number of times. Immediate changes around the storyline of Maria Owens are crafted to essentially say the first film's end, which broke the curse, was actually a big "just kidding!" This logic also gives a convenient reason to explain the absence of Aiden Quinn as Texas Ranger Gary Hallett, Sally's eventual love at the conclusion of the original, who is essentially fridged in the opening moments of the movie. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/09/Practical-Magic-2-everett-H-2026.png.webp) There are several moments in the script where the goal is to make a plot point at the expense of the intelligence, or what we already know about, the original characters. Sally, fueled by grief (again), makes the decision (again) that her children will never do magic (again). Albeit here she literally casts a spell to make them forget everything. "If her daughters forgot what they were, they'd have a normal life." I guess it helps that the flashback in this movie makes the kids look far younger than they were in the original. Time works in weird ways, with a flash forward that brings us to Kylie in college and her younger sister, Antonia (Maisie Williams) on her way to being a neurosurgeon. They blithely go about their lives with zero questions about their past, at least none the script asks. King is certainly effervescent and sweet, but there's nothing holding Kylie together as a person. She holds little of Sally's seriousness nor Gillian's wild ways and is just a blank canvas to motivate the plot forward. This isn't a ding on King at all, who continues to make you root for the character, particularly during an emotionally wrought moment when she reveals her boyfriend Gideon (Xolo Maridueña, utterly wasted) is in a coma after being hit by a car. King dominates this sequence and it's unfortunate she never gets another moment of such pathos. Poor Maisie Williams, to her credit, is at least is around. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) As far as what Sally and Gillian have been doing, certainly nothing from the first movie. Sally's seemingly successful skincare business in the original feature isn't a thing here and she presumably has gone full librarian, swathed in long pants and high-neck collars. While Gillian, the fun loving rebel of the original film....it's never actually said what she's been doing the last thirty years (oh, there are still stray references to her having sex with terrible men so guess that's it). Then again, this movie is already over two hours so that's probably for the best. Bullock's Sally was initially cautious, but a woman with a strength and tenacity in her. Here, Bullock can barely make it through a sentence without Woody Allen levels of stammering and stuttering. She's the perpetual "no" person in this movie, so much so it's hard to see what Lee Pace's Ian Wright sees in this woman who runs and hides at everything. Kylie's trip to London is in the hopes of breaking the curse (again) and she's left to become a moving beacon Sally and Gillian follow. The arrival of Pace's Ian Wright gives Sally a love interest, but also gives us someone completely new to gravitate towards and is sorely needed. Pace has oodles of charm, is funny, yet has the ability to work with the seriousness his character requires. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/09/PM2Banner.jpg) The one holding things together is Kidman, who at least seems to understand who Gillian Owens is, even if it's not on the page. She continues to have fun with the character, deftly turning some of the lines into humorous asides. She understands she's being sidelined here yet still has fun with it. She also forces Bullock to come alive in the scenes they're in together, giving us glimpses of what made the Owens sisters's relationship so charming and high stakes. It's also wonderful to see Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest reprise their roles as Francis and Jett Owens, Sally and Gillian's wacky aunts. They each have far too little time in the movie; Channing is left to sit in hospital chairs for the majority of the runtime. It's actually their story, with a heartbreaking and beautiful scene towards the end, that ends up being the best part of *Practical Magic 2*. The third act, which takes forever, is still introducing new characters. The arrival of the movie's "real" villain is so uninspired I'm hard-pressed to remember the character's name (it's Tom, according to IMDb). The movie takes a page from *Halloweentown 2: Kalabar's Revenge* with the reveal and while it could certainly have done something interesting with the gender dynamics, it develops far too late into the story and barely makes a blip. Never mind that the eventual resolution, taking place in a small English town, would have probably left locals who knew this guy for years asking questions. But, hey, gotta get to that midnight margarita callback! Fans of the first *Practical Magic* won't feel the same power watching this and it's a shame considering how many from the original film returned. The issue is a wonky script that feels Frankenstein-ed together into an uninspired patchwork of ideas. It feels like a movie that knows it's thirty years too late and just tries to make the best of things when it's not nearly good enough. ## Grade: D *Practical Magic 2 is in theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [7 Best Things I Watched and Read in AugustAll the books and movie I recommend from the last month.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-bfa2010e-f0ee-4f6d-a6e3-caad1fa3bd35.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/MV5BMTc3MjY1NjU3OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTU0ODQyNA@@._V1_-53d15733-5226-4efa-9703-a94771cbac4a.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-august-2026/) [Is Hollywood’s Nostalgia Train Headed for a Crash?More signs modern culture might be dying on the vine.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-c2b13e58-cecb-42d5-b26b-8a65fd4aa283.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/days-of-thunder.jpeg-cc9f857e-97b9-4f6b-8f9c-51abdc260735.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/hollywood-nostalgia-remakes/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- ### 7 Best Things I Watched and Read in August URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-august-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T16:29:13.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Russel W Roots, Ariel Baska, Jeremy Fassler, Shari Hamrick Grewal, Vanessa Armstrong, Lee Rosen, Alise Chaffins, Llai, Keith Murfee-DeVoncini, and Mildred A. Shelton💫 *Congrats to *Gold Star Crew member Talleri Mcrae* who won my Kristen's Favorite Things box during our first paid subscription drive! As well as *Julie Wyman, who won the flex prize*!* *Members get access to exclusive articles, bi-monthly Zoom mixers, swag, and free consultations and mentoring with me.* [***Learn more and consider investing today!***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- August was spent doing a lot of preparation for my first paid subscription drive (a great success by the way). And yet I still found time to watch some great movies and even read two whole books! With the busy around season around the corner I expect the movie watching to increase and the books to decrease but, hey, for the minute we've found balance. Below are the seven best things I watched and read last month with mini-reviews for everything. I'm always looking for new recommendations so be sure to drop yours in the comments. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Is Hollywood's Nostalgia Train Headed for a Crash? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/hollywood-nostalgia-remakes/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T16:00:56.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Mary, Cynthia J. Vinney, Meredith Nudo, Christina Ortega, Lucie Goulet, Inara, B G, Janette Davis, Daniel Montgomery, and Jack Savige💫 *Members get access to exclusive articles, bi-monthly Zoom mixers, swag, and free consultations and mentoring with me.* [***Learn more and consider investing today!***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Last weekend the first picture was released announcing a sequel to the 1990 Tom Cruise film, *Days of Thunder*. [Anne Hathaway is going to be the female lead](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jonathan-levine-direct-days-of-thunder-2-tom-cruise-1236653926/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), in a role that's still undefined but I'm assuming she'll be a love interest. (Never mind that 21 year age gap, folks.) If you're missing Nicole Kidman, don't worry. You can see her in her own long-awaited nostalgic remake of *Practical Magic* coming out next weekend. I'll have a review for you soon on whether that's worth your time. Sequels and remakes made decades after a movie's prime are nothing new. What feels different is how pervasive they seem to be on this current timeline. [Paramount's 2027 slate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List%5Fof%5FParamount%5FPictures%5Ffilms%5F%282020%E2%80%932029%29?ref=thefilmmaven.com) is defined by nostalgic sequels and remakes, from *Sonic the Hedgehog 4* (and the above mentioned *Days of Thunder 2*) to the upcoming remake of Andrzej Żuławski's *Possession*. Put a pin in that for later. And to be fair, every studio is currently on this train but none more so than Paramount. That upcoming merger is needed so they have at least one studio predominately making original movies. What I'm fascinated more about this current crop of movies is why? Why is the nostalgia train so pervasive right now? I don't think it can be strictly chalked up to "easy IP" or "money." But something more indicative regarding what type of media we're consuming, and who, specifically, has the purchasing power today. When I talk about films today, specifically with what studios are conjuring up, I always go back to this quote I found on Bluesky: _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How Steve McQueen Fought for Bullitt’s Legendary Car Chase, and Why the Studio Nearly Killed It URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/bullitt-steve-mcqueen-car-chase-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T16:10:03.000Z *Ticklish Business is a bi-weekly podcast honoring the world of Old Hollywood. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like: C***arli E. Spina, Rafael Jasso, Lily, Julie Wyman, Zach Eastman, Jason, Evalyn Gelhaus, Kasey, Ernesto A. Garza, and Neeley Drown💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- It's Kristen's birthday and you might be saying, "What musical or costume drama are you picking this year?" Nope, this year I'm all about fast cars, the streets of San Francisco and hanging out with the King of Cool, Steve McQueen, in 1968's *Bullitt*. And joining me on this cinematic road trip is McQueen biographer Marshall Terrill. Terrill and I talk about how this was McQueen's highest high, and led to his lowest lows. We also discuss the infamous car chase which makes no geographic sense. And how the city of San Francisco looks today just like it did in 1968\. I have a new book out now! [⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[***Order But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition here.***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **You can** [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen books wherever you buy books including [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and the first [*But Have You Read the Book*](https://amzn.to/4gazCzv?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! [⁠⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[The merch shop is live](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[become a Patron](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com):[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Kristen's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Casper Kelly Reveals the Surprising Reason Buddy Had to Look Warm and CuddlyAnd the classic film Kelly deliberately homaged in the movie.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-6f9a5fb5-16aa-419a-a6dc-ba715b474b04.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Buddy-Still_1-H-2026.jpg-c0322020-12de-49b2-a9db-2daefc7c6418.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/buddy-casper-kelly-interview/) [Popcorn Disabilities: I Love The Greatest Showman, But Do We Need a Broadway Show?Disney’s doing a stage musical and I’m still cringe about the whole thing.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-67ec8cec-f76c-4146-8dfc-270f0e1e1ceb.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/HughJackman-5c1efba646e0fb000155646a-037a6246-ce51-40f1-a583-b482098eaa22.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-greatest-showman-musical/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) ### Another Year Around the Sun (This Time on Ghost) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-film-maven-anniversary-2026/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T16:00:17.000Z The Film Maven has many birthdays. Technically, The Film Maven was born on October 22, 2022 when I first announced it over on Substack. I published some things throughout the latter half of that year before I got my job at IndieWire and had to hang everything up. I technically came back in December of 2023, with plans to resume publishing before I got my next job at TheWrap. That leads to birthday #2 on April 17, 2024 when I left my job and took to developing The Film Maven full-time. I was publishing two to three days a week and developing a solid little Substack following. But I was never comfortable. Substack was starting to make me cringe with [how problematic they were](https://lithub.com/the-case-against-substack-icymi/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), [who they were platforming](https://thecrimelady.substack.com/p/substackers-against-nazis), and [how much money they were taking from me](https://www.beehiiv.com/blog/how-much-does-substack-cost?srsltid=AfmBOoqaBx1YAxDeH3MBTR4G2cK6iCcYZENsm9ofV8p1yA8S8cB6wTni&ref=thefilmmaven.com) (and are from other creators). I had several readers tell me they'd love to become paid members but couldn't support Substack. And, eventually, I realized I couldn't do it either. So, the weekend before my birthday last year, I made an impulsive decision. (The joy of ADHD is one just leaps into things without thinking of them.) I decided to see how easy I could transition everything off Substack. It was a massive risk. I'd heard from numerous people, including my own mother, that moving off an established platform like Substack would be a death sentence. That paid subscribers wouldn't transfer. That people wouldn't pay if they couldn't find me. That it'd be officially running a website 24/7\. But, on my birthday, September 1, I launched The Film Maven on Ghost and hoped that I wouldn't regret it. And, a year later, I haven't. Moving off Substack was a decision that changed everything. Not only did I have some great traffic numbers, but people started becoming paid subscribers, and I was actually able to keep the majority of the donations. Your donations have helped me pay not only to keep this site running (Ghost fees and the domain) but also cover: - My Otter subscription to transcribe my interviews - My Canva subscription to create the snazzy artwork I put together - Helped me hire a professional to craft my Film Maven logo - Allowed me to give freelance opportunities to two writers throughout the year - And became part of my freelance income to pay my rent, feed my animals, and generally live in Los Angeles I also started a [YouTube channel for The Film Maven](https://www.youtube.com/@thefilmaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) that boasts a number of interviews. This has been the most difficult part of being an independent journalist. Too often studios and publicists only see publicity as a numbers game and, right now, I'm not making influencer numbers on here. So doing interviews has been tough but I'm so proud of all the ones I've gotten since the newsletter moved to Ghost and my fingers are crossed next year I'll have even more. The creation of [the Gold Star Crew](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) this year was another risk because it wasn't enough just to create a community of people who read my work. I want to pay it forward how I can. So with the GSC I was able to offer free 1:1s with members who want to learn about writing a book or becoming a freelancer, as well as bi-monthly Zoom mixers (we just had another on Friday and had a blast!) and more. Going forward Gold Star Crew members will get even more stuff including: - A Secret Santa gift exchange I'll be announced in November - My opportunities to interact with me through, potentially, a book and movie club But the writing remains paramount, and your support of (and eyeballs on) my work meant everything. I hit some record traffic over the last 12 months, with several stories going viral. There are some of the most popular pieces over the last year: [Wuthering Heights Might Have Gone Mad With Influencers and People Are NoticingThis is the first time I’ve noticed people bringing up how many influencers went to an event![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-38c75e63-b2da-4948-bc76-3dc0888dfbc3.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/wuthering-heights-premiere-margot-robbie-jacob-elordi-jan-28-2026-lede-3de3abea-522d-4894-957e-370a66944304.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-premiere-influencers/) [Obsession Review: Fatal Attraction for the Man With Red FlagsInde Navrrette is the one saving grace of this highly insufferable monkey’s paw rip-off![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-a5edf014-1477-4378-9426-309968d51547.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/MV5BOTNiZGQyYjktNDYxOS00ZGU1LTg3NDMtOTE4ZTFiODBlODYyXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_-075a60dd-e0b4-4dc5-bede-4633eca8f25c.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/obsession-review-fatal-attraction-for-the-man-with-red-flags/) [The Odyssey Review: Christopher Nolan Meets Homer’s Epic With One of His OwnThe muses worked wonders on this one![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-4cd41b1c-da8c-445e-a96e-b8acdd386107.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Everything-We-Know-About-Christopher-Nolans-The-Odyssey-1-8e2a3596-4581-4147-a8cf-39a25bc8b6ad.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-odyssey-review-christopher-nolan/) [Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma Review: Jane Schoenbrun’s Trippy Tribute to ’80s Horror is a WinnerA wild, thought-provoking ride (complete with Counting Crows).![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-428ad680-e54f-444b-9ee8-9ad5e99a6109.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/CIN_TeenageSexandDeath_1600x900-9aaf0541-30b3-477d-9024-15b406df32b6.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/teenage-sex-death-and-death-at-camp-miasma-review/) [Toy Story 5 Review: Playtime is Over in This Tired InstallmentTech struggles to gain a toehold in a franchise that’s past its sell-by date![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-a23b9288-76aa-492e-ba7c-6f35c7c5df87.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Toy-Story-5-Teaser.jpg-97e652bd-178a-4868-a17c-89cc452aaba8.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/toy-story-5-review/) But I'm not resting on my laurels. Over the next year I'd love to do more. I announced during the Zoom mixer last week that my series [Women They Warned You About](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/women-they-warned-you-about/) will be back with six all new "difficult" women. You can also expect more installments in [Popcorn Disabilities](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/), [The Trade](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/), and [Journalism is F\*\*\*ed and We're All Doomed](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/). I'm still trying to crack the code on non-contemporary reviews and, as I mentioned at the mixer, I'd love your input. What other types of content should I be covering? Is there a genre, year, subject I could be doing more long-running series on that involves research? I keep threatening to carry on the work of [Drew McWeeney](https://www.drewmcweeny.com/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and review every '90s movie ever made and, who knows, maybe that's something I tackle next year. Regardless, anything I cover is something that I'm passionate about. That I love. And in a world of paid influence, where marketing is masked as opinion, I have to remain authentic and honest. Even if it's me telling you all *Obsession* is a bad movie. That's not to say I don't value your input so, remember, you can always send over suggestions for stories and ideas because lord knows I have weeks where nothing rattles in my brain. So, here's to another trip around the sun for me. And another birthday to celebrate in the evolution of The Film Maven. I truly appreciate every single person, past and present, paid and free, that has give me your time and/or money. It means more than you know in this crazy, mixed up world. \-Kristen ### Casper Kelly Reveals the Surprising Reason Buddy Had to Look Warm and Cuddly URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/buddy-casper-kelly-interview/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T21:19:25.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Rhelm, Freejena, Simon Thompson, Nathan Rabin, Deirdre Davidson, Annabelle Foster, Andrea Olcsvary, Amanda Mullen, Kevin Bannerman, and Adriana Gomez-Weston💫 *The Film Maven celebrates a year on Ghost in September (alongside my birthday!) and *I'm hosting my first subscriber drive with the goal of hitting 150-160 paid subscribers*. New and existing paid subscribers will be entered into a drawing to *win a massive, curated box of "Kristen's Favorite Things"* with flex prizes to come. I'll be unveiling more over the next week so be sure to *follow me on social media* (*[*IG*](https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*/*[*X*](https://x.com/kristenklopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*/*[*BlueSky*](https://bsky.app/profile/kristenklopez.bsky.social?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*/*[*Threads*](https://www.threads.com/@kristenlopez88?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*) and on here to learn more. If you'd like to get a jump on things head over here to* [*join the Gold Star Crew*](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) *now!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Casper Kelly's *Buddy* is the horror movie millennials didn't know they needed. Kelly, the man behind the viral sensations *Too Many Cooks* and Hulu's *Yule Log*, crafts a dark and terrifying story about kids show character Buddy (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) who goes rogue and starts murdering the kids on his series. Of course, considering Kelly's previous works, things take even stranger turns from there and the entire thing is all sorts of gory fun. Kelly, a Gen Xer, understands the allure of drawing horror from '90s nostalgia. "I like genres or types of media that have certain rules in their stories because that allows me to break them and also hopefully it can be used as metaphors and parables about larger things," Kelly tells The Film Maven. "It's hard to explain why you're attracted to things, you know? You're just into certain things. It's a mystery." Kids today look back on '90s television and see something that feels bizarre and unsettling. From *Pee-Wee's Playhouse* to *Barney*, the pastel colors and anthropomorphic animals definitely have an unsettling quality today, and that's what Kelly wanted to replicate with the set design of Buddy's show. "From the top down I worked with a lot of great people," says Kelly, who praises production designer Anna Kathleen for her remarkable ability to replicate the right shades of teal and orange for the fictional show everyone inhabits. "The main directive was it cannot be a spoof or parodistic," he says. "It has to feel like a show played straight. A show that came out in that time period and played as truthfully as possible. Then the comedy and the horror can come naturally from the events." Though there were several reference points for Buddy and his kid's show, Kelly didn't want to have viewers immediately compare it to shows that did actually exist. "I wouldn't say it's a parody. I wanted it to feel like Barney came out and that's successful, and some other company came out with their sort of knockoff." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/08/mcdbudd_rt005-1.jpg.webp) That extended to the creation of Buddy as well. A bright orange unicorn/dragon hybrid, Buddy may draw comparisons to Barney, but he's anything but. For Kelly and crew, there was a thin needle to thread between making the character charming and terrifying. "A couple of days before shooting, because it was very to the wire, they had put in eyes for Buddy \[where\] the pupils were very small and there was white all around his eyes, so it made him look crazy," Kelly said. "The idea there was, which I get, the puppeteers were like, 'He's gonna act crazy. You want him to look crazy and scary,' and I'm like, 'Absolutely not.' He has to look warm and cuddly and when he starts doing crazy things the audience will put that personality on his face." He compares it not unlike to Michael Meyers in *Halloween*. The mask that that character wears, on its own, isn't particularly scary. (It was a take on a William Shatner mask, after all.) But once the actor puts the mask on, coupled with the atmosphere and everything else, it becomes the key feature to scare the pants off everyone. "Through his body language and everything you can feel what he's feeling," says Kelly. "I have to give Anna Kathleen a lot of the credit for the color palette and a lot of thinking there. She was even heavily involved, even though it wasn't her department, in the color palette of the puppets, figuring out what color Buddy would be." [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) Buddy's voice was also an opportunity to do something different. Kelly cites comedian Joe Perez as an influence on finding a voice performer as he knew he wanted someone known for a persona that was so different for the character. "Or like Tom Hanks," he says. "It's fun to kind of do something in that direction where they're playing against their type." In this case, Key, who'd done work on both the sketch comedy show *Key and Peele* as well as voicing a character for the *Toy Story* franchise, was the first person they went out. When Kelly's 2014 short film *Too Many Cooks* dropped on YouTube, people were inundated with the ear worm that was that short's theme song. Buddy is no different, with the character having a song for nearly every situation. "I worked with, for those songs, Sean Coleman, who also co-wrote *Too Many Cooks*," he said. "I think he's just a natural at writing songs in a lot of different styles." The duo realized that, for *Barney* at least, most of the songs crafted for that series were takes on public domain songs like "Yankee Doodle." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/08/images-2-2.jpeg) "I did it more like that, and Tracy \[Rosenblum\], one of the producers, wisely was like, 'We're hearing that song so much. Why don't you make it more of an earworm, more catchy?' I'm like, 'You know what? You're right.' So, we went back to the drawing board and I listened to the the ten most catchy theme theme songs from kids shows of the '90s and did some thinking about that, and then we came up with something new." Kelly definitely loves anyone who has the songs stuck in their head (like I have for the last week). For a movie filled with puppets and kids (and bikes that move on their own), Kelly says there was certainly a struggle navigating everyone's different needs. On top of that, the movie also has a secondary plot involving Cristin Milioti's Grace. There were initially questions as to whether her story would be intercut with the Buddy narrative or not. "There was discussions about it," says Kelly. "And we did experiment with intercutting those two long sections. Some of the producers had also done *Barbarian* so they were used to a pivot that takes a while to see how it connects. They were they were not as averse to it, which is good because I liked not intercutting it. I liked almost feeling trapped in a certain world. As long as I can hold on to him, trapped in a certain world and almost claustrophobic, and then a little bit of release as we shift to another world." There is one specific shot that Kelly is proud of, and that classic film fans will definitely want to be on the lookout for. As the children try to flee from Buddy, he's filmed cast against a black night sky. For those who have seen Charles Laughton's 1955 film *Night of the Hunter*, there's a scene that looks similar and that's intentional here. "That's a definite reference," says Kelly. "I was writing them on the run and I always loved that shot. I'm like, 'It would be so fun to do an homage to that sequence.' That made me realize *Night of the Hunter* is one of the best kids on the run, in peril, movies there is so I had to rewatch that and think about that." ***Watch the full interview below.*** *Buddy is in theaters Friday.* ### The Dog Stars Review: Ridley Scott's Apocalyptic Drama Can't Find Its Way Home URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-dog-stars-review-jacob-elordi/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T00:02:58.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Tari Hartman Squire, Dkod, Debann, Matthew Jackson, Gregory Ayers, Linoleum Podcast, Valerie Kalfrin, Devin Meenan, Alan Katz, and Michael Haider💫***And welcome new Gold Star Crew members Christina Lane and Elizabeth Rajchart***💫 *The Film Maven celebrates a year on Ghost in September (alongside my birthday!) and *I'm hosting my first subscriber drive with the goal of hitting 150-160 paid subscribers*. New and existing paid subscribers will be entered into a drawing to *win a massive, curated box of "Kristen's Favorite Things"* with flex prizes to come. I'll be unveiling more over the next week so be sure to *follow me on social media* (*[*IG*](https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*/*[*X*](https://x.com/kristenklopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*/*[*BlueSky*](https://bsky.app/profile/kristenklopez.bsky.social?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*/*[*Threads*](https://www.threads.com/@kristenlopez88?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*) and on here to learn more. If you'd like to get a jump on things head over here to* [*join the Gold Star Crew*](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) *now!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Movies have spent decades trying to show us what a world without humanity looks like. Whether fighting zombies, vampires, or just each other, the apocalypse never looks rosy but, for the most part, certainly keeps audiences on their toes. But Peter Heller's 2012 book, *The Dog Stars*, isn't the standard depiction of humanity's end. It's a moody, melancholic examination where the true fears aren't from outsized events but the isolation of being alone with people who don't understand us, wondering what's waiting for us if we keep going another ten, twenty years. Of course, Hollywood probably doesn't see that as an exciting movie and what director Ridley Scott gives us is a movie packed with a lot of things that happen to create what should pass for tragedy and stakes. Instead, the changes to the source material make for something tonally inconsistent, ill-defined, and ultimately underwhelming. With some fascinating set pieces, decent acting, and beautiful cinematography from Erik Messerschmidt, *The Dog Stars* isn't a total loss but it's certainly underwhelming. It's a movie that doesn't feel like Scott at either his most bombastic or thought-provoking, but it's certainly one of his most basic ones. An influenza epidemic has destroyed nearly all of humanity. One of the few survivors is Hig (Jacob Elordi), a former mechanic who lives in a Colorado airport with his dog, Jasper, and the taciturn Bangley (Josh Brolin). But Hig is determined to find other survivors, going on a quest to follow a mysterious voice on the radio that might hold more people. This isn't *The Stand* wherein we see society in the immediate aftermath of this pandemic but years after, sometime in 2035\. The requisite scenes of empty, decaying buildings are presented, with skyscrapers being reclaimed by nature. The landscape is also covered in wild dogs, seemingly a safer alternative to what men are roaming in this newfound world. Hig is the requisite sad man of these movies, struggling to cope with the loss of his wife, who shows up in beautifully composed ghostly memory passages. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/08/the-dog-stars-3-041626-0107dd4a86154e33a8aba30d22161526.jpg) Elordi's lanky body, perpetually hunched over, tries his hardest to not be the most gorgeous man to ever survive the apocalypse. Spending the first fifteen minutes of the movie speaking exclusively in dog commands, he has a strong camaraderie wit the animal actor playing Jasper. Seeing a movie about a man and his dog surviving the apocalypse immediately draws comparisons to Richard Matheson's *I Am Legend*, itself adapted into a movie in 2007\. And, honestly, swap the vampires for tarted up, *Braveheart*\-esque bands of feral gangs of men and you ultimately get a very similar movie. Screenwriter Mark L. Smith (most famously known for writing *The Revenant*...and [*Twisters*](https://thefilmmaven.com/twisters-review-glen-powell/)) tends to lean more into that rather than Heller's original text, specifically as the movie gets further and further into the middle. When Elordi and Jasper are abruptly separated about thirty minutes into the film (in a way vastly different from the book) the actor is left to interact with people and find character motivation that simply doesn't exist. Hig is sad, sad about his wife and his dog. He holds a little bit of compassion for others, chastising Bangley for killing every person who bridges their borders without even seeing if they have ammo in their weapons, and that's about it. Contrasting with Elordi is Josh Brolin as the brash Bangley. He's the MVP of this movie and, no doubt if this was made 20 years ago, would be the audience surrogate. Very little of Bangley's backstory is revealed, short of he was probably a doomsday prepper, one apparently with an endless supply of logo t-shirts. And yet he presents Hig with the needed spice for the audience to understand the landscape we're in. Where Hig is aimless, Bangley wants to survive. Bangley sees everyone as "roaches" while Hig thinks there are probably good people out there. And, as the movie lays out, there's probably only two good people. Once Hig goes off on his journey to Grand Junction, wherein he hopes the voice on the radio will offer him some type of hope, he eventually meets Cima (Margaret Qualley) and her father, Pops (Guy Pearce). Pops is a curmudgeon, similar to Bangley, while Cima is a wide-eyed former medical resident mourning a dead husband. Both actors are fine, but they're working with the bones of a character. Pearce is mired in an "old cowboy" performance he's done countless times. And poor Qualley is left to make wide eyes at Elordi. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/08/TDS-02865.jpg.webp) So much of the movie is reliant on action and atmosphere, one inconsistently employed and the other just bland. Harry Gregson-Williams, a composer who has crafted numerous grand, sweeping scores, decides to settle on the same plinking guitar themes throughout the majority of the score. This is complemented by a series of sad, country-inflected needle drops that sound like more depressing Noah Kahan songs. When the action is present it yields some of the best moments found in the movie. A sequence wherein Pops and Qualley have to defend their homestead is propulsive, though it owes its life to Old Hollywood Westerns – the gang's makeup also yields weird comparisons to cinematic portrayals of Indigenous natives – as does most of the movie's look. Similarly, an attack on the compound, with Brolin decked out in full *Apocalypse Now* camouflage, looks especially stunning on the big screen. The night vision beautifully blends with the blue night-time shadows, bodies laid against inky blackness as the countless brigands come to attack. But *The Dog Stars* hits its best moments right in the middle, with a wild, Twin Peaks-esque trip to the Grand Junction airport. Hig, Pops and Cima meet Darlene (Alison Janney) for what becomes a fifteen-minute sequence of creepiness and violence. As the trio runs through rooms of body parts and other house of horror features this feels like it comes from a completely different movie. It's weird to a degree the movie never hits before or after. And the whole thing collectively lasts about fifteen minutes, making us feel enthralled and simultaneously saying, "Wait, that's it?" [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) And that really is the feeling of watching *The Dog Stars*, a series of vignettes that feel stitched together. With this being a Scott movie it'd be easy to assume there's a longer, more cohesive cut of this somewhere. It has the makings of a decent miniseries but, as it stands now, everything feels very start/stop. None of this makes *The Dog Stars* a bad movie, just one where you'll be left saying "Huh" a lot. An inability to balance the tone, coupled with muted performance from the majority of the leads makes the runtime haphazard. The movie isn't consistently weird enough to be fun and isn't contemplative enough to be interesting. This is definitely lesser Ridley Scott. ## **Grade: C-** *The Dog Stars is in theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Popcorn Disabilities: I Love The Greatest Showman, But Do We Need a Broadway Show?Disney’s doing a stage musical and I’m still cringe about the whole thing.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-501b19d0-7c12-4177-9f42-18672406d4c5.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/HughJackman-5c1efba646e0fb000155646a-c8abe078-6123-4312-895f-6b2e79cb99c9.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-greatest-showman-musical/) [Bringing Obsession’s Nikki to Halloween Horror Nights Is a Gross Idea, Here’s WhyIf this isn’t proof most people don’t care what the movie’s about.…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-90cb8a59-089b-4267-9e86-b5f6122de2e0.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/956b03a1-51dc-434c-be2a-88d5366e6213_1600x900-2074b7be-8ebc-442a-a741-23599dfcd8f0.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/freaky-nikki-obsession-halloween-horror-nights/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- ### Linda Fiorentino: Hollywood's Real Life Femme Fatale URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/linda-fiorentino-hollywoods-real-life-femme-fatale/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T16:00:02.000Z This '90s indie darling is the prototype for "difficult," but is it deserved? _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Ticklish Business Breaks Down the Top 3 Robert Redford Movies URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-robert-redford-movies-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T16:33:56.000Z *Ticklish Business is a bi-weekly podcast honoring the world of Old Hollywood. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Teresa Castner, Scott Phillips, Staskelv, S. David Miller, William Bibbianni, Scott Mendelson, Cameron Curtis, Virginia Yapp, Don Comm PR, and Angel Giuffria💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Robert Redford is our August birthday boy and with his passing in September it seemed the perfect time to do a proper Redford Top 3\. Longtime Ticklish Biz guest Adam Kautzer joins me to give our lists as well as lay out why Redford changed the movie biz forever. We also discuss '70s cinema, why *Downhill Racer* deserves to be in the same category as *Rocky*, and why some of the biggest Redford movies might not be making an appearance. I have a new book out now! [⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[***Order But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition here.***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **You can** [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen books wherever you buy books including [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and the first [*But Have You Read the Book*](https://amzn.to/4gazCzv?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! [⁠⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[The merch shop is live](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[become a Patron](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com):[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Kristen's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Popcorn Disabilities: I Love The Greatest Showman, But Do We Need a Broadway Show?Disney’s doing a stage musical and I’m still cringe about the whole thing.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-6c8d80e4-8933-41ad-a2c1-75b9df356539.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/HughJackman-5c1efba646e0fb000155646a-46e9c5d2-694f-4f3b-aeb5-1fd7d65d838b.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-greatest-showman-musical/) [Bringing Obsession’s Nikki to Halloween Horror Nights Is a Gross Idea, Here’s WhyIf this isn’t proof most people don’t care what the movie’s about.…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-7d7eda5b-db74-4537-a32d-b429d6771499.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/956b03a1-51dc-434c-be2a-88d5366e6213_1600x900-1a05c381-275e-4f37-9035-20e094076e0f.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/freaky-nikki-obsession-halloween-horror-nights/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- ## ***🚨Upcoming Book Tour Appearances🚨*** - **August 21:** Come out to the Los Feliz 3 where I'll be participating in this year's Friend of the Fest introducing the 1946 film *Gilda*. - **August 23**: If you're in the Temecula area drop by the Temecku Cinemas where I'll be doing a book signing and Q&A (moderated by my fabulous friend, and fellow author, Emily Edwards) before a private screening of The Notebook in partnership with In Bloom Bookery. [***Buy tickets here***](https://www.inbloombookery.com/have-you-read-book-release-party-kristen-lopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com). ### Popcorn Disabilities: I Love The Greatest Showman, But Do We Need a Broadway Show? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-greatest-showman-musical/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T16:00:49.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, the series looking at disability through the lens of pop culture.* *This piece is *exclusive to my Gold tier** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia, Alcmatta, Kevin Turner, Cassidy Dimon, Barbara Doss, and Holly Alarcon💫 *The Film Maven celebrates a year on Ghost in September (alongside my birthday!) and *I'm hosting my first subscriber drive with the goal of hitting 150-160 paid subscribers*. New and existing paid subscribers will be entered into a drawing to *win a massive, curated box of "Kristen's Favorite Things"* with flex prizes to come. I'll be unveiling more over the next week so be sure to *follow me on social media* (*[*IG*](https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*/*[*X*](https://x.com/kristenklopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*/*[*BlueSky*](https://bsky.app/profile/kristenklopez.bsky.social?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*/*[*Threads*](https://www.threads.com/@kristenlopez88?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*) and on here to learn more. If you'd like to get a jump on things head over here to* [*join the Gold Star Crew*](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) *now!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- This weekend was the D23 Fan Expo (sorry, I'm not writing out the new, long-ass name they've changed it to), wherein Disney fans from all around gathered in the Anaheim Convention Center to see what's new and upcoming from all areas of the House of Mouse. That includes the presentation of thrilling rides, exciting movies, and everything in between. One such presentation, part of their Disney Theatrical slate, showed off [the upcoming *Greatest Showman* musical](https://deadline.com/2026/08/greatest-showman-musical-west-end-opening-date-1237041487/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) which will premiere on the West End in 2027\. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### It Ends Review: Alex Ullom's Directorial Debut Processes Gen Z Trauma In Haunting Thriller URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/it-ends-review-alex-ullom/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T15:26:34.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Sabbamonte, Childe.Dirk, Tamaryn, Morozco64, Bonfiglio, BJ Colangelo, Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, and LMoore💫***And welcome new Gold Star Crew members Vanessa Armstrong and George Wishart***💫 ***The Film Maven celebrates a year on Ghost in September (alongside my birthday!) and I'm hosting my first subscriber drive with the goal of hitting 150-160 paid subscribers. New and existing paid subscribers will be entered into a drawing to win a massive, curated box of "Kristen's Favorite Things" with flex prizes to come. I'll be unveiling more over the next week so be sure to follow me on social media (***[***IG***](https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***/***[***X***](https://x.com/kristenklopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***/***[***BlueSky***](https://bsky.app/profile/kristenklopez.bsky.social?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***/***[***Threads***](https://www.threads.com/@kristenlopez88?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***) and on here to learn more. If you'd like to get a jump on things head over here to*** [***join the Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) ***now!*** [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Earlier this year, short filmmaker Kane Parsons's *Backrooms* hit theaters and become a massive hit for A24\. Since then, Hollywood have been hell-bent on getting the "next *Backrooms*" and it's that mentality that, unfortunately, puts Alex Ullom's It Ends at a disadvantage. It'll no doubt be compared to Parsons's film, and there's a world where one could see home studio Neon wanting to call it "*Backroads*." But Ullom's film, outside of the obvious plot elements, doesn't feel like a Backrooms knock-off at all, instead feeling like a cerebral take on things like *The Blair Witch* (it also feels far more akin to *House of Leaves* than those comparing Backrooms to the Mark Z. Danielewski). Though bogged down in some inconsistent filmmaking techniques, when *It Ends* focuses on the existential dread of what's happening it becomes a haunting meditation on Gen Z trauma, and the increasing lack of one's inability to connect in a world where we don't process anything bad. College friends Tyler (Mitchell Cole), Day (Akira Jackson), Fisher (Noah Toth) and James (Phineas Yoon) have reunited for a day and are ending things on a late-night food run. But in following the GPS it takes them down an endless road with no turns. They can't turn around, and the minute they leave the car hordes of screaming people come out of the woods to attack them. Desperate for an explanation the group just keeps driving, hoping that their salvation lies at the end of the road. At barely 90 minutes, *It Ends* doesn't waste any time, though there's little story that necessarily requires a lot of exposition. The audience meets the four friends in the middle of the night. They've spent the day moving out of college and, through random snatches of conversation, it seems they're on the next leg of their life journey. It's also clear that they haven't actually spent all this time together since graduating high school. The main outsider is Tyler, who spent some time in the military (though admits he was never deployed) and struggles to maintain a meaningful relationship, or really any human connection. He's needled and prodded by James, the analytical one of the bunch, for reasons that are never explicated but no doubt have to do with something in the past. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/08/p30145695_v_h9_ac.jpg) There's an interesting push and pull between the past and the present in Ullom's script. Once the group becomes trapped on the road, all they have are the memories of what's come before. They look at photos already downloaded and listen to songs found on their phones. They talk about high school. At one point, James even asks if they'll ever experience anything new again. *It Ends* becomes a story about the lack of an enduring culture. After enduring trauma upon trauma, why not just hide out in a car reminiscing about what everything? For Day and Fisher, they at least try to find connection in themselves and process the trauma of their current experience. They go outside and scream every morning, shouting out the emotions of the inescapable horror they're in. Toth, Jackson, Yoon and Cole are all natural performers, reacting in ways that feel like how the average person would. Toth and Jackson make their characters fun, trying to find some type of normality as the days, months, years (?) go by. Cole is the strong silent type while Yoon plays James as one desperate for an answer, desperate to make meaning out of what's happening. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) Outside of the initial surprises of people running out of the woods, *It Ends* is less an overt horror movie and more a psychological exploration of the unknown. The majority of the movie sees the friends talking and wondering. For James, who charts the divergences in events throughout the drive, he speculates that the group is dead and from there the movie explores the concept of purgatory. Is this something having to do with the group's bad decisions? Or their inability to live life to the fullest? Really, though, the audience goes back to this idea of Gen Z being raised in isolation, living in a landscape of trauma and uncertainty, with each character illustrating a final response. They encounter strangers on the road, many of whom just lie down in silence, giving up and waiting for....anything....to come. And that desire for answers can very well turn audiences off of *It Ends*. Particularly in the film's final image when everything comes to a head. And yet, watching it myself, I didn't feel like I'd be cheated out of anything. There is a deeper meaning to the movie, and seeing the film's final image seemed appropriate for what the movie sought to explore. Alex Ullom's film is a unique little movie that doesn't try to aim for cool, slick, or viral. Instead, it's a dark, melancholy story about where the 20somethings of today are. Lonely on a one-way road were they're forced to only remember the days of yore while everyone else stops trying around them. That, right there, feels like the true horror of *It Ends*. ## Grade: C+ *It Ends hits theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Bringing Obsession’s Nikki to Halloween Horror Nights Is a Gross Idea, Here’s WhyIf this isn’t proof most people don’t care what the movie’s about.…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-056c6de3-451a-4afe-897a-a7fd5d6f9c22.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/956b03a1-51dc-434c-be2a-88d5366e6213_1600x900-f45af286-6259-4b79-a6f8-fac96d0e90d2.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/freaky-nikki-obsession-halloween-horror-nights/) [Promoting a Book on a Budget, How-Tos and SuggestionsIf “on a budget” means none.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-a0c0731b-66f4-474f-87ad-2f91aa552780.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-G_VQZcr12g15PZRLifCsGQ-ed223beb-7b24-4894-9b93-51bb79420191.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/how-to-promote-your-book/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- ## ***🚨Upcoming Book Tour Appearances🚨*** - **August 21:** Come out to the Los Feliz 3 where I'll be participating in this year's Friend of the Fest introducing the 1946 film *Gilda*. - **August 23**: If you're in the Temecula area drop by the Temecku Cinemas where I'll be doing a book signing and Q&A (moderated by my fabulous friend, and fellow author, Emily Edwards) before a private screening of The Notebook in partnership with In Bloom Bookery. [***Buy tickets here***](https://www.inbloombookery.com/have-you-read-book-release-party-kristen-lopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com). ### The State of Entertainment Journalism in 2026 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/state-of-entertainment-journalism-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T20:18:36.000Z *“*[*Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/)*” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *This piece is now unpaywalled and available to all free memebers.* **🌟Supporters like:** Elissa Farkas, Kiahamarafisch, Jason Reynal, Lawrence Carter-Long, Media Path Podcast, Shupei, Ethan Luce, Jeremy Fuster, Lgdfry, and Julie Ruth Cohen💫 ***And welcome new Gold Star crew member Shari Hamrick Grewal***💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- It's been a minute since we last checked in with where entertainment journalism is over the last five months and \[checks notes\] it's still bad. Very, very bad. I will say that, as a freelancer journalist, I'm making ends meet. Have I gotten less pitches accepted than I did at the beginning of the year? Sure. But that's both a combination of my own tenacity coupled with where sites are right now. I'm still getting stuff accepted and that's half the battle. (Watch me say that and then next month everything goes down the toilet.) Right now the Bureau of Labor Statistics is still citing job growth in the journalism sector [falling by 4% from 2024 to 2034](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/reporters-correspondents-and-broadcast-news-analysts.htm?ref=thefilmmaven.com) with 4,100....hundred, not thousand...jobs being created recently. But, remember, that's in the entirety of journalism, not specifically entertainment. So, I thought it'd be informative to look at the highs and lows of where we stand right now. Is [Journalism Still Fucked and We're All Doomed](https://thefilmmaven.com/ted-turner-obituary/)? Yes. ## AV Club and Variety Hiring: A Lesson in Two Jobs Earlier this year nearly every entertainment journalist and film critic I know applied for two jobs: film critic at The A.V. Club and Film Critic for *Variety*. The A.V. Club was seeking a chief film critic, no doubt as a means of bringing in an authoritative voice after relying on freelancers, while *Variety* was replacing [long-time critic Peter DeBruge](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/sxsw-peter-debruge-claudette-godfrey-1236700966/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). Film critic jobs, full-time ones at least, don't pop up often and certainly not one for the most prestigious entertainment site still in existence. (Full disclosure, I did do an interview for The A.V. Club position.) The roles were filled in a way that showed the distinctions in where film criticism is going right now. [The A.V. Club hired Monica Castillo](https://www.avclub.com/film-critic-monica-castillo?ref=thefilmmaven.com), a New York-based critic and journalist with established bylines in everything from *The New York Times* and NPR. (I know Monica personally and she's awesome.) In an industry that's becoming increasingly more of a boys club, Castillo's hiring is the first significant role I've seen filled in our industry by a woman since Trump 2.0 started. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/05/mcastillo.jpg) As far as the *Variety* job, it was pretty obvious early on that *Variety* would hire internally and, no doubt, already had a choice just waiting to be announced. It was doubtful any outside candidates were ever going to be considered. And thus when [*Variety* writer Guy Lodge was promoted](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/variety-hires-guy-lodge-chief-film-critic-1236704702/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), it wasn't a surprise. But it's interesting to see the two jobs side-by-side. The A.V. Club, run by a woman of color, actively sought out and hired a critic of talent and substance who didn't conform to the status quo. Variety, a site riddled by layoffs and trying to retain readers in a changing environment – owned by a company actively embracing the current political and technical regime – fell back on what's familiar. It gave me hope that smaller sites will try their damndest to change the narratives while the old guard will continue to stay small-minded. This does bring me to another point.... ## Women and BIPOC Writers Continue to Disappear One woman hired in a high-value staff job in the last five months. That's a bleak fact in a landscape that's, historically, already marginalized women writers and writers of color. When the Trump regime started most companies immediately started rolling back DEI-initiatives, removing diversity information, and laying off BIPOC and female writers. After years spent building up a pool of diverse writers – not creating equity with white writers, but at least upping numbers – it's still shocking how quickly everything was undone. It only showcased how performative these initiatives were for these companies. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/05/DBG-100-e1548189991689-1500x1208.jpg) But, as [Fallon Brannon lays out in an excellent piece](https://objectivejournalism.org/2026/05/black-journalists-find-independence-isnt-as-simple-as-substack/?mc%5Fcid=2ed73fc4be&mc%5Feid=c086dcf6d5&ref=thefilmmaven.com) for The Objective, the problems are how much institutional knowledge is being let go and how it will only continue to belittle and undermine marginalized writers going forward. "Freelance journalism is a white-dominated industry, and Black freelance journalists are potentially reaping fewer benefits from it. One report suggests they earn up to seven times less than their white counterparts, and in a 2025 Peak Freelance survey of 213 freelance writers, 55% reported their income as less than $30K." [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) It will take decades to bring back numbers to what they were, meager as they already are, and that's if journalism cares to even try that. It also means BIPOC and women writers will continue to leave the industry, taking their institutional knowledge with them. All in the name of [making it a film bros world, once again](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-criticism-women-critics/). ## Self, Glamour and Other Magazine Shutterings We're also seeing this male mentality culminate in the closing down of magazine and digital publications geared towards women. Back in April, Condé Nast announced they were [shuttering *Self* magazine](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/apr/16/conde-nast-closes-self-magazine?ref=thefilmmaven.com), a women's health magazine that had been around for 47 years. According to the company CEO, "Going forward, health and wellness content will be integrated into our other brands, including *Allure* and *Glamour*." However, as of yesterday, *Glamour's* West Coast Senior Editor [Jessica Radloff posted to Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/DYIbBrCjx%5Fv/?img%5Findex=1&ref=thefilmmaven.com) that the entire editorial team for the magazine had been let go. It's unclear if they're being subsumed into *Allure* as well or if *Allure* will eventually close. This continues to perpetuate the idea that female-fronted publications, and those with deal with other issues affecting women, are no longer a top priority in the journalism sector. This in spite of the fact that women read more (books, magazines, etc.) than men by [a near 20% margin](https://www.arts.gov/stories/blog/2025/men-women-split-reading-real-and-persists-amid-historical-rate-declines?ref=thefilmmaven.com). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/05/HHfYGIRWQAAkT9s.jpg) ## Film Comment Stars a Digital Publication We've seen journalists flee to newsletter sites like Substack, Beehiive, and Ghost (hey, that's me!). And with so many places deciding to close down, some are trying to make the move to start publications up. Case in point, *Film Comment*, which announced last week that they were crafting [a quarterly subscription-based digital publication](https://www.filmlinc.org/daily/film-comment-debuts-new-digital-magazine-with-access-to-complete-archive/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) with expanded cover features, interviews, and more. “At *Film Comment*, we believe in the value of film criticism—as a means of making sense of a fraught world through its images, and as an essential conduit to beauty and originality,” said Co-Editor Devika Girish in a press statement. “Our new digital magazine is gorgeous, affordable, and sustainable; it ensures that *Film Comment* remains a bastion for truly independent, nonprofit criticism." This is heartening to see a company that has some financial stability trying to expand out into journalism. ## McClatchy Layoffs (and AI) McClatchy, the company that owns a variety of newspapers (including my hometown's *The Sacramento Bee*), as well as *In Touch* and *Us Weekly* has been doing layoffs since last year. As of April, the company has continued to pare down, instituting [widespread cuts to *Us Weekly*](https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/layoffs-accelerate-may-2026-firms-040430218.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com). As if that's not bad enough, reporters were withholding bylines last month in response to the company rolling out a [Claude A.I. powered "content scaling tool"](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/business/media/mcclatchy-ai-newsroom-byline-strike.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com) that was going to be mess with their articles. This is ultimately the saddest and more frightening thing with where we are now in journalism. The few journalists still allowed to have positions now have to be overworked, underpaid, and told to have AI take their work and filter it into slop. I wish I had better news for everyone but, as I've always said, [Journalism is Fucked and We're All Doomed](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/). There are little bursts of light here and there, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still looking at where to pivot to next. *What are some journalism wins or losses you're seeing out there? Drop them in the comments.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Bringing Obsession’s Nikki to Halloween Horror Nights Is a Gross Idea, Here’s WhyIf this isn’t proof most people don’t care what the movie’s about.…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-056c6de3-451a-4afe-897a-a7fd5d6f9c22.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/956b03a1-51dc-434c-be2a-88d5366e6213_1600x900-f45af286-6259-4b79-a6f8-fac96d0e90d2.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/freaky-nikki-obsession-halloween-horror-nights/) [Promoting a Book on a Budget, How-Tos and SuggestionsIf “on a budget” means none.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-a0c0731b-66f4-474f-87ad-2f91aa552780.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-G_VQZcr12g15PZRLifCsGQ-ed223beb-7b24-4894-9b93-51bb79420191.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/how-to-promote-your-book/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book out! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## ***🚨Upcoming Book Tour Appearances🚨*** - **August 15**: I'll be appearing at Book Soup in West Hollywood. [**Learn more here!**](https://booksoup.com/event/2026-08-15/kristen-lopez-discusses-signs-have-you-read-book-romance-edition-40-love-stories?ref=thefilmmaven.com) - **August 21:** Come out to the Los Feliz 3 where I'll be participating in this year's Friend of the Fest introducing the 1946 film *Gilda*. - **August 23**: If you're in the Temecula area drop by the Temecku Cinemas where I'll be doing a book signing and Q&A (moderated by my fabulous friend, and fellow author, Emily Edwards) before a private screening of The Notebook in partnership with In Bloom Bookery. [***Buy tickets here***](https://www.inbloombookery.com/have-you-read-book-release-party-kristen-lopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com). ### The End of Oak Street Review: Anne Hathaway Battles Dinos In This Oddly Toned Spielberg Rip-Off URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-end-of-oak-street-review-anne-hathaway/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T15:49:18.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Mark Murphy, Tasya Swisko, Sandeep Chandowalia, Elissa Farkas, Kiahamarafisch, Jason Reynal, Lawrence Carter-Long, Media Path Podcast, Shupei, and Ethan Luce💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? Schedule a private 1:1 session with me every month, free.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Every few years there's a film determined to hit audiences in their Spielbergian feels. A movie meant to evoke the warmth and wonder of watching *E.T.* for the first time, or the awe of witnessing *Jurassic Park*. Spielberg's blend of nostalgic appreciation (mind you, those two films are set in contemporary times) used to discuss serious topics is one of the reasons he's the master of cinema. And, hell, we already had a Spielberg film this year with [*Disclosure Day*](https://thefilmmaven.com/disclosure-day-review-steven-spielberg/). But director David Robert Mitchell would like to make this year's attempt. Mitchell's last feature was over ten years, the teen centered horror film *It Follows*. And his return to the director's chair is a movie heavily inspired by *Land of the Lost* by way of *Jurassic Park*. Produced by J.J. Abrams, who has made his fair share of Spielbergian movies (the comparisons to *Super 8* are high here), but Mitchell's script is a jarring, tonally inconsistent almalgm of Spielberg's innocence butting heads with a meanness and, at times, stupidity, that's laughable. The cinematic equivalent of mixing ice cream with dirt and nails. Set in 1982, the Platts are an average American Family living on Oak Street. Mom Denise (Anne Hathaway) spends her days caring for her family and writing a book in the basement at night. Dad Greg (Ewan McGregor) is a lovable loser delivering pizzas in secret. The pair are headed to divorce and their two children don't know what to do. But when a mysterious event transports their street back to the age of the dinosaurs the family must band together in order to survive. There are a lot of direct and immediate influences Mitchell utilizes here, so much as to almost feel plagiaristic. The opening scene, showing the streets signs, a potato sack race and a sweeping orchestral score by Abrams regular Michael Giacchino (one of the major highlights of the movie) almost makes you believe Rod Serling is going to pop up and introduce *The Twilight Zone*. The clearest influence, though, is Spielberg's *E.T.* (1982), itself a story about something otherworldly as a means of talking through harsh familial issues. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/08/The-End-of-Oak-Street-Trailer.jpg.webp) But where that movie was told from a child's perspective, this is more an overarching story of a family in dysfunction. Or, really, just the parents. Denise and Greg are struggling with the usual problems: Greg has lost his job and is pretty much a good-time guy who's overly optimistic. Denise is more practical, willing to be mean and get her hands dirty if she has to. Of course, these fundamental personality traits seem like even a good amount of couples therapy might not be able to save them. To their credit, Hathaway and McGregor are good. Hathaway, particularly, is adept at making the character feel three-dimensional. She's able to run a BBQ, comfort her kids, and threaten to burn her neighbor's house down, all with equal levels of believability. There is, though, an unfair harshness given to Hathaway's Denise, with the movie almost using this as an opportunity to punish her character for daring to imagine a different life. Greg, and really everyone who reads it, believes Denise's story is a means of saying she hates her husband and kids (I guess we gotta assume every story Stephen King writes is autobiographical?), and when it's destroyed the movie shrugs it off with nary a thought. Oh, don't worry, there's a resolution to it by the end but it comes after Denise realizes she, and she alone, is the problem in her marriage. McGregor, brought to the project after original actor Oscar Isaac departed, certainly tries with Greg but never seems comfortable in the role. He's left to rock an unfortunate hair piece – the lack of blending is noticeable in the first 30 seconds – and generally has a goofy, wide-eyed immaturity that doesn't seem cute in a man over fifty. He's the Stu Pickles of this venture, a man who can't hold a job but darn it he's just so charming and positive. The third act turn for his character is great, but the movie's eventual resolution completely undoes it and lays out that Greg doesn't have to do anything to get his marriage back on track. The kids, played by Maisy Stella and Christian Convery, also suffer from a bizarre combo of personality elements. Stella's Audrey is a Cornell-bound burgeoning astronomer who loves Carl Sagan – which really comes off like a way of giving us an explanation for what eventually happens on Oak Street – while Convery, who has given great performances in other high-suspense films is left to act like he's seven-years-old. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/08/End-of-Oak-Street-grab-web.jpg) Once the family is transported back the movie becomes a visual spectacle which is meant to make up for any lack of interest you might have in the characters. The dinosaurs certainly look great, though there are a few moments where the CGI – particularly when Hathaway stabs a snake-like dino – doesn't blend properly. From here, the movie shows bits and pieces of a Frank Darabont-led disaster movie, specifically his 1988 take on *The Blob*. Good people die without a second to mourn – one genuinely surprised me so much I gasped in the theater – and the suspense never lets up for a second. And yet that Spielberg desire for small-town '80s hijinks never completely goes away and becomes laughable when it's inserted into a movie where dinosaurs are trying to kill people. This is most egregious when Convery's Brian goes in search off his dog Starbuck and is confronted with the bully he was avoiding in the beginning thinking it's a great time to try to kill him. Kid, dinosaurs are everywhere and you think NOW's the time to lie in wait and take revenge? Then again, Denise falls into this trap too, bringing up Greg's drinking and lack of job as they're boarding up windows. From dinosaurs. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) These moments happen a lot in the film and come with all the subtlety of a dinosaur running through the forest. Actually, Mitchell probably thinks they're subtle considering his dinos are the most light-footed creatures ever. I counted at least three times the dinos get the drop on every one because of either a lack of peripheral vision or the fact that dinosaurs don't make any noise, you know! The ending itself makes everything that's preceded irrelevant and, ultimately, makes much of *The End of Oak Street* feel incredibly manipulative. And this is already a movie that says dogs save the day and your parents just need to be placed in a high stress environment to love again. Add in a crap-ton of split diopter shots, too. It's not that *The End of Oak Street* is bad. It's just flagrantly copying better movies and TV shows. It's so determined to get '80s loving Spielberg guys that it doesn't really care if anyone else is interested. Storytelling is light, the characters is all over the place, and the tone doesn't really know where to settle. Just shut up and watch dinosaurs. And, yes, those dinosaurs are enjoyable. But after leaving the theater that's all you'll remember. (This did leave me singing the '90s [*Land of the Lost*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGlUBOzpkjY&ref=thefilmmaven.com) theme song for the last 48 hours!) ## Grade: C- *The End of Oak Street is in theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Bringing Obsession’s Nikki to Halloween Horror Nights Is a Gross Idea, Here’s WhyIf this isn’t proof most people don’t care what the movie’s about.…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-056c6de3-451a-4afe-897a-a7fd5d6f9c22.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/956b03a1-51dc-434c-be2a-88d5366e6213_1600x900-f45af286-6259-4b79-a6f8-fac96d0e90d2.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/freaky-nikki-obsession-halloween-horror-nights/) [Promoting a Book on a Budget, How-Tos and SuggestionsIf “on a budget” means none.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-a0c0731b-66f4-474f-87ad-2f91aa552780.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-G_VQZcr12g15PZRLifCsGQ-ed223beb-7b24-4894-9b93-51bb79420191.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/how-to-promote-your-book/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- ## ***🚨Upcoming Book Tour Appearances🚨*** - **August 15**: I'll be appearing at Book Soup in West Hollywood. [**Learn more here!**](https://booksoup.com/event/2026-08-15/kristen-lopez-discusses-signs-have-you-read-book-romance-edition-40-love-stories?ref=thefilmmaven.com) - **August 21:** Come out to the Los Feliz 3 where I'll be participating in this year's Friend of the Fest introducing the 1946 film *Gilda*. - **August 23**: If you're in the Temecula area drop by the Temecku Cinemas where I'll be doing a book signing and Q&A (moderated by my fabulous friend, and fellow author, Emily Edwards) before a private screening of The Notebook in partnership with In Bloom Bookery. [***Buy tickets here***](https://www.inbloombookery.com/have-you-read-book-release-party-kristen-lopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com). ### Bringing Obsession's Nikki to Halloween Horror Nights Is a Gross Idea, Here's Why URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/freaky-nikki-obsession-halloween-horror-nights/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T16:21:47.000Z *This piece is *exclusive to my Gold tier** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Mitch Santell, Jeremy Scholl, Naomi Nelson, Sarah E Wethern, Matt McDaniel, Sofiya Cheyenne, Wiley Sutton, Rachel Dinga, KYoder, and Franker Cline💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free 1:1s with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? Schedule a private 1:1 session with me every month, free.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Last weekend was Midsummer Screams in Pasadena, a massive horror-centric convention that's usually the place where theme parks finally unveil their fall horror events. Universal Studios was no different, revealing to attendees that Art the Clown would be taking over this year's Terror Tram through the backlot, on top of already announced mazes themed to Ozzy Osbourne, *Evil Dead*, and more. But it was the weird reveal that "Freaky" Nikki, the deranged and possessed version of the female lead from Curry Barker's debut feature *Obsession*, would be some type of walk around character at the event that garnered attention. And a big "ugh" from me. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Promoting a Book on a Budget, How-Tos and Suggestions URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/how-to-promote-your-book/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T16:00:53.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Andrew F. Peirce, Wendy Zaballos, Nadine Whitney, Altus Lee, Libeth Morales, Lucy May, David Fox, Alexandra Bowser, Jacob Haller, and Melissa Heeney💫 *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? I'll answer whatever expertise I can provide, once a month, for free!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* --- It's been a minute since I last talked about books, and with the arrival of my latest ([*But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&fbclid=PAVERFWASG4q5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAadWBN%5FMllIibUChzE3RNI8mlL5dVQbn58UakDhKd2wyfr44e1pYLqNUiVK9tQ%5Faem%5Fn6nBqO3v3o%5F8iuAXOm4vmA&ref=thefilmmaven.com), buy it now), it seemed appropriate to talk about publicity. It's that thing wherein we're told to pay thousands of dollars to have someone else hype us to other sites. I've put out three books so far and have yet to actually be able to afford a publicist. But, that being said, I've been fortunate to do publicity for my books in my own way and it's been successful, I think. Hell, I'm still doing publicity for [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4fNVxh7?ref=thefilmmaven.com) – did an awesome event at the Academy Museum this weekend – and while I have contemplated hiring a publicist for *Welcome, Boils and Ghouls*, that book could very well sell itself considering the subject material. It's a fluid situation and it shouldn't be determined by how much money you have. So, I wanted to share some handy tips and tricks to the other authors out there who, like me, don't get the big advance dollars to publicize their works. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 6 Best Things I Watched in July URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-july-2026/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T16:00:48.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Jack Savige, Russel W Roots, Ariel Baska, Jeremy Fassler, Carrie Peel, J Cassar, Jerilyn Elise Miripol, Beth Golterman, JI, and Jo Uhrich💫 *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? I'll answer whatever expertise I can provide, once a month, for free!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* --- I swear awards season starts earlier and earlier. Or at least it is in my house because between catching up with movies and new releases I spent a lot of time watching stuff from this year. (One of which, Wicker, I can't include right now due to embargo so look for it closer to release.) The six movies here comprise a variety of different new releases, from the kooky to the conventional, from the romantic drama to whatever genre we'd put Her Private Hell into. There is one classic, and it's a big one that I probably should have seen far earlier. As always, love to see your recommendations of movies (and books) so drop 'em in the comments after reading. ## *The Third Man* (1949) Carol Reed's *The Third Man* is a movie I've seen referenced so often in other material I assumed I'd already watched it. The story of a man (Joseph Cotten) trying to solve the murder of his former friend, Harry Lime, goes through a variety of twists and turns that, as I said in [the Ticklish Business episode I did on it](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-third-man-orson-welles-ticklish-business/), feels just as timely today. Robert Krasker's cinematography is utterly lush and beautiful, particularly in the third act. But it's Orson Welles, giving us one of the most memorable entrances of all time, that steals the show. His charisma and verbosity is perfectly suited to the role and, again, it's hard not to think there are countless Harry Lime's out there. If you haven't made time to see this yet make it a priority. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### How Audrey Hepburn Became a '60s Mod Icon (Ticklish Business Podcast) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/audrey-hepburn-ticklish-business-podcast/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T02:51:24.000Z *You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Adriana Gomez-Weston, Carli E. Spina, Rafael Jasso, Lily, Julie Wyman, Zach Eastman, Jason, Evalyn Gelhaus, Kasey, and Ernesto A. Garza💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- We're pulling a heist in this week's episode. An art heist! YouTube essayist and critic Princess Weekes joins Kristen to talk Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole in William Wyler's *How to Steal a Million*. The duo talk about this being a game changer for both Hepburn and O'Toole (as well as being the beginning of the end for Wyler). They also analyze Hepburn's change in looks, and even get to briefly talk *Trouble in Paradise*. **Works Cited:** [*Kimberly Lindbergs's Essay on How to Steal a Million*](https://www.tcm.com/articles/535778/how-to-steal-a-million?ref=thefilmmaven.com) I have a new book out now! [⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[***Order But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition here.***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **You can** [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! [⁠⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[The merch shop is live](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[become a Patron](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com):[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Kristen's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [How Nicolas Winding Refn and Crew Crafted a Modern-Day Giallo With Her Private HellFrom the clothes to the hair, everything is impeccable![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-c2f5e603-4034-4155-80a6-de6195b9bb6d.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/75-561a251f-d98d-4aa3-9015-7a44b2476628.jpeg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/her-private-hell-nicolas-winding-refn/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- ## ***🚨Upcoming Book Tour Appearances🚨*** - **August 8**: I'll be at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Museum in Los Angeles! This is technically a long overdue talk and signing for last year's Popcorn Disabilities, my book on disability in the movies, but copies of But Have You Read: Romance will be on hand at the bookstore and I will sign those as well! [***You can find out more and buy tickets at this link***](https://www.academymuseum.org/programs/detail/popcorn-disabilities-book-signing-with-kristen-lopez-019ddf76-e982-c361-1f01-60e1b84b6d8b?ref=thefilmmaven.com). - **August 15**: I'll be appearing at Book Soup in West Hollywood. [**Learn more here!**](https://booksoup.com/event/2026-08-15/kristen-lopez-discusses-signs-have-you-read-book-romance-edition-40-love-stories?ref=thefilmmaven.com) - **(JUST ANNOUNCED) August 21:** Come out to the Los Feliz 3 where I'll be participating in this year's Friend of the Fest introducing the 1946 film *Gilda*. - **August 23**: If you're in the Temecula area drop by the Temecku Cinemas where I'll be doing a book signing and Q&A (moderated by my fabulous friend, and fellow author, Emily Edwards) before a private screening of The Notebook in partnership with In Bloom Bookery. [***Buy tickets here***](https://www.inbloombookery.com/have-you-read-book-release-party-kristen-lopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com). ### One Night Only Review: Will Gluck's Latest Rom-Com Is a Bit of a Cringe Fest URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/one-night-only-review-callum-turner/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T21:19:17.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Neeley Drown, Mary, Cynthia J. Vinney, Meredith Nudo, Christina Ortega, Lucie Goulet, Inara, B G, Janette Davis, and Daniel Montgomery💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? Schedule a private 1:1 session with me every month, free.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- *One Night Only* is one of the weirdest movies you'll see all year. Unintentionally weird that is as no doubt somewhere along the line someone saw its premise as simply the epitome of "high concept." "A rom-com set in a world where pre-marital sex is banned!" The problem is that, for the target demographic of the movie (predominately femme folks), that idea comes rife with problems the world being built can't possibly deal with. If it can fathom that at all. In a landscape where people are being urged to have children, Roe v. Wade is overturned and feminine contraceptive is being questioned at every turn....watching a movie about two people trying to buy a condom is probably funny. Stars Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner, this movie being a proving ground on whether they have any heft in the cinematic landscape, are blameless in this instance. As is most of the cast, all of whom would probably have rocked it in a more standard romantic comedy. But *One Night Only* becomes a cringe-fest the longer it goes on, sacrificing actual romance for a sex comedy that feels like it'll give the wrong people ideas in the dystopian time we're actually living in. The government has outlawed pre-marital sex, outside of one "exemption night" a year where everyone can go out and find someone to sleep with and not be brought up on criminal charges. Enter into this night of debauchery Allie (Barbaro) and Owen (Turner). The two continuously cross paths before eventually banding together on a sex quest that could find the pair, no surprise, falling in love with each other. *One Night Only* feels similar to Gluck's previous movie about two people who try to navigate the waters of casual sex: 2011's *Friends With Benefits*, a movie that is low on the Gluck cinematic rankings. At the time that film was released, the same year as the other "casual sex" movie *No Strings Attached* (Hollywood really was thrown by young people just having sex for the hell of it), Gluck seemed to struggle with the idea that people would want to have sex for fun. He took it down the Rob Reiner path that, really, two people of the opposite gender can't be friends (or just have random sex) without falling in love. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/08/c7925b9a-d9ee-47d0-b05b-0c03f4b88ecf_2560x1707.jpg) The same can be said for this movie, wherein the audience is never left wondering whether these two will fall in love. It's a rom-com and they're on the poster, after all. But more so whether the "sex" they're actually allowed to have on this night will ever happen. But the longer that one night goes on the premise just becomes increasingly inept and shoddy. That's because the world that's created feels incredibly romanticized and, for lack of a better word, dumb as hell. Screenwriter Travis Braun spent the last decade or so in children's television writing, and makes his feature debut with this script. As the movie lays out, a government mandate has outlawed sex outside of marriage. One random news segment sees a grinning white politician talk about how proud they are to have saved the home and family and "it's even easier to be an incel." But for this unsettling zinger the movie never lays out any consequences to this mandate short of everyone being utterly horny. Be nice to see what the divorce and sexual assault rates would be. The movie doesn't mention this, but while protection is "required" to have sex, that's relegated strictly to condoms. So I guess female contraceptive is finally outlawed in this world. And outside of two stray same-sex couples kissing NYC is incredibly hetero here. In this world, as the script sees it, women go out in little but lingerie and tube dresses, desperate to score a man while the men have to do little more than be weirdos and the women flock to them. One scene sees Allie indulge all manner of discussions with men – who do things like magic – in the vain hope of making, as she claims, "a genuine connection." Both her and Owen make stray connections but they end in failure, more embarrassingly for Alli who ends up at the police station and has to hear a very off-putting song sung about "fucking" her to her face. (Also, she asks her friend to check in with her throughout the night but Allie's never afraid to go to a strange man's house alone.) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/08/6cd5a476-17b8-492e-9cae-a1e7f6d32884_2560x1708.jpg) Turner and Barbaro understand the assignment and do about as good as they'd ever be with these characters. Owen has just heard his girlfriend (a wasted Maya Hawke) admit she wants to sleep with someone else, making him desperate to one-up her. Turner is charming, much like he was in [last year's *Eternity*](https://thefilmmaven.com/eternity-review-elizabeth-olsen/), and tries hard to nail the comedic part but he can come off a smidge wooden. The movie also seems simultaneously confused and irritated he's the lead, the script filled with constant reminders from women about how "hot" he is while making fun of his appearance. Barbaro lacks the bubbliness of Gluck's *Easy A* leading lady Emma Stone, but she's solid. As a character Allie is lacking in much depth (though that's a problem with most of the women in this movie). She hasn't had sex in a year, and seemingly no real long-term relationships. She's a singer of embarrassing Pharma commercial covers who maybe wants to do more but suffers from Violet Sanford-level stage fright that disappears with one musical performance. Really, Barbaro seems to be here to make this movie a musical, with various musical performances interspersed throughout. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) The supporting cast not only anchors *One Night Only*, but ends up creating the best scenes in the movie. Molly Ringwald and LeVar Burton are hilarious as Owen's mother and the man she's going to have sex with, respectively. Covered in bubble wrap and delivering sex advice, Burton is especially deft at the comedy here. By the time the inevitable happens, or doesn't, the pacing has felt stodgy as hell. Turner and Barbaro don't have enough heat to make the buildup to their eventual realizations land, and the movie's premise just leaves the audience cringing at what these two's future could even look like. Also, it's laughable to think there's absolutely no way people aren't having sex outside of this mandate....unless everyone has just stopped being creative. *One Night Only* is a truly bizarre piece of work. The actors are good but the premise is filtered through a lens that comes off as skeezy and, unfortunately, just way too prescient to be enjoyable. But, hey, at least someone showed us what *The Purge* would look like if it involved sex. ## **Grade: D** *One Night Only is in theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [On Movie Moguls and Why Hollywood’s A\*\*holes Don’t Deserve a ComebackThere’s a reason Joseph Kahn ain’t making movies, and it’s not for a lack of douchebags![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-de3d80ab-7649-4bbc-9e45-66e4f7060249.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/YTPromo-bc871df5-5236-47b2-a851-9e2e3abdc3fd.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-hollywood-reporter-hollywood-assholes-column/) [How Nicolas Winding Refn and Crew Crafted a Modern-Day Giallo With Her Private HellFrom the clothes to the hair, everything is impeccable![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-903c34a2-49c6-4ff2-9bf5-f8f2be9f42a7.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/75-9a4f7ce2-16ef-4469-809c-e2178b80d11d.jpeg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/her-private-hell-nicolas-winding-refn/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- ## ***🚨Upcoming Book Tour Appearances🚨*** - **August 8**: I'll be at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Museum in Los Angeles! This is technically a long overdue talk and signing for last year's Popcorn Disabilities, my book on disability in the movies, but copies of But Have You Read: Romance will be on hand at the bookstore and I will sign those as well! [***You can find out more and buy tickets at this link***](https://www.academymuseum.org/programs/detail/popcorn-disabilities-book-signing-with-kristen-lopez-019ddf76-e982-c361-1f01-60e1b84b6d8b?ref=thefilmmaven.com). - **August 15**: I'll be appearing at Book Soup in West Hollywood. [**Learn more here!**](https://booksoup.com/event/2026-08-15/kristen-lopez-discusses-signs-have-you-read-book-romance-edition-40-love-stories?ref=thefilmmaven.com) - **(JUST ANNOUNCED) August 21:** Come out to the Los Feliz 3 where I'll be participating in this year's Friend of the Fest introducing the 1946 film *Gilda*. - **August 23**: If you're in the Temecula area drop by the Temecku Cinemas where I'll be doing a book signing and Q&A (moderated by my fabulous friend, and fellow author, Emily Edwards) before a private screening of The Notebook in partnership with In Bloom Bookery. [***Buy tickets here***](https://www.inbloombookery.com/have-you-read-book-release-party-kristen-lopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com). ### On Movie Moguls and Why Hollywood's A**holes Don't Deserve a Comeback URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-hollywood-reporter-hollywood-assholes-column/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T16:00:53.000Z *Welcome to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *This piece is *exclusive to my Gold tier** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Psychological Poet, Rhelm, Freejena, Simon Thompson, Nathan Rabin, Deirdre Davidson, Annabelle Foster, Andrea Olcsvary, Amanda Mullen, and Kevin Bannerman💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? Schedule a private 1:1 session with me every month, free.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Last week [*The Hollywood Reporter*](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/bring-back-hollywood-asshole-joseph-kahn-column-1236653278/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) published a piece by director Joseph Kahn. Kahn is best known as a music video director. He helmed Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood," as well as countless others. If you're looking for his feature film credentials that's a smaller list consisting of the 2004 motorcycle film *Torque*, 2011's *Detention*, the 2017 feature *Bodied* and 2024's *Ick*. Don't worry, I'd never heard of them either. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma Review: Jane Schoenbrun's Trippy Tribute to '80s Horror is a Winner URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/teenage-sex-death-and-death-at-camp-miasma-review/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T16:46:38.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Angel Giuffria, Tari Hartman Squire, Dkod, Debann, Matthew Jackson, Gregory Ayers, Linoleum Podcast, Valerie Kalfrin, Devin Meenan, and Alan Katz💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? Schedule a private 1:1 session with me every month, free.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- There are several moments in Jane Schoenbrun's latest feature, *Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma*, where the movie forces you to confront whether you're invested in what's happening or not. Moments where you're either taken out completely or are willing to be enveloped in the sweet embrace that is Little Death, the serial killer at the heart of the series, or not. If you're willing to take the ride, what results is a cerebral, phantasmagoric examination of horror, gender, sex, and death. It's all really in the name, isn't it? With two spellbinding performances from Gillian Anderson (a career best) and Hannah Einbinder, *Camp Miasma* is a movie that forces the viewer to look at the horror movies of their youth a little differently. Wipe away the blood and gore, and there's a dark story about our desire to consume violence and misogyny, while simultaneously finding feminine empowerment through sex. It's also got a killer Counting Crows needle drop. The *Camp Miasma* films were a series of slashers that came and went throughout the '80s and '90s. Now, "Sundance wunderkind" Kris Williams (Einbinder) is tasked with directing a reboot. Uninterested in doing the same old thing, she decides to have a sit-down with the first film's final girl, Billy Preston (Anderson), in the hopes of getting her to sign on to the project. What results is Kris becoming more enthralled by Billy, who lives on the remnants of where they filmed the first *Camp Miasma*, as well as Billy's belief that Little Death – the serial killer in the movies – is real. Schoenbrun continues to find new entry points into the horror genre, continuing the work she established in *We're All Going to the World's Fair* and *I Saw the TV Glow*. Here, with the *Camp Miasma* "franchise," they look at the established world of '80s horror icons. How are they developed? And how does the continued resurgence of tropes and characters affect audiences? Is the power of continuing to revive them enough to make them real? Jack Haven's performance as Little Death, a villain with an air vent for a head and a white Hazmat-esque suit, is equal parts silly and scary. Little Death's introduction is them skipping into frame before chopping a man's head off, the blood spewing out of his neck wound like an oil derrick hitting a gusher. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/08/Teenage-Sex-and-Death-at-Camp-Miasma.png.webp) There's a desire to try to reconcile between a generation of those raised on horror, and how it's objectified women and demonized minorities, with the awareness of how certain horror films (like *Nightmare on Elm Street 2*) and their coded themes awakened something in the LGBTQ+ community. As Kris says at one point during the movie, because certain movies are so firmly of their time, complete with misogyny and transphobia, Hollywood would rather let marginalized directors do a remake (and take the fall with the fandom) rather than deal with the issues. Yet, Kris can't help but reiterate to Billy, or really anyone who will listen, how the *Camp Miasma* series, for all its flaws, awakened her own queerness and meant something to her. Einbinder gives a far different performance than you'd commonly find from her in Hacks. Her Kris is the ultimate fan girl, but one who can only find connection through fandom. She's in a polyamorous relationship Mari (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Mari's boyfriend Thor (Aren Buchholz) that she's clearly not interested in. When she isn't with them she's talking to agents and producers, or just rewatching random *Camp Miasma* installments. Kris is the ultimate millennial, content to live firmly in the nostalgia instead of forming genuine connections. And yet there's a warmth that comes from every scene Einbinder is in. From her awe-struck face at seeing *Camp Miasma* in a gas station to her eventual comfort in pursuing Billy. By connecting with Billy, Kris sees an opportunity to make her movie better and, by proxy, find a deeper connection to the feature and the woman at its center. The interconnection between how an actor becomes a part of the movie, and where their character ends and they begin is fascinating. This is easily one of Anderson's best performances. Described as the horror equivalent of Norma Desmond – a reference Schoenbrun sadly doesn't seem to trust the audience knows and thus adds "from *Sunset Boulevard*" to the end of the line – Anderson gives Billy a kooky elegance that's alluring all its own. The two's eventual romance is one charged with so much heat while deconstructing the narrative on female desire. Billy sees everything through the lens of the movie, blurring the line between where *Camp Miasma* ends and her life starts. And because of the nostalgia, the movie gives us just as much depth on *Camp Miasma*, so much so you'd be convinced it actually exists alongside *Nightmare on Elm Street* and *Friday the 13th*. An extended sequence from the first *Camp Miasma* plays out and it's pitch perfect, capturing the absurdity and the joy of watching an '80s horror franchise at the start. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/08/Teenage-Sex-and-Death-at-Camp-Miasma-Hannah-Einbinder-022426-c1738105df1040efa8c70c0a26626a89.jpg) But this isn't quite like watching an original movie as Shoenbrun injects a heavy level of absurdity to the proceedings, akin to a live-action *Looney Tunes* movie. To the tune of the Counting Crows's "Long December," Little Death joyously slaughters a cabin full of campers, including a throwing a shish-kabobed camper against a tetherball pole that's easily one of the best movie deaths committed to celluloid. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) When *Camp Miasma* isn't examining the horror genre it's a biting satire of the current state of Hollywood filmmaking, and the wit is just as sharp as Little Death's weaponry. One extended sequence sees Kris on a Zoom call with a variety of studio executives (and apparently the requisite "Queer Assistant") as they attempt to listen to Kris's unhinged rant with a smile on their face. Jess McLeod's Tracy is particularly hilarious, talking about how great everything sounds with a grin so wide you'll think it's plastered. Clearly Shoebrun understands all of us and the current world of filmmaking. *Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma* is certainly about that, but it's about something far more interesting. The way Shoenbrun melds fantasy and reality, satire and absurdity, horror and romance is compellingly watchable and irreverent. Anderson and Einbinder carry the entire movie with aplomb leading to a third act that rips a hole between viewer, author, and character that's unshakable. (Also, this movie proves why we need more Donna Lewis songs playing.) ## Grade: B+ *Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma is in theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [How Nicolas Winding Refn and Crew Crafted a Modern-Day Giallo With Her Private HellFrom the clothes to the hair, everything is impeccable![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-35d6e1dc-0f66-4295-9a37-d578a8e2a419.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/75-d43654da-c592-4c8a-a374-abb2e9bcacba.jpeg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/her-private-hell-nicolas-winding-refn/) [Popcorn Disabilities: The Drama’s Disability Politics Are the Cringiest Aspect No One Talked AboutThe Zendaya/Robert Pattinson movie uses disability as....something![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-8ab32f91-f6fc-43bd-a6f9-87c0cfe4189e.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/images-1-20252a4d-8aff-451b-82b3-0cec2950db50.jpeg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-drama-zendaya-disability/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- ## ***🚨Upcoming Book Tour Appearances🚨*** - **August 8**: I'll be at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Museum in Los Angeles! This is technically a long overdue talk and signing for last year's Popcorn Disabilities, my book on disability in the movies, but copies of But Have You Read: Romance will be on hand at the bookstore and I will sign those as well! [***You can find out more and buy tickets at this link***](https://www.academymuseum.org/programs/detail/popcorn-disabilities-book-signing-with-kristen-lopez-019ddf76-e982-c361-1f01-60e1b84b6d8b?ref=thefilmmaven.com). - **August 15**: I'll be appearing at Book Soup in West Hollywood. [**Learn more here!**](https://booksoup.com/event/2026-08-15/kristen-lopez-discusses-signs-have-you-read-book-romance-edition-40-love-stories?ref=thefilmmaven.com) - **(JUST ANNOUNCED) August 21:** Come out to the Los Feliz 3 where I'll be participating in this year's Friend of the Fest introducing the 1946 film *Gilda*. - **August 23**: If you're in the Temecula area drop by the Temecku Cinemas where I'll be doing a book signing and Q&A (moderated by my fabulous friend, and fellow author, Emily Edwards) before a private screening of The Notebook in partnership with In Bloom Bookery. [***Buy tickets here***](https://www.inbloombookery.com/have-you-read-book-release-party-kristen-lopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com). ### How Nicolas Winding Refn and Crew Crafted a Modern-Day Giallo With Her Private Hell URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/her-private-hell-nicolas-winding-refn/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T16:00:05.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Holly Alarcon, Teresa Castner, Scott Phillips, Staskelv, S. David Miller, William Bibbianni, Scott Mendelson, Cameron Curtis, Virginia Yapp, and Don Comm PR💫 *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? I'll answer whatever expertise I can provide, once a month, for free!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* --- Nicolas Winding Refn is happy to be "of service" in giving viewers food for thought while watching [*Her Private Hell*](https://thefilmmaven.com/her-private-hell-review-nicolas-winding-refn/). (In this case, he was referring to my mom who I said was still debating the movie after seeing it.) It's understandable considering the bizarre, phantasmagoric nature of the movie itself. The film follows actress Elle (Sophie Thatcher) as she navigates making a movie alongside her former lover/stepmother. There's also a killer known as the Leatherman out there killing women. Does it have anything to do with Elle? Who knows. Comparisons to a number of films have popped up since Her Private Hell debuted, with many citing a variety of different Italian giallo films and 1950s melodramas. Refn wouldn't commit to naming specific influences but told The Film Maven, "It was more just elements that I found interesting. It was like a fashion magazine that you would swipe through and then see all the things that you would desire." "I think great filmmakers kind of create a space that you can completely immerse yourself in, where the unreality of what it is becomes the reality," says Charles Melton, who plays Private K. "So many things just informed this living organism from beginning to end. The reference was no reference. It was Nick." _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Tony Review: An Off-Beat Quasi-Bourdain Biopic URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/tony-review-anthony-bourdain/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T17:33:36.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia, Alcmatta, Kevin Turner, Cassidy Dimon, and Barbara Doss🌟 ***And welcome new Gold Star Crew member Jeremy Fassler!***💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- “I was — to be frank — a spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, self-destructive and thoughtless young lout, and badly in need of a good ass-kicking." This opening salvo from director Matt Johnson's *Tony* establishes what the resultant movie will be about: the eponymous spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, thoughtless young lout who, one day, will grow up to do amazing things. Of course, if you don't know who *Tony* is already, or that know much about the life chef Anthony Bourdain, the amazing things won't be known and thus the text becomes a "who cares?" moment. Then again, Johnson's feature doesn't particularly seem to care if you like it, that's what Bourdain probably would have wanted. What results from *Tony*, though, is an off-beat, irreverent, and fairly staid story about a young boy of privilege trying to figure out who the hell he is. It eschews the conventional biopic formula, but in doing so seems to amble aimlessly, much like its central character, in search of something to do. Tony (Dominic Sessa) is desperate to find some meaning in his life. Unable to please his overbearing mother, Tony decides to leave his home and spend a summer in Provincetown pursuing the beautiful Nancy (Emilia Jones). In order to stay close to her he takes a job at a little restaurant called The Flagship run by Chef Jose Vatal (Antonio Banderas). Tony and Chef form a friendship with the young man starting to wonder if cooking might be his calling. *Tony* is an odd-ball film, one that no doubt wants to entice Bourdain fans while trying to make something compelling for those who know nothing about the *Kitchen Confidential* writer who went on to star in the acclaimed reality series *No Reservations* before ultimately dying by suicide in 2018 at the age of 61\. This is a slice in Bourdain's life, before the fame and celebration of food took hold of him, and that means there's probably going to be little for Bourdain die-hards to latch on to and not enough for those who know little about him. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/Anthony-Bourdain-movie-emilia-jones-69fccbb369b9c-edited-69fccbcfc1bf9.jpg.webp) This version of Bourdain is rough around the edges, so much so as to almost immediately turn audiences off. Sessa, speaking most of his heads with his head down and his eyes up, skulks through his scenes as a boy who believes almost everything is beneath him, yet so desperately wants to look more impressive than he is. He attempts to get a writing fellowship at Vassar and, after being shot down with little fanfare, struggles to cope with that initial failure. It's easy to see why, as his mother (Dagmara Dominczyk) is highly educated and has no problem reminding Tony of how little he knows. His father (Rich Sommer), in contrast, is a milquetoast. Tony's cockiness sees him initially shot down by Nancy and, thus, desperate to try to convince her of his worthiness. Jones, to her credit, tries to get at something with Nancy but there's little to hold onto. She's a burgeoning photographer who dates jerks. Jones does get a great moment during a vulnerable sequence of her standing nude in front of Tony, only to discover he's been lying to her. The look on Jones's face is unforgettable and it's frustrating that there's not more to her. Once Tony arrives in Provincetown the movie finds its own footing as the young man starts what he presumes is just a summer job as a dishwasher. He's shocked by the unprofessionalism in The Flagship's kitchen, wherein the other employees are committing a variety of health code violations while openly snorting cocaine. (This scene alone undoes the movie's whole "times were different then, and maybe better" mentality.) He bonds with oyster shucker Sal, impeccably played by Leo Woodall. It's almost a shame Woodall isn't the star of this movie as his narrative arc is by far Tony's most fascinating element. Like Tony, Sal is brash and arrogant. He carves literal notches in locations where he's bedded women, and is an active drug addict. He introduces Tony to cocaine in a moment that plays as just an "oh, that happened." (It feels a bit trite considering Bourdain's openness with his own addictions, including heroin.) But as the third act lays out, in a moment that thankfully isn't preachy, Sal could very well be Tony's future if he's not careful. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/Tony-movie-august-2026-69fccb7478fb7-edited-69fccb9e7a250.jpg.webp) But it's Banderas who is the beating heart of *Tony*. His Chef, whose name isn't revealed until the final scene, is a powerhouse contained in a quiet, contemplative performance. Banderas and Sessa have a strong chemistry, with Banderas providing the anchor by which Tony's wayward ship finds control. Where Tony has insights into glitzing up the restaurant business, Chef is the one with the pure love of food. Chef also has a staunch moral code, a deep commitment to the community, and essentially espouses all the things that Bourdain would show off with *No Reservations*. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) There is a repetitious nature that does make the runtime (an hour and 45 minutes) feel prodigious. This isn't helped by most of the conversations being the same over-the-shoulder shots that don't look particularly dynamic. Overall, *Tony* is a serviceable biopic that tries to buck conventions. Sessa is fine, but it's hard to feel there's anything particularly unique to his performance. Banderas and Woodall steal the show. This is a movie where you'll probably say "Oh, hey, I forgot this was about Bourdain" and your mileage will vary on whether that's a positive or negative. ## Grade: C- *Tony is in theaters August 21.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Popcorn Disabilities: The Drama’s Disability Politics Are the Cringiest Aspect No One Talked AboutThe Zendaya/Robert Pattinson movie uses disability as....something![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-8ab32f91-f6fc-43bd-a6f9-87c0cfe4189e.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/images-1-20252a4d-8aff-451b-82b3-0cec2950db50.jpeg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-drama-zendaya-disability/) [Scenes From The Invite: Production Designer Jade Healy on Crafting Olivia Wilde’s WorldWhat items from the set went home with her?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-8a493266-24d5-41a1-990f-685cd6641328.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/YTPromo-1-a4dfed2a-ddb2-45b9-b0e2-e220bf79db38.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-invite-jade-healy/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- ## ***🚨Upcoming Book Tour Appearances🚨*** - **August 8**: I'll be at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Museum in Los Angeles! This is technically a long overdue talk and signing for last year's Popcorn Disabilities, my book on disability in the movies, but copies of But Have You Read: Romance will be on hand at the bookstore and I will sign those as well! [***You can find out more and buy tickets at this link***](https://www.academymuseum.org/programs/detail/popcorn-disabilities-book-signing-with-kristen-lopez-019ddf76-e982-c361-1f01-60e1b84b6d8b?ref=thefilmmaven.com). - **August 15**: I'll be appearing at Book Soup in West Hollywood. [**Learn more here!**](https://booksoup.com/event/2026-08-15/kristen-lopez-discusses-signs-have-you-read-book-romance-edition-40-love-stories?ref=thefilmmaven.com) - **August 23**: If you're in the Temecula area drop by the Temecku Cinemas where I'll be doing a book signing and Q&A (moderated by my fabulous friend, and fellow author, Emily Edwards) before a private screening of The Notebook in partnership with In Bloom Bookery. [***Buy tickets here***](https://www.inbloombookery.com/have-you-read-book-release-party-kristen-lopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com). ### Popcorn Disabilities: The Drama's Disability Politics Are the Cringiest Aspect No One Talked About URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-drama-zendaya-disability/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T16:34:34.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, the series looking at disability through the lens of pop culture.* *This piece is *exclusive to my Gold tier** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Julie Ruth Cohen, Sabbamonte, Childe.Dirk, Tamaryn, Morozco64, Bonfiglio, BJ Colangelo, Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, and Talleri Mcrae💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- When *The Drama* hit theaters back in April I had several people ask me how I felt about it. I had zero idea there were any disability politics in it to discuss, none of them were emphasized in the trailer. And, because of various other commitments (and my inability to get into a pre-screening) I forgot to watch it. That is until this month when I finally decided to catch up on some releases from earlier in the year I missed. And, yeah, there are some disability politics to discuss and they seem far cringier than the movie itself. ***Please note, I will be talking spoilers about this movie so if you have yet to see The Drama go watch it and then come back.*** _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Scenes From The Invite: Production Designer Jade Healy on Crafting Olivia Wilde's World URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-invite-jade-healy/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T16:13:38.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Sandeep Chandowalia, Elissa Farkas, Kiahamarafisch, Jason Reynal, Lawrence Carter-Long, Media Path Podcast, Shupei, Ethan Luce, Jeremy Fuster, and Lgdfry💫***And welcome new Gold Star crew member Ariel Baska!***💫 *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? I'll answer whatever expertise I can provide, once a month, for free!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* --- To look at the apartment in Olivia Wilde's latest movie, *The Invite*, is to see scenes of a life. The life of the characters, that is. From Joe's (Seth Rogen) expansive library/office to Angela's (Wilde) immaculately curated living room, it's production designer Jade Healy who crafts the locations these characters inhabit. "I start always with the character and the story," Healy tells The Film Maven. "Trying to figure out how to best serve the story by building the set that best suits how to drive the narrative forward, and how to tell the different progression between these different characters." It starts with the script and for Healy, who'd worked with Wilde and producer Saul Germaine on a Red Hot Chili Peppers music video over a decade, the images came to her fast after reading the script. "I saw very quickly the world I wanted to create," says Healy. "We wanted to make a *Who's Virginia Woolf*, Woody Allen movie." Though the film is set in San Francisco and relegated to one location – Joe and Angela's apartment – there wasn't any time to waste on finding a house and spending time in the city. "There was no time to go to San Francisco," Healy says, who explains she was looking specifically for a pre-war apartment. "I was relying on on Zillow and Trulia to do scouting, digital scouting, looking for apartments for sale or for rent that were in San Francisco." She eventually found Joe and Angela's apartment by simply looking on Zillow and then using Google Earth to move down the various streets. "I didn't use any one single interior floor plan from an apartment I found," she says. "I Frankensteined \[it\] together. I used bits and pieces of different apartments that I liked. I liked this part of the foyer. I knew I wanted a hallway. But there was no apartment that had everything I wanted so I borrowed and stole inspiration from different apartments." From there she moved onto small scenic details within the apartment, such as "weird wires \[and\] cables" and brick. It became a running joke between her and Wilde that, through finding the apartments, Healy was becoming like Angela and Wilde was becoming like Healy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/The_Invite-Still_1.jpg.webp) For the production designer, there's a circularity between design and story, one informing the other. And in this case, the script didn't have a set story, with the ending coming as production started, meaning production had to be on its toes as things transformed. "We weren't working with this script that had a beginning and end, it wasn't rigid," she says. "We knew that there was this flexibility in the story, so different things would happen and change very quickly. Somebody's like, 'Oh, we need this here. Can you get us this?" That also meant things that were designed initially didn't end up being used at all, as is the case with an arts and crafts room Healy designed for a scene that ended up not being filmed at all. One room that was vital to the film was Joe's study, which is so chock-a-block with stuff you almost wish the camera would zoom in and just let the audience look at it. This was Healy's favorite room to design because it conveyed so much of Joe and Angela's relationship. "It really wanted to be the space where Joe's stuff gets kind of shoved...Angela's taken over everything else in the apartment, and I kind of imagine it in a way that as time went by she would grab stuff from the living room or somewhere that was Joe's...Suddenly, she started to take those things, and every day he'd come home, and there'd be like the elephant statue that used to be in the living room, on the mantle pieces, now shoved in his shelf." Extensive care and detail went into creating Joe's insular world. "Every book was selected," Healy said. "There are Polaroids of Joe as a musician in there. I think we got some from Freaks and Geeks that we manipulated with other band photos." These are details that, Healy admits, the camera doesn't pick up on, but that aid the actor's performance in the space. This anchors them in order to tell them who they are as the character. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) When it came to purchasing the items within the apartment it was Facebook Marketplace all the way. "It's a lot of Facebook Marketplace, which was a running joke," she says. "I spent so much time looking for stuff...\[It\] was really a mix of stuff we found in some prop houses, flea markets, different furniture stores all throughout L.A. \[and\] Long Beach. I was sending my team to random houses in the Valley for a couch, a chair, a bench. So much of that movie was shopped in Facebook Marketplace. I would just be at home sending a link to say, 'This dryer.' Really imagining what Angela would be doing. She spends her days on Facebook Marketplace looking for stuff." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/9iKnSEMsGsBxP5FMie7Qh3.jpg) Things like the living room couch came through happy accidents. "We bought three couches \[and\] we ended up using one we got for free as a gift," says Healy. "They were all used couches, but we ended up with this amazing couch that my decorator had been gifted from a friend, and we were looking all these couches. One day I said, 'What about that couch you got that's in storage?' The gold room is what we call it. So we brought it over and I was like, 'This is the couch.'" With everything being ad-hoc, does that mean the crew took things home? "I took these chairs that I don't even know if we ended up using them in the movie. I think we bought them," Healy says. "I took the little bar cart that's in the dining room. I like to take art home. I wish I'd gotten more pieces....The costume designer \[Arianne Phillips\] took the couch home. She got the bed...All these things I probably shouldn't be saying out loud." *The Invite is in theaters now.* --- ## ***🚨Upcoming Book Tour Appearances🚨*** - **August 8**: I'll be at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Museum in Los Angeles! This is technically a long overdue talk and signing for last year's Popcorn Disabilities, my book on disability in the movies, but copies of But Have You Read: Romance will be on hand at the bookstore and I will sign those as well! [***You can find out more and buy tickets at this link***](https://www.academymuseum.org/programs/detail/popcorn-disabilities-book-signing-with-kristen-lopez-019ddf76-e982-c361-1f01-60e1b84b6d8b?ref=thefilmmaven.com). - **August 15**: I'll be appearing at Book Soup in West Hollywood. [**Learn more here!**](https://booksoup.com/event/2026-08-15/kristen-lopez-discusses-signs-have-you-read-book-romance-edition-40-love-stories?ref=thefilmmaven.com) - **August 23**: If you're in the Temecula area drop by the Temecku Cinemas where I'll be doing a book signing and Q&A (moderated by my fabulous friend, and fellow author, Emily Edwards) before a private screening of The Notebook in partnership with In Bloom Bookery. [***Buy tickets here***](https://www.inbloombookery.com/have-you-read-book-release-party-kristen-lopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com). ### Hadestown Leaves the Road to Hell For the Big Screen, and Its Crew Couldn't Be More Excited URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/hadestown-reeve-carney-eva-noblezada/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T00:27:10.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Naomi Nelson, Sarah E Wethern, Matt McDaniel, Sofiya Cheyenne, Wiley Sutton, Rachel Dinga, KYoder, Franker Cline, Mark Murphy, and Tasya Swisko💫 *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? I'll answer whatever expertise I can provide, once a month, for free!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* --- "It's a sad song. It's a sad tale....But we sing it anyway." When *Hadestown* first hit the Great White Way in 2019, it certainly had buzz but no one associated with the show could have foreseen the deep depth of feeling that would accrue because of circumstances beyond their control. After the pandemic and audiences returned to live theater, the cast of the show – telling the tragic love story of Orpheus and Eurydice – realized something had happened. "When we returned to *Hadestown*, the audience had been transformed," Patrick Page, who plays Hades, told The Film Maven. "They were now people who felt ownership of the show and were watching it as active participants. What had happened was during that shutdown, when people were hurting, they had their headphones on, and these lyrics and this music kept them sane." I was one of those people, someone who had discovered the show on YouTube and became obsessed. Now, audiences like me who can't travel to New York have the opportunity to see Page, alongside original Broadway cast members Reeve Carney, Eva Noblezada, Andre De Shields and Amber Gray (alongside the West End cast) on the big screen for one night only: tomorrow, July 24\. "It feels beautiful," Noblezada said. "We're very grateful, and we're along for the ride just like everyone else...I hope that people are excited to see two worlds collide of two different companies that represent a whole history book of this show. How it's went from the van in Vermont all the way to multi-productions all over the world." _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Who Really Directed The Third Man? (Ticklish Business Podcast) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-third-man-orson-welles-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T16:09:10.000Z *You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Nadine Whitney, Altus Lee, Libeth Morales, Lucy May, David Fox, Alexandra Bowser, Jacob Haller, Melissa Heeney, Mitch Santell, and Jeremy Scholl💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- We've got one more cinematic trip around the world before International Month closes! We're visiting our British Ticklish Biz patrons with a look at Carol Reed's iconic 1949 noir *The Third Man*. And to help us talk Orson Welles, sewer fights, and David O. Selznick I'm joined by political journalist Jeremy Fassler. Fassler discusses Selznick, how Noel Coward wouldn't work for this movie, and Pinky & the Brain's "The Third Mouse." **Works Cited:** [*Watch "The Third Mouse"*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ0O6f4Umpg&ref=thefilmmaven.com) I have a new book dropping on July 28th! [⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[***Preorder But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition here.***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **You can** [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) Find Kristen books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! [⁠⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[The merch shop is live](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[become a Patron](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com):[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Kristen's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Preston Sturges, RDJ, and the Ultimate Inside Hollywood Movie: America’s Sweethearts at 25 \[Exclusive\]Director Joe Roth shares stories of a Hollywood career and translating it to film![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-a60d8586-263d-4770-a36b-2d87f001d560.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/America-s-Sweethearts-1-d11fa6b3-e03c-41fb-9bd8-856cd32c963c.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/americas-sweethearts-2001-julia-roberts/) [Female Film Critics Are Disappearing, And Here’s the ProofDon’t let those Supergirl critic numbers fool ya![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-226b383e-ca2a-4900-8c2b-e054c1093229.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-YTPromo-1-f42f72fc-2b39-4047-8faa-342cf5cb7731.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/female-film-critic-numbers/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Her Private Hell Review: Nicolas Winding Refn's Latest Is Beautifully Batshit in the Best Way URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/her-private-hell-review-nicolas-winding-refn/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T01:16:08.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Carrie Peel, J Cassar, Jerilyn Elise Miripol, Beth Golterman, JI, Steven Belgard, Jo Uhrich, Andrew F. Peirce, and Anthony Francis🌟 ***And welcome new Gold Star Crew members Jack Savige and Russel W Roots!***💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- "Making a movie is like going to war," it's said in Nicolas Winding Refn's latest ethereal opus, *Her Private Hell*. And it's unclear whether that battle-weary mentality was applied to this film, but Refn clearly sees the labor of making movies as one that involves intensity, strategy, and violence that often doesn't suit both parties 100%. *Her Private Hell* isn't for every viewer, and Refn appears more than fine with that. But for those who decide to sign up and do battle with it, it's a hallucinogenic, exquisitely composed tribute to cinema with a story about fathers and daughters that feels almost uncomfortably personal. I loved every second of it. Elle (Sophie Thatcher) is a Hollywood actress residing in the Tower Hotel while making a sci-fi movie. She's struggling with personal demons alongside the fact that her co-star is her former lover, Dominique (Havana Rose Liu) who recently married Elle's father. As Elle tries to get through the film she witnesses a murder. Is it the shadowy Leatherman, a Boogeyman figure tied into the protection of young women? And what does it have to do with a soldier known as Private K (Charles Melton) searching for his own missing child? Refn's always worn his cinematic references on his sleeve and *Her Own Private Hell* is no different. It starts with a woman coming out of a mist that will blanket the entirety of the hotel from hereon out. Strange things lurk in the mist, it's said and that is the film's portal to all manner of strange things taking place over the next hour and 50 minutes evoking different time periods and cinematic touchstones. Film noir is one of the most overt elements of the movie, from Elle's mist-soaked entrance in a trench coat to Private K's entire narrative feeling ripped from the likes of Samuel Fuller's 1959 narrative *The Crimson Kimono*. But there's also a strong 1950s melodrama feel to the relationship between Dominique, Elle, and her father, Johnny Thunders (Dougray Scott). The trio talk in overwrought prose with flat affect, their inner rage boiling beneath the surface. Elle has a severe Electra complex, her love for Dominique melding and fighting with Elle's near incestuous desire for her "daddy" to spend time with her. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/herprivatehell-sophiethatcher-01-1784167474312.jpg.webp) And then there's the Leatherman, a presumably frightening legend told to the audience with all the seriousness of Michael Meyers. This moment is undercut hilariously by Scott, clad entirely in black leather, lounging on a couch surrounded by women like he's an old-school Hollywood mogul. The Leatherman, according to Johnny, kidnaps young girls to bring to his underworld realm, not unlike Hades. A series of murders soon start taking place and, like an Italian giallo film, the blood and the symbolism starts flying. If you aren't versed in these genres the entire affair can come off as utterly non-sensical. But even if you aren't a film noir/giallo/melodrama fan there's a moody and hypnotic vibe to the entire affair that just grips you. The interrelationships between Elle, Dominique, and Hunter (Kristine Froseth), a young newbie on the movie, is fun in all their reality show-level backbiting. Thatcher is a solid fulcrum by which everyone revolves around, simply watching and taking in the scene that she's enmeshed in. The movie starts with her saying she's "taking my face off," implying her makeup, but it's clear there's a double meaning in that. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) But because of how static Sophie is as a character that makes everyone else around her stand out in their utter weirdness. Froseth is deliriously funny, taking everything that is happening around her as an opportunity for fun. To her, this is living the Hollywood lifestyle even if it's obviously not. Diego Calva as Nico, a fellow black-leather clad actor friend of Dominique, rules over his brief sequences with such a swagger it's a shame he disappears so quickly. And Scott's broad-grin recounting the story of the Leatherman is one for the ages. It is in Havana Rose Liu and Charles Melton, though, that Her Private Hell is at its best. Liu, as Elle's stepmother/former lover, has all the bearing of a Real Housewife who just happens to be in her twenties. Where everyone is either outsized or muted Liu turns Dominique into a human, one struggling to give off an air of sophistication she clearly doesn't feel. Her final confrontation with Thatcher is a perfect blend of dark comedy mixed with sadness at what could have been had the two not been forced into roles they didn't ask for. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/Her-Private-Hell-movie-still-1.png) Melton inhabits an entirely different timeline as Private K, his hazy 1950s world potentially being tied into the sci-fi/comic adaptation Elle and her friends are working on. Melton's stoicism is underscored by a beautiful vulnerability. He's a man who believes he's failed his child and is seemingly stuck in an endless purgatory of searching for her. This neo-noir threatens to run away with the entire movie, becoming a Lynchian-esque story that feel far more fascinating than the vapid girls in Hollywood. *Her Private Hell* is an acquired taste, but once you have it it becomes impossible to get rid of. Beautifully composed – Jane Marshall Whittaker's costumes and Louise Bruun's makeup are Oscar-worthy – with a heady story, this is a movie that grips you with its incomprehensibility. It's a movie worth deconstructing, loving, and remembering. ## Grade: B+ *Her Private Hell is in theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Preston Sturges, RDJ, and the Ultimate Inside Hollywood Movie: America’s Sweethearts at 25 \[Exclusive\]Director Joe Roth shares stories of a Hollywood career and translating it to film![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-a60d8586-263d-4770-a36b-2d87f001d560.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/America-s-Sweethearts-1-d11fa6b3-e03c-41fb-9bd8-856cd32c963c.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/americas-sweethearts-2001-julia-roberts/) [Female Film Critics Are Disappearing, And Here’s the ProofDon’t let those Supergirl critic numbers fool ya![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-226b383e-ca2a-4900-8c2b-e054c1093229.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-YTPromo-1-f42f72fc-2b39-4047-8faa-342cf5cb7731.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/female-film-critic-numbers/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Preston Sturges, RDJ, and the Ultimate Inside Hollywood Movie: America's Sweethearts at 25 [Exclusive] URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/americas-sweethearts-2001-julia-roberts/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T16:00:46.000Z *This piece is *exclusive to my Gold tier** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Neeley Drown, Mary, Cynthia J. Vinney, Meredith Nudo, Christina Ortega, Lucie Goulet, Inara, BG, Janette Davis, and Daniel Montgomery💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- There are some movies that lay out the fantasy of Hollywood and inspire those to seek out the bright lights of the film world. Then there are the movies that aim to show what the Hollywood machine actually looks like, but funny. Such is the case with Joe Roth's 2001 comedic feature, *America's Sweethearts*. A satire/romantic comedy, the movie follows cinematic power couple Eddie and Gwen (John Cusack and Catherine Zeta Jones) who announce their divorcing. She immediately moves onto another man while he ends up in a mental hospital. The two are forced to reunite to promote their latest movie, while at the same time Eddie starts to fall for Gwen's sister/assistant, played by Julia Roberts. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Female Film Critics Are Disappearing, And Here's the Proof URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/female-film-critic-numbers/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T16:07:07.000Z *“*[*Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/)*” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *This piece is *exclusive to my Gold tier** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Adriana Gomez-Weston, Carli E. Spina, Rafael Jasso, Lily, Julie Wyman, Zach Eastman, Jason, Evalyn Gelhaus, Kasey, and Ernesto A. Garza💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- I get a lot of weird ideas later in the evening. Most of the time, I don't indulge them and end up forgetting about them later. But on June 25th I just couldn't let it go. You'll recall an article I wrote back in March of 2025 called "[It's a Film Bros World, Again](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-criticism-women-critics/)." In the piece I discuss how the trades and other entertainment culture sites didn't have to pretend to support female writers and were just not hiring them. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### The Odyssey Review: Christopher Nolan Meets Homer's Epic With One of His Own URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-odyssey-review-christopher-nolan/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T15:41:03.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy (uncommon for this series)* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Psychological Poet, Rhelm, Freejena, Simon Thompson, Nathan Rabin, Deirdre Davidson, Annabelle Foster, Andrea Olcsvary, Amanda Mullen, and Kevin Bannerman💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Like the citizens of Ithaca, it feels like we've been waiting years for Christopher Nolan to finally unleash his adaptation of Homer's epic poem. Hollywood has always appreciated a good sword and sandals story, going back to the early days of Hollywood itself, and it often feels like the likes of Cecil B. DeMille are watching over Nolan shoulders as he uses brings all his technical know-how to this movie. So, is *The Odyssey* the masterpiece some have touted it to be? No. Like Odysseus himself there are narrative flaws that keep the movie from being perfect. It touches on the same themes Nolan's been examining for years now. Coupled with narrative decisions involving contemporary language and accents, there are times where one is thrust out of the grandiosity on-display. But it's still a massive feat of a movie, one of that reminds viewers why the biggest screen is the best. The city of Ithaca lives without a King, over a decade since its ruler, Odysseus (Matt Damon) left to fight in the Trojan War. His son Telemachus (Tom Holland) hopes he'll come back, and spare his mother Penelope (Anne Hathaway) from marrying one of the dozen suitors that invade their home nightly. Odysseus himself, alive but unaware of who he is, recounts the story of where he is now in the hopes that both father and son will be reunited. Strip away the Cyclops and men being turned into pigs and *The Odyssey* is another Nolan-directed story of guilt over personal failures. Specifically, the guilt that comes from failing as a father or husband. The movie opens with Ithaca laid fallow after eight years without Odysseus. Cruelty runs rampant, with the suitors taking a sick pleasure in hurting old people, the poor, even dogs. There's few who remember Odysseus, not even his own son. From this launchpad the movie engages in a series of flashbacks, itself a unique play on the poem's oral history tradition. Telemachus goes in search of his father, and along the way culls together pieces of who the man was through others, particularly Spartan King Menelaus (Jon Bernthal). [Everyone Is Being So Weird About Christopher Nolan’s The OdysseyFrom “historical” accuracy to accents, everyone online has an opinion about this Grecian epic.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-cf96c9e6-f660-4065-a806-1ac813ff513e.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/The-Odyssey.jpg-29445af0-783f-4fa0-8e2e-dda17c946676.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-odyssey-christopher-nolan/) The narratives switch between Telemachus and Odysseus, himself stranded on an island with the mysterious Calypso (Charlize Theron) with no memory of who he is or how he got here. This allows him the opportunity to gather together the memories inside his head of storming the gates of Troy. Where Telemachus gives us the story of the man/father, illustrating Odysseus's humanity, Odysseus's perception of himself is one of warrior, leader and soldier. This is where the majority of the action beats come from throughout the movie's near three-hour runtime. And those action sequences are utterly breathtaking! Hoyte van Hoytema's camera has a determined confidence in capturing everything, and seeing this on 70mm IMAX (or IMAX solo) is fantastic. The sequence in the cave with the Cyclops is especially haunting. The men, huddled in the dark with just stray images of the Cyclops hands. The sheer size of the creature is astounding, yet there's an unsettling contrast in watching him casually chew a man's head off. This happens as well during the Circe (Samantha Morton) sequence where the horror comes from watching the men, a mix of terror and hunger in their eyes, stuffing/choking on food. It looks like the film is running backwards almost. It's wondrous to watch. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) The truly best sequence, though, involves the Trojan horse entering Troy. On a massive screen the audience feels the weight of the horse, being pulled by the citizens. A later sequence takes us inside the horse, where the men are piled onto each other like firewood. The confinement, the heat, and the smell can be felt on-screen. The actual Troy fight sequence is a masterful composition of editing and music, with the sound of banging drums reflecting the audience's heartbeat. These trials often see Odysseus lose men, and through these moments Damon presents the character as a man conflicted. Does he want to go home or keep fighting? Does he want to save his men or save himself? How much of what he says is a smokescreen to make himself look/feel better? Is anything he says even true or is this a perception of himself? Like Cillian Murphy's *Oppenheimer*, this is a story about personal legacy, and how one man defines who he is on a global scale. And, like previous Nolan features, Odysseus worries about how his wife and son feel about him, whether they remember him or if he's ruined their lives. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/CT-54129_MSG-H-2026.jpg.webp) This is also, akin to [*Masters of the Univers*](https://thefilmmaven.com/masters-of-the-universe-2026-review/)e and [*Disclosure Day*](https://thefilmmaven.com/disclosure-day-review-steven-spielberg/), and a few other features of late, a story about the need for empathy in the face of rising cruelty. Characters routinely bring up "Zeus's Law," reiterating that everyone should be kind to strangers unless they are gods in disguise. By the end of the movie, as Odysseus wonders whether civilization will rise again, there's a poignance to it all that hits differently had this been made five years ago. Damon is certainly a beast in this movie, whether he's destroying a cadre of large knights or trying to outfox Morten's Circe. Damon's portrayal is one that is methodical, even when it looks like Odysseus's decisions come from madness or selfishness. He is the standout because his performance feels the most consistent. Nolan's decision to utilize contemporary language is fine – other directors have been doing that for decades – but some actors have a better hang on making the words feel of that time than others. The sheer amount of actors in the movie means there's little time to latch onto anyone not directly related to Odysseus, though Himesh Patel and Samantha Morton are able to rise above the herd. Morton, especially, has such a delicious creepiness to her performance as Circe. Bernthal and Lupita Nyong'o are fun to watch but there's not nearly enough time or personality given to them. The same can be said for Theron's Calypso, who spends her screen time staring at Damon's Odysseus and urging him to talk. Holland's Telemachus is the anchor for the Ithaca chapters. His sense of awe listening to Menelaus tell the story of Odysseus is great work, but Holland does come off as the weakest link. He's a boy trying hard to be a leader, but the dialogue for him feels particularly naive. The third act fight scene pretty much sees him screaming "dad" as weapons are being hurled. Interestingly, watching him kept bringing up comparisons to Paul Mescal's performance in [*Gladiator 2*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gladiator-2-review-denzel-washington/) (a movie this movie does better) and where Mescal was too cool and devoid of personality, Holland is warm and genuine, though still devoid of personality. [Universal Boots Influencers From The Odyssey And What It Means For CriticsIs this a sign influencer dominance is at end end?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-d5b2af4e-23ea-4767-a30f-491491b6ad26.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Everything-We-Know-About-Christopher-Nolans-The-Odyssey-1-b939af3e-418b-4872-abbf-257e0c11e8b1.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-influencers/) Hathaway feels similarly restrained, outside one of brilliant speech toward the end where she gets to talk about the patriarchy. The MVP of these scenes is Robert Pattinson's Antinous, an Ithaca suitor who peddles a story about being spared from going to Troy. That story gets retold by Antinous several times and Pattinson's delivery is always different, becoming more comical as he keeps bringing it up. Pattinson harnesses all the jealousy and cruelty of the character in a marvelous way. The third act fight sequence is also a dazzling display of technical know-how, vacillating between two different locations with weapons raining down. It's pure '80s-level action goodness that it almost makes up for how bloodless the movie is. That becomes particularly noticeable once the soldiers reach the massive giants. For a movie filled to bursting with people being eaten, throats slashed, and an R-rating....no one's bleeding here. *The Odyssey* is easily the biggest spectacle you'll see on-screen all year. When it's Damon and his men fighting all manner of battles it's utterly thrilling. The other actors just generally try to stay in his orbit. Nolan's usual flaws are still on display, particularly with his bland female characters. Regardless, a highly entertaining piece of popcorn cinema. ## Grade: B *The Odyssey is in theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Why We’re Finding Love In Sheep Detectives and Voicemails for IsabelleWhy we should be looking at these movies as proof of what’s hot in Hollywood![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-e42c51c1-a9b0-4f8a-a1b2-e6e1daf76774.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/YTPromo-8543e08c-08c6-4637-a06c-cd38be78e085.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/sheep-detectives-voicemails-for-isabelle-must-watch/) [Taylor Swift’s Desire to Be the Modern Elizabeth Taylor and the Wedding of the CenturyWill her white diamonds and lovers be forever?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-9580d07f-3c66-4e66-9949-0cc1453ebfd9.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-YTPromo-7055b213-198b-421b-ae3a-582ba825e147.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-wedding/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Why We're Finding Love In Sheep Detectives and Voicemails for Isabelle URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/sheep-detectives-voicemails-for-isabelle-must-watch/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T16:04:33.000Z *Welcome to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Angel Giuffria, Tari Hartman Squire, Dkod, Debann, Matthew Jackson, Gregory Ayers, Linoleum Podcast, Valerie Kalfrin, Devin Meenan, and Alan Katz💫💫 **And welcome new Gold Star crew member Janette Davis!**💫 *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? I'll answer whatever expertise I can provide, once a month, for free!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* --- I don't often watch Netflix movies. The sheer amount of content, much of it not expertly curated to let me know what's new, often means I got overwhelmed by choice and just end up watching *Gilmore Girls* or something. But after hearing from several friends (and my little brother!) about how good *Voicemails for Isabelle* was I decided to take the leap. (I did have to physically search for it still.) And, what do you know? It's actually utterly joyous. It made me remember last month when I finally got the opportunity to watch the equally heartwarming and kooky *Sheep Detectives* on Prime Video. In a landscape where I so often talk about Hollywood failures, and what a film's box office bombing says about the industry – which, one's still coming, by the way – I wanted to talk about two movies making audiences smile. What do they say about Hollywood and why isn't the industry looking to *their* success as proof we need more? So, let's look at what makes *The Sheep Detectives* and *Voicemails for Isabelle* work, and why Hollywood might want to start looking at them more closely. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### A Beginner's Guide to Who Ruined Entertainment Journalism URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/entertainment-journalism-bad/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T16:05:06.000Z *“*[*Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/)*” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *This post is *free to enjoy (uncommon for this series)* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Holly Alarcon, Teresa Castner, Scott Phillips, Staskelv, S. David Miller, William Bibbianni, Scott Mendelson, Cameron Curtis, Virginia Yapp, and Don Comm PR💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- I get a lot of suggestions for articles and this is one of them. A few months ago someone suggested I do a piece laying out exactly how and why entertainment journalism has gotten so bad. It's a question I didn't even know the answer to 100% until I started looking into it. But like I've said with the rise of influencers supplanting journalists, it's a multi-pronged issue that has a variety of players who did their part in making things how they are. With magazines like [*Self*](https://www.thecut.com/article/cond-nast-shuttering-self.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and [*Allure*](https://fashionista.com/2022/08/allure-ends-print-digital-only?ref=thefilmmaven.com) shuttering, and layoffs at a variety of different culture sites ([the latest being GameSpot](https://aftermath.site/gamespot-layoffs-july-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)), being a journalist in any type of cultural field is one filled with financial instability. So, in the interest of spreading the word about why things have gotten so bad it's worth diving into who's to blame (or at least point a finger at) in how entertainment journalism has devolved and what, if anything, can be done to fix it. ## In the Beginning, There Was Ads It's remarkable to think how much news and journalism exploded after the rise of the internet. Before, there were only a few markets for people to get the news (either newspapers/magazines and television). US magazine circulation was a whopping [363 million copies](https://www.afr.com/politics/us-magazines-increase-pull-19900925-k42fx?ref=thefilmmaven.com) in the early-1990s and a whopping nine out of ten people read a daily newspaper [between the 1970s and 1980s](https://www.statista.com/chart/18827/united-states-newspaper-circulation/?srsltid=AfmBOopNkY440YHMaCOOiHKycPiJHwtlmE5Dl6CXcEDWcBGxPv-taH1-&ref=thefilmmaven.com). That meant there were even fewer opportunities to be a journalist. Usually, one had to work in a major city, rack up bylines at smaller outlets and pitch their way into the big leagues. It was a small, insular community that was able to make a global impact. What kept newspapers and magazines afloat? Ad revenue. At its peak, in 2000, U.S. newspapers brought in around $63.5 billion in annual advertising revenue, making up [70% to 80% of a newspaper's **total** revenue](https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47018?ref=thefilmmaven.com). Magazines, by 2007, were making nearly [$50 billion in ad revenue](https://aiinstitute.hbs.edu/platform-rctom/submission/can-magazines-survive-the-internet/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), the majority of which came through physical print ads. So with ads keeping the industry afloat, journalists were able to write what they wanted and keep a steady paycheck. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/types-of-journalism.jpg) The containment of journalism around this time also meant "[news \[was\] non-excludable](https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs181/projects/2010-11/Journalism/indexcdf1.html?page%5Fid=10&ref=thefilmmaven.com), meaning that once the news is reported anyone can use it" and "while it \[was\] expensive to pay reporters to gather information, the costs of actually distributing this information \[was\] the same regardless of how much information is actually produced." This meant that newspapers and magazines, being the predominant forms of news, could be an authority and have a global impact with a small amount of effort. On top of that, things like classified ads were vital to a newspaper's longevity, giving people the opportunity to promote opportunities and enticing subscribers with the possibility of finding jobs. The internet changed all that, making information more diffuse. Anyone could report (or say) anything on line and it would transmit around the globe in an instant. Newspapers and magazines were no longer the big game in town with the proliferation of independent news sites popping up. On top of that, sites specifically aimed at what classifieds were doing (Craigslist, for example) meant readers didn't need a subscription to a local newspaper to find jobs, used furniture, or a date. And since there were more opportunities for ad companies to hawk their wares, it was no longer enough to focus just on print media. Now, it was pivoting to social media and, yes, our old friend: the influencer. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) ## Paywalls: Friend or Foe? You might remember how, back in the day, you'd put in some money into a newspaper dispenser and get your paper. Even if you didn't have a subscription a newspaper still got your $0.50 that you'd insert into the machine. Same with a magazine. You might not subscribe, but you could easily pick one up (and pay for it) at a supermarket or newsstand. Either way, the publisher still got money from every potential reader. Say it with me now: the internet destroyed all that! With ad bugets for "U.S. magazine ad revenues falling [from $10 billion in 2017](https://www.statista.com/chart/35520/estimated-print-advertising-revenue-in-the-us/?srsltid=AfmBOoo%5FO%5FpHsaL0NZXniLRbRXm1CmDQtPCGnJCCSyoUkovh5h7CvUV%5F&ref=thefilmmaven.com) to $4.3 billion in 2025," [publishers decided to diversify](https://pressgazette.co.uk/media-audience-and-business-data/media-business-data/global-news-industry-revenue-level-in-2025-as-publishers-diversify-beyond-print/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and moved into the digital space. The problem was news and items that would appear in classifieds were now being given away for free. News became something that, to the average consumer, didn't need to be paid for at all. And thus newspapers and magazines started to put paywalls on their websites, in the hopes of scraping back the people no longer giving their $0.50 or $2.50 at a grocery store for a paper or magazine. Readers had always been important to the industry, but now publishers were asking them to single-handedly keep the industry afloat. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/5f7768c5c100b629aed5a021_Future-of-Journalism.jpg) The problem, people decided if it wasn't free it wasn't worth buying. It's said that [83% of adults in the U.S. haven't paid for new](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/06/24/few-americans-pay-for-news-when-they-encounter-paywalls/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)s in over a year, and only 1% of people pay when they hit a paywall. This isn't just because they believe the information will be reported elsewhere, but because most – per a Reuters Institute survey – [don't see it as valuable](https://lab.imedd.org/en/reuters-institute-trust-in-news-is-at-a-record-low-with-access-dominated-by-platforms/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). This is even worse specifically for entertainment journalists whose reporting on Hollywood issues can be seen as too fluffy/easy or niche. ## Is There Any Hope? Ad revenue continues to change, as does consumer sentiment. Now, ad companies are using [AI and online algorithms to find consumers](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digital-ad-revenue-climbs-to-nearly-300b-as-iab-celebrates-30-year-anniversary-302743856.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com), leading to a $300 billion dollar industry. There's clearly money to be made. But said money is often passing through the hands of influencer marketing. Companies are finding people are more drawn to "authentic" people hawking products, albeit it's being debated whether consumers are [starting to tire on this trend](https://www.adweek.com/sponsored/the-influencer-marketing-bubble-has-burst/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). But with a newfound desire for analog experiences, particularly through Gen Z, we're seeing something new: [the return of magazines](https://theconversation.com/magazines-were-supposed-to-die-in-the-digital-age-why-havent-they-217371?ref=thefilmmaven.com). The specialized independent magazine market has seen a real resurgence of late, with people gravitating towards zines catering to specific interests like sports and classic film. While these aren't daily news magazines, they are presenting information and history as a premium product. Currently, there are a lot of journalists out of work as the result of the mass layoffs throughout the industry. But if there is any silver lining to be found it's through the amount of journalists who have crafted their own worker-based media companies ([Aftermath is a great example](https://aftermath.site/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)) or are doing their own reporting...like [the newsletter you're reading right now](http://www.thefilmmaven.com/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! The onus is still on readers to support, but like the return of magazines readers are now able to actively connect with the writers who resonate with them and have a vital impact on their success. My hope is that one day all the indie journalists will band together (strength in numbers). *There it is, the whole messy tale! Drop in the comments any avenues I didn't explore and let me know how you're supporting journalism in this day and age.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Taylor Swift’s Desire to Be the Modern Elizabeth Taylor and the Wedding of the CenturyWill her white diamonds and lovers be forever?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-2dd51bb4-d266-45da-9dc3-bf8608264a50.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-YTPromo-7fb659ac-0410-4f1f-9cac-6165ea21e29a.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-wedding/) [Before There Was Daveigh Chase, There Was Bobby DriscollThe Disney child star pipeline has always been tragic, and this was the start![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-6e64b977-8fd8-411b-807b-976528c4c720.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-5-91c1ca48-b812-4d07-aec7-8b5d280bc442.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/daveigh-chase-disney-child-star/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Women on the Verge in Peter Weir's Picnic at Hanging Rock (Ticklish Business) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/picnic-at-hanging-rock-alicia-malone-ticklish-business-podcast/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T16:00:50.000Z *You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Julie Ruth Cohen, Sabbamonte, Childe.Dirk, Tamaryn, Morozco64, Bonfiglio, BJ Colangelo, Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, and Talleri Mcrae💫 **And welcome new Gold Star Crew members Taylor M. Hodgkins and Dustin Kogler!** *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- It's time to pack our bags and take another cinematic vacation around the world for International Month! And this year, in honor of Ticklish Biz's 10 year anniversary, I'm going to take a vacation by watching the films of some of our international Patrons. First, we're stopping off in Australia, the home of our most international Patrons and talking about Peter Weir's 1975 feature *Picnic at Hanging Rock*. Joining me on this cinematic adventure is TCM host Alicia Malone! Alicia and I talk about Peter Weir, the tenets of an Aussie film, and the freaky world of author Joan Lindsay! [234\. International Month - Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975 with Alicia Malone)Podcast Episode · Ticklish Business · July 8 · 46m![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/favicon-32-5cdaa945-ffc4-4b9d-811b-c5f64c18c8cd.png)Apple Podcasts![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1200x1200bf-60-f4911f53-3801-49fc-9e68-8e07be3ca507.jpg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/234-international-month-picnic-at-hanging-rock-1975/id1129352801?i=1000775986681&ref=thefilmmaven.com) **Works Cited:** [*The Extraordinary Story Behind Picnic at Hanging Rock*](https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/the-extraordinary-story-behind-picnic-at-hanging-rock-20170328-gv7upc.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com) [*Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!*](https://amzn.to/4f4ojsl?ref=thefilmmaven.com) I have a new book dropping on July 28th! [⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[***Preorder But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition here.***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **You can** [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! [⁠⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[The merch shop is live](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[become a Patron](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com):[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Kristen's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Taylor Swift’s Desire to Be the Modern Elizabeth Taylor and the Wedding of the CenturyWill her white diamonds and lovers be forever?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-2dd51bb4-d266-45da-9dc3-bf8608264a50.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-YTPromo-7fb659ac-0410-4f1f-9cac-6165ea21e29a.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-wedding/) [Before There Was Daveigh Chase, There Was Bobby DriscollThe Disney child star pipeline has always been tragic, and this was the start![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-6e64b977-8fd8-411b-807b-976528c4c720.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-5-91c1ca48-b812-4d07-aec7-8b5d280bc442.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/daveigh-chase-disney-child-star/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Moana (2026) Review: Second Verse Exactly the Same as the First URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/moana-2026-review-second-verse-exactly-the-same-as-the-first/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T01:15:47.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia, Alcmatta, Kevin Turner, Cassidy Dimon, and Barbara Doss💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Ten years ago Disney introduced us to Moana of Motunui, chosen by the ocean to help her dying island with the help of the demigod Maui, played by Dwayne Johnson. It's a rousing throwback to classic era Disney princess musicals, with snappy songs and was beautifully animated. It's a story so nice the studio essentially wanted to make it twice, and thus its entered the pipeline of other movies getting the live-action treatment solely because they were made before. This new take on *Moana* is essentially a shot-for-shot remake (though a lot more of those shots feel like they have Maui in them). The story is the same, the songs are the same, the characters are the same. It's just now what could beautifully be accomplished is rendered in CGI with an high level of uncanny valley on display. A game cast tries hard to make this their own, but in a landscape where [*Moana 2*](https://thefilmmaven.com/moana-2-review-disney/) barely registered on the pop culture scale, this live-action remake of the story only reminds audiences why the original should have stayed one and done. Moana (Catherine Laga'aia) is the bright, determined chieftain's daughter who loves the sea despite her father's insistence she stay on her island. When the island starts suffering food shortages, Moana discovers the island villagers were once voyagers and quests to restore the heart of Te Fita and save her home. Along the way she meets disgraced demigod Maui (Johnson), and the two become unlikely allies. *Moana 2026* is a prime example of how telling the exact same story, albeit with live action, doesn't mean lightning strikes the second time. Every element you enjoyed about the original feature is present – including what feels like even more digressions to Moana's pet chicken Hei Hen – and yet the overall effect is muted and, at times, very boring. This iteration is just seven minutes longer than the animated feature and right around the time the villain song "Shiny" starts you'll feel like two hours have passed. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/thumb_7fd2eead-64e9-11f1-a916-022bbbb30d69.jpg) This being Laga'aia's first feature film, she's incredibly green and that comes through a lot here. She's perpetually in what can only be dubbed as Moana stance: legs apart, shoulders back, and confident. But the movies seems to have little interest in Moana. Where the original film allowed Moana to grow through moments of isolation, this Moana is never alone. We see her with her parents – John Tui and Frankie Adams who are great in small roles – or with her grandmother, impeccably played by Rena Owen (stealing every scene) or Maui. And for a movie called *Moana*, this movie feels a lot like a Maui movie. Johnson is in the frame a lot in this movie, and the sheer constant presence of him ends up overshadowing and unmining any good work Laga'aia could be doing. Rocking a Vidal Sassoon wig – that looks even worse when it's wet – Johnson is just resting on his laurels. His voice work, that was so outsized and fun in the animated film, is bland here as if he's just perpetually annoyed. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) The problem is how much animation works for the original feature and there's a heavy reliance on specifically on what worked best as animated. Maui's tattoos, which could be mined for comedy because they could be seen full-screen are incredibly small. Good luck seeing what expressions baby Maui is making. The original Moana is beautifully animated, allowing for the sea to take on a life of its own. Hei Hei and Moana's pig Pua have expressive faces. Moana's facial expressions can be more florid in an animated film that balances out with her voice acting. And Maui, a Samoan demigod, lives up to the name. Here, the sea shimmers like it's glowing in a Disney theme park, and Hei Hei and Pua have a waxy sheen. (It never looks like Laga'aia is handling any creature in this movie.) This all comes to a head in "Shiny," the sequence wherein Maui and Moana are trapped in the home of a massive crab voiced, once again, by Jemaine Clement. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/moana.jpg) Again, because the crab was animated you could see all the detailing in the moment, and see Moana and Maui clearly in danger within the music performance. Here, it's a weirdly edited sequence to allow for the live action characters to co-exist with the CGI. Moana looks like she's rolling around in King Kong's hand while Clement's Tamatoa looks like a bizarre Disney animatronic. Director Thomas Kail, who helmed the live recording of *Hamilton*, clearly has a flair for theater as the movie's opening performance and choreography is impeccable. And yet there's no choreographed dances after this. Cinematographer Oscar Faura gets a chance to show off some beautiful island long-shots. But the moments of Moana piloting the boat have an odd rear-projection quality to them at times and, mostly, the need is to just recreate the exact same shot list as the animated film. Disney's clearly trying to find the formula on their live-action remakes, clearly not happy to go too far astray ([no one wants another *Snow White*](https://thefilmmaven.com/snow-white-2025-review-rachel-zegler/)) and yet doing something ultra-faithful like this just makes the entire thing boring. *Moana 2026* is lovely to look at sometimes, but it's wholly unnecessary and only diminishes what made the original work so well. If you enjoyed the animated film, stick with what works. I'd rather have a bad *Moana 3* than something regurgitated. ## Grade: D+ *Moana is in theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Taylor Swift’s Desire to Be the Modern Elizabeth Taylor and the Wedding of the CenturyWill her white diamonds and lovers be forever?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-54c754b8-152e-4cdb-8bad-c9102048c6ca.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-YTPromo-7d5d29d0-dd82-4721-8c66-ea008b289c61.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-wedding/) [Before There Was Daveigh Chase, There Was Bobby DriscollThe Disney child star pipeline has always been tragic, and this was the start![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-361b7684-0c9d-4c25-aab3-c80d75431e88.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-5-8a9a422c-95cd-4e30-aecf-a5b2b6380fe8.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/daveigh-chase-disney-child-star/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### David Wain and Zoey Deutch on Bringing Jobs Back to LA for 'Gail Daughtry' URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/zoey-deutch-gail-daughtry-interview/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T19:36:10.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Sandeep Chandowalia, Elissa Farkas, Kiahamarafisch, Jason Reynal, Lawrence Carter-Long, Media Path Podcast, Shupei, Ethan Luce, Jeremy Fuster, and Lgdfry💫 **And welcome new Gold Star Crew member Emily Edmond!**💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Dorothy Gale wanted to go "over the rainbow" in 1939's *The Wizard of Oz*. In David Wain's *Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass*, his Dorothy-esque heroine Gail simply wants to have sex with Jon Hamm. But both heroines explore a magical world beyond the confines of their small town, ultimately realizing who they are amidst the belief that "there's no place like home." *The Wizard of Oz* was one of several movies director David Wain saw when putting the movie together. "There's endless numbers of great movies that I love," Wain tells The Film Maven. "But one thing that we definitely took a direct steal from is *What's Up, Doc?* with the mistaken identical suitcases. We just overtly took that notion of that idea, which has also been in other movies too. There's little genre nods to different things." Wain's name on the project should intrigue comedy fans, having directed the fantastic retro comedy *Wet Hot American Summer*. Gail Daughtry has a similar vibe, both taking high concept stories and using them to play on the nostalgia of a simpler time...with a hefty dose of sex in it. (That almost makes me wonder if Wain sees Preston Sturges's *Sullivan's Travels* as an influence?) There's a similar Old Hollywood appreciation for Gail Daughtry herself, actress Zoey Deutch. "I could watch *It's A Wonderful Life* every day of my life," she says. "It's my favorite movie. And any Katharine Hepburn \[movie\]. Anything with Katharine Hepburn is a important to me and my household." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/GAIL-DAUGHTRY-AND-THE-CELEBRITY-SEX-PASS_-1200x675.png.webp) In a move that feels straight out of a Katharine Hepburn movie, Deutch lays out how she pitched herself to Wain for the lead in the movie, something the director himself disputes. "\[He\] didn't know who I was," Deutch says. "I read the script and I reached out to David. I was grateful that he took a meeting with me, and I somehow convinced him. I pitched myself to you. Do you disagree?" "I honestly think the truth might be both things happen at the same time," Wain replies. "Because we were talking about who could possibly do this and your name is the one that went to the top of our list, and then maybe at the same time you reached out to us." A 21-day shooting schedule certainly didn't scare off Wain or Deutch, both of whom have worked in the indie film scene before this. "Much of what I've done over my career has been on a lower budget and quicker schedule side of things," Wain says. "This was pretty challenging that we had a 21-day shoot to do a pretty wide ranging, somewhat epic movie. It was a very challenging puzzle, but fun at the same time. A lot of times those challenges emerged. New ideas that were great, but we used every trick in the book we learned on how to get something and make it look like you wanted it to look with no time." Gail doesn't travel through the Land of Oz so much as she does Los Angeles. And, make no mistake, Wain's interpretation of Los Angeles is one that will appeal to those who live in the city and those who have only idealized it. This is a movie that celebrates the joys of Hollywood Boulevard weirdness *and* has a jingle dedicated to the agency CAA. For Wain, it wouldn't have made sense to film anywhere else but the city itself. The [move couldn't come soon enough](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/is-production-in-l-a-starting-to-turn-the-corner-1236579313/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), and is possibly the beginning of some glimmer of hope in a landscape that thrives on filmmaking. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-06-18T164206.655.jpg) "Hollywood is everyone's town," he says. "We all have a relationship to Hollywood and the movie plays off that a little bit. We also do live here, and work here, and love this town, and love all the people, the community of filmmakers and crew here. So to be able to shoot in a place where features are shot less and less, especially comedy features, especially independent original comedy features, it was something we were extremely grateful to be able to do and feel like it should be done much more." [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) Deutch, as a native to the city, concurs and praised Wain for doing his part to bring filmmaking back to the city. "I'm born and raised in Los Angeles and any opportunity to be a small part of bringing film back to LA is very meaningful to me," she says. "It's an amazing community, and there's not enough work here, and there should be. We need to bring movies back here." *Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is in theaters Friday. Watch the full interview below.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Taylor Swift’s Desire to Be the Modern Elizabeth Taylor and the Wedding of the CenturyWill her white diamonds and lovers be forever?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-54c754b8-152e-4cdb-8bad-c9102048c6ca.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Copy-of-YTPromo-7d5d29d0-dd82-4721-8c66-ea008b289c61.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-wedding/) [Before There Was Daveigh Chase, There Was Bobby DriscollThe Disney child star pipeline has always been tragic, and this was the start![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-361b7684-0c9d-4c25-aab3-c80d75431e88.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-5-8a9a422c-95cd-4e30-aecf-a5b2b6380fe8.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/daveigh-chase-disney-child-star/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Taylor Swift's Desire to Be the Modern Elizabeth Taylor and the Wedding of the Century URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-wedding/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T15:59:59.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Naomi Nelson, Sarah E Wethern, Matt McDaniel, Sofiya Cheyenne, Wiley Sutton, Rachel Dinga, KYoder, Franker Cline, Mark Murphy, and Tasya Swisko💫 **And welcome new Gold Star crew member John Smitg!**💫 *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? I'll answer whatever expertise I can provide, once a month, for free!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* --- This past weekend was the 4th of July. Or, it was for everyone who wasn't obsessively watching social media for news of the biggest event, presumably, of the century: [the wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce](https://www.today.com/popculture/news/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-wedding-guests-share-details-msg-rcna353024?ref=thefilmmaven.com). There were various types of wedding watchers online: Those cared about it very much, those who posted that they didn't care about it at all, those who posted "jokes" about being at the wedding or were content to spread misinformation and AI slop under the guise of "exclusive" photos. My social media feed became littered with TnT commentary but mostly I saw a lot of class commentary between those who felt the wedding was [a gross example of billionaire overconsumption](https://www.thecut.com/article/all-the-latest-travis-kelce-taylor-swift-wedding-details.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com), and those who felt that Swift was being unfairly blamed for the wrongs of men who had far more money than her. At the end of the day, most of us still know little about the actual wedding (or, hell, if a wedding even really took place this weekend), but lots of people had opinions about it and, by extension, Swift herself. And those things fascinate me as well, but I'm more interested in a pervasive comparison Swift herself keeps making, and that popped up over this weekend: her desire to [emulate actress Elizabeth Taylor](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-life-of-a-showgirl-taylor-swift/). A few stray Taylor comparisons have popped up so far, the main one being Swift's decision to have Madison Square Garden as her wedding venue. As [reported by *Architectural Digest*](https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/madison-square-gardens-fascinating-history-taylor-swifts-rumored-wedding-venue?ref=thefilmmaven.com), MSG was the site of a massive party hosted by Taylor's third husband, Mike Todd, to celebrate the release of his film Around the World in 80 Days in 1957\. Taylor was "was in attendance and cut a 14-foot-high cake during the soirée." That's alongside stories that Swift's dress was allegedly modeled on Taylor's 1950 Helen Rose-designed gown she wore to [her first marriage to Conrad Hilton](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/taylor-swift-wedding-dress-details-003259111.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com). (Now, I'm not saying their situations are similar but not sure I'd want connections to [a marriage that lasted eight months](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/conrad-hilton-was-first-of-elizabeth-taylors-seven-spouses/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and ended with allegations of abuse.) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 7 Best Things I Watched in June URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-june-2026/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T16:00:33.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Nadine Whitney, Altus Lee, Libeth Morales, Lucy May, David Fox, Alexandra Bowser, Jacob Haller, Melissa Heeney, Mitch Santell, and Jeremy Scholl💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Summer certainly kicked off with a bang. The Tribeca Film Festival happened, and while I wasn't there in person I was fortunate to see several good movies courtesy of some kindly reps. I got a new puppy (welcome Vivvy to Casa de Lopez!) so that meant not a lot of reading got done. Apologies for those who are loving my book recommendations. Regardless, this month's films include a lot of new releases, as well as some classic films I want you to fall in love with just as much as I did. Be sure to drop the movies and books you discovered last month in the comments. ## [*Masters of the Universe* (2026)](https://thefilmmaven.com/masters-of-the-universe-2026-review/) [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/masters-of-the-universe-2026-review/): It's easy to write off director Travis Knight's remake of *Masters of the Universe* – an adaptation of both the 1983 animated cartoon, *He-Man*, and the 1987 feature starring Dolph Lundgren – as another attempt to court male Gen Xers who have certainly benefited from the decade's boom in cinema and television. And, in many ways, it is. This new take is a *Masters of the Universe* that thrives on being big and, in some parts dumb. If anything, it acknowledges how silly the original 1980s versions were. But wipe away the '80s cheese and its script (credited by Chris Butler, Aaron and Adam Nee, and Dave Callaham) is an incredibly fun and witty send-up of '80s mythos features. Though far from the satirical heights of *Barbie*, it's one of the more surprisingly entertaining films of the summer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/hollywood_does_abortion_cut_web.jpg) ## *Hollywood Does Abortion* (2026) This documentary on how Hollywood has historically presented abortion is a fascinating combination of social justice and media representation. From film and television presenting abortion as something dangerous and frightening, to moving towards how it's available (yet unnecessary for most women) is thought-provoking, particularly in a post-Roe v. Wader overturned world. The documentary tries to be comprehensive in how it illustrates the dichotomies of abortion regarding BIPOC or trans characters, but completely ignores the very few examples of abortion with regards to disabled women. There are a few examples, all of them problematic, and for a movie trying to explore how limited the worldview is it's upsetting that disabled women don't even rate. Regardless, if you're looking for something that explains where we are regarding abortion in this country, and the role entertainment plays in making those things palatable, this is a worthwhile watch. ## *Hadestown: The Musical* (2026) I'm loving the trend of bringing musicals to the big screen. It allows for those who can't travel (whether because of finances or accessibility issues) the opportunity to experience Broadway in their own way. I've written about [my love of *Hadestown* before](https://thefilmmaven.com/hadestown-politics/), and how it's painfully relevant today. It's my favorite musical of all time. And yet I figured I'd never get to see the iconic cast perform the characters and songs I know and love. Thankfully, the cast was reunited for one last show which has been recorded for posterity and it is, no surprise, perfection. Seeing Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada as Orpheus and Eurydice was amazing. Unlike the recent recording of *Merrily We Roll Along*, this interpretation's cinematography balances the need to show the overarching characters with wanting to do more cinematic touches like close-ups. Because of this, I walked away with a far deeper appreciation for Patrick Page's Hades than I ever have. This just reminded me why I love live theater and why I love *Hadestown*. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/images-2.jpeg) ## *El Vampiro Negro* (1953) I'd been told about this Spanish-language take on *M* (1931). That movie focuses on a child killer and *El Vampire Negro* tells the same story, but told from the POV of the mothers of the murdered and potential victims. Director Román Viñoly Barreto has such an eye for mood and tone that it's a shame he's not a bigger name (or didn't come to make American movies). The film is impeccably shot and just looks stunning. But it's in actress Olga Zubarry's performance that the movie shines the brightest. Zubarry plays Amalia, a young nightclub performer trying to hide her profession to protect her daughter's honor. But because of that same job to put clothes on her child's back she faces extreme misogyny from the men in her life, including the local police. (There's also a very dated "good disabled woman" character here that made me roll my eyes.) The movie also presents a nuanced portrayal of the killer that feels very "Freud was big at this time." [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) ## *The Invite* (2026) Olivia Wilde's latest rocketed its way up into my top 3 movies of the year. The story of two different couples – one in the early throes of a relationship and the other on its last legs – there's a real *Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice* vibe to the movie. It's got a crackingly funny script courtesy of Rashida Jones and Will McCormack and everyone's acting here is on point. The standouts are Wilde, playing a manic disaster on par with Catherine O'Hara, while Penelope Cruz is astounding as the sympathetic and magnetic Pina. It's also great to see the return of good, old-fashioned sex comedies. The movie is just so brilliant. I cannot wait to see it again. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/07/MV5BNzg3NjA4OTYwN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMDIwOTAyMjI@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg) ## *Up the Down Staircase* (1967) My cinematic love affair with Sandy Dennis continues with this Robert Mulligan/Alan J. Pakula joint. Dennis plays an idealistic young teacher working in a tough inner-city school and if you think you've seen this movie already you haven't seen it the way Dennis plays it. Her performance here is so captivating in its sincerity and vulnerability. The script, based on Bel Kaufman's book, isn't an inspirational narrative, but a dark story about the ways schools are limited and how it forces teachers to give over too much of themselves. (It's aged far too well, unfortunately.) Sandy Dennis can do no wrong in my eyes. ## *The Sheep Detectives* (2026) Best. Movie. of 2026! I don't care what comes out between now and year's end it has a helluva job beating this movie about mystery-solving sheep! In all honesty, *The Sheep Detectives* is a movie we don't get anymore. Take a high concept, ridiculous premise ("sheep solving crimes!"), infuse it with a fantastically well written script that never dumbs it down for an audience, and just make it fun. Screenwriter Craig Mazin did just that and it is a perfect movie. There's a lot of *Lion King*, weirdly enough, in this story of a flock of sheep trying to solve the murder of their shepherd. That's the inciting incident but the rest of the movie is a deep examination of community, how we grow beyond our bubble, and ultimately finding a belief system that gives us comfort. The final scene in this movie...if you aren't a blubbering idiot it's proof you have no soul. I just want to talk to everyone about this movie. **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Before There Was Daveigh Chase, There Was Bobby DriscollThe Disney child star pipeline has always been tragic, and this was the start![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-361b7684-0c9d-4c25-aab3-c80d75431e88.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-5-8a9a422c-95cd-4e30-aecf-a5b2b6380fe8.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/daveigh-chase-disney-child-star/) [Universal Boots Influencers From The Odyssey And What It Means For CriticsIs this a sign influencer dominance is at end end?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-baf94e25-d294-43c6-99c0-89bc55fa2c6e.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Everything-We-Know-About-Christopher-Nolans-The-Odyssey-1-c59041dd-1e7c-4662-8e43-27a40c1e882c.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-influencers/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Before There Was Daveigh Chase, There Was Bobby Driscoll URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/daveigh-chase-disney-child-star/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T16:46:31.000Z *This piece is *exclusive to my Gold tier** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Jason, Evalyn Gelhaus, Kasey, Ernesto A. Garza, Neeley Drown, Mary, Cynthia J. Vinney, Meredith Nudo, Christina Ortega, and Lucie Goulet💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- The [death of *Lilo & Stitch* actress Daveigh Chase](https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/celebrity/daveigh-chase-death-final-years-lilo-actor-053845-20260626?ref=thefilmmaven.com) at the age of 35 has stuck with me a lot longer than I anticipated. Like most millennials, I grew up with the one-two punch of Chase making me love her as the voice of the precocious Lilo in Disney's 2002 family adventure, and then scaring the crap out of me as well dweller Samara in Gore Verbinski's *The Ring* (2003). After that, I saw Chase pop up in other movies – I had a big *Donnie Darko* phase, as did most teens I grew up with – and then figured she'd moved on with her life. The awkward teen years are never good for a female child star, especially. But hearing about her passing on June 16 of bacterial meningitis (the LA county coroner officially labeled [her cause of death as AIDS related](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/daveigh-chase-cause-of-death-lilo-stitch-1236798657/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) yesterday), enhanced by malnutrition was shocking. How could this happen? Almost immediately "concerned" family members and friends started popping out of the woodwork, giving us snatches of Chase's life that included addiction, homelessness, and eventually living a life on the street that ended with her death. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Minions and Monsters Review: These Little Yellow Dudes Shine in Story of Hollywood's Origins URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/minions-and-monsters-review/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T16:00:05.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like: I***nara, Carrie Peel, J Cassar, Jerilyn Elise Miripol, Beth Golterman, JI, Steven Belgard, Jo Uhrich, Andrew F. Peirce, and Wendy Zaballos💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- The rise and success of Universal's Minions seems like a Hollywood fairy tale. Strange little foreigners are given the role of sidekick to an A-list voice actor in a movie, meant to provide some comic relief, and end up not only eclipsing that film but becoming a juggernaut unto themselves. They're essentially the Ruby Keeler of the 2020s (go watch 42nd Street if you don't get the reference). In a way, *Minions & Monsters* is a movie reflecting on that same origin story, detailing to audiences how the Minions have been around since Hollywood's inception. And leaving a string of disasters in their wake. Director Pierre Coffin (who also co-wrote the script with Brian Lynch) take the tenets of a Hollywood story, animate, and make it a fun, zippy story perfectly suited for the Minions. *Minions & Monsters* isn't reinventing the wheel, but where else are you going to find a movie with references to Damien Chazelle's *Babylon* and a subplot involving human/robot relations? During a trip to a movie-centric theme park (that's definitely not Universal Studios), a tour guide sits her group down to tell them about the most important people in Hollywood: two Minions named Henry and James. James loves to tell stories, putting him at odds with the other Minions who just want to serve a "big boss." When the group lands in Los Angeles, the allure of the movies immediately intrigues James, who wants to be a director. But when he decides to make a monster movie, conjuring up some real monsters with the help of Goomi (voiced by Trey Parker), it unleashes a terror that could destroy the world itself. *Minions & Monsters*, bare minimum is a movie about our collective love of movies. Starring the Minions. These little buggers shouldn't be able to capture our attention for 90 minutes yet, wrapped within Coffin and Lynch's script, they are the ultimate audience. We meet them as they're traversing the seas in search of new evil masters to serve. Their purpose is to be the sidekick, the henchman, never the leading man. And yet James is that squeaky wheel desperate to tell his own story. His three fingers are covered in paint and crayons as he spends his days and nights writing out stories, even painting them on makeshift Legos...that end up in the foot of a Cyclops. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/MMINS3_DS_P1100_0101-H-2026.jpg.webp) The only ones who support James' vision are Henry, James' best friend, and Ed, a Deaf Minion who provides muscle. The camaraderie between these three is so charming. Really, the entire world of the Minions is charming, enhanced by how reliant it is on old-school silent comedy (though Minionese, the language they speak, sound like it's 50% Spanish). That's on top of the numerous filmic references in the movie, with direct callbacks to silent comedians like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, to a *Citizen Kane* reference. If you're trying to get your kids into classic film, *Minions & Monsters* is a great place to start. The film's at its strongest when it gets meta about the Minions and their role in Hollywood. They become the cinematic darlings of their studio, only to quickly lose their career when they actually can't read lines in English. At movie clocking in at barely ninety minutes – and that includes some end credit vignettes – the actual monsters are fairly muted, introduced as James attempts to become a director. That need for monsters leads James to Goomi, a mini-Cthulhu-esque monster with a huckster persona perfectly suited to the *King Kong* story James wants to tell. Trey Parker's voice work will leave you think you're hearing Cartman from South Park at times (or, more accurately, Kyle's cousin Kyle), but he's such a great Carl Denham representative. The monsters themselves don't have much personality and are really more a gimmick, another piece of the meta pie that is this entire movie's existence. That also stems to another side plot, involving the rest of the Minions teaming up with an alien robot named Dort (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg). [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) The Dort plot line is the most absurd, and out of place, element of *Monsters & Minions*. At times you wish the movie focused on the Monsters more than the story of a robot who wants to take over the world but gets sidelined by a beautiful suffragette named Debbie (voiced by Zoey Deutch). It's definitely the kookiest element of the movie, but it always comes out of left field and, much like [the Buzz's in *Toy Story 5*](https://thefilmmaven.com/toy-story-5-review/), feels like an attempt to get out of a narrative corner. *Minons & Monsters* is a delightful little slip of a movie. A pure throwback to the early days of cinema, not just in content but in execution. Give me more of these little yellow guys taking on different genres and I'd be there. Someone who loves movies will love this. ## Grade: B- *Minions & Monsters is in theaters today.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Universal Boots Influencers From The Odyssey And What It Means For CriticsIs this a sign influencer dominance is at end end?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-888bcf28-e5d7-4ae7-8156-d7a245622680.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Everything-We-Know-About-Christopher-Nolans-The-Odyssey-1-26bcfaff-8579-4aa0-9c79-7a35a8cba9a0.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-influencers/) [Alice Winocour Talks Working with Angelina Jolie and Ten Years Since Writing MustangThe director talks about her latest feature set in the world of high fashion.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-c3db8e14-a078-4473-8169-2586a6dae6b0.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-3-038788f3-517b-49a2-b5a7-8a163c1af9e1.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/alice-winocour-couture-angelina-jolie/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Universal Boots Influencers From The Odyssey And What It Means For Critics URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-influencers/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T23:44:23.000Z *“*[*Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/)*” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Annabelle Foster, Andrea Olcsvary, Amanda Mullen, Kevin Bannerman, Adriana Gomez-Weston, Carli E. Spina, Rafael Jasso, Lily, Julie Wyman, and Zach Eastman💫 **And welcome new Gold Star crew member Inara!**💫 *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? I'll answer whatever expertise I can provide, once a month, for free!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* --- ***UPDATE 6/30/2026*** I might have spoke too soon. Already hearing of at least one prominent influencer who has already seen the movie as part of the film's press junket. So apparently adding "no influencers...unless we invited them to the junket already" didn't fit in the headline. Do I detect a shift in the space-time continuum? Might there actually be some positive news in this installment of "[Journalism is F\*\*\*ed and We're All Doomed?](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/)" I ain't planning on retiring the series just yet but critics gave a resounding cry of happiness on social media last week at the announcement that Universal would [not be pre-screening Christopher Nolan's latest feature, *The Odyssey*](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-influencer-screenings-1236631135/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), for influencers. Rather, any selected influencers would be watching the movie at the same time as critics after the movie has its global premiere on July 7\. Universal didn't specifically say who instigated the decree – and they didn't respond to my request for comment – with many assuming the move was at the behest of director Christopher Nolan, who has long championed the sanctity of films, including [seeing movies in a theater](https://variety.com/2020/film/news/tenet-theaters-drive-ins-christopher-nolan-1234746741/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and [prioritizing large-screen formats](https://deadline.com/2026/06/christopher-nolan-ryan-coogler-wasnt-crazy-sinners-imax-1236969143/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) like IMAX. Regardless of who demanded it, it's the first time a studio has clearly said influencers will be on the same footing as critics and, if anything, prioritizing critical voices over paid marketing. The ongoing influencers vs. critics feud has simmering (and I've been documenting it) since last year. [Critics, many of them struggling to go it on their own](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-critics-influencer-culture/) in the wake of massive corporate layoffs and a perceived lack of significance for criticism, have been attempting to conform to this new world order for awhile. Many are turning to video platforms like YouTube and TikTok – [hi, I have a TikTok channel](https://www.tiktok.com/@kristenklopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com) worth subscribing to – in order to transition their written work to a format that, presumably, people are actually engaging in. In the meantime, influencers are continuing to engage in consumerism masquerading as authenticity and branding. As I said in a piece [during CinemaCon in April](https://thefilmmaven.com/influencers-critics-cinemacon/), "There's a gulf starting to grow between journalists and influencers. Journalists are angry that they're losing opportunities and prominence. That the expectation is that they should put aside the tenets of their job like asking probing questions in order to play ball and retain access. And in a landscape where [trust in media is fading fast](https://news.gallup.com/poll/695762/trust-media-new-low.aspx?ref=thefilmmaven.com), the belief that journalists are just influencers feels particularly demeaning. By the same token, influencers are starting to feel like the odd man out. Journalists at events don't like them, and no doubt there's gotta be audience pushback to the belief that they're not doing a 'real' job so they're trying to emphasize the truth and honesty of their opinions." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/The-Odyssey.jpg.webp) The question is why *The Odyssey* is choosing to take this stand against influencers? And what does it mean to criticism long-term? _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Cape Fear (1962) Was Ahead of Its Time URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/cape-fear-1962-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T16:00:37.000Z *You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Linoleum Podcast, Valerie Kalfrin, Devin Meenan, Alan Katz, Psychological Poet, Rhelm, Freejena, Simon Thompson, Nathan Rabin, and Deirdre Davidson💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Ticklish Business host Kristen Lopez and author Emily Edwards sit down to discuss 1962's *Cape Fear*, in honor of the new Apple TV+ series. The duo discuss Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck's personas, the movie's harsh themes, and how it upends the idea of Old Hollywood in the 1960s. **\*\*Note, this episode discusses sensitive topics.\*\*** Listen to Emily's [*Silver Screen Sleuths*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2ui7w7RikYGs0I6kil1L81?si=fc812211c8b8433b&ref=thefilmmaven.com) on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I have a new book dropping on July 28th! [⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[***Preorder But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition here.***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **You can** [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! [⁠⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[The merch shop is live](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[become a Patron](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com):[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Kristen's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Alice Winocour Talks Working with Angelina Jolie and Ten Years Since Writing MustangThe director talks about her latest feature set in the world of high fashion.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-fa6227d2-20ea-4f73-a417-9379acf8efbc.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-3-506a35a5-21f6-4be1-a6b9-49ab5060df5b.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/alice-winocour-couture-angelina-jolie/) [Disclosure Day Breakout Star Courtney Grace On Journalistic Past and Delivering That Iconic MonologueHow Grace’s previous journalism work prepped her for Steven Spielberg![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-8c69c96d-76f2-4ec6-b5f3-8c8f80a4f986.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-2-11293502-e2d8-4486-99fc-cd6e2e1b8975.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/courtney-grace-disclosure-day-interview/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) ### Supergirl (2026) Review: Milly Alcock's Cool Confidence Overcomes Dark Tale of Grief URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/supergirl-2026-review-milly-alcock/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T17:00:00.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Scott Mendelson, Cameron Curtis, Virginia Yapp, Don Comm PR, Angel Giuffria, Tari Hartman Squire, Dkod, Debann, Matthew Jackson, and Gregory Ayers💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- There's a lot of baggage already at the door of *Supergirl* (2026). The 2025 [rebooting of *Superman* last year](https://thefilmmaven.com/superman-2025-review-james-gunn-david-corenswet/) gave us a colorfully fun exploration of immigrants and family bonds, with a solid performance by new Superman David Corenswet that was enjoyable. There's also the [1984 interpretation of *Supergirl* proper](https://thefilmmaven.com/supergirl-1984-review/), a wildly bizarre story with an inert performance by Helen Slater more undone by its '80s trappings. So *Supergirl* (2026) is placed in a unique position: to be just as good as her new cousin, and overcome the stink of a 42-year-old movie. Does it succeed? On the latter, a resounding yes. On the former, close but not quite. Where *Superman* (2025) was a story of reinvestigating one's cultural heritage, and breaking free of the bonds of familial obligation, *Supergirl* (2026) is a heartbreaking story of grief, trauma, and the ways women have been forced to put aside their anger in order to survive the constant inequities of life. At time it holds more in common with [Maggie Gyllenhaal's recent *The Bride*](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-bride-review-jessie-buckley/) in how it examines feminine rage and frustration. These are the moments where *Supergirl* sets itself apart, particularly with Milly Alcock's unrestrained confidence masking a broken heart. Couple that with a story of murdered parents and dying dogs and *Supergirl* can feel darkest before dawn has even started to arrive. Kara Zor-El (Alcock) has just turned 23 and is still grieving the loss of her people on Argo City. She spends her days on an endless pub crawl throughout the galaxy with her trusty dog, Krypton, in tow. When her dog is poisoned by an evil space brigand named Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts), Kara must find him and secure the antidote in 72 hours. Along the way she picks up Ruthye Knoll (Eve Ridley), a young girl also looking for Krem in order to avenge the murder of her family. The two will be forced to band together to achieve their individual goals, meanwhile attempting to heal their broken parts. In spite of its opening sequence wherein Krypto pisses on a newspaper bearing Superman's image, *Supergirl* is a melancholy movie. Kara is a space nomad, content to hole up in a planet with a red sun – that decreases her powers to that of a mortal – so she can get wasted, do karaoke, and do it all over again the next day. There's a vibe akin to *Birds of Prey* in how Kara struggles to find a purpose in life and ultimately finds it in creating a community of similarly broken people, particularly Ruthye who comes in a local bar one night seeking a warrior to help her destroy Krem. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/rev-1-SGRL-TRL-101_High_Res_JPEG-H-2026.jpg.webp) The PG-13 rating only means deaths are bloodless, but there is a lot of violence perpetuated in this movie and some of it so brutal it's a bit ridiculous that no a drop of blood is spilled. (The audience openly watches a young girl's throat being slit but, don't worry, the camera shows it from far away.) This undermines the overall mission of the two characters in that they're able to avenge violence but, god forbid, the audience actually see that. Ruthye, especially suffers, in a Western-esque sequence wherein she watches her mother, father, and brother be slain by Krem before being left to burn in their house. Eve Ridley is good, even if she seems to come from the Arya Stark School of Revenge, complete with "Inigo Montoya"-esque speech and a posh accent that seems at odds with nearly everyone on the planet. Kara is initially resistant to helping Ruthye, short of getting her father's sword back from an alien-faced jerk. It isn't until Krem shows up on her doorstep – the movie relies on narrative convenience to explain the how – and shoots Krypton with a poison-tipped arrow that Kara becomes determined to stop him. Though she isn't content with killing Krem, more so getting him to give her the antidote. Kara must put aside her hard drinking ways to go on a planet-hopping mission with Ruthye and that's where *Supergirl* starts to falter. The various planets come off more like side quests, with Kara and Ruthye (feeling like a gender-swapped Mandalorian and Grogu at times), searching for various NPCs to give them information, ending up in scrapes, and then fighting their way out before moving onto the next. Alcock, like Corenswet, has an effortless charm to her. She strides into a situation with a catty rejoinder and a cocky smile and it's hard not to want to watch her use her laser vision. At the same time, when things slow down and flash back to Kara's time on Argo City, it's the most depressing (if engaging) parts of the movie. We watch Kara struggle to stay strong in the wake of her parents dying from Kryptonian poisoning. "I am one tiny life," she tells her father after he asks her to leave the planet in order to save her life. Alcock's ability to tie in and balance her hurt and vulnerability is fantastic. It's enough to make you wish the narrative was a straightforward origin story. (It'd certainly help those uninitiated to the character.) It is this side narrative, peppered into Kara and Ruthye's space journey, that yields the most interesting questions that the movie, unfortunately, never takes the time to answer. Kara and Clark Kent are cousins, yet the script tells a fascinating story of two disparate refugees without really mining the distinctions in their upbringing. We catch glimpses when Kara lands on Earth and meets Clark for the first time, her unable to understand English and he having never learned to speak Krypton. Clark has the benefit of never really knowing what he left behind, starting fresh on Earth as a child. Whereas Kara has years of memories of her home and is forced to learn an entirely new way of life. It's a shame when the movie returns to the main plot as there's plenty to mine of Kara just trying to live on Metropolis. Also, kudos to Ruthye asking why he's SuperMAN and she's SuperGIRL but unless you're gonna go on a tear about gender politics it comes off a tad pandering. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/Supergirl.jpg) That being said, there is certainly gender issues at play, specifically once the two reach Bilquis, a dying planet wherein girls are trafficked to repopulate the "all-male race." The saving of "the brides" never overwhelms the central narrative, and the audience has to be reminded of it in the third act, but does touch on the continued gender horrors women deal with on the daily. Kara as a savior to sex-trafficking victims can be a bit pointed but it gets her from planet A to planet B. However, considering she's on a planet where sexual violence is prevalent, some of Kara's decision making skills come off as incredibly dumb, from drinking tea from people she obviously knows are sketch, to blindly trusting an alien to take her to Krem only to end up on a planet that could kill her. A moment of triumphant return in the third act almost immediately sees Kara poisoned...again. These moments feel less like character decisions and more the script's inability to find a compelling reason to get her to where she needs to go. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) Bilquis is also where Kara and Ruthye meet Lobo (Jason Momoa), an "immortal with a god complex." If you know the comic origins of the character – he's an interstellar mercenary and bounty hunter – you'll probably derive the most enjoyment out of him. To the uninitiated he has a tendency to come off like Jason Momoa in Crow makeup. This is mostly because Lobo feels ancillary to the plot, an attempt to shoe-horn in a fan favorite character. He spends more of his time in side plots to Kara and Ruthye, with gimmicky plot devices meant to put him the same locations as them and, eventually, becomes a God's device in the third act. He's good, but it's hard to fathom why he's here at all. As it stands, *Supergirl* is a solid entry in the new DCU franchise but never feels as focused as Superman. The "girl and her dog" plot line yields a lot of tears throughout and can, at times, feel emotionally manipulative, but it accomplishes its goals. That being said, Milly Alcock is fabulous and I'm eager to see her in future installments. What works achieves its aims and what doesn't can be cast aside fairly easily. ## Grade: C *Supergirl is in theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Alice Winocour Talks Working with Angelina Jolie and Ten Years Since Writing MustangThe director talks about her latest feature set in the world of high fashion.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-c3db8e14-a078-4473-8169-2586a6dae6b0.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-3-038788f3-517b-49a2-b5a7-8a163c1af9e1.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/alice-winocour-couture-angelina-jolie/) [Disclosure Day Breakout Star Courtney Grace On Journalistic Past and Delivering That Iconic MonologueHow Grace’s previous journalism work prepped her for Steven Spielberg![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-ac821b13-4290-48b2-8020-e749239cf438.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-2-cfbddb8f-e228-48b3-9525-6add672143d6.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/courtney-grace-disclosure-day-interview/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Alice Winocour Talks Working with Angelina Jolie and Ten Years Since Writing Mustang URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/alice-winocour-couture-angelina-jolie/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T16:00:06.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Alcmatta, Kevin Turner, Cassidy Dimon, Barbara Doss, Holly Alarcon, Teresa Castner, Scott Phillips, Staskelv, S. David Miller, and William Bibbianni💫 *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? I'll answer whatever expertise I can provide, once a month, for free!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* --- Director Alice Winocour's work prioritizes the stories of women going through emotional transformations, such as girl to woman, from liveliness and freedom to aging and mortality. Her latest feature, *Couture*, brings together all of these threads for a story set in the world of high fashion following a horror director (Angelina Jolie) struggling with a breast cancer diagnosis, and a young South Sudanese model (Anyier Anei) just starting out. For Winocour, the allure was in telling a story focused on outsiders coming into the insular world of fashion and modeling. "I was interested in those perfect images of fashion. What was behind how those images were made," Winocour tells The Film Maven. "Fashion is entering our world because we live with those fashion images," she says. "Instagram everywhere in the street, but the geopolitics also enters fashion as well, so that's what I wanted to show." In her desire to look at how the images get made, Winocour looked beyond the usual model narrative. The script includes the story of Anei's Ada struggling to learn the rules of the world she's entered into, to Angele (Ella Rumpf), a freelance makeup artist trying to find something worth writing about alongside the perceived shallowness of her day job. It was an opportunity, for Winocour, to focus on the "perspective of the power" in the industry and exclusively cast her eye on those who are underrepresented. Working since the 2000s, Winocour came to the prominence of American audiences through her writing work on the 2015 feature *Mustang*, the story of five orphaned girls whose lives are changed when they're entered into arranged marriages. In a way, where her previous features have focused on individual women, *Couture* feels akin to *Mustang* in focusing on a group of women. "I thought it was more contemporary to tell not a story of one woman, but a story of many women, and to have all those different voices," Winocour says. "The film is a self-portrait. I've identified to all the women in the film. It's all the same. It's fragments of myself, women in her 20s, women in her 30s, women in her 40s, and so it's like fragmented women and they reignite, in the end, in the fashion show." _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Disclosure Day Breakout Star Courtney Grace On Journalistic Past and Delivering That Iconic Monologue URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/courtney-grace-disclosure-day-interview/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T16:30:33.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** BJ Colangelo, Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, and Kathia💫***And welcome to new Gold Star Crew Member Julia Sullivan!***💫 *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? I'll answer whatever expertise I can provide, once a month, for free!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* --- In all the discussion about Steven Spielberg's latest dive into the world of aliens, *Disclosure Day*, is the powerful work of breakout star Courtney Grace. Grace, whose newscaster character delivers the news about the existence of aliens in the film's finale, has become a social media darling for her vulnerable and authentic portrait of a journalist receiving Earth-shattering news in real time. (I've talked to several critics about the movie and even those who didn't love the movie, [including myself](https://thefilmmaven.com/disclosure-day-review-steven-spielberg/), all cite Grace as a high point.) The movie's release has left Grace with a heady mix of emotions, including "shock, a lot of tears, \[and\] excitement," she tells The Film Maven. "I've gotten to know so many new people over the past week...I'm the one that obviously was in that role \[but\] it feels like we all were a part of that role. We all experienced that together, so I feel this sense of community in a way that is quite lovely." What's fascinating about Grace, and that aids in her performance in the film, is her past as an actual news anchor and journalist. Before turning to acting three years ago, Grace was an interviewer and journalist working for various outlets throughout the United States. It was the background that Spielberg and casting director Cindy Tolan were looking for in the role. "I sent them my anchor reporter reel," Grace says. Grace didn't officially audition for the film, originally going out for an entirely different project. Somehow, Tolan and Spielberg saw her anchor materials and requested she audition for the role. "This is where Cindy Tolan and Steven Spielberg are the greats, because they knew exactly what they needed and they entrusted that the decision that they made was going to get them the results that they wanted." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/Courtney-Grace-edited.jpeg-1.webp) For Grace, she doesn't know what exactly people are gravitating to but she posits a theory: "I think at the end of the day what that moment on camera taught me is that I think we just want to see something real," she says. And that authenticity was something she certainly experienced both in her performance and within the filming of it. Grace admits she was sweating watching the finished sequence, not seeing the character but herself up there. "I saw *me* actually breaking down. I saw me falling apart, and that was the most raw and vulnerable that I think I have been on a set," she says. "Knowing that everyone was watching at the same time, I kind of just got \[down\] in my seat and I did a little bit of this \[cringe\] because I've never been exposed in that way." _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Supergirl (1984) Is Peak '80s Backlash Cinema, and Dumb as Hell URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/supergirl-1984-review/ Last updated: 2026-06-18T16:00:48.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Shupei, Ethan Luce, Jeremy Fuster, Lgdfry, Julie Ruth Cohen, Sabbamonte, Childe.Dirk, Tamaryn, Morozco64, and Bonfiglio💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- With the new *Supergirl* dropping soon (and my review for it dropping next week) I figured it was worthwhile to watch the first time the female heroine rocking the big red "S" on her chest was on-screen. The 1984 *Supergirl* was held as an example for years on why female-fronted superhero movies didn't work, and thus shouldn't be made. It was also meant to be representative of the worst '80s cheese impulses, a blatant cash grab made at the expense of art and talent. Is any of this true? *Supergirl* 1984 is dumb as hell, and certainly is indicative of the nadir of '80s cinema. It's loud, it's got very little plot, and the backstage shenanigans leave audiences with a movie that despite a hefty two-hour runtime makes little sense. But I'd argue that much of the flaws with regards to its heroine are just part of the decade. Yes, we're knee-deep in the world of "*Backlash* cinema." The 1991 book *Backlash* by Susan Faludi posited that many 1980s and 1990s movies were fueled by a desire to counter the gains of Second Wave Feminism in the 1960s and 1970s. This included crafting false narratives from women weren't having enough babies, there was a shortage of men, and a lot of other silly media blasts that ended up being untrue. Because film is a dialectic – where the films influence the culture and the culture influences films – movies responded in kind and the mid-1980s was the beginning of that. But what does that have to do with *Supergirl* 1984? Well, let's get into it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/HEADER-CROPPED-1.jpg.webp) The film starts in Argo City, a Logan's Run-esque city that (after doing some Googling) survived the destruction of Krypton from the first Superman (1978) by being placed in some inner space location called Inner Space. We meet the wide-eyed, bad wig wearing Kara Zor-El (Helen Slater) at the feet of Zaltar (Peter O'Toole), whose name I will continually have to correct from my original spelling of Zoltar. Zaltar is a wizard who, using a McGuffin ball called the Omegahedron can craft anything he wants and thus is the sole architect of Argo City. (I'm also convinced O'Toole provided his own wardrobe. He heard "futuristic" and went with just a California blue linen shirt and pants.) The Omegahedron is also responsible the air on Argo City – kind of irresponsible for Zaltar to know that and still run off to play with it around town – and when Zaltar loses it the entirety of Argo City is doomed to die. This includes Kara's mom and dad, the former played by Mia Farrow who I hope got a big check for her thankless scene. Thus, Kara goes off on a mission to Earth, not to find her cousin Superman, but to find the McGuffin and save her home. *Supergirl* is one of countless in-universe movies that, because of an actor not wanting to come back, just dances around the person you expect to see. In this case, Kara travels to....somewhere between Illinois and New York, and discovers everyone knows and loves her cousin. Initially, the script heavily favored a Superman/Supergirl team-up with [Christopher Reeve reprising his role](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/57219-SUPERGIRL?sid=8c0b6fb0-fc78-40e4-8806-e51e7d61f6bd&sr=10.684605&cp=1&pos=0&ref=thefilmmaven.com). But, because no one decided to sign him into oblivion with spin-off roles in his contract, Reeve declined. And, thus, outside of one prominent poster placement, Superman is a non-entity here. What results is a movie that's interminably long and aimless. There's a three-minute scene of Helen Slater just flying and twirling in the air because apparently someone thought "girl Superman is probably an air figure skater." Unlike most superhero origin stories Kara becomes Supergirl with absolutely no effort, literally spit out of the bottom of a lake – makes sense cause she came from above the Earth? – fully dressed in Superman regalia. Even funnier is how everyone looks at her costume, complete with giant S across her breasts, and doesn't connect her with the other guy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/kqmt4fOCNZPOVwjiG8q93oaH70X-1.jpg) A major casting call went out for the role in 1983 with Demi Moore and Brooke Shields auditioning but director Jeannot Szwarc – the man behind another great Christopher Reeves movie, *Somewhere in Time* (1980) – wanted an unknown. Slater is nondescript and okay. You can't fault her too harshly because the script is trash. The entire movie does her dirty, down to the inability to blend her blonde wig with her hairline. There's also just zero awareness on what a teenage girl with infinite powers would do. In this case, the script answer it with "she'd just go to school." So, Kara enrolls at the first girls private school she sees, masquerading as alliterative student Linda Lee. She soon meets the equally alliterative Lucy Lane (Maureen Teefy), yes, the sister of that other chick from the Superman universe. This is easily the script's biggest failing: in how stupidly interconnected everything is. Kara just happens to go to the same school where Lois Lane's sister goes so we can talk Superman. Cub reporter Jimmy Olsen (played by Marc McClure, pushing 30 by this point) pops up to make out with Lucy because he's clearly the only returning cast member. Narratively, though, the coincidences are off the charts in order to make the plot sensical. The film's big bad is Selena (Faye freaking Dunaway), a witch (?)...wealthy woman with too much time on her hands (?)....I'm going with witch, who finds the Omegahedron and wants to use it for omnipotent power. Her former lover/warlock mentor Nigel (a very bitchy Peter Cook) can't warlock full time and so is a math teacher at the same school, you guessed it, Kara enrolls in. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) If there's one saving grace to *Supergirl* it's in Faye Dunaway's performance as Selena and that of her Girl Friday (potential lesbian life partner, who knows), Bianca (Brenda Vaccaro). The two live in a funhouse/carnival ride that apparently has plumbing, electricity and a working doorbell. Part of the fun is just watching them snipe at each other, Selena as the over-the-top extravagant once to Bianca's more rational audience surrogate. They have such a fun chemistry that it's a shame they didn't do more movies together. It's in Selena that the backlash elements of the movie bear fruit. Where Kara has laser vision, and a back apparently strong enough to turn a lacrosse ball into dust, she doesn't utilize it outside of immediate plot concerns. She's meant to find everything wondrous while having zero social skills or really any desire to interact with those on Earth. She has zero motivation in a movie meant to focus solely on her. Contrast this with Selena, a power-mad narcissist who literally uses the Omegahedron to make everyone love her but particularly one 30-odd landscaper played by Ellis from Die Hard (Hart Bochner as Ethan). Selena is vain and only interested in men (and with that coms sex) and power. Kara is sweet and innocent, all that's good and pure in femininity. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/images-2.jpeg) By the third act, the movie is solely focused on Selena and Kara fighting over the lackluster landscaper, Ethan. Never mind that Kara's a teenager and this guy isn't. It's not surprising for the time period, but it is disappointing that in a movie wherein female power is contained in two different women the (male) screenwriter can't figure out how to turn it away from a love triangle and the old adage that two women in the same movie must be enemies. What's funnier is that the emphasis on this pushes everything to the side: the Omegahedron, even Kara's newfound acquaintances because, let's be real, they'll never be friends. It's been a minute since I've had such an unpleasant viewing experience as watching *Supergirl*. It's a movie that knows it's running on fumes. Three years later *Superman IV: The Quest for Peace* would put the nail in the coffin of Kara Zor-El's cousin. I have to believe whatever Craig Gillespie gives audiences on June 26 is a helluva lot better than this. (Also, how long is one day on Earth vs. Argo City? Because in all that time Supergirl spent twirling in the air I'm assuming her family are dead?) **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Marilyn Monroe: The Woman Hollywood Refused to Take SeriouslyOne hundred years since her birth, this blonde bombshell’s was labeled difficult for wanting to be an actor.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-74829382-191f-4650-851e-1c6ad1692c04.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Untitled-design-3-8dc5e4c4-d34c-4708-9c2c-618ec2ff236f.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/marilyn-monroe-difficult/) [Film Critics, Embargoes, and Social Sentiments (Oh My!)Early morning embargoes got critics down bad.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-05cea1ec-02a5-465a-b0ba-18e10fe32c21.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/YTPromo-94b2386f-edc3-4b00-bef4-e5e1168dbb3e.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-critic-embargo-problem/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Membership into The Film Maven Book Club** (coming soon) - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Marilyn Monroe: The Woman Hollywood Refused to Take Seriously URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/marilyn-monroe-difficult/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T18:04:11.000Z [***Women They Warned You About***](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/women-they-warned-you-about/) *is an ongoing series focused on Hollywood misogyny and how the term "difficult" has been used on women in the entertainment industry.* *This piece is *exclusive to my Gold tier** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** KYoder, Franker Cline, Mark Murphy, Tasya Swisko, Sandeep Chandowalia, Elissa Farkas, Kiahamarafisch, Jason Reynal, Lawrence Carter-Long, and Media Path Podcast💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- I knew at the beginning of this series who'd be the last woman at the end: Marilyn Monroe. Having just celebrated her centennial at the beginning of this month, Monroe has become a symbol for countless things over the years, from the glitz of Hollywood to its dark underbelly, for the peak of femininity to everything women rebel against. Biopics – more often than not directed by men – seek to show the "real" Marilyn Monroe. Hell, nearly every book and article, including this one, seeks to lift the veil and tell us who she truly was, nearly 65 years since she left this Earth. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Toy Story 5 Review: Playtime is Over in This Tired Installment URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/toy-story-5-review/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T17:00:08.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Jacob Haller, Melissa Heeney, Mitch Santell, Jeremy Scholl, Naomi Nelson, Sarah E Wethern, Matt McDaniel, Sofiya Cheyenne, Wiley Sutton, and Rachel Dinga💫 ***And welcome new Gold Star Crew member Lucie Goulet!*** *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *plus a tote bag FOR FREE*!* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- "The age of toys is over." That may be so, but the age of *Toy Story* films is certainly not, though it probably should be. It's amazing to think of where Woody, Buzz, and the gang have gone since dazzling us in 1995 with its then (now dated) unique CGI animation and heartwarming storytelling. *Toy Story 2* continued on a high note in 1999 before the original trilogy was concluded with 2010's *Toy Story 3* which is a perfect conclusion for the franchise. And that's probably where it should have stayed. Though 2019's *Toy Story 4* is solid, and has some [fascinating disability politics](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/toy-story-4-problem-disability-narrative-1220616/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), the emphasis away from the legacy characters to more A-list starts started to fracture what made the original three work so well. The same problem exists with *Toy Story 5*, which seems even more adrift at how to tell the same story about toys questioning their existence that hasn't been said before. The fragmented narratives have diminishing returns on interest, and the war between tech and toys ends up remarkably simplistic and twee (especially for a company that has embraced tech for decades). The voice cast still feels game, the ones that are given actual characterization at least, but the entire endeavor can't seem to find its own sense of playtime. Bonnie, the new owner of the *Toy Story* crew, is now eight-years-old and seemingly happy. But when her parents buy her a new Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee) tablet, in the hopes it'll help Bonnie make friends, the toys become threatened by tech. Jessie (Joan Cusack) sees losing Bonnie as akin to losing her original owner, Emily, and sets off on a journey to help the little girl make friends through toys. Thus kicks off an adventure wherein Jessie returns to her original home and must band together with a toddler tech toy called Smarty Pants (Conan O'Brien) to help blend the world of toys and technology. You'd be surprised to know *Toy Story 5* doesn't start with Woody or this film's star, Jessie, but with Buzz Lightyear. Actually, a lot of Buzz Lightyear's. The movie kickstarts with a group of Buzz's (now upgraded to a High Tech Edition) who become trapped on a deserted island. The group bands together to learn words, believing (as Buzz Lightyear's have done for five movies now) that they're meant to rendezvous with Star Command, and build a boat (!) to escape the island. It's the first bit of recycling in a movie that seems to rely on a lot of the greatest hits from this franchise. We've seen the OG Buzz discover who he is, toy store Buzz in *TS 2*, and Spanish Buzz in *TS 3*. Guess we need Group Buzz's now. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/TOYSTORY5-ONLINE-USE_D23B_008_C.pub16.jpg.webp) This could have yielded something interesting with its vaguely *Small Soldiers* premise. The group doesn't understand why they freeze when humans are around and generally feel like offshoots of SkyNet. And yet this traveling group of Lightyears do little more than elongate the runtime and pay off a third-act delivery service. In execution, the movie stops focusing on the main narrative in order to return to this group of wayward Lightyears as they just wander in the hopes of finally tying into the main narrative. Once that's established we actually get to see our regular characters, namely Jessie, the new sheriff of Bonnie's room. Where the last movie made a point of discussing disability in an unobtrusive way, it's odd that the movie doesn't seem to have any interest into Bonnie's potential neurodivergence. She's unable to make friends with regular kids, speaking through her toys in a way that turns people off. Instead, the movie just reiterates that Bonnie's issues stem from her love of toys to begin with. That in a world where tech forces kids to grow up too quickly, other children just don't have the same sense of childish imagination which, both things could be true at once? Regardless, Jessie becomes committed to helping Bonnie putting her at odds with Lilypad. Greta Lee's big bad is reminiscent of *Toy Story 4's* Gabby Gabby, in that the audience is meant to see her as not necessarily villainous, just engaging in a different approach to helping Bonnie make friends. The problems lie in how much heft Lilypad actually has in the story which isn't much. She's passive aggressive, refusing to call Jessie anything other than Jessica, and once Jessie goes off on her solo adventure Lilypad is pretty much left to be interrogated by Buzz and Woody. She's really just there to deliver old man jokes at Woody's expense. She represents the central flaw with *Toy Story 5* that tech is more of an amorphous element in this landscape. It can't be anthropomorphized in the same way specific toys can be. Tech doesn't have a face and a name, it's a pervasive element of modern-day society and that's hard to boil down to one central premise. *Toy Story 5*, if there's any meaning in it, is found in how it approaches the dichotomy between millennial Disney adults – who grew up on this franchise – and Gen Alpha viewers Disney no doubt is courting with this movie. In a landscape where Bonnies are seemingly unicorns in today's society, *Toy Story 5* struggles to figure out whose money they want more. By the third act Lilypad's altruistic about-face seems silly in a landscape where tech certainly isn't going away anytime soon. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/ToyStory5_trailerframe_2-H-2026.jpg.webp) In fact, the script doesn't really seem to see Lilypad as anything other than a literal device to get Jessie out of Bonnie's bedroom and back to her childhood owner's home. Once there, she meets Smartypants, a potty training tech toy, and his friends Snappy and Atlas (voiced by Shelby Rabara and Craig Robinson, respectively). O'Brien and Cusack have some great chemistry, akin to Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in the early days of the franchise. The third act reveal that tries to tie things back to Jessie's former owner Emily is effective, if emotionally manipulative in a movie desperate to mine some sort of emotional catharsis from the premise. The third feature attempted to find a way to say goodbye to the legacy characters, while *Toy Story 4's* ending tried to give Tom Hanks an opportunity to bow out of future installments. Unfortunately, Disney doesn't seem trusting that the franchise can stand without Hanks, especially, and forces a reason for him to return. His Woody, who had such a solid arc culminating with 4, literally drops in (bald spot and poncho in tow) to act as the film's elder statesman. He doesn't have any reason for being there short to help guide Jessie to the exact same realization he had in *Toy Story 3*. [The Film MavenInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/KristenLopez_Main-1-f926c9578739e44924fc78524ae9afc2e5a3495b302a182b006c4b087b1512a5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/gift) As for the rest of the characters from the first three, and *Toy Story 4's* Forky, they're all stuck in Bonnie's room waiting around for something to happen to them. The movie's strength has always been the cohesive unit of Buzz, Woody, and the other characters but here, with Disney's desire to create room for more A-list names (and the marketing of new toys), there's little desire to give focus on them. Instead, we're left with new characters that, if the franchise continues, will probably never be heard from again because their voice actors are too expensive or busy to come back. Case in point, Ducky and Bunny, the carnival toys voiced by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele from the last film, show up here utterly mute. In a year where Disney gave us the [utterly darling, and original, *Hoppers*](https://thefilmmaven.com/hoppers-review-disney-pixar/), *Toy Story 5* feels like a reheated lunch. The film's animated playtime sequences are nice, but the three competing narratives vary in their individual entertainment value leading to an overall movie that's very mixed. It might finally be time to put the toys in the attic. ## Grade: D+ *Toy Story 5 is in theaters Thursday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Film Critics, Embargoes, and Social Sentiments (Oh My!)Early morning embargoes got critics down bad.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-05ae2c35-9b94-48b6-8e94-693047775b31.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/YTPromo-07e32bd0-1af7-4f13-9161-414e0e36dd17.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-critic-embargo-problem/) [Is There Any Way to Fix the Female Filmmaker Numbers?The Alliance of Women Directors hopes to have the answer.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-96548382-3f2f-4a91-9567-34e5066ba67f.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-54449567-9fa6-4cc7-a261-1da047b148f0.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/alliance-women-directors-back-to-set/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Film Critics, Embargoes, and Social Sentiments (Oh My!) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/film-critic-embargo-problem/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T16:04:02.000Z *“*[*Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/)*” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Steven Belgard, Jo Uhrich, Andrew F. Peirce, Wendy Zaballos, Nadine Whitney, Altus Lee, Libeth Morales, Lucy May, David Fox, and Alexandra Bowser💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* --- Strangely enough, it's been almost exactly a year since the last time I wrote about film critic embargoes, that being [the *Ballerina* embargo snafu](https://thefilmmaven.com/ballerina-john-wick-embargo-critics/) from last June. In fact, I've been [documenting embargo issues](https://thefilmmaven.com/rotten-tomatoes-film-critic/) for nearly the entirety of The Film Maven's existence. Some would say this topic is too inside baseball. Who cares how soon critics have to write a review. Well, I'd argue it's continuing to show the lack of respect for critics from those in power, and it's having implications on people's ability to do the job of film criticism at all. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Olsen Twins Were Heroes For a Generation of Girls — New York Minute Was Their Swan Song URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/olsen-twins-new-york-minute/ Last updated: 2026-06-14T01:49:59.000Z ***In celebration of the Olsen twins turning 40 on Saturday (!) I'm reposting one of my favorite articles ever written. This was originally published back in 2019 on the now-defunct MTV News site.*** *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Neeley Drown, Mary, Cynthia J. Vinney, Meredith Nudo, Christina Ortega, Carrie Peel, J Cassar, Jerilyn Elise Miripol, Beth Golterman, and JI 💫 *Preorder my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt* [*to the link*](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) *to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *The Film Maven is partnering with the* [*Alliance of Women Directors*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in anticipation of their* [*Back to the Set event*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in Burbank on June 12th and 13th. Film Maven readers can get *$50 off a 2-day pass* after using the exclusive discount code: *bts26tfm*! It's gonna be a great event so* [***buy your tickets now***](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* --- The state of girlhood changed wildly in the early-aughts. Catherine Hardwicke's gritty 2003 drama *Thirteen* depicted young girls not as sugar and spice but as they really are: messy and complicated. The next year, Tina Fey's *Mean Girls* continued the trend, albeit toning down the horror and upping the comedy, but still reminding us the kids were not alright, especially if they were bombarded with the sexualization and societal expectations that come with being a woman in America. And sandwiched in between those two extremes were the Olsen twins and their final on-screen pairing, *New York Minute*. Millionaires by the time they could drive, the Olsen twins were synonymous with cute, wholesome family entertainment. But by 2004, the girls were seeking something different. Having just turned 18, their latest movie needed to be a gamechanger, the transition from their lives as tweens into adulthood. Released on May 7, 2004, just one week before *Mean Girls*, *New York Minute* was the first of a three-picture deal with Warner Bros. But what was originally planned as a film meant to launch the Olsens into adulthood instead became their swan song and the end of a brand that had profited off innocence and feminine purity. As screenwriter Emily Fox tells MTV News, *New York Minute’s* goal was “to be a closing of the door” on their chapter as children, “undeniable” proof that the girls who had starred as the cute moppets of kiddie fare like *It Takes Two* and *Full House* were adults. Fox initially wrote *New York Minute* based on the twins’ interest in the city — they would attend NYU after high school — and drew inspiration from Martin Scorsese’s *After Hours* and the 1970 comedy *The Out-of-Towners* to tell a story about two very different sisters forced to spend a day together in the Big Apple and fix their fading relationship. Fox, as well as script doctor Roger Kumble, agree the girls were “keen” to do something different, with their main inspiration being the 2002 coming-of-age story, *Igby Goes Down*. The finished product held little in common with *Igby Goes Down* or Fox’s original inspirations. Sisters Roxy and Jane (played by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, respectively) are starkly-defined opposites; Roxy the gregarious drummer of a band and Jane the makeshift mother figure with dreams of going to Oxford. Fox’s madcap New York-set story was retained, but the hijinks run wild, complete with 2004 plot devices involving pirated music (with Andy Richter talking in an Asian dialect Fox declares she didn’t write) and a Simple Plan music video. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/MV5BMTM5MDYzODM4OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTc4NTQyNw@@._V1_.jpg) Compared to *Mean Girl’s* barbarous humor and charismatic leads, *New York Minute* failed to bring in audiences, earning a total domestic gross of just $14 million. The Olsens had staked their careers up to that point on being innocent and cute, with a highly-controlled private life that didn’t necessarily let people in. Unlike *Mean Girls’* leading lady, Lindsay Lohan, the Olsens weren’t perceived as approachable and fun, but safe. Fox says *Mean Girls* was more in line with what she wanted to write for the Olsens because Fey’s feature was similar to how young women saw themselves. But the studio wasn’t interested in letting the girls shatter their maintained identities. In fact, Fox says one of the notes attached to her rewrites was that she’d “written a Woody Allen movie starring the Olsen twins.” The studio didn’t want the Olsens, associated with sweetness and light, to be edgy or grown up. For their part, the Olsens’ ambitions for the film also seemed to diverge from Warner Bros. Though Fox explains there was an inherent attractiveness to young girls about having a “built-in best friend” — long the foundation of the twins’ appeal — it was obvious Mary-Kate and Ashley wanted their own lives, to be perceived as two individuals and not a unit. Thus, a key component of *New York Minute’s* plot lies with Roxy and Jane detesting each other. The two “haven’t spent the day together” in months, as Roxy says in the movie. During the film’s climax, Mary-Kate’s Roxy almost speaks to what the Olsens hoped this movie would accomplish, that they should be celebrated for being different, not punished. But the need to bind them to being adult-ish kept them as one brand, not two young women. Watching *New York Minute* today shows the power of the “Olsen machine,” as Fox calls it. Like the Spice Girls, audiences could clearly identify with a specific character; you were either a Roxy (hence a Mary-Kate) or a Jane (an Ashley). Their adventure through New York City emphasized their own personal goals; Jane’s dream of winning the McGill Fellowship and thus a semester abroad in England, or Roxy’s rockstar dreams. Boys were a nice bonus — one of whom is played by *Gilmore Girls’* perfect boyfriend, Jared Padalecki — but never came at the expense of their individual goals. Roxy and Jane, like the twins themselves, knew what they wanted and went for it. This driven and determined attitude is what made the Olsens themselves such heroes for a generation of girls. Now, the Olsens’ corporatization of themselves is no longer a novelty. Actresses are far more open about starting their own production companies, going behind the camera to direct, and having the autonomy to create their own projects. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/MCDNEYO_WB008.jpg.webp) Watching them navigate the industry at such a young age and creating an empire that allowed them to be their own bosses was empowering in a world where teen girls didn’t have a lot of role models their own age. The Olsens never presented themselves as wealthy moguls, but rather princesses who lived charmed lives yet remained down-to-earth. For better or worse, they sold the idea of authority and determination as being appealing. If you wanted to be like them, you didn’t just have to wear cool clothes, you had to have a clear-cut vision and means of achieving it. *New York Minute* was a valentine to the legion of fans who’d grown up with the Olsen twins, according to Fox. While not necessarily the movie the girls wanted to make, their final pairing emphasized their need for individual autonomy yet celebrated them for the brand they’d created. It was a fairytale, but for young girls already torn in so many directions by the sheer nature of growing up, there was a comfort to be found in the Olsens’ patented brand of good clean fun — and one that, for a minute, let them shine. **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Is There Anyway to Fix the Female Filmmaker Numbers?The Alliance of Women Directors hopes to have the answer.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-3869df1d-4eeb-4e82-bda8-d57eb260e009.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-5d9bf9d5-6be4-41bb-b465-d7f016371511.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/alliance-women-directors-back-to-set/) [Popcorn Disabilities: We Need to Talk About DoofyThe disabled fake-out is an interesting trope, which the new Scary Movie completely forgot about.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-7764bf1d-5b11-430c-b8f8-d2d5c993a9b4.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/MV5BM2Y2MmQ4Y2MtMTMwNS00ZjRlLWIwMDEtNjllNjc4ZjgxZTc1XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_-dbc7eb3a-48cb-468a-93bb-b04b809aa47a.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/doofy-scary-movie/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. ***(Our first is THIS Friday)*** - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Professional Marilyn Alisha Soper Shares Her 3 Favorite Marilyn Movies (Ticklish Business) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/marilyn-monroe-centennial-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2026-06-10T19:00:45.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* *You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like: A***driana Gomez-Weston, Carli E. Spina, Rafael Jasso, Lily, Julie Wyman, Zach Eastman, Jason, Evalyn Gelhaus, Kasey, and Ernesto A. Garz💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *The Film Maven is partnering with the* [*Alliance of Women Directors*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in anticipation of their* [*Back to the Set event*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in Burbank on June 12th and 13th. Film Maven readers can get *$50 off a 2-day pass* after using the exclusive discount code: *bts26tfm*! It's gonna be a great event so* [***buy your tickets now***](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* --- We're celebrating Marilyn Monroe's centennial with an episode fit for a legend! Kristen and guest Alisha Soper look at Marilyn's filmography and lay out their top 3 favorite films from the blonde bombshell. Along the way, Soper talks about being an actress with a skillset in playing Monroe. We also grouse about Don Murray in *Bus Stop* and why Arthur Miller screwed up everything. I have a new book dropping on July 28th! [***Preorder But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition here.***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **You can** [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! [⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[The merch shop is live](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[become a Patron](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com):[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Kristen's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Is There Anyway to Fix the Female Filmmaker Numbers?The Alliance of Women Directors hopes to have the answer.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-3869df1d-4eeb-4e82-bda8-d57eb260e009.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1-5d9bf9d5-6be4-41bb-b465-d7f016371511.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/alliance-women-directors-back-to-set/) [Popcorn Disabilities: We Need to Talk About DoofyThe disabled fake-out is an interesting trope, which the new Scary Movie completely forgot about.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-7764bf1d-5b11-430c-b8f8-d2d5c993a9b4.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/MV5BM2Y2MmQ4Y2MtMTMwNS00ZjRlLWIwMDEtNjllNjc4ZjgxZTc1XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_-dbc7eb3a-48cb-468a-93bb-b04b809aa47a.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/doofy-scary-movie/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. ***(Our first is THIS Friday)*** - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Is There Any Way to Fix the Female Filmmaker Numbers? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/alliance-women-directors-back-to-set/ Last updated: 2026-06-10T16:43:56.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Psychological Poet, Rhelm, Freejena, Simon Thompson, Nathan Rabin, Deirdre Davidson, Annabelle Foster, Andrea Olcsvary, Amanda Mullen, and Kevin Bannerman💫 *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? I'll answer whatever expertise I can provide, once a month, for free!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *The Film Maven is partnering with the* [*Alliance of Women Directors*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in anticipation of their* [*Back to the Set event*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in Burbank on June 12th and 13th. Film Maven readers can get *$50 off a 2-day pass* after using the exclusive discount code: *bts26tfm*! It's gonna be a great event so* [***buy your tickets now***](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* --- You'll recall a piece I wrote last week about the [dwindling number of female filmmakers](https://thefilmmaven.com/female-filmmakers-2026/) we're seeing on-screen today. "This [weekend's box office](https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/backrooms-box-office-record-opening-weekend-obsession-jumps-star-wars-crumbles-1236763355/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) saw a one-two punch from A24's *Backrooms*, which secured $81 million from 3,442 North American theaters to be #1, followed behind by a third-week jump for [*Obsession*](https://thefilmmaven.com/obsession-review-fatal-attraction-for-the-man-with-red-flags/), which garnered another $26.4 million from 2,781 cinemas. *Obsession* has officially crossed the $100 million mark domestically. Both films are directed by Gen Z directors who made their start on YouTube, 20-year-old Kane Parsons and 26-year-old Curry Barker. Nowadays two things make a trend so articles have started proliferating about this newfound [Gen Z/YouTube horror boom](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jun/01/youtube-gen-z-filmmakers?ref=thefilmmaven.com)... But stuff like this trickles downward, and with the box office and Hollywood prioritizing white men it's no surprise I'm seeing it in who is writing about it. And this is something Hollywood is noticing, somewhat. At the end of [December 2025 USC's Annenberg Inclusion Iniative](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/films-directed-by-women-drop-to-seven-year-low-1236461394/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) released their latest study, noting that 'only 9 women worked as directors' on the top 100 grossing movies of 2025\. 'This is a drop from 2024’s 13.4 percent and is the lowest since 2018’s 4.5 percent.' (Funny how the lowest numbers were also during a Trump presidency.) This year's Cannes Film Festival also saw [a decrease in female filmmakers](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/cannes-women-directors-struggle-auteur-glass-ceiling-1236594696/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) – 'this year’s competition section includes five female directors, down from last year’s seven' – in spite of what now feels like performative pledges to increase gender parity." So, in partnership with the [Alliance of Women Directors](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) – which, full disclosure, I'm not receiving a penny for. I simply love their mission and want to support – and in anticipation of their upcoming [Back to the Set event this weekend](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), I wanted to see if there was anything that could be done to fix these numbers. Turns out, there is, but it requires a lot of moving parts. For those who don't know about AWD, it's an organization "founded in 1997 by alumnae of the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women as a community of peers to share information and support one another’s career advancement." Today, they are a nonprofit "dedicated to achieving gender parity in the entertainment industry by substantially increasing the number of working women and gender-expansive directors." _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Disclosure Day Review: Steven Spielberg's Alien Drama Struggles to Reach the Stars URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/disclosure-day-review-steven-spielberg/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T17:38:33.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Angel Giuffria, Tari Hartman Squire, Dkod, Debann, Matthew Jackson, Gregory Ayers, Linoleum Podcast, Valerie Kalfrin, Devin Meenan, and Alan Katz💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *The Film Maven is partnering with the* [*Alliance of Women Directors*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in anticipation of their* [*Back to the Set event*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in Burbank on June 12th and 13th. Film Maven readers can get *$50 off a 2-day pass* after using the exclusive discount code: *bts26tfm*! It's gonna be a great event so* [***buy your tickets now***](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* --- In 1977, director Steven Spielberg questioned the existence of alien life in *Close Encounters of the Third Kind*, following that up with the child-like wonder of extraterrestrials in *E.T.* in 1982, and the frightening horrors of alien invasion in 2005's War of the Worlds. He returns to life beyond the stars with *Disclosure Day*, a movie whose tagline asks: "If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?" Spielberg pulls less from his own work and tries to make a more heartracing 1970s "tell the world" movie. *Disclosure Day* is less an introspective, contemplative story about alien life, but a propulsive race against time whose high stakes premise smothers everything, including any type of interest in its characters. Daniel Kellner (Josh O'Connor) has escaped the high security Wardex facility with documents and videos not only proving the existence of alien life, but their numerous visitations to Earth. He's set upon by Wardex and its owner Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth), whose access and use of alien technology is killing him. When Daniel meets up with Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt), a Kansas City weather reporter who has started experiencing bizarre alien phenomena of her own, the two must race against time to release the information to the world. Spielberg and screenwriter David Koepp drop audiences right into the middle of their premise. Kellner forced to rescue his girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson) in exchange for the documents and video he's absconded from Wardex with. Once they're reunited they soon go on the run, holing up in the former monastery where Jane once lived. The briefest of conversations sees Kellner surprised by this revelation – though how long they've been dating is anyone's guess – and from there we don't learn anything further about their dynamic. Do they love each other? Do they live together? Who knows, don't worry about it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/Disclosure-Day-3.jpg.webp) That's the ongoing conceit around all of these characters. We meet them in rapid succession, and what you see is what you get. Any other information about their lives is extracted breathlessly – usually through tears or screaming – and doesn't have any bigger implications on the plot short of making us have some sort of connecting tissue with them. Wardex head (?) Scanlon wants Kellner's information back, even going so far as killing him. He has an alien weapon he utilizes to get into people's heads and possessing their bodies. There's a stray conversation about a dead wife that so abruptly thrown out and later disregarded but, hey, it gives him personality beyond British baddie. Then there's Margaret, the peppy weather woman who finds herself adrift in life. She constantly moves her put-upon boyfriend Jackson (Wyatt Russell) around the country, questing for...something. Her dad had Parkinson's. Character! The problem isn't that these characters are written on cheesecloth, it's that we're supposed to see, through their eyes, the reaction to this alien revelation. In answer to the tagline's question, Daniel and Margaret – who are our primary protagonists – never question the information they receive. They aren't even particularly frightened of that information, more so being killed by Wardex and Margaret's newfound ability to star speaking in foreign languages which gives her the ability to see into people's lives. By limiting the scope of the narrative to Daniel and Margaret, who have a real *Escape to Witch Mountain*\-esque relationship to the aliens and each other, there's no room to examine how the information will be taken on a global scale. Jane does have an interesting subplot in her fears that people believing in alien life will make them turn against God, but she's the one quasi-naysayer in the entire narrative. Spielberg sets this information against a world that is slowly falling apart. News programs announce the coming of WWIII, while Margaret and Jackson visit a local gas station devolving into chaos as people buy food and water. One character not so subtly considers the information a "distraction" from impending nuclear war. But, again, the narrative remains fairly insular. Once Margaret and Daniel team up they're forced onto backroads and moving trains, and it looks like, at least in Kansas City, people aren't particularly panicked. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/2593_D026_00339R.jpg.webp) There's just little interest, narratively, outside of the basic threads presented to stitch together the story. There's a serial-esque approach to everything, pushed forward by Colman Domingo as Hugo, the unknown person who kickstarted everything and spends over an hour of runtime imparting directions on the phone and building a house for reasons that come clear towards the end. Hugo speaks in cliff-hanger platitudes like "When the time is right, all will be clear." This sense of grandiosity ends up setting up a third-act reveal beyond what we already know. Spielberg is ordinarily great at the little bits of human interaction in his films. Think of Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) and his son at the dinner table in *Jaws*, or Richard Dreyfuss and the mashed potato mountain in *Close Encounters*. Here, that's relegated to one sequence of Margaret having a panic attack on a train as Daniel tries to calm her down. In a movie that is go, go, go, there aren't enough moments to let scenes breath. Here, this gives O'Connor and Blunt a moment to be actual humans and it's frustrating there's not more. To their credit, the actors do superb work with how thin their characters are. O'Connor continues to be a bright spot in everything he does. Blunt is also good, able to find some levity in her line readings, particularly opposite the exasperated Russell. "Since when do you speak Korean?" "Speak Korean? What?" Though she's not the first character introduced, Blunt's Margaret becomes the de facto star of the movie with a third-act plot twist that hints at some *Poltergeist*\-esque vibes but never goes that far. Firth is just the villain until the third act when he appears to just, literally, give up. Hewson does steal the show as Jane, forced to struggle with her faith, even more so when she's possessed by Scanlon. Despite the flaws in the narrative, the technical mastery of the movie is off the charts. Spielberg's long-time composer John Williams crafts a beautifully sweeping score that, in several sequences, sounds like a great riff on Jerry Goldsmith. An abduction sequence sounds directly scored from Goldsmith's flawless *Poltergeist* composition. And cinematographer Janusz Kaminski does a wondrous job with the camera. Final twenty minutes of the movie is also a heartbreakingly wonderful sequence, expertly edited by Sarah Broshar. At the end of the day, Spielberg is focusing on themes a lot of other movies are bringing up: specifically the need for empathy in the midst of widespread chaos, and Americans desire to handle the truth. Can that make for something that seems a bit twee in parts? Sure, particularly when it comes to the power of the press. The third act is a rapid-fire sequence in a network control room that seems every network – yes, including Fox News – consider breaking this information. If you recall *Three Days of the Condor* (1975), the press is supposed to be the great arbiter of truth and....lord bless Steven Spielberg for thinking that's something we can aspire to again. ## Grade: C- *Disclosure Day is in theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Popcorn Disabilities: We Need to Talk About DoofyThe disabled fake-out is an interesting trope, which the new Scary Movie completely forgot about.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-708c57ed-1c24-4541-b37a-a5e3df79472c.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/MV5BM2Y2MmQ4Y2MtMTMwNS00ZjRlLWIwMDEtNjllNjc4ZjgxZTc1XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_-8fe11342-d792-4de9-a8b3-f20c91ff30a7.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/doofy-scary-movie/) [There’s Never a Great Time to Be a Woman Director, Now Seems WorseGo watch a movie directed by a woman today!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-069b6c8b-b752-4a1c-bd5f-15e7fff6f063.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/YTPromo-2-ab19f186-0ec8-40bc-a75d-f96aa2052f53.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/female-filmmakers-2026/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Popcorn Disabilities: We Need to Talk About Doofy URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/doofy-scary-movie/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T15:28:19.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, the series looking at disability through the lens of pop culture.* *This piece is *exclusive to my Gold tier** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Holly Alarcon, Teresa Castner, Scott Phillips, Staskelv, S. David Miller, William Bibbianni, Scott Mendelson, Cameron Curtis, Virginia Yapp, Don Comm PR💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *The Film Maven is partnering with the* [*Alliance of Women Directors*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in anticipation of their* [*Back to the Set event*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in Burbank on June 12th and 13th. Film Maven readers can get *$50 off a 2-day pass* after using the exclusive discount code: *bts26tfm*! It's gonna be a great event so* [***buy your tickets now***](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* --- I saw the *Scary Movie* reboot last week and the Wayanses can thank my new puppy keeping me up and leaving me without the strength to actually review it. (Though, the movie's [26% on Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/scary%5Fmovie%5F2026?ref=thefilmmaven.com) shows mine wouldn't have made things any better or worse.) While I had low expectations for the movie, I was interested after hearing that Dave Sheridan's Doofy was returning for the sequel. If you don't remember the 2000s *Scary Movie*, the OG, Doofy was essentially the movie's reinterpretation of David Arquette's Dewey character from *Scream*. Here, Doofy is a police officer with IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities) where the majority of the jokes come from him being utterly inept.....until the end. In a throwback to *The Usual Suspects* (1995), Doofy is revealed to be the killer all along and is actually not disabled. He strides off into the sunset, with reporter Gail Hailstorm (Cheri Oteri), with the true joke being on how everyone's gullibility (and, dare I say ableism?) allowed him to pull the wool over their eyes. Now, if you've seen the trailers for the new *Scary Movie*, Doofy is still rocking his old police man's uniform, as well as the wild hair and mustache seen as fake in the film's finale. So, this installment of *Popcorn Disabilities*, I want to talk about *Scary Movie*, Doofy, and the disabled fake out. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### There's Never a Great Time to Be a Woman Director, Now Seems Worse URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/female-filmmakers-2026/ Last updated: 2026-06-03T16:26:42.000Z *Welcome to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* **🌟Supporters like:** LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia, Alcmatta, Kevin Turner, Cassidy Dimon, and Barbara Doss💫 *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? I'll answer whatever expertise I can provide, once a month, for free!* --- This post was written in p*artnership with the*[*Alliance of Women Directors*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in anticipation of their* [*Back to the Set event*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in Burbank on June 12th and 13th. Film Maven readers get *$50 off a 2-day pass* after using the exclusive discount code: *bts26tfm*! It's gonna be a great event so* [***buy your tickets now***](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* I've spent a lot of time talking about female filmmakers this week. Not specific ones, mind you, but their mere existence in the landscape we're living in. Female filmmakers have been struggling to gain a foothold since movies were invented, and it feels like for the all the progress that gets made there's always an upheaval that makes them start back at zero. And, right now, it feels like female filmmakers are entering the negative. This [weekend's box office](https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/backrooms-box-office-record-opening-weekend-obsession-jumps-star-wars-crumbles-1236763355/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) saw a one-two punch from A24's *Backrooms*, which secured $81 million from 3,442 North American theaters to be #1, followed behind by a third-week jump for [*Obsession*](https://thefilmmaven.com/obsession-review-fatal-attraction-for-the-man-with-red-flags/), which garnered another $26.4 million from 2,781 cinemas. *Obsession* has officially crossed the $100 million mark domestically. Both films are directed by Gen Z directors who made their start on YouTube, 20-year-old Kane Parsons and 26-year-old Curry Barker. Nowadays two things make a trend so articles have started proliferating about this newfound [Gen Z/YouTube horror boom](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jun/01/youtube-gen-z-filmmakers?ref=thefilmmaven.com). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Masters of the Universe Review: A Rollicking '80s-Infused Surprise URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/masters-of-the-universe-2026-review/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T16:00:03.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Julie Ruth Cohen, Sabbamonte, Childe.Dirk, Tamaryn, Morozco64, Bonfiglio, BJ Colangelo, Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, and Talleri Mcrae💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- It's easy to write off director Travis Knight's remake of *Masters of the Universe* – an adaptation of both the 1983 animated cartoon, *He-Man*, and the 1987 feature starring Dolph Lundgren – as another attempt to court male Gen Xers who have certainly benefited from the decade's boom in cinema and television. And, in many ways, it is. This new take is a *Masters of the Universe* that thrives on being big and, in some parts dumb. If anything, it acknowledges how silly the original 1980s versions were. But wipe away the '80s cheese and its script (credited by Chris Butler, Aaron and Adam Nee, and Dave Callaham) is an incredibly fun and witty send-up of '80s mythos features. Though far from the satirical heights of *Barbie*, it's one of the more surprisingly entertaining films of the summer. Adam Glenn (Nicholas Galitzine) has been raised in Oklahoma City for the last fifteen years after fleeing his home planet of Eternia. Adam goes on a quest to find the Sword of Power--which, as Adam says, is exactly what it sounds like--and use it to return to Eternia and save it from the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto). There's a heavy [*Superman*](https://thefilmmaven.com/superman-2025-review-james-gunn-david-corenswet/) influence within *Masters of the Universe*, no doubt one that was present and unavoidable in the 1980s. So strap in for another story about a planet's prodigal son leaving his home as child and coming back as a man to save everyone. Albeit, Eternia pretty much is Earth where everyone wears fancier clothes and speaks with an American accent. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/motu-teaser.jpg.webp) We meet Adam as a small child, one of the smallest in his arms training, hoping to secure the love of his father, King Randor (James Purefoy) who reminds Adam that "the world is no place for the weak." The overarching thread of *Masters of the Universe* is what defines masculinity, and how Adam initially believes it's brute strength and the ability to fight. Skeletor's arrival sees Adam end up on Earth where he's spent the last fifteen years telling everyone about Eternia – Adam's narration for the film's opening is hilariously told to a first date – and working as an HR rep. Everyone thinks Adam is crazy though, to be fair, his entire bedroom is filled with drawings and his Google searches are exclusively "have you seen this sword," and yet his kindness and empathy is charming. Galitzine understands the role and gives us an Adam that isn't dumb, just incredibly trusting and desperate for connection. Unlike the cockier Thor, who sees Earth as a comedown, and leading to a fish out of water narrative, Adam seems to have acclimated well to living on Earth, though don't ask any logistical questions. Outside of his roommate, who spends his nights hiding his love for romantic movies, Adam has no one. There's an implication that the movie will be focused on Adam just learning to be okay with who he is, a man who might not be special, but this isn't dwelled on for more than a beat because the audience knows he is. This movie being over 2 hours is probably the most ridiculous element of *Masters of the Universe*, especially as the third act devolves into about four separate fight scenes. The quest for the Sword of Power gained about an hour into the movie, as well as Teela's return, and that's it for Earth. What results for the rest of the movie's runtime is Adam returning to Eternia, less the prodigal son and more that guy people vaguely remember. But what's fascinating, and keeps the viewer engaged, in the script's reliance on emphasizing: "the story is weak." The Sword of Power does what it says. There's no grand, sweeping origin story or reason why Skeletor wants Eternia short of him declaring "I'm the villain." One could argue this is the continued dumbing down of movies but what director Travis Knight and the script seem to do is invert that in a way, reminding audiences "Hey, this movie is nothing more than entertainment." Pure popcorn to enjoy with some friends and move on. It doesn't seek to even be better than the original film or cartoon, just another element of it you might like. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/motu-skeletor.jpg) That extends towards who Adam is as a character. The viewer watches Adam try desperately to "be a man," and it's a phrase repeated so often in the movie you'll be fairly sloshed at the theater if you sip every time it's said. And yet, as the Sorceress (Morena Baccarin who deserved better) explains to Adam, having empathy and humanity is powerful. Even once Adam hulks out – the film having so much fun making loincloth jokes at his expense – he never forgets being a genuinely good person. The movie's candy-coated aesthetic and fantastic '80s soundtrack – with guitars by Brian May – is definitely a vibe, but the movie's extreme queer-coding also ends up elevating the entire feature. It'll be easy to see a certain political group getting big mad at Masters of the Universe. This is mostly seen in Skeletor, an English-accented man-baby whinging about needing the sword for himself with all the force of a baby needing a bottle. (Lots of people in my screening thought he was akin to our President.) Leto is an [unfortunate casting](https://airmail.news/issues/2025-6-7/the-cult-of-leto?ref=thefilmmaven.com) in these times but, honestly, most probably won't even know it's him until the credits. He does the same vocal technique he did in 2023's *Haunted Mansion*, wherein the voice is ADR'ed and altered, he's not really doing much of anything. The entire ensemble is just well-done, from Alison Brie doing her best Kristen Wiig as Evil-Lyn (Wiig, btw, is also in this as the voice of Roboto) to Idris Elba's determined Duncan. The fight choreography is also fantastic, with the camera actually allowing viewers to see the fantastic powers everyone has, from Ram Man (Jon Xue Zhang) whom, as Adam says, "rams and is a man" to Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson's scene-stealing Fisto. Mendes is probably the biggest let-down of the movie, though that's nothing on her and more that Teela really doesn't have anything going on. She has Daddy issues with Duncan but for nearly the entire third act she's stuck in color commentary mode. What you see is exactly what you get from *Masters of the Universe*: a big, bulky action movie that owes its life to Marvel (particularly *Thor: Ragnarok*). That being said, its colors, vivacity, humor, and heart makes it better than anticipated. It's weird in some truly unexpected ways, and Nicholas Galitzine is a charmer. Take some friends, or some kids, and just soak up the ambiance. ## Grade: C+ *Masters of the Universe is in theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Lisa Bonet, Bill Cosby, and What Happens When Good Girls Grow UpThe transition from girl to woman isn’t even, especially when you’re America’s Hollywood teen dream![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Untitled-design-b6c5dbf1291ff63034655e10a957b386819886ca59fbf626d22da064d5ec5507.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/lisa-bonet-bill-cosby/) [Popcorn Disabilities: Joan Crawford Raises a Blind Teen in The Story of Esther CostelloThe movie Helen Keller’s estate threatened to sue for libel![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/StoryofEstherCostello_1957_half_style_B_original_film_art_5000x-9ba81055720e81bca3debcb27f32cce476357697928f7e6443395a3e2a37c8b5.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-story-of-esther-costello-joan-crawford/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *The Film Maven is partnering with the* [*Alliance of Women Directors*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in anticipation of their* [*Back to the Set event*](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *in Burbank on June 12th and 13th. Film Maven readers can get *$50 off a 2-day pass* after using the exclusive discount code: *bts26tfm*! It's gonna be a great event so* [***buy your tickets now***](https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/event/back-to-set-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* ## 🚨UPCOMING FILM MAVEN APPEARANCES🚨 If you're in Los Angeles and want a sneak peek at my new book, drop by **the Aero on June 7th at 11am** where I'll be introducing the 1979 film *Tess*! [**Tickets on sale now**](https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/tess-06-07-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### 7 Best Things I Watched and Read in May URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-may-2026/ Last updated: 2026-06-01T16:33:51.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Sandeep Chandowalia, Elissa Farkas, Kiahamarafisch, Jason Reynal, Lawrence Carter-Long, Media Path Podcast, Shupei, Ethan Luce, Jeremy Fuster, and Lgdfry💫*And welcome new Gold Star Crew members Cynthia J. Vinney, Meredith Nudo, and Christina Ortega*💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- May started off with a bang, that being the [TCM Classic Film Festival](https://thefilmmaven.com/paramount-warner-bros-merger-tcm/)! TCMFF is one of my favorite times of year, and it gave me an opportunity to not just see old friends but to see an old film held in a vault for 90 years! I also made it out to see several new releases and read not one, but two books! You'll find it all below, and be sure to drop what you watched/read and enjoyed in the comments below! Always looking for more stuff to add to my lists. *(Header links take you to my review or where to purchase. If you purchase through my affiliate link I get a little kickback to keep TFM running.)* ## *Anastasia* (1956) Everyone has their own process when it comes to tackling the TCM Classic Film Festival. I know people who prioritize exclusively stuff they haven't seen. In my case, I tend to go the opposite (I know!) and focus on stuff I have seen. In many instances, playing on the familiar is always successful and these are often films I've never seen on a big screen before. But with this year's festival I made time for two new discoveries and they were both worth it. Director Anatole Litvak's 1956 exploration of the life of the Grand Duchess Anastasia was an opportunity for Hollywood to welcome back actress Ingrid Bergman. Bergman had become persona non grata, condemned by the Pope himself, after engaging in an affair and having a child out of wedlock with Roberto Rossellini. Playing on the fairy tale of a newly discovered Princess would be the key to viewer's hearts, and it was! The role nabbed Bergman an Academy Award. Do I think she deserved the Oscar for this.....no. (Also, this was the year of Marilyn Monroe in [*Bus Stop*](https://letterboxd.com/journal/marilyn-monroe-starter-pack/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). Just saying.) But I see why she got it. The film itself is a lush examination of the Anna Anderson story. Ingrid Bergman shines as the mentally tormented Anna, on a path of self-discovery. Yul Brynner is good but there's zero chemistry between him and Bergman which makes the ending a bit flat. I also have to shout out Helen Hayes as the Grand Duchess, who is a total scene-stealer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/jqhe3A7c5rk52PkakAVqqFMeiQZ-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg) ## *Letty Lynton* (1932) The story behind *Letty Lynton* is fascinating, and would take far more time than I have, so I recommend watching Izzy of [Be Kind Rewind's video on it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiOENhQIrXw&ref=thefilmmaven.com). In short, the movie was wrapped up in a copyright/plagiarism case that took 90 years to sort out. And while Warner Archive is releasing a, no doubt, beautiful Blu-ray version of it this month I'm so happy I got to see this for the first time on a big screen. Joan Crawford plays the title character, a socialite who has engaged in a shipboard affair with a man who refuses to let her go. Letty escapes and meets Jerry Darrow (Robert Montgomery), and the two plan to wed. But Letty's old lover won't let her go so easily. The movie's biggest claim to fame – outside of being inaccessible for nearly 100 years – is how it impacted fashion. Acclaimed designer Adrian crafted the "Letty Lynton" dress, alongside some other beautiful pieces, which became highly profitable for him. And Joan certainly looks beautiful in all the gowns here. It's a pre-Code film so the backs and necklines are plunging! But to me, what separates *Letty Lynton* from just being another good girl turned bad noir is the ending. I won't spoil it, as half the fun is watching it play out, but in just two years – by 1934 – that ending would have VASTLY violated the Hays Code. It's bold, it's funny, and it's a rare opportunity for Joan's usually tragic heroines to thrive at the end. The rest of the movie may seem standard, but that final sequence is anything but ordinary. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/91cu3fOS0YL._AC_UF1000-1000_QL80_.jpg) ## *The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women* by Kate Moore I'm usually woefully behind on reading contemporary books. My Kindle has 65-odd "pages" of books so I spend a lot of time just randomly picking books to read. Almost a decade after its publication, I finally got to Kate Moore's utterly haunting examination of the women who worked for Radium Dial in the 1910s and 1920s. This is one of the most terrifying books I've read. Moore certainly has a way of conveying the utter horror of radium poisoning, with many of these women losing teeth and parts of their jaw after spending months putting radium-soaked paintbrushes in their mouths! Let's just say the word "pus" is used a lot here! At the same time, this is both a book that's as tragic as it is frustrating. A book that illustrates how, time and again, women are perceived as expendable. It's also a true testament to why workplace safety standards so important, something our current regime doesn't really seem to care about. Beautiful, melancholy, scary, essential. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/Gail-Daughtry-trailer-052726-3-b6c6a7221ff245d187c5fcdc8ac5227e.jpg) ## *Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass* (2026) The summer camp movie *Wet Hot American Summer* (2001) is a favorite of mine, and yet I haven't always loved what director David Wain has done since then. That's why *Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass* works so well, it's the Wain that gave me the wacky majestic of Christopher Meloni humping a refrigerator. Zoey Deutch plays the wide-eyed Gail, who travels to Los Angeles to indulge in the one-pass every couple presumably gets to sleep with a celebrity. (Her fiancé has already used his...right in front of Gail.) So she's off to meet...Jon Hamm...and along the way she recruits a variety of chosen family including a down-on-his-luck paparazzo (Ken Marino), a wannabe CAA agent (Ben Wong), and John Slattery. The movie is essentially *Wizard of Oz* and that's the genius of the movie, it's a wacky love letter to both Los Angeles and the Hollywood romantic fantasy we've all grown up on. There's a CAA theme song, just to show you both how hilarious and inside baseball the whole thing can be. The cast, though, is what sells it, particularly Slattery as the film's equivalent of the Cowardly Lion. He has such brilliant comedic timing! Every scene he has is a gem, especially a silent moment of him scrolling through a series of text messages to Hamm, all mostly left on read. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/1772559889-i-love-boosters_still_01_cropped_courtesy-of-neon.webp) ## *I Love Boosters* (2026) The latest from Boots Riley is a sly and outrageously fun story of collective bargaining and the perils of fast fashion. Keke Palmer leads a group of boosters who rob a high end story in order to resell the clothes. She catches the attention of the fashion designer whose store they're robbing, Christie Smith (Demi Moore), and from there all hell breaks loose. This isn't my favorite of Riley's work – that still goes to 2018's *Sorry to Bother You* – but he knows how to tell a sharp satire of what's going on in today's world. The fashion and theft aside, a B-plot that takes center stage involves an Asian sweatshop trying to engage in collective bargaining. Everyone here is pitch perfect, particularly Palmer, Taylour Paige, Naomi Ackie and Poppy Liu, but even the smallest characters have time to shine. Lakeith Stanfield as an oral-sex performing demon from Hell is worthy of his own movie. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/MV5BNmMyOTYyYmQtZGQwMC00ZGQ1LTgwNzAtODI4YjViYzA0Mjg2XkEyXkFqcGdeQWxiaWFtb250._V1_-2.jpg) ## *Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean* (1982) This not only became my favorite Robert Altman film, but might be the best thing I've watched all month. The story of a group of friends, all members of a James Dean fan club in the 1950s, who reunite in the 1970s is a heartbreaking, shockingly progressive story. I'd definitely recommend reading Willow Catelyn Maclay's essay on the movie, essential reading for a better comprehension of why the movie is iconic. Everyone in this is pitch-perfect, starting with my queen, Sandy Dennis, an actress whose work I've been loving this year. Cher is great. She's Cher, after all. But it is in Karen Black's contemplative performance that is the scene-stealer. For a movie made in the 1980s to be so progressive – though not perfect, mind you – about trans lives is astounding. This movie kept me captivated, despite being filmed in just one location! It's a definitive 1980s text that we should be talking about more. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/06/maxresdefault-2.jpg) ## John Candy: A Life in Comedy by Paul Myers For me, John Candy will always be the voice of Wilbur the albatross from *Rescuers Down Under* or Polka king Gus Polinski in *Home Alone* (both 1990). But outside of those roles, and his early death at the age of 43, I knew nothing about him. Paul Myers' book lays out the story of a guy who just seems so nice! Is this a salacious Hollywood tell-all? No. But Candy doesn't come off like that type of guy. There are hints of demons, specifically with Candy's penchant for alcohol, but the book is focused far more on his career than anything else. A solid biography about a true Hollywood charmer. *Drop what movies you watched and books you read in May in the comments below!* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Lisa Bonet, Bill Cosby, and What Happens When Good Girls Grow UpThe transition from girl to woman isn’t even, especially when you’re America’s Hollywood teen dream![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Untitled-design-b6c5dbf1291ff63034655e10a957b386819886ca59fbf626d22da064d5ec5507.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/lisa-bonet-bill-cosby/) [Popcorn Disabilities: Joan Crawford Raises a Blind Teen in The Story of Esther CostelloThe movie Helen Keller’s estate threatened to sue for libel![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/StoryofEstherCostello_1957_half_style_B_original_film_art_5000x-9ba81055720e81bca3debcb27f32cce476357697928f7e6443395a3e2a37c8b5.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-story-of-esther-costello-joan-crawford/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *Have you preordered my latest book, But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition? Upload your receipt to the link below to get 3 months of Gold Film Maven membership *FOR FREE* and a free tote bag!* [But Have You Read the Book? Romance EditionFor film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinema classics and the enduring love stories that served…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/cropped-hachette-logo1-89fff4de0dce93a024e3035a03af96553071f288b2300e4a599fb706aae4141e.png)Hachette Book GroupKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/9798894142296_5ae908-b276b17935525200edb607c9c303275a28fb8de855f5ab5f80d2b45107c5092d.jpg)](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?lens=running-press-adult&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Is Ishtar Truly the Worst Movie Ever Made? (Ticklish Business) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/ishtar-elaine-may-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T16:00:19.000Z *You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* ***🌟Supporters like:*** Sarah E Wethern, Matt McDaniel, Sofiya Cheyenne, Wiley Sutton, Rachel Dinga, Llai, KYoder, Franker Cline, Mark Murphy, and Tasya Swisko💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Our tribute to beleaguered director Elaine May closes with a look at the movie that ruined her career, 1987's *Ishtar*. Is it the worst film ever made? May biographer Elizabeth Alsop joins Kristen to break down the infamous flop and what went wrong. The pair discuss Warren Beatty as the Patient Zero for everything, debunking established stories, and if telling the truth really is a dangerous business. **Works Cited**: [⁠*The Road to Ishtar* by David Blum⁠](https://books.google.com/books?id=dOQCAAAAMBAJ&q=Ishtar%2Bdunes&pg=PA34&ref=thefilmmaven.com#v=onepage&q=Ishtar%2Bdunes&f=true) [⁠Editor William Reynolds (*American CinemaEditor* Magazine)⁠](https://web.archive.org/web/20260111024133/https://editfestglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/91-2reynolds.pdf) [⁠Elaine May in Conversation With Mike Nichols⁠](https://web.archive.org/web/20061017112821/http://www.filmlinc.com/fcm/ja06/elainemay.htm) [⁠*Madness in Morocco: The Road to Ishtar* by Peter Biskind⁠](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/02/ishtar-excerpt-201002?ref=thefilmmaven.com) [⁠**Buy Elizabeth's book Elaine May (Contemporary Directors) at this link.**⁠](https://amzn.to/4exDcVj?ref=thefilmmaven.com) I have a new book dropping on July 28th! [⁠⁠***Preorder But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition here.***⁠⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **You can** [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*Popcorn Disabilities*⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch shop is live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠become a Patron⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com):[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Kate G **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Lisa Bonet, Bill Cosby, and What Happens When Good Girls Grow UpThe transition from girl to woman isn’t even, especially when you’re America’s Hollywood teen dream![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Untitled-design-b6c5dbf1291ff63034655e10a957b386819886ca59fbf626d22da064d5ec5507.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/lisa-bonet-bill-cosby/) [Popcorn Disabilities: Joan Crawford Raises a Blind Teen in The Story of Esther CostelloThe movie Helen Keller’s estate threatened to sue for libel![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/StoryofEstherCostello_1957_half_style_B_original_film_art_5000x-9ba81055720e81bca3debcb27f32cce476357697928f7e6443395a3e2a37c8b5.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-story-of-esther-costello-joan-crawford/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Lisa Bonet, Bill Cosby, and What Happens When Good Girls Grow Up URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/lisa-bonet-bill-cosby/ Last updated: 2026-06-13T00:14:46.000Z [***Women They Warned You About***](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/women-they-warned-you-about/) *is an ongoing series focused on Hollywood misogyny and how the term "difficult" has been used on women in the entertainment industry.* *This piece is *exclusive to my Gold tier** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Libeth Morales, Lucy May, David Fox, Alexandra Bowser, Jacob Haller, Melissa Heeney, Mitch Santell, BG, Jeremy Scholl, and Naomi Nelson💫 *And welcome to new Gold Star Crew member Mary!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* *For the *month of May*, to celebrate my cats Elliott Stable and Harlow's birthday month I'm celebrating with *30% off* a yearly subscription!* [***Click this link***](https://thefilmmaven.com/kitten-sale)*, get the deal, and wish them a happy birthday.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Popcorn Disabilities: Joan Crawford Raises a Blind Teen in The Story of Esther Costello URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-story-of-esther-costello-joan-crawford/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T16:00:14.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, the series looking at disability through the lens of pop culture.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **members*.* **🌟Supporters like:** J Cassar, Jerilyn Elise Miripol, Beth Golterman, JI, Steven Belgard, Jo Uhrich, Andrew F. Peirce, Wendy Zaballos, Nadine Whitney and Altus Lee💫 *And welcome to new Gold Star Crew member Neeley Drown!* *For the *month of May*, to celebrate my cats Elliott Stable and Harlow's birthday month I'm celebrating with *30% off* a yearly subscription!* [***Click this link***](https://thefilmmaven.com/kitten-sale)*, get the deal, and wish them a happy birthday.* *Gold Film Mavens can now schedule *free consultations with me on Zoom*! Looking to get into journalism? Need to learn how to pitch? Want to write a book but don't know the process? Thinking of starting a newsletter? I'll answer whatever expertise I can provide, once a month, for free!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* --- By the 1950s, Helen Keller had become a global phenomenon and was on a thirty-city tour as a goodwill ambassador for the American Foundation for the Blind. She was clearly raking in the money, between working for the AFB, collecting royalties from her autobiography, and the soon-to-be success of the Broadway show *The Miracle Worker* in 1959\. At the same time, the government was heavily involved in investigating various charitable foundations for fraud after several high-profile scandals like the [Cancer Welfare Fund](https://library.cqpress.com/cqalmanac/document.php?id=cqal64-1302866&ref=thefilmmaven.com). No doubt inspired by all of this, in 1952 author Nicholas Monserrat published *The Story of Esther Costello*, the story of an inspirational blind girl exploited by people close to her. The book's publication apparently hit too close to home for Keller's people, who contemplated suing Monserrat for libel. Helen Keller is a problematic character in the Deaf/disabled community, and while *The Miracle Worker* (the film, at least) is.....not good, I can see why they were certainly afraid of the book which I'm on the hunt for now. Regardless, the juicy behind the scenes story of the book is nothing compared to how Columbia Pictures chose to adapt it for the screen. *The Story of Esther Costello* isn't just an utterly ludicrous and ridiculous film that plays on a lot of ingrained cinematic tropes regarding blindness and, specifically, blind women. It's also a bad Joan Crawford movie. And, let's be real, about 90% of *The Story of Esther Costello* is a Joan Crawford movie that just happens to have blindness somewhere in there. So, let's take a deep breath, and talk about Helen Keller, Esther Costello, and why I'd love to see a movie about a blind girl who *doesn't* get raped/assaulted/harassed by the end. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Bond, Gen Z, and the Fading Movie Star URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/james-bond-casting-2026/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T16:00:42.000Z *Welcome to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** William Arceneaux, Rafael Jasso, Lily, Julie Wyman, Zach Eastman, Jason, Evalyn Gelhaus, Kasey, Ernesto A. Garza and Carrie Peel💫 *For the *month of May*, to celebrate my cats Elliott Stable and Harlow's birthday month I'm celebrating with *30% off* a yearly subscription!* [***Click this link***](https://thefilmmaven.com/kitten-sale)*, get the deal, and wish them a happy birthday.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- ***This piece initially ran last July, but in the wake of*** [***Amazon moving forward on casting***](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/james-bond-auditions-actors-at-top-of-the-list?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***I'm reposting sans paywall*** The last week has been quite the to do for the James Bond franchise. Though speculation about what’s going on with the franchise never completely goes away, it feels like it’s been in a constant state of where there’s smoke there’s absolutely zero fire for awhile now. But with the announcement back in February that Barbara Broccoli, long-time holder of the James Bond rights, [finally decided to sell them to Amazon](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/barbara-broccoli-sells-james-bond-decision-1236146734/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)…..not a whole lot has happened short of jokes about all the ways Amazon could seek to profit off the character. (How they haven’t fast-tracked martini sets, watches, and suits is beyond me.) But the last seven days has inundated us with at least something more tangible when it comes to Ian Fleming’s series, specifically the announcement that[*Dune* director Denis Villeneuve](https://variety.com/2025/film/news/james-bond-denis-villeneuve-director-1236441253/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) was going to helm whatever this iteration would be, and a [Variety article about the potential shortlist](https://variety.com/2025/film/news/amazon-james-bond-wants-tom-holland-jacob-elordi-1236442329/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) for who could play the character. As Variety laid out, “Insiders say that the studio and producers are interested in casting a British actor under the age of 30” with the top contenders being Jacob Elordi (he’s Australian but does the average consumer know that?), *Spider-Man’s* Tom Holland and *Babygirl* star Harris Dickinson. As of 2026 those contenders now include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Callum Turner, and Damson Idris. Elordi is said to still be in the running. Though social media decried the announcement as ridiculous, and critiqued everything from Holland’s stature to the entire trio’s babyfaces, the idea fascinated me more for what it says about celebrity today. Or, more specifically, the lack of it. Hollywood has bemoaned the fading movie star for the last several years. Since the rise of streaming and the simultaneous fragmentation of the film industry meeting the amorphous expansion of social media, movie stars just…aren’t a thing anymore. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/05/james-bond-movie-daniel-craig.jpg.webp) And by this we’re defining movie stars as a person who can command not only a significant salary but whose name can singlehandedly get a movie made *and* bring in boffo box office. Ask the average person to name a movie star and more often then not they’ll name an established star who started out several decades ago (Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise). That’s not to say there aren't contemporary movie stars, like Margot Robbie, but they’re more of a unicorn than they were in the past. But in the case of Bond, being a movie star isn’t a necessity. Or at least it was in the past. An actor doesn’t play the role, the role plays them. It’s why past Bonds have struggled to break out of the ingrained persona of the character and/or become burnt out by the sheer exhaustion of making the movies and carrying the mantle. To play Bond is to become synonymous with the character, with the legacy. Like the MCU, you’re also giving away a significant portion of your life to it, hence Amazon’s desire to ~~groom~~ court someone young who can play the role throughout their thirties and forties. Which brings us back to the movie star thing. Amazon presumes they’re playing the long game by grabbing a star right on the cusp of what they hope is superstardom. (At least with regards to Dickinson and maybe Elordi. Holland is already a star so he’s still an oddball choice.) But if movie stars are dying does it matter at all who they choose? The other factor to consider here is Gen Z. No matter who plays Bond, Amazon still has an uphill battle selling it to the demographic they want, and that ain’t millennials who remember the franchise fondly. Instead, the hope is that the next generation of Bond lovers will be established….in a generation that [notoriously doesn’t watch movies](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/newsletter/2025-04-08/why-hollywood-is-not-alarmed-enough-about-gen-z-the-wide-shot?ref=thefilmmaven.com#:~:text=Gen%20Z%20collectively%20spends%20more,TV%20or%20on%20streaming%20services.). Not to mention Bond’s history of misogyny and racism, colonialism, and all the other things that Bond’s been accused of in the past just makes the franchise [look stodgy to a younger generation](https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/james-bond-is-past-his-best/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). (And that’s without Bond telling on the evil of corporate bros for the last several films.) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/05/skyfall_2012_68-h_2019.jpg.webp) So what can be done? Is it enough for Amazon to green light a couple projects and find a cool young actor to be directed by a directorial icon like Villeneuve? There’s still a sheen of cool associated with the character, and that bloom isn’t necessarily off the rose. But if Amazon cannibalizes and attempts to profit off every little Bond related thing saturation is going to rack up quick. It’s also a question of how quickly they can set it all up. Per Variety, Villeneuve is 100% focused on getting *Dune: Messiah* in theaters by next Decembers, so we won’t even see big movement on this until the end of 2026\. We’ll be lucky if we see another Bond movie in 2027, six years between movie. And while six years and 5 months is officially the record to break, that was in a totally different cinematic landscape. People’s attention spans are even shorter and six years requires Amazon to invigorate an already apathetic audience to have interest in a decaying franchise. There’s no easy answers here (or, if you have them, please leave them in the comments). I do wonder at what point we say bye-bye to the character for awhile. Right now, does anyone really miss Bond? Based on the response to these casting suggestions, I’d say it might be time to die. **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [When Everything’s a Valnet Job...No company is hiring, and those that are ain’t the saving grace you’re thinking of.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/YTPromo-be5c66d9d1b1a1a1f791364cd83a96a4d72d610053281973594703d863d21904.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/valnet-jobs/) [Everyone Is Being So Weird About Christopher Nolan’s The OdysseyFrom “historical” accuracy to accents, everyone online has an opinion about this Grecian epic.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/size/w1200/2026/05/The-Odyssey.jpg.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-odyssey-christopher-nolan/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ### When Everything's a Valnet Job... URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/valnet-jobs/ Last updated: 2026-06-14T22:45:01.000Z *“*[*Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/)*” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *This piece is *exclusive to my Gold tier** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Rhelm, Freejena, Simon Thompson, Nathan Rabin, Deirdre Davidson, Annabelle Foster, Andrea Olcsvary, Amanda Mullen, Kevin Bannerman, Adriana Gomez-Weston, and Carli E. Spina💫 *For the *month of May*, to celebrate my cats Elliott Stable and Harlow's birthday month I'm celebrating with *30% off* a yearly subscription!* [***Click this link***](https://thefilmmaven.com/kitten-sale)*, get the deal, and wish them a happy birthday.* _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### The Mandalorian and Grogu Review: Puppets Save This Thrilling (If Aimless) Space Adventure URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-mandalorian-and-grogu-review/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T16:27:24.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Tari Hartman Squire, Dkod, Debann, Matthew Jackson, Gregory Ayers, Linoleum Podcast, Valerie Kalfrin, Devin Meenan, Alan Katz, and Psychological Poet💫 *For the *month of May*, to celebrate my cats Elliott Stable and Harlow's birthday month I'm celebrating with *30% off* a yearly subscription!* [***Click this link***](https://thefilmmaven.com/kitten-sale)*, get the deal, and wish them a happy birthday.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- *The Mandalorian and Grogu*, the latest entry in Disney's Star Wars universe, is a lesson in contrasts. A movie that will leave you saying "Wow, that's so fun" as often as it makes you say "Is there a plot here?" The Disney+ series, following the titular adventures of the bounty hunter known as *The Mandalorian* (Pedro Pascal) debuted in 2019 and while it's amassed three seasons worth of content the streaming series certainly has a more limited appeal than the feature films. That being said, the desire to propel a feature film following the character was gestating as far back as 2023 and has certainly felt like a movie audiences has been continually told is coming. And yet while there are a bevy of Mandalorian and Grogu items available in anticipation of this release – hell, even the movie sees Baby Grogu eating kettle corn you can conveniently buy in Disneyland – there's an overall muted feeling to the movie's arrival. It's possibly because the finished result is softer, sweeter romp than the large-scale epic undertakings of other *Star Wars* films. *The Mandalorian and Grogu*, with its story of a bounty hunter caring for a small child, is a quiet and tender-hearted tale of love that, strangely enough, works in the hands of director Jon "Elf" Faverau. (There's a STRONG connection between this and Faverau's other family adventure, 2005's *Zathura*.) Add on some heavy practical and puppetry effects and a dash of weirdness, and *Mandalorian and Grogu* will please anyone seeking something in the vein of Ron Howard's *Willow*. The Mandalorian and his child-like acolyte Grogu are tasked with reuniting the gelatinous Rotta the Hutta (Jeremy Allen White) with his estranged family. The hope is that if Mando pleases the Hutts they'll lead the New Republic to a top official they need. Unfortunately, things go sideways and the Mandalorian and Grogu must do whatever they can to save each other from all manner of bad things that are dished out. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/05/MV5BNmM2MDkwZWMtODMwOC00NzcwLWE2MmQtMWRhMmIyYzFjNGUwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXZ3ZXNsZXk@._V1_.jpg) Faverau has said that the movie plot was structured in a way that audiences unfamiliar with the original series will still understand it, and that's true. Outside of an opening text crawl laying out the New Republic, there's no political machinations or anything passing for an overarching narrative. A passing awareness of the Mandalorian as a bounty hunter will suffice, and if you don't know that he makes a point of explaining his job. Really, the only thing needed to enjoy the movie is knowledge of Yoda, of which Grogu is an off-shoot. But that slightness extends to everything about the plot which is fairly non-existent. After a thrilling opening sequence of Mando fighting off a bunch of Imperial Walkers on an AT-AT, Sigourney Weaver's Colonel Ward – a character whose sole existence is providing exposition – tells him he must travel to the Hutt's to rescue Rotta to obtain info on an Imperial official whose face they don't know. Mando quickly finds Rotta and, in a move that just feels weirdly placed, also the official they're looking for. Plot solved and yet there's still over an hour of movie left! Though Pascal's voice is only heard, and his face only present for a few minutes of screen time, the character can still command attention. But it's when Pascal's voice, and whomever is under that mask, is interacting with Grogu that the movie is at its sweet and sincere best. The two have a dynamic akin to Lone Wolf and Cub, with Grogu intent on learning how to be like the Mandalorian and Mando realizing that he does have someone to care for. When Grogu is in danger, even though the audience isn't seeing Pascal's face, the physicality of the person in the suit conveys the deep love he feels for the little guy. Unlike something like [*Avatar*](https://thefilmmaven.com/avatar-fire-and-ash-review-james-cameron/), where you're aware that the A-list stars are underneath the CGI, this is a movie that does feel very devoid of humans. Weaver, and that stray scene of Pascal unmasked, are really the only actual humans on-screen and both have limited screen time. Pascal's voice is so filtered that's safe to assume he was barely in the costume, an issue reminiscent of Ryan Reynolds in [*Deadpool vs. Wolverine*](https://thefilmmaven.com/deadpool-and-wolverine-review-ryan-reynolds/). Even White's character as Rotta sees his voice filtered so as to sound more Hutt-like, though with the character giving off a bizarre physicality and vocal cadence that makes it possible not to see him once you realize he's the voice. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/05/TCDMAND_G5090-H-2024.jpg.webp) In a movie with several half-followed threads and McGuffin's, Rotta the Hutt probably feels the most stunt-y. The character is all surface level, reiterating in at least three separate speeches, relatively close together, that he wants to be his "own man," not like his father, the violent Jabba the Hutt. That's really all that ever manifests in the character, who is left to be little more than a savior at the end. Really, this plot line feels like either it's part of a larger narrative left behind or the jumping off point for an additional television series. This continues with the final hour, which presents a thin construct of plot that ends up sidelining Mando entirely and letting the incredibly expressive and darling Grogu simply cook. Those who complained about overly cutesy Ewoks in *Return of the Jedi* probably won't care for the second half of the movie, which becomes a visual spectacle of practical puppetry with Grogu and various Frik characters taking over. There are moments of intensity and spectacle here, specifically the Friks and Grogu fleeing a darkened house as Mando is left as the gunslinger trying to protect them. The group is forced to save Mando with Grogu left to struggle and contemplate the possibility of a world without his bounty hunter to protect him. This subplot holds far more interest than the preceding plot, if only because the puppet is so expressive and the dynamic between Mando and Grogu is so heartening. Watching Grogu go to sleep in Mando's arms is a moment that's so tender and melancholy, you just wish the rest of the galaxy would melt away and focus on these two. There's a lot that works against *The Mandalorian and Grogu*. The plot is non-existent and it really does feel like a fully CGI movie. But when it's just Mando and Grogu going from A to B it's such a sweet story. Add to that a desire to just let a lot of kooky puppets run around for a little bit – there's a real Jim Henson vibe – and it's a movie that is more than worth seeing with the kids (or anyone just looking for a cute vibe). It's a lovable mess, but it works. ## Grade: C *The Mandalorian and Grogu is in theaters May 22.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Everyone Is Being So Weird About Christopher Nolan’s The OdysseyFrom “historical” accuracy to accents, everyone online has an opinion about this Grecian epic.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-16f3248b041727d3d3d009105d39760404439093b777d45e526fee75138d7334.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/The-Odyssey.jpg-9564e9f82ae5a1d13fb7f26f863993f2a79ac0fae3ae898ef80dee66e51d60a3.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-odyssey-christopher-nolan/) [The Truth Behind the Tales From the Crypt Rights IssuesWeren’t these rights incredibly complicated? Yes and no.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/maxresdefault-bef4dd7910d43007ad67af5e451bee3a26ed9135f8b0e48c1780b5a0e6a258c7.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/tales-from-the-crypt-rights/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Everyone Is Being So Weird About Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-odyssey-christopher-nolan/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T16:07:13.000Z *Welcome to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is*exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Teresa Castner, Scott Phillips, Staskelv, S. David Miller, William Bibbianni, Scott Mendelson, Cameron Curtis, Virginia Yapp, Don Comm PR, and Angel Giuffria💫💫 *And please welcome new Gold Star Crew Members Ernesto A. Garza and Matt Golden!* *For the *month of May*, to celebrate my cats Elliott Stable and Harlow's birthday month I'm celebrating with *30% off* a yearly subscription!* [***Click this link***](https://thefilmmaven.com/kitten-sale)*, get the deal, and wish them a happy birthday.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- When it comes to the discourse surrounding Christopher Nolan's latest film *The Odyssey*, I've largely avoided it. But over the last month (and the arrival of a new trailer) it's become harder and harder to forget its existence. Almost like a massive wooden horse is hanging out on my timeline. And yet that horse is an appropriate symbol because Nolan's latest is starting to feel like an attempt to do something....else with this movie and I want to look at it. There's been at least three social media "controversies" that have popped up since longer trailers started dropping for the movie earlier this year, and they've all intertwined into one big *Odyssey* ball. It started with questions about why the actors, telling a story set in Greece, were all [using American accents](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/the-odyssey-nolan-american-accents-trailer-1236586611/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). This transmorgified into questions about whether it was period appropriate for Tom Holland's character to [say the word "dad."](https://www.reddit.com/r/ChristopherNolan/comments/1t5d2sm/to%5Fthose%5Fupset%5Fwith%5Fthe%5Fuse%5Fof%5Fthe%5Fword%5Fdad%5For/?solution=d78f33674e70f3e3d78f33674e70f3e3&js%5Fchallenge=1&token=bbbe4bf1c9a2b5160829c4be34da5861bc6e3ab3b64dfdf71ed207a952d9c8bd&jsc%5Forig%5Fr=&ref=thefilmmaven.com) Then it went from dumb to just plain ugly and racist when everyone (including Elon Musk) had opinions about the alleged casting of [Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/elon-musk-lupita-nyongo-helen-of-troy-the-odyssey%5Fn%5F6a0753c6e4b0a33000e19216?ref=thefilmmaven.com). I'm less interested in why people are arguing over these things, and when I put out a call on social media [I got the gamut of responses](https://x.com/kristenklopez/status/2055673616780661189?s=20&ref=thefilmmaven.com). I haven't liked a Nolan movie since *Inception*, personally, and it's easy the racism and silliness behind the issues. I'm more interested in why this movie, specifically, is a weird online touchstone, our sudden gravitation towards an Old Hollywood genre like sword and sandals films, and whether this online controversy is going to help, hinder, or do absolutely nothing for Nolan in July. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Truth Behind the Tales From the Crypt Rights Issues URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/tales-from-the-crypt-rights/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T16:30:41.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but the full article is*exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia, Alcmatta, Kevin Turner, Cassidy Dimon, Barbara Doss, and Holly Alarcon💫 *And please welcome new Gold Star Crew Member Kasey!* *For the *month of May*, to celebrate my cats Elliott Stable and Harlow's birthday month I'm celebrating with *30% off* a yearly subscription!* [***Click this link***](https://thefilmmaven.com/kitten-sale)*, get the deal, and wish them a happy birthday.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Hello, Boils and Ghouls! It's your old pal, Kristen here! Okay, I'm not going to do this entire article in Crypt Keeper speak. You've probably seen that after 30 years locked in a vault that the TV series [*Tales From the Crypt* is now officially streaming](https://bloody-disgusting.com/tv/3949246/tales-from-the-crypt-now-streaming-for-the-very-first-time-on-shudder/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) on Shudder. You might also know that I'm currently putting the finishing touches on the first oral history book ever written on the series, entitled *Welcome, Boils and Ghouls: The Complete Oral History of Tales From the Crypt*, coming in August of 2027\. I'm navigating cutting the book down. By a lot. And since the series is now available to stream I know something the book is going to lose is all the explanation I have about what happened to the rights and why the series was trapped for so long. There are a lot of sites that tout explanations of why the rights issues were so complex and....they're not 100% true. So, here it is, the true story about why *Tales From the Crypt* had rights problem. Who owned everything. And who was actually involved in getting the series out to Shudder. (If you want more *Tales From the Crypt* lore, drop in the comments. I'll be talking a lot more about the series as I get closer to the book's release date.) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/05/TalesFromtheCrypt-1280x853.jpg.webp) ## Who Owned the Series One of the biggest falsities I hear about the series is that HBO and Warner Bros. were involved in the rights dispute and that's a big fat no. The series wasn't seen for thirty years specifically because Warner Bros. and HBO had nothing to do with it. When HBO was first starting out they needed original content, and they didn't really care how they got it. They also needed to do it on the cheap. So, this meant their deals tended to see them as straight distributors only. You want to make a show? Great. We'll release it and you get to own it. It was a theoretical win-win. A creative got to make their series for what was presumed to be a major company and they got to own everything outright. (Mind you, there's a reason they do NOT make these deals anymore.) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### A New Leaf Set the Tone for the Rest of Elaine May's Career (Ticklish Business) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/elaine-may-carrie-courogen-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2026-05-13T16:25:09.000Z *You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Sabbamonte, Childe.Dirk, Tamaryn, Morozco64, Bonfiglio, BJ Colangelo, Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, and LMoore💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- The sun's out and we're kicking off our Elaine in May series! The entire month is devoted to the female filmmaker and we're kicking things off with a look at her 1971 debut feature [⁠*A New Leaf* ⁠](https://amzn.to/3OeldIS?ref=thefilmmaven.com)with May biographer Carrie Courogen. Courogen discusses May's foray into directing, the challenges of making her debut feature, and how it started to show the cracks that would see May exit Hollywood. We also talk about her mad brilliance and the humor of Walter Matthau. [***Buy Miss May Does Not Exist at this link.***⁠](https://amzn.to/4sJwfUG?ref=thefilmmaven.com) I have a new book dropping on July 28th! [⁠***Preorder But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition here.***⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **You can** [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*Popcorn Disabilities*⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! [⁠⁠⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch shop is live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠become a Patron⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com):[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Kate G **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [The State of Entertainment Journalism in 2026Yes, it’s still very much f\*\*\*ed and we’re all doomed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-7.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/1.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/state-of-journalism-2026/) [Ted Turner Gave Us Classic Movies, And That’s More Important Now Than EverIn a landscape where regurgitation is the name of the game, Ted Turner blazed a path all his own.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary-8.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/75.jpeg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/ted-turner-obituary/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### The State of Entertainment Journalism in 2026 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/state-of-journalism-2026/ Last updated: 2026-05-12T16:43:13.000Z *“*[*Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/)*” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *This piece is *exclusive to my Gold tier** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Elissa Farkas, Kiahamarafisch, Jason Reynal, Lawrence Carter-Long, Media Path Podcast, Shupei, Ethan Luce, Jeremy Fuster, Lgdfry, and Julie Ruth Cohen💫 *And please welcome new Gold Star Crew Member Evalyn Gelhaus!* *For the *month of May*, to celebrate my cats Elliott Stable and Harlow's birthday month I'm celebrating with *30% off* a yearly subscription!* [***Click this link***](https://thefilmmaven.com/kitten-sale)*, get the deal, and wish them a happy birthday.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- It's been a minute since we last checked in with where entertainment journalism is over the last five months and \[checks notes\] it's still bad. Very, very bad. I will say that, as a freelancer journalist, I'm making ends meet. Have I gotten less pitches accepted than I did at the beginning of the year? Sure. But that's both a combination of my own tenacity coupled with where sites are right now. I'm still getting stuff accepted and that's half the battle. (Watch me say that and then next month everything goes down the toilet.) _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Obsession Review: Fatal Attraction for the Man With Red Flags URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/obsession-review-fatal-attraction-for-the-man-with-red-flags/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T17:00:36.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Matt McDaniel, Sofiya Cheyenne, Wiley Sutton, Rachel Dinga, Llai, KYoder, Franker Cline, Mark Murphy, Tasya Swisko, and Sandeep Chandowalia💫 *Welcome new Gold Star Crew member Jason!* *For the *month of May*, to celebrate my cats Elliott Stable and Harlow's birthday month I'm celebrating with *30% off* a yearly subscription!* [***Click this link***](https://thefilmmaven.com/kitten-sale)*, get the deal, and wish them a happy birthday.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- The unrequited romance has been a Hollywood staple since time began, and within that narrative is room for the conflict of forcing an ignorant paramour to fall for you. Love potion narratives, by their conceit, have always been problematic, generally focused on hapless men conjuring up magical ways to get uninterested women to become slavishly devoted to them. *Tales From the Crypt* and *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* did more than one episode in this vein which, mercifully, had the benefits of being shorter than Curry Barker's *Obsession*. *Obsession* walks a similar path in its *Monkey's Paw*/"be careful what you wish for" misogynistic male fantasy that fails to give much empathy for its controlled female heroine. Excessively loud, reliant on gore and shock value, and generally feeling like a *Fatal Attraction* re-tread, *Obsession* is a movie worth showing a prospective partner and then running away if they tell you how its male character is misunderstood. Bear (Michael Johnston) is a quiet, dorky young man in love with his best friend Nikki (Inde Navarette). Unfortunately, Nikki doesn't appear to see Bear as anything beyond a friend. When Bear gets his hand on a One Wish Willow, a branch that presumably grants wishes, he asks it to make Nikki "love me more than anything in the world." The wish comes true and Nikki can't see anything beyond Bear. But the wish starts to freak Bear out as Nikki becomes increasingly unhinged and obsessed with him. There's an inherent awkwardness to Bear from the minute we meet him. He's a Good Guy on steroids, catering to Nikki and even committing to replacing a necklace she carelessly drops. His best friend, the hypermasculine and douchey Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) doesn't understand why Bear believes Nikki is that special. In fact, everyone seems to have a problem with Nikki, from critiquing her hard-partying ways to how she treats Bear. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/05/MV5BYmViOWY5YmYtZTZjNC00ZTc1LTg0MmMtZjM1YTE4ZDhiM2VkXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg) So by the time Bear makes the wish for her love, the audience hasn't seen any particular reason to empathize with the girl. The wish immediately works and from there the movie becomes a series of moments wherein Nikki does something disgusting or horrific, proclaiming she's done it all for Bear, as he sits there traumatized. To her credit, Navarette is a star and what keeps the movie from becoming downright terrible is how committed she is to the role. Navarette's face is an expressive amalgamation of emotions. When the wish kicks in you see her standing in front of Bear, confusion, wonder, love, and terror flitting through her face. Even when she's smashing in someone's face or screaming about her love for Bear at a party, she's just so compellingly watchable. And she's definitely got a scream fit for a queen. There is certainly an interesting conceit with the "One Wish Willow," the questionable "toy" whose advertisement opens the movie. Like any good drug ad, "One Wish Willow" has some disturbing side effects no one seems to think of, the ad quickly saying, "May cause self-mutilation." What little humor, outside of Nikki's cringe-inducing obsession, exists is in the unclear history behind the Willow. It's clear by the people who work in the store where Bear buys the willow that this has happened before, and yet it's a missed opportunity for the movie not to discuss whether this is just something men always seem to do with the willow or not. To keep sympathy with Bear, though, means the movie doesn't have the interest (or the awareness) to critique what amounts to a narrative of assault and control. By its very title, and the commercials emphasis on Navarette's penchant for sinister smiles, *Obsession* is focused squarely on Bear and what happens when his dream girl becomes a living nightmare. She moves into his house, becomes clingy to the point of murder, and generally starts to harsh his buzz. The pair have crazy wild sex – while Nikki stares blankly into the void – which apparently is enough to make Bear overlook all manner of sins for awhile. There's a desire from Johnston's performance to make the viewer feel bad for him that he doesn't ever earn. Though, Johnston is certainly solid in the role. There are moments wherein an attempt is made to show that Nikki is suffering, but these are fleeting. Nikki isn't given a ton of backstory and what exists is filtered through her relationship with Bear. She's so over-the-top and horrible in her behavior, post-wish, that it mutes any sympathy that does pop up. She's the requisite crazy bitch and the horror is in watching Bear suffer in a "be careful what you wish for" element. The sex sequence with Nikki is one brief moment of introspection, as is another where the "real" Nikki comes through and begs Bear to end her suffering to which Bear responds, "What's so wrong with spending your life with me?" This moment, in particular, is the one big of actual awareness that Bear isn't a hero, but it comes so early in the middle of the movie, before everything cranks up to 120%. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/05/thumb_F838B1E6-250B-40ED-B98E-AD0D0E6B6F04.jpg) What results is a rather conventional horror movie. The sound mix definitely becomes grating, with characters spending much of the runtime either yelling, screaming, or yelling and screaming at each other. Barker's dialogue often sees characters answering questions with questions. The whole thing becomes repetitious and would have been better served as a short film. There's a feel bad quality to *Obsession* that, by its ending, you simultaneously want to flee the theater and maybe take a shower. It's surprising how much goodwill *Obsession* has obtained, and this is definitely a movie where discussion is going to be very heated. As it stands, Inde Navarette is the one saving grace of Barker's feature and that's it. *Obsession* is a skin crawling male fantasy film in the worst way. A screeching, grating tale of misogyny that doesn't want to get in the weeds of its female character's suffering. For anyone who has said they're a Nice Guy this is the movie for you, and that's not a compliment. ## Grade: D *Obsession hits theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [The Met Gala Left Me Mixed On Disabled InclusionDespite the inclusion of disabled people, it was hard not to feel the tokenization![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Outside_the_2026_Met_Gala_3.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/met-gala-disability/) [The Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Couldn’t Put a Damper on the TCM Classic Film FestivalThis year’s festival felt like a return to form, even as we all tried to avoid what brewed on the horizon![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_8307.JPG)](https://thefilmmaven.com/paramount-warner-bros-merger-tcm/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Ted Turner Gave Us Classic Movies, And That's More Important Now Than Ever URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/ted-turner-obituary/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T20:46:11.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:* L*ucy May, David Fox, Alexandra Bowser, Jacob Haller, Melissa Heeney, Mitch Santell, BG, Jeremy Scholl, Naomi Nelson, and Sarah E Wethern💫 *Welcome new Gold Star Crew member Jill Rattray!* *For the *month of May*, to celebrate my cats Elliott Stable and Harlow's birthday month I'm celebrating with *30% off* a yearly subscription!* [***Click this link***](https://thefilmmaven.com/kitten-sale)*, get the deal, and wish them a happy birthday.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Yesterday it was announced that Ted Turner, maverick television producer, conservationist and media mogul had [died at the age of 87](https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/06/us/ted-turner-death?ref=thefilmmaven.com). In the aftermath, people started flocking to remember Turner, including his ex-wife Jane Fonda who considered Turner one of her "favorite husbands." Seen amongst those tributes on social media were fans of classic movies, celebrating and honoring the man who leant his name to the network known as Turner Classic Movies (TCM). You probably know I spent just this past weekend at the [TCM Classic Film Festival](https://thefilmmaven.com/paramount-warner-bros-merger-tcm/), watching classic films in the dark with a bunch of people who understood all my stray references. And upon hearing that Turner had passed so quickly after the festival that bears his name was bittersweet, even though he had stepped away from the company years before. For me, I want to eulogize Turner through the network that brought classic films to audiences everywhere, and whose future still feels shaky in the wake of another upcoming corporate merger. Without Ted Turner, bare minimum, we wouldn't have a TCM to remind us why classic films matter while fighting to preserve them. I keenly remember the first time I watched TCM. I was living in Sacramento, and I was either sick or it was raining (it might just have been raining while I was sick). Either way, I was flipping through the channels, eating a grilled cheese with tomato soup, when I stopped on a black and white film. It was 1946's *The Spiral Staircase*. I planned to watch a few minutes and ended up watching the entire thing before host Robert Osborne returned to tell me about the movie I'd just seen. It was a moment that quite literally changed my life. The network's alchemy worked on me and from that point forward there wasn't a time where I wasn't watching TCM or at least watching something I'd taped. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/05/ted-turner.jpg) Turner, in a lot of ways, was the ultimate classic film fan. In the mid-1980s he acquired the MGM catalog, including a host of pre-1950 films from Warner Bros., RKO and MGM. Turner wanted to find a way to both preserve the movies he'd acquired, while also giving others opportunities to see them. Can you imagine if Turner had just decided to release on them on physical disc a few times and that's it? Unlike most linear cable channels, which spend a majority of their budget on licensing content (think of HBO in the 1980s), TCM immediately started with a strong amount of content it already owned, keeping costs down. More importantly, Turner seemed to genuinely care about the movies themselves. Watching the splashy day [TCM premiered in Times Square](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1598901597552756) in 1994 you see Turner flanked by classic film stars like Jane Powell, Arlene Dahl, Van Johnson, and Celeste Holm. The look on his face is one of genuine joy. Couple that with the first few years of TCM. The set Osborne used for his intros and outros doesn't look expensive, but homey. Turner understood TCM was meant to be an extension of the living room, a place where audiences could watch these classics with someone, like Osborne, who might have been watching in his home as well. Commercial free, the interstitials and interviews had a similar nostalgic feel while presenting in-depth interviews with performers from that time (many of whom were still alive). Turner was far from perfect, even when it came to classic films. Prior to starting TCM, Turner tried to appeal to younger viewers by colorizing older films like *Casablanca* and *The Maltese Falcon*. After colorizing forty films, and seeing audiences come to check out the novelty, the fad faded. It didn't help that major directors like Martin Scorsese were giving Turner shit for ruining the movies. Some of those colorized films still endure – Miracle on 34th Street is one I still see colorized – yet Turner realized the folly of his error. And while TCM has weathered a string of corporate takeovers they've held on to much of what Turner espoused at the beginning: presenting classic films, uncut, uncensored, and commercial free. For that alone it remains a unicorn in today's television environment, and it's understandable why the corporate linear cable landscape of today would seek to destroy it. Warner Bros. under the Zaslav leadership certainly tried, and who knows what will happen once David Ellison and Paramount take over. In the meantime, I have to give a heavenly thank you to Ted Turner for giving me something that brings me joy, as it does many others. It's funny to think how a TV station can bring happiness into people's lives and, more so, how its team feels more like friends. But that was the magic of Turner and the TCM he envisioned. He brought people into his living room, in Robert Osborne's living room, and let us stay. He's still doing that today. **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [The Met Gala Left Me Mixed On Disabled InclusionDespite the inclusion of disabled people, it was hard not to feel the tokenization![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/Outside_the_2026_Met_Gala_3.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/met-gala-disability/) [The Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Couldn’t Put a Damper on the TCM Classic Film FestivalThis year’s festival felt like a return to form, even as we all tried to avoid what brewed on the horizon![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_8307.JPG)](https://thefilmmaven.com/paramount-warner-bros-merger-tcm/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### The Met Gala Left Me Mixed On Disabled Inclusion URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/met-gala-disability/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:23:41.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my Gold tier** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Jerilyn Elise Miripol, Beth Golterman, JI, Steven Belgard, Jo Uhrich, Andrew F. Peirce, Altus Lee, Wendy Zaballos, Nadine Whitney, and Libeth Morales 💫 *For the *month of May*, to celebrate my cats Elliott Stable and Harlow's birthday month I'm celebrating with *30% off* a yearly subscription!* [***Click this link***](https://thefilmmaven.com/kitten-sale)*, get the deal, and wish them a happy birthday.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- The Met Gala comes with baggage every year but this year's first Monday in May felt particularly divisive. Much of this stems from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife, serious supporters of President Donald Trump, being [lead sponsors of this year's Met Ball](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/style/lauren-sanchez-met-gala-without-jeff-bezos-backlash-1236584575/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) as well as the accompanying spring Costume Institute exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There were [rumblings online that celebrities](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/bezos-met-gala-fury-spills-underground-1236568004/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), not wanting to be associated with Trump and his ilk, would boycott the event. But nope! This year's Met Gala was filled to bursting with stars, including Sabrina Carpenter, Beyonce, and so many others, many of whom paid $100,000 for the privilege. Several did wear "ICE out" pins, though there's an irony of wearing public support while attending an event funded by those who'd be happy to keep ICE doing whatever they want. I'm not really interested in talking about that, specifically. Instead, I want to talk about some other attendees that popped up at this year's Met Gala: disabled people. This year's Ball and exhibition, themed to Costume Art, was the first to be "[intentionally accessible for disabled attendees](https://www.whowhatwear.com/fashion/celebrity-style/met-gala-2026-accessibility?ref=thefilmmaven.com)." Different perceptions of the body are on display in the exhibit, including a section called "The Disabled Body." And because of this several disabled attendees, including Lauren Wasser and Aariana Rose Philip strode down the red carpet. And yet I couldn't help having a lot of different feelings about the situation. So, let's dive into them. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### 5 Best Things I Watched and Read in April URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-april-2026/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:24:04.000Z *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Joseph Gunther, Nathalie Rayter, Carli E. Spina, William Arceneaux, Rafael Jasso, Rachel Mason, Lily, Julie Wyman, Carrie Peel, and J Cassar💫 *Welcome new Gold Star Crew member Zach Eastman!* *For the *month of May*, to celebrate my cats Elliott Stable and Harlow's birthday month I'm celebrating with *30% off* a yearly subscription!* [***Click this link***](https://thefilmmaven.com/kitten-sale)*, get the deal, and wish them a happy birthday.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- I'm still in the first 48 hours of post-TCM Classic Film Festival malaise so forgive me if I'm still trying to get my bearings this week. T.S. Eliot once said, "April is the cruelest month," but old T.S. failed to mention it also feels like it's the longest. In going back through [my Letterboxd Diary](https://letterboxd.com/kristenlopez88/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) to put this list together I was convinced I'd seen some of these movies months ago. Most of what I've watched are new releases, but one classic film manage to slip in above the rest, and it was one I did not expect at all. I also have a great music book worth giving your time to. You'll find it all below, and be sure to drop your April recommendations in the comments below! Maybe they'll make the May list! *(Header links take you to my review or where to purchase. If you purchase through my affiliate link I get a little kickback to keep TFM running.)* ## [*You, Me & Tuscany* (2026)](https://thefilmmaven.com/you-me-and-tuscany-review-halle-bailey/) This one is still incredibly sweet and it was heartening to see so many people on social media champion it, especially audiences of color. [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/you-me-and-tuscany-review-halle-bailey/): *You, Me & Tuscany* is another bright spot in the rom-com genre, shockingly more so for the fact that it's a wholly original idea heavily inspired by '90s rom-coms like [*Only You*](https://amzn.to/4cjvrQd?ref=thefilmmaven.com) (1994) and [*While You Were Sleeping*](https://amzn.to/4ctFfYZ?ref=thefilmmaven.com) (1995). Stars Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page whip up something sweetly delicious for a story that find the magic in romance, while emphasizing the need for community and home during troubling times. What screenwriter Ryan Engle does so well with *You, Me & Tuscany* is go all in on a premise that would just as easily work in 2026 as it would 1996 to 1946: the high concept premise of a young woman who travels to a foreign locale and, through shenanigans, is welcomed into a family as a future bride. There's just enough story to make everything plausible and, what's funnier, is that thinking about the story more doesn't make the house of cards collapse. Anna is a woman desperate to live any life but her own, right down to housesitting for a wealthy woman (Nia Vardalos) in the opening scene, wearing her clothes, and walking her dog. In the landscape of today, Anna is every person who wakes up wishing life was better. *You, Me & Tuscany* is a deliciously charming throwback and a new step forward for the romantic comedy genre. It's also a showcase for Bailey, who'd do well to do several more of these movies as her affection and personality work so well with something frothy like this. Prepare to fall in love with life, with love, and the beauty of possibility which, can't we all use far more of that in the world right now? ## [*Hokum* (2026)](https://thefilmmaven.com/hokum-review-adam-scott/) Damien McCarthy's latest was a stellar entrance into his body of work. There's another splashy horror movie coming out soon that I absolutely hated (look for that review this month), so I was happy to see this and remember why good horror works so well. [*Hokum* did good business](https://deadline.com/2026/05/indie-film-box-office-hokum-neon-horror-starring-adam-scott-1236879393/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) this last weekend so if you haven't seen it, now's the perfect time. [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/hokum-review-adam-scott/): What it feeds off of is our current sense of melancholy and resignation, the guilt that permeates our days at the things we didn't do or say. The terror that comes from realizing we're living out a very isolating series of events, and that cruelty feels more casual than it's ever been. All of this in a haunted hotel room with more than a nod to Stephen King's *1408*. At its center is a solid performance from Adam Scott, taking his usual charming dickishness and using that as an entry point for a character desperate to push people away. And who must ultimately find a way to deal with the horrors within himself in order to defeat the horrors around him. It's all manner of dark, broody and, at times, epic. When the terror is on screen it also covers up for the thin storytelling. Who is the bizarre, bug-eyed TV host Ohm keeps seeing? Is there some significance to him in Bauman's life or in the city they're in? Who knows. Has Bauman apparently just lived as a sad virgin for most of his life? There seems to be zero relationships he's ever had short of his parents. These moments aren't necessarily to enjoy the spookiness of the story, but Bauman becoming a detective, at this point in his life, would have more heft with a little bit more context short of: this person was nice to me, once. ## [*Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah to the Last Goodbye* by Dave Lory](https://amzn.to/4tTnadi?ref=thefilmmaven.com) I'm still very much on a Jeff Buckley high, nearly a year after seeing the latest documentary, *I Love You, Jeff Buckley* (and talking to [director Amy Berg](https://thefilmmaven.com/jeff-buckley-documentary-amy-berg-interview/)). Yet if one's looking for any Buckley biographies they're in shockingly short supply, with Dave Lory's one of two that are commonly available. Lory's tome is less a standard Jeff Buckley documentary and more a personal diary of working with the artist and traveling with him on the road during the album tour for his debut album [*Grace*](https://amzn.to/4tOe5SP?ref=thefilmmaven.com). This means Lory takes readers on divergences into his own life, and lacks any real insight into Buckley's life before the success or his personal issues. Compared to *I Love You, Jeff Buckley*, this does give a different view into the artist's life that, until a nuanced bio is actually written, crafts another avenue to his story. As Lory recounts, Buckley didn't have a strong relationship with his mother and openly battled heroin addiction, something the doc is intentionally cagey on. It's still a fun read but I really need an author to do a proper biography, asap. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/05/Kirk-Douglas-George-Macready-Detective-Story.jpg.webp) ## [*Detective Story* (1951)](https://amzn.to/4d6Rtps?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Full disclosure, I hate Kirk Douglas. The guy was a bit of a scumbag and I won't hear anything to the contrary. However, he certainly knew how to pick directors and William Wyler's *Detective Story* might be my favorite movie that just happens to star Kirk Douglas. Told over one day in a New York police precinct, the movie follows Det. James McLeod (Douglas, ugh) as he attempts to put away a man accused of "baby brokering," a thinly veiled cover-up for being an abortionist. Along the way, James's wife, Mary (Eleanor Parker) gets involved. The script is crackling and remarkably progressive for its time. There are three key female roles alongside Parker and all three women are presented as three-dimensional women struggling with their various decisions in a patriarchal society. The movie doesn't take the easy way out and, by the end, James isn't even the hero we presumed he'd be at the beginning. It's a brilliant movie! ## [*Mother Mary* (2026)](https://www.fangoria.com/mother-mary-review/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) David Lowery's latest just barely squeaks onto this list, if only because I've been listening to the soundtrack on repeat. The movie is high on vibes, if light on story. Michaela Coel and Anne Hathaway are great, the latter especially when she's in popstar mode. As I said in [my review for *Fangoria*](https://www.fangoria.com/mother-mary-review/?ref=thefilmmaven.com): *Mother Mary* is a movie that runs on vibes, fueled by a bare modicum of story. The movie has been described as a “psychosexual pop opera thriller” and all of those elements are here, at some point, twisting and weaving into each other to make the sculptural piece on display. But those disparate elements can make for a piece that feels cold and empty despite everything that’s on the screen. There’s a similarity in composition and storytelling as Nicolas Winding Refn’s *The Neon Demon*, both dark stories of stardom where everything is outsized and doused in a heavy amount of diamonds and gore. (Ken Russell also feels like a major influence here.) The movie could have coasted on being a two-hander between Hathaway and Coel arguing but Lowery ends up injecting something he has enjoyed doing with a few movies now: how much space ghosts and death inhabit in our minds and our physical spaces. *Mother Mary*’s ads say, “This is not a ghost story” and one could make that argument. Mother Mary and Sam both tell stories of engaging with an entity they can’t explain. Like any good Gothic story, it’s certainly possible to see the ghost angle as literal or metaphorical. In fact, the entire movie could be seen as a metaphor for everything from unresolved anger to purgatory itself. The inclusion of a ghost narrative turns the movie down a path that makes it feel like Ken Russell’s *Gothic*, in that bizarre things start happening and the audience just kind of has to sit back and go with it. **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [The Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Couldn’t Put a Damper on the TCM Classic Film FestivalThis year’s festival felt like a return to form, even as we all tried to avoid what brewed on the horizon![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_8307.JPG)](https://thefilmmaven.com/paramount-warner-bros-merger-tcm/) [Why MJ Is the Superior Michael Jackson BiopicEverything you didn’t like about Michael, you’ll find on stage in MJ![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/MJ-The-Musical-Still-1-Broadway-Publicity-H-2022.jpg.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/michael-jackson-biopic-mj/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### The Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Couldn't Put a Damper on the TCM Classic Film Festival URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/paramount-warner-bros-merger-tcm/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:24:30.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Simon Thompson, Nathan Rabin, Deirdre Davidson, Annabelle Foster, Andrea Olcsvary, Peter Kilkenny, Amanda Mullen, Daniel Fisher, Kevin Bannerman, and Adriana Gomez-Weston💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- I just spent the last four days ignoring my phone, reality, and everything else to race around Hollywood Boulevard watching movies. The TCM (Turner Classic Movies) Film Festival, for the uninitiated, has taken place around April-early May for the last seventeen years, bringing the world of classic film (and its stars) to an eager and devoted audience. It's a wonderful time filled with great movies, and equally greater people. Be on the lookout for my [Ticklish Business episodes](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/podcast/) devoted to the festival in the coming weeks. But even as I ignored our current political times, I knew this TCM fest would have to be different, as the big behemoth known as the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger loomed. Turner Classic Movies has been a part of Warner Bros. since 1996, when creator Ted Turner's Turner Broadcasting System merged with, at the time, Time Warner. Since that time TCM has grown to include five on-camera hosts, six if you count original host Robert Osborne, has crafted a large TCM-sponsored library of films and restorations (this year's festival unveiled Joan Crawford's 1932 film *Letty Lynton*, a movie [not legally seen in the U.S. in 90 years](https://www.avclub.com/joan-crawford-lost-film-letty-lynton-screened-after-90-years-lawsuit?ref=thefilmmaven.com)), as well as a bevy of goodwill from creatives from Martin Scorsese to Colman Domingo. More importantly, they've cultivated a reputation for being stewards of Old Hollywood, and a love of movies, two things that seem in short supply in our current entertainment landscape. Host Ben Mankiewicz has said before, find another network wherein people don't just feel bonded to the movies, but to the hosts and creative team itself. You can attend D23 but you're never believing you'll be hanging out with Bob Iger or any Disney higher ups, let alone they'll know your name or particularly care what you think about the company. Not so with TCM. And I say that as someone who gives TCM a lot of credit for my own career. They were the first company to give me press credentials to anything and the first company that offered me the chance to write a book. So when people come to the TCM Classic Film Festival, they aren't just going to watch movies, but to revisit old friends. This might be one of the few times the adage "the corporation isn't your friend" isn't wholly true. WB might not be our buddies, but the folks at TCM certainly are. That being said, people have certainly seen how the effects of previous mergers has affected the channel they love. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Harold Russell, First Disabled Oscar Winner, and The Best Years of Our Lives (Ticklish Business) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-years-of-our-lives-1946-ticklish-business-podcast/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:24:42.000Z *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Debann, Matthew Jackson, Gregory Ayers, Linoleum Podcast, Valerie Kalfrin, Devin Meenan, Alan Katz, Psychological Poet, Rhelm, and Freejena💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- The TCM Classic Film Festival is upon us and we're honoring both a movie playing at the festival and one celebrating its 80th (!) anniversary: 1946's [*The Best Years of Our Lives*](https://amzn.to/4mpb7kR?ref=thefilmmaven.com). Giving insight alongside Kristen is author Alison Macor, author of [*Making the Best Years of Our Lives*](https://amzn.to/41taugI?ref=thefilmmaven.com)and who will be introducing the movie at the festival. Kristen and Alison talk about the movie's legacy, including its dual Oscar-winner, and disabled actor, Harold Russell. [**Buy Alison's book** ](https://amzn.to/41taugI?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[***Making the Best Years of Our Lives***](https://amzn.to/41taugI?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[ **at this link.**](https://amzn.to/41taugI?ref=thefilmmaven.com) [**Buy Kristen's book Popcorn Disabilities here.**](https://amzn.to/4mxZmsA?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **You can** [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! [⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[***Preorder But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition here.***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[The merch shop is live](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[become a Patron](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com):[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Kristen's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Kate G **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Why MJ Is the Superior Michael Jackson BiopicEverything you didn’t like about Michael, you’ll find on stage in MJ![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/MJ-The-Musical-Still-1-Broadway-Publicity-H-2022.jpg.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/michael-jackson-biopic-mj/) [Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights Hits HBO Max May 1st With a Unique ASL Version You’ll Want to See (Exclusive)The Film Maven got exclusive access to the new way the ASL interpretation will be presented on-screen![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/01.19.10.06.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/emerald-fennell-wuthering-heights-streaming/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Devil Wears Prada 2 Review: Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway Try to Save Journalism in Wacky, Unfocused Sequel URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/devil-wears-prada-2-review-meryl-streep-anne-hathaway/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T17:04:24.000Z **This post is free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Staskelv, S. David Miller, William Bibbianni, Scott Mendelson, Cameron Curtis, Virginia Yapp, Don Comm PR, Angel Giuffria, Tari Hartman Squire, and Dkod💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- No movie encompassed the myth of journalism better than the 2006 adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's novel [*The Devil Wears Prada*](https://amzn.to/4mV4erM?ref=thefilmmaven.com). In that movie, burgeoning female journalists learned that all one had to do to succeed was take on a boundary-defying, toxic boss head-on and, by doing so, [said boss would eventually come to respect them](https://magazine.catapult.co/culture/stories/the-real-villain-in-the-devil-wears-prada-is-toxic-work-culture-lindsay-lee-wallace?ref=thefilmmaven.com). (I say all this as someone who loves the original film and watches it on the weekly.) Twenty years has passed and *The Devil Wears Prada 2* seeks to show us not only what has happened to Meryl Streep's dragon lady Miranda Priestley, but also try to rectify some sins from the aughts. Something star [Anne Hathaway has been vocal about](https://www.stylist.co.uk/entertainment/film/anne-hathaway-models-thinness-devil-wears-prada-2/1070244?ref=thefilmmaven.com). Unfortunately, *The Devil Wears Prada 2* only seems to prove how uncomfortable and boring Priestley would be in this new world of pronouns and unionizing. That, coupled with a narrative that struggles to balance a cadre of half-baked plot lines, makes it hard to prove this movie was little more than a vain attempt to continue to mine the millennial nostalgia train. Outside of a rather sober exploration of journalism today, *Devil Wears Prada 2* coasts on little more than a love for the original, devoid of much humor, heart, or narrative trajectory. While Streep and Hathaway remain committed to the characters, the rest of the movie is definitely destined for the bargain bin. Andy Sachs (Hathaway) is an award-winning writer for the New York Vanguard. But when her paper folds up and lays everyone off, Andy is adrift at what to do. A controversy involving an article about sweatshops puts Miranda Priestley (Streep) and Runway magazine in hot water, and the hope is that Andy's journalistic integrity can fix things. But *Runway* is in more trouble than meets the eye, forcing Andy and Miranda to team up if they want to keep their jobs. That above synopsis is the broad strokes as original screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna seems to have various ideas she's interested in exploring, but a lack of clarity in how to move things from A to B. We meet Andy as she's winning an award for journalism at the same moment her and her colleagues are being fired via text message. Andy proclaims on the dais of the award ceremony that "journalism fucking matters" and, for the first quarter of the movie, the script seems interested in examining the current state of journalism today. You could say, "[Journalism is Fucked and We're All Doomed](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/)!" ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/MCDDEWE_FE056.jpg.webp) There's certainly some interesting material to mine here. How does a magazine like Runway – content to showcase haute couture that no one can afford, a relic of an era that seems so far away – survive? (Weirdly enough, *Runway* doesn't go the [*Vanity Fair* route](https://thefilmmaven.com/maga-culture-critics/).) How does one struggle to retain advertisers when they're going digital? Andy even struggles to balance writing stories that make an impact, yet aren't yielding massive traffic jumps once she's at *Runway*. These are all tough topics without easy answers so once Andy is established at *Runway* they all take a backseat to a more easily solved plot of finding someone to buy *Runway* rather than close it. Little seems to have changed with Andy, short of her being single and being an actual journalist. She still lives in a New York apartment with brown water coming out of the sink, and is so blindly desperate to have Miranda like her. There's some belief that saving *Runway* might do something to save journalism as a whole, or at least give Andy the opportunity to write important articles and hire her former work colleagues, but in twenty years there's still a lot of naivety in the character that doesn't work as well. But there seems to be a similar stuck in their ways mentality to all the characters. Time may have passed, characters might look older (though that's relative, being Hollywood), but there's little growth to any of them. Streep seems particularly adrift or disinterested as Miranda Priestley. Heavily inspired by *Vogue* editor Anna Wintour, the first movie allegedly rankled Wintour when it dropped but, since then, the hatchet has seemingly been buried. So much so that there's almost a fearfulness to make Miranda a character who will offend. Much of Miranda's signature snobbery is gone – there's not one "that's all" uttered the entire movie – and in its place is a character who feels lost to time. She's chronically shushed by her assistant Amari (Simone Ashley) when trying to make comments about people. There's a running joke about Miranda not remembering the events of the first movie, and that gets old fast. Particularly as she feigns unawareness of best friend Nigel (Stanley Tucci) wanting any type of promotion. When Andy gets the opportunity to score a major interview with a celebrity philanthropist, Miranda doesn't believe she can. Andy obtained and hand-delivered the final Harry Potter manuscript in the first film, yet her and Miranda both act as if Andy can't accomplish much of anything. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/17784862-g_20cs_the_devil_wears_prada_2_7_a76811a9.webp) The film's second half sees her take an active participant role, being dragged along from scene to scene. The film's middle half sees her struggle to deal with new Runway owner Jay Ravitz (B.J. Novak at his bro-iest). Moments of her personal life, particularly her new marriage to the kindhearted Stuart (Kenneth Branagh) are more focused on giving screen time to Branagh who is in a pretty thankless role. For a movie that focuses so heavily on the capitalism of buying and selling *Runway*, the movie seems confused about Priestley's own role within that world. She reiterates to Stuart that she doesn't who she is without *Runway*, to which he brings up her children and generally being an ultra-successful (and wealthy) person. But there's no world that is presented as a worthy option for Miranda and thus no real stakes to her decision making. Her sticking with Runway till she's dead is pretty much a foregone conclusion. It is funny to see the male characters here presented as flat and one-dimensional as a girlfriend in a 2000s-era movie. Branagh is nice to see, but you'd be hard pressed to remember his character's name. I did, and I saw the movie last night. Similarly, Andy starts dating an Australian realtor named Peter (Patrick Brammell) who disappears often, so much so that when the two reunite you'll say, "Oh....that guy." The movie's harshest criticisms towards journalism, fashion, and wealth are reserved for Emily Blunt's former first assistant Emily. The character actually has some extremely interesting plot points including a contentious relationship with an ex-husband and two children she has....some type of relationship with. But instead of focusing on these human elements the movie casts her as a not so thinly veiled take on Lauren Sanchez Bezos, with a hammy Justin Theroux playing a version of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lucy Liu as Bezos's first wife, Mackenzie Scott. There's no subtext or satire here. They are presented as these people yet....Emily's motive is meant to be more of a revenge take on Miranda. The whole thing makes little sense, even less so when the goal is to eventually unify her and Andy. The first *Devil Wears Prada* was certainly an artifact of the 2000s and this sequel is too, in that it's a soul-less nostalgia grab with some interesting opinions it doesn't really want to dive into. Everyone is enthusiastic and the movie is bouncy enough that, for at half of its two-hour runtime it's enjoyable. But the attempts to string the plot together runs out of steam quick, and no amount of cameos and Lady Gaga performance can save it. ## Grade: D+ *The Devil Wears Prada 2 is in theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Why MJ Is the Superior Michael Jackson BiopicEverything you didn’t like about Michael, you’ll find on stage in MJ![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/MJ-The-Musical-Still-1-Broadway-Publicity-H-2022.jpg.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/michael-jackson-biopic-mj/) [Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights Hits HBO Max May 1st With a Unique ASL Version You’ll Want to See (Exclusive)The Film Maven got exclusive access to the new way the ASL interpretation will be presented on-screen![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/01.19.10.06.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/emerald-fennell-wuthering-heights-streaming/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Learn to Pitch? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Hokum Review: Adam Scott Deals With Grief in a Haunted Hotel You'll Want to Check Into URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/hokum-review-adam-scott/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:25:49.000Z **This post is free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia, Alcmatta, Kevin Turner, Cassidy Dimon, Barbara Doss, Holly Alarcon, Teresa Castner, and Scott Phillips💫 *And welcome new member Julie Wyman!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- There are a lot of different emotions felt in director Damien Mc Carthy's latest film, *Hokum*, ranging from terror to sadness to resignation. One shouldn't expect anything less from the director that gave us the equally ambiguous (and equally Irish) *Oddity* in 2024\. *Hokum* isn't a typical horror movie, although it has plenty of disturbing scares and images. What it feeds off of is our current sense of melancholy and resignation, the guilt that permeates our days at the things we didn't do or say. The terror that comes from realizing we're living out a very isolating series of events, and that cruelty feels more casual than it's ever been. All of this in a haunted hotel room with more than a nod to Stephen King's *1408*. At its center is a solid performance from Adam Scott, taking his usual charming dickishness and using that as an entry point for a character desperate to push people away. And who must ultimately find a way to deal with the horrors within himself in order to defeat the horrors around him. It's all manner of dark, broody and, at times, epic. Ohm Bauman (Scott) is a popular writer who decides to spend his Halloween at the Bilberry Woods Hotel in Ireland. He hopes to find inspiration for his latest book, as well as finally scatter his parents' ashes. He's told the property is haunted by a witch, confined to the honeymoon suite, but thinks it's a load of bull until he makes a decision that almost sees him dying. When a female hotel employee goes missing, rather than return home Ohm decides to figure out what happened to her, and if a witch really resides in the hotel. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/Hokum-Still.jpeg.webp) A folkloric, magical air permeates *Hokum* from the minute Ohm enters his hotel and sees the creepy owner telling small children a terrifying fairy tale (complete with wood carved little children grimacing). This isn't a feature with a huge budget, and it's probably easy to assume what existed went to pay Scott, but that doesn't matter as Mc Carthy and production designer Til Frohlich fill every inch of frame with knick knacks and bric a brac to create an atmosphere both old-world and stodgy, but utterly haunting. Under cinematographer Colm Hogan's eye a cherub on a clock can look as disturbing as an empty passageway. The Bilberry is a hotel as set in its way and out of time as the entire movie itself. There's no real sense of when the movie takes place. Ohm has a contemporary laptop but cell phones aren't really utilized, even when the situation calls for them. Similarly, Ohm's relationship to his family remains in a squingy liminal place that defies explanation. He brings a photo of his mother, that looks like it could be anytime between the 1940s-1970s, though it's never really discussed as to why he waited so long to come, and how long everyone in his life has been dead. Adam Scott has cultivated a string of jerkish characters in his career, but it makes narrative sense within *Hokum*. He's a writer unable to find a way to end his popular book series, about a conquistador in the desert, in a way that isn't incredibly violent. He's a man filled with anger, pain and regret yet is content to live in it than let people in. He verbally humiliates a kindhearted bellboy and finds the town's superstitions to be a load of, well, hokum. So when Bauman makes a decision to kill himself halfway through the movie, the audience really can't see it being as a great loss. And yet it is at this halfway point where *Hokum*, content to be just a creepy haunted hotel film becomes something far darker and disturbing. Not content to return home, Ohm becomes determined to solve what happened to hotel worker, Fiona (Florence Ordesh), a sweet young woman working at the hotel bar. Ohm soon finds himself locked in the honeymoon suite with who knows what. The comparisons to Stephen King's *1408* are evident, specifically focused on two traumatized men battling demons in a hotel. But there's an additional layer of folkloric disturbance in the hotel room that brings things to a near-mythical level. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/thumb_ea1513eb-3ce1-11f1-a916-022bbbb30d69.jpg) The room itself is filled to bursting with disturbing items. Seriously, you'll never look a word carved chair or gold-plated cherubs the same way again. Ohm is forced to use both a cramped dumbwaiter as well as try to unlock a small door underneath a desk, both anxiety-inducing in how close the camera gets. Mc Carthy isn't content to show as much as make you hear. It's far more frightening to hear the wailing and screaming of the witch than see her in full. This is certainly a movie that decides to focus on old-school frights than what more modern horror features are. When the terror is on screen it also covers up for the thin storytelling. Who is the bizarre, bug-eyed TV host Ohm keeps seeing? Is there some significance to him in Bauman's life or in the city they're in? Who knows. Has Bauman apparently just lived as a sad virgin for most of his life? There seems to be zero relationships he's ever had short of his parents. These moments aren't necessarily to enjoy the spookiness of the story, but Bauman becoming a detective, at this point in his life, would have more heft with a little bit more context short of: this person was nice to me, once. Regardless, *Hokum* is a very effective throwback to haunted house stories of old. Scott and the small cast are solid, though it's the sound mix and production design that really unnerve. Don't expect much meat to it and just let the creepy vibes consume you. ## Grade: C+ *Hokum is in theaters Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Why MJ Is the Superior Michael Jackson BiopicEverything you didn’t like about Michael, you’ll find on stage in MJ![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/MJ-The-Musical-Still-1-Broadway-Publicity-H-2022.jpg.webp)](https://thefilmmaven.com/michael-jackson-biopic-mj/) [What Can Be Done to Fix the Influencers vs. Journalists Divide? Let’s Look at CinemaConInfluencers, get journalists to stop yelling at you by doing these things!![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/cinemacon-2026-news-trailer-speculation.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/influencers-critics-cinemacon/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Learn to Pitch? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Why MJ Is the Superior Michael Jackson Biopic URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/michael-jackson-biopic-mj/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:26:12.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Tamaryn, Morozco64, Bonfiglio, BJ Colangelo, Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, and Chelsea Meister💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- This weekend the Michael Jackson biopic (potential sequel starter?) *Michael* made a bucket of money. It grossed [nearly $40 million on opening day](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/box-office-michael-movie-lionsgate-super-mario-galaxy-1236730410/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) alone and could easily snag [$200 million globally](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/michael-jackson-biopic-box-office-1236573688/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) when all is said and done. This in spite of a [38% on Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/michael?ref=thefilmmaven.com), with many critics ([including mysel](https://thefilmmaven.com/michael-jackson-movie-review/)f) calling it a heavily sanitized biopic with no real point-of-view. *Empire* magazine went as far as it to call it a "[a cosplaying tribute act](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/michael-2026/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)." Social media has been on fire the last few days with Jackson fans emphasizing this is why critics don't matter, and critics defending themselves for doing their job. I didn't plan it this way but alongside seeing *Michael* last week, I also caught the touring run of *MJ*, the Michael Jackson jukebox musical, at the Pantages Theatre here in Los Angeles. If you have the opportunity to see it, make it a priority! Not only because it's a fun time at the theater, but because it succeeds at everything Michael failed to do. In that, it tells a nuanced story of Jackson's life that presents its larger-than-life figure as a three-dimensional person, with complexities and flaws. It's actually pretty shocking to watch it after seeing Michael as both are endorsed and financed by the Jackson estate. Why is it one version of this story – backed and supported by Jackson's estate – is able to be honest than a big-screen movie? How does *MJ* tell the story better than screenwriter John Logan, the writer behind *Michael*? I want to dive into the specifics and, ultimately, why I think the Broadway show is far more open to being honest than the feature. Honestly, I'm not really clear why the Jackson estate didn't just decide to adapt the musical they already own? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/MJ_TOUR_08_01_24_0109_PJZEDIT_v002-2000x1125.jpg) Where *Michael* tells a fairly straightforward childhood to adulthood storyline (ending in the late-1980s), *MJ* is focused on one specific moment in time: 1992 when Jackson was set to kick off his "Dangerous" tour, a highly ambitious stadium concert series wherein all the monies would be going to his Heal the World charity. The musical uses that as a launchpad to drift backwards and forward in time, hitting pretty much all the beats Michael went through, from Jackson's abusive upbringing to his 1984 accident on the set of a Pepsi commercial. ## Michael Jackson: The Person If you watch *Michael*, the movie presents him as a man of talent and vision, but so scared to make a decision that everyone else had to come to his defense in order to put him where he was. Movie Michael isn't responsible for anything. Even his voice is deemed as delivered by God. *MJ's* version of the character (expertly played by Jordan Markus) is a man struggling to remain relevant in a world he believes is passing him by. He routinely talks about being overshadowed by Nirvana and, yes, Prince. Much of the musical sees him arguing with his production manager about obtaining flashy items like a toaster lift to make the show as big and opulent as he can be, at one point even mortgaging his beloved Neverland to pay for everything. MTV reporter Rachel, who is doing a documentary on the tour, tells MJ that "It's hard to tell your story without being personal" and that is Michael's biggest failing. It seems uninterested in telling Michael's own story, whether because it's afraid of how it might taint the brand and the family, or because they just don't know Jackson's real story. One can only tell a version of a tale if they haven't lived in that person's shoes. Even [Jackson's own daughter, Paris,](https://www.justjared.com/2026/04/22/paris-jackson-michael-movie-no-involvement-call-out-inaccuracies/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) has gone public about how the movie is a fairy tale interpretation of his life to appease fans. *MJ's* interpretation of the character shows Michael Jackson as a man who was shrewd, ambitious, a musical and visual genius. He is also scared of what could happen to him once he's no longer at the top. As he tells Rachel, growing up in the public eye means he literally has no conception of what he'd be without it. He may be the King of Pop, but *MJ* Michael knows it's tenuous, fleeting. He's loved one minute and hated the next, so for him all he can do is continuously strive to keep the people who love him there. The play takes the time to allow Jackson those personal moments. He discusses with Rachel his vision of the world. He's reluctant to give press conferences because he's aware that, in the end, the press really doesn't want his story. They want what sells. "The price of fame is paying the price of fame," one song says. [Michael Review: Antoine Fuqua Tries to Uncover the Man in the Mirror in Fawning and Formulaic BiopicJafar Jackson paints a good imitation of his famous uncle in a movie content to recreate but never delve.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/MV5BNGE0MjNmZjYtYTI2Mi00YjU1LWI5ZjctODFhNzIyZjgwNWM0XkEyXkFqcGdeQWpnYW1i._V1_.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/michael-jackson-movie-review/) More than anything, the play also isn't afraid to say that Jackson, in his desire for perfectionism, could run himself ragged. A large part of the play is about Jackson's addiction to painkillers. But this desire to be perfect leads to *MJ's* most fascinating plot point: how much Jackson was like his father, Joseph. In the movie, Joseph is a cackling con-man with abusive tendencies. MJ's version of the father-son relationship is one that is constantly twisting and changing as Jackson ages. Jackson is routinely told as a child that his father's hostility and abuse is done out of love, and a desire to keep the boys out of the same life as him. Jackson understands that that isn't necessarily true, though sees that both father and son have a tendency to push others to the breaking point and that, if nothing else, Joseph has given Jackson an ambition he can't break away from. One of the things I was asked when [my *Michael* review dropped](https://thefilmmaven.com/michael-jackson-movie-review/) was what I expected. There's a misguided belief by the fans that critics wanted to see some dark story, no doubt a means of opening up arguments over the molestation allegations that continue to plague Jackson even in death. The movie itself was initially going to discuss them; having a framing device about the 1990s allegations against him cut due to [a legal agreement no one seemed to know about](https://people.com/michael-jackson-biopic-director-producer-made-millions-extra-to-remove-child-sex-abuse-allegations-report-11958840?ref=thefilmmaven.com). In *MJ*, the movie doesn't discuss Jackson's legal woes nor does it hide from them. During a musical sequence/press conference, the journalists scream "What about the allegations," and that's it. The audience understands what they're talking about. So when *MJ's* Jackson finally tells Joseph he's going to donate all his Victor tour proceedings to the United Negro College Fund, it's a true moment of triumph compared to Michael's ending wherein Jackson just finds the most public place he can to tell his father he's done with him. *MJ's* Jackson is a person with a spine. ## No One Has Clean Hands, Not Even the Media One of the problems with making a biopic crafted by those who have a vested financial interest in someone's legacy is that *everyone* ends up smelling like a rose. One of the most hilarious moments in *Bohemian Rhapsody* involves Freddie Mercury partying only to have every other member of his band look at him aghast. *Partying? Drugs? We're going to be in bed by 8pm with our wives, thank you very much.* The same is true in *Michael*. [Give a Gift SubscriptionInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/size/w1200/2025/09/KristenLopez_Main-1.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/gift-subscription/) Outside of Joe Jackson, every member of Jackson's family is presented as overly supportive and just as much a victim as Michael himself. Jackson's own attorney (and executor of his estate) becomes a key figure in the movie, played by Miles Teller no less, who is seen as Jackson's white knight. Take that scene in *Michael* wherein Joseph tells Michael to do the Victory tour with his brothers. We watch Jackson's brothers sit there in silence, seemingly resigned to doing it. *MJ* presents this as a moment where Jackson, once again, is bullied by everyone in his family. As the entire clan, mom Katherine included, sings "For the Love of Money," Joseph tells Michael that if he doesn't tour with them Jermaine will sing for him, to which Jermaine smoothly says he totally will. "Money, Money, Money!" It's *MJ's* most acerbic moment and it is remarkable the family was cool with it. Katherine routinely tells Michael how much he needs to appreciate his father, that Joseph is doing things out of love and because he wants to better the family. We watch Katherine and Joseph routinely arguing, potentially for Joseph's cheating, which we also see happen several times in the show. Even those like Quincy Jones and Berry Gordy, founder of Motown, are written as men so desperate to hold onto Michael (to fuel their own success) that they refused to let him grow up. Mind you, Jackson himself is also seen as a man so determined to be great he was more than willing to leave past collaborators behind. Even MTV, with Rachel as the surrogate, is presented as complicit in bullying Jackson. More content to focus on his pill addiction than learning about the real man. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/0018_Myles-Frost-and-cast-in-MJ_photo-by-Matthew-Murphy-1.jpg.webp) ## So What Happened With the Film? I've gone back and forth on why this movie, financed and put together by the same people who put together the movie, would be content with *MJ* having a more authentic story than *Michael*. The only thing I can think of is the idea that less people see Broadway shows than do movies. As we've seen with other true-life events, movie audiences won't necessarily do research and assume the movie is real life. That, and I think the musical biopic formula has made estates far more content to fudge the truth. If the real person isn't alive, and no one else is going to complain, then who gets hurt? All it does is create cardboard cutouts of real life people. Do I think there's a world where *Michael* could have been good? Possibly. Though with figures who were so larger than life (Jackson, Princess Diana, even Grace Kelly), it's near impossible to craft anything that isn't going to be an interpretation of their lives. It's why *Rocketman* worked so well. Elton John, the subject of that movie, was still alive and was willing to show his life, warts and all. When you're dead, the impression of you will always pass through a sieve, with the best and worst bits cherry-picked. This is all to say, if you have the opportunity to see *MJ* in your town, take it! It's a far more nuanced interpretation of an icon than *Michael* (Part 1?). --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ***🌟***[***Come Join Us on Discord!***](https://discord.gg/CQJ22DPtSX?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*🌟 Chat about entertainment, writing, anything with other Film Maven Gold Star Crew.* ## [The Gold Star Referral Program is Live. Refer Friends, Get Rewards!](https://referralrocket.io/campaign?id=cDfB6kbl&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Learn to Pitch? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights Hits HBO Max May 1st With a Unique ASL Version You'll Want to See (Exclusive) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/emerald-fennell-wuthering-heights-streaming/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:26:32.000Z **This post is free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Jason Reynal, Lawrence Carter-Long, Media Path Podcast, Shupei, Ethan Luce, Jeremy Fuster, Lgdfry, Julie Ruth Cohen, Sabbamonte and Childe.Dirk💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- There's an interesting movement in disabled accessibility in the media right now. Where we're still leaps and bounds – or, as [Annenberg continues to show, utterly stagnan](https://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/aii-2025-inequality-popular-films-full-report.pdf?ref=thefilmmaven.com)t – with regards to disabled representation on-screen, there's been an uptick in the desire to craft new means of inserting accessibility into cinema. We saw it earlier this week with [Disney's *Songs in Sign Language* series](https://thefilmmaven.com/disney-songs-in-sign-language/), proving that ASL can be integrated into animation. HBO Max has been in the on-screen ASL dubbing space for awhile now, starting with 2023's *Barbie* and continuing with the likes of *Sinners*, *The Pitt* (where they actually used Deaf ER doctors to consult), and *One Battle After Another*. But with the announcement that [Emerald Fennell's *"Wuthering Heights"*](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-review-jacob-elordi-margot-robbie/) will air on HBO and HBO Max starting May 1st, the studio also wanted to do something new with the ASL dubbing field: not just have the dubbers translate the words Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie say on-screen, but act out the heady emotions and feelings Fennell is placing on-screen. And because doomed lovers Heathcliffe (Elordi) and Catherine (Robbie) are a package deal, *"Wuthering Heights"* will be the first movie to feature two ASL dubbers interacting with each other on-screen. HBO Max' accessibility team invited me exclusively to visit the Roundabout Studios where the filming of the dubbers took place, giving me unprecedented access to a new way to watch movies in general that was incredible to witness. On this day, I was invited to watch dubbers Giovanni Maucere and Leila Hanaumi (who also interpreted Margot Robbie in the ASL version of *Barbie*) do pick-ups – redoing lines that needed to be tweaked – no different than on any other film set. Ordinarily, because an ASL interpreter's job is to just relay information, their appearance is meant to be as non-distracting as possible, their hair worn back and their clothes reserved. Director of ASL (known as a DASL) Justin Jackerson, a member of the Deaf community alongside Maucere and Hanaumi, wanted to make sure viewers saw the dubbers as an extension of the characters themselves. So when Heathcliffe transitions from the poor man working at Thrushcross Grange to returning a rich man, Jackerson and Maucere decided Maucere should wear an earring like Heathcliffe does. Similarly, Hanaumi wears her hair braided, evocative of Catherine's hair. The pair's wardrobe is a bit more form-fitting and akin to the time period. All of this is to evoke the notion that these two are as bonded as the characters whose words they're signing on-screen. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/02.28.01.02.jpg) Even the concept of what the performers are called – dubbers – implies a deeper awareness of what Hanaumi and Maucere are doing compared to a standard interpreter. "It did take us maybe two years to figure out what to call us," Hanaumi tells The Film Maven. The term "interpreter" was perceived as reserved strictly for someone trying to translate ASL into English, and vice versa, for a conversation between hearing and Deaf participants. "There is also an acting aspect of it," she says. "We're \[going\] from one language to another. It's just so much more visual on screen. So, finally, we got to dubbing. We are ASL dubbers and I think that captures the complex nature of this work. We are not just translating the lines into ASL. We are also copying all of the characters on the screen to make sure that our bodies are in the right position, our face and our body language match accurately to each character." As Hanaumi tells me during an interview, the first Deaf person she ever saw was *Sesame Street* icon Linda Bove. Seeing straightforward ASL on-screen was "profound" for Hanaumi as it showed that Deaf people and ASL had a place, not only in television but in the world. It's something that, as Hanaumi says, got lost with the rise of baked-in closed captioning. "Obviously it was a great thing," she explains. "But one thing that got lost is the ASL on the screen, because people assumed that if we have captions on the screen, then that's good enough...So not a lot of Deaf representation on screen \[means there's\] also not a lot of ASL representation." Everyone agrees that, even if there is ASL in content, movies have historically framed the scenes in a way where an actor's signs get cut off, or the movie doesn't utilize ASL throughout the whole feature. "There is a spectrum of deafness," says Jackerson. "There's a lot of Deaf people who are fine with just reading the captions. For a very long time, it's been that way. There's some Deaf people who don't really have the access and capability of reading the captions and understanding it, so they use their first language of ASL....But doing this kind of work, I see myself on screen, and I wonder who is watching me? Or who's watching this?" ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/01.41.08.02.jpg) Hanaumi, who has two Deaf children ages nine and six, says her kids will often choose to watch the ASL version of a movie rather than watch captions as they can often understand it better. For her, these movies often help young Deaf children connect to movies better, particularly if they're too young to read but aren't too young to have learned signing. "People, in general, when they watch movies, they'll pick famous lines from movies and they'll use it in their everyday English," says Maucere. "But Deaf people, we'll translate it from English into ASL. These moments are really hitting now with an ASL dubber in it...and Deaf people can now be involved, and they'll say those phrases from famous movies that we in English always say. So it kind of is able to be accessible in both ways." Everyone working on this production feels a sense of pride for what they're doing, particularly Maucere, who was the ASL dubber for [*Superman*](https://thefilmmaven.com/superman-2025-review-james-gunn-david-corenswet/). "I've seen a lot of kids, Deaf children specifically, who always felt like they had light in their eyes. They had never seen anything like that before. ASL for a superhero on HBO?...Really, it's just groundbreaking and it hits home." There's a technical precision to watching the pair work. Jackerson blocks out how the two will stand next to each other on-screen, making sure there's ample room for them to sign. This is also checked by a person in the central control booth, watching the pair in the ASL box alongside the movie to make sure the actors are of even height and will fit within the frame. "When Leila will show up, or when she'll disappear, or when they share the screen at the same time together, maybe they'll be on different sides," says Jackerson. "If Catherine is on the left side or Heathcliff is on the right side I would like the dubbers to match each one. So, sometimes when they switch positions it's like, what do you do? Then you have to figure that out. Timing really makes a big difference." There are moments of humor watching Hanaumi sign a pig squealing as it dies, but mostly what is discussed, in ASL, is how the signs will be interpreted by those watching the film. Any decision to alter a line requires an in-depth discussion on if it's changing the fundamental meaning of Fennell's script, as well as if it will confuse the viewer. If the line is "her," referring to Catherine, it must be discussed and agreed before Maucere just signs "Catherine." [Give a Gift SubscriptionInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/size/w1200/2025/09/KristenLopez_Main-1.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/gift-subscription/) "I have to translate in my head and I have to remember my lines," says Maucere. "But, at the same time, I have to know the tone of the actors themselves, and the timing, and their responses from the other characters as well. Everything has a layer on top of it. I'm thinking about all that at the same time. So it's not just acting my lines only. I have to actually screen act too. I have to reenact what they're doing, and I really have to match each character 100% to what they're doing on the screen." "Working with the Academy Awards actors, they say that this is much harder than anything that they've done before," says Hanaumi. "Because there's a lot of mental exhaustion that you have to go through. There's a lot of exercises, a lot of hoops you're jumping through eight hours a day and having your mind work." Jackerson also emphasizes there's a lot of character shifting on the fly, especially since Hanaumi and Maucere are playing multiple characters. "You have to literally turn the switch on and off. You can't have that second of relaxation, of transferring. We have to make our own choices, and we have to follow and match each character to the tee." Another twist to this ASL version of *"Wuthering Heights"*: the film's songs, written by Charli xcx, will also be signed by the performers. This doesn't often happen, as it requires a whole separate legal agreement to provide ASL interpretation for music in movies (as silly as it sounds). But here, it was agreed that Maucere and Hanaumi would sign the entire score and end credit music. Maucere stands on a platform that, along with an off-screen ASL interpreter, allows him to hear the song's vibrations to get a rhythm going. Permission was even granted for the actors to bop during the songs to emphasize the rapidity of the pace. It's amazing to watch Macuere, Jackerson and Hanaumi, alongside the interpreter, discuss things with each other. Too often, a key excuse Hollywood makes is working with disabled/Deaf creatives is too slow and time consuming, yet the rapidity in which the trio talks means little time is wasted and proves the fallacy of the statement. "A lot of us have had to fight to take our roles," says Maucere. "There's a few of us that know that there's going to be struggle, but a lot of us want to capture these roles, and we know that we're doing it. Sometimes you just have to accept certain things and say yes and try it, and then give us a chance. I know it's hard...But you never know until you try and you give us that chance. Many of us are so motivated to do this, even behind the scenes or behind the camera, the lighting, the grip, writers." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/01.15.30.07.jpg) Just the fact that all three people associated with the project are members of the Deaf community is astounding, and that's something that had to be fought for. As Hanaumi explains, when the ASL version of Barbie was being put together, with a different team, they asked a hearing interpreter – Ashley Change, the group's interpreter for this interview – to do it. "Ashley had said, 'No, it should be a Deaf performer,'" says Hanaumi. "So, to this day, I sometimes catch myself thinking, what if it was any other hearing interpreter who might have said yes and grabbed the opportunity for themselves? Everything would have been different today and the Deaf community would not have had this celebration of *Barbie* like we did. \[It's\] because of the right people, in the right place, with the right intentions." It's something that moves Change. "This industry has changed me," she says. "I feel like I've become closer to the Deaf community just by being a part of the group here...I hope that that story will influence other hearing interpreters to understand their limits as an interpreter, as a hearing interpreter, too. Hearing interpreters should not be teaching or showing any kind of dubbing like this. There's specific things that deaf people just are better at and this dubbing work is one of those." Jackerson agrees and hopes, if anything, moves like this will remind those in the industry that Deaf and disabled people are the best experts on accessibility. "We know what's best for us," he says. All three of them have worked as DASL's on other HBO Max productions, crafting a pipeline for Deaf performers. It's ironic that, in a filmic landscape that so often excludes the Deaf and disabled, there's a desire and possibility to lead the charge on inclusion here. "Get Deaf people involved in any aspect of a job," says Maucere. "Doesn't have to just be a Deaf dubber. Deaf people would thrive in this industry." Hanaumi concurs. "Deaf people have a part \[in\] this, and we're growing, and we don't have to go backwards in order to fix anything or educate people. We should just pick up and run with it." *Wuthering Heights and its ASL version premiere on HBO and HBO Max May 1.* **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [Director Michael Lehmann Talks Janeane Garofalo, Fighting R Ratings, and The Truth About Cats & Dogs \[Exclusive\]Screenwriter clashes and a battle with the MPAA all led to to what should be a ’90s rom-com staple.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/158919a336784bf4b75e3017f3e76bdcdcce64858e012c321c47cba87f471da5.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/janeane-garofalo-truth-about-cats-and-dogs/) [What Can Be Done to Fix the Influencers vs. Journalists Divide? Let’s Look at CinemaConInfluencers, get journalists to stop yelling at you by doing these things!![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/cinemacon-2026-news-trailer-speculation.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/influencers-critics-cinemacon/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Learn to Pitch? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### What Can Be Done to Fix the Influencers vs. Journalists Divide? Let's Look at CinemaCon URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/influencers-critics-cinemacon/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:26:50.000Z *“*[*Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/)*” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Wiley Sutton, Rachel Dinga, Llai, KYoder, Franker Cline, Mark Murphy, Tasya Swisko, Sandeep Chandowalia, Elissa Farkas, and Kiahamarafisch💫 *And welcome new Gold Star Crew member Lily!!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- CinemaCon, wherein studios preview their slates to theater distributors in the hopes of drumming up business, ended this last weekend. Audiences got first looks at Michael B. Jordan's *Thomas Crowne Affair* remake (excited!), Zach Creggar's new *Resident Evil* movie (nope!), and *The Social Reckoning* (meh!) to name a few. But on the 17th, a post from content creator/influencer Draven Mayberry, also known as DravenReacts went viral on Twitter after he decried the belief that influencers shouldn't be attending CinemaCon. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-23-at-7.44.14---AM.png) The post went viral, with arguments made from both influencers and entertainment journos, for and against what was being said. Those who were against influencers brought up complaints ranging from influencers talking during presentations, not being aware of who certain directors were, and recording at inopportune times. There were many complains that, unless the movie came from Marvel or DC, influencers generally weren't interested in it. Andrew J. Salazar, co-owner and [managing editor of the site Discussing Film tweeted](https://x.com/AndrewJ626/status/2045606309974925451?s=20&ref=thefilmmaven.com): "I'm not anti-influencer but the ones who get chosen to cover CinemaCon shouldn't just be Marvel/DC hype people. There's little variety. OR, at least they should have enough decorum to not be talking super loud during the presentations and actually be educated in the event." These complaints are retreads of what people have been saying about influencers for awhile now. Though it's interesting that average people, even outside of the film world, are starting to get tired of it. We saw it a little bit when [*Wuthering Heights* came out back in February](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-premiere-influencers/), and it's continued through the likes of [Jake Shane doing his shtick](https://thefilmmaven.com/jake-shane-vanity-fair-oscars/) during the *Vanity Fair* Oscars after-party. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Director Michael Lehmann Talks Janeane Garofalo, Fighting R Ratings, and The Truth About Cats & Dogs [Exclusive] URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/janeane-garofalo-truth-about-cats-and-dogs/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:27:07.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Kat Arnett, Colin Dickey, Gregory Thompson, Charlie Jane Anders, BG, Jeremy Scholl, Naomi Nelson, Sarah E Wethern, Matt McDaniel and Sofiya Cheyenne💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- In the 1990s, you couldn't get away from modernized spins on classic literature. If you lived through the period between 1996-1999, this manifested in the likes of contemporary takes on Shakespeare ([*Romeo + Juliet*](https://amzn.to/4crkNrT?ref=thefilmmaven.com), [*10 Things I Hate About You*](https://amzn.to/41PN1q5?ref=thefilmmaven.com), etc.). But in 1996, theaters got a gender-swapped contemporary take on French poet Edmond Rostand's *Cyrano de Bergerac* entitled [*The Truth About Cats and Dogs*](https://amzn.to/42rXNCZ?ref=thefilmmaven.com). The film tells the story of pet therapist/radio personality Abby Barnes (Janeane Garofalo) who attracts the attention of listener Brian (Ben Chaplin). Concerned about what Brian will think about her, physically, she decides to have her neighbor Noelle (Uma Thurman) act as her. What results is a comedic love triangle that tries to get to the heart of personal fears of rejection and feminine self-esteem. This is one of the unsung gems of 1996\. A movie that's equally funny and sexy, with a solidly unique script by writer Audrey Wells. It was also a rare opportunity to see the deadpan Garofalo in a lead role. For director Michael Lehmann, best known at the time for helming the 1989 black comedy [*Heathers*](https://amzn.to/4tTopbK?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and 1994's [*Airheads*](https://amzn.to/4tqbKgG?ref=thefilmmaven.com), was seeking a "diversity of material" when he discovered Wells's script. "*The Truth About Cats and Dogs* was very different than anything I'd done," Lehmann tells The Film Maven. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Michael Review: Antoine Fuqua Tries to Uncover the Man in the Mirror in Fawning and Formulaic Biopic URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/michael-jackson-movie-review/ Last updated: 2026-05-22T15:32:24.000Z **This post is free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Nick Honeywell, Colin Foster, Jacob Haller, Melissa Heeney, Carole V. Bell, Paulette Conway, Wouter de Boer, Mitch Santell, Susan Barb and Ann Laabs.💫 *And welcome new Gold Star Crew member Rachel Mason!* *Also, a shout-out to GSC member *Sofiya Cheyenne*, star and executive producer of the documentary The Tallest Dwarf! The doc is a groundbreaking film for the LP and dwarfism community you can* [*watch now over on PBS*](https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/the-tallest-dwarf/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. It's a film that honors the artists within the community that are trying to push the boundaries of representation.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* --- The last several years has given us the gamut of music biopics, from the fantastic (*Rocketman*) to the ridiculous (*Back to Black*[ is still one of the worst](https://thefilmmaven.com/back-to-black-review/)). Regardless, nearly all of these movies see narrative control held by strong personalities, usually family members or others with a vested financial interest in emphasizing the good and ignoring the bad. It's insane to realize that Michael Jackson has been gone seventeen years, and yet we're only seeing a large-scale music biopic made about him now. Director Antoine Fuqua, best known for the likes of gritty dramas like *Training Day*, takes the reins for *Michael*, a movie that takes the basic tenets set down by 2018's *Bohemian Rhapsody* and runs with them. Michael is a flashy Greatest Hits reel that's so clean it squeaks. There's little depth to the characters or desire to tell anything about who Jackson was, instead content to recreate moments in the hopes audiences will just enjoy the nostalgia. And, for many, that will no doubt work. But for anyone with an interest in Jackson, or those who don't know anything about him (this was a weekend people asked "Who is Madonna"), it'll be hard to entice them to learn anything outside of wanting to buy a Jackson record. Running between the years 1956-1988, Fuqua and screenwriter John Logan's interpretation of Jackson's life is quickly established and moves swiftly over its two-hour runtime through several significant beats of Jackson's life. We meet little Michael (a fabulous Juliano Valdi) alongside his four Jackson brothers and one Jackson sister. (Clearly some off-screen things resulted as youngest sister Janet Jackson is just....not a person in this movie.) We meet the children already in the midst of forming the Jackson 5 at the demand of their abusive father Joe (Colman Domingo). As Michael and his brothers tour the country, the little boy is seen quietly reading fairy tales and Peter Pan, setting up the overly repetitious storyline that Jackson never grew up. Honestly, Disney should demand a percentage with all the House of Mouse iconography that pops up here. It's immediately apparent how sanitized the movie will be with Domingo's Joseph becoming what passes for the movie's main villain. In reality, Jackson and Michael certainly had a well-documented contentious relationship, yet the movie almost seems afraid to reiterate what is already known about him. There's one scene of Joe physically abusing Michael, the rest presented off-camera. The children and Michael's mother Katherine (a wasted Nia Long) clearly live in terror but the history is never established. It's content to coast on what audiences already know about the familial dynamic and Domingo's established persona, and bearing, as a terrifying villain. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/MV5BZDJjYzg3YmQtOTFjYS00NGQ0LWFkMTAtOTEwNzFmMzM4MTAzXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg) Domingo is certainly scary, but he's presented more as a conniver than an outright abuser. He's the equivalent of a stage dad, ready to make Michael drop everything to tour with his brothers even after his son is a superstar. One fleeting scene sees Joseph tell his children he doesn't want to see them working in a steel mill like him, but there's no desire to go deeper into the world these people were living in that would show his mad desire to make his success. It also doesn't want to say Jackson was motivated by money. So he just becomes a stock baddie. Most of Jackson's family are one-note, from Long's Katherine Jackson, referred to by almost everybody as "Mother," who makes concerned faces and provides encouragement to her son. Even Michael's brothers become four people in his life, not a unit. This becomes a bit silly during the film's final concert sequence when the camera gives all the brother's a close-up leaving the audience to try to remember everyone's names. In this interpretation of Michael Jackson's life, success is immediate and constant. Jackson sings and immediately his father meets Suzanne de Passe (Laura Harrier) from Motown. The next scene, little Michael is hanging with Motown founder Berry Gordy (Larenz Tate). Next scene, the Jackson 5 are a smash. And this cycle repeats itself for two hours. There's no struggle to Jackson's celebrity nor is there anything that shakes it until the film's final third when, during the filming of a Pepsi ad, Jackson's hair is set on fire after catching the spark of a pyrotechnic. Even then, what is set up as a moment of triumph for Michael to make a combat is a scene about a wearing a wig and then Michael getting back on-stage like absolutely nothing happened. This makes for a runtime that feels like a car dying out. When Michael is singing it's a rollicking ride because the music – pumping out perfectly on an IMAX screen – is phenomenal. These sequences are often outright imitations of real Michael Jackson moments so the audience can just enjoy a recreation of a moment they know with a song they love. But when the music stops everything grinds to a halt. The movie becomes a rote formula of: song. Success. Loneliness plot. Song. Success. Trouble with dad. Song. Success. Repeat. Even once Jackson is an adult, nearly everyone in his orbit is presented as fawning fan, who remind him over and over how special and near-godlike he is. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/MV5BYjBkZDdiNDctZmQ1OC00MWVkLWIwZTMtZjJmNzUyNDJlZGRhXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg) This could be because of how many people associated with the film's production have a vested financial interest or are just too close to the material to say anything objective. Jackson's son, Prince, is as an executive producer, as are at least two of Jackson's brothers and attorney John Branca, the executor of Jackson's estate. This becomes especially ridiculous in Branca (played by Miles Teller in a hilarious wig) becoming a central character in the narrative, a white knight lawyer who helps give Jackson his first break with his father. Throughout the movie, Branca returns to give Jackson pep talks and remind you about what a great guy John Branca is! This vibe was "wasn't he wonderful" is most keenly felt in Jaafar Jackson's imitation of Jackson. Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew, is good but it's hard to call what he does a performance. Swathed in prosthetics, Jaafar Jackson's performance is a surface retelling of what audiences already known about the King of Pop. He's quiet and soft-spoken, content to bond with animals and sick children than his own family. When he does bounce off other characters it's to show fear/tension, or just blandly quest for independence. Even during alone time, poor Jaafar Jackson is required to act opposite a CGI monkey. There's such little personality to the character on the screen that it's hard not to just say, "Michael Jackson was a nice yet utterly boring guy." The movie weirdly announces a sequel like Michael Jackson was a member of the Avengers, and it's unclear right now when/if a sequel will ever happen. (Allegedly the original cut was four hours.) But the music's good. That's really all that matters for movies like this, and no doubt audiences will be just fine with that. As it stands, Michael is a fun and serviceable biopic that suffers from a lack of depth and a variety of cooks in the kitchen who over salt the works. It's very much a hagiography swathed in glitter and flash and, in the moment, it does what it sets out to do. Just don't expect to walk away learning anything new. Only established Jackson fans need apply. ## Grade: C- **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [From Catwoman to Mad Woman: How Hollywood Did Sean Young DirtyHow Joan Rivers, Tim Burton, and others contributed to the angry to crazy pipeline women deal with.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/size/w1200/2026/04/Untitled-design.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/sean-young-blade-runner/) [Sympathy for the Dane: Hamlet Director Aneil Karia Talks Entering the Bard’s World and Breaking Down the Mouse TrapKaria breaks down making us feel bad for Shakespeare’s fuckboi.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/size/w1200/2026/04/1-1.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/hamlet-riz-ahmed-interview/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Learn to Pitch? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Disney Shows Integrating ASL Into Narrative Possible With Songs in Sign Language URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/disney-songs-in-sign-language/ Last updated: 2026-06-10T14:34:55.000Z **This post is free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Heila Rogers, Wendy Zaballos, Nadine Whitney, Kathy Gibson, Altus Lee, Orla Devlin, Libeth Morales, Lucy May, David Fox and Alexandra Bowser.💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* --- Back in March I was invited to spend the afternoon at the Walt Disney Animation Studios to see several of their new short features coming to Disney+. Aside from the fact that anytime there's an opportunity to walk the hallowed halls of the iconic Walt Disney Studios, my interest was piqued even more by their screening of two dynamic shorts focused on different disabilities: *Maddie & the Test*, about a little girl with learning disabilities, and *Songs in Sign Language*, an ambitious series of animated musical moments reanimated to be performed in ASL. Disney's relationship to disability can be a fraught one. I've discussed a lot of the issues in my book [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/3Qys7t3?ref=thefilmmaven.com) such as the controversy regarding *Finding Dory*, and I've documented the messiness that is [*Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs*](https://thefilmmaven.com/snow-white-remake/). But with *Maddie & the Test* and, especially, *Songs in Sign Language*, the groundwork is laid for the studio to do far more with and for the disabled community, if they choose to walk through the door. *Songs in Sign Language* is particularly amazing to watch, consisting of a series of musical moments from Disney films – such as *Frozen 2* and *Encanto* – wherein the original animation is replaced with ASL performance. So, instead of audiences watching Anna sing, the song plays as Anna performs the signs. A sequence like "We Don't Talk About Bruno," filled with several different animated characters, becomes a stellar blend of dance and ASL hand movements, with each character given an opportunity make ASL their own. For director Hyrum Osmond, doing *Songs in Sign Language* was an opportunity to find the connection he'd been missing with his father, who was Deaf. "Growing up I never learned sign language, and I felt a lot of regret because I could not connect with my dad," Osmond said during an opening press conference with all the shorts directors. "So with this project I just wanted to do something that could take down barriers and the whole idea behind this is just connection." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/153.0_161.00_0229.jpg) Osmond and Disney worked with the team at Deaf Theatre West, a non-profit arts organization that combines ASL with live theater. "“The actors from Deaf West Theatre were amazing,” observes Reid. “They’re acting, but they’re also interpreting the song on the fly and trying to fit in the words, especially with the ‘Bruno’ song," said animation lead Joel Reid. "There’s a lot of words being put into a very short amount of time. It was fascinating to watch them work out what they really wanted to say, and how they could say it in a more condensed way. There is also a lot of choreography in that scene, so they had to integrate that into the movement as well." The process was a "slow burn" as Osmond says. The production of it took several months but the conception and implementation was the hardest part. "We couldn't just slap sign language on top of something. We knew it had to be genuine." This was helped by focusing on films that were new enough that the animation files were still available and could be readapted to implement ASL. Deaf Theatre West's Artistic Director DJ Kurs was on hand during the event, alongside sign language reference choreographer Catalene Sacchetti. "It's not only about representation, but it's also about the art form itself," says Kurs. "We're creating a new form of art, bringing to the table this level of art that we've seen in *Moana* or *Little Mermaid*, and this is something that's different but the same. It's like looking at a different side of the same prism." That different side of the prism is important when actually watching the shorts. It's one thing to see ASL performed in a small box in the corner of a movie. It provides a Deaf viewer the ability to understand what they're watching but the intent is to do nothing more than convey information. With Songs in Sign Language, the ASL is fused into the character itself. Viewers are seeing a landscape where Princess Anna, Mirabel, or Moana are Deaf and communicating via ASL. Without making deafness the center of the story, an audience is seeing disability presented on-screen in a way that's genuine and organic. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/375.0_022.00_0088.jpg) "When you have an interpreter or a Deaf signer in the corner, that's always good for providing access, for providing information," Sacchetti says. " And so I get my equal accessibility met. I experience the same thing the hearing person is experiencing. This project is different because of the artistic approach to it, to the music, to the emotion, to the story. I can relate to the character. I can feel like I'm one of you. You're one of me. I have this connection to a character that the Deaf community has never had the opportunity to experience when it comes to entertainment." That is what makes *Songs in Sign Language* a pivotal turning point for Disney. It's the opportunity to create true inclusion without making that the focus of the story. Sachetti explained that she certainly grew up with Disney Princesses but the "meaning" behind many of the movies wasn't something she gravitated towards till she was older. "I think there's going to be an incredibly different impact on the future generations of deaf children, because they'll be able to watch something that's in their language, presented to them, and it's going to be really appreciated by them," she said. It's wonderful to watch how, relatively, easy it is to integrate ASL into Disney Animation. But will Disney do more going forward? Might there be a world where a Deaf Disney Princess exists? "I hope it inspires everyone," Osmond said. "There's so many opportunities and meetings out there to explore this, where we can represent and connect with all of the world in different ways." But anyone knows in the Deaf and disabled community, inspiration can only go so far. Kurs agrees. "We want the world to change already," he said. "This kind of project celebrates that we can celebrate this as a big step forward, and we hope that this leads to something like...more doors, I believe, will be open. More perspectives will shift, and someday, before we know it, the world has moved on to feature films in sign language without us even realizing." *Maddie and the Test is streaming on Disney+ now. Songs in Sign Language starts streaming April 27.* ### **You just read this for free! Here's what you missed by not becoming a** [**Gold Star paid subscriber**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like: [From Catwoman to Mad Woman: How Hollywood Did Sean Young DirtyHow Joan Rivers, Tim Burton, and others contributed to the angry to crazy pipeline women deal with.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/size/w1200/2026/04/Untitled-design.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/sean-young-blade-runner/) [Sympathy for the Dane: Hamlet Director Aneil Karia Talks Entering the Bard’s World and Breaking Down the Mouse TrapKaria breaks down making us feel bad for Shakespeare’s fuckboi.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/size/w1200/2026/04/1-1.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/hamlet-riz-ahmed-interview/) - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026), book clubs, and film discussion groups (launching later this year) --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## [The Gold Star Referral Program is Live. Refer Friends, Get Rewards!](https://referralrocket.io/campaign?id=cDfB6kbl&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Learn to Pitch? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Lee Cronin's The Mummy Review: Director's Latest is Fun, But Reuses Its Best Bits to Death URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/lee-cronin-the-mummy-review/ Last updated: 2026-06-14T22:44:34.000Z **This post is free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Carrie Peel, J Cassar, Jerilyn Elise Miripol, Michelle Ruiz, Beth Golterman, JI, Steven Belgard, Jo Uhrich, Andrew F. Peirce, and Anthony Francis.💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* --- Lee Cronin’s *The Hole in the Ground* was a strong, moving feature about a mother who lives far too close to a sinkhole, and what happens when her son disappears only to return different… perhaps a changeling. It was a stellar outing, setting Cronin up to give his take on the world of Deadites and Necronomicons in *Evil Dead Rise*, this time with a mother *endangering* children thanks to Deadite possession. In Lee Cronin’s *The Mummy* (which Brendan Fraser is not in), a family’s daughter gets possessed by an ancient Egyptian spirit, gradually endangering the family. Keep possessing spirits outta your kids, everyone! It’s a fun scare-fest that’s made with strong technical precision, boasting a great performance from Natalie Grace, but it’s also full of overused tricks, under-used strengths, and unexplored avenues, making for an uneven horror yarn. Journalist Charlie (Jack Reynor) is an American journalist living in Cairo when his daughter Katie (Emily Mitchell as young Katie, Grace as the elder) goes missing. The family suspects foul play, but are unable to find a detective who will take the investigation seriously. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/mummy-2-1300x688--1-.webp) Warner Bros. Pictures Fast forward eight years and Katie is found… within a thousand year old sarcophagus. Katie’s changed: unresponsive, ill-kept, malnourished, and prone to spontaneous movements and sounds. The family, including her mother Larissa (Laia Costa), brother Sebastian (Shylo Molina), youngest sister Maud (Billie Roy), and grandmother Carmen (Verónica Falcón) enlist local Detective Dalia Zaki (May Calamawy) to try and uncover what happened to Katie… and then the terrors *really* start. Natalie Grace, as the besieged young girl at the film’s heart, is excellent. She’s thoroughly eerie, whether being still in bed, teeth-chattering in the corner, or sprinting through the house. Reynor and Costa give solid performances as the emotionally charged parents, sometimes at odds in their attempts to understand a supernatural, emotional situation. Calamawy should have more screen time, but she delivers a nuanced and dedicated performance as Det. Zaki, while Verónica Falcón (also under-used) is a walking charisma bomb as the family’s religious matriarch. There is evident technical prowess in the execution of the mummy. Dave Garbett’s skilled cinematography in close quarters looks great (split diopters for the win). The production design is gorgeous in some cases (that sarcophagus is awesome) and increasingly, perfectly ugly in others. Bryan Shaw’s edits have precision and move along at an effortless and breezy pace. On a technical level alone, it’s a confidently and competently made picture. The setup is about as plausible as one could get to engineer a movie about mummies that doesn’t replicate the Universal franchises they’re trying to distance themselves from (Blumhouse’s social media campaign literally consisted of daily reminders that Brendan Fraser was not in *Lee Cronin’s The Mummy*). They do so by finding a way to sorta make a little girl a mummy (is it even a Lee Cronin film if it doesn’t have parents and children trapped together in a house with one party endangered by a supernatural force that’s inhabiting the other?), and they make it work, if a tad contrived. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/Lee-Cronins-The-Mummy.webp) The scares are predominantly effective, and it’s an overall entertaining movie with few moments that drag. It does, however, have some odd logical leaps and moments of convenient plotting. The film begins with Katie studying for some sort of Morse Code test, which she uses to give a key piece of communication about what’s going on to her father. Why does she know exactly what info to give? And how is she clearly taken over, body and soul, but somehow capable of that one physical communicative skill? There are severall convenient contrivances that contain even more unavoidable spoilers, but the film’s full of those elements in key narrative-advancing ways. There are also a number of underdeveloped plot elements. One of the film’s most interesting is the relatively unique mythology they utilize, which they go into just enough to start being interesting before they stop interrogating further. Charlie consults a scholar on some spell-like markings he found, and Detective Zaki later finds confirming details of a ritual in her investigation, just enough to give more information on the entity endangering the family. But Charlie never goes back and investigates further to evolve the mythos. They genuinely forget that the professor character exists, which isn’t what a journalist like Charlie would likely do. Cronin builds atmosphere and dread effectively as the parents feel out of their depth with what Katie’s going through (and unsure of what she’ll do next). There are enough surprises to keep audiences guessing. Where the film falters on the scare level is an overreliance on the *gross* of it all that ends up repeating the same techniques in exactly the same manner. We get it, Katie comes back looking different from what happened to her. The crusty, old nails are gross! The self-mutilation is gross! All that’s fine enough, but when we’re hitting a second round of all these elements, then a third, fourth, fifth, it starts to feel like Cronin’s too reliant on the same bag of tricks. Moreover, this *Mummy* film feels a little too close in tone and entity behavior to *Evil Dead*’s Deadites. *They* like to shock, be gross, and gleefully malicious; that’s part of what the Deadites, as novel undead entities, are. But why would this entity act like a Deadite? There’s a lot about *The Mummy* that works. It’s well made, great performance by Natalie Grace, cool mythology, and some truly scary moments. It’s fun! That said, there are also missed opportunities and underutilized strengths, and some plot threads should be further developed. It consistently reads like key ideas are excavated from a half-written *Evil Dead* script, and some techniques are used far, far, far too often without variation. It escapes being bad thanks to just enough elements that work, but it’s also transparently clear that another script pass would have done wonders. ## Grade: D *Lee Cronin’s The Mummy heads to theaters April 17, 2026.* **You just read this for free! Here's what** [**Gold Star paid subscribers get**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026) - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like [The Trade](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/), [Women They Warned You About](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/women-they-warned-you-about/), [Journalism is Fucked and We're All Doomed](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/) and [Popcorn Disabilities](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/). --- **I have a new book dropping on July 28th*! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## [The Gold Star Referral Program is Live. Refer Friends, Get Rewards!](https://referralrocket.io/campaign?id=cDfB6kbl&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Learn to Pitch? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Would Audrey Hepburn Be Proud of Our World? Her Son Sean Hepburn Ferrer Answers (Ticklish Business) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/audrey-hepburn-son-ticklish-business-podcast/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:28:39.000Z *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is *free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Andrea Olcsvary, Peter Kilkenny, Amanda Mullen, Daniel Fisher, Kevin Bannerman, Adriana Gomez-Weston, Joseph Gunther, Nathalie Rayter, Carli E. Spina and William Arceneaux.💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* --- It's not everyday you get to interview one of the sons of the most famous actress in Hollywood. Ferrer sits down with Kristen to discuss the release of the book, [*Intimate Audrey*](https://amzn.to/4dvroCp?ref=thefilmmaven.com), an authorized biography of the star that seeks to go beyond the films she starred in. Ferrer also talks about growing up as one of Audrey's sons, the current state of filmmaking, and Old Hollywood AI. [***Buy Intimate Audrey at this link.***](https://amzn.to/4dvroCp?ref=thefilmmaven.com) - [**Subscribe to our YouTube Channel**](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com) - [**Subscribe via Spotify**](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?si=63387511e33f4081&ref=thefilmmaven.com) - [**Subscribe via Apple Podcasts**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! [⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[***Preorder But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition here.***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[The merch shop is live](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[become a Patron](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com):[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Kristen's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Kate G **You just read this for free! Here's what** [**Gold Star paid subscribers get**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)**:** - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026) - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like [The Trade](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/), [Women They Warned You About](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/women-they-warned-you-about/), [Journalism is Fucked and We're All Doomed](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/) and [Popcorn Disabilities](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/). --- **I have a new book dropping on July 28th*! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Learn to Pitch? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Mother Mary Review: David Lowery's Threadbare Ghost Yarn Is Story-Light & Vibe-Heavy URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/mother-mary-review-anne-hathaway/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:28:55.000Z **This post is free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **Supporters like:* Valerie Kalfrin, Devin Meenan, Alan Katz, Psychological Poet, Rhelm, Freejena, Simon Thompson, Nathan Rabin, Deirdre Davidson and Annabelle Foster.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* --- It’s a great time to be a fan of horror/thrillers and believably Coachella-worthy pop songstresses. M. Night Shyamalan’s *Trap* used the stadium show of Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan) to catch a serial killer daddy. Parker Finn’s ode to terrible pearly whites, *Smile 2*, sees the smile entity torment troubled performer Skye Riley (Naomi Scott). It’s harder than one might think to craft a believably popular world-class starlet because everything has to vibe right: the performances, the songs, and the central cast. In David Lowery’s *Mother Mary*, Anne Hathaway shines as the titular pop princess, and Michaela Coel is phenomenal, but there's a limit to a filmmaking strategy that otherwise rests on vibes alone. Mother Mary (Hathaway) is a pop star attempting to restore her career after taking an odd step off a high platform in the middle of a show. Everyone’s asking: Did she mean to jump? But Mother Mary, oddly patterning herself after Jesus’ folkloric mama, has other troubles. She can’t sleep and is plagued by a supernatural appearance she can’t shake, so she returns to fashion designer Sam (Michaela Coel) to make a dress for her new tour. The pair came up together before Mary left her behind, adding layers of vulnerability and tension as they try to make a dress and get to the bottom of what ails the celestial matriarch. Anne Hathaway delivers a solid performance as the emotionally raw Mary, who genuinely wonders if her supernatural visions might make this tour her last. It’s a fully embodied turn, with rich emotion, disconcerting dances, and realistic panic. As the hurt but self-possessed designer Sam Anselm, Michaela Coel is genuinely incredible. Every moment of her performance is powerful and charismatic, showcasing an electric level of talent that anchors the film. The film predominantly rests on the interaction between the pair in a spatially constrained locale. They have a well-developed strained chemistry that works, tenuous and riddled with pain. The casting is a strong point, though some of the emotional back-and-forth is repetitive. Mary is emotionally strained and bears a new layer of her distressed soul to Sam, who, at an emotional distance, tortures her a little before opening up more in subtle ways. Wash, rinse, repeat. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/image-1.png) A24 If you’ve seen Lowery’s *A Ghost Story* or *The Green Knight*, you’ll be well prepared for his overall approach here. *Mother Mary* boasts beautiful visuals and is willing to slowly tease out the crux of the narrative and its possibly supernatural elements. It’s somber and mysterious, feeling a bit more like a classic European folktale than a traditional film. For this material, that’s largely positive with a few notable negatives. For much of the film, *Mary* transports. The performances feel intimate and authentic throughout, and the added supernatural layer creates a dreamy and memorable element. (The real pity is that the title *Phantom Thread* is taken.) That said, it’s a slow burn. Whether or not that mysterious-vibes-heavy approach to this narrative is rewarding for audiences, if it *works* or not, hinges a bit on personal preference. [Give a Gift SubscriptionInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/size/w1200/2025/09/KristenLopez_Main-1.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/gift-subscription/) While it seems like the otherworldly element can be read as *real* within the world, it’s not fully clear that it isn’t a shared delusion. Some audiences like uncertain endings, which may or may not be visual metaphors for psychological unease. That approach feels over-stretched here, like too little fabric on the verge of ripping apart. The logic behind the apparition, real or not, works best the less one thinks about its in-world explanation. In terms of the aforementioned 'vibes' themselves, they're capably accomplished. Mother Mary's otherworldly looks, a crimson specter, and elaborately narrated memories are all woven before our eyes as Hathaway and Cole share stories. We see solid costuming and interesting visuals pop in and out of the darkness, which is executed with precision. It keeps a film that takes place in tight quarters from feeling claustrophobic and allows for greater world-building than one might expect from the tale. Altogether, *Mother Mary* works, but it’s more thanks to the caliber of its central performances than the narrative itself. Hathaway is raw and quite good (little surprise there), while Michaela Coel is a full-scale powerhouse. This story about the reunion of an estranged artist and her dressmaker under possibly supernatural conditions is threadbare, and it doesn’t necessarily add all that much to distinguish itself from ghostly yarns and besieged songstress tales that have come before. That said, if vibes are what you want, it provides them aplenty (while adding a metric ton of cool new crowns for Lowery’s collection). ## Grade: C *Mother Mary haunts your multiplex Friday.* **You just read this for free! Here's what** [**Gold Star paid subscribers get**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/)**:** - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like [The Trade](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/), [Women They Warned You About](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/women-they-warned-you-about/), [Journalism is Fucked and We're All Doomed](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/) and [Popcorn Disabilities](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/). - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026) --- **I have a new book dropping on July 28th*! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Learn to Pitch? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### From Catwoman to Mad Woman: How Hollywood Did Sean Young Dirty URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/sean-young-blade-runner/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T01:43:34.000Z [***Women They Warned You About***](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/women-they-warned-you-about/) *is an ongoing series focused on Hollywood misogyny and how the term "difficult" has been used on women in the entertainment industry.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Gold Film Mavens*.* **Supporters include*: Cameron Curtis, Virginia Yapp, Don Comm PR, Angel Giuffria, Tari Hartman Squire, Dkod, Debann, Matthew Jackson, Gregory Ayers and Linoleum Podcast.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- > "To say that I was unfairly targeted is an understatement. But the more interesting question is why?" - Sean Young ([The Guardian, 2015](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/26/blade-runner-sean-young-interview?ref=thefilmmaven.com)) _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### You, Me & Tuscany Review: Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page Cook Up a Charming Rom-Com Throwback URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/you-me-and-tuscany-review-halle-bailey/ Last updated: 2026-05-11T20:07:43.000Z **This post is free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* *Supporters like:* **Kevin Turner, Cassidy Dimon, Barbara Doss, Holly Alarcon, Teresa Castner, Scott Phillips, Staskelv, S. David Miller, William Bibbianni, and Scott Mendelson.** *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- Nearly every year there's a discussion about the [the resurrection of the romantic comedy](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/apr/15/return-of-the-romcom?ref=thefilmmaven.com), a genre that dominated every decade of film until the 2010s. Since then, the genre has received less support from Hollywood and struggled to find its place in the current cinematic landscape of big budgets and ingrained IP. It's a shame because there have been romantic comedies of the last few years (*Palm Springs* and *Anyone But You* spring to mind) that have shown why the genre is so cozy and fun. *You, Me & Tuscany* is another bright spot in the rom-com genre, shockingly more so for the fact that it's a wholly original idea heavily inspired by '90s rom-coms like [*Only You*](https://amzn.to/4cjvrQd?ref=thefilmmaven.com) (1994) and [*While You Were Sleeping*](https://amzn.to/4ctFfYZ?ref=thefilmmaven.com) (1995). Stars Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page whip up something sweetly delicious for a story that find the magic in romance, while emphasizing the need for community and home during troubling times. Anna (Bailey) is a house-sitter struggling to find her way in the wake of her mom's death. After having a romantic night with an Italian stranger named Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor) she decides to take the leap and travel to Tuscany with an old airline ticket and $500 in her pocket. Due to a mix-up, Anna has no place to stay and decides to go to Matteo's villa, believing it to be empty. But when Matteo's family drops in and finds Anna they believe she is his fiancee. A series of lies starts to build, complicated further by Anna's growing attraction to Matteo's cousin, Michael (Page). What screenwriter Ryan Engle does so well with *You, Me & Tuscany* is go all in on a premise that would just as easily work in 2026 as it would 1996 to 1946: the high concept premise of a young woman who travels to a foreign locale and, through shenanigans, is welcomed into a family as a future bride. There's just enough story to make everything plausible and, what's funnier, is that thinking about the story more doesn't make the house of cards collapse. Anna is a woman desperate to live any life but her own, right down to housesitting for a wealthy woman (Nia Vardalos) in the opening scene, wearing her clothes, and walking her dog. In the landscape of today, Anna is every person who wakes up wishing life was better. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/you_me_tuscany_hero_image-1600x768.webp) Unlike [*The Little Mermaid*](https://amzn.to/4mfHeDo?ref=thefilmmaven.com), a role constrained by pre-existing material, Bailey seems more comfortable here, giving a performance that you could easily see Jennifer Lopez playing 20 years prior. She's a typical rom-com train wreck, a young woman adrift after dropping out of culinary school after her mom got sick. She's messy, but not so messy as to make terrible decisions. She's propped up by her best friend Claire (Aziza Scott), who offers sassy pep talks and is willing to offer help when needed. But, really, Anna is impulsive. And it's that impulsivity that skirts the line between charming and stupid. Bailey is like a ray of sunshine in every scene she's in. She makes the audience see the true wonder of the Italian landscapes she inhabits. And swathed in Massimo Cantini Parrini's exquisite dresses also makes Anna so different from everyone else. She has an inner elegance to her that's so natural, and it's set free in San Conessa. Anna soon arrives in San Conessa, a small-t0wn that seems ripped from the "provincial town" Belle sang about in [*Beauty & the Beast*](https://amzn.to/4snTUcX?ref=thefilmmaven.com). It's a town where everyone soon knows her by name and all are big on traditions like the Rolling of the \[Wine\] Barrels. Cinematographer Danny Ruhlmann gives everything a lush patina, as if everything is kissed in perpetual sunset. Anna's villa would make Nancy Meyers blush with its rustic elegance. The Costas, Matteo's family, are clearly Italian wealthy, driving expensive cars and owning their own restaurant. There's a real wish fulfillment to *You, Me & Tuscany*, spoken numerous times by Anna herself about how much of a "fairy tale" everything is. Part of Anna's desire to live is to live well. She dreams of an "in-unit washer and dryer" but the Costas offer her something more: generational wealth. She dreams of a place where money is really no object but, then again, no one in San Conessa really seems to worry about it. There's no poverty and only one stray reference to Anna and Michael being the lone Black people in town. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/image4.jpg) And yet everyone assembles know it is this same simplicity of storytelling that makes the romantic comedy work. The humor, beauty, and romance is what keeps *You, Me & Tuscany* so buoyant and enjoyable. The Costas immediately embrace Anna as their future family member, and part of the film's joy is watching Anna finally relax into a family, a community, and a place of belonging. It's also where the romance ramps up between Anna and Michael. Page is playing a similar character as his role on *Bridgerton*. He's a cocky and smug vineyard owner (Bailey's line delivery implies she knows that sounds corny as hell), holding an inner sense of responsibility after losing both parents at a young age. Where Matteo is good-natured, yet selfish, Michael is devoted but a tad boring. When Bailey is inserted into the scene, Page flowers a bit more. The two have chemistry, but it's Bailey who is the prime mover. Page comes alive a bit more during a moment where he has to sing a Mario song. He's looser and fun. But when that same scene is recreated via Bailey it's dynamite. *You, Me & Tuscany* is a deliciously charming throwback and a new step forward for the romantic comedy genre. It's also a showcase for Bailey, who'd do well to do several more of these movies as her affection and personality work so well with something frothy like this. Prepare to fall in love with life, with love, and the beauty of possibility which, can't we all use far more of that in the world right now? ## Grade: C+ *You, Me & Tuscany hits theaters Friday.* --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Learn to Pitch? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Sympathy for the Dane: Hamlet Director Aneil Karia Talks Entering the Bard's World and Breaking Down the Mouse Trap URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/hamlet-riz-ahmed-interview/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:32:46.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia and Alcmatta* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- There's a Hamlet for every generation. If you're asking a millennial, they'll point to Ethan Hawke giving the "To be or not to be" speech in a Blockbuster. Gen Xers had Kenneth Branagh's opulent mid-'90s interpretation. For director Aneil Karia, who tackles the Bard's indecisive Prince (as played by a fabulous Riz Ahmed), he had actually done something kind of impossible: he'd avoided most of the Hamlet adaptations. "I didn't really have much of a relationship with that. That probably sounds sacrilegious," Karia tells The Film Maven. "I had the same kind of experience of Shakespeare as most people in this country which is that you have to study it at school, to some extent. Some people are lucky enough to have the intellect, or the teacher, or the experience where they break through with it and form of proper connection with it. Whereas I actually, like a lot of people, had a surface appreciation of it but felt like I wasn't quite intellectual, smart, whatever it is, enough to break through with it on a deeper level and probably left school thinking, 'Okay, well, it's cool, but I'm not one of those people. I'm not quite a Shakespeare person." _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Freak Show Never Ended, It Just Became TLC URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/tlc-disabled-tv-shows/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:32:58.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ethan Luce, Jeremy Fuster, Lgdfry, Julie Ruth Cohen, Sabbamonte, Childe.Dirk, Tamaryn, Morozco64, Bonfiglio and BJ Colangelo.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- I'm not proud of it, but I watch my fair share of TLC programming. What was first established in 1980 as The Learning Channel and showed audiences live surgeries, has transitioned into the reality-centric network devoted to 90 day fiancees and 600-lb lives. Recently, though, TLC is apparently trying to put the "learning" back into their programming by focusing on...disability. Or, specifically, how damn weird disabled people look. Within the last month alone TLC has unveiled two shows wholly focused on disabled people: *Body Bizarre*, a show that, as the title implies, looks at odd disabled bodies (and is apparently in its 8th season!), and *One Day in My Body* which also focuses on disabled people and how they go about their business. This isn't something new. TLC has been putting out disabled stories for decades, from 2020's *World's Smallest Woman*, 2022's *I Am Shauna Rae*, and 2025's *Jay & Pamela*. In all these shows, the goal is to "celebrate" the unique lives of these individuals with an emphasis on their medical situations, how they react to people's cruelty, and discussing their sex lives. That last one happens a lot. What is new is the idea that they're clearly responding to something viewers are clamoring for: a glimpse at disabled people. And these shows aren't altruistic series meant to illustrate what disabled people go through and advocate for better. The goal is voyeurism. To make the abled audience look at these people and say, "Wow, how bizarre and amazing. Thank God that's not me." _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Don't Expect a Hills Reunion And Other Lessons Learned From Laguna Beach's Liz Gateley URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/hills-reunion-liz-gateley-laguna-beach/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:33:09.000Z ***This post is free to enjoy.*** *But it's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters like: Mark Murphy, Tasya Swisko, Sandeep Chandowalia, Elissa Farkas, Kiahamarafisch, Jason Reynal, Lawrence Carter-Long, Media Path Podcast and Shupei!* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- In September of 2004, MTV aired the first episode of [*Laguna Beach*](https://amzn.to/4c9OAnB?ref=thefilmmaven.com). The series, launching off the likes of similar MTV reality shows like *The Real World*, followed a group of high schoolers living in the titular oceanside city in Southern California, capturing their breakups, makeups, and search for the perfect outfit to go to a party. I came to *Laguna Beach* in a roundabout way, being a fan of the show's spin-off series *The Hills* (2006). That show premiered the year I graduated high school and, in going back to watch *Laguna Beach*, it certainly hit me as I was about to prepare to leave my own high school world for adulthood...and a recession. Now, twenty years after audiences said goodbye to *Laguna*, those (now) adult viewers are getting a reunion. *The Reunion: Laguna Beach* brings everyone back from the show's first season to discuss not only how their lives have changed since being on the series, but to give audiences a glimpse of how reality television has changed. "Nothing really happened in the episodes," *Laguna Beach* creator Liz Gateley tells The Film Maven. "But everything happened because to a teen girl what is really important in high school is your relationships. What you're wearing. Who is bringing who to prom. That's also what's so special about high school is there's not huge stakes. They're all emotional. They're all relationship." As Gateley explains, the 2021 *Friends* reunion special was a big influence as it showed that audiences would watch people just reminiscing about that time. The reunion retains much of the verite style conversations swathed within the opulence of *Laguna Beach* itself. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/TRC_RO_TRLB_Primary_Social_4x5_PRE-H-2026.webp) *Laguna Beach* touted a similar "realistic" edge as *The Real World* but the show toed the line between relatable and aspirational. As [Jesse Schlotterbeck writes](https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/scope/documents/2008/october-2008/schlotterbeck.pdf?ref=thefilmmaven.com), this was partly because the world of high school was shot and set-up the same way a movie would be. "\[*Laguna Beach*\] dispensed with the stripped-down techniques of reality television for a more cinematic look." "We also added the additional layer of not doing interviews," says Gateley. "So we had to kind of invent the pickup which was like, 'Oh, can you go to the nail salon and talk about what happened?' Because we can't just get that in an interview bite. So we made our jobs harder for ourselves." To look back at not just *Laguna Beach*, but the reality landscape around it, it does seem like, as Gateley calls it, the Wild West. "No one knew what the show was going to become," she says. "They were their authentic selves. There wasn't social media. They were a real group of friends. So they weren't vying for more camera time...We didn't have to manufacture anything was\[n't\] already ongoing." It's part of why *Laguna Beach* probably couldn't be done in the same way today. The lack of social media meant the kids weren't online 24/7\. "Facebook came out the week we delivered the test tape to MTV," Gateley says. By the time *The Hills* debuted in 2006, starring *Laguna Beach* breakout Lauren Conrad, the more modern-day reality show was already on full display. "It became really hard to control, the paparazzi and what was happening at the clubs," says Gateley. "Their lives got so much bigger that it became harder to control the story before we showed it in the show and then we realized, like, 'Okay, well, we just have to embrace what's going on, because we're never going to be able to control it.'" For Gateley, the show is a time capsule. Not only for the *Laguna Beach* participants who have a reminder of their senior year – and those who were part of it – but for audiences who want a sliver of their childhood. "What draws people to these nostalgic moments is...Every generation has their nostalgia, but I feel like it's a particular moment in time right now where it feels dangerous. No one trusts social media and this feels really safe, and it's also high school so it's like an innocent time that I think everyone longs to go back to," she says. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/04/b969b7ce-54aa-4c14-b61d-cca02c87bce7-H-2025.webp) *Laguna Beach* also has the benefit of focusing on an established friend group. The petty squabbles depicted on the show seem quaint to a group of forty-somethings now raising children of their own. That being said, Gateley says don't anticipate a Hills reunion anytime soon. "That was a very different show, and because this show was about a group of friends who are really still all friends, it felt safe to go back there," says Gateley. "It's been twenty years. Lauren's a mom. She's happily living in Laguna Beach with her amazing husband, William, and two boys. She's happy and I think, for her, it would be hard to drum back up that emotion but I will let her speak to that." ***The Reunion: Laguna Beach will air on the Roku Channel April 10.*** *Watch the entire interview with Liz Gateley below or by subscribing to* [*The Film Maven's YouTube channel*](https://www.youtube.com/@KristenKLopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ***🌟***[***Come Join Us on Discord!***](https://discord.gg/CQJ22DPtSX?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*🌟 Chat about entertainment, writing, anything with other Film Maven Gold Star Crew.* ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Learn to Pitch? Book a Consult With Me. [KristenWelcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Calendly![](https://assets.calendly.com/images/booking/ogimage.png?source=opengraph)](https://calendly.com/thefilmmaven8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### 6 Best Things I Watched and Read in March URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-march-2026/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T21:07:33.000Z *Though a portion of this is available for free subscribers, this is exclusive to my* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) *of Silver and Gold Film Mavens.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- March felt like it was a million years long. At one point, I thought this month's film diary was going to consist of about two titles. It's not that I watched stuff that was bad, but most everything I saw was just....good or fine. You can always [visit me over on Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/kristenlopez88/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and get a realtime view of what I'm watching. Otherwise, below are the five movies and books I read and thoroughly enjoyed in March. Be sure to drop what you enjoyed last month in the comments below. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Director William Malone on Forbidden Planet (1956) - Ticklish Business Podcast URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/forbidden-planet-william-malone-podcast/ Last updated: 2026-04-01T16:07:45.000Z *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is part of The Film Maven free week! All week you'll be reading a mix of posts that include what paid subscribers get regularly! If you can't commit to a subscription consider* [***leaving a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/diane-keaton-baby-boom-1987-ticklish-business-podcast/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- Director Bill Malone, former owner of Robby the Robot, joins Kristen to go deep into space for a discussion on 1956's *Forbidden Planet*. Kristen and Bill discuss the movie's production history, why Walter Pidgeon wasn't a fan, and why Robby became the de facto star. Bill also gives some great backstory on how he came to obtain Robby, and spending time on the dying MGM lot back in the 1970s. [Follow Bill's YouTube channel here.](https://www.youtube.com/@UndertakingCinema?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **NOTE**: Bill's video suffered some malfunctions during recording so at a certain point he does freeze. His audio remains unaffected. ## Watch and Listen below **Works Referenced**: [*Apocalypse Then: Benefits of the Bomb in Fifties Science Fiction Films*](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1225159?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[ by Robert Torry](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1225159?ref=thefilmmaven.com) [*From Trauma to Paranoia: Nuclear Weapons, Science Fiction, and History*](https://www.jstor.org/stable/27240943?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[ by Cyndy Hendershot](https://www.jstor.org/stable/27240943?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **You can** [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! [***Preorder But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition here.***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[The merch shop is live](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[become a Patron](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com):[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Kristen's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Kate G --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ### That Sandra Huller Interview Puts Dude-Bro Journalism in the Hot Seat URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/collider-sandra-huller-interview/ Last updated: 2026-05-11T16:13:51.000Z *Though a portion of this is available for free subscribers, this is exclusive to my* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) *Gold Film Mavens.* *Silver and Gold subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- This weekend social media, or at least Twitter (sorry, never calling it X), was inundated with discussions about *Collider's* recent interview with [*Project Hail Mary*](https://thefilmmaven.com/project-hail-mary-review-ryan-gosling/) star Sandra Huller. The interview, conducted by *Collider's* editor-in-chief Steven Weintraub, was standard for the site. Weintraub asked fairly simplistic questions and tangentially connected questions including what Huller's favorite Christopher Nolan movie was and whether she got to run with Tom Cruise while filming their latest movie *Digger* (a title Weintraub kept turning plural). There were two loud schools commenting on the interview: those surprised at how bad the interview was and those saying this is always how *Collider's* interviews have been, particularly those run by Weintraub himself. I tend to fall into the latter category (full disclosure, I did write for *Collider* a few years back and was even offered a job there that I turned down). The site has employed some good people, but it's hard to see it as little more than a slightly well-respected hobbyist site. There's little journalism that happens there. What surprised me was how irritated and angry people were by the interview. So much so that it became a trending topic on Twitter. But it speaks to so much of what's happening in entertainment journalism today, so let's break down why interviews like this are so bad, what people can do about it, and how it all ties back to (you guessed it) influencers. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### 24 Random Thoughts While Watching Anaconda (1997) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/anaconda-1997-jennifer-lopez/ Last updated: 2026-05-16T01:17:29.000Z *Though a portion of this is available for free subscribers, this is exclusive to my* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) *of Silver and Gold Film Mavens.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- As someone who watches a lot of movies (you can check out [my Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/kristenlopez88/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) to see how frequently I'm watching something), I spend an inordinate amount of time talking to myself. The more frequently I revisit something, the more in-depth I can become on trying to deconstruct the world in which things are presented. Last week, I went on a bit of tear at home about Anaconda, the 1997 cheese-fest about a group of beautiful dummies who travel to the Amazon jungle and have an encounter with the mother of all snakes. [*Anaconda*](https://amzn.to/40TwK31?ref=thefilmmaven.com) is a guilty pleasure for me. I've seen it pretty more than most people should. So when I randomly asked on social if people would want to read the random thoughts I have about this movie, I was shocked that more than one person said yes. (Shoutout to Rosie Knight, especially!) So, here we are, the various threads I think about while watching *Anaconda*. **Be sure to leave your thoughts on the movie in the comments below (as well as whether I should ever do this again).** ***Note, these are all in good fun and, yes, I know this is a movie at the end of the day. Any comments that start with "The screenwriter didn't do this for a reason" or some variant of that will get a side-eye from me.*** The plot in a nutshell: A professor (Eric Stoltz) takes a group of filmmakers – consisting of indie director Terri Flores (Jennifer Lopez) cinematographer Danny Rich (Ice Cube), sound guy Gary Dixon (Owen Wilson), production manager Denise Kalberg (Kari Wuher) and narrator Warren Westridge (Jonathan Hyde) – out on a river in the Amazon in search of a mysterious tribe of native Indigenous people. Along the way, they meet the shadowy Paul Sarone (Jon Voight) who, through a series of events, takes the crew down a different path in hunt of a big ass snake. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/anaconda_-photofest_still_-_h_2020_.jpg.webp) - Honestly, until putting together that plot summary above, I had no idea at least three of these characters had last names. - [*Jaws*](https://amzn.to/4thk3ex?ref=thefilmmaven.com) (1976) is clearly a primary influence on *Anaconda*. Outside of its creature feature trappings there's even a moment wherein the primary snake who becomes the main focus (who I'll be referring to as just "Anaconda") is finally revealed and Lopez gets the Chief Brody dolly shot treatment. With *Jaws*, though, there was no long text crawl explaining what sharks were. So it's a bit funny that a movie literally called *Anaconda* needs to explain what a snake is. - This movie also implies that it's one vengeful anaconda that wants to take everyone out and not just a species of snake that just live around there. This is what I call "[*Twister*](https://thefilmmaven.com/anaconda-1997-jennifer-lopez/)\-izing" wherein we turn something non-human (twisters, anaconda) into the equivalent of a serial killer. Never mind that said anaconda has reason to be pissed at a bunch of dirty Americans walking through her jungle starting shit. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ranking Every Best Picture Winner URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-picture-winners-ranked/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T01:35:55.000Z After a very competitive (read: contentious, but in a good way) Oscar season, we can finally breathe. The problem (thankfully) isn’t too few great movies, but a few too many. It's been a year of dueling Warner Bros. titans. Paul Thomas Anderson's *One Battle After Another* is a masterful riff on Pynchon that's timely, clever, complex, and *fun*. Closer to the Oscars, a groundswell of support for Ryan Coogler’s masterful [*Sinners*](https://amzn.to/4bBnR4g?ref=thefilmmaven.com) (which broke records with 16 nominations) brought it into strong awards contention, thanks to a last-minute set of awards wins, including Best Ensemble at the Actor Awards (you know, the SAG ones), making the race a little tighter than expected. The rest is now history, with *One Battle* netting a deserved Best Picture statuette, while Best Director went to Paul Thomas Anderson. (If I had my way, a split between *One Battle* and *Sinners* would have been the night's tie). [*Battle* took home six awards](https://thefilmmaven.com/academy-awards-2026/), with four going to Coogler's beloved vampire tale. The year was also flush with great performances across categories, from Amy Madigan’s stellar award-winning supporting turn in *Weapons* to Jacob Elordi’s sympathetic Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s *Frankenstein*, or Michael B. Jordan's exceptional, Oscar-winning performance of twins we got in *Sinners*. Jessie Buckley's tearful portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in *Hamnet* scored the film its one Oscar. Gorgeous cinematography, beautiful scripts, and major tension. 2025 was a great year at the movies! To celebrate the Oscars, I ranked every Best Picture winner from worst to first. 98 entries are a hefty pack of films, but here is my ranking. What’s your ranking? ## 98\. [*Gigi* (1958)](https://amzn.to/4rSRQJH?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Vincente Minnelli is great; *Gigi* isn’t. It’s boring at best, creepy overall, and “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” is somehow creepier in context. ## 97\. [*Cavalcade* (1933)](https://amzn.to/4rYxy1t?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Extremely boring. ## 96\. [*Cimarron* (1931)](https://amzn.to/4bOV5Mq?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Also boring and laden with racist stereotypes. ## 95\. [*The Broadway Melody* (1929)](https://amzn.to/4dcY43A?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Foundational musical and the first all-sound film to win Best Picture, but that’s all the points it gets. ## 94\. [*The Greatest Show On Earth* (1952)](https://amzn.to/4tgzTpM?ref=thefilmmaven.com) This early circus drama does have scale going for it, but it’s simply not that good. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/Crash-2005.jpg) Lions Gate Films ## 93\. [*Crash* (2005)](https://amzn.to/4szoKjz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) A heavy-handed, cringe-worthy race parable with all the insight of an excited Freshman college paper written after the author *just* learned that racism was real. ## 92\. [*Around the World in 80 Days* (1956)](https://amzn.to/3O01lsG?ref=thefilmmaven.com) David Niven plays a rich Brit trying to circumnavigate the globe on a bet. It’s beautiful and extravagant with great visuals, but also a shallow affair stretched over three hours. ## 91\. [*The Great Ziegfeld* (1936)](https://amzn.to/4t6lFaI?ref=thefilmmaven.com) When you have ‘The Great…" in a film title, it should actually be great. The film’s Broadway productions are nice to watch, but it doesn’t quite hold up otherwise. ## 90\. [*Slumdog Millionaire* (2008)](https://amzn.to/4t9BCwP?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Dev Patel plays a rags-to-riches kid whose life in India’s slums gives him the answers to *Who Wants To Be A Millionaire*. Realistic tragedy converted into a palatable-for-Americans rags-to-riches story for American appetites was a bad idea. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/rawImage.jpg) ## 89\. [*Out of Africa* (1985)](https://amzn.to/47TDkKA?ref=thefilmmaven.com) A married writer (Meryl Streep) falls for a big game hunter (Robert Redford) in a historical romance that leans into early cinema’s fascination with colonial travels. It’s simply not good enough for that to be cute 60 years later. ## 88\. [*Mutiny on the Bounty* (1935)](https://amzn.to/4sICZ64?ref=thefilmmaven.com) The power struggle on board the famed ship is sort of interesting and Gable does what he can, but it’s a middling affair. ## 87\. [*Oliver!* (1968)](https://amzn.to/4tapdss?ref=thefilmmaven.com) We’ve reached the point on the list where a lot of films are just fine; this is one of those. ## 86\. [*Green Book* (2018)](https://amzn.to/47pvqII?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Mahershala Ali plays a talented pianist touring the Jim Crow South, with Viggo Mortensen playing his slightly racist driver who comes around. The big issue is that Mortensen is somehow the protagonist… it literally follows the wrong, less interesting character. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/coda-love-sign.webp) Apple ## 85\. [*CODA* (2021)](https://amzn.to/3NPhRM7?ref=thefilmmaven.com) It’s fine. ## 84\. [*Chariots of Fire* (1981)](https://amzn.to/4t3CSBI?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Two determined and very different young runners in early 1920s U.K. overcome challenges to train for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Visually lovely, the performances are talented, but the story traffics in stereotypes and the pace is slooooow. ## 83\. [*Driving Miss Daisy* (1989)](https://amzn.to/4c5g1jr?ref=thefilmmaven.com) A comedy about an elderly Jewish woman (Jessica Tandy) driven around by a Black driver (Morgan Freeman) who eventually form a friendship that bypasses racial prejudices. Yet another difficult watch due to an approach to race that doesn't hold up. ## 82\. [*Gentleman's Agreement* (1947)](https://amzn.to/4c92GXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Elia Kazan's drama centers Gregory Peck as a journalist writing a story on antisemitism, so he pretends to be Jewish. It's an odd plot you couldn't do today, but the earnestness of its efforts to combat antisemitism (especially so soon in the aftermath of WWII, no less) translates to some memorable moments. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/1_r9jThY1YqA8SwfDORpsGMw@2x.jpg) ## 81\. [*The Life of* Émile *Zola* (1937)](https://amzn.to/4bzzatF?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *The Life of Émile Zola* capably tells the story of the influential French writer, but while Zola is a worthy biopic subject, it's hard to shake the feeling that this is a biopic that follows the wrong subject entirely. The sections with Dreyfus are by far the most interesting and impactful parts of the film, so… why are we following Zola? ## 80\. [*Tom Jones* (1963)](https://amzn.to/41hiK3j?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Adapting the Henry Fielding classic, *Tom Jones* is a raunchy and irreverent comedy that portrays 18th-century England as a wonderland for horny weirdos. It's a fun satirical romp, but it neither hits particularly high comedic heights nor is it as moving as many Best Picture winners. ## 79\. [*Forrest Gump* (1994)](https://amzn.to/4bzzcSj?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Sure, this accidental tour of American history by Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) feels contrived at times. Yes, the tone in certain situations (like the reality of the life of Jenny, played by Robin Wright) is an odd choice, on occasion. Hanks is still charming and, at times it's fun. The Oscars are like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're gonna get. That's all I have to say about that. ## 78\. [*Kramer vs. Kramer* (1979)](https://amzn.to/4lZrtRe?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Kramer vs. Kramer* aims to show the complexities and hardships of divorce by taking the novel angle of focusing on a career-oriented man (Dustin Hoffman) forced into single fatherhood and a custody battle. Stellar performances (though Meryl Streep is underutilized), it’s supposed to fairly portray the complexity of a custody battle. In practice, uneven screen time and the framing of the characters’ choices erode that balance, so it falls short of its potential. ## 77\. [*Going My Way* (1944)](https://amzn.to/4dSg9E6?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Bing Crosby plays a cool young priest sent to replace an elder priest at a New York Catholic Church. Their conflicting styles produce drama in a musical whose songs are pretty good, but it has limited value outside folks really invested in Catholic Church succession drama. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/A-Beautiful-Mind.jpg) Universal Pictures ## 76\. [*A Beautiful Mind* (2001)](https://amzn.to/4lZPXK6?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Russell Crowe played the schizophrenic genius John Nash with respectful emotion and grace, elevating a film that rests heavy on his shoulders. Beyond that, it's a fine film that's simply eclipsed by the caliber of other entries on this list. ## 75\. [*A Man for All Seasons* (1966)](https://amzn.to/4lQRVMy?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Paul Scofield makes a solid Sir Thomas More, and *A Man for All Seasons* is a solid royal drama showing his conflicts with Robert Shaw's King Henry VIII. ## 74\. [*Gone with the Wind* (1939)](https://amzn.to/4m2iPkU?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Gone with the Wind* stood out for some time as one of its era's most sweeping epics, and a lot of it still works. From a modern lens, this de facto Confederate-apologist yarn is a difficult watch now: the idealization of the Confederate South is wrongheaded, and it impedes the story’s own stakes–if the driving drama of the story is how difficult a Southern Belle has it because Confederate slavery and the South have fallen, it’s hard to care that her privileged life was ripped away. ## 73\. [*American Beauty* (1999)](https://amzn.to/4lZQ5JA?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Best Picture-winner *American Beauty* has a stellar script, despite the subject – a depressive father lusting after his daughter's teenaged friend Angela – having a serious ick factor. Audiences probably could still get past that (Sam Mendes is a brilliant director) were it not for Kevin Spacey. It's a hard watch now, but hey, points to the casting director for spotting a believably icky vibe; it's still a good film. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/my_fair_lady_-_h_-_1964.webp) ## 72\. [*My Fair Lady* (1964)](https://amzn.to/4lZPQ18?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Yes, *My Fair Lady* is a classic starring an electric Audrey Hepburn. At the same time, it’s far too long for a film of its minuscule dramatic weight. Henry Higgins is also an abusive jerk throughout (literally dehumanizing) and he never evolves enough to make up for it. ## 71\. [*Ordinary People* (1980)](https://amzn.to/4lWlrAz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Ordinary People* mines complex emotional territory, following a family in the aftermath of a tragedy that rips them apart. It’s a little melodramatic, but Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland land tremendous performances. What really sinks the film so low is that the rest of the cast fail to meet their level of accomplishment, making for a feature that’s nuanced in some scenes and unbelievable in others. ## 70\. [*The Artist* (2011)](https://amzn.to/4dL9qvF?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Filmed as a black-and-white part-silent film, *The Artist* is a fun, nostalgic, charming outing despite failing to be the best musical about that period and its struggles (that would be *Singin' in the Rain*). It's a fun but ultimately vapid film that's most notable for its return to silent film techniques in an era that doesn't use them. ## 69\. [*The King's Speech* (2010)](https://amzn.to/4bQHsMu?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Colin Firth gives a strong performance as England's King George VI, working through a stutter to give the most high-stakes speech possible-declaring war on Germany in 1939\. It's good, but the fact that it won Best Picture over *Black Swan*, *Inception*, and *The Social Network* highlights that it wasn't particularly innovative or daring. ## 68\. [*Grand Hotel* (1932)](https://amzn.to/3NIonnW?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Grand Hotel* was the only film to win Best Picture without being nominated in any other category. Its a veritable who’s who of the era’s talent, with John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, Greta Garbo. It’s a good deal of fun if you can surrender to it, but once that novelty wears off, there isn’t much under the surface. ## 67\. [*Braveheart* (1995)](https://amzn.to/3NQRtBn?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Braveheart* may be a little long and periodically overdramatic, but the Mel Gibson of it all aside it's a solid (if somewhat inaccurate) historical war epic. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/Rain-Man.jpg) MGM/United Artists ## 66\. [*Rain Man* (1988)](https://amzn.to/4lTe6BP?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Dustin Hoffman plays the autistic older brother of Tom Cruise, reconnecting on a road trip after some time apart. There are some uncomfortable stereotypes in *Rain Man,* but Hoffman and Cruise treat the subject with empathy and respect, making for a better final product than one might fear. ## 65\. [*Nomadland* (2020)](https://amzn.to/3NSRQeG?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Chloe Zhao's look at an underclass of older nomadic workers who roam between seasonal work is a beautiful look at a population we don't see onscreen. Frances McDormand is stellar. At the same time, her character spends the majority of the film entirely static, leaving a lot of potential on the rhetorical table. ## 64\. [*Chicago* (2002)](https://amzn.to/4s1xvSp?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Chicago* revived the musical in the modern era, becoming a success on top of being the first musical to win Best Picture since *Oliver!* It’s a fun Jazz Age romp about a Murderess’ Row of criminal women. ## 63\. [*Dances With Wolves* (1990)](https://amzn.to/4rTs7kx?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Before *Avatar*, Kevin Costner arguably embodied the "white savior" trope in *Dances with Wolves*. It's thematically outmoded, but otherwise a solid directorial effort from director-star Kevin Costner, and there's at least a sincere attempt to capture the beautiful Sioux culture with respect. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/MV5BMjMxMjkyNjg4OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzU2ODAxNw@@._V1_.jpg) ## 62\. [*The English Patient* (1996)](https://amzn.to/41BePOB?ref=thefilmmaven.com) A war drama starring Ralph Fiennes as a severely burned man in the care of Juliette Binoche's nurse Hana, there are a number of worthwhile scenes (thanks to a talented cast and stellar production value). At the same time, it can be a little bit overbearing in its emotional development. ## 61\. [*Terms of Endearment* (1983)](https://amzn.to/3PqBvyy?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Terms of Endearment* covers thirty years of the tense relationship between a mother, Aurora (Shirley MacLaine), and her daughter Emma (Debra Winger). Real issues are dealt with, given richness by a great script (written and directed by James L. Brooks) alongside talented performances. It's a tearjerker (sometimes a melodramatic one), but one worth watching. ## 60\. [*Argo* (2012)](https://amzn.to/411yKpQ?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Argo* is a fascinating story based in real life events: the CIA fakes a sci-fi film production to rescue citizens from a chaotic Tehran situation. Great premise, well portrayed thanks to Ben Affleck's smart direction. ## 59\. [*Mrs. Miniver* (1942)](https://amzn.to/4bQUbig?ref=thefilmmaven.com) William Wyler’s *Mrs. Miniver* highlights the dramas of a middle-class English family around the tense chaos of WWII. Greer Garson excels as matriarch Kay Miniver, and it's a well-performed and often moving window into a number of poignant crises, though at times it falls prey to propagandistic melodrama. ## 58\. [*All The King's Men* (1949)](https://amzn.to/4t8J1MR?ref=thefilmmaven.com) A solid film noir about power and corruption looking at the rise and fall of fictional politician Willie Stark (a great Broderick Crawford). If anything, it's a little too resonant these days (except it's difficult to suspend disbelief that corrupt politicians can fall from grace). ## 57\. [*Hamlet* (1948)](https://amzn.to/4rWubbm?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Hamlet* was a pretty straightforward adaptation of one of the Bard's most intense tragedies, but in Laurence Olivier's hands, it's a must-see interpretation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/Ben-Hur.webp) Loew's, Inc. ## 56\. [*Ben-Hur* (1959)](https://amzn.to/4thl5qV?ref=thefilmmaven.com) The chariot race still stands as one of the biggest, best stunts in film history (despite its dangers), and Charlton Heston shines as an enslaved but rebellious Jewish prince. As far as Biblical epics go, you don't really get better than this. ## 55\. [*Gandhi* (1982)](https://amzn.to/4s8bUbm?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Gandhi* takes liberties with the life of Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi, but a number of strong directorial choices from director-producer Richard Attenborough and a great performance from Ben Kingsley nonetheless turn it into a beautiful tribute to a champion of nonviolent resistance. ## 54\. [*From Here to Eternity* (1953)](https://amzn.to/4t6qi4v?ref=thefilmmaven.com) A tale following a trio of soldiers stationed in Hawaii just before the attack on Pearl Harbor, it's a solid historical war tale with a deservedly famous (and groundbreaking in its era) steamy adulterous beach kiss. ## 53\. [*Shakespeare in Love* (1998)](https://amzn.to/3O1pWNO?ref=thefilmmaven.com) A period romantic comedy about William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) and Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), its Best Picture win (one of seven wins from thirteen nominations) came as a surprise to many, given its competition against *Saving Private Ryan*. Should *Ryan* have won? Yes. But it's a solid period romantic comedy nonetheless. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/anora1.jpg) ## 52\. [*Anora* (2024)](https://thefilmmaven.com/anaconda-1997-jennifer-lopez/) Sean Baker's handprints are all over this film, as writer, director, producer, and editor, creating a singular vision that turns this story of a young sex worker caught in the web of a criminal empire's immature heir. The story meanders as it approaches its conclusion, but it's a great film overall. ## 51\. [*The Hurt Locker* (2009)](https://amzn.to/3NPfSHE?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq War thriller provides constant tension, as a bomb-disposal crew put themselves in danger over, and over, and over. Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie give strong performances for a film that encapsulates the war of the era. ## 50\. [*Million Dollar Baby* (2004)](https://amzn.to/4twllm3?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Good luck walking away from Clint Eastwood's boxing tragedy *Million Dollar Baby* with anything less than tear-stained shirts; Hilary Swank is excellent in a depressing and occasionally melodramatic depression factory. 1. [*How Green Was My Valley* (1941)](https://amzn.to/4szpHZb?ref=thefilmmaven.com) A non-Western John Ford outing sees the Morgan family divided by the social issues of the time, distilled through the lens of an early-20th century miners strike. *How Green Was My Valley* boasts strong performances and gorgeous camera work. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/AFI20_7149_THE-STING_Social_2.jpg) ## 48\. [*The Sting* (1973)](https://amzn.to/4swSldv?ref=thefilmmaven.com) A pair of con artists (Robert Redford, Paul Newman) take on the crime boss responsible for a mutual friend’s murder via One Great Con, an operation so complex and engaging you can’t help but be impressed at its intricacy. Sandwiched between the first and second *Godfather* films it’s a bit vapid but a lot of fun thanks to tight direction, intricate plotting in an exceptional script, and wonderful performances from two of the era’s finest. ## 47\. [*Titanic* (1997)](https://amzn.to/4bCV13m?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Jim Cameron's historical romance became an absolute phenomenon, in part because of the inherent tragedy of the situation, but also because of the insane chemistry between Jack (a young Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (a stellar Kate Winslet). It's a spectacular and gorgeous doomed love story that still works thirty years later. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/Sound-of-Music.webp) 20th Century Studios ## 46\. [*The Sound of Music* (1965)](https://amzn.to/4c8brRo?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Robert Wise's musical about the singing von Trapp family is a wonderful showcase thanks to gorgeous vistas, excellent performances from Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, and heightened stakes as the family flees the Nazis. You won't be able to watch this without singing a song or two, or desire ripping a Nazi flag in half (which you should anyway). ## 45\. [*The Last Emperor* (1987)](https://amzn.to/4bAtP5h?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *The Last Emperor* is Bernardo Bertolucci's tale of the Chinese Emperor Puyi's life after fleeing China following the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. It isn't typical fare for the Italian director (famous for controversial but excellent works like *The Conformist*, *Last Tango in Paris*, and *The Dreamers*), but it is a beautiful, often harrowing, complex tale. ## 44\. [*Marty* (1955)](https://amzn.to/4dJ3x27?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Marty* follows an Italian-American butcher who, in his mid-30s, suspects he's doomed to life as a bachelor before he connects with high school teacher Clara. Ernest Borgnine is stellar, as is Betsy Blair as Clara. It's a little weird that so much of the plot rests on folks gaslighting the audience into thinking a normal-looking lady is extremely plain but it's a solid 1950s Oscar-winner. ## 43\. [*The Deer Hunter* (1978)](https://amzn.to/4bzzVD3?ref=thefilmmaven.com) The Vietnam War was a needless historical tragedy and it fueled a number of all-time-great films, including *Full Metal Jacket* and *Apocalypse Now*. The story of three lifelong friends upended and forever changed by the Vietnam War, *The Deer Hunter* stands as one of the best. It's long but emotionally complex with some unforgettable scenes, and exemplary performances from Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and John Savage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/movies-11062015-spot-superJumbo.webp) ## 42\. [*Spotlight* (2015)](https://amzn.to/4uTIkZF?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Tom McCarthy's look at the Boston Globe's Spotlight team and their brave exposé on the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal is far more of an exhibition of journalistic grunt work than a film with typical Best Picture fare. The ensemble film nevertheless excels thanks to a great cast and a smart script that refuses to shy away from its tough subject. ## 41\. [*You Can't Take It With You* (1938)](https://amzn.to/4bRbekv?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Frank Capra once again centers class issues in this romantic comedy about Tony Kirby (James Stewart), a man from a wealthy background who falls in love with stenographer Alice (Jean Arthur). It's well-used for both moral implications and comedic effect. ## 40\. [*The Best Years of Our Lives* (1946)](https://amzn.to/4bKO2UN?ref=thefilmmaven.com) After WWII, readjustment to civilian life was a complex affair for many. *The Best Years of Our Lives* takes on the challenge of portraying that sincerely and with honesty, centered in a realism that still translates. ## 39\. [*Everything Everywhere All At Once* (2022)](https://amzn.to/4bOjilJ?ref=thefilmmaven.com) A multiverse-hopping sci-fi comedy that's really about immigrants, feeling alienated from one's family, and class (and martial arts, and bagels, and taxes...), *Everything Everywhere All At Once* is an absolutely batshit crazy pile of madness that should not work but it does. We'll probably never see anything quite like it again, at least not in this universe. ## 38\. [*Amadeus* (1984)](https://amzn.to/41uQdal?ref=thefilmmaven.com) In portraying Mozart as an overgrown child with an uncanny aptitude for natural genius, and centering around the rumors that rival Salieri had a role in his declining fortune, *Amadeus* is at once a portrait of ambitious jealousy, a showcase of artistry, and a testament to betrayal. ## 37\. [*An American in Paris* (1951)](https://amzn.to/4rW23Fa?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Vincente Minnelli's *Gigi* may not stand the test of time but his *An American in Paris* still does. The 1951 classic musical is a great showcase of George and Ira Gershwin's musical talents, and Gene Kelly's charm and dancing prowess. ## 36\. [*In the Heat of the Night* (1967)](https://amzn.to/40XDmNH?ref=thefilmmaven.com) The great Sidney Poitier plays a visiting detective working to help racist Mississippi cops catch a killer for a fine, multi-layered film that still holds up. It's also a fine showcase of Poitier's on-screen brilliance. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/Patton.jpg) 20th Century Studios ## 35\. [*Patton* (1970)](https://amzn.to/41v9nNc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) George C. Scott gives an all-timer performance as the notoriously tough general George S. Patton, and who can forget the giant American flag speech? ## 34\. [*Gladiator* (2000)](https://amzn.to/4tdrZxf?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Ridley Scott's *Gladiator* remains one of the best historical epics of all time. A thrilling Russell Crowe plays former general Maximus, wronged and betrayed by Joaquin Phoenix' terrible Commodus after the latter discovers that his father Marcus Aurelius wants Maximus to succeed him. There's betrayal, incredible combat, and stellar performances throughout. ## 33\. [*Wings* (1928)](https://amzn.to/4t63Rwh?ref=thefilmmaven.com) The very first Best Picture winner, *Wings* was surprisingly ahead of its time on a number of fronts. Stunning early aerial battles, fantastic camera work, and a moving central story about two rival pilots in love with the same woman, *Wings* holds up a century later. ## 32\. [*The Shape of Water* (2017)](https://amzn.to/40T1npc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Guillermo del Toro's Cold War drama about a woman who falls in love with an aquatic-humanoid (who may be a god?) is a surprisingly unconventional tale that fits well into the director's explorations of humanity and the monstrous. It's romantic and immaculately made but it's also about how outsiders can band together against the most powerful governments in the world and win. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/the_departed_-_h_-_2006.webp) ## 31\. [*The Departed* (2006)](https://amzn.to/4tgTUMR?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *The Departed* is a stellar Scorsese picture with a strong premise: an undercover cop infiltrates the Irish Mob, while a Mob loyalist becomes a mole within the police force. As each side starts to suspect something's afoot it builds towards a remarkable tension for one of Scorsese's best (though *Taxi Driver*, *Raging Bull*, and *Goodfellas* should have won Best Picture first). ## 30\. [*12 Years a Slave* (2013)](https://amzn.to/4surdvM?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Based on an unfortunate true story, *12 Years a Slave* centers on Solomon Northup, a free Black man tricked into becoming a slave. Steve McQueen provides skilled direction while Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a heartbreaking performance in a film that's hard to watch but necessary viewing. ## 29\. [*Platoon* (1986)](https://amzn.to/47YKblX?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Oliver Stone helmed three Vietnam-war films: *Platoon*, *Born on the Fourth of July*, and *Heaven & Earth*. *Platoon* is a war epic that focuses dead center on the horrors of war. In capturing the complex ethics of the war and warfare itself through the tension between Platoon Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger) and Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), Stone allowed the film to cut a little deeper than a mere tour of terror might allow. ## 28\. [*Midnight Cowboy* (1969)](https://amzn.to/4sxEeoj?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Following young hustler Joe Buck (Jon Voight) and con artist "Ratso" Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), *Midnight Cowboy* was a key transitional film that helped shift Hollywood out of the '60s and into the experimental '70s. It was the only X-rated film to win Best Picture (actually, the only one to ever win an Oscar), proving a milestone in film history and showcasing the talents of both Hoffman and Voight. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/DXP4WT-H-2022.webp) ## 27\. [*Annie Hall* (1977)](https://amzn.to/4t8T04G?ref=thefilmmaven.com) The Woody Allen of it aside, *Annie Hall* remains a stellar comedy. You know it had to be good because the majority of his subsequent films are clear regurgitations of what worked in *Hall*. 1. [*One Battle After Another* (2025)](https://amzn.to/3PAXzq7?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Paul Thomas Anderson's revolutionary comedy manages to breeze by despite its length, thanks in part to exceptional performances across the board, ample amounts of comedy, and Anderson's ability to craft a fully lived-in, rich world. It's a blast, hands down. ## 25\. [*Oppenheimer* (2023)](https://amzn.to/3PylFln?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Christopher Nolan's *Oppenheimer* was a bold, well-told tale of the scientist who helped the U.S. build the bomb. One of the film's only flaws is, ironically, Robert Downey Jr.'s performance as Rear Admiral Strauss, which won him Best Supporting Actor. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/Fox-Searchlight.jpg) Fox Searchlight ## 24\. [*Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)* (2014)](https://amzn.to/47sLE3T?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Iñárritu's fantastic showbiz satire centers on an aging actor (Michael Keaton) struggling with art and identity in his effort to transcend his famed superhero role by starring in a stage play. A trippy, meta, magical realist tale starring the former-Batman Keaton (and being shot in a fake one-take), *Birdman* is absolutely wild with an electric, frantic pace. It's a great demonstration of the magic of cinema. ## 23\. [*Rocky* (1976)](https://amzn.to/4svltSs?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Sylvester Stallone may not consider Rocky a sports movie but it has fueled the fabric of almost every sports movie since. This story of fictional boxer Rocky Balboa’s efforts to rise from nowhere and become heavyweight champion of the world remains the best sports-centric film of all time: well-written, excellently performed, and full of real emotion. ## 22\. [*Lord of the Rings: Return of the King* (2003)](https://amzn.to/4uZrY1K?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Peter Jackson’s *Lord of the Rings* trilogy may be the best trilogy of all time. *Return* rocks but slightly loses points for it’s the worst of the three. Even still, it’s wild that Tolkien received an adaptation this fantastic. ## 21\. [*Unforgiven* (1992)](https://amzn.to/4814Eqj?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Clint Eastwood's epic 1992 Western follows aging outlaw William Munny (Eastwood), who takes on a final contract kill. Frustrated with the inaction of the law, sex workers hire Munny to "handle" a cowboy who attacked and disfigured one of their own. Munny's efforts for revenge are opposed by Sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett (Gene Hackman), setting up a deadly confrontation between Eastwood and Hackman that's an all-timer in the cinematic landscape. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/rebecca_-_h_-_1940.webp) ## 20\. [*Rebecca* (1940)](https://amzn.to/3PuMhnr?ref=thefilmmaven.com) It's surprising that Alfred Hitchcock's only Best Picture win came for *Rebecca* instead of some of his more famous films. Still, this story of the haunting of the wife (Joan Fontaine) of an aristocrat (Laurence Olivier) by his dead wife's presence is still an exceptional classic with great suspense and fine performances. ## 19\. [*The Lost Weekend* (1945)](https://amzn.to/4bJZnWF?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Centering a writer struggling with the throes of alcoholism on an isolated weekend, it’s a harrowing and worthwhile drama from Billy Wilder that showcases his range as a director. ## 18\. [*West Side Story* (1961)](https://amzn.to/3PqBTgu?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *West Side Story* adapts and modernizes *Romeo and Juliet* brilliantly, with catchy songs, great performances, and choreography. Everything works, for maybe the best musical of all time (at least other than *The Nightmare Before Christmas*). ## 17\. [*All About Eve* (1950)](https://amzn.to/4lPk9Y0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Joseph L. Mankiewicz' *All About Eve* follows aging Broadway star Margo Channing (Bette Davis) who finds herself increasingly besieged by ambitious young fan Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter). It's tense, smartly written, and capably performed, with themes that still resonate today. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/no-country-for-old-men_1280x720.jpg) Miramax ## 16\. [*No Country for Old Men* (2007)](https://amzn.to/4bKOm5X?ref=thefilmmaven.com) The Coen Bros.' neo-Western crime thriller centers on a man who finds a lot of money in the desert (Josh Brolin), but has to survive being hunted by a vicious and effective assassin, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). The movie is as great as Chigurh's haircut is terrible. ## 15\. [*The Bridge on the River Kwai* (1957)](https://amzn.to/4de0gI8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) An incredible epic war film about a POW camp and the battle of wills between Commander Shears (William Holden) and British Commander Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), the tension over Nicholson’s insistence that the prisoners of war help the enemy by working hard and doing good work is a surprising point of tension delivered brilliantly. ## 14\. [*The French Connection* (1971)](https://amzn.to/4lQT0E6?ref=thefilmmaven.com) William Friedkin delivers one of the finest neo-noir films of all time, following a shady but determined detective (RIP Gene Hackman, legend) trying to break a drug smuggling ring. It’s so good it was actually worth all that public endangerment in the car chase sequence. ## 13\. [*All Quiet on the Western Front* (1930)](https://amzn.to/4lXNIH5?ref=thefilmmaven.com) A 1930 adaptation of an anti-war classic simply shouldn’t be this good. Emotional. Epic. Adeptly paced. It's fantastic. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/on_the_waterfront_-_h_-_2017.webp) ## 12\. [*On the Waterfront* (1954)](https://amzn.to/4rVWmac?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Elia Kazan took fifteen minutes out of his gleeful participation in McCarthy’s anticommunist blacklist to direct *On the Waterfront*, but the crime drama is excellent thanks to Budd Schulberg’s great script and a stunning performance from Marlon Brando. ## 11\. [*The Silence of the Lambs* (1991)](https://amzn.to/4bKOBhn?ref=thefilmmaven.com) The cat-and-mouse game between Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter and Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling continues to be incredible to watch. ## 10\. [*It Happened One Night* (1934)](https://amzn.to/4s1qWj0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *It Happened One Night*, featuring Claudette Colbert as a socialite who falls for a reporter (played by Clark Gable), is a hilarious exemplar of how good so many 1930s comedies were. The story perpetually shifts, the dialogue is witty and adeptly delivered. ## 9\. [*One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest* (1975)](https://amzn.to/41rGDVI?ref=thefilmmaven.com) A tense battle of wills between the arrested Randle McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) and the sadistic mental institution’s Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), this adaptation captures the spirit of the Ken Kesey classic with an absolutely stellar script and pitch-perfect performances. ## 8\. [*Lawrence of Arabia* (1962)](https://amzn.to/3O5pNJ8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) In many ways, *Lawrence of Arabia* is the prototypical epic: surely not the first, but it feels grand and massive, a major accomplishment in its era that stands the test of time. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/godfather2.jpg) Paramount ## 7\. [*The Godfather 2* (1974)](https://amzn.to/41v9WXk?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *The Godfather* is a masterpiece, but *The Godfather Part II* is so good that you can have a spirited debate over which is better. It’s a time-hopping set of stories tracing Vito Corleone’s immigrant tale while also following Michael’s complex journey as family patriarch. Both stories are immaculate. ## 6\. [*The Apartment* (1960)](https://amzn.to/4uRVyG6?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Billy Wilder was a legend, in part for his ability to pull off an incredible array of different genres and tones. *The Apartment* is hilarious yet sad and serious, brilliantly sliding between tones better than almost anyone. ## 5\. [*Moonlight* (2016)](https://amzn.to/4uUIAaL?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Barry Jenkins’ moving tale of a young Black man who comes to understand that he’s gay over the course of a life, is brilliant all around and one of the most romantic movies in film history, *easy.* ## 4\. [*Schindler's List* (1993)](https://amzn.to/4t9ZOPJ?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Spielberg’s World War II drama about German industrialist Oskar Schindler is a stark portrayals of the horrors of Nazism, with an incredible performance from Liam Neeson. It’s a hard watch and a stark reminder to stamp out fascism in all forms, forever. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/Brody-Parasite.webp) ## 3\. [*Parasite* (2019)](https://amzn.to/4sCmuZa?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Bong Joon-ho has long been one of our finest filmmakers, and the class thriller *Parasite* shows why. Incisive in its critical lens, *Parasite* slides between tones effortlessly with a skill we haven’t seen since Wilder’s best. ## 2\. [*The Godfather* (1972)](https://amzn.to/4bzAGMn?ref=thefilmmaven.com) There’s little that hasn’t been said about *The Godfather*. Suffice to say it has almost everything: high stakes, love, loss, violence, family, betrayal, and a fall from grace for Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) that’s tragic yet feels fated. ## 1\. [*Casablanca* (1943)](https://amzn.to/3NJTZJO?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Literally everything about *Casablanca* works. The script is rock solid and full of classic lines. The politics are stellar. Bogart, brilliant. It’ll make you cry because of the doomed romance, and when a room of crying French patriots sing the French national anthem in resistance. ### Linda Fiorentino: Hollywood's Real Life Femme Fatale URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/linda-fiorentino-difficult/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T01:43:50.000Z [***Women They Warned You About***](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/women-they-warned-you-about/) *is an ongoing series focused on Hollywood misogyny and how the term "difficult" has been used on women in the entertainment industry for decades. Each article spotlights a different woman, tracks her career, and how the term changed the perception of her in Hollywood.* *This in-depth, highly researched series is exclusive to Gold level Film Maven subscribers. Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven. Paid Film Mavens get access to *one-two exclusive articles a week* including access to this series as well as* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*.* --- > "I have this terminal condition called bitchiness." –Linda Fiorentino. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Jake Shane Is Why Influencers Need to Stop Being Treated Like Journalists URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/jake-shane-vanity-fair-oscars/ Last updated: 2026-04-20T00:43:01.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *one-two exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- If your algorithm was spitting out Oscar-related videos to you after Sunday night like mine was then you probably saw influencer Jake Shane talking to celebrities at Vanity Fair's after-party. Or, more specifically, you saw celebrities struggle to find a way to talk to Shane as he continuously engaged in a bit about his hatred for the (Oscar-nominated) film [*If I Had Legs I'd Kick You*](https://amzn.to/4tbxfkL?ref=thefilmmaven.com) that saw him yelling a lot. I had never seen any of Shane's videos prior to Sunday, but unlike other situations where this happened, it garnered attention. The interviews [caught the eye of Variety](https://variety.com/2026/film/columns/jake-shane-vanity-fair-oscar-party-backlash-1236691324/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) who dropped a piece with the pretty blunt headline: "Jake Shane’s Questions at the *Vanity Fair* Oscar Party Prove Influencers Shouldn’t Be Red Carpet Reporters." As my headline says, I'd take things a step further: Jake Shane's questions prove why influencers shouldn't be treated like journalists. This is nothing new if you've read *The Film Maven* for awhile. Nearly half of the pieces in my ["Journalism Is Fucked and We're All Doomed" series](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/) is about the encroachment of influencers into journalistic spaces. But looking at the social media interaction showed a marked divide between content creators justifying Shane's reason for being at the show (or otherwise supporting him) and non-influencers and journalists discussing how his interviews only continue to erode actual entertainment journalism. So, let's talk about it. I did a several part thread on social laying out that Jake Shane is part of a multi-pronged problem. Really, influencers aren't 100% to blame for things like this happening. There's a lot of other arms that are complicit in how influencers came to supplant entertainment journalists and critics. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Liza Minnelli's 80th Birthday (Ticklish Business With Bruce David Klein) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/liza-minnelli-bruce-david-klein-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T01:44:12.000Z *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is part of The Film Maven free week! All week you'll be reading a mix of posts that include what paid subscribers get regularly! If you can't commit to a subscription consider* [***leaving a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/diane-keaton-baby-boom-1987-ticklish-business-podcast/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- Bruce David Klein, director of [*Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story*](https://amzn.to/4lWrSDO?ref=thefilmmaven.com), joins Kristen to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the iconic actress. The two talk about Minnelli's struggles, both personal and professional, her connections to her mother, and why she remains a legend today. ## Watch and Listen below --- **You can** [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*Popcorn Disabilities*⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch shop is live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠become a Patron⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com): • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Emily's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Kate G ### Reminders of Him Director Vanessa Caswill Talks Authentic Representation in Her Colleen Hoover Adaptation URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/reminders-of-him-colleen-hoover/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T01:45:19.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/oscar-predictions-2026-the-film-maven/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- I had to admit to director Vanessa Caswill before our interview that this was my first time experiencing the work, filmed or literary, of author Colleen Hoover. One of the biggest names in fiction right now hasn't garnered much of my attention. So seeing Caswill's feature [*Reminders of Him*](https://amzn.to/4bzB5hR?ref=thefilmmaven.com), [an adaptation of Hoover's 2022 novel](https://amzn.to/4815cwn?ref=thefilmmaven.com), was an introduction to both Caswill's directorial stylings and Hoover's source material. Caswill, thankfully, doesn't give me any guff, admitting that she hadn't read any of Hoover's books before Hoover's co-writer, Lauren Levine, offered Caswill the script. "I loved all the characters," Caswill tells *The Film Maven*. "I love that they're all flawed, imperfect people, but trying to do the best that they can in an imperfect world. I loved how much emotion there was. How Colleen writes about really difficult things, but she does it with a sense of humor and levity, and she shifts between deep pain and grief to present wonder. I really wanted to make sure I could capture that tone. I wanted to create something that felt grounded, and, even though it's a big sweeping studio romance, \[that\] it didn't tip into something that felt saccharine. That it had a really restrained performances and felt human and elevated at the same time." Caswill, having made her directorial debut with the 2023 Netflix romance *Love at First Sight*, was pulled in by the script and immediately hit it off with Hoover and Levine. "She's \[Hoover's\] very collaborative, very generous, very open and super creative," Caswill says. All three aligned on how to tell the story of Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe), a woman fresh out of prison who returns to her hometown to reconnect with the daughter she's never met. Along the way, she meets the kindhearted Ledger (Tyriq Withers), who has his own connection to her child. The film is very much a two-hander betwen Monroe and Withers. In looking at the actors, Caswill wanted someone who could "hold opposites" in the role of Kenna. "When you read the book, you're not sure whether you're meant to trust your protagonist. You don't know whether you know she's dangerous or not, and she's certainly mysterious," she says. Monroe, who has been acting for several years, had the ability to be aloof and cool, while also being able to be vulnerable and warm. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/2598_D036_00279_R-H-2026.webp) For Ledger, Caswill definitely knew she needed someone who had the physicality of an ex-football player, as the character is in the book. Withers, himself, was a former football player. But it took Caswill sitting down with him and discussing the part to realize he was perfectly suited, "It was when I spoke to him that I really knew that he was right for the role, because he felt so invested in the story and felt so much personal connection to it, and he has this big open heart." But who ends up stealing the show is newcomer Monika Meyers as Lady Diana, the deadpan young girl with Down Syndrome, who lives in Kenna's apartment complex and befriends her. Meyers steals every scene she's in with perfect comedic timing. The character may be written as disabled, but there's never any mention of it in the movie. Caswill was excited to work with the character but also had a strong personal connection to Lady Diana, having had a close relationship with an aunt who had Down Syndrome. "I got sent her \[Meyers'\] tapes, and I was just laughing so much by myself watching them," says Caswill. "The comic timing was just phenomenal. I met with her and her mom on Zoom, but I really wanted to make sure that I'd work with her in person. So they came to Calgary and we did a really great workshop together. As soon as she walked out of the room, it was like okay, that's her, Lady Diana." Often when discussing disability representation with creatives with someone like me, there's an air of being afraid to say the wrong thing. But in talking to Caswill, there's a true moment of understanding as we discuss the power of representation, that brings the director to tears. As Caswill explains, it was a powerful moment having her father come to set, having lost his sister (Caswill's aunt mentioned above) fairly recently, and see Meyers playing the part. "He kept on talking to her and he just was like, 'You're my favorite character.'" It's something Caswill hopes to continue in her career, explaining that she's currently working on a script about Alexander Graham Bell's wife, Mabel Gardiner Hubbard, who became Deaf at a young age. The hope is that if that project moves forward she'll be able to work with more Deaf and disabled people on the project. In the meantime, Caswill is excited to have people respond to Kenna's journey, and to have contributed to it. It's heady territory adapting one of the most read authors in fiction right now, but Caswill proved she was more than up to the challenge. *Reminders of Him is in theaters now.* *You can watch the full interview with Caswill below (and be sure to subscribe to* [*The Film Maven's YouTube Channel*](https://www.youtube.com/@KristenKLopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*).* --- *I have a new book dropping on *July 28th*! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ### One Battle's Oscar Win Wasn't Historical But Gave Us a Glimpse of the Future URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/academy-awards-2026/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T01:47:48.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- Oscar season 2025 finally came to an end last night and as it always does I immediately went to social media this morning to look at the online chatter about [*One Battle After Another*](https://amzn.to/4bQgWD5?ref=thefilmmaven.com) taking Best Picture over [*Sinners*](https://amzn.to/41x9UOK?ref=thefilmmaven.com). The two had been duking it out over the last week, with nearly everyone (including myself) giving drawn out historical treatises on which was going to take it home. Mind you, One Battle was the pretty clear frontrunner, accumulating six BAFTAs, three Critics Choice Awards, PTA winning the DGA award, and four Golden Globes. So when *One Battle* walked away with six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, and Supporting Actor (for an absent Sean Penn), the moment seemed rather muted. It brings me back to that chatter online, which is less "*Sinners* got robbed" and more "Well, that happened." It's a two-fold thing. One, nearly every has Oscars fatigue. The awards [happening mid-March](https://variety.com/2026/film/columns/oscars-march-date-too-late-1236677075/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) allowed for plenty of time for people to point out the flaws of both movies ad nauseum and to generally move on from them. The other is just an air of expectation: Oscars are gonna Oscar. If there's one thing the awards show has been able to do [consistently it's disappoint](https://www.indiewire.com/awards/predictions/the-oscars-2026-less-surprises-1235179221/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). There certainly were historical gains made: [*K-Pop Demon Hunters*](https://amzn.to/4bQINmu?ref=thefilmmaven.com) winning for Best Animated Film and Best Original Song (the first time a K-Pop song has won). Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw becoming the first woman to win in her category. And Michael B. Jordan taking home Best Actor, probably the highlight of the entire night. But I think, after the last year we've had, people wanted more. And one should never expect more from the Academy. They gave us [*Green Book*](https://amzn.to/4bRQZ6a?ref=thefilmmaven.com), after all. But instead of bemoaning the night I want to talk about what it offered us: a glimpse into the future. With only three more years of Oscars on broadcast television, and the threat of consolidation looming over everything with the Paramount/WB merger (hey, which studio just won all those Oscars?), this year's ceremony may have felt like the last gasp of a long season, but it felt more like the beginning of a bittersweet conclusion for everything else. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/Brody_OneBattleAfterAnother_rev-1-OBAA-DUS-250113-0050-7_High_Res_JPEG.webp) I said after [last year's *Anora* win](https://thefilmmaven.com/anora-best-picture-oscars-2025/) that voters rewarded a movie that just made them have fun, ignoring that knife twist of an ending which felt all too real. In the battle between *Sinners* and *One Battle*, it became a question of which political world do we want to live in? Which one do we have any control over? Sinners may have made vampires their villain, but Ryan Coogler's story is one of racism and oppression. A supernatural evil being just the obvious baddie that masks the true horrors underneath. It certainly felt authentic in a world where buffoonish clowns doing bad shit take away from the deeper horrors happening on tropical island. *One Battle*, though, is the world we're somewhat living in today and there's certainly a desire to celebrate Paul Thomas Anderson's depiction of an interconnected world of people secretly helping the oppressed try to get around the wealthy white guys trying to do harm. Never mind [the criticisms about Perfidia Beverly Hills](https://www.fridaythings.com/recent-posts/teyana-taylor-perfidia-beverly-hills-one-battle-after-another-morality-tale?ref=thefilmmaven.com) (Teyana Taylor), brought up by scores of Black female critics, they said. Giving the Best Supporting Actor award for Sean Penn's showy performance of a racist, Musk-inspired military man made sense because the character hit so close to home. Never mind that Best Supporting Actress going to Amy Madigan, for *Weapons*, made this year's duo probably the most overwrought Baby Jane-esque duo. And make no mistake, I love **both** *One Battle* and *Sinners*. Each one does something different for me. One Battle winning doesn't have nearly the gut punch of [*King's Speech*](https://amzn.to/3Pr6w5t?ref=thefilmmaven.com) winning over [*Social Network*](https://amzn.to/40T2e9o?ref=thefilmmaven.com) – the moment many felt the Academy would usher in a decade of bucking social conventions and making an Oscars for the younger crowd – but it does still feel like a status quo win. One where the political impact was there, but certainly no one wanted to bring it up. [Justin Chang at *The New Yorker*](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-current-cinema/the-2026-oscars-were-a-protest-against-their-own-irrelevance?ref=thefilmmaven.com) summed it up perfectly: "Should we be annoyed, dismayed, worried, jaded, or relieved that, at the second Oscars of the second Trump Administration, barely a month into a spuriously waged war on Iran, so many of the winners’ speeches steered clear of politics? Was it incumbent upon the artists behind 'One Battle After Another' and 'Sinners,' two Oscar front-runners of genuine political heft, to speak out as forcefully against white supremacy as their films do? This reserve has become the Academy’s way: it’s not as if the 'Oppenheimer' juggernaut of two years ago initiated a flood of speeches denouncing nuclear proliferation." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/rev-1-GRC-TT-0026r_High_Res_JPEG-H-2025.webp) So it's bizarre to watch the awards last night and remember that the studio that gave us both Best Picture contenders is set to sell itself to a studio who got a [whopping ZERO nominations](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/mar/16/warner-bros-wins-a-record-11-oscars-as-one-battle-after-another-and-sinners-dominate-awards?ref=thefilmmaven.com#:~:text=Paramount%20had%20no%20nominations.&text=Twenty%2Dnine%20of%20Warner%20Bros,accounted%20for%20the%20last%20nod.), on top of being run by a man who wants to squelch free speech and probably doesn't care about history at all. To know that, when/if that merger takes place, [only fifteen Warner Bros. movies will get made](https://deadline.com/2026/03/paramount-warner-bros-merger-movie-release-plans-1236739301/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) – if they make any at all. Looking at you, Fox – lingers in the back of my mind. Which brings me to the "bittersweet" element of last night's show. Host Conan O'Brien – which did a really good job this year, by the way – mentioned that in 2029 the Oscars will be transitioning off network television to be exclusively aired on YouTube. This has several good points including that things like language and political speech probably won't be censored. Also, the time constraints won't be an issue and we won't have to see rude things like minority winners having [the mic snatched out of their hands](https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/kpop-demon-hunters-winners-finish-best-original-song-speech-1235184720/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and the lights turned off if their speeches are deemed too long. Seriously, that was some rude shit. "Ultimately, it wasn’t the brutalities of the Trump Administration or Israel’s atrocities in Gaza that drew the most sustained protest on Sunday night but rather the encroaching threat of irrelevance for a film industry facing challenges on many fronts: declining ticket sales, the rise of A.I., soul-crushing corporate mergers," says Chang. That, more than anything stood out to me at the end of this long awards season that wasn't so much winding as it felt like it was a straight line set in brick. This year's Oscars felt the most perfunctory. This was the reward left waiting at the tunnel and it just feels rote. There's still much unknown, however, about how the Oscars will change when they're no longer tied to television. Will it bring in an uptick of viewers? Will we lose more than we already are? The fact is, that until O'Brien pointed it out, I'd forgotten they were even moving. It'll be interesting to see the transition over the next two years, barring we're still here as a society by 2029\. On top of that, if the Paramount/WB merger goes through, how will the film landscape look? If this year's award season felt like a straight line it's only it hides the truly chaotic road hiding underneath. --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ### Final Oscar Predictions (Which I Might Throw Out on the Night) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/oscar-predictions-2026-the-film-maven/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T02:04:36.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/project-hail-mary-review-ryan-gosling/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- The Oscars are nigh! Honestly, Oscar season always feels long but this year it was all but impossible to hear someone say, "Wait, [the Oscars haven't happened yet](https://variety.com/2026/film/columns/oscars-march-date-too-late-1236677075/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)?" But what feels like the longest Oscar season in history is finally here and...I still don't know who I see winning. Maybe because there's just so much that's been thrown at us outside of a movie theater, but I've never felt more disconnected from the Oscars than this year. Really, the evening will probably be an offshoot of the [Golden Globes piece I wrote](https://thefilmmaven.com/golden-globes-2026/). Either way, below are the major predictions I'm throwing out there! [I'll be over on our Discord server](https://discord.gg/wSZsVcJ7Ge?ref=thefilmmaven.com) on the night and hope you all will pop in to hear me laugh, cry, and complain about the In Memoriam segment. ## Best Original Screenplay **Will Win**: I don't see Ryan Coogler losing this one for [*Sinners*](https://amzn.to/4lUru8F?ref=thefilmmaven.com). **Could Win**: I've heard arguments made for [*It Was Just an Accident*](https://amzn.to/3NwxAQ9?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and [*Sentimental Value*](https://amzn.to/4sCnCvS?ref=thefilmmaven.com). This seems like the most shoo-in category but, if it isn't, it could be either of these. **Should Win**: Coogler, 100%. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/c7a3fc86-736f-4162-bf8e-fd8ee18667c4.webp) ## Best Adapted Screenplay **Will Win**: Pundits have called this a slam dunk for Paul Thomas Anderson. I'm a bit more skeptical and see it as a fight between PTA and Chloe Zhao and Maggie O'Farrell for *Hamnet*. There's a world where I see [*Hamnet*](https://amzn.to/4rYbyUm?ref=thefilmmaven.com) taking this and Actress and nothing else. But I'm gonna play it safe here and say PTA. **Could Win**: *Hamnet*. **Should Win**: Will Tracy's [*Bugonia*](https://amzn.to/4s8dCti?ref=thefilmmaven.com) script was so funny that, in a different world, I wish this was a winner. But then I've been quoting [*One Battle After Another*](https://amzn.to/4lZtTzi?ref=thefilmmaven.com) for months. ## Best Supporting Actor **Will Win**: This one is tough as the various precursors have felt a bit haphazard. There's a world where I can see any one of these five taking the award home. And I'm still not 100% confident on the choice I'm making. That being said, the majority of Oscar voters are still somewhat older, and at least three out of the five are men over 60\. And each of those men has a strong narrative for why they should. But, for me, it's Lindo that has the strongest pull. Penn is still not universally beloved by both voters and the bigger fandom, and while his performance as Colonel Lockjaw is showy, it might hit too close to home to reward. Lindo has been at every event, kind and gracious in talking to voters. And if *Sinners* *is* the movie to race through the awards this would be a great moment. **Could Win**: Ordinarily, I'd worry two *One Battle* nominees would split, hence Lindo. But if it's not him than I could see Penn or even Del Toro taking this. I'm gonna lean towards Penn for ow. **Should Win**: Lindo or Del Toro would make me so happy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/Amy-Madigan-Weapons-092325-01-4d483e38a26b438fa82f1e1840e692e5.jpg) ## Best Supporting Actress **Will Win**: I still don't get the love for [*Weapons*](https://thefilmmaven.com/weapons-review-zach-cregger/) and probably never will. However, I'm all for a veteran performer finally getting recognition in this space (see Lindo above). So I'm okay with this being Amy Madigan's Oscar. And I'm ready for this Oscar season to end so I never have to talk about this movie again. **Could Win**: Everyone keeps saying Wumni Mosaku for *Sinners* could be a real upset which is interesting. She's great, I just don't know if I see her eking out a win. Maybe if *Sinners* truly sweeps? If anything, I see Teyana Taylor being more of an upset. **Should Win**: I love both Mosaku's Annie and Taylor's Perfidia Beverly Hills so just give them both an award. ## Best Actress **Will Win**: It's Buckley. Just give it to her at the door, it's so obvious. **Could Win**: I don't see anyone else upsetting the apple cart here but maybe Rose Byrne? **Should Win**: Buckley is fantastic. But I love Rose Byrne in [*If I Had Legs*](https://thefilmmaven.com/if-i-had-legs-mary-bronstein-interview/) just a smidge more. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/rev-1-OBAA-DUS-250113-0059-8_High_Res_JPEG-H-2025.webp) ## Best Actor **Will Win**: For the last few months nearly every pundit was on the "Timothee Chalamet's winning an Oscar" bandwagon. But in the wake of Michael B. Jordan's SAG win, and Chalamet shooting himself in the foot with his press antics, the tide has turned to seemingly everyone thinking Jordan was a shoo-in. I'd very much love Jordan to win, but I'm having trouble seeing it. Mostly because of Hollywood's desire to "reward" actors who have stewed in their acting juices. Usually, the belief is to give the actors an Oscar when they're older, when they're due. Chalamet and Jordan, still in their thirties, could be perceived by voters as still having time in their careers to give audiences something truly fantastic. So I'm gonna be SUPER controversial and say, I think Leo is taking this one. Leo didn't win his first Oscar till he was 42 and if Penn and *One Battle* do really well, this could be an easy nomination. Not to mention, Leo glad-handed A LOT during this awards season. I'm sorry but I just don't see either of the young guys taking this home. **Could Win**: Jordan is still very much up there. But even as backup I see Chalamet taking this home. Remember, this is the voting body that gave us *Green Book*. We say every year the Oscars are gonna shake things up and they never do. **Should Win**: Jordan! And if he wins I might have my faith restored in humanity. ## Best Director **Will Win**: The Oscars could make history giving Ryan Coogler the award and making him the first Black director (in 2026!) in the ceremony's entire history to win the award. But see my comments about [*Green Book*](https://amzn.to/4uUJ8xk?ref=thefilmmaven.com) above. I think PTA is walking away with this. **Could Win**: Coogler. Give him all the awards. The man's only made five films and all have had massive cultural impact. **Should Win**: Coogler. Coogler. Coogler. I'm manifesting this! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/one-battle-after-another.webp) ## Best Picture **Will Win**: Sadly, I don't see the Oscars breaking their anti-horror antipathy this year. (If [*The Exorcist*](https://amzn.to/3PJZIji?ref=thefilmmaven.com) couldn't win Best Picture, I see little hope for anything else.) I see *One Battle* taking this. **Could Win**: *Sinners* is still very much in contention. It's a crowd-pleaser. No doubt voters have watched it multiple times. But I still can't shake that something weird like *Hamnet* or something is in second place. **Should Win**: *Sinners* all the way! --- **💫I'm hosting an Oscar watch party over on our Discord chat for all Film Maven fans, paid and free.** [**Click the link**](https://discord.gg/wSZsVcJ7Ge?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **and join us on Sunday to talk about the winners, the losers, and everything in between.💫** *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ### That Harvey Weinstein Interview and Bad Men Clickbait URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/harvey-weinstein-interview-hollywood-reporter/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T20:30:12.000Z *Welcome to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- I spent yesterday at Disneyland and while taking a break to get some food I saw decided to scan social media. It was a few seconds in that I saw *The Hollywood Reporter* had posted an ["exclusive" interview](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/harvey-weinstein-prison-interview-rikers-exclusive-1236523824/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) from Rikers with disgraced producer/sex pest Harvey Weinstein. Being in a location surrounded by small children compelled me to keep my comments in check but it just made me ask aloud: "Why the hell are the trades so interested in hearing what Weinstein has to say?" Weinstein has been in prison since 2020 where he's [serving a 23-year sentence](https://www.npr.org/2023/02/23/1158207425/harvey-weinstein-los-angeles?ref=thefilmmaven.com) for rape and assault in New York and was sentenced to a separate 16-year sentence for rape and sexual assault in Los Angeles. But for the last three years there's been a desire to interview him. At one of my previous jobs a female reporter actually pitched sitting down with Weinstein because they were, according to her, on friendly terms. The outrage from other people in the room put an end to that quickly and it never developed. I'm interested less in what Harvey Weinstein has to say – you can read *THR's* piece but it all boils down to "I'm not responsible and the women knew what they were getting into" – and more why entertainment journalists are interested in talking to him? Also, in a landscape where trust in journalism is being eroded on the daily, why the desire to roll out the welcome mat by giving bad, criminal men a platform? _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Project Hail Mary Review: Ryan Gosling Is the Starman In a Movie About Community Beyond the Stars URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/project-hail-mary-review-ryan-gosling/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T02:13:53.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/scream-7-review-neve-campbell/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- One of the moments that is already being cited in Phil Lord and Chris Miller's *Project Hail Mary* as one of its best is when Sandra Huller, a scientist and government operative tasked with assembling the greatest minds for a mission to save our dying Sun, plaintively sings Harry Styles's "Sign of the Times." The moment comprises many disparate feelings found in the movie: resignation and defeat, acceptance of what can't be changed, and the feeling that for a brief and shining moment coming together can help us forget how shitty the world is. Lord and Miller, alongside screenwriter Drew Goddard, do a bang-up job adapting [Andy Weir's novel of the same name](https://amzn.to/3Q2Prid?ref=thefilmmaven.com). (Goddard seems to be the Weir screenwriter whisperer, having adapted a previous Weir text, 2015's [*The Martian*](https://amzn.to/41vaH2C?ref=thefilmmaven.com).) There's a beauty and sense of awe in everything from the production design – enhanced by an IMAX presentation – to Ryan Gosling's performance that mitigates what can, at times, feel like tonal inconsistency and a lack of interest in the main narrative. Science teacher Ryland Grace (Gosling) is tasked with working with a group of scientists to find the reason behind what interplanetary bacteria is eating up our Sun. With the fate of humanity hanging in the balance Grace, for reasons he can't recall, wakes up the sole survivor of the mission, going to the planet Tau Ceti to hopefully find a means of saving the Sun. While trying to piece together his past, he encounters a fellow space traveler, a faceless rock alien he dubs Rocky, who becomes his companion and partner in trying to save the universe. This isn't the typical Lord and Miller venture wherein it's a straightforward comedy. The jokes don't fly a mile a minute. Instead, it treads in the need for optimism in the most bleakest of moments. Time is of the essence and Goddard's script wastes none of it, immediately placing audiences into a complex exposition that sees Grace explain to his young students about the Petrova line, a formation of these bacteria traveling from the Sun to Venus and how these parasites are killing the sun. Huller's Eva Stratt soon arrives to give audiences the doom and gloom stakes, that in just thirty years the Earth's temperatures will drop and people will soon be dealing with starvation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/KXtAzpTQ7BWj9uxziLh97m.jpg) After this initial setup the movie falls into a series of flashbacks to Grace's life on Earth, trying to help figure out how to destroy the organisms, with his current time on the space craft. This back and forth is certainly beneficial for the inclusion of other actors (or, really, just Huller), but it takes away from the far more interesting plot of what's happening with Grace and Rocky. The viewer knows the who/what/when/why and every return back to Earth is to purely answer: How Grace got there when it really doesn't matter. Grace is on the ship and he's doing some amazing things to save humanity. Huller, to her credit, makes a lot out of a rather minor role; she's the wizened leader bringing everyone together. *Project Hail Mary* is, if nothing else, a one-man show for Ryan Gosling and it's a tour de force performance. Gosling not only has to act alone for much of the movie, but also flawlessly interacts with the puppet that is Rocky. Voiced flawlessly by James Ortiz, once Rocky enters the spaceship, the film's tone and momentum changes. The movie becomes a buddy comedy about the pair learning how to communicate with each other and overcome their interplanetary differences to save their respective planets. Lord and Miller have cited the emphasis on practical effects for this movie and it shows in every frame. Greig Fraser's cinematography is lovely, illustrating the immensity of space and yet how much color and beauty lives within it. But the true brilliance comes in the moments of stress, as Grace and Rocky struggle to survive a careening spaceship, the various colors of light refracting in every direction. There's a tangible quality to Rocky and Grace's interactions – the benefits of using an actual puppet – that makes you stress out when Rocky is put in dangerous situations, which happens a few times. For Lord and Miller, Project Hail Mary is a movie about how things like differing languages, ideologies, etc. don't matter when our collectives fates are on the line. Rocky doesn't communicate the same way and, let's remember, is a literal rock, but when Grace needs a companion, he's the best thing there is. There's a real [*Cast Away*](https://amzn.to/4cdIumf?ref=thefilmmaven.com) vibe to the movie, with Rocky the Wilson of the mission, that illustrates humanity's need for friendship and community. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/Project_Hail_Mary.jpg) But it is hard to shake the second verse, same as the first vibe between this and The Martian, also a highly science-centric story of man alone against the universe. Characters tell Grace countless times how bad things are going to get in thirty years, which feels less pressing than if it was happening in a few months. And since we have no idea what's happening on Earth during this time there's less a feeling of seriousness than it is just fun watching Gosling and Rocky cut it up. The real punch is when Grace has to make a choice – will he focus on saving himself or saving others – that does feel like a definitive and somber way to end the film, but realistic. This is undone towards the end in a way that feels a bit like a Disney character being like "not dead, actually." There are countless space movies to choose from and there are moments where *Project Hail Mary* tries to have the dark human emotion, and ask the big questions, that movies like [*Arrival*](https://amzn.to/4tare80?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and [*Interstellar*](https://amzn.to/3Q3yaWb?ref=thefilmmaven.com) have done. There are also moments where it just wants to be a fun space film. The two tones don't gel smoothly, but Gosling is gold. If you see one movie where Ryan Gosling interacts with a giant rock make it this one! ## Grade: B- *Project Hail Mary is in theaters March 20.* --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ### Watching Megalopolis Reminded Me Why Francis Ford Coppola Was Once a Genius (But That's Over Now) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/megalopolis-review-francis-ford-coppola/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T13:07:24.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- I spent the last week reading Paul Fischer's book [*The Last Kings of Hollywood*](https://amzn.to/4cAk0oS?ref=thefilmmaven.com), a book focused on the ways directors George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Francis Ford Coppola shook up filmmaking in the 1970s and '80s. Coppola and Lucas are the main focus of the narrative and the former is presented on the page as a perfectionist genius who struggled to know when to say when, both as a director and as a man. There's no denying Coppola's run in the 1970s transformed filmmaking, and while films like *Apocalypse Now* and *The Godfather* have been hijacked by a subset of insufferable film bros, their power as cinematic masterpieces remains. Since then, Coppola has struggled to remain relevant in a changing landscape. And not like when I brought this up with regards to James L. Brooks and Rob Reiner in [my *Ella McCay* piece](https://thefilmmaven.com/ella-mccay-review/). Where those directors felt unable to hit the same nerve with their sentimentality, Coppola, always at odds with his own vision versus the need for a commercial movie to sell, left directing in the late '90s. He returned in 2007 with highly esoteric movies that came and went thanks to shaky distributors, garnering scalding reviews in their wake. He's like Brian De Palma now, both directors seeking audience respect but just being too pretentious to make headway. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Eight Must-See Films This March URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-films-march-2026/ Last updated: 2026-03-06T18:13:43.000Z March is all about movies. The Oscars are a stone’s throw away (though [it feels like it's been years](https://variety.com/2026/film/columns/oscars-march-date-too-late-1236677075/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)), reminding film fans of the spectacular offerings of 2025, while 2026 has already started with at least one film that’s all but sure to be in next year’s Academy Awards conversation. This month’s must-see films are spread across streaming services and theaters alike, spanning high-concept science fiction, horror, and grounded gangland dramas. There’s something this month for just about anyone, from a stellar family-friendly Pixar yarn to a violent time-travel action comedy, and the month wraps with some interesting streaming-only features that will entertain you from the comfort of your living room (or wherever you indulge in your streaming proclivities). Here are this month’s streaming features you absolutely can’t miss. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/The-Bride.webp) Warner Bros. Pictures ## [**The Bride*!*](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-bride-review-jessie-buckley/) **(March 6)** It’s a good time to be a Franken-fan! Maggie Gyllenhaal’s latest directorial outing gives us another turn at the classic tale, this time an informal reimagining of the classic *Bride of Frankenstein*. *The Bride!* is messy, a wild *Bonnie and Clyde* riff with many moving parts. An electric Jessie Buckley plays an amnesiac young woman who becomes reanimated to be Frankenstein’s bride (Frankenstein played with depth by a committed Christian Bale), but finds herself in the process. It has a feverish pace, body horror, crazed comedy, and an odd subplot where Mary Shelley possesses The Bride that only sort of works. It’s also a moving love story, a great creature-feature rom-com, and a magical showcase of two of our brightest cinematic stars in Bale and Buckley. It’s *a lot*, but so is the excellent *Bride of Frankenstein* (1935), which also has a meta-Mary Shelley frame story, tiny homunculi, and so on. *The Bride!* may or may not be to your taste, but it’s a bold and fantastic reimagining you have to see. ## [***Hoppers***](https://thefilmmaven.com/hoppers-review-disney-pixar/) **(March 6)** Pixar put itself on the map thanks to a series of all-time animated features, including *Toy Story*, *Up*, *WALL-E*, *Finding Nemo*, and more. The studio has had a bit of a mixed reputation in the last few years, with stellar films like *Turning Red* balanced against a series of relative failures like *Lightyear*. With *Hoppers*, Pixar is back in full force. Piper Curda stars as Mabel Tanaka, a young woman trying to save the glade she loves by bringing in the local beaver population. How does she do so, you ask? By mentally inhabiting a cutting-edge technology, a robotic beaver… and discovering that the animal world is much more complicated in the process. *Hoppers* lands everything that has made Pixar so beloved: it’s funny, full of heart, imaginative, and finds a new lens into things we take for granted. Everything about *Hoppers* just works. ## *Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man* (March 10) Steven Knight’s *Peaky Blinders* series, centering the Shelby family and their Birmingham gang the Peaky Blinders, is one of the best crimeland dramas in TV history. Part of it is the immense, intentional stylishness, with top-notch technical attributes, a killer wardrobe, and great modern needle drops. Most importantly, it’s stellar thanks to a wonderful cast, including the great Cillian Murphy as traumatized leader Tommy Shelby. After six seasons, Knight greenlit a proper feature film to cement the fate of its characters, and *The Immortal Man* does precisely that. It’s a fantastic coda to the story of the Shelbys, giving Cillian Murphy a wonderful showcase and sending one of TV’s great characters off with a bang. ## *Undertone* (March 13) If I told you *Undertone* was like watching a podcast it wouldn’t sound terrifying. Quite the contrary! The film stars Nina Kiri as Evy, a podcaster who cares for her dying, effectively comatose mother in an isolated house. Evy’s podcast centers on the paranormal, and she and her co-host Justin (Adam DiMarco) receive a series of audio files claiming to be recordings of a married couple experiencing supernatural noises. Playing them turns out to be a mistake. The thing that makes *Undertone* work is twofold: one, it takes full advantage of the isolating and myopic focus that podcasting imposes on the hosts, and two, it has a stellar, terrifying sound design. Between those elements and a host of shocking moments, you’ll want to see this in the most terrifying conditions possible: alone, in the dark, with perfect sound. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/Project-Hail-Mary.png) Amazon MGM ## ***Project Hail Mary* (March 20)** Andy Weir’s novels are a recipe for cinematic success, with *The Martian* proving profitable and receiving a hefty seven Academy Award nominations. That film and *Project Hail Mary* both feature likable characters forced to use problem-solving smarts in high-stakes space situations, but the latter proves bigger, bolder, and higher consequences. Featuring an exceptional Ryan Gosling as a cowardly scientist forced to go on a one-way deep-space mission to save Earth (and meeting an alien buddy, Rocky), it’s a fantastic film. Gosling gives a layered and charming performance; it’s big, imaginative, and beautiful, and Rocky will absolutely prove to be your favorite character of the year. It’s spectacular; see it in IMAX. It will likely come back later in 2026 because I’d be surprised if it doesn’t get a Best Picture nomination. ## *Ready or Not 2: Here I Come* (March 20) Finally, a franchise titled off a famous phrase completes the line in a timely fashion (lookin’ at you, *Now You See Me* waiting until the *third* film for *Now You Don’t*). *Ready or Not* was a blast, centering the betrothed Grace (Samara Weaving) who is forced to play a deadly game of hide-and-seek versus a family of wealthy Satanists. Weaving’s already a top-shelf scream queen, so putting her in an even deadlier death game against another set of deadly, wealthy bastards is a winner. That it happens *immediately* after the events of the first, and this time includes Kathryn Newton as her younger, endangered sister, is even better. The rest of the cast includes Kevin Durand (!), Sarah Michelle Gellar (!!), Elijah Wood (!!!), and DAVID CRONENBERG. In my heart, I’ve seen it eighty times already. ## *Pretty Lethal* (March 25) Stop me if you’ve heard this one: five ballerinas go to a top-shelf ballet competition when their bus breaks down. They end up at a mansion in the middle of nowhere, targeted by gangsters controlled by former-ballerina Uma Thurman. You’ve seen ballerina assassins trapped in a criminal village in *Ballerina*, and you’ve seen criminals trapped in a ballerina vampire’s mansion in *Abigail*. Why not see ballerinas trapped in a criminal mansion in *Pretty Lethal*? Seriously, though, it has a solid cast and looks like it has a tongue-in-cheek approach to its ultraviolence. The trailer leans too heavily on a *Ballerina* feel, but *Pretty Lethal* seems to lean far more on a whole troupe. Let’s hope the humor and action are… on point. ## *Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice* (March 27) Ill content with only having a spectacular time loop comedy like *Palm Springs*, Hulu’s ending our month right with a can’t-miss time-travel action comedy in *Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice*. Premiering at SXSW, it’s the latest from BenDavid Grabinski (coming off writing the excellent *Scott Pilgrim Takes Off*), and it stars Vince Vaughn, Vince Vaughn (time travel, y’all), James Marsden, and Eiza Gonzalez, seeking to right a past wrong in a high-octane gangland comedy. You have a pair of Vinces, Dolph Lundgren, Keith David, and Stephen Root playing a cannibal assassin! ### 9 Best Things I Watched and Read in February URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-february-2026/ Last updated: 2026-03-05T17:00:38.000Z *This post is part of The Film Maven free week! All week you'll be reading a mix of posts that include what paid subscribers get regularly! If you can't commit to a subscription consider* [***leaving a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-bride-review-jessie-buckley/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- I had planned to close out Free Week with my review of Megalopolis but life got in the way and that'll be posting sometime next week or so. But, hey, we get to talk about great movies to watch and books to read! February was a short month, but I still filled it with consuming some great stuff. The eight items below include romance, history, documentary, and a few pieces of trash cinema. You could say I have a little something for everyone. So, let's take a look at the best things I watched and read in February! ## [*Wuthering Heights* (2026)](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-review-jacob-elordi-margot-robbie/) I pretty much spent all of February writing about Emerald Fennell's *Wuthering Heights.* Whether that was how [the studio went overboard with influencers](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-premiere-influencers/) (that got A LOT of opinions on social), as well as [the confusion audiences had](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-2026-adaptation/) when they finally saw the movie. Hell, I even did an entire [Ticklish Biz episode on the 1939 version](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-1939-ticklish-business-podcast/). All for a movie that, at the end of the day, I'm still nothing more than pleased with. My review was about as a meh as one could get. I've seen it twice now and it's still good.....just good. As I said [in my original review](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-review-jacob-elordi-margot-robbie/): What results is a lush take Bronte's novel that keeps to the spirit of the book, as well as the majority of the plot beats from the first half of the novel, while making the narrative changes of time and character compression of past adaptations. Robbie, Elordi and Alison Oliver, especially, thrive in Bronte's messy world of hurt people who hurt people, with a hefty amount of Fennell's penchant for the sexual. This is all to say, I'd actually enjoy taking a *Wuthering Heights* break for awhile. ## [*The Last Tsar: The Abdication of Nicholas II and the Fall of the Romanovs* by Tsuyoshi Hasegawa](https://amzn.to/4sogcM3?ref=thefilmmaven.com) It's very weird how the books I'm reading lately are connecting to something going on in the world, or are interrelated. And this isn't me just seeking out these books, specifically. In the case of Tsuyoshi Hasegawa's book on the Russian Revolution, this was actually a book I'd started several months ago but never finished. I'm glad I did because, wow, if you'd like a little glimpse into our current government it gives a lot of interesting "history repeats itself" moments. Regardless, I'm a millennial who grew up with *Anastasia* fever, so I've read a lot about the Romonovs. Hasegawa's book is less about them and more the complex political machinations that led to their eventual execution. In fact, the book doesn't even end with their demise but the arrest of Tsar Nicholas II. Hasegawa is comprehensive, and at times the book is so dense with information (and a lot of similar/long Russian names) it can be hard to get everything square in your head. But the history is so compelling it was hard for me to ignore it. Hell, I came back to finish it months later because I was so enthralled by what I'd started. This is a big one for history nerds like me. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/garden-of-women-still-2.webp) ## *The Garden of Women* (1954) Japanese classic cinema has been amazing to get into over the last few years. Much of what I've watched has been great, and I've been venturing out beyond the likes of Akira Kurosawa. Keisuke Kinoshita is one I'm eager to see more from after watching this fabulous feminist story: *The Garden of Women*. The "garden," in this case, is an all-girls boarding school that prepares young women for being subservient and non-political. But over the course of the narrative, the changing landscape of Japan sees the various women, who all come from different walks of life, realize they want more from the school. Yoshiko Kuga plays Akiko, one of the more radical young girls, who slowly starts to break down the resistance of many of the women who don't want to take a stand. The acting across the board is fantastic, and the writing lends such verisimilitude to all the characters. If you're interested in looking at women's movements from other countries, this is required viewing. On top of that, it's just a solid domestic drama that I wish had a physical media release. ## *From Darkness to Light* (2024) Most film fans have a morbid curiosity about *The Day the Clown Cried*, the infamous Holocaust film directed by Jerry Lewis. This documentary is one of the more comprehensive attempts to separate fact from fiction – spoiler, the movie wasn't 100% shelved for being terrible – as well as actually show footage from the movie. What we see is the story of a director desperate to be taken seriously, and his perfectionism being his undoing. I'm not a big Jerry Lewis fan. Okay, I'm not a fan at all. But hearing him in archival interviews talk about the toll the project is taking on him while it's being made shows a possible auteur driven to the breaking point. We'll never know what this movie might had done for Lewis's career had he finished it. But this documentary attempts to give us a glimpse. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/The-Housemaid-6-1.webp) ## [*The Housemaid* (2025)](https://amzn.to/3PhTTJC?ref=thefilmmaven.com) I missed Paul Feig's latest directorial effort when it dropped at the end of last year. I'd heard from a lot of people that it was "trashy fun." Considering Feig's been a bit up and down of late, I was skeptical. ([*A Simple Favor 2* was SO bad!](https://thefilmmaven.com/worst-movies-2025/)) This definitely doesn't have the same bit as the first Simple Favor, but it's certainly in the ballpark. I figured out the twist about 15 minutes in, not because I'd read the original novel, but because I'd read ANOTHER novel that had a similar storyline and, honestly, that author should sue. Sydney Sweeney tries but it's a bit laughable the movie selling her as a tough, hardened chick. Brendan Sklenar.....he's tall? If you get some friend together with a bottle of wine this will be enjoyable. ## [*Duel in the Sun* (1946)](https://amzn.to/4svqHxi?ref=thefilmmaven.com) The production history behind *Duel in the Sun* is probably more interesting than the actual movie. A vanity project taken on by David O. Selznick, who put his soon-to-be wife Jennifer Jones in the lead role, went through multiple directors, many of whom couldn't handle Selznick's micromanaging. By the time it came out the movie was infamous, dubbed "Lust in the Dust" by the Hollywood gossip rags. It's certainly a movie indicative of the more hilarious elements of Old Hollywood. Jones plays a half-Mexican girl named Pearl – she's swathed in so much brownface that her teeth glow – torn between two men: the straight arrow Jesse (Joseph Cotten) or the evil/rapey Lewton (Gregory Peck). You read those names right and, honestly, not sure which one is more miscast. But, hey, Gregory Peck never looked hotter at least. *Duel in the Sun* was hoped to be bigger than *Gone With the Wind* (1939) which, it's not. I don't even think it's *Jezebel* (1938). But it is a fun melodrama for those who love a little soap opera with their history. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/MV5BNDQ1N2Y5MmYtYjMxZi00NzI2LWI3NzItNGQxNmFlNjdjMzFmXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_-1.jpg) ## [*Hoppers* (2026)](https://thefilmmaven.com/hoppers-review-disney-pixar/) [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/hoppers-review-disney-pixar/): Pixar returns to the simplicity of their storytelling. *Toy Story* asked us, "What happens when toys are left on their own," while *Hoppers* asks, "What happens if we could talk to animals on their level." Once Mabel enters the forest world, the movie relaxes into a world that has staunch rules, called "pond rules," and celeb anrating why animals are so cool: their mix of wild abandon and death coming around every corner. King George explains there isn't a circle of life so much as the tacit awareness they're all on someone's food chain. "When you gotta eat, eat," he says as a worm we've met for 30 seconds is plucked by a bird. *Hoppers* is one of the best Pixar movies in recent years, though the script does feel slight in character motivations. However, the delightful voice cast led by Curda and Moynihan are great, and the movie is at its best when it's weird. Who doesn't love adorable critters? Definitely a return to form, if not an instant classic. ## [*The Bride!* (2026)](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-bride-review-jessie-buckley/) From my review: Director Maggie Gyllenhaal's *The Bride!* doesn't care what you think about it. What unfolds over its 126 minutes is nothing short of a brash, feminist rallying cry that simultaneously crafts a compelling antiheroine while mourning the litany of dead women cast aside by bad men (and society) over generations. Anchoring it all is a luminous performance by Jessie Buckley, in a dual role, that hearkens back to the classic elegance of Old Hollywood. It's a tale so magnetic it helps step over some of the bigger storytelling flaws that point to potential studio interference and a longer cut somewhere out there. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJzdGF0aWMudXNoZXJ1LmNvbSIsImtleSI6ImltZy9tb3ZpZXMvb3JpZ2luYWxfbkQ3a25KR0VYZGRuNnNOc2xMSTZWaEo2SmhYLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0-.webp) ## *The Green-Eyed Blonde* (1957) I thought *Duel in the Sun* would be the most oddball movie on this list, then I watched 1957's *The Green-Eyed Blonde*. Don't let the title fool you, the movie is actually about the brunette Betsy (Melinda Casey), an abused teenage girl sent to juvenile hall after having a baby and refusing to name the father. She meets a variety of bad girls, including Green Eyes (Susan Oliver). When one of the more psychotic inmates kidnaps Betsy's baby and hides it in the school, all the girls band together to help raise the child. Written by Sally Stubblefield and an uncredited Dalton Trumbo the movie is a remarkably progressive examination of femininity and juvenile delinquency. The various girls aren't bad, but set upon by circumstances beyond their control. One girl, Trixie (Tommie Moore), is a young Black girl integrated into the plot and given an incredibly positive happy ending. The movie has an utterly bananas ending that abruptly cuts the story off at the knees, but this is such an intriguing little blip in the '50s juvenile delinquency genre worth seeking out. Again, wish this had a physical media release! --- *This post is part of The Film Maven free week! All week you'll be reading a mix of posts that include what paid subscribers get regularly!* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/ChatGPT-Image-Feb-25--2026--05_14_07-PM.png) *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ### The Bride! Review: This Bonnie and Clyde-Esque Monster Is a Wild Ride URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-bride-review-jessie-buckley/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T01:58:50.000Z *This post is part of The Film Maven free week! All week you'll be reading a mix of posts that include what paid subscribers get regularly! If you can't commit to a subscription consider* [***leaving a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/scream-franchise/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- Director Maggie Gyllenhaal's [*The Bride!*](https://amzn.to/4rWw6wA?ref=thefilmmaven.com) doesn't care what you think about it. What unfolds over its 126 minutes is nothing short of a brash, feminist rallying cry that simultaneously crafts a compelling antiheroine while mourning the litany of dead women cast aside by bad men (and society) over generations. Anchoring it all is a luminous performance by Jessie Buckley, in a dual role, that hearkens back to the classic elegance of Old Hollywood. It's a tale so magnetic it helps step over some of the bigger storytelling flaws that point to potential studio interference and a longer cut somewhere out there. Gyllenhaal loves thorny stories, and even pricklier leading ladies. Her 2021 directorial debut *The Lost Daughter* would make a great companion piece for this. Unlike Guillermo del Toro's own *Frankenstein* movie, Gyllenhaal's tale weaves itself out of whole cloth, setting itself in 1936 Chicago. Our story is introduced by Mary Shelley herself (Buckley), trapped in some form of purgatory where she racks her brain to figure out how to tell a sequel to Frankenstein. It's an utterly bonkers introduction, with Shelley spouting all manner of coarse language, that situates this story in a land where Shelley is keenly aware of the monster she's wrought, though it's never 100% specified whether this world sees Frankenstein exist as a feature film or not. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/Jessie-Buckley-in-2026-film-The-Bride.webp) Ida (Buckley, as well) is a random woman Shelley picks out to inhabit her new iteration of the Bride. She's a bored mobster's moll routinely used and abused by the underlings of a local Mob boss. She takes a long walk off a short staircase and ends up dead. Concurrently, Frankenstein's Monster (Christian Bale) is on the search for a mate, enlisting the help of Dr. Euphronius (Annette Bening) who is reluctant and pokes fun at a lot of the eugenicist thinking that permeates the original Shelley novel, and was included in the 1931 feature. Eventually, the Bride and Frankenstein are introduced and, unlike the 1935 feature, they get on like gangbusters. There's a problem though: Ida doesn't remember anything, content to leave Frank to spin a tale that they knew each other before her accident. Much of the script's punch comes from the push-pull forces of control and yielding. Ida, occasionally possessed by the spirit of Mary Shelley herself who acts as her conscience, struggles with trying to get along in life and wanting to rebel and assert herself. She's happy to have Frankenstein tell her she's "Pretty Penny," who had a wonderful life with him, but also wants to start something new. The two embark on a roadtrip, heavily inspired by the likes of [*Badlands* (1972)](https://amzn.to/4sEuEAf?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and [*Bonnie and Clyde* (1967)](https://amzn.to/3PCxyXu?ref=thefilmmaven.com) that sees the pair leave a string of bodies in their wake while Ida/The Bride becomes a folk hero, her white face, a black splotch at the corner of her mouth like a grotesque beauty mark, and black tongue becoming a dress code for the women of the 1930s uninterested in attracting a man. Gyllenhaal situates this as not just fantastic and exciting, but necessary. Ida and Frank crashing a dinner party wherein she hears the souls of the women murdered by the Mob holds particular weight and lets Buckley go full-tilt. "The dead aren't at rest," she screams. This is a movie of female rage, rage that the bad men keep being allowed to hurt the women they hurt. We may mourn for the victims, but they never know justice, even in death. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/MV5BN2M5MWUxNDgtZTg3OC00YWIwLWI2YjYtMzdlZTMyZDM0NTRkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXZ3ZXNsZXk@._V1_.jpg) Buckley and Bale have a strong chemistry, though it's easy to see their dynamic of the Joker and Harley Quinn variety (this is what [*Joker: Folie a Deux*](https://thefilmmaven.com/joker-2-review-lady-gaga/) desperately wanted to be.) But it is Buckley's world, commanding every frame with big emotions. Even in the moments of quiet contemplation Buckley holds the audience's attention as she contemplates how much the course of events is bigger than her, because it is. Bale, to his credit, also makes a meal out of Frankenstein. His interpretation of the role is a man hungering for companionship, for love, for sex (this movie certainly answers the questions of the logistics of that, for those curious). But he has an anger problem he can't figure out, flying off the handle, specifically where Ida/Penny is concerned. The rest of the cast struggles to match them but the script has several plot points that fall into a narrative abyss, never meshing with the pair's own narrative trajectory, as if those judging the movie said to lop off 15-20 minutes from anyone else other than Frank and Ida's story. Jake Gyllenhaal, playing a Dick Powell-esque musical film star named Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal), has both the most interesting narrative and the most underutilized. Frank finds Reed fascinating, having survived polio and working with one leg shorter than the other. Frank watches Reed's movies and puts himself in there, not as a monster but as a man putting on the ritz (one of at least five Young Frankenstein jokes). The movie tap dances on something fascinating with Frankenstein's connection to cinema and who gets to be the star. It's not clear whether Gyllenhaal saw this as a commentary on the able/white/cis/het normalization of movies but it's amazing to witness. But once Ronnie and Frank actually meet, about midway through the movie, it's a brief moment that simultaneously kicks off violence and closes Jake Gyllenhaal's participation in the movie. That being said, the man is pitch perfect recreating 1930s-romantic dialogue. The only other characters of substance are detectives Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard) and Myrna Mallow (Penelope Cruz). They're there purely to push the Mob plotline along which, as often as Ida mentions it still never feels integrated into their narrative 100%. There is an interesting dynamic, though, running parallel to Frank and Ida. Myrna, a Latina woman, is desperate to be taken seriously on the police force, going along with her partner's casual misogyny that pops up alongside moments of compassion. It's unfortunate the movie doesn't have time to deal with Myrna's specific issues. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/bride-2026-christian-bale-warner-bros.-pictures.png) The flaws are obvious and yet never diminish the enjoyment found in *The Bride!* If anything it shows how much you want more from this world. By the time the film reaches its final showdown at a drive-in theater the ride has been so chaotic and engaging that it's almost sad to see it end. Mary Shelley would be proud! *The Bride!* isn't without its flaws, at times feeling like a patchwork of ideas surrounding a revisionist story of The Bride of Frankenstein. Buckley is a powerhouse and Gyllenhaal's script is so bold and fresh that even when it doesn't work it pulls you in. ## Grade: B *The Bride! is in theaters Friday.* ***Drop in the comments below: Are you over Frankenstein in the movies? Are you excited for The Bride!*** --- ***ALSO PUBLISHED TODAY:*** [Watch/listen to the new episode of Ticklish Business! We're honoring Diane Keaton with guest Kate Hagen talking 1987's *Baby Boom*.](https://thefilmmaven.com/diane-keaton-baby-boom-1987-ticklish-business-podcast/) [Diane Keaton, Baby Boom and ’80s Backlash Feminism (Ticklish Business with Kate Hagen)This movie is so brilliant, and so 1980s![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/icon/KristenLopez_Secondary.png)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/thumbnail/TBPodcastLogo.jpg)](https://thefilmmaven.com/diane-keaton-baby-boom-1987-ticklish-business-podcast/) *This post is part of The Film Maven free week! All week you'll be reading a mix of posts that include what paid subscribers get regularly!* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/ChatGPT-Image-Feb-25--2026--05_14_07-PM.png) *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ### Diane Keaton, Baby Boom and '80s Backlash Feminism (Ticklish Business with Kate Hagen) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/diane-keaton-baby-boom-1987-ticklish-business-podcast/ Last updated: 2026-03-04T17:16:30.000Z *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is part of The Film Maven free week! All week you'll be reading a mix of posts that include what paid subscribers get regularly! If you can't commit to a subscription consider* [***leaving a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/scream-franchise/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- Kristen is back to flying solo and she didn't burn the joint down! We're celebrating the life and career of the great Diane Keaton, looking at her career-changing performance in 1987's [⁠*Baby Boom*⁠](https://amzn.to/3ML36cx?ref=thefilmmaven.com). Joining Kristen is James Spader superfan and '80s lover, Kate Hagen! Kate and Kristen talk about women of the '80s, the Charles Shyer/Nancy Meyers ouevre, and Diane Keaton's best moments in this movie. Are you a Diane Keaton fan? What's your go-to movie? **WORKS CITED IN THIS EPISODE** [⁠Susan Faludi's *Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women*⁠](https://amzn.to/3Mohpnv?ref=thefilmmaven.com) [⁠*How Serfdom Saved the Women's Movement* by Caitlin Flanagan⁠](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2004/03/how-serfdom-saved-the-women-s-movement/302892/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***Watch or listen below.*** **You can** [⁠⁠⁠⁠**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*Popcorn Disabilities*⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch shop is live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠become a Patron⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com): • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Emily's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Kate G --- *This post is part of The Film Maven free week! All week you'll be reading a mix of posts that include what paid subscribers get regularly!* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/ChatGPT-Image-Feb-25--2026--05_14_07-PM.png) ### Scream 7 Forgot Some Fundamental Elements of the Franchise, and It Needs to Bring Them Back URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/scream-franchise/ Last updated: 2026-03-03T17:00:52.000Z *This post is part of The Film Maven free week! All week you'll be reading a mix of posts that include what paid subscribers get regularly! If you can't commit to a subscription consider* [***leaving a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/scream-7-review-neve-campbell/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- There was something I couldn't help but notice [while watching *Scream 7*](https://thefilmmaven.com/scream-7-review-neve-campbell/). Or at least when I wasn't rolling my eyes at the messy script. It was how infrequently we heard voice actor Roger Jackson, the iconic voice of Ghostface, throughout. Alongside that, the movie eschewed the "rules" or really any commentary on contemporary horror, the Stab franchise (the series' film with the film), or Hollywood in general. For a series once at the cutting edge–pun intended–of the horror genre, has become another face in a crowded swimming pool of killers and stabby objects. When did the Scream franchise turn away from the meta universe it lived in and just become a regular ole slasher film? So, if the *Scream* franchise plans to come back for an eighth round–and signs certainly point to that being [a foregone conclusion](https://people.com/scream-8-everything-to-know-11915634?ref=thefilmmaven.com)–I'd like to take a cue from Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), Woodsboro's resident horror movie junkie, and suggest the franchise go back to its roots. Not to Woodsboro, per se, but the fundamentals of what made the franchise once feel so fresh and new. **Spoilers for Scream 7 below.** ## The Voice of Ghostface (aka Bring Back Phones!) I recall seeing a tweet in the wake of *Scream 7's* release talking about how much the *Scream* franchise owed to coming out before the worldwide domination of cellular phones. There's something that's frightening, to those who were there, to realize someone had a way to call you, and you had no idea who it was. *Scream 2* acknowledged the arrival of Caller ID and *Scream's 3* and *4* were cellphone heavy, but it's the phone element that remained important. The idea that our victims had tangible contact with something intimate about the killer, his voice. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/SCR7_10984R-H-2026.webp) What's funny is that, even with 911 being a tap away – we've come far from Neve Campbell's Sidney chat rooming the authorities – the usage of phones doesn't just nuke the stakes of the movie, but also just seems to fill the runtime in *Scream 7*. The phone has never been more omnipresent, yet superfluous. Sidney uses it to search for things, Facetime with deepfake Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), even direct her daughter Tatum (Isabel May) on how to kill Ghostface because she can watch her on the cameras placed in her coffee shop. The phone is now less a tangible connection between Ghost and the characters, and a video game controller that simply moves everything along. Jackson's vocal performance never gets enough love, and his absence is palpable for those who not only enjoy the original quadrology, but even the first two movies. It's the interrelationship between the phone coupled with Jackson's voice. The belief that the character didn't know who the killer was, but that he had a unifying voice is what enhanced the world that is Ghostface. Ghostface, more than the mask, *is* the voice. Take that away and you have a generic killer. ## Don't Be Afraid to Be Inside When *Scream* debuted in 1996, a lot was written about the movie's meta elements, something director Wes Craven had already toyed with previously with the 1994 *Nightmare on Elm Street* installment, *Wes Craven's New Nightmare*. The movie's self-referentiality and references to other movies had a lot of people written about it as post-modernist. As Valerie Wee writes in "[The Scream Trilogy, 'Hyperpostmodernism,' and the Late-Nineties Teen Slasher Film](https://www.jstor.org/stable/20688497?ref=thefilmmaven.com)," "...referencing in the *Scream* trilogy is distinctive because it is not restricted in this way, to occasional, passing allusions confined to the level of subtext. Instead, a significant proportion of the intertextual referencing in the *Scream* films functions as text." The majority of the movies have continued to play with that, though *Screams 5* and *6*, with their jumpstarting of a new franchise, felt like they were moving away from that. Part of this, in my opinion, is that horror has become such a wide-spreading genre, with so many subgenres, and various levels of reverence. There feels like there are less unifying "accepted" slasher movies, with diehards of the genre knowing far more than the average viewer. This is in contrast to what felt like a smaller pool of slashers to work with (Leatherface, Jason, Freddy, Michael Meyers) than in years past. So, because of this, there's been little critique of what the horror landscape, or even film looks like. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/SCREAM-7-LEADS.webp) When Mindy Meeks (Jasmine Savoy-Brown) is chastised in *Scream 7* for bringing up the rules – and even then she doesn't even really lay anything out – it's a moment that implies that they're unnecessary, dated, and don't fit. Yet the movie offers us nothing to replace them. There's not even really a desire to discuss that there's nothing to replace them! Instead, it's an acknowledgement that everyone with a brain knows the tenets of a horror movie. This was done better in another movie from last year, *Sinners*. For me, it was so refreshing to see a movie where someone understands vampires exist and how to kill them. No one has to stand there and be like "what are vampires!" So, how does a *Scream* movie, part of a franchise that has always been self-aware, stand out if it no longer understands what makes the horror landscape what it is? Part of why *Scream 3* is divisive is that it started moving away from the horror genre and started to go bigger, getting inside baseball about the Hollywood system and the real-life horrors within (and [calling out Harvey Weinstein to his face](https://slate.com/culture/2019/10/scream-3-harvey-weinstein-producer-character.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com)). If the *Scream* franchise is already so self-aware it doesn't even want to talk about the cinematic world around it, then it just becomes stock, or in this case copying other movies. Apparently, *Halloween Ends* – the movie I cited in my review did a lot of what *Scream 7* does and I hate both – is more beloved than it was when it debuted. But I think both movies do hold commonalities in what do you do when a movie gains sentience and can't seem to find something to discuss alongside itself. Like that film's heroin, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), Sidney Prescott is just left to try to deconstruct her trauma with no discussion of how discussing trauma is now a cliche part of horror movies. (Boy, do I wish that had happened!) Instead, Anna Camp's generic Jessica, Sidney's "best friend" and our new Ghostface, is the one who, in a parasocial relationship with Sidney, wants to kickstart a new franchise with Sidney's daughter as the heroine. Outside of Jessica apparently not understanding the movie's own history – she tells Tatum she's going to watch her mother die like Sidney watched hers which.....didn't happen – the movie also seems to forget *Scream 4's* Ghostface: Jill Roberts, Sidney's niece. Like Jessica, Jill also wanted to kickstart a new franchise, albeit with her as the lead, and felt that Sidney was just too prominent a face to keep on living. Williamson has talked about [originally wanting Jill to live](https://www.reddit.com/r/horror/comments/1rff6eu/kevin%5Fwilliamson%5Fdetails%5Foriginal%5Fscream%5F4%5Fplans/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and take on Sidney's mantel, knowing she was also a Ghostface killer. It makes me wonder if, at one point, bringing Jill back might have been the original intention? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/SCR7_00987R-H-2026.webp) ## Is the *Stab* Franchise Really Most Sincerely Dead? The inside Hollywood mentality of *Scream* also makes me wonder: what happened to the *Stab* franchise? What was always fun about *Stab*, the franchise that mimics and tells the Hollywood-ized story of Scream, was what a direct commentary it was making about how violence and horror are glorified. As I wrote in an [extended piece on the *Stab* movies](https://thefilmmaven.com/scream-2-stab/) within *Scream*, "What Craven does with Becker's character in *Stab* is utilize her to pointedly illustrate the sexism that runs rampant against women in horror. Where Casey Becker in *Scream* was a tragic victim who, in just a few scenes endears herself to the audience, *Stab’s* Becker is a sex object and nothing more. When the phone rings for Casey in *Scream* it’s a moment of suspense and dread. For *Stab 2,* the audience in the fictional theater groans because they are denied a glimpse of the actress naked." If the *Scream* franchise feels there's nothing to discourse on about horror, they can at least examine it through the fictional film series presumably running as long as this movie has. Resident crime junkie Lucas (Asa Germann) brings up how Woodsboro has been documented in podcasts and Netflix crime documentaries. This movie seems more content to foist the crimes onto real life than the fictional Hollywood within it, continuing to move away from satirizing its existence. It'd be great to examine what a *Stab* reboot would look like? How does it get the Netflix crime documentary treatment? Or a Ryan Murphy-esque limited series? All of this is to say, the *Scream* franchise needs to dig deeper than *just* being a slasher film with an awareness that other slasher movies exist. It treats its audience as smart enough to know how to survive a horror movie, but doesn't want to go any deeper than that. I'd love the *Scream* franchise to get back to basics. Or at least not make a movie as bad as *Scream 7* was. ***Drop in the comments below: What do you think the Scream franchise needs to reinvigorate itself?*** --- *This post is part of The Film Maven free week! All week you'll be reading a mix of posts that include what paid subscribers get regularly!* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/ChatGPT-Image-Feb-25--2026--05_14_07-PM.png) ### Hoppers Review: A Delightfully Off-Beat Tale of Animal Activism URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/hoppers-review-disney-pixar/ Last updated: 2026-04-21T16:47:24.000Z *This post is part of The Film Maven free week! All week you'll be reading a mix of posts that include what paid subscribers get regularly! If you can't commit to a subscription consider* [***leaving a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/scream-7-review-neve-campbell/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- In a cinematic world where original ideas seem few and far between one can always bet on the folks at Pixar to be bring something different to the theater. The Disney-owned company has certainly struggled to maintain its supremacy in the animation space, and their last feature, [*Elio*](https://thefilmmaven.com/elio-review-pixar-disney/), [suffered from a variety of problems](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/elio-pixar-america-ferrera-director-queer-2-1236301860/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) both behind and in front of the screen. Their latest feature, *Hoppers*, though, is Pixar at its best: heartfelt, with memorable, and unafraid to be weird as hell. Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda) is a young girl desperate to save the idyllic glen where her and her grandmother used to bond. But with the glen set to become part of a highway created by Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm), Mabel feels there's nothing she can do. That is until she learns her college professor has crafted a program called "Hoppers," wherein a person's mind can be placed into that of a robot and communicate with the animals. Mabel goes rogue and puts herself into a beaver robot, hoping to convince other beavers to return to the glen and meets and befriends fellow beaver King George (Bobby Moynihan). Like *Elio*, and other Pixar characters of late, Mabel – who holds more than a passing resemblance to, and the same last name as, [*Big Hero 6's*](https://amzn.to/4uU6fId?ref=thefilmmaven.com) lead, Hiro Tanaka – is an extreme loner. Bikini Kill's "Rebel Girl" plays during her intro which says a lot. We meet her as a little girl, trying to liberate the abused class turtle, along with every other school pet around her. Her mother, whose face is never seen, is content to drop her off at grandma's and not deal with her. This only makes Mabel more isolated. It's never expounded on significantly, but it's clear Mabel has raised herself but animals have always been there for her. Animals don't judge, have ingrained sets of rules that make sense, and aren't out to maliciously hurt others. Her commitment to save her grandmother's glen is two-fold: to keep her grandmother's legacy alive, and also get more respect for the animals. Curda's voice work is great, giving Mabel an energy and vitality that balances out Mabel's flaws. For all of Mabel's great love for the animals, she often doesn't think about the consequences of her actions, which explodes once Mabel hops into the body of a beaver and meets the pond crew. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/g_movies_hoppers_still_7_89b8fdaf.jpeg) Pixar returns to the simplicity of their storytelling. [*Toy Story*](https://amzn.to/4ddfpta?ref=thefilmmaven.com) asked us, "What happens when toys are left on their own," while *Hoppers* asks, "What happens if we could talk to animals on their level." Once Mabel enters the forest world, the movie relaxes into a world that has staunch rules, called "pond rules," and celeb anrating why animals are so cool: their mix of wild abandon and death coming around every corner. King George explains there isn't a circle of life so much as the tacit awareness they're all on someone's food chain. "When you gotta eat, eat," he says as a worm we've met for 30 seconds is plucked by a bird. Where the human characters may feel stock, the various animals all stand out. There's Loaf (Eduardo Franco), a lackadaisical beaver content to be eaten by a bear, and his friend Tom Lizard (Tom Law). Moynihan enters Alan Tudyk territory as the voice of King George, an actor who just seems perfectly suited to the Disney landscape. Moynihan gives off a paternalistic energy to his performance yet is able to flippantly give his character's back story, which sounds a whole lot like [*The Lion King*](https://amzn.to/4lQWsyC?ref=thefilmmaven.com), for peak laughs. It's these relationships that define Mabel, though it does make the audience feel absolutely nothing towards the other human characters. Part of Mabel's desire to get the glen back is convincing George to bring together all the animal species for a council meet to take back the forest. The [*Game of Thrones*](https://amzn.to/4dK5Im2?ref=thefilmmaven.com) vibes are heavy here as the other species take their roles as royalty far more seriously than King George. The Insect Queen (Meryl Streep, though it could be anyone thanks to the vocal pitch) and her gummy caterpillar son Titus (Dave Franco) decide it's time to "squish" the humans for all the pain they've inflicted on others which causes Mabel to have to switch sides to save humanity. This is where the plot truly kicks in, though it's hard to understand Mabel's sudden about face because she has such little community. Her only interactions are with Dr. Sam and Mayor Jerry, one of whom seems like a casual acquaintance and the other someone she strongly dislikes. It seems like Mabel would just be more content staying in the beaver, though returns to Dr. Sam and crew show the process doing more harm on her body the longer she stays in. Regardless, the humor continues at a breakneck pace and remains funny, from Mabel, in her beaver body, typing to Jerry on his iPhone to help him escape, to the variety of different animals tasked with killing him (including a great white shark being taken out of the sea). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/MV5BNDQ1N2Y5MmYtYjMxZi00NzI2LWI3NzItNGQxNmFlNjdjMzFmXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg) The third act becomes an out and out body horror movie involving Titus, becoming a bizarre, anarchic story that is so much fun. Dave Franco gives Titus a manipulative, immature voice to match the character that's incredibly fun. It's enough to make you remember that Mayor Jerry, initially starts out as the villain (and also holds a bit too much similarity in looks and demeanor to Chris Pine's King Magnifico in [*Wish*](https://amzn.to/4m46Ov9?ref=thefilmmaven.com)). The villain switch works, even though it's hard to believe Jerry, as written, would also have as abrupt a personality shift as Mabel. *Hoppers* is one of the best Pixar movies in recent years, though the script does feel slight in character motivations. However, the delightful voice cast led by Curda and Moynihan are great, and the movie is at its best when it's weird. Who doesn't love adorable critters? Definitely a return to form, if not an instant classic. *Are you planning to see Hoppers this weekend? Let me know what you think of it in the comments below.* ## Grade: C+ *Hoppers is in theaters Friday* --- *This post is part of The Film Maven free week! All week you'll be reading a mix of posts that include what paid subscribers get regularly!* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/03/ChatGPT-Image-Feb-25--2026--05_14_07-PM.png) *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ### Scream 7 Review: Neve Campbell Returns to a Franchise With No Gas in the Tank URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/scream-7-review-neve-campbell/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T01:52:24.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/psycho-killer-review/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- There's no hiding it: [*Scream 7*](https://amzn.to/4t6rBQX?ref=thefilmmaven.com) feels like a movie hastily written to make up for scrapping an entire storyline that was trying to reach its conclusion. After the [firing of actress Melissa Barrera](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/melissa-barrera-fired-scream-vii-1235669458/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), the already in pre-production *Scream 7* quickly saw the [loss of her co-star Jenna Ortega](https://deadline.com/2023/11/jenna-ortega-scream-departure-melissa-barrera-wednesday-1235634200/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and [director Christopher Landon](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/scream-vii-director-christopher-landon-drops-out-1235680696/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). This posed a problem as the actresses were already mired in a plot that was ramping up to a crescendo and might have closed out a pretty decent franchise reboot. Sadly, we'll never know. Instead, production company Spyglass and Paramount decided to go back to the well, in this case the first *Scream's* screenwriter Kevin Williamson for a reboot that hopes you're a millennial whose blind love of the past will make you jump at seeing this. There's a moment in the movie [*22 Jump Street*](https://amzn.to/3PAYjvp?ref=thefilmmaven.com), a sequel to the big-screen TV adaptation of the same name, wherein Deputy Chief Hardy (Ice Cube) explains to the intrepid young detectives what the point of their new assignment is: "Do the same thing as last time. Everyone's happy." In the case of *Scream 7*, the belief is to do the exact same thing as the original feature, 1996's [*Scream*](https://amzn.to/4uPWnzv?ref=thefilmmaven.com). That's far from the case as this retread not only reminds you of a time when this franchise was great, but also falls into some of the sloppiest screenwriting out there. This is a movie where neither the rules nor the characters matter. Where the story seems to be making things up as it goes along. And the central elements of what made this franchise good are dead and buried. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/SCR7_10984R-H-2026.webp) We return to the world of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) who has started a new life in the sleepy town of Pine Grove with her husband, Mark (Joel McHale) and three children. But the Ghostface Killer is back once again, and this time he's dropping videos claiming to be from the first *Scream* co-killer Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard). Could Stu be back from the dead? As Sidney tries to figure it out, her teenage daughter Tatum (Isabel May) will have to fight to survive after Ghostface decides to make a new franchise with her as the new Sidney. By this point, the *Scream* franchise is so well-established the snake has already circled back to eat its own tail, a moment evident in this movie from its opening scene involving a couple returning to Stu Macher's house – now an AirBnB for crime junkies – for a romantic getaway. Of course, things go sour leading to one of the few things in *Scream 7* to recommend it: its inventive kills. The gore level is pumped up significantly in this one, with all manner of sharp implements going into people's heads and a midair disembowlment being the few times you'll be engaged with the movie. *Scream 7* inhabits a weird threshold between the original, Sidney-led series, and the newer installments led by Barrera and Ortega. There's a desire to simultaneously make you forget those movies exist, yet an awareness that they have to deal with some things. Williamson's script is one where you can see the pencil eraser marks throughout. The reveal that Sidney has twins from the previous movies? The kids are still there, but spend the entirety of the movie at grandma's (during the school year, presumably). Outside of two fleeting references no one could care less if Ghostface came for them. The Meeks twins (Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy-Brown), the two fan favorites from the newer franchise, are also back but are relegated to the latter half of the movie and spend the majority of the time literally fighting for screentime as part of Gayle Weathers' (Courteney Cox) news crew. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/scream-7.webp) There's a mean-spiritedness about the previous movies, outside of wasting characters people actually liked from the movies, that Williamson hits on again and again with all the subtlety of a beer tap going into your head. As this script sees it, the reboot movies sucked and no one liked them. Characters comment regularly on how lucky Sidney was to sit out the previous film. (Campbell didn't return because of a [pay dispute](https://deadline.com/2023/03/scream-vi-producers-on-neve-campbell-exit-further-potential-sequels-more-1235280605/?ref=thefilmmaven.com).) But people in glass houses shouldn't through stones because following Sidney this time around doesn't yield much of anything. After seeing Sidney presumably heal her traumas in [*Scream 3*](https://amzn.to/4rTz4ll?ref=thefilmmaven.com), *4*, and *5*, this movie says: Actually, she's still really screwed up. Her daughter Tatum (Isabel May) is the same age Sidney was when this franchise started and apparently it's undone any therapy she's gone through. Sidney refuses to talk about her past, saying there's a bevy of movies and books that lay that out which Tatum either knows or has no memory of when the plot dictates. Sidney Prescott in this movie holds far too much in common with Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) from the [*Halloween*](https://amzn.to/3PqCPS2?ref=thefilmmaven.com) franchise, specifically the latter ones from David Gordon Green and Danny McBride. Like those films, especially 2022's [*Halloween Ends*](https://amzn.to/40TgL4X?ref=thefilmmaven.com), *Scream 7* wants to examine what happens to a final girl/scream queen when things have gotten a bit long in the tooth. Campbell knows this character like a second skin, and when the movie is about her it's at least manageable to watch. You see her internal struggle as she tries to believe she's okay but is still unpacking so much. Her desire for her kids to avoid her trauma is understandable, yet it's a bit odd that Sidney would choose to have her kids live in blissful ignorance than actually prepare them to protect themselves. Campbell drags the plot of this movie like a dead goose behind her, and while she's great anytime she's off-screen becomes painful because the rest of the characters are underwritten cannon fodder. Cox, reportedly [paid $2 million to come back](https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/scream-7-rewrites-neve-campbell-salary-melissa-barrera-firing-1236671347/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) for this movie, is as wasted as Savoy-Brown and Gooding. The trio roll into town in the most ridiculously convenient way that the script wants to say was intentional but feels like the most overwrought deus ex machina ever. Cox is just there to be another familiar face and that's it, popping up in the climax as if to say, "I was here" and collect her check. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/SC7_FP_002R2Cr.jpg) It's remarkable to think the same man who wrote this film wrote the first *Scream*, or [*Dawson's Creek*](https://amzn.to/4dNznL7?ref=thefilmmaven.com), another series with great teen characters. Watch that first movie and within minutes you understood the history and personalities of Sidney's friend group, like the original Tatum (Rose McGowan). May's new Tatum is a stock teen, smiling wide when she isn't sobbing. This is a movie where she runs around an empty town screaming for help instead of pulling out a cell phone and calling 911\. Said cellphone shows up a little later to talk to her mom because, again, reality doesn't matter in Pine Grove! Where Sidney Prescott was a fighter, Tatum is just rolling desks in front of doors, lacking the ingenuity of her mother. It's hilarious how this movie constantly tells Tatum she isn't like her mother....and then never gives her a moment to either be like Sidney or do something different yet equally cool. Her friends are just as bland, the only one standing out being McKenna Grace, memorable because she's McKenna Grace. By this point, it's hard to make any mystery compelling. The first three *Screams*, adhering to horror movie rules, had what felt like organic killers. The reveal at the end feels like an elongated episode of Scooby-Doo. Seriously, the reveal here will make you think for about 30 seconds, "Wait, WHO is that character again?" This movie, especially, doesn't care about the rules and has nothing to say about the nature of horror franchises. What it does care about is people online, with a villain that spouts out things you probably remember reading when it was announced that Campbell wasn't in [*Scream 6*](https://amzn.to/40T2C7Q?ref=thefilmmaven.com). How dare Sidney Prescott not be in New York, the killer cries! It ruined everything. Yep, Williamson's most pointed critique is lobbed at those he also wants to see this movie! *Scream 7* is certainly the worst in the franchise and while [an eighth installment seems like a foregone conclusion](https://deadline.com/2026/02/kevin-williamson-neve-campbell-brainstorming-scream-8-1236737021/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) everything about this is sloppy, inconsistent and tired. By this point this is a zombie that just wants to be put to rest. If we're meant to follow Tatum and her friends, someone might want to make them interesting next time because Ghostface is gonna make a meal of them in 30 seconds. ## Grade: D *Scream 7 is in theaters Friday.* --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/ChatGPT-Image-Feb-25--2026--05_14_07-PM-1.png) The Film Maven Free Week! March 2nd-6th ***If you've contemplated a paid subscription to The Film Maven you might want to drop by March 2nd-6th. I'm hosting a free week wherein everything that drops will be free! I'll also be hyping the cool things I'm hoping to do for paid subscribers including more Discord chats and the like!*** *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/images-3.jpeg) ### Mourning the Lies the Movies Taught Us About Being a Journalist URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/journalists-in-movies/ Last updated: 2026-02-25T17:00:22.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *one-two exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- Earlier this week, Twitter (yes, I am calling it this till the day I die) saw a viral post focused on how movies sold us a bill of goods when it came to what careers in journalism looked like. The main post associated with it showed screenshots from *Confessions of a Shopaholic*, *Ugly Betty*, *How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days*, and *13 Going on 30*. The overall feeling from people – many of whom I don't believe were actual journalists – mourned a variety of things: that journalism isn't an affordable profession, that it doesn't involve office culture, and that you don't have adorable hair while doing it. > the journalism career i was promised when i was a kid and it doesn’t even exist anymore kinda [pic.twitter.com/bBehZAiNK0](https://t.co/bBehZAiNK0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) > > — ౨ৎ sofia ౨ৎ (@fawniefia) [February 23, 2026](https://twitter.com/fawniefia/status/2025918857165316485?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=thefilmmaven.com) It's funny that, for the most part, all of the movies cited in this discussion focused on female journalists, many of whom worked in fictional beauty or lifestyle-brand magazines. Andie, Kate Hudson's character from *How to Lose a Guy*, was a serious journalist who deigned to write a hit column for the glamour mag *Composure*, while *13 Going on 30's* Jenna Rink (Jennifer Garner) has to rebrand *Sparkle* magazine....and generally turns it into *YM*. You'll be my best friend if you read that one! _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Psycho Killer Review: We Need A Better Class of Satanist URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/psycho-killer-review/ Last updated: 2026-02-25T16:30:26.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-1939-ticklish-business-podcast/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- Success is great, but it’s hard to follow up on an all-timer. Even in a long career, that sets expectations (for right or wrong). David Fincher struck gold with *Se7en*, an ominous and impactful dark serial killer noir thriller, thanks in part to Andrew Kevin Walker’s stellar script. Fincher sits high among the rare echelon of directors who can lay claim to more than one masterpiece, with the aforementioned *Se7en*, *The Social Network*, and *Zodiac* being arguable contenders. A key part of what makes *Se7en* so good, however, is its spectacularly haunting script (and wildly messed-up ending). With *Psycho Killer,* penned by the same hand and also featuring an obsessed detective in pursuit of a serial killer animated by Christian lore, high expectations make sense. Unfortunately, this time the devil’s in the details. *Psycho Killer* stars Georgina Campbell as Highway Patrol officer Jane Archer, who witnesses the death of her husband Mike during what should be a routine traffic stop. She comes to believe the killer is the “Satanic Slasher” who has been carving his way across the country, leaving messages to Old Scratch in blood along the way. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/Still-2025-09-26-163026_1.1.22-scaled.webp) Jane set out to chase down leads and hunt him down herself for closure, revealing a hulking, masked serial killer obsessed with a kill spree at a church, heavy metal, and all the things that normal rebellious teens trying to please the Dark Lord do. Getting a few positives right out of the gate: Georgina Campbell yet again excels in the role, with ample toughness and more than enough charisma to prove an engaging watch. James Preston Rogers has a commanding, often eerie presence as the Slasher in question, with a memorable mask to match. Rogers is hulking, with highway cop shades that add unnerving mystery to his visage. There’s also at least one kill that really works, though it could be elevated and stretched out a little… It’s still great in its simplicity. The entire sequence with Malcolm McDowell as a mysterious Mr. Pendleton is a little slow, but it may well be the film’s best sequence, and the great McDowell hams it up royally. Sure, a Satan-inspired serial killer has been done more than a few times, but the simple elegance of a vengeful, capable cop hunting a killer Satanist across the country is a good premise (if a little similar to the Denzel Washington-starrer *Fallen*, substitute a body-hopping demon for Lucifer). There’s ample opportunity for supernatural elements, corruption of the detective, or truly innovative, messed-up murders. Devil aside, an obsessive investigation corrupting said investigator has fueled great tales like *I Saw the Devil*. Here, regrettably, they substitute these promising avenues for a plot that doesn’t quite connect. It’s hard to discuss the Slasher’s full plan here without spoilers, but it fails. What happens has a loose connection to Satanism and no visible supernatural edge; it’s merely escalated mass murder that’s explained suddenly via a "pieces click into place for the detective" montage, but it wasn’t intuitive or sufficiently established for that moment to be earned. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/psycho-killer-20cs-stills-gallery-04-85a9dbb1-1771620889773.jpeg) Additionally, there’s a major reference to the Three Mile Island accident. The 3 Mile Island accident happened in 1979 and became culturally relevant in the early 1980s, while preoccupation with Satanic Panic/ ‘Satanic’ heavy metal emerged from the 1980 book *Michelle Remembers* before dominating the decade. Duct-taping Satanic Panic and 3 Mile Island into the same script makes *Psycho Killer* feel like it was written in 1980 and unearthed 45 years later when the screenwriter was packing to move. There’s a good movie in here. Georgina Campbell can carry a picture, and James Preston Rogers capably evokes a strong, unnerving presence. The mask is cool, there’s potential for memorable moments, and the tagline is a blank check for shocking and perverse atrocities. Just about anything interesting that could have happened didn’t, unfortunately, so we’re left with a cacophonous mess of ideas that read less like the latest from the author of a thriller masterpiece and more like Dante’s Purgatorio, stretching blindly into infinity. Go watch *I Saw the Devil* instead. ## GRADE: F *Psycho Killer is in theaters now.* --- *I have a new book dropping on July 28th! It's* [***But Have You Read the Book: Romance Edition***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! I look at 40 of the most iconic romance novels and their filmic counterparts to show you the changes in between.* [***Preorder your copy now!***](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book-romance-edition/9798894142296/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Ella McCay Is a Movie Out of Time (and a Bad One at That) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/ella-mccay-review/ Last updated: 2026-02-23T17:00:13.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *one-two exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- *Ella McCay* is on digital and I finally got to see the movie critics are calling "clunky," "bewildering," and "messy." [Two reviews in particular struck me](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ella%5Fmccay/reviews/top-critics?ref=thefilmmaven.com). One of them was from Wendy Ide of the U.K. version of *The Observer* who called it "Dated in tone and positively antediluvian in its attitudes towards women in power..." The other was from Jonathan Romney of *The Financial Times*. His review said, "This is a woolly, self-congratulatory fossil of a film, nostalgic for an imaginary past." Directors of the '80s and '90s have really struggled to acclimate to the new landscape of filmmaking. Brooks hadn't made a movie since 2010, the lackluster *How Do You Know*. Other directors have faced similar struggles: Nancy Meyers is still working ([or trying to](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/emma-mackey-exits-nancy-meyers-warner-bros-1236510138/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)), but her 2015 movie *The Intern* is often ignored in the ouevre of her work. Even the late great Rob Reiner struggled to connect with audiences beyond his 2007 feature *The Bucket Lis*t. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Faithful or Hateful: Wuthering Heights and a Marketing Conundrum URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-2026-adaptation/ Last updated: 2026-03-23T16:14:59.000Z *Welcome to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *one-two exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- Since *Wuthering Heights* debuted last week, and audiences have finally gotten a chance to see it, I've been asked repeatedly how I feel about Emerald Fennell's adaptations *not* being faithful to Emily Bronte's text. Adaptations are a tricky thing, and having written an entire book on them I've watched and read a lot of them. A screenwriter has to thread the needle and bring in audiences who loved and read the book, and audiences who might not even know there was a book to begin with. And, from what I'm seeing online, a lot of people don't know *Wuthering Heights* is a book (or, at least my 28-year-old brother didn't when he saw it this week). As I said in [my review of Fennell's movie](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-review-jacob-elordi-margot-robbie/): "I ascribe to George Bluestone's theory from *Novels Into Film*: A great adaptation is one where 'the film stands up as an autonomous work of art. Not whether the filmmaker has respected his model, but whether he has respected his own vision.'" Fennell's version certainly stands up on its own and respected her own vision. It's just that her vision seems a bit confused on how to please audiences. The flaws of the movie are Fennell's desire to make this a *Saltburn 2.0* when it doesn't need to be. But people are angry about it and that's what I want to talk about. How faithful does a book have to be? And is part of people's frustration with an adaptation whose source material they've never read stem more from WB's haphazard marketing? _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ticklish Business 224: Wuthering Heights (1939 with Frances O'Connor) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-1939-ticklish-business-podcast/ Last updated: 2026-02-18T17:14:16.000Z *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/doctor-dolittle-1967-podcast/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- The listeners spoke and you wanted Kristen and Emily on the Moors to talk about Heathcliff, Cathy, and 1939's *Wuthering Heights*. But we couldn't just talk about the movie and Emily Bronte. We needed a Bronte expert. And who better to join us as a guest than the director of the Emily Bronte biopic *Emily*: Frances O'Connor! O'Connor, Kristen and Emily discuss Bronte's life, whether Heathcliff was a person of color, and why we love this petty story (and why Emily doesn't love it). Emily also has a bittersweet announcement to make this episode. ***Watch or listen below.*** **You can** [⁠⁠⁠**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube** ](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[**channel**⁠⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*Popcorn Disabilities*⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch shop is live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠become a Patron⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com): • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Emily's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Patrick Seals ### Ciaran Hinds and Polly Findlay Talk Amsterdam and Taking a Midwinter Break URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/midwinter-break-movie-lesley-manville/ Last updated: 2026-02-17T17:00:51.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/ponies-susanna-fogel/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- There's a beauty in the simplicity of director Polly Findlay's *Midwinter Break*. The story of a long-married couple (Ciaran Hinds and Lesley Manville) who attempt to shake things up by visiting Amsterdam opens up to discussions of personal beliefs, how love changes as we age, and how we reconcile with historical trauma that touches us. From the minute Findlay knew she'd be working on the story the hope was to cast Lesley Manville as the extremely devout Stella, a woman hoping to give back for the second chance in life she was given as a younger woman. "Lesley is somebody that I've known for a long time and she had always said, as my friend, 'When you make your first film I'll do it with you.' And then she actually did," Findlay tells The Film Maven. Findlay couldn't have thought of anyone besides Hinds and Manville for their parts because, as she says, they have an ability to show you "the iceberg underneath the surface." Much of the stakes found in the movie are inhabited in the internal relationship roiling between the two, the years of history between them, and what remains unspoken. "I feel like you can see the full cross section of all the emotions with both Lesley and Ciaran," she says. "You have to have actors that can make everything clear without over explaining it. That's really rare to have people that can do it so well, and they were so well matched in their ability to do that." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/midwinter-break.jpeg) While Hinds and Manville have been working for decades, the Irish actor admitted they've never worked together before, though he was certainly aware of Manville. Hinds was also aware of the book the movie was based on, having read Bernard MacLaverty's book when it came out (he also knew MacLaverty from their days at university). "It's this quiet, autumnal kind of love gone stale \[story\]," he says. "But is there hope? It's very beautiful, a very beautiful novel. Then I gave it to a friend and I thought no more about it. I didn't know four, five years later, we were going to now operate in it. I was thrilled when I was asked to be in it because it had touched me as a piece." He and Manville spent at least three days talking to each other, alongside Findlay. "It's not a question of what I'm going to do," he says. "It's about the human interaction. And \[Findlay's\] job was to \[ask\] how do I do that on camera? How close and how far? She just let us at it. It was lovely, actually, for us to find each other in it, Lesley and myself." It was certainly helpful that Hinds, Manville, and Findlay all had theater backgrounds, as that crafted a shorthand that benefited the shooting schedule. The movie is very much a two-hander with a stage-like quality. The only two performers of significance are Manville and Hinds. "We did a kind of accelerated version of some of the stuff that you would do in a theater rehearsal room," says Findlay. "Around building back history, and a sense of shared events, and understanding the shared past that these characters are bringing to the table. The thing that felt different was that, in a theater process, what you're doing is building a structure that allows actors to repeat, because they have to do the same thing night after night after night, whereas this process was much more about capturing the moment of improvisation." Findlay would set the scene and create an environment where the actors had space and time to react and be reactive. Findlay explained that much of the backstory that was created did end up on-screen, a fact only enhanced by how rich the original novel was. "We also had a lot of conversations about things like the way that Jerry \[Hinds's character\] had costumed himself over the years, and the costume that you see is the product of all of those conversations," says Findlay. "But there's loads of little details underpinning that that are just things that we made up." Once that 72-hour rehearsal period was up they also had to make room for a fourth character: that of Amsterdam, the location where Stella believes she might finally be able to atone for her past. "We talked from the beginning about Amsterdam being a character in its own right," says Findlay. "The city itself did us a lot of favors in that it is so extremely beautiful and so cinematic, and carries with it a sense of poetry or lyricism around every corner. The joke that we had when we were making it was that my choices were either point a camera at Lesley, or at Ciaran, or Amsterdam." "When you're actually in front of a camera, you're somewhere else," says Hinds. "You're aware of what's around you, but because you're connecting more with the person that you're working with, Lesley, you're focused on the person than the geographical landscape. But then they go cut and...you've got all that time to see how marvelous the location you're in. I had not been in Amsterdam...probably for my best friend's wedding about 35 years before and I was only literally there for a day and a half. We were there \[filming\] for four and a half weeks so I got to explore it on the weekend." *Midwinter Break hits theaters this Friday.* ### Lupe Velez: The Burning of the Mexican Spitfire URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/lupe-velez/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T01:44:01.000Z *Women They Warned You About is an ongoing series focused on Hollywood misogyny and how the term "difficult" has been used on women in the entertainment industry for decades. Each article spotlights a different woman, tracks her career, and how the term changed the perception of her in Hollywood.* *This in-depth, highly researched series is exclusive to Gold level Film Maven subscribers. Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven. Paid Film Mavens get access to *one-two exclusive articles a week* including access to this series as well as* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*.* --- Being a difficult woman in Hollywood isn't a new phenomenon. Go all the way back to the early days of cinema and you'll see how the word was applied to actresses who didn't play by the rules. And after seeing Bad Bunny get [some of the worst people big mad](https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/politics/bad-bunny-super-bowl-halftime-show-congressman-inquiry-request/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) for just existing I knew I wanted to talk about a woman who similarly pissed people off for being "too Latin." _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### If You Aren't Watching Ponies Its Creators Explain Why Its Worth the Binge URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/ponies-susanna-fogel/ Last updated: 2026-02-11T17:00:49.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-review-jacob-elordi-margot-robbie/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- If you know me you know I don't watch a ton of television, but when I heard about *Ponies*, the latest from Susanna Fogel and David Iserson, I was immediately in. The series hearkens back to the spy and paranoia thrillers of the 1970s with its story of Bea and Twila (Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson, respectively), two CIA agent wives who are forced to work as double agents when their husbands are killed. The two become "Ponies" (persons of no interest) and get mixed up in all manner of intrigue and murder, with a heavy dose of female friendships in it. It's a premise reminiscent of their 2018 feature *The Spy Who Dumped Me*, also about two friends who become unwitting spies after one of their boyfriends lands them in hot water. That feature, as Fogel tells The Film Maven, came at time when creatives felt female empowerment stories were actually being championed. "It took a minute for it to sort of become that for people," she says. "Whereas now people are just ready to embrace that without the stigma of something feeling like a chick flick. What we learned from \[*Spy Who Dumped Me*\], and the way that movie was perceived in the world, was that you have to have a little bit of macho swagger when you put a movie like that out and not let it be too girly in order for it to be considered cool enough that people will watch it and not approach it in a sexist way as an audience." It was on that film that Iserson and Fogel conjured up the idea for *Ponies*. The "perfect hybrid" of their interest in the 1970s and female companionship. Female friendships is a recurring theme in Fogel's work, whether that be this, *Spy Who Dumped Me*, or Fogel's work on the *Booksmart* screenplay. "I'll be meeting about a project and they're like, 'It's a love story. I'm like, yeah, yeah, but could it just be about best friends? Could the inciting incident be that someone lost their best friend, not their mom?'" Fogel says. That love for companionship and community amongst women became something Fogel and Iserson wanted to approach with *Ponies*, taking the warm, personal and emotional stakes of friendship and putting it on a genre that was seen as cold and aggressive. "Talking about a modern spy story just did not seem as fun to us," says Iserson. "Cell phones and computers just seem boring so the analogness, and the look, and the feel, and the time \[of the '70s\] just felt more visually interesting and more exciting. It is that mix of wanting to tell something that feels like it is reflecting the world that we are living in, but also there is an exciting escapism of time travel that period pieces provide." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/NUP_207209_00209_RF_6d96f8.webp) The show took several years to develop, according to Iserson, which meant how they saw the politics of the show changed as the world changed. "We were writing the early episodes in Covid," he says. "The feelings that I would get from the script were more about the fear of walking outside the embassy into this scary world and being in your cocoon and leaving your cocoon, that sort of energy." They knew they didn't want to tell a stock story of "Russia, bad, America, good," but more so characters living through the Cold War being told different things on all sides. *Ponies* also became an opportunity to deconstruct second wave feminism, a time that we now filter through the lens of extreme support for women and a desire to break the shackles of the patriarchy. Historically, we now see it as a time of unity and celebration, particularly prescient now when women's rights are backsliding politically. "One thing we liked about the '70s was that it's a time that people were talking about equality, and we've all seen these shows that are like, women's lib, women are getting together, and they're trying to overturn the patriarchy, but actually they're still in marriages and in families that had traditional dynamics...How empowered can you be?" says Fogel. "It was interesting making a show where we got to meditate on that. How thorough is the feminism that people were bragging about in America? And where is it under the surface. It feels like now is hauntingly the same thing where we're talking about it, but the people who are talking about it are doing it in a silo. It's politicized to talk about it now. It's partisan to be women. It's weird." Right now, the hope is to get more eyeballs on the show. The pair are happy to hear there's a social media movement asking when Peacock, the streaming home for the show, is going to greenlight a season two. "When I started working in television, you would pitch a television show and you would either write the pilot or pitch the pilot, and then that would kind of be it," says Iserson. "Then you put together a writer's room and then you're like, 'All right, here we are. Let's figure it out.' With the economics of television now, we pitched, like, four or five seasons when we were trying to sell this show. We could compress that and adapt that depending on what the appetite is." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/MV5BYmY3ZDQ2YjctYzAxNS00ZGIzLTlhN2QtMzZlNDAwMTFiOGJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXZ3ZXNsZXk@._V1_-1.jpg) That's why the pair sold this as a limited series, knowing that every episode would end with a cliffhanger. They didn't want to wrap up the season with a bow, but also didn't want to leave fans hanging in the wind. "We were betting on the show, and we're trying to be bold with all of our story turns," he says. "Our finale is no exception. We're really betting on being able to tell more stories and we have a lot more planned." Right now, they're hoping the binge model will work for the show and audiences will make time to stream the entirety of the series on Peacock now. And you should! We need more female friendship shows and movies, and I need to see the further adventures of Bea and Twila! *Ponies is streaming on Peacock now.* --- *Remember how I mentioned in* [*my post on journalism returning*](https://thefilmmaven.com/entertainment-journalism-changes/) *to pre-Internet times that I won 2 National Arts and Entertainment Journalism awards? They finally came in the mail and wanted to show them off!* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/IMG_7748.JPG) ### Gore Verbinski and Cast Talk the Urgency of Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die: 'The World Is Screaming the Answer' [Video] URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/good-luck-have-fun-dont-die-zazie-beetz/ Last updated: 2026-02-10T17:00:20.000Z At the center of director Gore Verbinski's new sci-fi adventure *Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die* is the question of how AI makes us complacent, eats away our time, and keeps us trapped in a world of isolation wrapped up in a wild, anarchic landscape anchored by a fun performance from Sam Rockwell. For Verbinski, returning to the director's chair after a ten-year hiatus, it was a matter of urgency. "If you're saying why now I think that the world is screaming the answer," Verbinski tells The Film Maven. "It just felt like a film that was urgent and that we needed to kind of burp it out as quickly as possible." _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Wuthering Heights (2026) Review: Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie Get Extra With Bronte's Novel URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-review-jacob-elordi-margot-robbie/ Last updated: 2026-03-03T15:09:11.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/pillion-review-alexander-skarsgard/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- Everyone has opinions on Emerald Fennell's "*Wuthering Heights*," whether you've read Bronte's book or not, whether you care about seeing the movie, whether or not you're a fan of its leads. Nearly every piece of "*Wuthering Heights*" has been dissected over the last few months – yes, from me as well – from people examining interviews with [Elordi and Robbie for signs of an affair](https://pagesix.com/video/wuthering-heights-controversy-swirls-around-margot-robbie-jacob-elordi-viral-press-tours/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) (and, conversely, arguments about them [affair-baiting everyone](https://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/1234966958/margot-robbie-husband-affair-baiting-jacob-elordi/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)), from discussions about the topic of [Heathcliff's race](https://www.bronte.org.uk/about-us/visions-missions-values/celebrating-a-diverse-history/black-history?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and the Bronte sisters' writing on the subject, to Fennell's use of [quotation marks in the title](https://www.justjared.com/2026/01/17/emerald-fennell-explains-why-wuthering-heights-movie-title-is-in-quotation-marks/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). The awareness campaign for the movie couldn't be higher, but the question remains: Is the movie any good? If you looked at [the swath of influencer reviews](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-premiere-influencers/) of the movie many of them are giving an enthusiastic yes, even if they're adding weak caveats of being "honest." And there is certainly plenty going for the movie to recommend it. Fennell's ultra maximalist take makes it one of the most sumptuous, lovely, eye-catching movies of 2026\. This is a dazzling feast for the eyes, and that's just exclusive to Jacqueline Durran's costumes, Suzie Davies' production design, or the beauty of Elordi and Robbie themselves. What results is a lush take Bronte's novel that keeps to the spirit of the book, as well as the majority of the plot beats from the first half of the novel, while making the narrative changes of time and character compression of past adaptations. Robbie, Elordi and Alison Oliver, especially, thrive in Bronte's messy world of hurt people who hurt people, with a hefty amount of Fennell's penchant for the sexual. The timeless story of the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff (Robbie and Elordi, respectively) starts when they are children (wonderfully played by Charlotte Mellington and Owen Cooper). The opening sequence is very Fennell in its overt, extreme garishness. Cathy watches a man hang during "Hanging Day," a moment that turns everyone seemingly into wanton, feral lunatics as the pulsing beat of John Cale and Charli xcx's "House" plays. One would be inclined to believe that, like Fennell's *Saltburn*, this would lead to an extremely grotesque adaptation but, if anything, there's little of *Saltburn* found in this movie (if that's why you're going, prep for disappointment). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/MV5BM2YxZDhhMGMtM2NkZi00YmJlLWI2OTAtMWEyN2Q0M2FjMTY5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXZ3ZXNsZXk@._V1_.jpg) Even the sex, relegated to the middle of the movie after Catherine's marriage to Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif) is present yet tame in comparison to other movies like the more recent [*Pillion*](https://thefilmmaven.com/pillion-review-alexander-skarsgard/). Funnily enough, this movie briefly flirts with some type of BDSM moment involving a horse bridle and a whip, but it's a one and done. Fennell has cited a sequence of Robbie on a rock as being akin to Barry Keoghan's tub drain moment in *Saltburn* and, sorry, but there's nothing to that level of bizarre in this movie. If anything, "*Wuthering Heights*" works best when Fennell *isn't* going all in on those things. The typical Fennell trappings of hands going into fish mouths, kneading dough, etc. are inconsistently used and just feel like fan service. Fennell, Davies, and crew return to the opulence of the MGM era for their take, blending location filming with overt uses of matte paintings and other studio trappings. Cathy walks through the bowels of her home, Thrushcross Grange, with epic, craggy gray peaks closing in all around her. Later, when she is caught spying on the Lintons and tries to compose herself before being discovered, Edgar opening the garden door is as bright and composed as Dorothy entering Oz, a clear reference for the sequence. "But what about Bronte's novel?" you ask. As someone who has written a book on adaptations – which, shameless plug, includes the 1939 interpretation of the book – I ascribe to George Bluestone's theory from *Novels Into Film*: A great adaptation is one where "the film stands up as an autonomous work of art. Not whether the filmmaker has respected his model, but whether he has respected his own vision." For me, if the book and the movie can stand up as independent of each other, wherein one loses nothing through the existence of the other but can be enjoyed as separate entities, than its successful. Fennell certainly ascribes to her own vision 100% as well as creating a movie that, if anything, makes you want to read the novel (if only to read the entire back half most screenwriters excise from their adaptations). Cathy's brother Hindley is excised and combined with the drunken Earnshaw (Martin Clunes), Cathy's abusive father who, in this version, adopts Heathcliff out of righteous indignation because he is Such Good People. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/wuthering-heights-margo-robbie-main-090425-1f0c2331eef249128b83a8eed1907e28-1.jpg) Fennell's script is like taking a walk in the woods, it wanders but never feels lacking in direction. From the minute Catherine and Heathcliff meet as children, their doomed love story fuels the momentum of the story. Mellington and Cooper are perfect, though the movie doesn't give them as much time you'd hope. Once they're grown, Robbie and Elordi add a percussive quality in how forcefully they exaggerate Catherine and Heathcliff's qualities, playing characters who never fully grew out of their childlike faults. Robbie nails Catherine's inherent obnoxiousness, playing her as a petulant young woman desperate for something to happen in life that doesn't involve her declaring she will die...and not doing so. (There's also a fun little line from Earnshaw to explain away the 35-year-old actress playing the character which I appreciated.) For a book told entirely in flashback, the movie firmly sets this as Catherine's story with Robbie in nearly every scene. Even once Heathcliff disappears to make his fortune, a series of time jumps shows us Catherine's suffocating new life at the Lintons wherein the only thing that seems to change are her costumes. For Fennell, it's clear this is a story of not only love but female oppression, with Catherine the beautiful dove who doesn't know what she wants but clearly comes to realize she wants more than money. Latif's Edgar Linton is probably the weakest written of the characters, little more than the kindhearted welp (the Bill Pullman, Ralph Bellamy, etc. if this was another movie) who truly loves Catherine but lacks anything exciting in his personality. That excitement is found in Heathcliff, the rough and broody man of the moors. Having recently played Frankenstein's monster, and having an Oscar nomination for it, it's easy to see why Fennell decided to reunite with Jacob Elordi for this part. Why not have America's #1 heartthrob play one of the most deconstructed bad boyfriends of all time? Elordi is solid in the role that Fennell has crafted and cinematographer Linus Sandgren makes him look as gorgeous as everything else around him. Elordi engages in all manner of dashing leading man mien, from clambering into windows in a clinging frilly shirt to using a lot of tongue in various kissing scenes. If you've got the Elordi fever this might be the cure...or cause you to combust (either way). But the MVP is Alison Oliver as Isabella Linton, the shy, doll-crafting ward (not sister, as in the book) to Edgar Linton. Oliver is a master at giving Isabella a dark humor, whether it's in her dollhouse compositions or her eventual marriage to Heathcliffe that warrants a longer movie all its own. If you ever thought Isabella Linton was just a mid girl on the page, this is where Fennell's own though processes shine. Similarly, Hong Chau's take on Nelly Dean, the housemaid who tells the story in the novel. Nelly gets an enhanced backstory of being a lord's daughter hired as a lady's companion for Catherine. It's meant to work as a contrast to Heathcliff's story, furthering the narrative of class distinctions Fennell is deciding to work with. But Chau makes the character so compassionate, even when she's being horrible to other characters. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/Screenshot-2025-11-10-at-4.33.09-pm-1.webp) That being said, there's a real segmented element to the script and editing, that cuts the movie far too cleanly into specific sections. There's the "when they're kids section," "Heathcliff and Cathy fall in love," "the bodice ripper section." Nothing feels particularly seamless as it does a series of beats with the thread of Cathy and Heathcliff's love knitting them all together. No one segment is particularly bad, but it does make the movie one where you could fast forward to what you want out of it particularly the middle of the movie which goes all in on Catherine and Heathcliff having beautifully composed sex in a variety of places. Trailers for the movie has positioned "*Wuthering Heights*" as "the greatest love story of all time," and while there is a level of romance to it, Bronte wrote what amounts to a Gothic tragedy and Fennell does at least give us that. Some of the most breathtaking images in the movie come from Catherine's eventual descent into what happens to her character at the end. (Though, the narrative does put a definitive ending on things to explain cutting the book's second half which I appreciated.) A sequence of fleeing leeches is one that is now seared into my brain. I've gone back and forth on how Fennell chose to end the narrative, emphasizing less the romantic swoon of the novel and more the Shakespearean tragedy of Catherine and Heathcliff. It'll definitely be a moment for book people to come together and argue over. As someone who has griped for months over this movie, I was surprised that I walked away from "*Wuthering Heights*" liking it as much as I did. The outrageous beauty and opulence of the movie props up a lot, as do Robbie and Elordi. This feels like a *Wuthering Heights* for our current era. One that is both contemporary yet hearkening back to a classic filmmaking style. The soul of the novel is there and "*Wuthering Heights*" stands on its own as yet another great adaptation of Bronte's novel. ## Grade: B *"Wuthering Heights" is in theaters Friday.* ### 6 Best Things I Watched and Read in January URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-january-2026/ Last updated: 2026-02-05T17:00:55.000Z New year and that means a new chapter in the what I've been watching and reading discourse. As most critics will tell you, January yielded some great food at the movie theater, a rarity for the first month of the year. The list below is small but mighty, ranging from the batshit insane to the dramatic, that hit in the dark corners of our soul and make us remember why we love movies. Be sure to drop the movies and books you enjoyed last month in the comments below. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ticklish Business 223: Doctor Dolittle (1967) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/doctor-dolittle-1967-podcast/ Last updated: 2026-02-04T17:44:38.000Z *n my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/ticklish-business-new-discoveries-2025/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- Emily and Kristen wanted to do a makeshift Flop-uary and we're doing so by watching what many consider the worst Best Picture winner ever: 1967's *Doctor Dolittle*. Emily and Kristen break down how the movie got made (blame *My Fair Lady*), Rex Harrison's talk singing, and the host of issues that made this another expensive disaster for 20th Century Fox. We ran into some issues, technical and personal, with this one. Our original guest Nathan Rabin wasn't able to join us after we had to rerecord but we'd love for you to buy his new book [*The Fractured Mirror*](https://amzn.to/4r89LMX?ref=thefilmmaven.com). And apologies for getting this out late. It's been a week! ***Watch the full episode below or get links to listen via Spotify and Apple Podcasts!*** **You can** [⁠**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*Popcorn Disabilities*⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch shop is live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠become a Patron⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com): • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Emily's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Patrick Seals ### Pillion Review: Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård Dominate This Tenderhearted Romance URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/pillion-review-alexander-skarsgard/ Last updated: 2026-02-05T20:47:02.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/send-help-review/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- Reviews of movies I love are the hardest for me to write. The challenge of listing the sometimes unquantifiable and imperceptible things that make a movie excellent is something I struggle with on the daily. And it's made even harder when discussing something like Harry Lighton's brilliant queer romance *Pillion* wherein the brilliance is in letting the emotions, characterizations, and the relationship at the center wash over you. There's something so tender-hearted in a movie about a dominant/submissive relationship that should be ironic but, in the movie, makes so much sense. Couple that with superb turns by Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling and it's easy to understand why this was [my number two best movie of 2025](https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-2025/). Colin (Melling) is a meek, quiet man who spends his days at a dead-end job and his nights singing in a barbershop quartet at the local pub. He finds himself drawn to Ray (Skarsgård) an equally quiet, though far more intimidating, biker. Ray finds Colin's "aptitude for devotion" worthy of making him the perfect submissive mate for him and the two embark on a relationship that sees Colin gaining far more confidence. But as their relationship continues, Colin starts to figure out what he wants, which puts him at odds with Ray's idea of their dynamic. Adapting Adam Mars-Jones' book *Box Hill*, Lighton crafts a tightly wound story of the shifting nature of desire. How people enter into relationships with their own preconceived expectations, how those expectations change the longer we know someone, and what happens when you realize you are the one changing. This is Colin's story, but it's also Ray's, both of them constantly shifting and transforming into different versions of themselves throughout the narrative. And what happens when you've realized you're no longer the same person? Do you commit or run away? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/Alexander-Skarsgard-and-Harry-Melling-in-Pillion-2025.jpg) If your only interaction with Harry Melling is him as the snivelly Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films, erase that from your memory. Colin is a shy, lonely man who's mother, in her desire to see him happy, ends up running roughshod over him. An awkward first date puts him in the position of having to be the one to sayh he's not interested, and while his mother's heart is the right place it's easy to see why he feels like he has no autonomy. When Colin sees Ray, that's when Melling's true talents shine. His eyes light up, it's the equivalent of a fireworks moment in a romantic comedy. And who wouldn't fall for someone like Skarsgård. The actor is a true chameleon, able to give us dark and broody as quickly as funny and quirky. Here, he's prototypical brooding stranger, sitting corners in silence until he approaches Colin. The two share a look and the audience is more than aware that there's a reciprocal attraction. An awkward encounter in an alley upends so many of the perfect first times so often seen in feature films. Lighton eschews romance for an oral sex sequence that's authentic in all its imperfection and discovery. In a landscape where Gen Z are regularly debating the need for sex scenes Lighton and cinematographer Nick Morris illustrate the power of them, the heady mix of desire and intrigue that make movies the perfect fantasy machine. But what they do is continue to craft something at the intersection of true and false. So much of the narrative is about power and Ray, despite his caring for Colin, uses sex as a weapon. A fun camping trip with Ray's biker buddies, and their submissives, sees Colin cast aside by Ray because of how physically weak he is. Later, during a group sex scene Ray proceeds to engage with another person, the camera focusing on Ray's utter lack of expression. There's nothing sexy or intimate in this moment, it's perfunctory, a plan to remind Colin (and possibly Ray himself) of his place in the relationship. Skarsgård's good looks are similarly weaponized throughout the movie. Colin's friends, coworkers, and parents all express shock and surprise that someone like him has nabbed a man like Ray. And Skarsgård never presents Ray as god-like, but it's obvious he has a problem with intimacy. He grunts a "no" when Colin tries to sing along to Ray's piano playing. He refuses to let Colin sleep in his bed or even tell him anything personal about his life or career. In any other movie this would be the opening to a thriller, and Lighton emphasizes that they're all red flags. But they are never things that put Colin in danger and, if anything, he routinely pushes against them, desperate to learn about Ray's life so that they can move further in their relationship. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/02/MV5BZDRlMTk0MWUtNzU1OS00ZGNhLWE3MzAtY2QzNjhkNGQxZTYzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXRyYW5zY29kZS13b3JrZmxvdw@@._V1_.jpg) The tragedy, ultimately, found in Pillion is the all-too-real discovery of realizing the person you want to be emotionally intimate with just can't give that back. And yet *Pillion* is ultimately a hopeful movie. It reminds us, and Colin, that it's through the nature of experience that we learn about ourselves, and as Colin plaintively sings Charlie Chaplin's "Smile," that bears fruit. *Pillion* remains one of the best movies of the year, one that is funny as it is relatable, romantic as it is trying. Melling and Skarsgård have a fabulous chemistry together. This is another one I can't wait to experience again. ## Grade: A- ### Director Penelope Spheeris on Thirty Years of Black Sheep and Little Rascals [Exclusive] URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/penelope-spheeris-director/ Last updated: 2026-02-05T20:23:06.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *one-two exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- "As a child of the '90s I hold close the comedies of the era. Hell, I still quote them on the daily, specifically the films of director Penelope Spheeris. Drop by mine and you'll hear me say either, "Dear Darla, I hate your stinkin' guts" from Spheeris's 1995 movie *The Little Rascals* or "Thank you little roots, please stay strong" from 1996's *Black Sheep*. The fact that a director could helm two such different features – on an adaptation of the Hal Roach kids comedies from the 1920s and the other a Chris Farley movie about politics – is a testament to Spheeris's directorial range. And yet to talk her she's open about had had to sell out in order to keep making features. Which she shouldn't have had to considering Spheeris was riding the wave of being the director behind 1992's *Wayne World*, the Mike Meyers/Dana Carvey comedy that saw their popular SNL characters transition to the big screen. "After I did *Wayne's World* I \[had\] a whole inventory of scripts that I had written and tried to get made into film," Spheeris tells The Film Maven. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Wuthering Heights Might Have Gone Mad With Influencers and People Are Noticing URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-premiere-influencers/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T02:00:42.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles* a week including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server. They'll also get first look at a new series I'm debuting in 2026.* --- **Updated 2/19/2026**: According to [a post on PopBitch](https://popbitch.substack.com/p/gm-duchess-of-york), 2,000 influencers were paid to cover the movie. 2,000! [*Wuthering Heights*](https://amzn.to/4s1s85Y?ref=thefilmmaven.com) had their global premiere on Wednesday night and, no, I wasn't invited. (The thing about no longer working for a trade publication is your Q rating for those kind of things plummets.) But you know who was invited? Influencers! Lots of em. And, weirdly enough a lot of nepo babies which...is that a Jacob Elordi thing? We've talked about [premieres](https://thefilmmaven.com/wicked-gladiator-2-influencers/) and [junkets](https://thefilmmaven.com/influencer-podcast/) becoming exclusive to online personalities at the expense of critics for over a year now. But what was funny is how quickly social media seemed to notice with *Wuthering Heights*. This wasn't helped by the social embargo lifting and, at last count, the *Wuthering Heights* social channel has only shared two actual posts from critics Jazz Tangcay of *Variety* and Scott Mendelson. A *People* article [rounding up reactions](https://people.com/margot-robbie-wuthering-heights-first-reactions-11895137?ref=thefilmmaven.com) found a whopping four critic takes– including the aforementioned *Variety* one--though none appeared to be premiere reactions but pre-planned posts for when the embargo lifted. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Celebrating Indie Film at Sundance's Final Park City Bow URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/sundance-2026/ Last updated: 2026-01-29T17:04:02.000Z 47 years after its initial founding in 1978, the Sundance Film Festival is leaving Utah and heading off into the sunset. Or, more accurately, Boulder, Colorado. Founded by Robert Redford and co-founded by John Earle, Sterling Van Wagenen, and the Utah Film Commission, it grew over the subsequent decades into what just might be the United States’ foremost independent film festival. The 2026 iteration was a bittersweet celebration of a storied fest with the closeout of old memories met by hopes about the future. I had ample opportunity to reflect on the festival and the state of independent film, given that this was my first opportunity to cover Sundance in person in Park City (though far from my first time altogether). This round had gorgeous, snowy vistas, cold like I haven’t felt for years, and some spectacular, moving, complex cinematic works like *Levitating*, *I Want Your Sex*, and *zi,* among others. Sitting out this time? The storied [Egyptian Theater](https://www.indiewire.com/news/festivals/egyptian-theatre-opting-out-final-sundance-park-city-1235138500/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), which is set to be pivoted into a live performance space. (“We have an Egyptian Theater at home,” I told myself to stave off disappointment.) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/Sundance-Film-Festival-Marquee-1_Photo-by-Maya-Dehlin-jpg.webp) Indie-friendly festivals like Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, and BeyondFest are pivotal to the survival of independent films made outside the Hollywood studio system. They allow unique, experimental, and lower budget films to have a better chance to be seen by audiences and distributors than they’d otherwise have. They shine a spotlight on the next wave of emergent new cinematic talents (Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson, Ava DuVernay, and Ryan Coogler are just a few of the luminaries who got their start at Sundance), and a high-profile festival win can set films up for greater prominence. These events have always been important guardians against a studio-controlled system, but it’s a pivotal salve in an industry under multifaceted siege. Los Angeles continues to lose ground in the global industry after [three straight years of declining production](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/los-angeles-hollywood-production-slipping-1236478609/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) while [audiences haven’t come back to theaters](https://variety.com/2025/film/news/movie-theaters-comeback-screens-shut-down-box-office-slump-1236347993/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). Ever the shortsighted trend-chasers, studios are increasingly chasing AI (which has [yet to prove profitable](https://hbr.org/2025/11/ai-companies-dont-have-a-profitable-business-model-does-that-matter?ref=thefilmmaven.com) for most companies). Profitability is hard enough for skilled humans to ensure in Hollywood, let alone for inhuman code that [can’t reliably chat safely](https://www.pcworld.com/article/2770385/i-saw-how-an-evil-ai-finds-vulnerabilities-its-as-scary-as-you-think.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *let alone* write a Hollywood hit. None of this even begins to cover the elephant in the Situation Room, Donald Trump, whose central policy points ([tariffs and fascism](https://www.screendaily.com/features/eight-talking-points-for-the-us-film-industry-in-2026/5212421.article?ref=thefilmmaven.com)) are unlikely to accomplish anything beyond further hurting a wounded industry that’s increasingly consolidated under rogue rich kids like David Ellison, or corralled behind streaming paywalls. It's an era characterized by a great need for independent voices making art that isn’t subject to billionaire capture or afraid of getting lambasted on Truth Social. Or that isn't drowned in needless tech as the target of studios’ odd fantasies about a creative-human-free workplace. That doesn’t need $700 billion to be profitable, because it’s a small-budget innovator instead of a CGI behemoth (therefore a little less dependent on theatrical trends). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/2026-Sundance-Film-Festival-What-to-Know-1.webp) For me, a visit to Sundance highlighted the promise of independent film in an era that needs said promise. It's not that this iteration was particularly political... far from it (unfortunately). But the potential is there for independent film to address many of the crises that keep audiences out of theaters, and that lock the industry into a mere IP regurgitation machine. These possibilities underscore why festivals are so pivotal in an era where studios aren't as bold and brave as we need them to be. Perhaps the answer has been under our nose all along: follow the A24/Neon model, embrace original, independent voices, and let festivals like Sundance lead the way. Here’s to another 47 years! ### The Moment Review: Charli XCX's Brat Summer Is Dulled in Shallow Quasi-Spoof URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-moment-review-charli-xcx/ Last updated: 2026-01-29T18:32:19.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/send-help-review/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- Singer Charli xcx's album brat dominated 2024, with the entirety of June, July and August devoted to what was soon dubbed "*brat* summer." As the opening titles of Charli xcx's quasi-spoof film *The Moment* lays out, it was just that with the album's slime green cover getting its own name and the titles being dropped in regular conversations. But can "*brat* summer" go on forever? That's the question at the center of *The Moment* and the answer is: not really. Crafting a spoof of the entertainment or music industries is tough, and though xcx has called Rob Reiner's *This is Spinal Tap* an influence on *The Moment*, there's little in common short of both being set in the musical world. Aidan Zamiri and Bertie Brandes's script can vacillate between utterly shallow and numbingly inside while failing to give us audiences much of what made *brat* summer so fun: letting xcx run wild and revel in the anarchy. What is left in *The Moment* is a "woe is me" story of a musician having to come to terms with moving on from her most fame-inducing situation, when audiences already know she'll succeed. Set in the fall of 2024, we meet Charli as she's preparing for a massive concert film of her brat tour to be released via Amazon. Her and her creative director/best friend Celeste (Hailey Benton-Gates) want to make the tour a wild, chaotic experience but are forced to deal with the concert film's director Johannes (Alexander Skarsgard) who wants to take the tour in a safer, more commericial direction. As the start of the tour gets closer Charli becomes indecisive and overly consumed about making sure that not only is the tour a success, but that she won't fall into irrelevancy. Charli xcx might sing in "360" how "I don't give a fuck what you think" but she does. She really, really does. At least the her within *The Moment* does and it's impossible not to see it as a construct which is a bit of a problem. The best inside Hollywood features (whether that's music or film) contains a kernel of reality within the person. *Spinal Tap* feels like a real band who are utter buffoons. There is verisimilitude in how they leap off the screen as real characters. The same can't be claimed for this version of Charli xcx who is painfully underwritten. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/The-Moment.webp) She, like most celebrities, has a bevy of handlers and yes-men that handle everything. And for all of them deferring to her and telling her she can do whatever she wants, Charli comes off as highly indecisive and dismissive. The battle between Celeste and Johannes sees Charli make several questionable choices that stab her presumed bestie in the back yet isn't ever really held to account outside of a longwinded email meant to wrap everything in a slime-green brat bow. There's new to be said--though it doesn't feel like anything ever actually is being deconstructed–about the industry, selling out, or the way music has been corporatized. There isn't even any wink at the camera about this movie's very existence. (Consider A24 is releasing this the movie is exclusively harsh on Amazon.) There's nothing known about her that isn't public. She talks of being afraid to go home and is seen sitting out on a hotel balcony while an interview with her plays on her TV. This in spite of her wearing what looks like a massive engagement ring and her superfans knowing she has a boyfriend and did get married in 2025\. She has zero friends outside of work and apparently no family. There's something that could have been done with all this but the movie doesn't dive deeper beyond "I'm so alone." The whole thing plays like a music video--simple story, find a meaning, end--but this goes on for nearly two hours and has very little music to show for it outside of the opening credits and some very brief musical performances. That's probably *The Moment's* biggest surprise (and disappointment) is not finding the humor derived from the idea of "let's put on a show," in this case a multimillion dollar show wherein the artist wants to emphasize cocaine and fun while the corporate daddies want no cursing and safety. None of the jokes ever elicit much more than a chuckle, though they're most consistently derived from when Charli and crew interact with Johannes. Skarsgard, striding in with a partial manbun and beads, espouses a peace and love mentality that hides a darker heart that's never really explored beyond one or two throwaway lines. It's in Skarsgard and xcx's interactions that yield the most fun. Him trying to act like her, posing and dancing, while emphasizing that she needs to be more like a Taylor Swift or Demi Lovato. XCX has a great face when it's expressing disgust or confusion at what he's asking her to do. Unfortunately, this comes with about 40-odd minutes of showtime left. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/The_Moment-Still_1-H-2026.webp) *The Moment* might appease xcx superfans just content to watch the singer do anything, but it yields little beyond that. Though worthy in its attempts to modernize the rock mockumentary, there's no real humor or depth to the material, and what meaning is there has been done better before. Just listen to *brat* again. On repeat. ## Grade: C- *The Moment is in theaters Friday.* ### Katherine Heigl, Seth Rogen, and Why the 2000s Sucked for Women URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/katherine-heigl-difficult/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T01:44:11.000Z I've always been intrigued about how we weaponize the word "difficult," especially in Hollywood. The adage is well known: a difficult woman is a bitch or a pariah while a difficult man is a boss or a genius. In 2018, in the wake of several women coming forward to talk about how their careers had been altered by a Hollywood smear campaign (much of it fueled by disgraced Miramax co-founder Harvey Weinstein), [I wrote a piece for Roger Ebert](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/the-history-of-hollywoods-difficult-women?ref=thefilmmaven.com) about this topic. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Send Help Review: Rachel McAdams Brings a Gory Good Time URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/send-help-review/ Last updated: 2026-02-26T19:39:32.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-review/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- There's a Selina Kyle quality to *Send Help's* character, Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams). Like Kyle, specifically in 1992's *Batman Returns*, she is the lonely, nerdy assistant to a domineering, misogynistic boss who gets a second chance on redefining herself through extreme circumstances. (No doubt it's part of the reason social media has been posting about why director Sam Raimi should helm a *Batman* movie.) But Linda Liddle is no Catwoman. Instead, she dominates a gory, twisted, unpredictable tale that shows the extremes of "going native" while wrapped up in a story about power dynamics, sexism, and how *Survivor* might be the favorite television show for some of the scariest people alive. Linda Liddle works for a company whose new boss, nepo baby Bradley Preston (Dylan O'Brien) is hellbent on getting rid of her. To Bradley, Linda is a "disgusting" person who visually repulses him. In the hopes of getting her to quit he offers her a seat on a company business trip where he and his colleagues humiliate her. But things take an unexpected turn when their plane crashes on an island and Bradley is injured. Linda, a Survivor nut, feels right at home on the island and uses the opportunity to prove to Bradley he's underestimated her. What follows is a battle of wills, with every decision the two end up making being key to getting off the island. *Send Help* is a close cousin to Raimi's 2009 feature *Drag Me to Hell*, a divisive story about a similarly cruel person cursed with an unlikable woman following them around. Though, in this case, it's ridiculous to hear Bradley discuss how disgusting Linda is. (Even with all the greasy hair and bad makeup it's impossible to make Rachel McAdams unattractive.) Screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift know Bradley is a misogynistic scumbag, though, and part of his whole bent in the movie is that he sees women specifically through a certain light: an attractive prospect for an assistant willing to go "above and beyond," a skinny supermodel fiancee who dresses in couture to come visit him. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/compose.webp) When he and his male colleagues bring Linda onto the plane the fear isn't one of abuse, but domination through bullying. The group brings out her *Survivor* audition tape – keenly mimicking what actual people submit – to emphasize what a loser she is to them. If you're anyone who's been in a toxic corporate setting, these moments of power imbalance and cruelty might feel particularly acute. What Shannon and Swift do so skillfully with their script though is continue to play with those imbalances even after Linda and Bradley hit, literally, the island. The humor derives from the idea that two office drones would immediately die in a deserted island situation. Bradley exasperatedly says, "You're gonna hunt a boar? Linda from Accounting?" But as Linda points out, Bradley hasn't actually done any work in his life--calling his soft hands "straight from the factory"--while the opening credits show Linda as a voracious reader of different books, including survivalist texts. But, really, the freedom of the island allows Linda to find herself. Sure, she might realize she enjoys hunting, but the way McAdams commands the frame is always in awe of how magnificent nature is. It's bigger than her and lives by rules that she understands. Linda is certainly a sad character, but she's alone by choice. She spends her nights making tuna fish sandwiches and watching Survivor with her pet bird, Sweetie. Linda later recounts to Bradley a past life of trauma and violence (implied both physical and sexual) with her husband who died in a car accident. McAdams gives an award worthy performance! (Yes, I know we're still talking 2025 Oscars, but indulge me.) McAdams never makes Linda vulnerable, just pathetic in her opening introductions in the way she holds her anger in, like a bubbling pot of water, while simultaneously showing a desperation for being liked. This later changes to awe at the landscape around her, with only the slightest tinge of fear. As she tells Bradley, "Never mistake my kindness for weakness," the actress punctuating her words with a tinge of aggression that's frightening in how straightforward it is. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/Dylan-OBrien-and-Rachel-McAdams-Get-Stranded-on-Island-in-Send-Help-Trailer-What-to-Know-About-Film.webp) Yet McAdams is also a great comedienne, able to deftly handle the humor in some of the more outrageous moments, like the third act fight scene opposite O'Brien. O'Brien, to his credit, holds his own opposite McAdams, though it's clearly her movie. He has the perfect amount of smarm, couching so much of Bradley's criticisms under a veneer of support and guidance. His hostility comes out more once they're on the island as he falsely believes he's still in charge. He acts like a child, declaring he doesn't need Linda, only to become a blubbering mess within 24 hours. Both characters are weaponizing something, and the scripts twists and turns come from those subtle changes within themselves. Linda, while having trauma, certainly uses that as a means of controlling Bradley's rage and anger. Bradley, though, goes harder and uses a perceived fondness (and potential attraction) to Linda to catch her off guard. Linda does terrible things, but the story makes it far worse to see Bradley outright lie about love and interest to get what he wants. It's also possible that the movie is poking fun at the numerous romances that seemingly pop out of high-risk situations (*Speed*, anyone). There are moments of tenderness between Bradley and Linda where the movie could have, wrongly, taken them down a romantic path, but it never lets you forget who these two people are. Raimi's penchant for outsized, outrageous moments are present and accounted for. There's *a lot* of vomit in this one! The twist in the third act does come off as a little surrealist and dreamlike in how ridiculous it is and doesn't play as organic, but more so that they needed some way to balance the scales between Bradley and Linda. The ending also comes very quickly, so much so that it feels like a studio note to wrap things up more than anything else. These moments never undo the movie but keep it from being utterly perfect. There's something prescient to today's times in Linda's mantra that "No help is coming. So you better start saving yourself." *Send Help* is a movie that does advocate for self-acceptance in the most extreme, heinous way possible. Hilariously gory, spooky and suspenseful, this is a soon-to-be Halloween classic that continues to make us ask, "Why the hell is Rachel McAdams not a huge star?" ## Grade: B+ *Send Help is in theaters Friday.* *Are you a Sam Raimi fan? Let me know whether you're excited to see this or not in the comments below.* ### Someone Let Sofia Coppola Make Things, Dammit URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/sofia-coppola-custom-of-the-country/ Last updated: 2026-01-22T22:22:26.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *one-two exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- Back in 2020 it was announced that Sofia Coppola, she of iconic features like *The Virgin Suicides* and *Marie Antoinette*, was planning [a limited series adaptation](https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/sofia-coppola-edith-wharton-custom-of-the-country-apple-series-1234604636/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) of Edith Wharton's 1913 novel *The Custom of the Country*. The book follows heroine Undine Spragg, a Midwestern girl attempting to break into New York society. As Coppola said at the time, "Undine Spragg is my favorite literary anti-heroine and I’m excited to bring her to the screen for the first time." Unfortunately, Coppola wouldn't get to show off her vision as, in 2024 she revealed that Apple had pulled funding for the project, presumably because the character of Undine Spragg, who was going to be played by Florence Pugh, was deemed unlikable. (Rumors swirled that the failure of her 2020 feature *On the Rocks* was also a factor.) "They didn’t get the character of Undine. She’s so ‘unlikable.’ But so is Tony Soprano!” said Coppola [in a 2024 interview](https://deadline.com/2024/01/sofia-coppola-apple-canceled-the-custom-of-the-country-series-1235801440/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Ticklish Business 222: New Discoveries of 2025 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/ticklish-business-new-discoveries-2025/ Last updated: 2026-01-21T17:14:08.000Z *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/best-classic-christmas-movies-ticklish-business/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- We're back for our 10th anniversary season!!! And we're kicking things off with a listener favorite: our first time new discoveries of 2025\. We look back at the year that was and the classic films we fell in love with. And we have former Ticklish Biz co-host, Samantha Richardson (nee Ellis) joining us. The trio give their lists and share the movies that almost made them. We also read some of your favorites from last year. **You can** [⁠**now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel**⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)**!** Be sure to like and subscribe to stay in the know on our latest videos. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠*Popcorn Disabilities*⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to buy now! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠The merch shop is live⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠become a Patron⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com): • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠Follow Emily's Instagram⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Patrick Seals ### So You Wanna Get Into Film Criticism? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/how-to-become-a-film-critc/ Last updated: 2026-01-20T17:00:26.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *one-two exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- I'm often asked how I got into film criticism. What did I do specifically to get to where I am? And while I don't like getting personal on here, the results of last year's reader survey actually wanted more details about me, my life and career. That, coupled with [the continuing demise of film criticism](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/) and the journalism industry, had me saying now might finally be the time to lay it all out for anyone crazy enough to want to do this work. To start with some basics: I do not have a degree in Journalism or Film. Not all the greats do. A.O. Scott got a degree in literature (same as me) while Pauline Kael studied a variety of different things, none of them film or journalism, before dropping out of college entirely in 1940\. My parents were very concerned about me getting a degree that was "useful." (If I had my way I'd have been a history major....) So I actually have a Masters in English, while I took a variety of classes related to film. That being said, this leads to one of the biggest things I need burgeoning film critics to get out of their head: _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Cripping Up, the Oscar Myth, and a Song Sung Blue URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/kate-hudson-disabled-oscar/ Last updated: 2026-01-28T03:07:42.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *one-two exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- This year's Oscar season has been relatively uncontroversial. The biggest discourse seems to be surrounding Paul Thomas Anderson and the writing of Perfidia Beverly Hills in *One Battle*. (If you're interested in some smart discussion on it read [Stacy Lee Kong's latest *Friday Things* newsletter](https://www.fridaythings.com/recent-posts/teyana-taylor-perfidia-beverly-hills-one-battle-after-another-morality-tale?ref=thefilmmaven.com).) But if you know me you're aware of my continuous discussion on Kate Hudson, and the disability plotline, in Song Sung Blue. You can read [my full review of the (otherwise mid) Neil Diamond-inspired musical here](https://thefilmmaven.com/song-sung-blue-review/), but with regards to the disability element it goes as such: Hudson's character is hit by a car and loses a leg (based in fact) and goes on a journey struggling with personal acceptance to her new set of circumstances, and drug addiction. It's showy, it's excessive, and in any other award season it'd probably be a contender. Because, if history's taught us anything, it's that if women play unglamorous redemptive characters they win an Oscar. Oh, and also if there's some disability in there somewhere that helps. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Are We Returning to a Pre-Internet Time for Entertainment Journalists? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/entertainment-journalism-changes/ Last updated: 2026-01-15T17:00:51.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles* a week including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server. They'll also get first look at a new series I'm debuting in 2026.* --- Back in December I won two National Arts and Entertainment Journalism awards via the LA Press Club for my story on the need for [disabled allies](https://variety.com/2025/voices/actors/disabled-performers-advocate-inclusion-1236296171/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and the [ongoing crisis with LA's soundstages](https://variety.com/2024/film/features/california-production-soundstages-survive-to-2025-1236194485/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). It was a moment of triumph and validation for me, not just after a long road of writing but for everything that 2025 has come to stand for in our industry. If you're a fellow journalist who I've encountered in the wild no doubt you've heard me ask: Where do you see our industry going next year? Most have jokingly said something akin to "as bad as it's only been, but worse" and it's hard not to see that's true. Penske Media Company continues to lay off journalists across their companies, [most recently with Billboard](https://www.thewrap.com/billboard-layoffs-variety-rolling-stone/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), and [unemployment remains at a four-year high at 4.3% ](https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/sustainable-finance-reporting/us-job-growth-beats-expectations-november-unemployment-rate-46-2025-12-16/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)so if jobs everywhere are bad, a niche group like journalism (let alone entertainment journalism) ain't rebounding quick anytime soon. Akin to the soundstage owners I talked to for *Variety*, talking to entertainment journalists has felt like it's gone from "Survive to '25" to "Survive" to "Find a New Industry by 2027." Many entertainment journalists I talked to are either full-time freelance or were recently let go of long-time freelance positions and, for them, seeing established journalists now out of a job only makes them feel as if it's even more impossible to continue working. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Grace Randolph Bad, Monkey Good URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/grace-randolph-primate-review/ Last updated: 2026-02-05T19:28:32.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- The internet was abuzz last weekend about everything *Primate*, the newest animal attack feature from Johannes Roberts and the fine folks at Paramount Pictures. Roberts is no stranger to animal attack films, having directed the surprisingly fun sharksploitation film *47 Meters Down* (it’s worth noting that his *Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City* does not, in fact, feature a city of raccoons, though it should). *Primate*, sitting at a solid 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, is a lean, mean, violent tale about an otherwise friendly chimp gone rogue in an isolated house full of young adult women. *Primate* didn’t dethrone *Pan’s Labyrinth*, *Parasite* or *Sinners* on my all-time best movies list, but it was a great time. It has no fat on it and focuses entirely on what said chimp is best at: ripping faces and being a bully (seriously…it’s genuinely too smart for anyone’s own good). It's a fun, appetite-destroying time at the movies. The unfortunate thing about the internet, however, is that things don’t simply trend because they’re violent fun. That’s right. There was controversy. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Bone Temple Review: Nia DaCosta Doesn't Miss With 28 Years Later Sequel URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-review/ Last updated: 2026-02-13T15:53:10.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/golden-globes-2026/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- Last June audiences returned to the zombiefied world Danny Boyle and Alex Garland created with [*28 Years Later*](https://thefilmmaven.com/28-years-later-review-danny-boyle/). The film was a return to form for Boyle and Garland, but the movie's divisive tone--sharply jumping from gory and horrific to contemplative and melancholic–divided audiences. A sequel had already been filmed once that movie hit theaters, directed by Nia DaCosta, and audiences were concerned about its mid-January release. But after the rapturous response to [DaCosta's *Hedda*](https://thefilmmaven.com/hedda-review-tessa-thompson-nia-dacosta/), it's time for doubters to step aside and let DaCosta ascend because *28 Years Later: The Bone Temple* is not only better than its predecessor, it's one of the first great movies of 2026\. DaCosta isn't just content to revel in the blood, horror, and suspense established by Boyle and Garland, but builds upon it. The two stories don't immediately click together but once they do, strap in for a movie that's equal parts heavy metal and beautiful. Following the ending of events in *28 Years Later*, we're reunited with the young Spike (Alfie Williams), newly accepted member into the murderous gang of brigands known as the Jimmies. Led by the villainous Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell), Spike is just trying to stay alive with his soul intact watching the group commit one atrocity after another. Concurrently, Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) is still trying to find a way to cure Alpha zombie Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). The two groups will eventually collide in an explosion of fire and violence. A cacophony of screams assault the viewers ears before the first scene is shown. These screams are silenced by a lone "Hello," Cillian Murphy's Jim calling for someone in the original *28 Days Later*. It is this dichotomy that continues through *Bone Temple*: the violence and horror tempered by one sane person screaming out into the world of someone, anyone to help them get through it. DaCosta and screenwriter Alex Garland show us a world filled with ultra-violence balanced by those who still haven't lost their humanity. Case in point, Spike. The adolescent boy still reeling from the death of his mother in the last film is now tasked with saving his own life by becoming a Jimmie. An accidental bit of good fortune during a fight leads to an (extremely bloody and) positive resolution for him in that he gets to live for a little bit longer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/Bone-Temple.jpg.webp) There still isn't much to know about the Jimmies after O'Connell's utterly bizarre appearance at the end of the last movie. But that's for a lack of backstory or depth, but more how the movie chooses to play with how mundane (or stupid) people become when trying to justify things. In this case, there's no political ideology or anything profound in Sir Jimmy Crystal's desire to inflict pain and torment on people. He's just a straight-up Satanist using the Devil, whom he refers to as his father "Old Nick," as his excuse for why he's so bad. His various youth followers all have individual moments to set themselves apart but it is the young women in his crew who make the most out of things. Emma Laird as Jimmima is particularly stand-out. She's the Harley Quinn of the crew, content to jump around, dance, and kill whenever Sir Jimmy tells her. At one point, when one of their victims is tasked with fighting, the young man picks Jimmima, presuming her emotions are indicative of weakness. Erin Kellyman, as Jimmy Ink, takes the opposite route. Kellyman is great at playing the infiltrator, the one who you never truly know what she's thinking. Is she out for herself? A mastermind? Or a follower? Sir Jimmy doles out punishment throughout the movie, masquerading it as "charity," with the widest grin on his face. Between this and [*Sinners*](https://thefilmmaven.com/sinners-review-michael-b-jordan-ryan-coogler/), Jack O'Connell is becoming one of the great villain actors. He's in complete control in every situation, trying to find ways to rationalize and justify in the moment, unwilling to let his acolytes see past his own bullshit. A great cult leader is one who is able to twist anything into "proof" that they're right, and O'Connell is a master at letting a little something flit across his face, a moment of wavering as to "How the hell am I going to explain this away?" This comes to a head when the group meets up with Kelson. Kelson's plot line is the central narrative in *The Bone Temple*, and after reintroducing Spike and the Jimmies they take a severe backseat in favor of Kelson and Samson. Those who weren't down with the more philosophical elements of his narrative in the last movie probably still won't care for this but Kelson remains the beating heart of this zombie landscape. Fiennes goes for broke with this role, playing Kelson as lonely, funny, and batshit insane. Sometimes that comes through all in one scene--in this case a gonzo performance to an Iron Maiden song. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/28-Years-Later-The-Bone-Temple-Alfie-Williams-02-092225-68552b8b22f24915ae603ddb4a921500.jpg) Unlike the previous *28 Days/Weeks/Years* movies, which were focused on survival, Kelson is a man trying to stretch out the days. He spends his time walking around, singing Duran Duran songs. He doesn't worry about Samson killing him if it means he gets someone to interact with. Fiennes and Parry have some a great chemistry together. You're rooting that this human/zombie relationship can work! For each, it's less about having conversation and just being able to sit and enjoy company with another. Parry, in particular, continues to be so magnetic in this role (it's why he made [my favorite side performances](https://thefilmmaven.com/best-supporting-characters-2025/) list last year). A scene in a train station shows his skillful blend of action, giving off power and menace, as well as his ability to convey subtle flits of recognition in his gaze. This all builds to an ending that no doubt will tie into the next feature–[already greenlit](https://deadline.com/2025/12/28-years-later-3-cillian-murphy-alex-garland-1236645207/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)–that looks to bring everything home. It should also tie up some loose ends. A large portion of the film's midway point is devoted to a pregnant woman who disappears and is never heard from again. If there's a grand plan for her that'd be great to see but don't expect it to anywhere here. *28 Years Later: The Bone Temple* continues to show much life there still is in the series, and what an amazing director Nia DaCosta is. (Her and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt need to keep making movies together forever.) In your face and unrepentant, the Bone Temple draws you in and refuses to let you go. I'm ready for another ten of these movies. ## Grade: B *28 Years Later: The Bone Temple hits theaters Friday.* ### The Golden Globes Played It Safe, But Not in the Way You're Thinking URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/golden-globes-2026/ Last updated: 2026-01-12T17:00:44.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-2025/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- Like everyone in my industry I watched the Golden Globes last night and, outside of some stray bits that weren't funny (Judd Apatow), it was fairly straightforward overall. As Ben Travers at IndieWire described the event, "It was a starry show (as it has to be), albeit one without a personality..." Gone was the drunken party atmosphere from years past – the Globes were often considered the fun awards compared to the stodgier Oscars – and in its place was more "Here's your award. Goodbye." But, for me, last night's Globes didn't lack personality. Instead, they felt isolated, sanitized, like Glinda living in the bubble. It was always doubtful that host Nikki Glaser would make any big political statements, especially considering the Globes's home channel, CBS, continues to court claims [they're an arm of state-run media](https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/cbs-vows-five-new-principles-but-critics-arent-believing-alleged-state-propaganda/ar-AA1TtLJM?ref=thefilmmaven.com). There was a requisite Epstein list joke during Glaser's opening monologue and how CBS was the home for "BS" news (honestly, that last one I'm surprised got through). After millions of people watched a woman get shot in the face on social media, the entire affair felt disingenuous and out of touch. Hell, no one even celebrated Rob Reiner, aside from Glaser awkwardly coming out before the closing credits wearing a *Spinal Tap* hat and dropping quotes from the movie. It was an utterly bizarre attempt to honor him. She didn't say his name or anything so who knows if the average Joe got why she was doing it. Compare it to the recent Critics Choice Awards where host Chelsea Handler overtly honored Reiner during her time on-stage. I've talked before about my desire to lose myself in art to get away from hard things, and how recently that's been difficult to do with how omnipresent and constant bad things keep happening. To watch the Globes there was a jarring sense of privilege, unlike any I'd felt watching previous awards. The Oscars have never been cancelled, but to watch the 2002 awards ceremony – just six months after 9/11 – one could feel a unifying spirit. [Tom Cruise's opening speech](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb0KYB3Z8Ws&ref=thefilmmaven.com) at that night's ceremony was blunt about how people had been changed, and found solace and comfort in entertainment. None of that was felt last night in what came off like an attempt to hide from having to give an opinion. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/Nikki-Glaser-Golden-Globes-2026.jpg.webp) It's unclear whether stars were told to eschew acknowledging current events or just straight-up decided not to. The lone exception was Jean Smart, a winner for her work on HBO Max's *Hacks*, who discussed during the pre-show about the cast and crew's struggles to work on the show considering the last week. Unfortunately, Smart said during her speech that she wouldn't be repeating what she said on the carpet. (Of course all the trolls came out of the woodwork on X when I celebrated Smart bringing up current events.) R. Scott Gemmill, the creator of *The Pitt*, winner for best dramatic TV show, also made a point of saying, "We live in a very divided country in the world right now, but I think cinema brings us all together not only as an audience but as a community." These were moments that could feel fleeting or hollow, but seemed like the only ways anyone could express their true feelings overall. Even the hint of a political statement, though, caused whoever was working the play-off music button to push it the minute the team behind Best Foreign Language winner, Brazil's *The Secret Agent*, started talking about the power of Brazilian cinema. The whole thing came off as more a fear of offending anyone, particularly the ones overseeing the channel. The grand debate about awards shows and celebrities espousing (or being told not to) their opinions is myriad and diverse. But watching everything last night just seemed like "How can they not?" We're coming to a point where it's hard to lose ones self in stuff that feels frivolous, and entertainment and movies are certainly pilloried as such. But cinema, particularly American, is a global medium and being scared to say what you think for fear of losing fans *is* what feels frivolous. (Let's be real, the other side ain't giving a shit about it.) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/RJP33414.jpg.webp) This is all to say I wish those attending the Globes had taken more chances. At the bare minimum saying, "I know tonight seems silly, but we're doing our best to keep moving forward." I talked last year about [entertainment journalism bending the kne](https://thefilmmaven.com/maga-culture-critics/)e and we know that's been trickling down to those telling the stories for years. At what point does the whole thing feel like a massive "let them eat cake" moment? I certainly enjoyed watching the Golden Globes, make no mistake. And I'll be watching the Oscars in March – if the world hasn't imploded by then – but someone, anyone, needs to meet the moment. ### The 14 Best Movies of 2025 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-2025/ Last updated: 2026-01-08T17:00:46.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movie-performances-2025/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- We're finally at the end of all the list-making! (At least until the end of this year.) At the start of every year I go through the release calendar and usually saw some derivative of the same thing: Huh, this year doesn't look like much. But many critics have argued, and I'm inclined to agree, that this year was one of the best for movies. There were several strong, inventive and unique original features that stood out in the morass of corporately created nostalgia sequels. The documentary scene felt incredibly powerful this year, a balm considering our current timeline where facts and history are under attack. Movies felt fun and fresh, with several iconic filmmakers making movies that would only continue to illustrate their grandiosity. So here are our picks for the best movies of 2025! Be sure to drop yours in the comments! ## *The Librarians* It's simultaneously amazing and ridiculous that *The Librarians*, one of the best documentaries I saw out of the festival circuit this year, hasn't received a wider distribution and is still doing smaller screenings. This was one of the most potent and timeliest docs I watched. The story of a group of librarians struggling to keep books on the shelves in spite of widespread bans and critiques of what kids are reading hit me in my bones. I love the library and, at one point, dreamed of being a librarian, and to watch them beat against personal attacks and try to foster a love of reading in children (which is [not going in a great direction](https://www.arts.gov/stories/blog/2024/federal-data-reading-pleasure-all-signs-show-slump?ref=thefilmmaven.com) this days).... This is an imperative watch. [You can read my full review here](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-librarians-2025-review/). -*Kristen Lopez* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/MV5BMWI3OGMyODYtMTk0ZS00YzEyLWFhNWYtYTFmM2UwMzgyYjA4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXZ3ZXNsZXk@._V1_.jpg) ## *Sinners* On paper, *Sinners* shouldn’t work. A historical film centered around twin brothers who start a juke joint that gets overrun by vampires? But it's many things at once. It’s an insightful commentary about both race and religion. A cool supernatural horror yarn. A love letter to the blues. All these elements combine into a film that not only works but is one of the most original, and frankly, badass films of our era. Ryan Coogler weaves a tale that drips coolness. Between its twin protagonists drenched in mob regalia, to a host of interesting characters that feel rich with detail, to a vampire antagonist with a stunner of an egalitarian pitch, it’s unerringly clever, bold, and vibrant. That doesn’t even touch the film’s cavalcade of cool scenes, most pointedly its aspect ratio-changing centerpiece song (the best single scene this year). In an era where many films start to read monotonously identical, *Sinners* feels like the astounding *Parasite*\-esque picture that we’re lucky to see because there won’t be another like it for quite some time. -*Jeff Ewing* ## *One Battle After Another* As [I've told others](https://thefilmmaven.com/one-battle-after-another-review-leonardo-dicaprio-paul-thomas-anderson/), I'm not big on Paul Thomas Anderson. But this year he got me with his pitch-perfect adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's *Vineland*, *One Battle After Another*. By far Anderson's most political movie, the film is a pointed critique on fascism, and how one man is forced to push aside the action of being a revolutionary for the quiet passivity of raising the next generation. Everyone in the movie is cast beautifully. It's a film where every time I watch it I notice something new about it. Leonardo DiCaprio has never been better. This is a chef's kiss film. -*KL* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/4237_D020_00093_RC3-H-2024.jpg.webp) ## *Black Bag* Steven Soderbergh's *Black Bag* was one of the funnest times I've had in the movies (alongside watching [*Sinners*](https://thefilmmaven.com/sinners-review-michael-b-jordan-ryan-coogler/) and [*Relay*](https://thefilmmaven.com/relay-review-riz-ahmed-lily-james-david-mackenzie/))! As I said [when I reviewed it](https://thefilmmaven.com/black-bag-review-steven-soderbergh/): Much like Soderbergh’s 2013 thriller *Side Effects* — also brilliant — *Black Bag* finds the seduction that comes from lying...This isn’t a story about a man trying to find out if his wife committed crimes. It’s how he’s going to find a way to reconcile with his own conscience to get her out. Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, and Marisa Abela (who was one of [my favorite side characters](https://thefilmmaven.com/best-supporting-characters-2025/) this year) do stellar work. It's pure Soderbergh pop. It's slick, it moves, and it's sexy as hell. -*KL* ## *Hamnet* Shakespeare is no stranger to cinema. Aside from the adaptations of the Bard’s works, there have been plenty of representations of the writer in film and TV. Where Chloe Zhao’s *Hamnet* stands apart from other Shakespearean period pieces is in its big decision to make the author tangential rather than central. Specifically, the film posits an interesting theory: what if one of the most profound losses of Shakespeare’s (Paul Mescal) life, the death of his young son Hamnet, influenced one of his most beloved plays, Hamlet? Art is often an outlet for human emotion, but grief is especially potent when channeled through an artist’s chosen medium. We watch as the spectre of grief floats around Agnes and her family, delivering a heaviness that permeates every frame. The performances here keep *Hamnet* away from the trap of being simply maudlin. Jessie Buckley, in particular, delivers a forceful performance as Agnes, showing her transformation from a willful, fiercely independent woman into a woman who loves fiercely and therefore grieves deeply. Her grief spills over in the film’s staggering final moments and motivates her to make one of the most poignant gestures of the movie. Performances like this, paired with Zhao’s beautifully simple direction, help make Hamnet an emotional tour de force. -*Alejandra Martinez* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/75.jpeg) ## *One to One: John and Yoko* I'm a sucker for a music doc and this was one of two that stayed in my brain for months on end. I seriously contemplated writing a far longer piece about the way art responds to turbulent times but didn't. Honestly, this would make a fantastic double feature with Chloe Zhao's *Hamnet* in terms of how personal feelings can be used in art. Centered on the One to One charity performance involving John Lennon, Kevin McDonald's doc illustrates not just the personal attacks Lennon and Yoko Ono were subject to, but how they continued to press against the horrors of the era regardless. This is a movie about why we need music, why we need culture, in order to survive what's going on around us. It's an utterly brilliant movie about how we can get through what's going on right now, and how Lennon and Ono were doing something similar in the '70s. -*KL* ## *Bugonia* Yorgos Lanthimos has a knack for unusual stories. *The Lobster* is a batshit black comedy fantasy about a world where you find love or become an animal. *The Killing of a Sacred Deer* a brilliant absurdist horror thriller that approaches the cosmic variety, while *Poor Things* is a wild, breezy, horny riff on a *Frankenstein*\-esque folktale. *Bugonia* is, at face value, more accessible as a darkly comedic story of a Big Pharma CEO who gets kidnapped by a down-on-his-luck man who swears she’s an alien from Alpha Centauri. It's routinely tense, punctuated by subtle comedic bits that all build towards the most shocking endings of any film in 2025, as stunning as the ride is enjoyable (which, in both cases, is a lot). -*JE* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/75-2.jpeg) ## *It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley* I was a Jeff Buckley fa before I watched [Amy Berg's documentary](https://thefilmmaven.com/jeff-buckley-documentary-amy-berg-interview/) on the singer. But after I saw it, I became a super fan. Berg's rollicking examination of the singer, who died at the age of just thirty years old is masterly at conveying a time and a place. The way music hit different in the '90s, and how people came to discover Buckley is fascinating. But what makes the doc even more special is the focus on Buckley himself, seen in recorded footage. His voice is a constant, not just in the music he sings but in the endless voice messages he'd leave on friends' answering machines. The hypnotic quality of him just talking nonsense is fantastic. He was a storyteller even when he wasn't weaving beautiful lyrics. *It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley* is a remarkable tribute to music, to artistry, and to a beautiful soul taken far too soon. -*KL* ## *Eternity* The relative death of the rom-com has been a notable trend, at least until a growing array of great ones like *Rye Lane*, *The Big Sick*, and *Palm Springs* threatened to bring the genre back from an early grave. *Eternity* is yet another rom-com that finds brilliance in an unconventional, but beautifully intuitive, tale. An old husband and wife (Larry and Joan) pass away in a world where every soul gets one week to choose its eternity, soulmate included… but then Joan meets her first husband, Luke, whose life was tragically cut short by war. What follows is endlessly creative and charming, as the relationships threatens to extend forever amidst a host of hilarious afterlives. The love triangle itself is a clever reconstruction of a time-honored crisis, while Miles Teller (Larry), Elizabeth Olsen (Joan), and Callum Turner (Luke) all put in top-notch work. Olsen brings charisma and heartbreaking pathos, while the narrative itself has an absurd amount of sincerity and heart beneath the clever worldbuilding. It’s the best, most intelligent, and funnest rom-com since *Palm Springs*, possibly of the decade or beyond, and a ton of fun. -*JE* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/MV5BYWY3NzNkN2QtOWJjYS00ZDdmLThiNDItYWNmNWQ1NDc0NDBjXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg) ## *She Rides Shotgun* It breaks my heart that [*She Rides Shotgun*](https://thefilmmaven.com/she-rides-shotgun-review-taron-egerton/) came and went back in August. Everyone who's watched it on my recommendation has asked me the same thing: "Why wasn't this a bigger movie?" This wasn't only one of the best movies of the year, it also contained [my best needle drop](https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movie-needle-drops-2025/) of the year. The story of a little girl on the run with her father is intense, anchored by breathtaking performances by Taron Egerton (continuing to fly under the radar as one of our best actors) and newcomer Ana Sophia Heger. It's an old-school, noirish, Western drama we don't make anymore and if this is the only one we see than I'm happy for its existence. -*KL* ## *Marty Supreme* In films like *Good Time* and *Uncut Gems*, brothers Josh and Benny Safdie have proven their knack for creating enjoyable films following protagonists that can’t get a single effing break. Now that the duo have split off to direct solo features, Josh Safdie’s brilliant *Marty Supreme* keeps the torch burning. The film is a stellar story of a 1950s ping-pong obsessive whose ego-driven path makes enemies, causes frustration, and forces Marty to grow up. Timothee Chalamet delivers his best role since *Call Me By Your Name*, fully transforming into the unabrowed hopeful phenomenon. It’s a stellar role, and though the film’s a bit long, the script is both enjoyably tense and regularly funny throughout. It helps that Marty is a quippy jackass–in an interview he calls himself “Hitler’s worst nightmare”–and the film is arguably a vampire film thanks to Milton Rockwell’s straightfaced claim that he is one (from 1601, no less). -*JE* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/thumb_0A9CDB65-4C88-47AC-9CD1-87E1E70BD5DB.jpg) ## *Hedda* There doesn't feel like a movie I wrote or talked about more than Nia DaCosta's *Hedda*, a phenomenal adaptation of Ibsen's *Hedda Gabler*. As I said in [my original review](https://thefilmmaven.com/hedda-review-tessa-thompson-nia-dacosta/): ...Nia DaCosta who gives us a Hedda that feels perfectly suited for 2025 despite her adaptation taking place in a vaguely 1930s-esque time period. With Tessa Thompson in fine form as the title character, this adaptation of *Hedda Gabler* makes some big changes but feels fresh, frightening, and dominating in all the best ways! I stand by that statement. It's sexy, it's sumptuous, beautiful and witty. DaCosta and Thompson should continue to make all their movies together. -KL ## *Frankenstein* Guillermo del Toro has commented more than once that *Frankenstein* is the movie he was born to make. The story that inspired his lifelong love of, and curiosity about, monsters. It’s a fantastic film, ensconced in the immaculate Gothic vibes that del Toro gravitates towards. The film follows two sides of a tale narrated to Lars Mikkelsen’s Captain Anderson. First, Baron Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), who tells of his obsessive creation of the Creature (Jacob Elordi) from the corpses of war victims. The second half is the Creature’s own narration, telling how he came to make friends, become literate, discover his origin, found love, and decided to hunt Victor Frankenstein until the ends of the Earth. It’s a beautiful, intellectually complex and immaculately produced horror vision, grounded in a parallel between fathers/sons and creators/creation. Most centrally, del Toro’s empathetic pen crafted a stellar script that allows Jacob Elordi to give the best performance of his career so far as a complex Creature. To play the best version of a character that’s also been played by the esteemed icons Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, and Robert De Niro is no small feat, cementing Frankenstein as one for the ages. -*JE* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/Pillion-189091-Courtesy-Cannes.jpg.webp) ## *Pillion* Other critics organizations considered Harry Lighton's queer biker romance for 2025 and I am to! This is one to keep your eyes open for when it drops in February. Lighton's story follows the meek Colin (Harry Melling) as he embarks on a dominant/submissive relationship with biker Ray (Alexander Skarsgard). Like Sinners, which made many people question where sex fits in American filmmaking, Lighton's story is unrepentantly explicit and sexy in how it presents Ray and Colin's relationship. No doubt the pearl clutchers will lose it over this. But at its heart it's the story of two people, one of whom is desperate for connection, and how to navigate a relationship that no longer serves you. It's a movie that hit me like a ton of bricks and I just want to feel it again. -*KL* *Thank you to Alejandra Martinez for contributing to this list.* ### The 13 Worst Movies of 2025 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/worst-movies-2025/ Last updated: 2026-01-30T20:33:51.000Z The merits of worst movies of the year lists have been debated ad nauseam. I choose to look at them like my friend, and fellow critic William Bibbiani has described them: a critic can't tell you what's truly great, unless they can also tell you what's utterly terrible. Despite the claims of creatives, critics get into this field because they love movies. They want to champion the movies they love and, yes, tell you to avoid the ones that suck. As I say in my TikTok videos, I want to help you spend your money at the movies wisely. Do you really want to waste $35 on something that's bad? So this brings us to the thirteen movies below. Some of these failed to live up to expectations, had offensive elements, and were just downright not good or entertaining. We don't begrudge those who enjoyed these movies, but we certainly won't be watching them again. Be sure to drop into the comments and tell us what movies we should have put on here. *Shoutout to Alejandra Martinez for helping contribute to this list.* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 9 Best Side Characters of 2025 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-supporting-characters-2025/ Last updated: 2026-01-06T17:34:00.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- It's cliche to start an article about side characters with the quote about there being no such thing as small parts, but it's true. Some of my favorite characters in a movie can be the side people who just run through a scene only to disappear completely. So when I opened up the question of best side, or supporting characters with everyone, it was fascinating how that was defined. Some of these performances, you could argue, are straight up supporting performances. Others you might say are barely enough to be recognizable. Either way, these actors did something special, turning roles that could be forgettable into necessary components of the story. *Be sure to let us know which side characters you fell in love with in 2025 in the comments below.* _This post is for subscribers on the Silver Film Maven tier only._ ### 11 Best Performances of 2025 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movie-performances-2025/ Last updated: 2026-01-05T17:00:06.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-december-2025/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- This year had some amazing performances! Compared to previous years it wasn't just the depth of some people's performances, but how many new names we were shouting from the rooftops. Though, no surprise, usual offenders like Emma Stone and Timothee Chalamet put in great work this year. The twelve performances below represent not only some of the best of the year, but the ones that just stopped us in our tracks. These are the actors who made us say, "Damn" and watch their exploits with bated breath. Be sure to champion your best performances in the comments below. We could have easily included another twelve if we had the time. ## Tessa Thompson (*Hedda*) I've seen Hedda at least three times now and every time I notice something new about Tessa Thompson's languorously wicked performance. As I said in [my initial review](https://thefilmmaven.com/hedda-review-tessa-thompson-nia-dacosta/) of the movie: Tessa Thompson is astounding as a character who is manipulating at every turn. Like the best narcissists, Thompson plays Hedda as a woman trying to feign human emotions yet always looking out for herself. Her comments, even if they sound complimentary in the moment, turn out to be cold insults after the moment has passed. Every line Thompson speaks is dripping with poison and disdain and yet you understand why a highly intelligent person like Eileen is drawn to her, or why Eileen's lover Thea (Imogen Poots) is terrified of her. There's a silky, cat-like mien to her performance. -*Kristen Lopez* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/FotoJet-2025-04-14T124126.778.jpg.webp) ## Jack O’Connell (*Sinners*) *Sinners* is packed to the brim with memorable characters. Michael B. Jordan’s Smokestack Twins, Hailee Steinfeld’s Mary, Miles Catton’s Sammie “Preacherboy” Moore, and Wunmi Mosaku’s Annie all feel rich with detail and incredibly portrayed. Even among that wealth of talent, Jack O’Connell’s incredible turn as the Irish vampire Remmick stands out. Remmick’s powerful and dangerous, building an entire hive of predatory vampires in a small amount of time. He’s also dangerously charming, capable of convincing people to willingly join his joyful, egalitarian vampire hive. It’s clear O’Connell’s having a blast and it all makes for one of the year’s best and most interesting villains. -*Jeff Ewing* ## Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another) Leonardo DiCaprio has given us consistently brilliant performances for going on twenty years, at least. But there's something different in his performance as Bob Ferguson in One Battle, one that goes beyond comparisons to his past comedic characters like Jordan Belfort and Rick Dalton. In a recent rewatch of the movie, his bumbling, Dude-like persona is on full display, but the depth of emotion and love he conveys for daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti). Even in his comedic moments, where he's sobbing over his inability to figure out the password, it's from the sheer fear and frustration of knowing he can't save his child. It's a pitch-perfect performance. -*KL* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/2166x1444-.jpeg) ## Michael B Jordan (*Sinners*) Michael B. Jordan gives an incredible performance as the set of twins whose juke joint dreams were made possible thanks to a teeeeensy mob theft. Both brothers look and feel completely distinct, a stellar feat from the talented Jordan. When the charming Stack gets turned into a vampire he feels even more different: still charismatic, but now predatory and deceptive. Thanks to Jordan’s talents and Ryan Coogler’s stellar direction, these 2.5 characters each feel like spectacular, fleshed out people with whole lives behind them, and any one of them could hold a film alone. It’s an incredible effort, for one-to-three of the best performances of the year. -*JE* ## Tonatiuh (Kiss of the Spider Woman) - KL It's a shame that *Kiss of the Spider Woman*, and Tonatiuh's fantastic performance as Molina, have petered out since the movie debuted a few months back. As I said in [my original review](https://thefilmmaven.com/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-review-jennifer-lopez/): "Tonatiuh is a revelation. Not only does he have a lovely voice, shown off in songs like 'She's a Woman' and 'Only in the Movies,' but warmth radiates off him. He makes Molina a highly compassionate man just seeking love. As much as Valentin pushes him aside, Molina comes back stronger, just not to be released from prison but to find someone who understands who he is (outside of his mother)." It's such a fragile, delicate performance and maybe that's why it didn't get as far as it should. This year has been about A-list actors doing Big Performances. At least we have this! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/FotoJet-2025-12-15T115121.358.jpg.webp) ## Benicio del Toro (*One Battle After Another*) Paul Thomas Anderson’s *One Battle After Another* boasts one of the year’s finest ensembles, but you could make a strong argument that Benicio del Toro’s Sergio St. Carlos stands out the most. The movie’s essentially about the efforts of ex-French 75 member Pat Calhoun trying to keep his daughter Willa safe, but del Toro’s Sergio (Willa’s sensei and Pat’s mentor) feels so fleshed out and complete that you can imagine his rich backstory. I’d watch an entirely different film centered on his work with a group advocating the region’s undocumented community, and celebrate it over “a few small beers.” Easily among the year’s finest. -*JE* ## Oscar Isaac (Frankenstein) -KL Though Elordi is who many are shouting out for Frankenstein (and I understand why), it was so wonderful seeing Oscar Isaac go for broke as Dr. Victor Frankenstein. Isaac takes a character played so iconically by Colin Clive, in the 1933 feature, and imbuing his take on the character with a similar hamminess. Isaac's Frankenstein is crass, cruel, yet also just incredibly socially awkward. But once Elordi's monster shows up on the scene, Isaac tweaks that ever so slightly to illustrate a father who is so disappointed with what he's crafted. It's a peacock-ing role and I loved every second of it. -*KL* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/147_PF_20240507_22515_R4-1.jpg) ## Jacob Elordi (*Frankenstein*) It’s a difficult task to embody a monster in a believable way, to convincingly embody a being who, by definition, lies outside our lived experience. One that doesn’t necessarily think, feel, or experience things the same as us. Jacob Elordi has long proven himself as a solid performer, giving great performances in *Euphoria* and *Saltburn*, but he put in his best work yet as the Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s masterful *Frankenstein*. At times menacing and raging, yet pained, intelligent, and delicate at others, it’s an incredible showcase of Elordi’s performative prowess. His Creature is a lonely, abused violation of nature hiding a complex man inside, and Elordi translates that incredibly. -*JE* ## Josh O’Connor (Rebuilding) O'Connor did some masterful work in 2025, any one of which could have probably gone here (the neck tat in Wake Up Dead Man got me just as spun as everyone else). But I kept going back to his role in the unsung gem Rebuilding time and again. It's such a quiet performance that shows the power O'Connor conveys by simple standing in a room. Solemn and tender, he crafts not only a portrait of a father lost to responsibility, but a man trying to find his own identity outside of being a parent. It's a meditative treatise on adulthood I couldn't get out of my mind. -*KL* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/MCDHAMN_UC003-H-2025.jpg.webp) ## Jessie Buckley (*Hamnet*) Be right back, trying to write through tears after Jessie Buckley’s powerful performance in *Hamnet*. As Agnes Shakespeare, the long-suffering wife of The Bard himself (Paul Mescal), Buckley creates a character who feels genuinely magical. When isolation and tragedy hit their family, Buckley is raw, running through the entirety of grief’s stages with a furor. As monumental as her palpable sadness gets, her wave of evolving emotions in the finale is as unforgettable. Buckley adeptly embodies the ever-fluctuating nature of grief in all its dullness, rage, and complexity, a monumental achievement that turns Hamnet into a heart-obliterating mess with a beautiful end. -*JE* ## Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I'd Kick You) There were quite a few emotionally tortured/conflicted mom roles this year, but my favorite of them all remains Rose Byrne in Mary Bronstein's fabulous If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You. As Bronstein and I discussed last year, the movie tries hard to upend a lot of stereotypes about caregivers to those with disabilities and chronic ailments, and Byrne does a lot to shape that. Her performance is one where, even when she's doing something bizarre, there's a kernel of relatability to it thanks to Byrne's easy-going smile or deadpan humor. She's a woman trying hard to keep all the eggs in one basket as the basket is breaking, internally. It's a performance that's fierce and ferocious, but also traumatized and broken. -*KL* ### 4 Best Things I Watched in December (And My Favorite Books of 2025) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-december-2025/ Last updated: 2026-01-02T17:00:46.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/2025-look-back/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- I was looking at [my Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/kristenlopez88/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) stats for 2025 and was shocked. I'd watched the lowest amount of movies ever since I started using the site *way* back in 2012! It might not seem like it to you, but I noticed I cut back on watching movies a lot this year, whether that be because of politics, life happening, or what have you. In December, my mind finally told me to calm down and enjoy the holiday, so I can't say I made up for any lost time. I did, however, watch four movies I loved in different ways that I'd love to share with you! And as a special bonus, keep reading to the end to find my best books of 2025 list! ## *Zootopia 2* (2025) The first Zootopia didn't really get me in 2016\. There were a few cute moments, like Martin Scorsese's Godfather-esque character and the gimmick with the guy who passes himself off as a baby, but overall it was a fairly typical 2010s Disney movie. So I willingly missed the opportunity to see the sequel when it debuted for critics. That's a mistake I'm kicking myself over because I do wish I'd see this on a big screen. Thanks to Disney's awards portal I watched this at home and what a wild ride it is! I'd definitely call it better than the first. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde (Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, respectively) reteam in a story simultaneously about emotional insecurity and the forced removal of a group of creatures, in this case snakes, that social media has gone wild deconstructing as an Israel/Palestine allegory. Regardless, it's fun and surprisingly emotionally deep story that shows the best in Disney storytelling. Give me more of this in 2026, Disney, and less live-action remakes. ## *Elvis: The '68 Comeback Special* (1968) I could have sworn I'd seen this before! My mom and I are big Elvis fans, weirdly enough, and I've been slowly trying to cross off most of the major movies and specials he's starred in. In terms of specials, none compare to *Elvis: That's the Way It Is* from 1970 in terms of showing what feels closest to Elvis: the person, but the *'68 Comeback Special* gets close. This wasn't just an opportunity for Elvis to make a much-needed professional resurrection, the singer worried he was irrelevant in the sea change that was music in the late '60s. It was also an opportunity for the King of Rock, a man who had become pretty untouchable by this point, to look like a normal dude. Some of the best moments in this 50-minute special are just the way the camera focuses on him vibing out to music. Or watching him joke around with the band or the audience. He's a singer on-stage, yes, but he's also a guy just trying to connect with people for a few seconds. Elvis's magnetism is on full display alongside him performing all the bangers he had up to that point. And "If I Can Dream" is still an underrated Elvis song. Just saying. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/KpopDemonHunters_ProRes422HQ_SDR_2ch_20250424.01_04_39_22-e1751568946588.jpg.webp) ## *KPop Demon Hunters* (2025) Yes, yes, I'm remarkably late on seeing this movie! But I did see it just in time for awards voting so don't judge me too harshly. I'm not big on KPop so was concerned this would be too niche for me. If you're in the same boat let me say what people are yelling at the screen right now: You're wrong! *KPop Demon Hunters* is one of the year's best animated movies with a rollicking soundtrack and characters who feel so relatable. Think of it like a Disney movie you wish existed in the '90s! The story of three girls who fight demons, while also battling a wealth of emotional insecurity, is something I wish existed when I was a girl. There's a nuance in how their storyline uses the demons as an allegory for societal judgement. That and the songs are just so killer! ## *Pillion* (2025) Harry Lighton's *Pillion* was one of my most anticipated movies of 2025\. An erotically charged queer romance about bikers starring Alexander Skarsgard? Sign me up! I had a helluva time actually seeing it--it technically debuts in February--and was happy one of the critics groups I'm part of got access to a screener! Even if the above plot doesn't do it for you make time to see this one! *Pillion* is the story of mild-mannered Colin (Harry Melling) who falls for biker Ray (Skarsgard). The two embark on a dominant/submissive relationship and the edges soon start to fray as Colin wants more than Ray might be able to emotionally provide. In a year where people have leapt at more sexually overt movies--potentially as a response to Gen Z's antipathy to sex scenes--Pillion is definitely not for the pearl clutchers. And yet within its more explicit scenes there's an emphasis on connection and a hunt for tenderness. It's also outlandishly funny at times and Melling and Skarsgard are pitch perfect. I immediately want to see this again, though not sure if I want to watch it in a room full of people. *What movies or books did you love in December? Be sure to drop them in the comments!* --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2026/01/Beige-Minimalist-Monthly-Book-Review-Instagram-Story-.jpg) ### 12 Best Needle Drops of 2025 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movie-needle-drops-2025/ Last updated: 2025-12-31T17:00:58.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- This is one of my favorite lists to do. There's something about the use of popular music (not the score) in movies that always gets me. Last year my Spotify was dominated by "Greatest Day," a movie I thank Anora for using every day. A great needle drop can make you instantly discover a new artist or band you haven't heard, or rediscover how a great song is made even more perfect by its placement in a scene. Certain songs can even become synonymous with the movie they're in (it's pretty much why I can't listen to "Sussudio" with a straight face anymore). I worried I wouldn't be able to conjure up a list of needle drops this year, though. Not because the movies weren't great, but because I didn't notice popular music being used as much. It wasn't until I went back to start generating ideas for this list that I realized there was some GREAT music used in movies this year. So, alongside some friends, we're listing our 12 best needle drops of the year! Be sure to list your favorites in the comments to keep the music playing. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### A Look Back at 2025 (Good Riddance) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/2025-look-back/ Last updated: 2025-12-30T17:00:37.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/avatar-fire-and-ash-review-james-cameron/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- I took inspiration from friend and fellow writer Marya Gates (whose site you should also subscribe to) and wanted to get personal today. I wanted to examine what 2025 looked like for me, as a writer and as a person. I'm sure many of you are doing similar reflections as we all count down the days before this asshole of a year transitions into something, hopefully, better. God, even slightly less heinous would be an improvement. If there was one word I'd use to describe me this year it was "adrift." I returned to freelancing full-time for the first time in four years and I was unsurprised by how bad things had gotten in the journalism game but couldn't have anticipated the wave of [criticism layoffs](https://thefilmmaven.com/new-york-times-critic-layoffs/) and other attempts to fundamentally change the job I've loved doing since I was a teenager. I got a lot of opportunities outside of TFM that were amazing. I actually won two National Arts and Entertainment awards from the LA Press Club for two pieces I wrote for Variety. One of them was from this year, a call for [abled people in Hollywood](https://variety.com/2025/voices/actors/disabled-performers-advocate-inclusion-1236296171/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) to advocate harder for the disabled. This year I couldn't believe some of the places I wrote for, [like Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/journal/disability-on-film-starter-pack/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), where I gave readers a crash course in movies about disability, and the L.A. Times! For the Times I got to [interview director Derek Cianfrance](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2025-10-13/roofman-movie-true-story-jeffrey-manchester-channing-tatum-kirsten-dunst-derek-cianfrance?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and stars Kirsten Dunst and Channing Tatum about *Roofman*. I also did some work for the Golden Globes, covering [their first-time nominees luncheon](https://goldenglobes.com/articles/first-time-nominees-gather-for-golden-globes-luncheon/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and interviewing [the great Bill Condon](https://goldenglobes.com/articles/spider-woman-and-the-years-changing-roles-of-lgbt-in-films-tv/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). But I also struggled severely with what it meant to leave a corporate job like the one I was doing. Despite all those amazing bylines you see above, trying to get access for TFM reminded me how low on the totem pole I was, and the issues many newly laid off journalists no doubt will feel as they try to create their own work in the future. I've talked about how publicists ([here](https://thefilmmaven.com/maya-hawke-instagram-followers/) and [here](https://thefilmmaven.com/publicity-influencer-culture-journalism/)) need to start being realistic about publicity in this day and age. Because right now we're losing more entertainment journalists and critics than we're getting in. And we're certainly not getting more [women or writers of color](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-criticism-women-critics/). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/12/BannerSample03.png) So while I tried to feel like I wasn't totally irrelevant I did the cliche thing and took my broken heart and turned it into art. Specifically, I turned it into The Film Maven. This year saw some big changes with the site, mostly that I went from writing things two to three days a week, to four and five days. There was so much stuff going on and, for the first time, the stress of writing kind of dissipated. I was writing the type of stuff I wanted to, with the spontaneity I'd missed. We got a new logo and name, transitioning from Kristomania to The Film Maven. But I wanted to do more to practice what I preached and brought on new voices like [Lex Briscuso](https://thefilmmaven.com/author/lex-briscuso-68b5115ac7c92e001b0942c9/), [Alyssa Valazquez](https://thefilmmaven.com/author/alyssa/), [Emily Edwards](https://thefilmmaven.com/author/emily-j-edwards-68b5115ac7c92e001b0942c6/) and [Athina Clarke](https://thefilmmaven.com/author/athina-clarke-68b5115ac7c92e001b0942ca/) who contributed some great stuff! The biggest thing though was taking the leap off of Substack. This, more than anything else this year, stressed me out the most. I was going to give up the safety of Substack--whose social medium component helped people easily find and follow the site--for the relevant unknown of SEO and website management over at Ghost. Would I lose followers? Would I lose any more of the small income I was garnering? Would traffic crater? It was worth it, both [ethically](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/jan/03/substack-user-revolt-anti-censorship-stance-neo-nazis?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and financially. Since moving to Ghost we've hit over 1,000 subscribers (and, yes, I am prepping to watch and review *Megalopolis*) and my hope is that it will continue to grow! Oh, hey, I also published a book this year. [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4syW8aS?ref=thefilmmaven.com), my exploration on disability in film, debuted on Thanksgiving Day. It's a book I have mixed emotions about. On the one hand I'm happy it exists and that those who have read it really like it. On the other, the publisher really did let me down on a number of things. Hence, no reviews, little publicity (outside of my own creation), and a struggle to find the book in stores. If you're interested in purchasing a copy through me PLEASE let me know and I'm happy to hook you up. I also wrote two additional books this year: the second volume of my Turner Classic Movies book, *But Have You Read the Book*, will debut in August 2026\. And my baby, Welcome, *Boils and Ghouls: The Complete Oral History of Tales From the Crypt*, drops in 2027! These ones meant a lot to me but Boils and Ghouls is so special. I spent 2025 interviewing over 150 people associated with the show in some way. If Kristen as a kid knew who she spoke to this year she wouldn't believe it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/12/SocialClip-1.jpg) And, honestly, that's how I kept looking at things this year. Teenage Kristen would have died knowing she'd eventually meet Leonardo DiCaprio, Colin Farrell or Kirsten Dunst. Kristen in her twenties wouldn't believe she'd chat with Michael B. Jordan, or that she'd be at a Golden Globes event as an actual member of the press. These are moments that I still can't believe happen to me now and they did a lot to remind me of why I stay in this world and do what I do. Before I close this out, I want to thank all of you. All of you who bought my books. Who read my work (whether here or anywhere else). Who subscribe to The Film Maven. Who talk to me or share my stuff on social media. All of this reminds that teenage disabled girl inside my head that what she's doing is worth it and matters. Even when our President is a shitbag and the world seems like it's on a collision course with doom. So, please have a safe and happy New Year! Here's to another year of enjoying pop culture and getting through what the hell happens in 2026\. Closing it out with a reminder of why I write: to keep these two guys in kibble. Happy New Year from Kristen, Elliott Stabler and Harlow ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/12/SocialClip.jpg) ### 5 Topics I Didn't Cover in 2025 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/entertainment-news-2025/ Last updated: 2025-12-29T17:00:38.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- 2025 marked a lot of firsts for The Film Maven. It marked the first year of the site pumping out full-time coverage. It marked the transition between the original site, Kristomania, to the new site you know now as The Film Maven. We also moved off Substack and onto Ghost. But all of that turned out for the best as the site has crafted a decent amount of followers (vacillating between 950-1000), got our first celeb interviews, and have even more planned in 2026. When I started The Film Maven I worried I'd struggle to find things to write about. But, as the year progressed, there was A LOT of inspiration. So much so that I wasn't able to cover everything I wanted to. That being said, some of my favorite things I covered this year included the ableism in talking about [Gene Hackman's death](https://thefilmmaven.com/gene-hackman-death/), how [film bros are getting jobs at trades](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-criticism-women-critics/), this piece on [entertainment journalists jumping ship](https://thefilmmaven.com/journalism-jobs-dead/), [*Wuthering Heights* and the Emerald Fennell hate](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-emerald-fennell-margot-robbie/), talking to [Bill Condon](https://thefilmmaven.com/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-bill-condon/), discussing [disability with Mary Bronstein](https://thefilmmaven.com/if-i-had-legs-mary-bronstein-interview/), pointing out [the ableism in *Song Sung Blue*](https://thefilmmaven.com/song-sung-blue-review/), [interviewing Josh O'Connor](https://thefilmmaven.com/josh-oconnor-rebuilding-interview/), and, most recently, [eulogizing Rob Reiner](https://thefilmmaven.com/rob-reiner-tribute/). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ticklish Business 221: Top 5 Christmas Movies URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-classic-christmas-movies-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2025-12-24T18:47:08.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer-1964-ticklish-business/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* --- We all made it to the end of 2025! This podcast did a lot to keep me sane this year. Chatting with Emily about these movies has meant a lot, and the fact that many of you stuck around for our hiatus...I can't say what it means to us. As we prep for the new year we're doing an old standard: a top 5 on our favorite Christmas movies. We share the ones that make us think of the holiday season, and one pick from Emily shocks Kristen! We also read several of your favorites that you submitted. We wish you all a safe and happy holiday and New Year! **We'll be back on January 21st with all new episodes** and ready to have the best 2026 ever. See you then. **Watch or listen to the full episode below:** --- Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠*Popcorn Disabilities*⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to pre-order now before it releases on November 13th! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠The merch shop is live⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠become a Patron⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com): • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠Follow Emily's Instagram⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Patrick Seals ### 15 Can't Miss Sundance Titles URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-sundance-2026/ Last updated: 2025-12-23T18:48:03.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- Since its beginnings in 1978, the Sundance Film Festival has grown into the largest independent film fest in the U.S., and one of the best places to premiere new and cutting-edge voices in independent cinema. Sundance has launched numerous world-class directors’ careers: Quentin Tarantino’s *Reservoir Dogs*, Christopher Nolan’s breakout *Memento*, Darren Aronofsky’s *Pi*, and Ryan Coogler’s *Fruitvale Station*, as well as cult classics like *Napoleon Dynamite*, *Little Miss Sunshine*, and *The Blair Witch Project*. It has a hefty footprint in Hollywood that you can’t afford to miss. The Park City, UT institution is undergoing major changes soon, relocating to Boulder, Colorado for a ten-year deal. It’s the first move in the fest’s history (though Sundance has also spun off in select world cities), making this festival an important final hurrah (at least for now) in its storied Park City city of origin. Adding to the significance is this year’s loss of Sundance founder and world-class talent Robert Redford, whose absence will surely be felt. While those factors alone will make this Sundance one for the books, this year also boasts a wide range of genre-spanning, innovative can’t-miss films. Here are 15 you absolutely can’t miss. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Kristen's 18 Favorite New Discoveries of 2025 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-classic-films-2025/ Last updated: 2025-12-23T18:48:33.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* --- This year felt like movies really took a backseat, at least movies outside of the new releases. The year 2025 saw me writing two books concurrently while editing a third, gathering up freelance assignments, transitioning TFM from Substack to Ghost, and generally dodging the news of *everything* that's happened this year. I spent more time reading–both because of the book I was writing and otherwise–than watching movies. But, thankfully, some new discoveries were able to slip in here. These are the 18 movies I fell in love with for the first time. Some of these are several decades old while others are from the last year. Either way, these movies transported me and reminded me why I love film in the first place. Maybe some of these will get added to your list! Be sure to drop in the comments your own new movies of the year! _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### 10 of Rob Reiner's Best Movies and Performances URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/rob-reiner-best-movies-performances/ Last updated: 2025-12-18T17:00:51.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out*** [***this year's reader survey***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so*** [***at this link***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***!*** --- The feelings about Rob Reiner's tragic loss are still acute this week. But what's been amazing to see is how the film world has come together to collectively celebrate Reiner's acting and directing work. Many have made the argument that there wasn't a bad Reiner movie in the bunch, yes, even *North*! It's probably because, like I mentioned in [my own eulogy of Reiner](https://thefilmmaven.com/rob-reiner-tribute/), he gave us movies that showed us how to feel. He crafted movies focused on life's movements. Everyone this week is remembering the Rob Reiner movies they fell in love with, and here at The Film Maven we're doing the same thing. I brought together some of my writing friends to lay out some of their favorite Reiner features, as well as the acting performances he did. Feel free to put your own favorites in the comments! *Thank you to writers Matthew Sorrento, Anthony Francis, Jeff Ewing, Lauren Gallaway, and Christopher Bumbray for contributing to this piece.* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Avatar: Fire & Ash Review: James Cameron's Conclusion Struggles Under the Weight of Its Storytelling URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/avatar-fire-and-ash-review-james-cameron/ Last updated: 2026-01-17T16:30:20.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/hamnet-review/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* ***Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out*** [***this year's reader survey***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so*** [***at this link***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***!*** --- For the last sixteen years director James Cameron has enmeshed himself in the world of Pandora. What started out as the ableist story of a disabled man looking for a cure, and finding it in the body of an indigenous community known as the Na'vi has transitioned into a potentially political examination of an Indigenous community butting up against rampant colonialist expansion. They're also utterly gorgeous and have given Cameron the opportunity to test the boundaries of filmmaking itself. The hope was that Cameron would get a solid four features out his ideas, eventually cutting it down to two then splitting the second into two separate films. Thus, 2022's *The Way of Water* is imperative to watch before *Fire and Ash*. It also means *Fire and Ash* feels less like its own feature and really just like a long, three year commercial break. (A similar feeling affected [*Wicked: For Good*](https://thefilmmaven.com/wicked-for-good-review/).) Plot points twist and fold into the narrative haphazardly, leaving the whole affair less like a smooth ride on a banshee and more a clunky jaunt on a public bus. *Fire and Ash* joins practically in medias res, with Jake and Neytiri (Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, respectively) mourning the loss of their son and returning to the Water tribe broken people. They believe old adversary Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is dead...again. But, of course, he isn't and is determined to destroy them one and for all. He and Jake encounter the mysterious Ash People, led by the slinky Varang (Oona Chaplin). When Quaritch and Varang team up, it is up to Jake, Neytiri, and their children to stop them, and save Pandora once and for all. There's no denying what has always dominated the *Avatar* universe: their beauty and visual spectacle. Watching the actors navigate these different spaces, whether that be water or the air, is utterly breathtaking. (Though the high frame rate is still jarring and prone to headache inducing if you're sensitive.) Unlike in *Way of Water*, there's a bit less of a visual whizbang to *Fire and Ash* as the majority of the movie's over three-hour runtime feels more land-based. This is because the characters are engaging in a lot more military-based fighting. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/12/AvatarFireAndAsh_Still10-H-2025.jpg.webp) Cameron's work on the script, alongside Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver is probably *Fire and Ash's* biggest failing as there's so. much. happening in the narrative that no one is ever focused on enough, with the editing literally feeling like characters are fighting for screen time. One big moment has the movie sharply cut between Neytiri struggling to survive an attack and her children going off on an adventure. It's less linear storytelling and more everyone yelling to be heard. And it didn't appear like *Way of Water* introduced too many threads but *Fire and Ash* has to close them will introducing new ones. The predominant new feature to *Fire and Ash* is Varang, a venal young Na'vi who believes she's a goddess. Chaplin is amazing to watch in the way she stalks the frame, but there's little depth to her beyond that. In some ways she becomes a cringy, overly sexualized Indigenous big bad, quick to jump into bed with Quaritch because, hey, he's just as evil as she is. The two become a militaristic Mickey and Mallory Knox with the quickness, though once that happens Varang becomes little more than scenery, with her plot line literally leaving the door open for another movie...as in she leaves a scene and that's where things end. *Fire and Ash* soon falls into a repetitious pattern of: kidnapping, fight scene. The kids are kidnapped, leaving Jake and Quaritch to fight to get them back. Then the kids get kidnapped again, leading to another fight scene. There's one scene where the fighting leads to someone getting kidnapped. It becomes utterly ridiculous and silly how weak the other characters are, but it showcases more of a lack of interest in where their plots are going. Jake's son, Lo'ak (Britain Dalton) narrates the movie in fits and starts, almost like the film is going to trust him to tell the story, but much like his dead that doesn't happen and the narration pops up a handful of times later, mostly to continue Lo'ak's friendship with the disgraced whale creature Payakan. Worthington's Jake Sully, long the hero of this franchise, takes a serious backseat to everyone else, though mostly Jack Champion's Spider, the Donnie Thornberry-inspired take on Jake Sully. Spider is struggling to breathe on Pandora while continuing to struggle with his daddy issues around Quaritch. A second-act big of "hey, don't think too much about it" quickly solves Spider's breathing issues before he takes over as the movie's hero. It's obvious in the way the camera frames and follows him that Cameron clearly believes in Champion's star power. But there's little beyond him being brash and cocky. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/12/AvatarFireAndAsh_Still15-H-2025.jpg.webp) The bizarre romance between him and Jake's daughter Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) takes a backseat, as does much of Kiri's plot line from the previous film. Her main issue is her inability to tap into Pandora's equivalent of the God phone, being told she could have a fatal seizure if she continues. Weaver continues to make for a jarring teenager but Kiri is little more than a quick way out of sticky situations, like the issue with Spider's breathing. By the end, when Jake and Neytiri are up against the ropes, Kiri's plot line doesn't so much as pay off as it feels like the screenwriters said, "Fuck it, this is how it's gonna go." There are so many moments watching *Fire and Ash* where the script is filled with things: guns going off, things blowing up, Tulkun's peacing out of the story, and yet one is hard-pressed to understand the why behind anything. When all else fails, just look at a Banshee sailing across the sky and remember you still have another hour of this movie to watch. If you've been ride or die for this series since its inception then there's little that will change that. For those looking for a good time at the movies, *Avatar: Fire and Ash* offers some thrilling visuals but little else. The story is repetitive and unfocused, the characters dull and lacking depth. It's probably a good thing Cameron is ready to take a break from these characters as this movie definitely feels tired. ## Grade: C- *Avatar: Fire and Ash is in theaters Friday.* --- *My new book Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies is out now! Buy a copy wherever you get books!* ### Rob Reiner Taught a Generation What Movie Magic Was URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/rob-reiner-tribute/ Last updated: 2026-01-15T23:55:44.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/hamnet-review/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* ***Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out*** [***this year's reader survey***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so*** [***at this link***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***!*** --- I shouldn't be writing this post today. We shouldn't be writing tributes to the life and career of Rob Reiner because, up until yesterday, it wasn't over. Reiner had just put out his long-awaited sequel to his 1984 classic *This is Spinal Tap* in September, a movie that, [while I didn't love it](https://thefilmmaven.com/spinal-tap-2-the-end-continues-review/) gave me the opportunity to see Reiner and the band in-person at the TCL Chinese Theatre. He'd recently attended the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival to share the stage with Kathy Bates for a screening of *Misery*, an event I missed and now regret. And yet [the heinous death of Reiner and his wife](https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/12/15/us/rob-michele-reiner-dead?ref=thefilmmaven.com), Michele Singer, last night has occupied my thoughts (and my social media timeline) for going on 24 hours. Reiner's death hits hard, not just because of the shocking nature of it, but because Reiner has come to represent so much to so many. To me, he represented the best of moviemaking, and the strength of our country; his work on [overturning Prop 8](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/how-rob-reiner-became-anti-26362/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) in California should be known by everyone. He was the bridge between the Hollywood of the 1960s and 1970s to today. And it's that latter thing I want to talk about today, not how he spent his final hours. For me, Reiner was who most people thought of when they said, "They don't make movies like that anymore." Reiner's features weren't bombastic, but focused on the heady wave of human emotions that make us eager to get up in the morning. The first Rob Reiner movie I ever saw, no surprise, was 1987's *The Princess Bride*. To me, it remains the perfect movie, though what I've come to appreciate so much now as I'm older is how it deals with the fantasy and magic of filmmaking. It is one of the few movies I'd say is just as good as William Goldman's original novel for how Reiner crafts a story so thrilling and enthralling it doesn't just get Fred Savage to perk up his ears, but it makes us believe, for a fleeting moment, that magic exists, true love is real, and justice is always delivered to those who deserve it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/12/MSDFEGO_EC005-1620027677.jpeg.webp) That continued with 1992's *A Few Good Men*, a movie that now even the title sounds snarky considering the world we're currently living in. He showed the possibility of humanity, how we could be our best selves. One only has to watch Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) try to get to the bottom of a government conspiracy to see it. And while some might attribute that to Aaron Sorkin's script, it was Reiner's direction that doesn't make the entire thing feel twee or preachy. But I think what I've come to love about Reiner's work is how he captures the intangible feelings we can't articulate. Take *This is Spinal Tap*, the story of a struggling band desperate to chase every trend in the hope of finding success. The movie is utterly hilarious, even if it is capturing a time in music that's gone with the rise of streaming and TikTok. But, more importantly, it shows the hilarity and community that's found in creating art, even if success never comes. Tap believes they're on equal footing with other big bands, and if they aren't they should. But the central relationship between Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) is paramount. At the end, Tap still isn't successful, but David and Nigel's relationship is stronger than ever. There's also something to this in 1986's *Stand By Me*. One can watch that movie as a child and believe they're seeing their own friend groups. What group of adolescent kids doesn't want to go on an epic adventure filled with thrills, chills, and a dead body? And yet Reiner used that as a gateway to show us the harsh realities of being a child that we push into the back of our minds as we get older, yet shape who we are regardless. Watching *Stand By Me* as an adult, one trying to unlearn how my childhood made me, showed that Reiner knew what was coming. He understood us. And yet Reiner seemed to lose his footing as he got older. As the 2000s started, Reiner's features didn't hit in the same way, lacking the critical and commercial impact (kind of what we're seeing with the *Ella McCay* discourse right now). It's almost like Reiner was the canary in the coal mine, showing us that the way we make and consume movies was irreparably damaged. Watching the new *Spinal Tap* this year continued that, showing us a director who appeared to look at the world around him and not recognize it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/12/MV5BMTU3NTA3NDgzMV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODA2ODIwMjE@._V1_.jpg) Hollywood may have made movies directed by Rob Reiner, but they did't make Rob Reiner movies anymore, ie the landscape no longer existed to celebrate the type of movies he might have wanted to make. As Alan Sepinwall beautifully says in [his own tribute to Reiner](https://www.whatsalanwatching.com/rob-reiner-was-a-master-who-didnt-care-if-you-noticed/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), "The movies were never about Rob Reiner, because he only cared about making them great, not about making sure you knew he was the one doing it." *Stand By Me* ends with one of the most iconic one-liners: "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?" And it's bittersweet to hear in light of Reiner's death. I would argue one doesn't have friends or movies like the ones they had when they were twelve. As a movie-obsessed tween, Rob Reiner's features made me understand the movies I loved, and how his movies made me feel about myself. I wonder now if the kids today have even seen Reiner's films (sure, *The Princess Bride*) and have the same feelings I did as a kid watching them for the first time? I'd like to think so. This is all to say that the world is a little less brighter today than it was. Reiner stood among the last living vestiges of the great movies like Mel Brooks. This only reminds us how fleeting things are. Go watch a Rob Reiner movie today. It'll make you smile, cry, laugh but, most importantly, it'll make you feel. --- *My new book Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies is out now! Buy a copy wherever you get books!* ### Ticklish Business 220: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer-1964-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2025-12-12T17:00:04.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/gable-and-lombard-1976-ticklish-business-podcast/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* ***Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out*** [***this year's reader survey***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so*** [***at this link***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***!*** --- The Christmas movie we'd planned to discuss last year finally gets its due as we're talking about the Rankin-Bass classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It's just us this week and you know what that means: expect the unexpected. We go down some paths with this episode, from talking about the LGBTQ community this has fostered, to its disability storyline, and whether it's eschewing capitalism or not. [⁠Emily's essay on "Do They Know It's Christmas" is here.⁠](https://www.patreon.com/posts/fuckbois-of-do-93821998?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠*Popcorn Disabilities*⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to pre-order now before it releases on November 13th! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠The merch shop is live⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠become a Patron⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com): • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠Follow Emily's Instagram⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau Richard Silver A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Debbie Lynne Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Linda Lindley Erin Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Patrick Seals ### Who Gets TCM When Warner Bros. Gets Sold? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/tcm-warner-bros-netflix-merger/ Last updated: 2026-01-09T16:28:20.000Z *Welcome to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out*** [***this year's reader survey***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so*** [***at this link***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***!*** --- When I heard that Netflix was buying Warner Bros. for [an astounding $82.7 billion dollars](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/netflix-to-acquire-warner-bros?ref=thefilmmaven.com) I had several questions that I knew the answers to. Questions like "How is this legal" (answer: is anything these days?) and what happens to theaters (Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has talked about theatrical windows getting smaller, but still existing). But the biggest and most immediate question I had was: How does this impact TCM? To talk to any TCM lover, and even those who work for the company, they're used to the rollercoaster that is running a classic film-centric TV company in 2025\. It wasn't that long since the last time the TV network was under threat when, back in 2023, Warner Bros./Discovery CEO David Zaslav entered the company and [started slashing and burning everything](https://www.thewrap.com/tcm-layoffs-restructuring-warner-bros-future-hosts/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). The large public outcry (and support of the likes of Paul Thomas Anderson and Martin Scorsese) eventually saw TCM's [programming chief, Charles Tabesh, reinstated](https://www.thewrap.com/tcm-layoffs-restructuring-warner-bros-future-hosts/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), as well as the company enfolded under the wings of the film-centric Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Stray Thoughts on This Year's Golden Globes Nominations URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/golden-globe-nominations-2025/ Last updated: 2025-12-10T17:00:54.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out*** [***this year's reader survey***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so*** [***at this link***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***!*** --- The Golden Globe nominations dropped this week and hit with all the intensity of a wet washcloth slapping everyone in the face. (After the whole WB/Netflix thing, anything else was bound to be uninteresting.) It's also because the Globes continue to struggle with their reputation of late. Not just the issues with their recent ["Best Podcast" nominations](https://www.status.news/p/jay-penske-golden-globes-podcast-award?ref=thefilmmaven.com), but also their connections to [various assaults](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni62081624/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), and the prominent discussion of their [pay for play tactics](https://www.vulture.com/article/the-golden-globe-awards-are-still-corrupt.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com). [The L.A. Times](https://thefilmmaven.com/netflix-warner-bros-acquisition/) does a great job of laying everything out. But they're still a basic indicator of the movies that made a mark on audiences in 2025 and, no doubt, will have connections to the upcoming Oscars (which are in three months and counting). So, with that being said, I don't have any grandiose thoughts on the Golden Globe nominations so these are just gonna be stray ideas. I welcome any stray thoughts, disagreements, what have you, in the comments! _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Netflix's Acquisition of Warner Bros. Could Be A Win-Win URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/netflix-warner-bros-acquisition/ Last updated: 2025-12-09T17:00:22.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out*** [***this year's reader survey***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so*** [***at this link***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***!*** --- Warner Bros. Discovery has been caught between Scylla and Charybdis lately, pulled between two aggressive bidders (Netflix vs. Paramount Skydance's David Ellison) who would see the venerable, century-old studio fall prey to a complex array of possible futures. The industry is scrambling as a consequence. News dropped last week that Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. had accepted [an $82.7 million offer from streaming titan Netflix](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/netflix-to-acquire-warner-bros?ref=thefilmmaven.com) to buy its film and television studios. The prospect of Netflix absorbing a major studio has nonetheless provoked tense conversations in Hollywood backrooms and among online theatrical advocates, alike. While that immediately seemed cut and dry, “nobody knows anything” in Hollywood, to quote esteemed scribe William Goldman, and the war isn’t quite over yet. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Ticklish Business 219. Gable & Lombard (1976 with Robert Matzen) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/gable-and-lombard-1976-ticklish-business-podcast/ Last updated: 2025-12-05T17:00:11.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/coming-home-1978-disability/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* ***Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out*** [***this year's reader survey***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so*** [***at this link***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***!*** --- An episode literally four years in the making! Maybe even five. Who knows how long Kristen has been promising this episode but the day has finally arrived! It was one of the most that ushered in the death knell for Old Hollywood biopics, and Carole Lombard biographer Robert Matzen joins Kristen and Emily to separate fact from fiction in *Gable & Lombard*! The trio talk about James Brolin playing Gable, the struggle of portraying Lombard accurately (and why Jill Clayburgh isn't the problem). Be sure to drop your favorite Christmas movies into the comments and we'll read them on our last episode of 2025! Did you know you can now watch our episodes in their entirety? [⁠⁠Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. ⁠⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)Be sure to subscribe over there to be reminded of upcoming episodes. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*Popcorn Disabilities*⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to pre-order now before it releases on November 13th! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch shop is live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠become a Patron⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com): • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Emily's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Patrick Seals Rosa ### 11 Great Things I Watched in November URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-november-2025/ Last updated: 2025-12-04T17:19:14.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out*** [***this year's reader survey***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so*** [***at this link***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***!*** --- The Thanksgiving holiday wasn't just a great opportunity to indulge in my love for cranberry sauce and rolls! It also kicked off what I dubbed on TikTok "The Great Thanksgiving Oscar Movie Catch-Up" (patent pending). Since work has been slighter than normal I was finally able to sit down with the bevy of screeners I've received and make sure I'm an informed critics guild voter. (No time for books this month, hopefully next.) So a lot of what you'll see below are movies that came out over the last few months, or will be debuting soon. Be sure to leave the movies you enjoyed last month in the comments! Also, informal poll: Which version of these lists do you enjoy? I've stuck to listing only the good stuff but do you miss the "and the rest" sections wherein I lay out stuff I didn't like? Drop it in the comments. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Hamnet Review: Chloe Zhao's Shakespearean Drama a Showcase for Jessie Buckley URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/hamnet-review/ Last updated: 2026-01-08T16:39:29.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/wicked-for-good-review/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* ***Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out*** [***this year's reader survey***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so*** [***at this link***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***!*** --- There are moments in *Hamnet* that look like you're witnessing an artist paint in the 1600s. These perfectly composed images, many of which illustrate the sublime awesomeness of nature that have the power to engulf the viewer. The sheer size and weight of the untamed wilderness contrasted with the small human standing within it. It's certainly enough to remind us how minuscule and insignificant we are in the scheme of things. And yet, part of director Chloe Zhao's thesis within *Hamnet* is how the power of art has the ability to transcend and be just as immortalized and everlasting as an oak tree. *Hamnet* certainly won't do anything to dispel Zhao naysayers. It's slow, it's quiet, it's contemplative and meditative. And yet where her previous features often feel so nomadic as to be on a quest for a story, Maggie O'Farrell's script–based on her own novel of the same name–is Zhao's North Star, making it her most accessible feature. For *Hamnet* isn't just another stock "Shakespeare was a genius" story where the goal is to illustrate how his brilliance through the creation of a play. It is the story of grief, and how, as the adage goes, creatives take a broken heart and turn it into art. More specifically, it's about how two people attempt to deal with their trauma, one of whom just so happens to be the Bard. Will (Paul Mescal) meets Agnes (Jessie Buckley) as the Latin teacher to her stepbrothers. Almost instantaneously, Will believes he's destined to marry Agnes regardless of the stories that she is the "child of a forest witch." Their marriage marks the beginning of their fraught relationship, one filled with as many blessings as it does tragedies. As Will becomes more enmeshed in his writing, building his success as a playwright, it leaves Agnes alone to raise their children, leading to resentment, particularly as the Black Death invades the city. Fiona Crombie's production design immediately sets the tone for *Hamnet*. The cold stone and warm hearths that are part of Agnes's family home give way to the wild and untamed wilderness she finds comfort in. This is a story as much about magic as it is faith. Agnes is seen as a witch, something her deceased mother welcomed her into, because she has knowledge of the local plantlife and finds more community wandering in the woods than interacting with others. The canvas is painterly in its composition, enhanced by soft lighting and a muted color palette. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/4238_D045_00238_R.jpg.webp) It's in this world that Agnes and Will first meet. He believes she's a servant girl because of both how dirty and rumpled she is, as well as how her family treats her. The two play with an illicit romance but immediately understand they're meant to be together; Agnes gets pregnant fairly quickly as a means of forcing everyone's hand to allow them to marry. But what rests inside O'Farrell's script is not just their love for each other, but their love for creativity. Agnes demands Will tell her a story that "moves him" and he lays out the Greek tragedy of Eurydice and Orpheus. Unlike other Shakespeare narratives, the Bard takes a backseat in this story, though Mescal still makes the character pop. His retelling of the Orpheus myth is filled with passion and intensity. Mescal isn't just reading lines from a script, but believes in the story with his whole being. And yet he also has a childlike immaturity that runs underneath the character seen in the way he grins wide as he explains how excited he that Agnes is pregnant and they want to marry, to the horror of his family, or in the way he plays with his son Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe). Mescal and young Jacobi Jupe are fantastic. Jupe, specifically, has a hard role, playing the character who gives his namesake to one of the most famous protagonists in all of literature. Jupe has to thread the needle between inquisitive child and the presumed "man of the house" as Will goes off to make his way playwriting. You see the pain in Mescal's eyes as Will knows he has to leave his child, but it's nothing compared to the hurt that rests in Jacobi's. Hamnet is the character that, literally, the movie is about and yet the boy has to play a character who doesn't know what his life will bring him. But all of them step back when Jessie Buckley is on the scene. Buckley is Hamnet's beating heart, it's warrior. She has such a ferocity to her and an ability to dominate that's breathtaking to see in execution. We see this as she drags herself into the woods to give birth, embracing being the witch of the wood and breathing new life into it. From there, Buckley's Agnes has to be the mother, father, protector of the family. Too often movies about genius focus on the man, while the worried wife waits at home to nag him. Here, Agnes may not have the acclaim and longevity of Will, but she is the true breadwinner of her family. When the plague arrives, it is on Agnes to save her children, and the viewer can't help but embrace her and turn away from Will when he does finally show up. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/hamnet-2025-still-2-scaled.jpg) *Hamnet's* second half soon becomes a meditation on grief. How and why we're resistant to it, and how it can manifest in unexpected ways. Agnes's grief is overt while Will retreats inward. When Agnes finally goes to see Will in Stratford she's shocked that the most successful playwright in England is living in a one-room attic space. Is it mad genius? Or his belief that he should punish himself for what he's put his family through? The eventual performance of *Hamlet* (an opening text crawl says Hamlet/Hamnet were interchangeable at the time) is where all of Zhao's themes she's established in the film collide. Buckley and Mescal are finally able to inhabit the same space, both feeling utterly changed about their circumstances from where the movie started. Noah Jupe arrives as the actor playing Hamlet–no surprise that he's the elder brother to actor Jacobi Jupe–and it is fifteen minutes of pure cinematic wonder. Buckley goes through all the stages of grief in the presentation of the play, culminating with the camera on her face as she watches Hamlet enact his final death scene. *Hamnet* is another slow burn from Chloe Zhao, but when it really unleashes its magic it's an unstoppable force enhanced by Jessie Buckley's performance. A beautiful examination of mourning and artistic catharsis. ## Grade: A- *Hamnet is in theaters December 5.* *Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out this year's reader survey to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so* [*at this link*](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* --- *My new book Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies is out now! Buy a copy wherever you get books!* ### Marty Supreme Review: Josh Safdie's Ping Pongs Through a Variety of Emotions URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/marty-supreme-review-timothee-chalamet/ Last updated: 2025-12-01T17:08:54.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Today is *the last day* to take advantage of our Cyber Monday deals! You can get* [***50% off Gold***](https://thefilmmaven.com/black-friday-gold) *membership or* [***40% off Silver***](https://thefilmmaven.com/black-friday-silver)*.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [*Leave a tip*](https://thefilmmaven.com/coming-home-1978-disability/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* ***Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out*** [***this year's reader survey***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so*** [***at this link***](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***!*** --- There are moments in *Marty Supreme* where you go "Yep, a Safdie made this." It's found in the frenetic, anxiety-inducing plot, and their proven narrative technique of emphasizing how one wrong decision can affect an entire life. Watching Timothee Chalamet run around New York City trying to fix his many screw-ups immediately reminds you of Robert Pattinson in *Good Time* or Adam Sandler in *Uncut Gems*. And yet Marty Supreme never feels like a rip-off of either of those two features but a wholly original, fun, and frantic story about one man's hubris and his struggle to win at any costs. Marty Mauser (Chalamet) has a dream of becoming a Ping Pong champion. But after being beaten by the representative to Japan at a global tournament, Marty is determined to come back stronger and win. But his taciturn and entitled personality puts him at odds with nearly everyone he meets. And a series of bad decisions involving his relationships, money, and ambition threaten the comeback he believes he deserves. Safdie makes a comparison between Marty's world of 1952 New York and the Cold War era of the 1980s that isn't found in its New Wave soundtrack, but in how the movie inhabits a "more is more" mentality. Marty routinely believes he's better. Better than being a shoe salesman. Better than living with his mother. Better than anyone he encounters. To him, greed isn't good, it's essential. And that greed manifests particularly in his belief that he, above everyone else, is important. The West vs. Red China plot line has been done to death, specifically throughout the 1980s, and Safdie and cowriter Ronald Bronstein do something unique. The U.S. versus Japan plot line runs parallel to Marty's personal struggles to actually make it to Japan to redeem himself. The 1952 time period is just seven years after Japan surrendered in WWII, and yet the '80s trappings emphasize it as just another element that, thirty-odd years later, the U.S. would duke out with China and Russia (albeit not to the same extent). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/12/Marty-Supreme.jpg-1.webp) Marty is irritated that the Japanese travel ban is lifted, allowing them to compete and he sees this as another opportunity to take the country down for what happened in the war. Marty himself sees himself as an American savior. Yet there's never an attempt to demonize the Japanese, who see player Koto (Koto Kawaguchi) as a national hero. It's never focused on but it stands out that Koto is Deaf. He has a true underdog story that, in a more formulaic look at disability, would be played up as a reason he should win. How Safdie and Bronstein resolve that, without diving into pity or stereotype, is interesting. For Safdie and Bronstein, there's a Greek tragedy mentality underlining everything *Marty Supreme*. It's easy to see the Coen brothers influencers (particularly *Inside Llewyn Davis*) in how Marty navigates, and continually screws up, his world starting with his relationship with Rachel (Odessa A'zion). Their tryst at Marty's place of work kickstarts one of several questionable decisions he'll make over the next two hours. It also gives us a *Look Who's Talking*\-esque opening credits sesequence to Alphaville's "Forever Young" where a fertilized egg makes way for the title. Chalamet is pitch perfect in the role. He's venal. He's disgusting. He's rude. At one point, during an interview, he talks about how he's going to "do to Kletzki what Auschwitz didn't." Mind you, he's speaking about his friend, Bela (Geza Rohrig). Chalamet, one of the more famous young actors today, is playing a character that non-Chalamet lovers will probably think isn't acting. That's because, in Chalamet's hands, Marty is a man constantly in the thrall of show business. He's the P.T. Barnum of Ping Pong, albeit selling himself as the greatest of all time. He's American exceptionalism in one human. At one point he demands the Ping Pong tournament organizers put him up in the best hotel because he "knows" he's going to win and thinks it'd be an embarrassment if people found out the winner wasn't feted. Yet there's always an undercurrent of comedy running through the asinine things Marty says. At the end of the day, he's a 22-year-old kid who doesn't know how the world works. It's comical to watch him and his collaborator Dion (wonderfully played by Luke Manley) try to hold a business meeting with Dion's dad. Dion says they're "men talking business" but Darius Khondji's flawless cinematography makes them look like little kids playing at being adults. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/12/Marty-Supreme.jpg-2.webp) Marty desperately wants to make everything about Ping Pong and yet Marty Supreme sings best when it's not about that. Marty, through a series of shenanigans, isn't able to get to Japan and must raise a significant amount of money to make the trip. He's forced to rely on numerous people--many of whom he's burned--to help him. This includes Rachel and an actress he hooks up with, Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow). Paltrow is solid, but there's little depth to her. She's the exasperated older woman shocked and attracted at Marty's chutzpah. She doesn't really come into her own until the resolution of her plot line, when she's found to be just as selfish as Marty is. A'zion as Rachel is the captivating leading lady of *Marty Supreme*. Not cut from the Julia Fox style of Safdie women (go look at *The Smashing Machine* if that's what you want), Rachel is a 1950s woman desperately for excitement and genuine love. She unfortunately loves Marty, who refuses to see that her freak matches his. Every scene A'zion has, though, is magnetic, funny, and exciting, particularly her attempts to return a stolen dog in the hopes of getting Marty his money. Mind you, Marty later tells Rachel she has no purpose. But that's the point of *Marty Supreme*. Marty believes he is the exceptional man, the only man of significance, and yet what is it about others who desperately want to be part of his world? "I can't undercut the drama," Marty says at one point and that's certainly true of *Marty Supreme* in general. The movie is all drama, so much so that the stress of watching Marty and his friends engage in trying to get money might stress you out. By the end of the movie, when things finally settle down and Marty has reached the end of his story it's a moment of relief for the viewer, if not the culmination of a life for the character. *Marty Supreme* is a movie that, if it doesn't instantly draw you in and snap you up, it will later. A rapid-fire story of superiority wrapped up in a burning performance by Timothee Chalamet. Even a Safdie naysayer will find something to be charmed by. ## Grade: B+ *Marty Supreme hits theaters Christmas Day.* --- ## *Upcoming Popcorn Disabilities Events* *I'll be at The Frida Cinema December 1st where I'll be signing book before the 7pm show of Coming Home (1978) and introducing the movie.* [*Buy tickets at this link*](http://thefridacinema.org/movies/coming-home-w-%E2%80%A6?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* *On December 5th and 7th I'll be at the Dreamland Cinema in Sacramento introducing 2024's A Different Man. I'll be signing books before the screening on the 7th.* [*Tickets available here.*](https://www.thedreamlandcinema.com/calendar?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Ticklish Business 218. Coming Home (1978 with Lawrence Carter-Long) - Films of Resistance Series URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/coming-home-1978-disability/ Last updated: 2025-12-05T00:13:52.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/dr-strangelove-1964-ticklish-business-podcast/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** --- Viva la resistance! We're closing the book on our Films of Resistance series as well celebrating the release of Kristen's latest book, [⁠*Popcorn Disabilities*,⁠](https://amzn.to/4riE2cs?ref=thefilmmaven.com) by talking about a movie looking at disabled activism. The 1978 feature *Coming Home* attempted to tell an authentic story about the struggles disabled Vietnam War vets were experiencing. Along the way, it became a landmark for disabled representation in film. Guest Lawrence Carter Long joins us to talk about the movie's significance, Jon Voight's Oscar-winning performance, and more. Did you know you can now watch our episodes in their entirety? [⁠Watch this episode starting Wednesday on our YouTube channel. ⁠](https://www.youtube.com/@TicklishBusiness?ref=thefilmmaven.com)Be sure to subscribe over there to be reminded of upcoming episodes. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*Popcorn Disabilities*⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to pre-order now before it releases on November 13th! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch shop is live⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠become a Patron⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com): • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Emily's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Patrick Seals Rosa --- ## *Upcoming Popcorn Disabilities Events* *I'll be at The Frida Cinema December 1st where I'll be signing book before the 7pm show of Coming Home (1978) and introducing the movie.* [*Buy tickets at this link*](http://thefridacinema.org/movies/coming-home-w-%E2%80%A6?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* *On December 5th and 7th I'll be at the Dreamland Cinema in Sacramento introducing 2024's A Different Man. I'll be signing books before the screening on the 7th.* [*Tickets available here.*](https://www.thedreamlandcinema.com/calendar?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### An Excerpt From Popcorn Disabilities URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/popcorn-disabilities-excerpt-tropic-thunder/ Last updated: 2025-11-25T17:00:33.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/wicked-for-good-review/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* *Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out *this year's reader survey* to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so* [*at this link*](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* --- *Enjoy this excerpt from my latest book Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the movies. Buy the book here!* If you lived through 2008 you remember the controversy about Ben Stiller’s *Tropic Thunder*. The film tells the story of a group of spoiled actors making a Vietnam War movie and, through a series of comic errors, end up forced to become real soldiers when one of them is kidnapped by drug lords. It’s a hilarious send-up of big-budget Hollywood filmmaking, but that’s not what people latched onto upon release. Instead, the movie sparked a powder keg of controversy over a term one of the actors says: “full retard.” Though I am not neurodivergent and do not have any cognitive disabilities, it would be ridiculous of a book like this not to look at the subject. And much of what is discussed in this chapter has been brought up by numerous disability scholars, those with and without cognitive disabilities. This is a broad swath, and I am not getting into the nitty-gritty regarding the authenticity of specific neurodivergent disabilities. This remains a launchpad for more writers to dive into those specific worlds. The phrase is used as a derogatory description for actors who go overboard playing cognitively disabled characters. Actor Tugg Speedman (Stiller) discovers he falls into this category after playing a mentally disabled man named Simple Jack in a bid to be taken seriously as a dramatic actor. Scenes from the fictional movie Simple Jack are shown, including a Crayola scribbled title card. Speedman’s Jack speaks with a chronic stammer and sports large fake teeth and an unfortunate bowl cut. The performance is mocked and lampooned, the movie being more terrible than offensive; a faux *Entertainment Tonight* interview in the movie shows host Maria Menounos using Jack’s affected speech to make fun of Speedman. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/ben-stiller-tropic-thunder-1-2000-407ea6356ff342e9849c51d2205a1c73.jpg) As Speedman walks through the jungle with costar and Method actor Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), an Australian white man wearing blackface for his role in the fictional movie they’re shooting, Lazarus tells Speedman that his Simple Jack performance failed to bring in audiences because he went “full retard.” He deconstructs how far is too far when it comes to playing a mentally disabled character, mentioning Dustin Hoffman and Tom Hanks’s Academy Award-winning performances in *Rain Man* and *Forrest Gump* as examples of characters who have mental disabilities but aren’t so impaired as to be off-putting for an audience: “Dustin Hoffman, *Rain Man*, look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Counted toothpicks, cheated cards. Autistic, sho’. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, *Forrest Gump*? Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and he won a Ping-Pong competition. . . . You went full retard, man. Never go full retard. You don’t buy that? Ask Sean Penn, 2001, *I Am Sam*. Remember? Went full retard, went home empty-handed.” As Lazarus’s speech lays out, *Rain Man* and *Forrest Gump* show their leads as high-functioning geniuses. Hoffman’s Ray is a mathematical savant whose brilliance is hidden by his disability. Gump has a low IQ and becomes a hero and prophet for American pop culture. The audience watching these movies feels inspired and galvanized, not uncomfortable. There’s a reason why imitations of Hanks’s and Hoffman’s characters are so pervasive, because they’re perceived as inoffensive and likable. And both films won Best Picture, giving them an air of quality. The backlash against the phrase came fast. The Special Olympics and the American Association of People with Disabilities protested the film’s Los Angeles premiere, holding signs saying, “Call me by my name, not my label” and “Ban the movie, ban the word.” Dustin Plunkett, the global messenger for the Special Olympics at the time, said, “When I heard about it, I felt really hurt inside. I cannot believe a writer could write something like that. It’s not the way that we want to be portrayed. We have feelings. We don’t like the word ‘retard.’ We are people.” The other actors, and director/cowriter Ben Stiller, were forced to respond. Robert Downey Jr. didn’t take a side, saying at the film’s premiere, “I think it’s open to interpretation and that’s the great thing. You know, if I want to protest something because it offends me, that’s my right as an American, and it’s also any artist’s right to say and do whatever they wanna do.” Stiller apologized for any offense taken but later said in a 2018 Twitter thread celebrating *Tropic Thunder’s* ten-year anniversary, “I make no apologies for *Tropic Thunder.* It’s always been a controversial movie since we opened. Proud of it and the work everyone did on it.” He went on to say, “Actually *Tropic Thunder* was boycotted ten years ago when it came out, and I apologized then. It was always meant to make fun of actors trying to do anything to win awards.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/rainman1988.18083.jpg) Society now understands the word is a slur against disabled people, but when it comes to how *Tropic Thunder* uses it, it’s hard not to feel we’re not seeing the forest for the trees. People were so quick to latch onto the use of the word that it overshadowed what the movie is discussing with regard to cinematic portrayals of those with mental disabilities and how those stereotypical uses are rewarded with Oscars. Recall the audience response in the 1930s to watching *Freaks*. As Angela M. Smith writes in *Hideous Progeny*, when discussing the physically disabled in *Freaks*, “Viewers couldn’t watch ‘candid’ representations of physical disability without framing to distance themselves and help them explain and make sense of such bodies.” The characters Kirk Lazarus references in *Tropic Thunder* that audiences enjoy, specifically Dustin Hoffman and Tom Hanks, are useful, charming, savantesque characters who don’t have overt facial tics to show them as disabled. Their mental disabilities are quirky and fun enough to not make an audience uncomfortable watching them. If an audience doesn’t have an able-bodied buffer to follow and is left to watch the disabled character solo said disabilities must be hidden or otherwise entertaining enough for them to reconcile with the difference disability creates... Let’s break down the characters Kirk Lazarus uses in his speech and what they say about neurodivergence and cognitive disabilities. Autism in the movies is sold as an interesting mental eccentricity. As Alexandria Prochnow explains, “Although these characters are labeled as autistic, they are made out to be abnormal in behavior due to choice or personality, rather than their medical diagnosis . . . They fit in better with neurotypical people, because they embrace their ‘different’ traits and behaviors as inherent parts of themselves, instead of considering them symptoms of a disorder.” *Rain Man*, the 1988 feature directed by Barry Levinson, is cited by neurodivergent and neurotypical people for its outdated stereotypes and its attempt to show what a “good” depiction of neurodivergence looks like—that is, what an audience should expect to see. The behavior of autistic character Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) is more a personality trait than a medical condition, meaning the audience embraces him because he is unique, not disabled. Don’t let the title fool you, *Rain Man* is actually about the selfish Charlie (Tom Cruise), who bonds with his estranged autistic brother, Raymond. Charlie is a spoiled brat who kidnaps Ray after discovering his older brother is the heir to their father’s estate. Charlie believes he’s entitled to some financial incentive and thinks having physical ownership of Ray gives him some leverage to entice the hospital Raymond lives in to provide Charlie with a settlement. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/image.jpg) *Rain Man* may be in reference to Hoffman’s disabled character—”Rain Man” is the nickname Charlie gave his brother when he was little because Charlie couldn’t say “Raymond”—but it’s not 100 percent Raymond’s story. It’s about Charlie transitioning away from being an entitled schmuck into someone who genuinely cares for another human being. Never doubt the disabled community’s apparent capacity for making people better. Through Charlie’s crazed, illicit road trip with Raymond, the autistic man makes Charlie a kinder, better person. Charlie isn’t just *Rain Man’s* able-bodied buffer. During the film’s runtime he transforms into a parental figure and caregiver for Raymond as well as brother and kidnapper. There’s something I refer to as caregiver cinema, a storytelling device in disabled narratives that spotlight the stories of parents, teachers, lovers, or siblings who, through expanding the disabled person’s worldview or perspectives, end up bettering themselves. Abled audiences see how the caretaker can’t have a life of their own because of the intense 24/7 care the disabled person requires. *Rain Man* falls into this category. Screenwriter Barry Morrow took inspiration for *Rain Man* from his friendship with intellectually disabled savant Bill Sackter and said in a 2018 interview for *The Guardian* that he was generally unaware of what autism entailed before this. Because of his lack of knowledge on the topic, Morrow decided to focus less on Ray and his disability and more on Charlie and Ray’s relationship. Knowing a disabled person is a frequently used approach by creatives to utilize disabled lives as inspiration for a movie or TV project. It’s also used to stave off criticism, basing the story in some way on a real person or connection. Often, but not always, these endeavors are not written or aided in any way by people with disabilities, nor are the main characters disabled. So when Morrow says that he didn’t want to focus on Raymond and his relationship to his disability, I believe that because Raymond’s life as shown in the movie is quaint, simplistic, and highly organized. The institution Ray lives in is a sprawling location with rolling, well-kept green lawns. The residents sit quietly, almost catatonic, and watch game shows. Ray reminds Charlie, and the audience, repeatedly that he eats dinner at a specific time (and certain foods on certain days) and lives his life around when Judge Wapner is on. If his schedule is deviated from one iota he becomes overwhelmed and volatile. --- ## *Upcoming Popcorn Disabilities Events* *I'll be at The Frida Cinema December 1st where I'll be signing book before the 7pm show of Coming Home (1978) and introducing the movie.* [*Buy tickets at this link*](http://thefridacinema.org/movies/coming-home-w-%E2%80%A6?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* *On December 5th and 7th I'll be at the Dreamland Cinema in Sacramento introducing 2024's A Different Man. I'll be signing books before the screening on the 7th.* [*Tickets available here.*](https://www.thedreamlandcinema.com/calendar?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### 8 Must-See Movies in December URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-december-2025/ Last updated: 2025-11-24T18:06:30.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Are you a Film Maven subscriber or reader? If so you've probably already gotten my email asking to fill out *this year's reader survey* to help me find out what worked and what I could improve on in 2026\. If you haven't filled out the survey yet consider doing so* [*at this link*](https://s.surveyplanet.com/0fr5539i?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* --- The end of the year is nigh! Seriously, how did we get here so quickly? I feel like just last week I was opening my Christmas presents and wondering how the hell I'd finish my last book project. Now we're closing in on the end of 2025, I have no more book projects, and I've seen a lot of movies already. So, without further ado, I'm laying out the eight movies worth seeking out as you navigate avoiding your family and try to balance having a life with Christmas shopping. Be sure to drop into the comments and share the movies you're looking forward to that I didn't include. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Josh O'Connor Talks Finding the Pete Postlethwaite Vibes and His New Feature Rebuilding URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/josh-oconnor-rebuilding-interview/ Last updated: 2025-11-23T05:02:41.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** --- Director Max Walker-Silverman's latest feature *Rebuilding* is a special one. The story of a young man (Josh O'Connor) who loses everything in a fire and ends up building a strong relationship with his daughter (Lily LaTorre) is a simple, enigmatic story about relationships, community and the ways we cope when our timelines don't align with our personal beliefs. It's a feature that sees almost out of the past in the world of IP and movies dumbed down for audiences. These are themes close to Walker-Silverman's heart; they were displayed in his previous film, 2022's *A Love Song*. "That's why poems exist, and music, and maybe even movies, I guess," Walker-Silverman tells The Film Maven. For him, he returns to these themes as indicative of the "great and ongoing human struggle" of wondering if we'll find someone to connect with and, more importantly, can you hold onto it. "The actual experience of that is not someone that anyone has ever summarized," he says. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ticklish Business 217. Hair (1979 with Alex Steed) - Films of Resistance Series URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/hair-1979-ticklish-business-podcast/ Last updated: 2025-11-19T17:42:34.000Z Viva la resistance! Over the next four episodes we'll be looking at how Old Hollywood talks about politics, independence and democracy and we're looking at the end of the 1970s with this counterculture musical. *Hair* shook up Broadway but how did it come off in the movies?Special guest Alex Steed joins Emily to discuss hippiedom and more. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to pre-order now before it releases on November 13th! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[The merch shop is live](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[become a Patron](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com): • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Emily's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Kristen's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Patrick Seals Rosa ### Taylor Sheridan Makes the Green Acres Move to NBC and I Have Thoughts URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/taylor-sheridan-nbc/ Last updated: 2025-11-19T17:00:22.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get *access to two-three exclusive articles* a week including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server. They'll also get first look at a new series I'm debuting in 2026.* ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** --- Returning to a story I waylaid last week in order to write about Sydney Sweeney about everyone's favorite questionable creator: Taylor Sheridan. Otherwise known as the man who fascinates and frustrates me in equal measure. The debut of *Landman* season 2 last week marked what is looking to be the end of an era for Sheridan. No, not the end of all his shows, but the end of his relationship with Paramount. It was announced back at the end of October that Sheridan would be [leaving Paramount's mountains](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/taylor-sheridan-move-why-yellowstone-is-on-peacock-1236410771/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)–the place that's given all his work a home–for a peacock, specifically NBCUniversal. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Wicked: For Good Review: Jon Chu's Epic Musical Closes in Grand Fashion URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/wicked-for-good-review/ Last updated: 2025-12-19T17:19:07.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *Don't want to commit to a subscription?* [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-running-man-2025-review-glen-powell/#/portal/support) *to show you enjoy what you're reading.* ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** --- In 2024, director Jon Chu took audiences on a magical trip to Oz with *Wicked*, the long-gestating adaptation of the Broadway hit. As I said in my initial review last year, "Chu hearkens back to the MGM bombast of the late-1930s with full-scale choreography, opulent practical sets and exquisite costumes (shout-out to costume designer Paul Tazewell) that will delight. Everything about this movie is a feast for the eyes and multiple viewings will only enhance that." But audiences, particularly those with the original show living in their mind, wondered how he'd stick the landing. *Wicked: For Good* has the runtime of the entire show itself, leading to fears of filler and an aimless direction. The issues I knew I had with *For Good* going in were certainly there: the first hour is where the majority of that additional content is found and splitting the movie into two pieces means this one is the Serious feature. But once the movie finds the yellow brick road back to the musical–essentially the second hour–it's just as magical as you'd expect it to be. Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) remains on the run, demonized by the Ozians as the Wicked Witch of the West. In the hopes of distracting from that, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) demands Glinda (Ariana Grande) get married to her reluctant partner, Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). Elphaba is determined to expose the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), but is starting to become demoralized by everyone's desire to remain complacent. *Wicked: For Good's* problems are the results of being two distinct features. Screenwriters Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox understand the hard part is over in terms of crafting the world and characters and now audiences have to live in it. *Wicked: For Good* starts in medias res, with the Yellow Brick Road being built on the backs of enslaved animals who can no longer speak. The Ozians are continuously distracted by happy moments, particularly crafted by the so-called "Glinda the Good" who only wants to bring in happiness and positivity. It's a world that is far darker than what audiences saw in the last film, even if it holds themes we're seeing on the daily. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/CIN_WickedforGood_1600x900.jpg) Where the Wizard lacks power, so does Glinda. She travels by bubble purely to make people believe she is magical. And yet Glinda doesn't do this out of malicious intent. A filler flashback to a young Glinda marks the day she realizes she doesn't have any power, during her birthday party as she attempts to use a magic wand and takes credit for producing a rainbow. As her mother says, "Everyone loves you. That's all you'll ever need." It's clear that Glinda desperately wants to have something special and compensates by being a source of light to the Ozians. The first half is Oz-frontloaded, with the need to lay out where everyone is from the first film. It's remarkable to think throughout that the two movies were filmed concurrently, with the actors having to switch from their idealistic early days to their more dour older years. But because of this it can leave Erivo dropping in in fits and starts. The narrative is front loaded to give Grande more to do. Her rendition of "Thank Goodness," a signature song for the character in the back half of the show isn't given the time it deserves so a new song, "The Girl in the Bubble" is added. Erivo also gets a new song, "No Place Like Home." Both are standard ballads that are pleasant in the moment but lack the grandiosity of the original songs so they do stick out. Erivo and Grande are still impeccable. Their characters have gone their separate ways but there are glimpses of their closeness. Glinda is one of the few to still refer to Elphaba by her name. Bailey is solid but is generally relegated to staring off into the middle distance. He only comes alive in the musical performance of "As Long as You're Mine," the song that brings the second half of the movie to thrilling life. Production designer Nathan Crowley does an utterly breathtaking job taking the dark forest and turning it into Elphaba's inner sanctum. Erivo is often left to speechify, in the hopes of banding the animals together with her. She hits a wall so often that it's remarkable it takes her over an hour to decide against helping. Her rendition of "No Good Deed" is utterly captivating and one of *For Good's* highlights. As flying monkeys swirl around her, Erivo builds up the moment. It's a moment that truly works on the big screen. But this is quickly resolved as the story moves swiftly to its conclusion, understanding that that first hour has eaten up a lot of time. So by the time the characters are finally united, in a rendition of "For Good" that leaves you sobbing, it's a bit jarring how many emotions Elphaba has breathlessly gone through. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/wicked-for-good-2025-elphaba.jpg) There are several competing threads alongside Glinda and Elphaba, specifically how to resolve the storyline of Elphaba's half-sister, Nessarose (Marisa Bode). The Broadway show fell into ableism with Nessa becoming magically cured, something the crew of this movie had said from the beginning they'd change. Bode is still great and gets an opportunity to have an intense scene opposite Erivo. But while Nessarose's storyline doesn't fall into the magical cure trope, it's still not 100% perfectly executed, and considering where her plot line ends it moves things away from "oof, that's ableist" to "meh, that happened." *Wicked: For Good* sticks the landing as best as it can. When Erivo and Grande are finally together, it does leave "a handprint on your heart" even if everything leading up to it is just drawing that out. The final image is one that sticks with you, even if you have critiques of the movie. Maybe because I tempered my expectations, this worked and kept me enthralled the entire time. Just understand you have an hour to wait for the good stuff. *Wicked: For Good is in theaters Friday.* ## Grade: B- --- *My new book Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies drops November 27th! Pre-order a copy now!* ### The Wuthering Heights Bait and Switch URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-trailer/ Last updated: 2025-11-19T15:13:38.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get *access to two-three exclusive articles* a week including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server. They'll also get first look at a new series I'm debuting in 2026.* ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** --- If you saw me on social media, [including TikTok last week](https://www.tiktok.com/@kristenklopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com) then you probably heard the first full trailer for Warner Bros. splashy adaptation of *Wuthering Heights*, directed by Emerald Fennell, dropped. The first teaser felt very Fennell, with its rapid-fire images tied to a future Charli xcx banger. Scenes of fish fingering, horny bread dough kneading, and lingering glances played. It certainly set a tone that felt like a bizarre Gothic glimpse at material Fennell certainly seemed comfortable with. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Sydney Sweeney Is the Latest Woman We Love to Hate, and It's Complicated URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/sydney-sweeney/ Last updated: 2025-11-13T16:59:42.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to two-three exclusive articles a week including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server. They'll also get first look at a new series I'm debuting in 2026.* ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** *Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.* --- I didn't plan to write about Sydney Sweeney today. Actually, I'd hoped to write about another celebrity whose career I know way too much about and rip apart on the daily: Taylor Sheridan. But when I saw social media light up at the announcement that Sweeney's latest feature, a boxing biopic about Christy Martin, [massively failed at the box office](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2025/11/10/sydney-sweeney-christy-2025-box-office/87194547007/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and the responses to it I knew I had to comment. So, let's talk about the Sydney Sweeney hate train, how it's far different from the [Emerald Fennell one](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-emerald-fennell-margot-robbie/), and what it says about our complicated world of celebrity (and women) today. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Ticklish Business 216. Dr. Strangelove (1964 with Jeff Ewing) - Films of Resistance Series URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/dr-strangelove-1964-ticklish-business-podcast/ Last updated: 2025-11-12T18:33:37.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-running-man-2025-review-glen-powell/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** --- Viva la resistance! Over the next four episodes we'll be looking at how Old Hollywood talks about politics, independence and democracy and we jump into the Cold War 1960s with this Stanley Kubrick satire. *Dr. Strangelove* is the de facto movie about the Cold War, though it's presented alongside a spate of movies specifically in 1964 looking at nuclear fears. Film critic Jeff Ewing joins Kristen and Emily to discuss America's fascination with nuclear weapons, Kubrick hate, and whether there's ever enough Peter Sellers. [Listen to the previous episode on *Born Yesterday* (1950) here. ](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3A5150KTFWIbA6vh6tFnHU?si=c3625372d70a4a23&ref=thefilmmaven.com) Looking to read the JSTOR article Kristen keeps citing? [You can do it here](https://www.jstor.org/stable/2712432?origin=crossref&ref=thefilmmaven.com). Also, Patrons can now listen to our episodes without pesky ad breaks! Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to pre-order now before it releases on November 13th! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[The merch shop is live](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[become a Patron](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com): • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Emily's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[Follow Kristen's Instagram](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- ### **Upcoming *Popcorn Disability* Events** *Come to the OC Book Fair on November 15th at 4pm where I'll be participating in a panel on disabled voices in literature and signing copies of Popcorn Disabilities.* [*You can find out more at the OC Book Fair website.*](https://www.theocbookfair.org/event-schedule?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *If you're in Los Angeles on November 16 drop by the Los Feliz 3 where I'll be introducing Tod Browning's Freaks before signing copies of my new book* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can* [*buy tickets via this link right now*](https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/kristen-lopez-presents-freaks-11-16-25/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* ### The Running Man (2025) Review: Edgar Wright's Political Actioner Can't Go the Distance URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-running-man-2025-review-glen-powell/ Last updated: 2025-12-09T18:19:11.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/eternity-review-elizabeth-olsen/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** *Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.* --- In 1982, Stephen King released his book *The Running Man*. Adapted in 1987 as a vehicle for Arnold Schwarzenegger, the frank dystopian novel's rougher edges were sanded down for what became a stand '80s actioner. In the hands of director Edgar Wright, this new take on King's novel—the fourth adaptation of a King vehicle this year alone—is all sharp edges, hyper violent and reveling in its R-rating. But for all the fun Wright and star Glen Powell seem to be having the movie suffers from a script that can't find its footing. Ben Richards (Powell) is a working man blacklisted from every job in the city after telling a union rep about radiation exposure. His toddler daughter is sick and in the hopes of saving her he decides to become a participant in a violent gameshow known as The Running Man. The goal of the show: survive thirty days with the entirety of the world hunting you down. If you win? You get a billion dollars. Ben starts to play the game but comes to realize that, no matter what, game show network owner Dan Killion (Josh Brolin) will rig the game no matter how he has to. *The Running Man's* first hour is a crackling action adventure with the zing of Edgar Wright's best features, and Powell certainly understands the assignment. We meet Ben as he's begging his former boss for his job back. Ben is a man known for doing the right thing at the wrong time, routinely referred to as angry by everyone who knows him. Powell certainly keeps the roiling hostility just bubbling at the surface, averting his gaze and cuddling his child, whom he takes to the meeting in order to keep from beating his boss to a pulp. It's clear this is a man angry at the world, at the circumstances that have led to him begging for work. The script, credited to Wright and Michael Bacall, takes a feverish pace at setting up the dystopian world. Ben and his wife, Sheila (Jayme Lawson) live in the slums. His wife is a waitress in a club and Ben takes it personally when anyone claims she's a sex worker, though in King's novel the character was. But already the cracks in the movie are evident. Sheila and Ben's daughter Cathy aren't characters but perpetual pawns trotted out anytime Ben needs sympathy. Outside of the establishing scene we don't see them again outside of a halcyon, stock image of Sheila and baby Cathy that plays like two character who have been sent to the afterlife. His constant refrain that no one's going to prevent him from seeing his daughter again becomes meme-like in how often he uses it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/the-running-man-trailer.jpg.webp) Purely by accident Richards ends up on *The Running Man*, one of several moments where Ben takes a severe left turn into being incredibly dumb. But Killian believes Ben can go the full thirty days, and encourages Ben to use his anger to win. The central casting is great and Brolin understands the assignment so perfectly. He's charming, manipulative, smarmy, and eating that scenery like it's going out of style. Why would Ben believe anything a guy who acts like a modern-day Bond villain says? Who knows. But Brolin is thriving in every sequence of this movie and it never feels like there's too much of him. Also, shout-out to Lee Pace as head Hunter McCone, a masked villain having so much fun you miss him when he's gone. Once Ben goes on the run the movie's pace changes. The action is ramped up but Powell is the sole character we interact with. This leads to heavy amount of color commentary given, either from Ben himself or others. Ben, alone in a hotel room with no one to talk to, goes on an extended bit of what the bums outside are saying. This causes problems later, during the big third act airplane scene, when Running Man host Bobby T (Colman Domingo, flawless as ever) proceeds to tell the audience in the show everything that the audience, in the theater, is watching. It's cumbersome and doesn't work in the way the screenwriters intended. It just feels like a lot of people talking over something we just want to watch and enjoy. Ben has help along the way from characters who aren't three-dimensional but are essentially political archetypes you see on social media. Daniel Ezra's Throckmorton is this world's equivalent of a conspiracy theorist YouTuber who provides necessary exposition about the show being rigged while Michael Cera's Elton is another conspiracy theorist trying to push the message that The Network controls everything. Cera's character gets some clunky exposition that sets him up as the nerdy freedom fighter hoping to get Ben to his father's bunker. But when that goes pear-shaped the entirety of the bunker storyline just....ends. *The Running Man's* fatal flaw is how shoddy the script is. Characters are stock and plot points don't come to any form of natural conclusion but just fall away. This also forces Ben Richards to be either the smartest, most action-y man of all time, or the dumbest sack of rocks depending on the situation. Ben knows the Network manipulates the videos he's sending in, a requirement of the game, yet is incredibly quick to believe something Killian shows him in the finale. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/Running-Man.jpg) In one sequence he appears to dream that his friend and ally Molly (William H. Macy) is killed and that the goons are coming for him. Yet he wakes up before anything happens. Never is there a question of Ben's apparent prophecy skills and even after that he still proceeds to take a shower, being caught in a towel that does a lot of work as he scales the side of a building. Later on he seems to know Molly isn't around anymore but how? It's a problem that intensifies as the movie reaches its third act. Emilia Jones's Amelia Williams, a hostage Ben takes, becomes the straw-woman centrist, espousing that she's a "good person" while talking about poor people killing law enforcement. The politics of the movie are as messy as can be. Ben Richards is the stock "I don't care about politics, just my family guy" while everyone else talks in platitudes about their political ideology, all of which are heard so often today you'll believe you're watching a newscast. But Wright and Bacall engage in a very rose-colored glasses view of politics. Amelia isn't a bad person, she just needs to spend time with Ben to learn he (and the poor people he stands for) are good. The movie's racial politics are also very cring-y. The Black wife and child become the poor victims held aloft by Ben as means of showing how good he is, giving him a real white savior complex the movie does nothing to dispel. Then there's the ending which reeks so much like studio interference it might as well have "Approved by Paramount" stamped across it. "Just kidding" endings only work if the audience gets to see enough to craft the ambiguity. Here, the movie quite literally stops as a character lays out what "really happened" leading to an additional 10 minutes of movie that looks reshot--Brolin is wearing a wig in one scene–that leaves the audience saying, "Wait, what?" Considering the original ending of the book, which the movie sets up, it's such a jarring piece of ridiculousness that one can't believe it was initially written that way. Powell, Brolin and Pace do a lot to make *The Running Man* as fun at is, at least for the first hour. There are fits and spurts of '80s action cheese but, for the most part, the script is wildly inconsistent in terms of tone while characters are wafer thin caricatures. It's disappointing that a director with such a formidable voice and a love of movies can make something that feels like the cinematic equivalent of a runner who sprains his ankle before the finish line. ## Grade: C- *The Running Man is in theaters Friday.* *Are you a fan of The Running Man, in any incarnation? Let me know what you think about it or this movie in the comments below.* --- ### **Upcoming *Popcorn Disability* Events** *Come to the OC Book Fair on November 15th at 4pm where I'll be participating in a panel on disabled voices in literature and signing copies of Popcorn Disabilities.* [*You can find out more at the OC Book Fair website.*](https://www.theocbookfair.org/event-schedule?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *If you're in Los Angeles on November 16 drop by the Los Feliz 3 where I'll be introducing Tod Browning's Freaks before signing copies of my new book* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can* [*buy tickets via this link right now*](https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/kristen-lopez-presents-freaks-11-16-25/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* ### When Will Publicists Get Hip That Entertainment Journalism is In Trouble? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/publicity-influencer-culture-journalism/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T21:53:06.000Z With culture journalists in freefall, PR needs to adapt or drown _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### 10 Must-See Movies of November URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/november-2025-must-see-movies/ Last updated: 2025-11-09T20:17:16.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** *Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.* --- There's only two months left in 2025? On the one hand, it couldn't come soon enough but it also feels like this year has lasted 25! But there's still great movies to be excited about, much of which I've already seen thanks to awards season being in full swing. Below are the eleven movies you should make time for if you need to escape your family, alongside my thoughts on them. Be sure to drop any movies I forgot to include in the comments and I'll give you my personalized thoughts on whether they're worth seeking out. It's also worth it to [subscribe to my TikTok channel](https://www.tiktok.com/@kristenklopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com) where I do mini-reviews of stuff. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Eternity Review: An Eternally Sweet Romantic Dramedy URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/eternity-review-elizabeth-olsen/ Last updated: 2025-12-16T15:27:38.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/hadestown-politics/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** *Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.* --- The afterlife genre of movies isn't discussed enough. From films like *Heaven Can Wait* (both 1943 and 1978) to *A Guy Named Joe* (1943) and *A Matter of Life and Death* (1946), these movies aren't just ways to show us what happens to us after we die but focus on the life-affirming elements of what's really important in the end: Love. Director and co-screenwriter David Freyne's crowd-pleasing Eternity is another foray into this genre, and if anything it's a shame this is dropping now as many will compare it to [Kogonada's *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey*](https://thefilmmaven.com/a-big-bold-beautiful-journey-review-margot-robbie/) from earlier this year. (Both are great, though *Eternity* takes the edge.) A beautifully executed and fun world unfurls parallel to a love triangle story where everyone brings their A-game, particularly Elizabeth Olsen. This is one of the purest, sweetest movies you'll see all year. Larry and Joan (Miles Teller and Olsen, respectively) have been married for 65 years, until Larry dies after choking on a pretzel. He's sent to the Junction, a station for the dead to spend a week before they decide on an eternity to live in forever. When Joan finally arrives after succumbing to cancer, Larry believes their afterlife is set. That is until Joan's first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), who died in the Korean War, returns in the hopes of finally getting the life with her he was denied. Thus, Joan finds herself torn in the ultimate love triangle and must decide who her eternal soulmate truly is. What sets *Eternity* apart are the little tweaks to the script that directly critique the concept of the love triangle. Joan and Larry are introduced, in their elderly state, as a bickering couple who are complete opposites. He likes the beach, she likes the mountains. She embraces adventure and surprise and he enjoys predictability. But when they arrive at the Junction they're forced to reconcile all their personality traits to find an eternity they're both happy with. The stakes literally can't be any higher, and the choice is one they'll have to be happy with...forever. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/thumb_4867F8C9-96F5-474F-9FED-A7267842596C.jpg) Freyne and co-screenwriter Patrick Cunnane flesh out the afterlife in a way that feels akin to the creation of the mind in Disney's *Inside Out*, or the afterlife in *Beetlejuice*. Things don't look too different from our present. A train brings people to the station, the Junction. Everything feels just a touch out of date, like the TV remotes. And there's constant upselling for particular afterlives. Half the fun of Eternity is reading all the pamphlets and signage that flitters through the frame depicting different afterlives from Weimar Germany ("with 100% less Nazis") to Workout World and Smoker World ("because cancer can't kill you twice"). The movie doesn't get wrapped up in the religious politics of its world – Hell is said to not exist, though there is something called The Void – and every religion has their own specific afterlife if that's what you want. But there's a noted artificiality to everything in the Junction meant to move you along. The backgrounds are just canvas backgrounds unfurled at the beginning of every day. And the ACs (afterlife coordinators) are typical civil servants who have been there forever. For Larry and Joan it's Anna and Ryan (Da'Vine Joy Randolph and John Early, respectively). Though there isn't much depth given to who they are and why they're there, Randolph and Early are the perfect representatives to guide the duo on their journey, each cheering for a specific husband of Joan's. Elizabeth Olsen is more than just the fulcrum by which everyone revolves around. She's the woman placed in the impossible position of having to find her soulmate in one week. Olsen has such a facility for comedy of this stripe. She makes the audience laugh with her expressive face, and her ability to hold her tears until the perfect moment is a chef's kiss. Joan has spent her life people pleasing and running underneath the choice of men is the omnipresent question of what would make Joan happy? And is that potentially just being alone? Every love triangle movie comes with an inherent plot line: the eventual choice for the heroine is obvious and the other guy is usually just flawed enough to make the viewer understand why the eventual choice is so obvious. But *Eternity* tries to undo that as much as it can. Teller's Larry has clear faults that see the actor fall into his cocky shtick. Larry's issues with Luke are that he dies his hair and didn't fight in one of the "real" wars. Teller is great in the role, so much so that even Larry is forced to ask why Joan fell in love with him at all. But as the narrative unfolds Teller showcases those reasons. He's dependable and really only cares to make Joan happy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/thumb_CE275232-5EFE-4B4E-8575-5B620BF469C0.jpg) Larry is the obvious choice for Joan, but the script and Callum Turner's performance make Luke just as worthy of Joan's love, potentially more so. A running joke is that Luke is perfect. He always has a one-liner that sounds straight from a romance novel. He has a tragic backstory. He's tall. And Turner makes Luke as personable and authentic as he is charming. He hates being considered perfect. He gets frustrated when Joan talks about her children and her life with Larry. He isn't a bad person, but it's possible that had Joan and he lived to old age they wouldn't be together. By the third act it truly is a toss-up who Joan will pick. The third act takes a hard turn as Joan's eternity starts to coming together, and the finale feels more like a rush to wrap everything up than something organic. Had it maybe added an additional beat or two it wouldn't feel like the end credits just butted into the frame. *Eternity* is a sweet little slice of life (and death) story with wonderful performances from Olsen, Teller and Turner. If the existential dread is getting you down of late this is a perfect story to quell it for the moment. ## Grade: B+ *Eternity hits theaters November 26.* *Are you excited for Eternity? Drop it in the comments.* --- ### **Upcoming *Popcorn Disability* Events** *Come to the OC Book Fair on November 15th at 4pm where I'll be participating in a panel on disabled voices in literature and signing copies of Popcorn Disabilities.* [*You can find out more at the OC Book Fair website.*](https://www.theocbookfair.org/event-schedule?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *If you're in Los Angeles on November 16 drop by the Los Feliz 3 where I'll be introducing Tod Browning's Freaks before signing copies of my new book* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can* [*buy tickets via this link right now*](https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/kristen-lopez-presents-freaks-11-16-25/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* ### Revisiting Hadestown in a Week of Nuclear Fears and Mamdani's Win URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/hadestown-politics/ Last updated: 2025-11-05T17:00:35.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/ondi-timoner-interview/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** *Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.* --- At the beginning of the year, during [a post I wrote while sobbing](https://thefilmmaven.com/i-just-dont-know-what-to-say/), I talked about the power of art as a means of dealing with the political world around us. Since I wrote that I've struggled to connect with art because of just how oppressive everything feels these days. I find myself too exhausted to sit down with a movie, let alone in one sitting. I worried that maybe I just wasn't able to appreciate movies and pop culture the way I used to. It doesn't help that I have any entire series talking about how my brand of writing is dying at large. And then I bought *Hadestown* tickets back in August. The Greek-inspired myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is my favorite musical. I discovered it during the pandemic where it's bluegrass, Louisiana-tinged music helped quell the fear I had about that and gave me a killer soundtrack to enjoy. I figured if anything could make me feel better it was Hadestown. As the days to the show got closer and closer I did that thing I always do: I didn't want to go. It's a feeling you understand specifically if you live in Los Angeles. You make plans to do something but the sheer stress of finding parking, dealing with crowds, etc. just makes it seem like a bigger to-do than it's worth. I tried to sell the tickets but no dice. When Sunday rolled around I begrudingly went to the Pantages and took my seat. It didn't help matters that our President was talking about [testing nuclear weapons](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/us/politics/trump-nuclear-tests-energy-secretary.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com) so the level of "we're all doomed" was exceedingly high. By the time the song "All I've Ever Known" started playing--the song Eurydice sings to lay out her resistance to falling in love with Orpheus--I was a sobbing mess. And it didn't stop. I remembered I was watching a musical about the power of love and hope. The story of someone who stands up to fascism and questions why things are the way they are. I remembered it's a story about "the world we dream about." So when [Zohran Mamdani won](https://www.cbsnews.com/video/world-reacts-to-zohran-mamdanis-win-in-nyc-mayoral-race/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) last night's New York mayoral race like night, the moment came full circle. So I want to talk about rejuvenating one's investment in art and pop culture, and its power to get us through hard times. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/b9f5046511872205fa0567c6857bf134-24832---London---Hadestown---03.jpg) A [2019 article from Vogue](https://www.vogue.com/article/hadestown-radical-politics-labor-review?ref=thefilmmaven.com) about *Hadestown* sold the show as a story of collective bargaining which isn't really the sexiest advertisement for a musical. Yes, we know *Les Miserables*\--an inspiration for *Hadestown's* creator Anaïs Mitchell--has a political bent but would anyone really get so granular when speaking about the show's themes? And maybe, during the first Trump go-round that's what it was. Watching during Trump 2.0, it plays like an attack on the status quo, the idea of questioning information and refusing to accept what is given. Orpheus goes to Hell and declares "Cause the ones who tell the lies/Are the solemnest to swear/And the ones who load the dice/Always say the toss is fair/And the ones who deal the cards/Are the ones who take the tricks/With their hands over their hearts/While we play the game they fix." Certainly sounds like someone's been watching the government shutdown play out. Watching *Hadestown* gave me a totally different feeling than rewatching Hamilton. Hamilton, today, plays very trite and simplistic. The bumbling King George--my favorite Jonathan Groff performance--doesn't feel buffoonish and silly. Hell, listening to "You'll Be Back" creeps me out so much these days I can't listen to it at all. The Founding Fathers and their idealism just clashes knowing the outright complicity, performative lying, and other shit that is happening on the daily. I know a lot of journalists, particularly in entertainment, are told their writing is fluffy. It's not "real" journalism. But to hear a line like that, one connecting with a roomful of people, reminded me not only that someone understood my frustration with the world but that I was in a unique position to understand it. Art is political, so is film, TV, and Broadway shows. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/MER9511a7463468481aca74537a0d7f1_hadestown0609-scaled.jpg) And it is that art that influences the culture as much as the culture influences the art. We live in a time where Disney gives us the blandest features, hacking and slicing to make sure they don't offend anyone. We also live in a world where something like Hadestown can be bald-faced in its depiction of a dream world where everyone works together so each of us has something, instead of some of us having none. Entertainment plays on the fantasy of that as much as the reality of it. Am I still exhausted at the end of the day? Of course I am, but after watching Hadestown, and everyone finding their hope for again last night, I understand I need to remember why movies have sustained me over the last thirty years of my life. Why they've been what I've put my career on. Movies remind me the world I dream about, and show me the world that it is. They can remind me why I still need to fight and the power of being an informed person. (It helps that I'm spending the next month on [Ticklish Biz discussing resistance in films](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?si=9cc174dc7f75421f&ref=thefilmmaven.com) starting with 1950's *Born Yesterday*, shameless plug.) Art has the power to speak what you wish others would understand. Hadestown did it for me and I'm happy I didn't sell those tickets. But the parking in LA is still stressful. *Are you a Hadestown fan? What art speaks to your political soul? Drop it in the comments.* --- *f you're in Los Angeles on November 16 drop by the Los Feliz 3 where I'll be introducing Tod Browning's Freaks before signing copies of my new book* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can* [*buy tickets via this link right now*](https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/kristen-lopez-presents-freaks-11-16-25/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### The 6 Best Things I Watched and Read in October URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-october-2025/ Last updated: 2025-11-09T20:17:04.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server. They'll also be the first to get my new 2026 series I'll be announcing soon.* ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** *Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.* --- I didn't watch or read a ton this month, mostly because I was on deadline for my last book, *Welcome, Boils and Ghouls: The Complete Oral History of Tales From the Crypt*, which you'll be able to read in 2027\. So, I didn't have a ton of time to do much of anything that wasn't involving the Crypt Keeper. But I still have a small but mighty list of five movies and one book I was able to enjoy. We're in the midst of awards season so you'll probably see a few of these on my must see movies of the month post, which is coming soon. Be sure to let me know what movies and books you enjoyed last month in the comments below. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Popcorn Disabilities: Reid Davenport's 'Life After' Is Essential URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/life-after-2025-review/ Last updated: 2025-11-04T17:00:00.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, the series looking at disability through the lens of pop culture leading to the release of my book Popcorn Disabilities. This is a series exclusive to Gold Film Mavens though this post is free.* *It’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** *Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.* --- Casting is easy. You’ve probably heard (or read) me say this multiple times. True representation comes in opening the door for disabled directors and screenwriters to tell their stories. One director doing just that is Reid Davenport, a wheelchair user and director with cerebral palsy, whose 2022 feature *I Didn’t See You There* cast a harsh eye on disability representation, past and present. His follow-up film, which recently premiered at Sundance, is an ambitious and thought-provoking sophomore effort that hits on so many nuances of the disabled experience regarding medical issues and the right to life (or death). *Life After* starts with the story of Elizabeth Bouvia, a California woman who, in 1983, sought the right to die in her home state. The court case kicked off a powder keg of discussion about the “quality of life” disabled people and how assisted suicide fits into that. For Davenport, his quest to find out what happened to the real Bouvia after the case takes him on a journey that shows the right to die is still something the disabled are talking about and fearing. *Life After*, though, starts with Elizabeth Bouvia, a beautiful young woman struggling with extreme pain and cerebral palsy. Davenport hopes to see if Bouvia, who eventually lost her case and was medically force fed, is still alive. Bouvia’s case is fascinating as it brings up several themes Davenport explores throughout the documentary like who determines one’s quality of life, how often does medical necessity end up exacerbating disability in the name of helping, and why does society so often feel the disabled are the ones associated with laws like this? News clips from Bouvia’s case hit on the same exact phrases — from her being “trapped in a useless body” to being described as “severely handicapped” and “tragic” — all of which illustrate to an abled viewer that Bouvia’s life is not worth living. Even when Mike Wallace sits down with Bouvia, in an interview that has not aged well, he creepily points out she’s had her hair and makeup done, because there’s no reason a pretty girl like her should look bad while wanting to die. As Davenport sits down with Bouvia’s two sisters a true portrait of Elizabeth emerges. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/Life_After-Still_3.jpg.webp) A bright, energetic, beautiful young woman, Bouvia believed what anyone, regardless of ability does: that if she went to college, got a good education and job, she could take care of herself. It was only once she discovered the rampant ableism in the world and the lack of access to services the disabled face that she sank into a depression so severe as to want to die. From Jack Kevorkian to Terry Schiavo, everyone has their right to die case. But where they felt like one-off things today they are fairly common just across the U.S. border in Canada where MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) is now law. As Davenport’s documentary lays out, the use of MAiD in Canada, even for non-terminal cases, has jumped over the last several years, with the country outpacing other countries like Luxembourg and Belgium which have had death with dignity laws for years. The reason for the increase is varied as Davenport shows, from doctors and patients defining unbearable pain in many ways to others, like subject Michal Kaliszan, feeling like they have no other option living in an increasingly expensive country with little support for the disabled. Kaliszan explains how once his primary caregiver, his mother, took sick it left him with 3 thoughts: “OMG, my mom’s gonna die….OMG, I’m gonna go soon after her…and OMG I need to get my shit together.” As someone who has had these EXACT same thoughts, it’s a valid concern. The average disabled person *might* be able to afford themselves but if you don’t qualify for government assistance you have to pay for in-home health out of pocket, leaving many disabled people on their own. As Kaliszan explains, the lack of medical help left him looking into MAiD purely from a financial standpoint. What is the line between people utilizing MAiD purely to escape poverty, particularly if they’re disabled? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/11/TF_Life_After_KeyStill_12.png.webp) Davenport couches so many big questions, none with easy answers, into a slim 98-minute documentary. But Bouvia is never far from his thoughts, nor is the fact that very little appears to have changed since her court case. If anything, right to die laws are gaining traction, particularly in New York where Davenport shows a group of disabled protesters attempting to get any recognition when put up against a well-funded pro-death with dignity organization. If able-bodied people are determining how valuable a disabled person’s life is will we see disabled people die en masse? Are we seeing it already? Davenport also is great documenting the little moments any disabled viewer will identify with, whether that’s watching a group of abled people crush into an elevator and refuse to make room for a wheelchair user, or a police officer interrupting Davenport while he films to ask if he’s “in distress.” These moments only illustrate the push-pull of being disabled in this country. People constantly assume we’re in trouble, but no one wants to get out of the metaphorical elevator when we actually do. *Life After* is a thought provoking piece of art that should be watched by everyone, regardless of disability. Whether you think this affects you or not, all it takes is one accident (as talking head Melissa Hickson talks about with regards to her husband) to have your right to make medical decisions taken away. This movie chilled me to my core but it’s imperative you see it. # Grade: A *Premieres on Independent Lens on PBS on November 3rd, then available to stream on PBS App and PBS YouTube channel.* --- *If you're in Los Angeles on November 16 drop by the Los Feliz 3 where I'll be introducing Tod Browning's Freaks before signing copies of my new book* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can* [*buy tickets via this link right now*](https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/kristen-lopez-presents-freaks-11-16-25/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### Makeup Maestro Scott Barnes Talks Finding the Perfect Spider Woman Look URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/jennifer-lopez-scott-barnes/ Last updated: 2025-11-09T20:16:52.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** *Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.* --- You've heard me talk about my love for *Kiss of the Spider Woman*, whether it's on [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@kristenklopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com), [my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-review-jennifer-lopez/), or [the conversation I had with its director](https://thefilmmaven.com/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-review-jennifer-lopez/), Bill Condon recently. There's such beauty and reverence for Old Hollywood found within it, as well as a true love story between two people trying to fight off political oppression. It's certainly a movie for our times. And for a movie that looks so good it shouldn't be surprising that its leading lady, Jennifer Lopez, also looks flawless. The actress has to play a trio of roles, from Ingrid Luna, the actress, to the fictional character of Aurora and her villainious counterpart, the Spider Woman. It was a unique challenge for Lopez's makeup artist, Scott Barnes. "I love period pieces and I love old movies so, for me, it was amazing," Barnes tells The Film Maven. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ondi Timoner's All the Walls Came Down: An Ode to a Magical Place Devastated by LA Wildfires URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/ondi-timoner-interview/ Last updated: 2025-11-01T15:28:00.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/once-bitten-jim-carrey/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- One of the most striking images from *All the Walls Came Down* is that of filmmaker Ondi Timoner in a hazmat suit, communing with a local peacock who survived the devastating Altadena fires in January. It's a symbol of grief and loss, but also of hope. Like thousands of other residents of the Los Angeles suburb, the *Dig!* and *Mapplethorpe* directorlost her home and everything she owned. In the wake of the tragedy, which left the close-knit San Gabriel Valley town in ashes, Timoner did what she does best. She kept filming. And she wasn't alone. Relatives, friends and neighbors flocked to help, often operating the camera as she and her wife Morgan dug through the rubble of what used to be their house. In the short film, which has been playing at numerous festivals, she documents not only her own loss but the losses of her brother, neighbors and wider community. "I wasn't going to make a movie that was just about my house burning down," she said in a Zoom interview on Thursday. A large part of the film is dedicated to Altadena residents who lost homes that had been in their family for generations. On top of that the city is one where 80 percent of the Black population owned their own houses. Timoner shared that when she first screened the film for a friend, they told her she was trying to combine two separate stories: Her own and that of the Black activist Heavenly Hughes, who is leading the ["Altadena is not for sale,"](https://mytriberise.org/home?ref=thefilmmaven.com) movement as residents face homelessness or foreclosures. She chose to ignore her friend's advice to split the two narratives. "They're very much interconnected. They were saying it just felt like two worlds apart, but it's not. It's one world and it's called Altadena. It's hard to balance that kind of intimate, personal storytelling with an activist story and a community story," she noted. "I think the structure of it is almost like dropping a pebble in the pond. It goes out in circles from my story, in concentric circles. It's my neighbor across the street, and then my brother, and then my neighbors, and then we find Heavenly," she said from a taxi ride home from LAX. She'd just landed from filming her upcoming Holocaust feature in Budapest. Timoner was in the Eastern European city working on that film in January when she got a text from her neighbor Randy Vance that her house was gone. She describes her documentary, which includes footage of Altadena before and after, as a "quilt" of the city and "an ode to a magical place." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-1149484343-182696361639-1-original.20251009-213823.jpeg) "I used to hate the cloud," she laughed while discussing how she was able to incorporate before footage of her home, joyous community events and beloved Altadena spots like Fox's Restaurant. "Now I love the cloud." Thanks to digital storage, she could revisit what she'd lost, including the peacocks. "I was always shooting them," she said of footage that includes a peachick following its mother along with family celebrations by her pool. She finished A*ll the Walls Come Down* in record time, wrapping up filming in July and holding the first viewings just days later. Timoner cited two reasons why the film is closer to thirty minutes than ninety: She reasoned that no one wanted to relive the fires right now, and she is using the film as a rallying cry for the community and a tool to help save Altadeneans recover and rebuild. In one scene, Timoner shows Hughes and singer Aloe Blacc vainly trying to get an indifferent Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the politician representing the city, to respond at a public event. Instead of engaging, Barger walks away saying, "This is not the time." The filmmaker is also campaigning for Governor Gavin Newsom to halt foreclosures as residents wait for insurance payouts that may never come. "Not being able to go home was too painful, and I thought we should try to start anew somewhere close enough that we could take care of our parents, but far enough that it was a new adventure,' she explained. "So we made a spontaneous decision to move to Joshua Tree, and the community has been so incredibly welcoming and is so lovely and strong and artistic and inspiring and inspired," she said, noting that Morgan, a musician, is now playing in a few local bands. "We feel really embraced," she said. Despite loving her new home in Joshua Tree, Timoner said she fully intends to rebuild in Altadena, adding, "I don't want to leave a gaping hole in the place where we had so much happiness." You can read more about the grassroots effort at [the film's official site](https://www.allthewallscamedown.com/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). *All the Walls Came Down, as well as two other Timoner films, Dig! and Last Flight Home, screen* Nov. 1 and 2 at the [Joshua Tree Cultural Center](https://jtarts.org/calendar/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), the desert spot where Timoner and Morgan have temporarily located. *Sharon Knolle is an award-winning entertainment journalist who has written for TheWrap, USA Today, Paste, Moviefone and LAist. She* [*previously interviewed Timoner in January*](https://www.thewrap.com/ondi-timoner-eaton-fire-sundance-2025-digxx-all-gods-children/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *at the LA screening of Dig! XX, which revisits her documentary Dig! 20 years later.* --- ***Come to the Los Feliz 3 on November 16th where I'll be launching my book Popcorn Disabilities with a book signing and a screening of Tod Browning's Freaks.*** [***Tickets on sale now***](https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/kristen-lopez-presents-freaks-11-16-25/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)***.*** *The Film Maven is seeking sponsors to help us do more! If you're interested in sponsoring independent journalism get in touch.* *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### 'Once Bitten': How an '80s Sex Comedy Reinvented the Vampire URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/once-bitten-jim-carrey/ Last updated: 2025-10-30T16:00:57.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/song-sung-blue-review/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- I initially planned to write about *Once Bitten*, one of my favorite spooky season movies, because it’s Halloween next week. Then, Variety released a story about a study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles’ Center for Scholars & Storytellers that reiterated, again, that [teens today don’t want to see sex](https://variety.com/2024/film/news/teens-sex-movies-tv-shows-study-preferences-babygirl-tell-me-lies-1236189703/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) in movies and television and I thought all the more reason to discuss this silly ‘80s teen comedy. If you haven’t seen *Once Bitten*, and it’s safe to say I heartily recommend you do, it follows horny teenage boy Mark Kendall (a pre-fame Jim Carrey) who encounters a beautiful woman known only as the Countess (Lauren Hutton) who, no surprise, ends up being a vampire. The Countess plans to turn Mark, a virgin, into a vamp by Halloween. The only thing that stands in her way is Mark’s sweet, and equally virginal, girlfriend Robin (Karen Kopins). In the landscape of ‘80s teen comedies *Once Bitten* is an underrated, and forgotten, gem that usually only gets trotted out during Halloweentime. Unlike its more famous predecessors, that sought to thread the needle between authentic portrayals of teendom and the ‘80s excess, consumerism and hedonism that would define the “greed is good” decade, *Once Bitten* dives into the ways teens are pressured into sex and the way everyone chases youth, literally. Director Howard Storm is said to have been the one to eschew the original intentions of the screenwriters, to show the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, in favor of the neon glow and it makes a lot of sense. Mark and Robin are everyday teens, albeit ones who look like they’re in their early twenties, who aren’t particularly looking for excitement in their lives. They hold little in common with the teen beauties of Brett Easton Ellis’ *Less Than Zero*, which would see an adaptation two years after this film. But neither are they teens in which ALL the horrors of sex are knocking on their door, like in *Fast Times at Ridgemont High* or *The Last American Virgin*. They’re exceedingly dull and average. At least until they’re required to engage in an intense dance battle during the Halloween dance with a magician-ified Lauren Hutton. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/image-w1280.jpg) Instead, Mark is coerced into seeking sex through his stereotypical ‘80s dumbbell friends, Jamie and Russ (Thomas Ballatore and Skip Lackey), who take him down to Hollywood to find a woman. Cinematographer Adam Greenberg does a fabulous job of showing what Hollywood looked like in 1985, or it could be a fantasy version. Teens aimlessly stroll through the streets, bars and clubs are everywhere and, under the surface, is the desire to score …. something. It’s here, in a bar with the famous Hot Lips telephones, that Mark catches the eye of the Countess. Lauren Hutton is beautiful enough that it’s hard to believe anyone, regardless of gender or age, wouldn’t be a willing sacrifice. But Hutton’s performance veers this into the territory of how aesthetics focused the 1980s were, particularly for women. The movie is dated, to be sure — there’s a really misguided trans “joke” and a lot of gay panic — but the in-fighting between Robin and the Countess is very ‘80s girlboss/catfighting. That being said, in a movie that tries so hard to erase homosexuality, I defy you to deny the chemistry is FAR more palpable between the Countess and Robin than Mark. And we know the Countess has turned women before — there are two ladies in her stable of teen vamps — so it’s never 100% explicated why she doesn’t see Robin as an equally worthy character. But what’s more interesting about this 1985 comedy is how it fits into Gen Z’s current antipathy towards sex on-screen. There’s no doubt they’d look askance at *Once Bitten* for the reasons laid out above, but on the surface it’s a weirdly apathetic look at sexuality. Mark certainly wants to have sex, and Robin does as well; that alone is interesting to have a female heroine mention she wants to lose her virginity and isn’t persecuted for it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/oncebitten-primary-f938fb816ebfa4b820c64c93c9d32b16.jpg.webp) And the Countess’ pursuit of Mark has nothing to do with his sexuality or desirability. It has everything to do with his *lack* of sexuality. While his inability to do it makes him a social pariah to his friends, it is the allure for a vampire that wants to exploit that very chastity. It’s hilarious weird that the movie’s moral is: just get rid of it so vampires won’t prey on you! The audience has every indication of where the story will go, but the how of it is unique. It’s Robin who conjures up the idea to take their mutual virginities as a means of saving Mark from the Countess. But it’s the literal definition of a quickie, unseen and lasting all of about 45 seconds. Even the Countess takes note that “you couldn’t have. You were in there for less than a minute” only to realize she’s dealing with teenagers. “You could’ve … but you didn’t have time to enjoy it.” It’s said that teens don’t respond to sex scenes because of the belief they’re exploitative or gratuitous in some way, and *Once Bitten* almost seems to call that out. In the grand scheme of the movie, the sex is paramount. But, in execution, it holds just as much interest as putting a stake through the Countess’ heart. But going back to the Countess saying the pair didn’t have time to enjoy it. Remember, the 1980s is usually marred as a decade of being fearful of sex. I mean, there’s an irony to Mark and Robin doing the deed for the first time in a coffin. Movies like the aforementioned *Fast Times* hit on all the reasons why teens shouldn’t do it, music reminded them they didn’t “have to take \[their\] clothes off, to have a good time,” and AIDs was running rampant. However, the Countess does remind them that they are going to have sex, and if they do it should at least be satisfying to both parties, not to get a vampire off their backs. All this from a movie that has an impromptu dance sequence in it! --- [*Want to read something cool? Check out my interview with the cast and director of Roofman over at the L.A. Times.* ](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2025-10-13/roofman-movie-true-story-jeffrey-manchester-channing-tatum-kirsten-dunst-derek-cianfrance?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***The Film Maven is seeking sponsors to help us do more! If you're interested in sponsoring independent journalism get in touch.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### Popcorn Disabilities: The Unknown and Lon Chaney's Armless Lust URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/lon-chaney-the-unknown-disabled/ Last updated: 2025-10-29T16:00:20.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, the series looking at disability through the lens of pop culture leading to the release of my book Popcorn Disabilities. This is a series exclusive to Gold Film Mavens.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- We started this month, focused on disabled characters in horror films, looking at Mark in Friday the 13th Part 2, a horny guy just looking to get some. I figured it's worth it to close things out with another horny guy looking to get some: Lon Chaney's Alonzo the Armless in 1927's *The Unknown*. Second only to 1932’s *Freaks*, *The Unknown* is one of the most audacious pieces of disability cinema. I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that *The Unknown* and *Freaks* are directed by the same master of the macabre (and fellow questionable disabled ally) Tod Browning? _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Scream 2 and Hollywood True Crime URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/scream-2-stab/ Last updated: 2025-10-28T16:00:48.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** --- *This piece was originally published October 17, 2017 for the website Heard Tell (R.I.P.). Since that site's gone and it's Halloween, let's resurrect it!* Director Wes Craven rewrote the rules of the horror movie with his 1996 film *Scream*. The slasher feature had a healthy dose of meta-critiques against the genre that gave it life and inspired a horror movie sequel a year later that dives even deeper into audiences’ love of death and crime. 1997’s *Scream 2* was the first to tackle the rampant consumption of violent cinema, as well as the burgeoning obsession with true crime narratives that continues to this day. Through its movie-within-the-movie, *Scream 2* looks at the nature of authenticity in crime narratives, and how Hollywood uses the idea of the authentic to perpetuate stereotypes. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Song Sung Blue Review: Treacly Neil Diamond Musical Formulaic in the Worst Ways URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/song-sung-blue-review/ Last updated: 2026-01-29T16:42:21.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/after-the-hunt-review-julia-roberts/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- The worm has turned on music biopics. Sure, you can still see the standard "making of" the musician story. Hell, there's one playing in theaters now about Bruce Springsteen. But as some of the best artists catalogs have already been claimed, creatives are trying to get inventive. Maybe don't tell a biopic about a specific artist, but how said artist's music inspired others. It's still a good enough reason to jam in about a million songs. And, wow, does it feel like there's a lot of Neil Diamond songs found in *Song Sung Blue*. Or, at least the same five songs. Based on the documentary by Greg Kohs, this is the story of 1990s Neil Diamond tribute act Lightning and Thunder. Lightning is Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman), a Vietnam vet with a bad heart, and Claire (Kate Hudson) is his wife. The pair meet during a state fair Legends series wherein each is performing as artists, her as Pasty Cline and him as Don Ho. The two fall in love while developing Lightning's Diamond tribute, with the pair find success, until tragedy strikes. *Song Sung Blue's* first hour is an earnestly sentimental affair, unsurprising as it lays out the early days (months? years? time isn't defined) of Mike and Claire's relationship. We meet Mike celebrating his sober birthday, his twentieth, which he celebrates every year by singing the title song. And we get at least three sober birthday scenes in this movie. He's drawn to Claire not just because she looks like Kate Hudson, but because she appears to understand him. Their first date sees her gush over how amazing it is to watch him perform, and how she, too, dreams of a singing career. Claire suggests Mike do Neil Diamond, based on his vague resemblance, becoming the Michelle in this Post-It routine. Craig Brewer's script situates these two as just lovable Wisconsin cheeseheads who find success accidentally. They perform a haphazard show that ends with punches thrown at a biker bar, and next they're opening for Pearl Jam because Tony Bennett is opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. (Seriously, that's the justification.) The characters don't have personal dreams of fame, and it's not even clear if either has tried professional music on their own. Jackman's Mike is the stalwart professional, decrying about how they have to make the act worthy of Neil while Hudson, for the first half, is just happy to sing backup. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/4245_FP_00839_R.jpg.webp) But there's that tragedy that slams into the halfway point with all the impact of a car driving on one's front lawn. Tragedy strikes again and again and again in this movie, so much so that it's worth wondering if the Sardinas are cursed, offended someone in a past life, or just have a lot of lead in their house. When Claire is hit by a car and loses a leg the movie takes a sharp torn into poverty/inspiration porn to cringe-inducing effect. If disability in the movies weren't already presented as something to mourn, the script says it's definitely worth having a eulogy over. Claire isn't just a bitter disabled person. She's a drugged out, stumbling mess singing Patsy Cline songs in a Percodan-induced haze on her front lawn. Leaving Mike to stoically deal with bills, their daughter's impending teen pregnancy (that gets solved with a literal smile after nine months), and that bad heart that just keeps stopping at annoying times. Because the movie is "based on a true love story," the script hopes presumed authenticity will get around things like stereotypical disabled representation. But the problem lies in how long and overwrought it becomes. Hudson goes from "aw, shucks" housewife to a woman screaming at her husband about her pain. Pundits have called Hudson an Oscars frontrunner this year and I can only surmise it's because she's doing a standard "stunning and brave" portrayal of both a disabled person and a woman over a size 3 who isn't wearing makeup. And what's odd is for a movie over two hours, certain things are solved either far too quickly, off-screen, or never dealt with at all. In the immediate aftermath of Claire's accident Mike has a heartattack, forcing his stepdaughter to defibrillate him...which is never discussed again. The teen pregnancy plot line resolves so quickly you wonder why anyone would call adoption a hard decision. And at one point Claire talks about her mother in the past tense leaving you shocked when the old woman comes tottering in at one point. That's to say nothing about the film's big finale which I'm gonna need Brewer to present actual evidence as to whether it happened or not. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/MV5BODI0YjFjNzQtZmNmZS00NjIwLTgzNDItZTBjZGVlNWUwM2I1XkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg) Don't worry, none of this gets in the way of the Neil Diamond music. Even when Mike is deep in his cups, he's still singing quiet ballads at a Thai karaoke joint. Jackman certainly tries to convey some warmth and charm in a movie so mired in the saccharine. He's a kindhearted father figure to Claire's teenage daughter (Ella Anderson) and comes alive during the performance scenes. He and Hudson don't necessarily have a sexual or romantic chemistry so much as they make great musical partners, finding the play and interrelationship during dance sequences or little bits of musical business. But the desire to stick to just a handful of Diamond songs means you'll be sick of hearing them quickly, particularly the hymn-esque "Suleiman." *Song Sung Blue* is essentially white trash Hustle & Flow, removing the rap for Neil Diamond. Hudson and Jackman are fine, but the movie's overwrought and, at times, irritating portrayal of disability and poverty gets old fast leaving you with the songs, which also become stagnant. Just go drunkenly sing "Sweet Caroline" in a bar for two hours. ## Grade: D- *Song Sung Blue hits theaters Christmas Day.* --- [*Want to read something cool? Check out my interview with the cast and director of Roofman over at the L.A. Times.* ](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2025-10-13/roofman-movie-true-story-jeffrey-manchester-channing-tatum-kirsten-dunst-derek-cianfrance?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***The Film Maven is seeking sponsors to help us do more! If you're interested in sponsoring independent journalism get in touch.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### Popcorn Disabilities: The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Disabled Characters of Color URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/hand-that-rocks-the-cradle-disabled/ Last updated: 2025-10-24T16:00:15.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, the series looking at disability through the lens of pop culture leading to the release of my book Popcorn Disabilities. This is a series exclusive to Gold Film Mavens.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- Intersectionality is a bad word in Hollywood, even more so in the "woke is dead" era we're currently in. You can have a disabled person in your movie. You can have a person of color in your movie. But you can't have a disabled character of color in your movie. A [USC Annenberg study from 2025 bears this out](https://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/aii-2025-inequality-popular-films-full-report.pdf?ref=thefilmmaven.com), showing that "2.4% of speaking or named characters were shown with a disability. This percentage is far below U.S. census which reports that 27.2% of Americans have with a disability." A whopping 61% of those characters were men and 70.8% of them were white. Every marginalized group faces stereotyping and erasure, and while the situations aren't the same they are analogous in that every group is looking for the same thing: acceptance and equality in movies. Each group has endured stereotyping and erasure, and for all the time it’s taken Black directors and characters to gain ground in the entertainment industry, the disabled community is still in the early days of trying to gain acceptance on its way to equality. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Monstrous Mothers: Witch Womb is Which? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-witcher-motherhood-infertility/ Last updated: 2025-10-23T16:00:49.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/tron-soundtrack-trent-reznor/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- According to South Jersey lore, poor Mrs. Leeds, while giving birth to her 13th child cursed the unborn baby and birthed the Jersey Devil: a human-animal hybrid with a tail, wings, and hooves for feet that is said to stalk the Pine Barrens to this day. In that moment, Mrs. Leeds showed her mind’s, as well as her body’s, monstrous reproductive potential. With a single swear spoken in the throes of childbirth, she created a cryptid. The mysteries of childbirth (including increasingly commercialized gender reveals) have always stirred apprehension, anxiety, and, if something goes wrong, panic. In the event of death or deformity the mother or midwife—those seeming to hold the most power in that moment over life and death—are demonized as a way to shift blame from the father and rationalize loss. As strange as that might sound to us today, a similar, but contemporary example of women blamed for their social and ecological environments is *Toxic Town*, a British drama series released this year that follows three mothers with children suffering from limb deformity in an area beleaguered by child mortality and health problems due to toxic runoff from steel industries. Based on a real life court case, the Netflix show follows the area’s economic decline, demonstrating how class and gender figure into our moral judgments on who is most susceptible to unnatural births, and the type of birthing bodies that are perceived as less than human. Within the realm of our contemporary pop culture, including television, reproductive choice is a universal concern that's been shared by creatures of our collective imagination for centuries. Paula White, televangelist of the “prosperity gospel” and spiritual advisor to President Trump delivered a sermon on January 5, 2020, commanding “all Satanic pregnancies to miscarry right now.” White prayed that anything conceived in Satanic wombs be miscarried, unable to carry forth plans of destruction or harm. A modern day curse cloaked under right-wing rhetoric. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/l-intro-1688601774.jpg) In the aftermath of its eight million views, [White tweeted](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/27/us/politics/paula-white-miscarriage-video.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com) that her remarks referred to a specific Bible passage, “I was praying \[Ephesians 6:12\] that we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Anything that has been conceived by demonic plans, for it to be canceled and not prevail in your life.” White’s desired divine intercession broadly refers to the end of non-conservation Christian views and Satan’s influence in everyday lives. One of the most contemporary examples of monsters defined by their motherhood or lack thereof is Yennefer of Vengerberg, from the high-fantasy video game turned series *The Witcher* (2019)*.* Yennefer shows great magical potential and is recruited to train at an elite school to become a sorceress. In accordance with the sorceresses' tradition, any physical flaw, including her hunchback, is magically removed. But it comes with a price: her womb. Infertility is a consequence of magic. Yennefer ultimately gets the opportunity to become a surrogate mother through mentoring Ciri, the only remaining heir of the kingdom Cintra. Many individuals streaming the show on Netflix found this particular storyline very cathartic for them as they [struggled with their own infertility](https://www.slashfilm.com/715211/the-witchers-depiction-of-infertility-helped-me-embrace-my-own/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), and it generated more than a handful of message boards and [blog posts](https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/yennefers-infertility-battle-is-important-heres-why/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) of thanks. Those most affected cited their attachment stemming from feeling a lack of choice in their own fate, and for many individuals who worked and wanted to build a family they saw the magical world of *The Witcher* delivering a message they’d heard themselves throughout their life: the idea that a woman cannot be in possession of power and also be a mom. You can’t be a witch and be fertile. You can’t be a business owner and have a family. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/AAAAQXk70SUWswVsu4eMQrvaWXKglErE-5hxu_7tnEHZQkGBMhSn257pPcSj2Zb1hIcKhhGX5DaY7A6yhzoXsRfXum9TRFpWF2KnNqVV1v2iSYjnxf4-LY_Bg5Gzs_oP8izZSepeoDROEgoFIBPUdC8w.jpg) *A Discovery of Witches,* a British fantasy television series based on a series by Deborah Harkness, follows New England-born historian Diana Bishop and handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont who are drawn to one another despite longstanding taboos about cross-species relationships. Within the magical world of *A Discovery of Witches* all three species: demons, vampires, and witches are in decline. So there’s a lot of tension around the future of these creatures individually and in their co-existence. Yet despite the cross-species improbability, Diana, as a weaver and descendant of tenacious pilgrim stock, brings to term two healthy and magical twins. Yennefer’s heritage includes mages and elven blood, and her olive coloring is ethically ambiguous. Diana’s ancestors were pureblooded Puritans— a descendant from a long line of blond hair and blue-eyed Europeans. It's because Diana is who she is, with her distinguishable markers of pedigree and wealth that she is able to exert greater control over their reproductive body. The presence of black and brown witches and vampires engaged in unfettered family building are still few and far between. In *Queen of the Damned* Aaliyah has a total of ten minutes of screentime. Even when people of color are billed as the title character they often meet an untimely end, their presence seen as a threat to both a natural and supernatural order. Visual representations of vampires are predominantly distinguished from humans by their porcelain smooth, sparkling pearly white skin. In becoming one of the undead they join a pantheon of creatures with little to none skin pigmentation. Though most never had it to begin with. Pale or white-skinned monsters, especially men and women of leisure such as vampires who canonically sleep through most of their day, indicates just who among the living gets the privilege of eternal life. Within fiction, there is a growing selection of stories exploring themes of reproduction, desire, and family building by nonnormative, queer, feminist, and POC writers. But by containing these alternative points of view to the page, our media culture can continue to cast birthing bodies– despite having the ability to produce–as monstrous and in need of control. *Fledgling*, a science fiction vampire novel by Octavia Butler, features a 53-year-old female protagonist who appears to be a ten-year-old African-American girl. It inverts racist notions of blackness as a biological contaminant that leads to degeneracy and instead becomes a necessary trait for the survival of future generations. Criminally, no one’s made a tv show or film of *Fledgling*, Butler’s final book. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/angeluntouched1.jpg) The limitations of making life is a defining characteristic of early vampire narratives intended to curb excessive female sexuality. Most vampiric genesis myths start from an encounter that makes them, a process latent with sexual symbolism: a reclined posture or bent neck, penetration of fangs, and exchange of bodily fluids. Predating Stoker by twenty-six years, in *Camilla* a young woman is turned away from more “natural desires” by a female vampire. During the final Season 2 episode of *Angel*, Darla, Angel’s former lover and vampiric sire, seduces him into having sex with her. Given that they are two consenting adult vampires this shouldn’t be a problem. Except, within the canon of the show, Angel is a vampire with a soul. Should he experience a moment of pure happiness he’ll lose it. Darla goes into this seduction hoping that this will be the precise outcome. However, despite Angel consummating their relationship he doesn’t lose his soul and, plot twist, Darla gets pregnant! Up until that point no vampires in this universe have ever been known to produce an offspring through a natural pregnancy, so none of their fellow vampires and human companions know what they’ve spawned, though it’s clear that the child is changing Darla. Not only physically, but her monstrous urges grow stronger. To end the ongoing pain, Darla asks Angel to stake her, effectively killing her. Angel refuses; his behavior reminiscent of abortion-debate arguments prioritizing the life of the child over the wellbeing of the mother. Perhaps the most infamous twenty-first century vampire birth is found in the tween-franchise *Twilight* by Stephenie Meyer. *Twilight* is about a young girl named Bella Swan who moves to Forks, Washington to live with her dad and falls in love with the vampire Edward Cullen. Despite the ups and downs of their relationship, and numerous near death experiences, Bella and Edward marry, but their honeymoon is cut short when Bella realizes she’s pregnant. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/breaking-dawn-part-1-125-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg) In *Breaking Dawn* and *Angel,* Bella and Darla’s womb originating births render them gestationally grotesque in front of men attempting to rein in what is out of their control and exert power over deviant female bodies. This is not unlike today’s contemporary conservatives. As Bella’s husband, Edward insists on her aborting the fetus. In contrast to Darla, Bella does not want to rid herself of her baby and feels protective of it, whereas Edward views the child as monstrous and thinks it shouldn’t be allowed to exist. Her pregnancy progresses rapidly, severely weakening her because she is still a human. Edward responds to the news fearfully and confident that his father, a doctor, will get that “thing” out. Bella nearly dies giving birth to her and Edward's daughter, Renesmee. To save her life, Edward injects Bella with his venom, finally turning her into a vampire, and making Renesmee an only child. Darla, however, is not so fortunate. As she is a vampire at the time of her pregnancy, she ultimately self-sacrifices her monstrous condition for that of a healthy newborn. The persistent procreation of monsters speaks to, as Ursula Le Guin said, “the incredible realities of our existence.” Gender, as opposed to sexuality, is not exempt from these implicit and explicit conceptions. How many satanic pregnancies are we away from wombs being seen as thoroughly corrupted or corrupting, and therefore requiring even greater governance? The great illusion of the right to choose in each of these movies and myths embodies misconceptions of female anatomy and fear of a white cis-heteronormative male order being broken or questioned because, after all, the writers, creative directors, oral historians, mythmakers and storytellers are only human, each giving new life to our own inherited and increasingly limited reproductive choices. ## Some Other Cool Stuff From Kristen: \--[I made my L.A. Times debut with this interview with the cast and director of Roofman](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2025-10-13/roofman-movie-true-story-jeffrey-manchester-channing-tatum-kirsten-dunst-derek-cianfrance?ref=thefilmmaven.com) \--[The latest episode my podcast Ticklish Business celebrates Halloween with a discussion on 1959's *A Bucket of Blood* with special guest Rodman Flender](https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ge1rVJN0F9nX6QTpuv5Zf?si=a40d5b4e7dbd4fe9&ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- ***The Film Maven is seeking sponsors to help us do more! If you're interested in sponsoring independent journalism get in touch.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/tron-soundtrack-trent-reznor/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ### Jared Leto Ain't a Movie Star, But Is Anyone? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/who-are-movie-stars-today/ Last updated: 2025-10-22T16:20:18.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- Last week the internet took potshots at an article published to The Hollywood Reporter with the headline, "'[Tron’ May Mark End of Jared Leto’s Franchise-Leading Days](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jared-leto-tron-ares-box-office-1236401068/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)." Most of the comments asked the same question: when did Leto ever prove he could open a movie, let alone a franchise?" It's a valid question which the article doesn't attempt to answer, focused more on Leto's presumed commitment to opening the movie, a tactic that didn't work considering the movie's "dismal $33.2 million from 4,000 theaters against a net production budget of at least $180 million." What's funny is how the article tries to emphasize the actor "had goodwill from his lauded earlier dramatic work in Dallas Buyers Club (winning him a supporting actor Oscar) and Requiem for a Dream," movies released a whopping twelve and 25 years ago, respectively. It also brings up Leto's turn in Morbius, as just a blip "which opened to $39 million stateside en route to a not-good $167 million globally in 2022." _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### TRON's Legacy of Music: Then and Now URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/tron-soundtrack-trent-reznor/ Last updated: 2025-10-21T16:00:37.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/after-the-hunt-review-julia-roberts/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- There are not many people who would consider *TRON: Ares*’s $33 million opening weekend a success, despite the fact that it is the number one movie of the weekend. Made for $180 million (and, assuming the standard operating procedure of spending relatively equal the production budget on marketing), Disney is in the hole many hundreds of millions on this picture and the cultural zeitgeist has declared it a failure. So, now we all have to chatter: What happened? This IP’s last iteration, 2010’s *TRON: Legacy*, opened at $44 million on a budget of $170 million. That was an expensive picture that opened just a bit higher than *Ares* and went on to make over $400 million worldwide. Released around Christmas 2010, it stayed in theaters until the end of February the next year. Of course, only movies that are on track to make billions stay in theaters for longer than four weeks in 2025 so chances are *TRON: Ares* will be streaming on Disney+ in time for this year’s holiday season. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-bd107120-ff46-4015-903e-31ef9e61830c.png) The speculation mills about IP crises and what caused them are running wild over on social media, with science fiction author Charlie Jane Anders quoted above. She thinks the answer is obvious: *TRON* isn’t a popular franchise, and there’s no reason to suspect that another *TRON* movie would ever have been a success. I, uh, personally don’t see that as the case. This new *TRON* just didn’t seem to hook on why the previous two *TRONs* *were* popular amongst audiences, and the secret to TRON’s legacy is actually one thing: Electronic music. The original 1982 movie has one of the most groundbreaking musical scores of all time. Wendy Carlos had already broken people’s brains with her album *Switched On Bach,* and then she figured out how to apply synthesizer technology to work as on a film score with *A Clockwork Orange.* Hiring her to do the *TRON* score was perfect kismet and I can’t personally think of anyone else who could have done the music for a film so ahead of its time. In 2010, in a move that may have been a little gimmicky, Disney hired noted French electronic dance music pioneers Daft Punk to compose *Legacy*’s score and also put on a concert in the middle of the film, integrated into the central narrative (as much as it could be). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/Jeff-Bridges-and-Cindy-Morgan-in-Tron-1982.jpg) This year’s *TRON* score was composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails. Also electronic musicians in their own right. This is the duo’s thirdmovie to be released in 2025 and not that I hold the murmurings of the anonymous Reddit poster to be gospel, but the subreddit r/movies has nothing [but lackluster reviews](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1nlb6kx/tron%5Fares%5F2025%5Fsoundtrack%5Fby%5Fnine%5Finch%5Fnails/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) for Reznor/Ross/NIN’s efforts on this score. Not quite a NIN record and not quite *score*, I will say that the overall effect of the released album, to me, feels like something from the mid ‘90s, when NIN was at its zenith as a band. *Legacy’s* Daft Punk score came at a time when the band was supremely hot; their *Alive* tour from 2006-2007 was credited with bringing electronic dance music to the masses. The duo’s involvement in *Legacy* was announced at the 2009 Comic Con in San Diego; the same Con where Robert Downey, Jr. hocked *Iron Man 2,* and most of the convention was in the throes of *Twilight: New Moon.* This was the beginning of ComicCon’s relevancy to the world of pop culture at large, and the new world of social media virality among the key youth demographic was important to the ascendancy of genre films. Daft Punk performing in front of a light-up pyramid at Coachella in 2006 was a moment many fans wished they could have experienced and only knew about because of the advent of phones that could record and then upload video to this fancy little website called YouTube which had only started the year before, in 2005\. *Legacy* promised fans still in a FOMO hangover the opportunity to attend a two-hour (and air conditioned!) Daft Punk concert, with a dash of Jeff Bridges on the side. Nine Inch Nails is popular. Do not get me wrong. They are currently touring and perhaps that’s why people are not flooding the theaters for an exclusive taste of music from their favorite band. Also, since the beginning of 2020, Reznor and/or Ross have brought their sound to (I am not kidding you) 26 different filmed projects combined. That is a lot of Nine Inch Nails. Some might say… too much. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/SIJA099_EC090-H-2022.jpg.webp) Wendy Carlos’s *TRON* soundtrack is credited with literally changing the way people listen to music. Daft Punk’s *TRON: Legacy* soundtrack defined an era of film music, for a key and vocal marketing demographic. NIN’s *TRON: Ares* soundtrack sounds like, well, the same kind of music NIN has been making for 25 years. For a group of people who are old enough to remember buying *Pretty Hate Machine* at their local mall. I can’t help but think that if Disney had hired a relatively young and up-and-coming EDM band or electronic composer, the results may have been slightly different. *TRON* is a film series about the future that fully immerses you in the feeling of being inside a computer. And I want to be inside of a computer of the future– not one running Windows 2000. *Are you a Tron fan? Have you seen Tron: Ares? Drop your thoughts on the various soundtracks in the comments.* --- [*Want to read something cool? Check out my interview with the cast and director of Roofman over at the L.A. Times.* ](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2025-10-13/roofman-movie-true-story-jeffrey-manchester-channing-tatum-kirsten-dunst-derek-cianfrance?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***The Film Maven is seeking sponsors to help us do more! If you're interested in sponsoring independent journalism get in touch.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/after-the-hunt-review-julia-roberts/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ### Mary Bronstein Answers the Question: Is If I Had Legs I'd Kick You a Disabled Story? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/if-i-had-legs-mary-bronstein-interview/ Last updated: 2026-01-16T15:49:02.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** --- In director Mary Bronstein's latest feature, If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You, Rose Byrne's Linda spends her day caring for her daughter who is connected to a feeding tube, struggling with ARFID. If you've read me long enough, and have my book on pre-order, you might call this an example of caretaker cinema, wherein to tell a disabled narrative, a creative focuses exclusively on the able-bodied caretaker at the detriment to the disabled. But what Bronstein has done with her fabulous new feature is tell a story that is a caretaker story without turning the character into an able-bodied buffer. > "If somebody with a disability, or with complicated health needs, or with a chronic illness feels seen, or if a caretaker of such a person feels seen by this movie, I'm all for it," Bronstein tells The Film Maven. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Popcorn Disabilities: Outer Blindness, Inner Goodness, and Wait Until Dark URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/audrey-hepburn-wait-until-dark/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T16:00:06.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, the series looking at disability through the lens of pop culture leading to the release of my book Popcorn Disabilities. This is a series exclusive to Gold Film Mavens.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- I wanted to spend this month talking about disabled characters in horror movies, and I had to include one wherein I love the actress, but not the performance. I've written several articles about "pretty disabilities," a stereotype popular to films with disabled characters wherein the female heroine has invisible disabilities--predominately deafness, blindness, or being non-verbal--that allow for the non-disabled actress to retain her beauty (or fuckability status, depending on your POV). History has reminded disabled women that if their disability is too overt, and mars their beauty, they're doomed to die alone. Thankfully, that's slowly changing [as my Chucky piece last week shows](https://thefilmmaven.com/chucky-movies/). _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### After the Hunt Review: Julia Roberts Tries to Save This Muddy #MeToo Drama URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/after-the-hunt-review-julia-roberts/ Last updated: 2025-11-10T18:15:18.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/black-phone-2-review/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- Hollywood has certainly struggled with what to do in the wake of the #MeToo. Almost immediately there was an attempt at something passing for a reckoning, with a variety of films aimed at examining toxic masculinity and sexual harassment. But, as Kayleigh Donaldson [fabulously laid out in a recent article](https://www.avclub.com/me-too-cinema-evolution-shown-the-door-after-the-hunt?ref=thefilmmaven.com) for the A.V. Club, "*After The Hunt* seemed like it was aiming for a no-holds-barred dissection of life in a post-MeToo world" when it's anything but. Donaldson says it feels pre-MeToo but, for me, it definitely feels like its espousing what we're dealing with now: a world where DEI is dead and toxic masculinity is tolerated, if not accepted out loud. "It started at Yale" the opening text details as we meet impeccably dressed philosophy professor Alma (Julia Roberts). Alma has a group of dedicated colleagues and students, some might call them sycophants, specifically fellow professor Hank (Andrew Garfield) and grad student Maggie (Ayo Edibiri). When Maggie discloses to Alma that Hank assaulted her, it causes all three of them to go through a variety of shifts and turns, each one questioning the other. In *After the Hunt*, it's not a question of whether Hank is actually a rapist, but whether Alma is a bad person for not immediately thinking he is. The script doesn't even call Hank what he is, more content to live in the ambiguity of Maggie saying things like "he crossed a line" and "he assaulted me," albeit we live in a world where that can mean a variety of things. But for screenwriter Nora Garrett, it's not about what saying what is, but about how one feels about it. You know, because facts are feelings and feelings are facts. Garrett's script formulates a world where Hank, as the dedicated male millennial, feels he's a pawn in a horrific power game between two women, a marginalized community to him that already sets him apart. "It's gonna be her word against my hard work and good deeds," he cries to Alma when the allegations come out. But instead of tackling this as the ball of the "Good Guy" we've heard so much about, the movie does nothing with it, a problem for most of the relationships in it. Garfield, to his credit, tries to give audiences something different with this role. Gone is the affable good guy and in its place is a selfish, entitled schmuck who believes he's a genius. But, don't worry, he wouldn't actually *say* that. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/After-The-Hunt.jpg.webp) It's interesting that director Luca Guadagnino wanted to tackle this project, especially considering how his previous work on *Call Me By Your Name* saw its fair amount of critiques for the age gap and power imbalance in its central relationship. Guadagnino's direction is fine, though the movie could have easily been directed by anyone. There's nothing particularly Guadagnino about it, aside from his continued interest in wealthy intellectuals. Cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed's camera glides through beautiful kitchens and the halls of Yale like an outside observer, and the audience is truly outside, knowing little about what makes any of these characters tick. Roberts is the highlight and has the most characterization. Weirdly enough, Garrett looks a lot like Roberts in the film, all cool blonde hair. Alma spends her time in a bubble of admirers with the only person who appears to know her being her husband, Frederik (Michael Stuhlbarg, having a lot of fun). For Alma, she's confused as to who to believe, though the script makes it obvious her relationship with Hank from minute one. The problem is, because that's so overt, it's not a gray area of whether he's crossing boundaries. It's whether anyone at Yale knows what boundaries even are. Alma herself has her own past issues with obsession and grooming but, like everything else in *After the Hunt*, the movie doesn't deal with this and leaves it up to Stuhlbarg--who Guadagnino sees in all his movies are the speechifying life lesson bringer--to tell her the truth about her feelings. The viewer spends so much time with Alma, sweating over her past as well as a growing medical issue that's given her drug dependency, that the central allegations start to blur and disappear entirely. But, hey, that's okay, because the movie shakes its fist the most at Maggie. Maggie, a Black woman at an elite college, is continually derided as being a "mediocre student" who can't write and is only given everything in life because of her family's money. So when she comes forward with allegations the audience already is told to see her with a side-eye. And when we go back to her it's often for scenes that clearly set up Maggie as crazy and obsessed with Alma. Whether her allegations are true or not because irrelevant to the script because its central conceit is how does Alma get out of this without looking bad. Edibiri really should look at firing her agent because she's certainly not getting roles worthy of her (Opus from earlier this year is another example). She seems actively uncomfortable the deeper into the movie, and it comes off less like a character trait and her awareness that the role is problematic. She doesn't spar with Roberts so much as talk at her without flinching. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/julia2.png.webp) *After the Hunt* is a tired mess that wants to be provocative and thought-provoking in a way that feels dated and out-of-touch. The script doesn't seem interested in finding the messy middle so much as it wants to make a clean cut for the side that feels right to the screenwriter. This is less a movie about our current state of the world and more just the current status quo. ## Grade: D- *After the Hunt is in theaters now.* --- [*Want to read something cool? Check out my interview with the cast and director of Roofman over at the L.A. Times.* ](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2025-10-13/roofman-movie-true-story-jeffrey-manchester-channing-tatum-kirsten-dunst-derek-cianfrance?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***The Film Maven is seeking sponsors to help us do more! If you're interested in sponsoring independent journalism get in touch.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### Black Phone 2 Review: This Horror Sequel Skates on Very Thin Ice URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/black-phone-2-review/ Last updated: 2025-11-10T18:15:28.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/frankenstein-2025-review/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- The 2021 horror film *The Black Phone*, at the time, came off as well thanks to its Stephen King vibes--no surprise, considering the short story was written by King's son, Joe Hill--and child kidnapper storyline. You certainly can't call out screenwriters C. Robert Cargill and Scott Derrickson for repeating what worked then because the sequel, *Black Phone 2*, only takes the characters and puts them into a totally different feature that possesses little of the scares or interest as the first go-round. An homage to *Nightmare on Elm Street* so blatant as to be an outright rip-off, *Black Phone 2* takes elements that should work, but ends up losing the beat with a sluggish story and a wafer thin premise. Now teenagers, Finn and Gwen (Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw, respectively) struggle to move on after their interactions with The Grabber (Ethan Hawke). But Gwen has continued to have violent dreams, about her dead mother and a group of missing boys, that lead her up to a remote Christian youth camp in the Colorado Rockies. Trapped by a massive blizzard, Gwen and Finn must band together with those at the camp to find the missing boys and do battle with the Grabber one final time, this time in the dream world. The film's opening in 1957 sets the tone as we meet a young woman, revealed to be Gwen and Finn's deceased mother, having a conversation on an eponymous black phone, actually a phone booth randomly placed near a lake in one of several unintentionally hilarious moments. From there it's an immediate jump to 1982, reintroducing us to our leads, now young adults. Finn struggles with PTSD about his childhood kidnapping and is content to numb himself out with pot while Gwen cries and screams a lot even when she isn't having Cassandra-esque insights into murder and child death. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-06-01-211746.png) The first fifty minutes of *Black Phone 2* runs so slow that when Gwen tells Finn to go with her to Alpine Lake because he needs a job it's as if the characters are reminding everyone they need to get off their ass and do something. This is because the movie wraps itself in talk therapy, which really is just Gwen telling Finn he needs to talk about his trauma and Finn telling her he's fine. Occasionally, a random phone will ring and Finn will tell the dead person on the line he's out of that game. And then Gwen will have a dream. The repetition of this sequence of events runs cold quick because of how rote it becomes. Once Gwen and Finn arrive, complete with friend/boyfriend material Ernesto (Miguel Mora) in tow, the movie becomes a standard missing persons thriller, with the trio and the camp members looking for the dead boys to release their souls and stop the Grabber. But even that is sidetracked by the need to continually inject Gwen's dream walking. A lone clue will eventually pop up, but it comes after several minutes of Gwen walking around, reacting, and sometimes fighting. All of this is shot in a grainy, 8mm style, so it's painful to look at even before people start getting hacked up. And, like Freddy Krueger showed us, if you die in the dream you die for real so everyone must band together to...keep Gwen from falling asleep. This is McGraw's film. She's not only the one propelling events but is also the only one given personality. She's fine, but the role requires her to be so emotionally overwrought as to veer on manic. Every emotion is a Big Moment, and yet when she's given exposition or a big speech it's flat and monotone. Thames is good, but his Finn is given little to do other than be the white knight saving his sister. His main breakthrough comes too late and is acted as a relatively minor moment for him. The other cast members, including Demian Bichir as the kind-hearted camp owner, are all one-note. Bichir, though, does understand the assignment and is able to turn anything into either a source for comedy or uniting the troops. The introduction of the Grabber to this world feels so ancillary, as if the screenwriting team wanted to do an original movie and were forced to add him in and call this a sequel. Where Hawke and the character were so haunting and dynamic in the first movie, now the Grabber is just another bland supernatural entity meant to scare and torture you. Sadly, there's no scares and the torture is just....there. But, hey, at least you get to see the Grabber ice skate. Who didn't want to see that? (I'd be hard pressed to tell you whether Hawke does anything in this other than provide his voice.) There's little to *Black Phone 2* to recommend it. At nearly two hours the pacing kills any sense of momentum and the story boils down to everyone wandering in the snow looking for dead bodies. The cast is fine, but there's no meat to their characters and their performances are reflective of that. The Grabber should have stayed one and done. ## Grade: D *Black Phone 2 is in theaters Friday.* *Are you a fan of the Black Phone? Let me know in the comments.* --- [*Want to read something cool? Check out my interview with the cast and director of Roofman over at the L.A. Times.* ](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2025-10-13/roofman-movie-true-story-jeffrey-manchester-channing-tatum-kirsten-dunst-derek-cianfrance?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***The Film Maven is seeking sponsors to help us do more! If you're interested in sponsoring independent journalism get in touch.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### Bill Condon Talks Spider Women, Fred Astaire, and the Politics of Old Hollywood Musicals URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-bill-condon/ Last updated: 2025-10-19T18:35:42.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Be sure to add The Film Maven to your accepted emails so they don't end up in spam!*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** --- Director Bill Condon is an Old Hollywood nerd like me. The director/screenwriter is the man behind the likes of *Chicago* (2002), the James Whales quasi-biopic *Gods and Monsters* (1998) and even a 2003 remake of 1941's *The Devil and Daniel Webster* called *The Shortcut to Happiness*. Condon calls that one "a troubled film" during our interview. Condon's latest is *Kiss of the Spider Woman*, an adaptation of the Broadway musical, itself an adaptation of the 1985 Hector Babenco movie and the 1976 Manuel Puig novel. _This post is for subscribers on the Silver Film Maven and Gold Film Maven tiers only._ ### Frankenstein Review: Guillermo del Toro's Opulent Adaptation Struggles For Balance Between Creator and Creation URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/frankenstein-2025-review/ Last updated: 2025-11-10T18:15:36.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-review-jennifer-lopez/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- Much like *Little Women* or *Romeo and Juliet*, there's an adaptation of Mary Shelley's Gothic novel for every generation. Whether that be the OG from 1931 with Boris Karloff, to the hyper-horny 1990s take made by Kenneth Branagh, Shelley's creation has been inspiring directors for decades, and it's not stopping anytime soon. The latest to tackle the book is Guillermo del Toro, one of our contemporary Masters of Horror who has long sought this as a passion project. Del Toro's take on Shelley holds the opulence and the smoldering sexuality of the Branagh take, while retaining much of the original novel and crafting a monster with the empathy and sensitivity found in the 1931 iteration. This division though extends to the actual narrative, which swings from wild Gothic excess to more contemplative explorations on the meaning of life. Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth and Jacob Elordi give the characters their all with various rates of return. Even if it's not an instant classic, del Toro certainly understands Frankenstein and gives us a helluva ride. In 1857, a ship in the North Pole discovers the body of a broken man near death. The man is Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) who recounts his story of crafting a creature out of dead body parts and reanimating it. But presuming the Creature (Jacob Elordi) is a monster with zero intelligence, Victor hopes to destroy it. Thus starts a cat and mouse game with the Creature seeking friendship and a father as Victor tries harder to escape what he has wrought. The basic tenets of Shelley's 1881 novel are present and accounted for in del Toro's *Frankenstein*. What changes is the meaning behind Frankenstein's creation which is less about playing God (though the tagline explicitly states "only monsters play God") and more about shirking off the responsibilities of fatherhood. As Victor lays out in the film's beginning--the first half devoted to his recounting of events--he was a young boy with an acrimonious relationship to his father and an overtly close one to his mother (also played by Goth). There's an air of the incestuous to mother and son's dynamic, with Isaac's Victor practically purring about how when his father was gone "mother was mine." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/frankenstein_15deed.png.webp) There's an air of the wild, Gothic hedonism found in del Toro's *Crimson Peak* in this first half, a fact enhanced by Isaac's performance which conveys the character's arrogance and braggadocio. For this interpretation of Victor, there's an air of "who wouldn't want me" to him, particularly in his dealings with Goth's Elizabeth, the fiancee of his younger, guppy-esque little brother William (Felix Kammerer). Instead of playing up a relationship between Elizabeth and Victor, Elizabeth s given more credit for understanding exactly the type of man Victor is: one who is selfish and believes he's owed everything, including women, both because of his presumed genius and thinking he's an underdog. This is one of Isaac's best performances in awhile. He wears Kate Hawley's excellent costumes--that see him wearing foppish hats and shirts--like a boss and creates a Frankenstein that is at once pathetic, frightening, and determined. It'd be interesting to hear if del Toro lifted from the likes of Elon Musk for the presentation of Frankenstein as an omnipotent God-man. Isaac also finds the humor in how ridiculous Victor is. At one point, he sneaks into a confessional to hear Elizabeth, only for the two to realize they're each being played to hilarious effect. Del Toro never shies away from the blood and gore, and this take on *Frankenstein* is no different. The goal is to emphasize how garish and macabre Victor's plans are, so watching reanimated torsos thrash around in pain certainly accomplishes that, and makes the audience wonder what's practical effects and what isn't. The arrival of Hallender (Christoph Waltz), Elizabeth's syphilitic uncle who wants to see Frankenstein create a full man, marks the moment where Victor leaves science behind to do something more. The creation of the actual monster isn't as iconic as in the 1931 version--no shouting "It's alive" here--but that isn't del Toro's point. The concept here is more about the birthing, proverbially speaking, of the monster, and what happens when it isn't what Victor wants. The arrival of Elordi into the narrative changes the entire middle and back half of *Frankenstein*, with the emphasis more on a child trying hard to find love and having it unreciprocated by a parent who thinks they're deficient. (It's blurry whether I'd consider this an out-and-out disability narrative or not.) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/PF_20240313_04779_R.jpg.webp) Elordi brings a quieter energy to the movie. There's a remove to him, maybe because of the makeup effects that make him look more like a cross between the Prometheus aliens and the Na'vi (with a smidge of Rocky from *Rocky Horror* in his outfit). Unlike the lumbering, shambolic, man-child of past interpretations, Elordi makes his Creature more balletic, leaping on and off things. His near-silent performance forces him to rely on facial expressions to convey the character's sense of shame and fear. There's less a childishness to the character and one more in a perpetual state of awe. Even his dynamic with Elizabeth feels more motivated by a Tempest-esque level of meeting a new person than a standard romance; though del Toro does love him a girl falling for a monster. But what had such energy and rapid-fire pacing for the first hour slows demonstrably in the second as the Creature takes over, filling in the details of his life without Victor. The famous blind man section of the movie dominates this narrative which is sweet, until the arrival of some epic scale CGI wolves make one feel as if they're in a totally different movie. The rest of the cast are purely the noise that surrounds Elordi and Isaac. Mia Goth plays both Elizabeth and Victor's mother, and while she has a rather limited presence overall she does a decent job. And, again, those Kate Hawley costumes work beautifully on her. Waltz and Kammerer are also decent, but they don't have much to do other than play the voices either repelling or pushing Victor forward. *Frankenstein*, in del Toro's hands, is another story of fathers and sons akin to his 2022 take on *Pinocchio*. Visually, *Frankenstein* is a feast of impeccable costumes and production design. And the first hour of the movie is thrilling, with Isaac in fine form. The second half is muted, but still has a power to it, coupled with a unique performance from Elordi. ## Grade: B- *Frankenstein drops November 7.* *What's your favorite Frankenstein adaptation? Drop it in the comments.* --- [*Want to read something cool? Check out my interview with the cast and director of Roofman over at the L.A. Times.* ](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2025-10-13/roofman-movie-true-story-jeffrey-manchester-channing-tatum-kirsten-dunst-derek-cianfrance?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ***The Film Maven is seeking sponsors to help us do more! If you're interested in sponsoring independent journalism get in touch.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### Popcorn Disability: Chucky, Nica, a Cult and a Curse URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/chucky-movies/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T16:34:20.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, where I look at disability through the lens of popular culture.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/friday-the-13th-disabled-character/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- Mark, the affable, good-looking guy who became victim to Jason Voorhees's machete in [*Friday the 13th: Part 2*](https://thefilmmaven.com/friday-the-13th-disabled-character/) didn't spark a legion of imitators, though this and *Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors* did come out relatively close together. Or, at least the inspiration took awhile to get going. The horror genre has made its reputation on the final girl, the last woman left standing whose goodness (and virginity) allows her to overcome the killer. For a long time those characters were strictly white women. And, for even longer, they were also abled. But, thanks to Mark, we finally got a disabled final girl in 2013 with *The Curse of Chucky*. You could say Mark (proverbially) walked so Chucky's heroine, Nica Pierce, could run. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Another Article on Taylor Swift's Life of a Showgirl URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-life-of-a-showgirl-taylor-swift/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T16:34:34.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and chat with me on our exclusive Discord server.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- There's been a lot written about Taylor Swift this week. Everyone has opinions about her latest album, *The Life of a Showgirl*, and media has deconstructed it from every angle: [what it says about her relationship](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/critics-notebook/do-we-still-like-taylor-swift-when-shes-happy?ref=thefilmmaven.com), [what it says about sex](https://www.elle.com/culture/music/a68300347/taylor-swift-wood-lyrics-travis-kelce-meaning/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), [did she "lift" from other artists](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/music/articles/taylor-swift-wood-song-not-074217065.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com)? It feels like, more than her last album, the discourse is loud and it's...not exactly positive. Many pundits have feelings about whether the latest album proves [she's losing her shine](https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/06/entertainment/video/taylor-swift-life-of-a-showgirl-fan-reactions-france-vrtc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) or whether her pedestal is wavering in the wake of now bigger artists. I'm not reinventing the wheel with today's post, but I did want to lay out some of my thoughts I've had over listening to the album for the last several days (and having "Elizabeth Taylor" run through my head on a loop) and urge everyone to give their own thoughts in the comments. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Kiss of the Spider Woman Review: Bill Condon Hits This Political Musical Out of the Park URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/kiss-of-the-spider-woman-review-jennifer-lopez/ Last updated: 2025-11-10T18:13:21.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/friday-the-13th-disabled-character/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- Movies have simultaneously provided comfort during hard times while often espousing the mentality of the status quo. The dichotomy of escapism and propaganda is at the heart of director Bill Condon's beautifully rendered of Manuel Puig's novel--itself turned into a feature film in 1985 by Hector Babenco--*Kiss of the Spider Woman*. What results from Condon's two-hour opus is a swirling, magnetic tribute to Old Hollywood musicals couched in the story of two political prisoners trying to survive oppressive conditions. Condon, also the screenwriter, crafts a story that builds on what the writer did with Chicago in how it utilizes stardom, music, and power during oppressive times. Couple that with searing performances by Diego Luna, Tonatiuh, and Jennifer Lopez, and *Kiss of the Spider Woman* may not be the best musical of all times, but it's certainly one of the most dazzling films of 2025\. The year is 1983 in Argentina, where a vicious government currently imprisons political agitators as well as those deemed outside by the government. Valentin Arregui (Luna) is a member of the resistance with information the government wants. Luis Molina (Tonatiuh) is imprisoned for being a gay man and forced to room with Valentin in the hopes of extracting information in order to secure parole. Valentin isn't aware of Molina's intentions, but doesn't like his new roommate, specifically for Molina's love of movies. But, as the two are forced to rely on each other, Valentin becomes enmeshed in Molina's recounting a movie he loves starring Ingrid Luna (Lopez) called *Kiss of the Spider Woman*. Condon fully enmeshes audiences in the fantastic worlds he creates, whether that's 1920s Chicago, 1800s France, or even Forks, Washington (the man made two *Twilight* films). There's a sense of scope and history created without ever belaboring the point and that's necessary here, both for Valentin and Molina's imprisonment as well as in Molina's recounting of the movie. Even when the outside world threatens the interiority of their dream, the viewer grasps at how fleeting it in. This world of oppression and hatred will one day crumble and what will remain are the "pleasant thoughts" found between Molina and Valentin in the dark, celebrating their friendship, love, and love for the movies. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/Kiss_of_the_Spider_Woman-Still_1-H-2025.jpg.webp) There's a passionate vein that runs through the movie, whether that be Valentin's commitment to the resistance--he's willing to die if he has to--or Molina's passion for what films bring him. There's even a deep well of passion within *Kiss of the Spider Woman*, the fictional movie, in the character of Aurora, the fictional woman Lopez's Ingrid Luna plays who believes she'll never love. Luna is perfectly cast as the strong-willed revolutionary. Clearly someone watched him in Andor. He's a character who doesn't shine but convey a sense of strength. He's the stalwart cynic, rolling his eyes at Molina's love for movies, seeing the gay man as weak for his presumption that movies "had respect for women then." Valentin sees movies as shills for the state and yet, in Luna's hand, the audience never pulls away from him but admit he's certainly tempering expectations. But, like most movie fans, who wants to be reminded of how movies are political tools? It's why Tonatiuh's Molina dominates the movie. Molina's love for the movies masks a wellness of pain, whether that be for how he's oppressed due to his sexuality, or for all the lovers who have used and left him. When he meets Valentin, he sees a curmudgeon but also another cold man to gravitate towards romantically. When Molina tells the story both of them find representation in the movie within the movie; Valentin also plays Aurora's politically inclined love interest, while Molina is her queer-coded valet perpetually on the sidelines. Tonatiuh is a revelation. Not only does he have a lovely voice, shown off in songs like "She's a Woman" and "Only in the Movies," but warmth radiates off him. He makes Molina a highly compassionate man just seeking love. As much as Valentin pushes him aside, Molina comes back stronger, just not to be released from prison but to find someone who understands who he is (outside of his mother). It is in the fictional *Spider Woman* film where the movie becomes truly breathtaking. Condon knows his way around making something beautiful so it's unsurprising that Scott Chambliss's production design and Colleen Atwood's costumes are flawless. Same for those working hair and makeup. But all of this opens up the movie to examining how movies become our saviors. Songs like "Where You Are" literally discuss how movies can be therapy for us, so long as we aren't living our lives by them. And there is such a deep wellspring of adherence to what makes the golden age of Hollywood sing (Ingrid Luna is drawn from the likes of Cyd Charisse). For Molina, he wants to be Ingrid Luna, not only for her ability to wear glamorous gowns, but to be adored, accepted, and respected. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/Kiss-of-the-Spider-Woman-2025-But-Why-Tho-2.jpg) When Tonatiuh and Lopez perform it is utterly magnetic, with the former actor easily on the same level as the veteran actress. They complement each other which makes sense as, to Molina, they are two halves of the same coin. Lopez, to her credit, IS Ingrid Luna. The character is a literal cipher, a combination of an actress playing a part as well as Molina's conception of her. But in dual role as the Spider Woman and as Ingrid Luna, you see the dichotomy of being a character and a performer. For Molina, Ingrid Luna is a playful imaginary friend--crooning to him to "come play with me"--and on the other she is a temptress who could shatter his dreams at any moment. For Molina, the reality of Ingrid being her own person can't happen. Lopez is utterly gorgeous (no surprise) but she's forced to convey an entire character strictly through song. Her performances of the title song and a romantic ballad like "I Do Miracles" show off her voice and her ability to impart fear, longing, romance, and anger. If there are any flaws in the film it's in Kander and Ebb's songs, which feel short or truncated. They play in the film more like TikTok songs, cut off after a bridge or two. Something like "Kiss of the Spider Woman," the eponymous track, is not even three minutes. *Kiss of the Spider Woman* is astounding. If you aren't a musical fan, will you be in hell? Probably. But for those who enjoy a sweeping musical story, or for lovers of Old Hollywood, you'll be in Heaven for the next two hours. ## Grade: A *Kiss of the Spider Woman hits theaters October 10.* --- *Are you planning to see Kiss of the Spider Woman? What do you think of the trailer? Drop it in the comments.* ***The Film Maven is seeking sponsors to help us do more! If you're interested in sponsoring independent journalism get in touch.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### Influencers Take to the Mic: Let's Not Call Podcasts a New Medium for Film Journalism URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/influencer-podcast/ Last updated: 2025-10-07T16:44:42.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *If you want to read the full story consider becoming a Gold Film Maven subscriber. Gold Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including full access all paid content such as my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/) *as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- Back on the 27th, [Variety published an article](https://variety.com/2025/film/columns/celebrities-podcasts-hollywood-publicity-1236533571/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) about a new type of people seen at press junkets: podcasters. Now, normally press-averse actors (Leonardo DiCaprio is used as an example) are game to jump onto a podcast because there's a feeling of intimacy. The focus of the article is less on the idea how why celebrities are jumping on the podcast market and more the struggle of getting celebs who hate giving interviews out of their homes and out promoting a movie in a shaky cinematic landscape. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### The 11 Best Things I Watched and Read in September URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-september-2025/ Last updated: 2025-10-06T16:00:04.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/friday-the-13th-disabled-character/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- We're a week into October and after a whirlwind series of timelier articles I wanted to celebrate the movies and books I fell in love with last month. We're knee-deep in For Your Consideration season on the road to the Oscars, so a lot of what I'm watching these days are upcoming new releases--s always, the hyperlinks will take you to any reviews I've written--but there were a few older new discoveries. I also shout-out two new Hollywood biographies worth adding to your shelves. ## [Eleanor the Great (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/eleanor-the-great-review-scarlett-johansson-june-squibb/) The reviews for this one weren't great from my colleagues--a common refrain from the movies I saw this month--but I remain charmed by Scarlett Johannson's directorial debut. [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/eleanor-the-great-review-scarlett-johansson-june-squibb/): A story about a great lie and the impact it has on others opens up to explore the need to pass stories on to the next generation, and how often the stories of the elderly are either ignored or exploited, as well as the loneliness that comes when one hits a certain age. Ably handled by Scarlett Johansson, in her directorial debut, *Eleanor the Great* isn't just another knockout performance by Squibb, but a tender story of friendship, love, and remembrance. Squibb continues to show such nuance in her performances. Eleanor Morgenstein holds little in common with Thelma Post (the main character from Thelma). As Eleanor, Squibb takes on the part of listener. Many of her interactions involve hearing Bessie's stories. Being the vessel by which they're carried out. She holds the same role for Nina, allowing the girl to share her pain outside of her cold household. Cinematographer Helene Louvart pushes the camera in close on conversations between Eleanor and others, forcing the audience to take note of every moment where Squibb expresses confusion, sadness, or joy. ## [Bugonia (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/bugonia-review-yorgos-lanthimos-emma-stone/) Yorgos Lanthimos's latest is such a stark, some might say bleak, story of our Earth and humanity's inability to save it. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemmons are beasts in dueling roles that require them to turn everything up to 11\. [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/bugonia-review-yorgos-lanthimos-emma-stone/): What's been called Lanthimos's most political feature to date, *Bugonia* is a story steeped in the world of conspiracy theory, toxic work environment, and all manner of things we point to as reasons the world sucks. But in Lanthimos's hands that becomes an opportunity to tell a wild, at times cringingly hilarious, story about our planet, how we choose to spend our time, and aliens. Lots of aliens. Where else can you see a movie that gives us electroshock therapy to a Green Day song? Yorgos Lanthimos's *Bugonia* is such a fresh exploration of humanity and what our future in the world is. One could say by the time it reaches its conclusion it's utterly depressing, and yet it feels so inevitable. This is a movie where you'll want to wait for others to see it so you can truly dive into its themes. Plemons is the MVP, though Delbis and Stone are also great. Another hit from Lanthimos! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/alice_doesnt_live_here_anymore_1_1280.jpg) ## Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) There aren't many Martin Scorsese films I've yet to see but I got to cross off this delicate story of a single mom trying to raise her young son. Ellen Burstyn is phenomenal as the eponymous Alice, a woman who believed, as a child, she'd be the next Alice Faye but life hasn't dealt her a Hollywood story, yet. When her husband dies her and her son, Tommy (Alfred Lutter III) move in the hopes of Alice getting a singing career. What happens is Alice learns to balance her dreams with the needs of another, her child. On top of that, Alice embarks on a series of relationships. One of them is with a baby-faced Harvey Keitel who makes a meal out of his runtime. Burstyn's relationship with Kris Kristofferson is also poignant in its authenticity. These are two people actively engaging in the risk of a relationship. This is also just another pitch-perfect child performance for me, the second I've seen this year (the other being in *The Goodbye Girl*). Gotta give props to baby Jodie Foster here for playing the foul-mouthed best friend of Tommy. Her character was clearly preparation for Taxi Driver. Such a stellar film from a true directing master. ## *The Uncool: A Memoir* by Cameron Crowe If you follow me on social you know the work of Cameron Crowe, particularly his feature *Almost Famous*, is near and dear to my heart. So when Crowe announced plans to return to the world of writing and pen his memoirs, I counted down the days. Suffice it to say, *The Uncool* got me as deeply as Crowe's films at their best. If you're seeking writing about his filmmaking output, sorry, that's for another book (which I hope he writes one day). Crowe lays out his own life story, much of it lifted for *Almost Famous*. He talks about his fractious family and the suicide of his sister who struggled with mental disabilities. He also talks deeply about music, and how that love turned him into the youngest writer for *Rolling Stone* magazine. He shares a ton of amazing tales about hanging out with some of the biggest bands of the 1970s, including a story about Gregg Allman that is thrilling as it is heartbreaking. Through it all, Crowe makes you feel seen. There were passages in the book that, as I look at the world of journalism seeming fall apart around me, felt inspired by my own struggles (in a way, his book is like a great song). Crowe understands adolescence so acutely, even as a grown man looking back on it through doing the *Almost Famous* musical. It's a wonderful, fast-paced, amazing look at such a unique filmmaker. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/thumb_0A9CDB65-4C88-47AC-9CD1-87E1E70BD5DB.jpg) ## [Hedda (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/hedda-review-tessa-thompson-nia-dacosta/) Pretty sure *Hedda* is this year's *Conclave* for all the people I've brought it up to. It's just such a chef's kiss of a movie with Tessa Thompson and Nia DaCosta the female equivalent to Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan. When the two pair up, you know it'll be magic. [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/hedda-review-tessa-thompson-nia-dacosta/): Hedda Gabler, in DaCosta's interpretation, is a story of women seeking control. Hedda starts by wanting to control how the party will go. "Nothing can go wrong tonight," she declares, which the audience understands is impossible considering the movie begins with Hedda being interrogated by police. Hedda herself also sabotages this perfection from the get-go, inviting her bohemian friends alongside George's uptight academic muckety-mucks. For all her desire to control things, Hedda is doomed to sabotage. This is contrasted with Eileen, a woman seeking for control and, more importantly, respect as a writer and academic, and as a queer woman to boot this is impossible considering the time period. *Hedda* is one of the year's best movies with Thompson nothing short of wondrous. I always say the movies I love are the hardest reviews to write and this one was difficult if only because there's so much minute detailing to deconstruct. This is an adaptation that transcends its stage bound origins. ## Rental Family (2025) Director Hikari's *Rental Family* is a real unsung gem right now that I think more people are gonna fall in love with when it debuts in November. Brendan Fraser, continuing to show us why he's such an underrated performer, plays a down-on-his-luck actor who gets an opportunity to be a stand-in for a little girl who doesn't know her father. What starts as pretending to be her father to get her into school ends up forcing Fraser's character to realize how much he needs people in his life. It's such a sweet little movie. Fraser is great but it's also got wonderful performances from Takehiro Hira and Mari Yamamoto. ## [One Battle After Another (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/one-battle-after-another-review-leonardo-dicaprio-paul-thomas-anderson/) Pretty sure everyone is in love with One Battle After Another. Not a day goes by I don't see a meme or clip from it. Hell, [it got me to write a whole thing about Thomas Pynchon](https://thefilmmaven.com/one-battle-after-another-politics-pynchon/), an author I have no love lost for. It really is the movie of the fall. [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/one-battle-after-another-review-leonardo-dicaprio-paul-thomas-anderson/): But what Anderson does with *One Battle After Another* is practically create political theater, with two stories twining and twisting around each other, one based on freedom and anger, the other based on racism and white supremacy. The fact that these two movies dovetail so neatly--Anderson has cited Stanley Kubrick's *Dr. Strangelove* as an influence on this--is what makes *One Battle After Another* so masterly. Add into that utterly luminous performances by an ensemble cast of legends (and legends in the making), and you have what is one of the most enjoyable and incisive movies of the year. It's amazing how quickly the runtime flies but that's the power of a string of interesting characters and a narrative that has so many threads to explore. One Battle After Another is an ensemble powerhouse, with Anderson taking a stab at what could be his most politically charged feature. DiCaprio is wonderful, but then again there's not a dull note in the entire cast. ## *Clint: The Man and the Movies* by Shawn Levy I'm not a Clint Eastwood fan, certainly not enough to read a 500-page biography on him. And yet I set out to read *Clint: The Man and the Movies* because of author Shawn Levy (not the director). Levy is one of the best celebrity biographers--if you haven't read his book on the Chateau Marmont, do it--so when he writes about a subject, whether I like them or not, I read it. This is a fairly comprehensive exploration of every movie Eastwood has made, up until his most recent. Levy presents the facts in a florid, accessible manner, and leaves the reader to suss out whether they like Eastwood or not (and there's a fair bit that makes you think he's kind of a shit). If you want to just learn about Eastwood's films, the transitions in Hollywood stardom, or just want a damn good biography, pick this one up. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/MV5BMTM1MDg1MTY1OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzA2NjU0NA@@._V1_.jpg) ## Pump Up the Volume (1990) I'd seen Allan Moyle's feature film *Pump Up the Volume* on a few cult classic lists and since it was expiring last month on Criterion I decided to give it a watch and thank goodness I did. It's understandable why this didn't hit in 1990, in a world where teen movies tended to veer towards high fantasy as adults figured the kids were more than alright. But to watch in 2025, in the era of rampant gun violence and adolescent activism, it hits far differently. That and the fact that Slater's character is the first podcast kid, imho. Christian Slater plays a teen, new to town, who starts a pirate radio station where he says all the things he wishes he could. The kids in his town respond to it, but when one of them commits suicide, the adults at his school are hellbent on bringing him down. Slater is remarkable here, as a teen boy with a cockiness he masks in person. The script never feels like these are kids written by adults, but actual kids, decrying the need to excel, to conform, to be perfect. It's highly thought-provoking and a great "screw the Man" movie. ## [A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/a-big-bold-beautiful-journey-review-margot-robbie/) Pretty sure I'm the only one that enjoyed this and I stand by it. [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/a-big-bold-beautiful-journey-review-margot-robbie/): Like Kogonada's previous features, particularly his 2017 feature *Columbus*, it's the tale of two wayward spirits who find each other and have to remove their own baggage (or bullshit, if you will) to find love. At the end of the journey, what the audience has experienced is a wondrous dive into humanity's capacity for love that is truly life-affirming. I felt this was a movie made specifically for me, and I have a feeling others will think that as well. *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey* is gorgeous in both cinematography and execution. A thrilling adventure where Robbie and Farrell play lush characters who are beautiful messes. It's a movie for the moment, and boy, do we need it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/KOTSW_3_5ccc59ade0.jpg.webp) ## Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025) I have a full review coming of this later in the week but if you're an Old Hollywood musical fan you will devour this one. Bill Condon beautifully adapts the musical for the screen in a way that illustrates the dichotomies of why we love movies in hard times, for their escapism, and how that butts heads with propaganda. Everything about this movie is beautiful, from the casting to the costumes to the production design. Jennifer Lopez and her musical numbers are flawless. But it's Tonatiuh and Diego Luna who are heartbreaking and perfect in equal measure. I loved this so much. --- *What movies or books did you fall in love with last month? Let me know what you recommend in the comments.* ***The Film Maven is seeking sponsors to help us do more! If you're interested in sponsoring independent journalism get in touch.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### Popcorn Disability: Mark in 'Friday the 13th, Part 2' URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/friday-the-13th-disabled-character/ Last updated: 2025-10-03T16:09:06.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *one-two exclusive articles a week* including access to my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*, as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/play-dirty-review-shane-black/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** ***This formerly paywalled post is now free for Halloween!*** An interesting article is still interesting no matter when it comes out, or at least that’s what I’m saying to justify putting out a piece about Friday the 13th on Monday the 16th. That’s a future franchise! But in all honesty, the horror genre has always been hospitable to disabled characters and storylines, whether that’s actual characters with disabilities or significant disabled coding in the narrative. Isabel Christine Pinedo writes in *Recreational Terror: Women and the Pleasures of Horror Film Viewing* that “much as the horror film is an exercise in terror, it is simultaneously an exercise in mastery, in which controlled loss substitutes a loss of control.” To watch a horror film, as an abled person, is to look at a portrayal of disability and safely see the fantasy within it. As much as monsters don’t exist so does the belief that, as a healthy person, disability cannot touch you. But, with disability grounded in reality, age, pandemics, and general health bringing people closer to it everyday, the remove of watching a horror movie puts the viewer on the knife’s edge of fantasy and reality. This is all to say that some of the best horror features are about disabled characters or have disabled coding. Friday the 13th, Part 2 actually has both. Jason’s drowning in Camp Crystal Lake, the direct result of the negligence of a group of horny camp counselors, sets up a horror icon but there are several stray references as to whether Jason is disabled. Jason’s mother (and, in case you forgot, the killer) says in the first film, “Jason should have been watched every minute,” alluding to him requiring special attention. Other allusions to Jason’s disabilities include the 1981 sequel, *Friday the 13th: Part 2*, wherein counselor Ginny (Amy Steel) psychoanalyzes Jason. “What would he be like today? An out of control psychopath? A frightened re—? A child trapped in a man’s body?” It says a lot that those are the three options she foresees: a murderer, a scared mentally disabled person, and a man-child. Even more is revealed about Jason’s disability in 1982’s *Friday the 13th: Part 3* when it’s revealed Jason has hydrocephalus, a condition wherein fluid builds up in one’s brain and the resultant pressure causes damage. A person describes Jason as being “so grotesque, he was almost inhuman.” It’s hard not to root for this guy with such antipathy towards him. If *Friday the 13th* was an ‘80s action film the audience would root for Jason to get revenge like he was John Rambo. Instead, it hearkens back to the Victorian era to illustrate that a mentally disabled man with facial deformities is something to be destroyed…over multiple films. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/Screen-Shot-2016-04-26-at-8.55.19-PM.png) But more interesting than Jason’s potential disability is one of the lead roles in *Friday the 13th, Part 2*. Taking place after the events of the first film, the sequel follows another group of horny teens returning to Camp Crystal Lake. One of them is Mark (Tom McBride), a confident, good-looking guy who happens to be a wheelchair user. I’d actually never seen the movie or heard about the character until I interviewed Chucky director Don Mancini several years ago. He cited Mark as an influence on the creation of Chucky final girl Nica (Fiona Dourif). For Mancini, he wanted to showcase a character who was hot, smart, cool, and is disabled. Mark (Tom McBride) is a charming guy with an athletic build and his disability stems from being a masculine daredevil. As he tells one of the other Camp Crystal Lake counselors, he was hurt in a motorcycle accident and “I don’t intend to be in this thing \[a wheelchair\] all my life.” It’s a throwaway line that stinks of ableism, as if to remind the audience that they should empathize with Mark because he doesn’t want to be disabled and doesn’t plan to be. God forbid he just be an athlete who now uses a wheelchair and is fine with it. However, and it’s a big however, inserting a disabled character like Mark into the horror world situates him as no different from his cinematic peers. They’re all bloody notches on a serial killer’s belt. And while Mark says he doesn’t plan on being disabled forever there is no wish fulfillment to found in Mark’s statement nor does one get the sense that, were he abled, his outcome in the narrative would be different. In a franchise known for its gratuitous sex scenes, *Friday the 13th: Part 2* is pretty chaste. Only one couple gets impaled while engaging in sexual activity. But when it comes to disability, those with them are generally portrayed in movies as asexual or otherwise pining for love and intimacy that never happens. Not so with Mark who is a sexual character with good looks and, more importantly, has that reciprocated if only because the 1980s sold themselves on the amount of teens having sex in them. He and fellow counselor Vickie (Lauren-Marie Taylor) get a solid make-out session and are on their way to having sex before that pesky Jason comes a-calling. Mark dying without having sex has nothing to do with his disability, it’s just the hazard of being in a horror movie. If there’s anything gratuitous in *Friday the 13th: Part 2* it’s Mark’s death. Cited by horror lovers as one of the most brutal deaths in the franchise, Mark takes Jason’s iconic machete to the face before he and his wheelchair fall backwards, out of the cabin, and down a huge stone staircase apparently hiding off-camera. Seriously, where has that staircase been the whole movie? It’s a bit much. Why do horror films feel the need to go the extra mile on disabled deaths? Is it because the death of disabled characters is edgy? Maybe it’s an attempt to surprise able-bodied audiences or use the shock value to catch them off-guard. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/10/F13_2_pitchfork.jpg) The disabled, with their on-screen history of helplessness and victimhood puts them in the same category as children and animals as off-limits groups for slashers. They are the invisible line in the sand, a verboten group of untouchables due to their perceived innocence or the fact that they’re easier prey. Though Mark is on the same metaphorical footing as his abled friends, his disability still makes him more vulnerable to ableism. However, he’s relatable to disabled viewers because they understand his limitations and use what they have at their disposal. If death is the great equalizer, it’s nice seeing characters like them not depicted as overly weak or inferior. --- *Have you considered subscribing to The Film Maven’s Founders Plan? As a Founder you can set up regular Zoom meetings with me to learn how to get into film journalism or publishing. Founders also receive regular care packages and swag! Consider becoming the ultimate Film Maven Founder today.* *What do you think about Mark or Friday the 13th: Part 2? How do you look at disabled characters in the horror genre?* ### That Academy Museum Article (and What the Museum Should Do) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/academy-museum-problems/ Last updated: 2025-11-03T18:14:02.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *If you want to read the full story consider becoming a Gold Film Maven subscriber. Gold Film Mavens get access to *two-three exclusive articles a week* including full access all paid content such as my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/) *and* [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/) *as well as the ability to chat with me on The Film Maven's Discord server.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** Starting last week I saw a ton of people circulate an article from Alta Online called, "[Why the Academy Museum is a Hollywood Flop](https://www.altaonline.com/culture/architecture/a65874884/academy-museum-hollywood-review-failure/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNFNHFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHqpFTjDQkgJ1E-U9z54RSZbmY9cn2OFythdLgrYA6f9Hs3okiF9vyZr4cAwi%5Faem%5FtQjb8cWEnCzwwfcLwdVduQ&ref=thefilmmaven.com)." (Weirdly enough, that title is not what readers see right off the bat which is "More Flop Than Blockbuster.") Whether you were from Los Angeles or not, or whether you had even been to the museum or not, people had opinions. So many that, as of this writing, I'm still seeing people push this article. So, let's discuss the Academy Museum, if it truly sucks and what could conceivably be done (if anything) to improve it. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### 16 Must-See Movies of October 2025 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-october-2025/ Last updated: 2025-10-01T17:18:27.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and chat with me on our exclusive Discord server.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** There's a chill in the air (unless you live in Southern California where it's still got its 90 degree days) and pumpkin spice latte season has been here for over a month. And with [the government shut down](https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/government-shutdown-us-congress-10-01-25?ref=thefilmmaven.com) for the moment there's no better time to hit up the movie theater! If you're looking for something other than seeing One Battle After Another again I have several possibilities for ya below. Most of the sixteen titles I've included I've already seen--with coverage forthcoming--because, "Hey, Oscars season." So let's strap in and look through some of the movies worth getting excited about this month. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Play Dirty Review: Shane Black's Parker Adaptation Is a Muddy Mess URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/play-dirty-review-shane-black/ Last updated: 2025-11-03T18:14:21.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. Becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and chat with me on our exclusive Discord server.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/roofman-review-channing-tatum/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** You'd think there'd be some more fanfare about a new Shane Black venture. Black exists in the same world as Paul Thomas Anderson, a creative who takes his time making movies and whose fervid fanbase usually shows up and shows out for him. If I had a nickel for every time I saw someone drop a *Nice Guys* (2016) meme or talk about it being the perfect movie I'd be as wealthy as the overbearing billionaire in this movie. And yet Black's return after a seven year hiatus is being met with a near-silent response. The lack of interest is two-pronged: One is that movies that premiere exclusively on Prime Video, and the other is that Amazon appears to know they have a bit of a lemon on their hands. It's not that *Play Dirty* is a terrible movie, just a very dull one. One that never feels like a Shane Black-directed feature but, perhaps more egregiously, feels like a movie you'd find on Amazon Prime. The movie lacks the crackling dialogue, tempestuous buddy comedy, and sharp storytelling of Black's greatest hits like the aforementioned *The Nice Guys* or 2005's *Kiss Kiss Bang Bang*. And with a perpetually crotchety, and miscast, Mark Wahlberg in the role, even the cast seems to misunderstand the fun and humor of being in a Shane Black film. Based on the popular Parker novels, the story follows the titular criminal (Walhberg) after surviving a massacre that sees much of his crew taken out. Hellbent on revenge, Parker goes seeking Zen (Rosa Salazar), the woman who betrayed everyone. Through a series of events, Parker and Zen are forced to work together to pull off a heist that won't just make them wealthy, but potentially lead to the end of a brutal military regime for a Latin American country. Along the way, Parker is also hunted by members of The Outfit, whom he promised never to cross again. There are certainly moments that scream "This is a Shane Black film," from the saxophone heavy score to the fact it's set on Black's favorite holiday: Christmas. But other than these cursory moments there's little of the guns and good humor that permeated his previous work. If anything there's guns....and that's about it. *Play Dirty* feels less like a '70s buddy actioner and more an '80s actioner, and we know there's a distinction between the two. Black wrote the script alongside Chuck Mondry and Anthony Bagarozzi, both of whom worked on the equally lackluster remake of *Road House* for Prime Video, and that's *Play Dirty's* closest comparison. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/Mateo_Gabriel_Alvarado_Grofield_LaKeith_Stanfield_Zen_Rosa_Salazar_Colonel_Ortiz_Hemky_Madera_and_Parker_Mark_Wahlberg_in_PLAY_DIRTY__Photo_Credit__Jasin_Boland_Prime__Amazon_Content_Services_LLC_3000-H-2025.jpg.webp) After the botched heist Parker isn't just determined to kill Zen for the murder of his team or, more specifically, just the murder of his friend Philly (Thomas Jane). Parker promises Philly's pretty wife Grace (Gretchen Moll) that he'll kill Zen. Of course, Parker becomes interested in the heist Zen is pulling off and, convinced he's a better criminal than her, takes everything over. From there the script becomes unnecessarily convoluted and delineated into three parts, almost as if each screenwriter took a piece for themselves. There's the Parker and Zen plot, there's Parker's attempt to get together a crew for the big heist, and then there's the subplot with the Outfit and it's leader Lozini (Tony Shalhoub). The three don't necessarily dovetail so much as they smash into each other and work themselves out. There's been a few attempts to adapt Donald E. Westlake's popular Parker novels, with Lee Marvin, Jason Statham and Mel Gibson taking on the role in past iterations. The character is one whose name inspires fear. Numerous characters in *Play Dirty* say, "It's Parker" with an implied shudder behind it. This is a man who doesn't play by the rules and kills indiscriminately, a more violent James Bond (weirdly enough, the opening credits are very Bond-esque). None of that fits Wahlberg, a replacement for a role originally written for Robert Downey, Jr. (who still seems an odd choice but better suited for Black's comedic crime stylings). Wahlberg plays the role like a grumpier take on his Italian Job character, spouting out things to do when he isn't shooting people for just annoying him. Parker, as a character, is a cipher and Wahlberg gives no additional depth. Characters routinely call him a psycho but he's more like a disappointed dad. His face is etched in a perpetual scowl and while the character doesn't require warmth, there's also little charm, gravitas or momentum to keep us watching. Wahlberg just seems irritated that he's in the movie to begin with. (His reaction to a guy laughing at the name Glasscock is one of the few laugh moments Wahlberg is directly responsible for.) The real scene-stealer is LaKeith Stanfield as Parker's right hand, and failed actor, Grofield. Stanfield has a flair for the comedic banter and dialogue. He's charming and just makes you say, "Why isn't he leading the movie?" The rest of the cast are chess pieces to move around for the heist, none possessing much depth or personality. Keegan Michael-Key and Claire Lovering play a married couple tasked with dressing up and taking over a garbage truck when they aren't sniping at each other. While Chai Hansen plays the perpetually dimwitted Stan. Nat Wolff and Shalhoub are serviceable as members of The Outfit but there's little to fear from them because the organization comes off as amorphous and ill-defined. Then there's Rosa Salazar as criminal mastermind (and full-time hottie as the movie likes to remind us), Zen. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/Play_Dirty.jpg.webp) Salazar is very much out of her depth despite the script trying hard to make her more than just the femme fatale. Her attempts to flirt with Parker are cringe but are meant to be as he's completely uninterested in her. But Salazar flounders to give a fleshed-out performance. One scene, of Parker shooting a guy, plays like she missed her reaction shot by a beat. Zen is supposed to be a bit of a freedom fighter, trying to liberate state-owned treasure and topple a dictatorial regime, but Salazer just seems like a young girl playing a revolutionary. This could explain why, for everything the movie lays out, the movie still feels the need to dole out punishment to her character in a way that feels very tone deaf in 2025\. *Play Dirty* won't be bringing Parker back to the big screen anytime soon, and it's a real failure from Black. There's little that's fun or engaging. Hopefully Black can reassess and come back stronger with another picture, one that's suited to his talents. If anything, I hope he works with LaKeith Stanfield again who is the only one who understands the assignment. ## Grade: D *Play Dirty hits Prime Video tomorrow.* *What's your go-to Shane Black movie? Leave a comment below.* *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### Roofman Review: Channing Tatum Delivers in Derek Cianfrance's Charming Con Comedy URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/roofman-review-channing-tatum/ Last updated: 2025-09-29T16:00:04.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. Becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and chat with me on* [*our exclusive Discord server*](https://discord.com/channels/1420176933156683798/1420176935467614330?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/hedda-review-tessa-thompson-nia-dacosta/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** During a recent Q&A before his latest movie, *Roofman*, director Derek Cianfrance joked about how this was the first movie he's made that didn't depress the audience. The director, whose previous features include 2010's *Blue Valentine* and *The Place Beyond the Pines* (2012), is certainly onto something. *Roofman* is by far Cianfrance's most accessible work in that it's a somewhat lighthearted, Capra-esque (to quote fellow film critic Courtney Howard) exploration of family and connection. But the whole doesn't quite work 100%, with its leading man forced to hold everything together. It is Channing Tatum who keeps the audience riveted to *Roofman*, even when the script gives him a gaggle of underwritten characters to work opposite. Jeffrey Manchester (Tatum) is a kindhearted man devoted to his family. He's also a career criminal who has robbed dozens of McDonalds stores in the 1990s, albeit with a "thank you" to those he places in the freezer. When he's caught and sentenced to 45 years in prison, Jeff is worried about losing his family so he decides to break out. A series of bad decisions sees him hole up in a North Carolina Toys R Us until he can flee the country. But, desperate to stave off loneliness, Jeff spends his days outside the Toys R Us where he eventually falls for one its employees, single mom Leigh (Kirsten Dunst). We meet Jeff after he's broken in via roof to his latest McDonalds. He knows the employees by name and chastises the manager for not having a coat so he can stay warm in the freezer. Jeff is a criminal out of necessity, desperate to give his precocious daughter the bike she wants and convince his estranged wife that he can provide for them. Right away, though, the lack of writing towards anyone other than Jeff is apparent. Jeff's wife, a wasted Melonie Diaz, comes off as selfish and greedy, upset that Jeff can't buy them a big house more than he can't pay their bills. Even his daughter, who clearly is close to her father, comes off as a small child more interested in a flashy bike than the heartfelt speech Jeff gives her as he presents her with a beat up Erector set. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/MV5BOWVjNTA5MzAtZmFjMC00NjBmLTg4MzctOTQ4MGNjMGQxM2NkXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg) Cianfrance dabbles with similar themes as in *Place Beyond the Pines*, specifically how crime ends up being a series of choices we make. We justify them how we have to. The experience of watching a movie is to watch that character's choices and become frustrated at how things could have turned out differently. Jeff "Roofman" Manchester is no different. As he narrates, with an opening that's a bit too "I bet you're wondering how I got here" for comfort, Jeff himself is aware that where he's ended up is through the series of dumb choices he engaged in. But there's a vein of greed that runs through Jeff himself that motivates his actions yet screenwriters Cianfrance and Kirt Gunn make it so subtle as to miss it entirely. There's little reason why Jeff can't get a job. His best friend Steve (LaKeith Stanfield) points out how perceptive Jeff is and how successful he was in the military. Much of Jeff's decisions appear to be motivated by a desire to get rich quick more than anything. Hell, his prison escape is easily one of the smartest in its simplicity. In a great heist-esque montage the camera captures Jeff plotting his method of escape and stitching together clothes via dental floss. He's either a genius or a criminal mastermind. Tatum is a total charm bucket and keeps the audience on Jeff's side, no matter what. When he finds sanctuary in the local Toys R Us he revels in living every child's (or adult with an inner child) dream. Tatum has an amazing quality of indulging a childlike immaturity that doesn't come off as cringe or creepy as he dances in his underwear, scarfs down peanut M&Ms and puts together a quasi-bedroom filled with Spice Girls posters and beanbag chairs. Yet Jeff has such a deep well of loneliness that, in spite of him being on the run, compels him to start bonding with the store's employees, whom he spies on via discreetly placed baby monitors. Once Jeff and Leigh meet up the movie transitions into a standard romance with the question lingering over their heads as to when Jeff will be caught. His relationship with Leigh doesn't quite fall into the Dirty John trap, but Jeff does fall right away in his old habits, motivated less by a venal wife and more his own belief that money equals happiness. That and Leigh's youngest daughter acts as a surrogate for his own abandoned children--who Jeff appears to drop and take back up like a pair of shoes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/roofman-channing-tatum.jpg) *Roofman's* momentum changes in its second and third acts, akin to more like a Linkletter film as Jeff and Leigh get closer. Where Tatum, though, has a defined character and the personality to match, Leigh is written so flatly that it leaves Dunst struggling to shine. And the fact that she still does is a testament to her power as an actor. All that's known about Leigh is that she's a single mother--it's a trait so defining even her manager, Mitch (Peter Dinklage) complains she brings it up too often--trying to raise two daughters, and she enjoys going to church. Dunst gives off such an effervescence but it's muted because of how one-note Leigh feels as a character. She's purely the motivation, or justification, Jeff needs to fuel his new life of crime. Other characters like Dinklage's Mitch and Emory Cohen's Otis are there purely to fill out the Toys R Us break room. Stanfield and Juno Temple as Steve and his flighty girlfriend bring some levity but are equally written to exist purely in the confines of the scenes they're in. The pacing becomes as complacent as Jeff upon meeting Leigh, which makes the two hour runtime start to strain against the audience's attention. Jeff's ending is immediately known, whether you're aware of his case or not, and culminates with more of a whimper. There are some hilarious interviews and photos though with the real people, many of whom Cianfrance interviewed for a year while the movie was developing, that add an additional layer of authenticity. *Roofman* succeeds on Channing Tatum's charm which covers up for a pretty thin script. Cianfrance tells another story about personal choice that, unlike his past work, does feel lighter and more hopeful. But that could just be because of how much fun Tatum has in the role. ## Grade: C *Roofman is in theaters October 10.* *Are you excited to see Roofman? Leave a comment below.* *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### 'One Battle After Another': The World of Politics and Pynchon URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/one-battle-after-another-politics-pynchon/ Last updated: 2025-09-26T23:06:29.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and the ability to chat with me on our exclusive Discord server (Gold Members only).* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/robert-redford-all-the-presidents-men/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** Today marks the release of Paul Thomas Anderson's *One Battle After Another*, a swirling, dreamy story of a father and daughter seeking reunion in a world of revolutionaries, secret societies, and villains around every corner. As someone who isn't a ride or die PTA fan, One Battle knocked my metaphorical socks off ([and you can read my review here](https://thefilmmaven.com/one-battle-after-another-review-leonardo-dicaprio-paul-thomas-anderson/)). **SPOILERS FOR ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER FROM HERE ON OUT.** In the wake of our world today where :looks around: everything seems bad, *One Battle After Another* feels like a magnifying glass on what we're seeing today. It's so prescient I'm surprised the studio hasn't banned it [a la Apple TV+](https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/jessica-chastain-savant-postponed-charlie-kirk-1236527401/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). And my eye was caught by a post by freelance film critic Landon Johnson – who you'll recall from [my post on Kimmel](https://thefilmmaven.com/jimmy-kimmel-disney-abc-backlash/) – talking about how he believed *One Battle After Another* glorified extremism, and how inappropriate it felt to him in our current political climate. As it stands right now it's got...a lot of comments and opinions. I even kindly mentioned my own thoughts on the subject which made me think I should expand on it in a piece. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ticklish Business #212: Amadeus (1984) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/ticklish-business-podcast-amadeus-1984/ Last updated: 2025-09-24T16:00:00.000Z *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’m including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! If you preorder and show proof of purchase I’ll give you a *free paid subscription to The Film Maven for 1 year*!* Our unintentional Musical Month in September ends by going classical, to the original OG of music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart! Special guest Richard Kirkham joins Kristen and Emily to talk about this Milos Forman classic, the way this became an '80s classic, and who the hell is Tom Hulce? Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠*Popcorn Disabilities*⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to pre-order now before it releases on November 13th! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠The merch shop is live⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠become a Patron⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com): • [⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠Follow Emily's Instagram⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠⁠⁠⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Rachel Clark Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Patrick Seals Richard Silver Rosa ### Kimmel Is Back But Can Disney Come Back From the Damage Done? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/jimmy-kimmel-disney-abc-backlash/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T18:45:09.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/robert-redford-all-the-presidents-men/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** --- It's not a great week to work for the House of Mouse. Last week alone a judge approved a [$233 million dollar settlement](https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/story/2025-09-18/disney-wage-theft?ref=thefilmmaven.com)\--the largest settlement for wage theft in California history--the company will have to pay employees as part of a class action lawsuit accusing the company of failing to pay Anaheim minimum wage standards. On top of that, a [study listed Disneyland](https://www.onlinecasino.ca/most-stressful-tourist-destinations/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) as the #1 most stressful vacation place in the world, with several other Disney locales on the list. And then there's Kimmel. The "indefinite suspension" of the late night host, fueled by pressure from the Trump administration, saw the company [lose billions overnight](https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/did-jimmy-kimmel-really-cost-disney-387b-we-ran-numbers-internets-claim-falls-apart-1744745?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and [their stock price drop](https://deadline.com/2025/09/mark-ruffalo-disney-jimmy-kimmel-live-suspension-stocks-1236551542/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). And, as of yesterday morning, the [ACLU published a letter](https://www.npr.org/2025/09/22/nx-s1-5550202/jimmy-kimmel-aclu-letter?ref=thefilmmaven.com) with 400 high-profile celebrity names attached including Meryl Streep. When you piss off the Grand Dame of Hollywood, you know it's bad. Because of everything going on Disney and ABC about-faced yesterday afternoon and said [Kimmel would be returned to the airwaves](https://www.businessinsider.com/jimmy-kimmel-back-on-abc-disney-after-suspension-fcc-2025-9?ref=thefilmmaven.com). It's unclear what, if any concessions, Kimmel had to make or how much of this was fueled by Disney wanting to avoid paying out his contract or facing a lawsuit. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Hedda Review: Tessa Thompson and Nia DaCosta Make A Bitter Brew Look Good URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/hedda-review-tessa-thompson-nia-dacosta/ Last updated: 2025-09-22T16:00:16.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/him-movie-review-jordan-peele/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** In 1891, playwright Henrik Ibsen released *Hedda Gabler*, his potentially Freudian, highly adapted story of a venal woman doing what she has to in order to protect her way of life. Four feature-length adaptations of it have manifested here in the U.S., including one 1963 production that put Ingrid Bergman in the role (and that I need to see because Ingrid Bergman, really?). But it is director Nia DaCosta who gives us a Hedda that feels perfectly suited for 2025 despite her adaptation taking place in a vaguely 1930s-esque time period. With Tessa Thompson in fine form as the title character, this adaptation of *Hedda Gabler* makes some big changes but feels fresh, frightening, and dominating in all the best ways! Hedda Gabler nee Tesman (Thompson) is throwing a party to debut her new marriage to academic husband George (Tom Bateman). George hopes to use to the party, half-filled with professors, to secure a job that will see him and his new wife as financially secure. But when Hedda's former lover, Eileen Lovborg (Nina Hoss) arrives, and is discovered to be vying for the same position as George, it lights a fire that is set to explode. Soon Hedda is tasked with manipulating the situation however she has to in order to secure what she wants. Hedda Gabler, in DaCosta's interpretation, is a story of women seeking control. Hedda starts by wanting to control how the party will go. "Nothing can go wrong tonight," she declares, which the audience understands is impossible considering the movie begins with Hedda being interrogated by police. Hedda herself also sabotages this perfection from the get-go, inviting her bohemian friends alongside George's uptight academic muckety-mucks. For all her desire to control things, Hedda is doomed to sabotage. This is contrasted with Eileen, a woman seeking for control and, more importantly, respect as a writer and academic, and as a queer woman to boot this is impossible considering the time period. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/3eLBeRrkldfQGHg1Pf22BZpFIt1-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg) The Freudian elements Ibsen was accused of indulging in with the play are still present, with Hedda constantly referring or being compared to her father. The two's relationship when she was young is said in a way that implies a near-incestuous nature. But by casting Thompson, DaCosta infuses a heavy amount of colonialism and white privilege into the narrative without belaboring anything. Hedda is a bastard child which only fuels her desire for control and acceptance. Upon meeting one of George's friends, the friend's wife whispers that Hedda "isn't as dark as I thought." Tessa Thompson is astounding as a character who is manipulating at every turn. Like the best narcissists, Thompson plays Hedda as a woman trying to feign human emotions yet always looking out for herself. Her comments, even if they sound complimentary in the moment, turn out to be cold insults after the moment has passed. Every line Thompson speaks is dripping with poison and disdain and yet you understand why a highly intelligent person like Eileen is drawn to her, or why Eileen's lover Thea (Imogen Poots) is terrified. There's a silky, cat-like mien to her performance. (Someone PLEASE put Thompson in an Earth Kitt-biopic.) Anytime the movie moves beyond Thompson it looks vital momentum, but all of the characters are richly written. Nina Hoss as Eileen is a character haunted by her own inferiority. Declaring that she's written her masterpiece, the trauma that comes from it in the second half of the movie will hit any artist directly in the gut. Poots's Thea tries to stand up to Hedda but is woefully ill-equipped. And Bateman, as husband George, works well as a guppy of a character, completely unable to stand up to his domineering wife. From a technical standpoint, Hedda is immaculate. Lindsay Pugh's costume designs tell us about the characters the minute they arrive. Hedda, starts with perfectly prim and composed hair and jewels, a facade that will eventually result in loose hair, lank clothes and dry eyeliner by the end. Hoss's dress, though beautiful, constantly reminds the audience she is a woman in a predominately man's world. When she enters the library filled with academics to discuss her book--she the lone woman--the design on her dress painfully emphasizes her breasts. Production designer Cara Bower also does a fantastic job of making the Tesman house, a house Hedda demanded George buy but actually dislikes, feeling like an additional character. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/thumb_0A9CDB65-4C88-47AC-9CD1-87E1E70BD5DB.jpg) But it is Sean Bobbitt's cinematography that is utterly spellbinding. The way the camera glides through a room full of dancers or highlights Hedda's largeness or smallness, depending on the power she wields in the scene, is amazing. There's a stained glass quality to certain scenes that plays on the brittle nature of Hedda and George's relationship, and in fact Hedda's entire house of cards. Hildur Guðnadóttir's score works to increase this tension yet, in some scenes, all that can be heard is Hedda's breathing, a moment of respite from her own dark thoughts as well as the machinations she's constantly inventing. In the landscape of today, seeing a character like Hedda is acutely painful, though DaCosta's more ambiguous interpretation of Ibsen's play will yield much discourse over whether it was a good choice or not, alongside what it says about the character in today's world. *Hedda* is one of the year's best movies with Thompson nothing short of wondrous. I always say the movies I love are the hardest reviews to write and this one was difficult if only because there's so much minute detailing to deconstruct. This is an adaptation that transcends its stage bound origins. ## Grade: A *Hedda hits theaters October 22.* *Where are my Ibsen fans? Are you ready for another Hedda Gabler adaptation? Leave a comment below.* *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### Robert Redford's Quest for Truth and Learning Lessons From All the President's Men URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/robert-redford-all-the-presidents-men/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T15:40:00.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-emerald-fennell-margot-robbie/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- Robert Redford means something different to every movie fan. For some he’s Hubbell, Barbra Streisand’s starcrossed love interest in *The Way We Were.* Or maybe he’s real-life writer Denys Finch Hatton playing opposite Meryl Streep in *Out of Africa*. Movie fans of the 1990s likely saw *Indecent Proposal* or *The Horse Whisperer* in theaters. Reach back to the 60s, and he’s a frequent love interest for Natalie Wood and then Jane Fonda. He’s the most charming conman in *The Sting*. He’s the ultimate *Great Gatsby* (sorry, Leo). Many might remember that awards buzz from 2013’s one-man-show *All is Lost*, or perhaps true film enthusiasts first think of *Ordinary People* and the beauty of his quiet, yet unrelenting directorial hand. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Him Review: This Football Fear Fest Fumbles the Ball URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/him-movie-review-jordan-peele/ Last updated: 2025-11-17T15:05:11.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/a-big-bold-beautiful-journey-review-margot-robbie/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** The world of football, with its high-stakes, deep fandom, and dark history of violence has always made it worthy of countless films. The hypocrisy, racism, and corporate greed showcase some of the worst of America's own flaws but...what if there was a Satanic element to it? No doubt Taylor Swift wouldn't be hanging out at games, amiright? That seems to be the conversation screenwriters Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie had writing *Him*, a movie that repeatedly tells its audience as if it's Kathy Bates in *The Waterboy*, "Football is the Devil!" Initially a Black List script called *The Goat*\--which is a far better title though both "Goat" and "Him" are used as nouns so often as to induce kidney failure if you drank--the film follows Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers). The alliterative prospective player is prepped to run The Combine, a series of exercises to showcase his skills to prospective teams, but is brutally attacked and left with a traumatic brain injury. Believing he's washed out, Cameron gets a second opportunity, to hang out with the Goat himself, San Antonio Saviors quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans). Cameron believes this is his shot to play for the team he's always wanted to, but as he spends the week in Isaiah's weird compound, he starts to wonder whether what he's experiencing is real or the result of his brain. There's absolutely no ambiguity in this movie, so everything you assume about this movie is probably true. Is Cameron being prepped as some sort of religious figure? The movie is called "Him," the team is called the Saviors, AND the posters shown him in a crucifixion pose after all. What results is 96 minutes of training exercises, with the occasional jump scare--all in the "look \[behind/under/up\] vein"--thrown in. When that threatens to have you leave the theater Wayan and Withers scream in each other's faces about "sacrifice," "greatness" or other football buzzwords repeated so much they lose all meaning. And this repetition is because there is barely any story to fuel that runtime, a scant hour and a half after all. We meet Cameron as a child, watching the Saviors, which causes you to do some math about the gap between a grown Cameron and Isaiah. We know Cameron's dad died, he feels some guilt, but, hey, who cares about character development let's play some Madden! And, really, the movie does play like a video game, with Cameron POV shots (in a helmet, no less), vibrating shaky cam, and what can only be dubbed as "X-ray" vision out of a Harmony Korine novel to illustrate Cameron's body and the trauma he endures. It's used so haphazardly though it plays more like an attempt to not showcase so much blood and gore in this already R-rated movie. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/him-2025-isaiah-white-cameron-cade.jpg) Withers is fine in the role, in the way most actors in a horror film are. He brings little personality to proceedings. He's got two modes: "pretty boy" and "big dumb football guy" and that's it. The real highlight is Wayans, reminding you "Hey, that guy did *Requiem for a Dream*!" Wayans is all dead eyes and roid rage in the role which does a lot to liven up the numerous training montages. An off-camera voice tells Cameron, upon entering Isaiah's *Ex Machina*\-esque compound, "His fandom's like a cult." Hmmm, wonder what that means? But Wayans plays Isaiah as a man that's certainly earned that title, introducing himself with all the swagger and false humility of a guy who's stupid rich. For all the ways he can convey pride, he's just as terrifying when he's giggling at a guy getting a football thrown in his face. But there's absolutely zero proper explanation for why he'd entertain the notion of training someone like Cameron. If this is a Devil's bargain is Isaiah the devil? Or simply a man given that choice? Who cares, says the script. Considering Wayans is over 50, odds are White wouldn't be playing football forever, leading to a third act battle where the outcome is obvious only because...what other way is there? At some point someone would ask questions about a 70-year-old sports star who still plays great, right? The script says, "Don't worry about that!" Director Tipping certainly is a man who likes being extra, crafting a Ken Russell-esque finale that looks like a music video, Super Bowl halftime show, AND something out of *Tommy* all at once. But, again, there's absolutely zero meat behind it. The movie is petrified to make a statement that what Cameron is experiencing--devil aside, the fact that he's playing football with a traumatic brain injury is fueled by his (greedy?) family and an equally venal manager--is part of the systemic evil of football itself. As it plays, much of what's happening seems isolated to the Saviors, right? It's completely unknown and, had it been willing to go a bit further, who knows if it might have been a sharper use of its time. *Him* is barely a movie. It's an extended video game sequence with a Satanic vibe to it. Wayans is good, but he's not worth making a point to see the movie. (Nor is Julia Fox, who appears to be making a batshit insane side film I'd actually kill to see.) Just shotgun a double feature of *Any Given Sunday* and *The Devil's Advocate* and you'll get the same elements told better. ## Grade: D- *Him is in theaters Friday.* *Are you excited for Him? Leave a comment below.* *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### One Battle After Another Review: Leonardo DiCaprio and Ensemble Shine in Rollicking Action Drama URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/one-battle-after-another-review-leonardo-dicaprio-paul-thomas-anderson/ Last updated: 2025-11-17T15:05:26.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** There's a level of divisiveness when it comes to the work of Paul Thomas Anderson. An auteur who mines the absurdity of reality, his work is often a delicate balance of threading the needle to get the audience on-board with the grittiness of the world he's created, while understanding that it's also totally ridiculous (the world of the LA porn scene that lets a small-time idiot become a star in *Boogie Nights*; a 1970s PI drawn in to an utterly stupid conspiracy in *Inherent Vice*). Anderson's latest does the same, itself loosely based, like *Vice*, on a novel by Thomas Pynchon. But what Anderson does with *One Battle After Another* is practically create political theater, with two stories twining and twisting around each other, one based on freedom and anger, the other based on racism and white supremacy. The fact that these two movies dovetail so neatly--Anderson has cited Stanley Kubrick's *Dr. Strangelove* as an influence on this--is what makes *One Battle After Another* so masterly. Add into that utterly luminous performances by an ensemble cast of legends (and legends in the making), and you have what is one of the most enjoyable and incisive movies of the year. Set in an unknown point in time a group of domestic revolutionaries known as the French 75 spend their days liberating immigrants from detention camps and blowing stuff up. Their leader, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), is brash and impulsive, but has an inner code she lives by. When she becomes pregnant, her partner Pat (Leonardo DiCaprio) believes it's time for them to put up their weaponry and settle down. But Perfidia refuses and leaves Pat to raise their daughter alone. After rebranding themselves Bob and Willa Ferguson, sixteen years passes with nothing, until a military adversary from their past, Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn) comes looking for Willa (Chase Infiniti). The film's first half is all about setting up the variety of characters we'll meet over its near three-hour runtime. And there are a lot. The French 75 isn't actually a revolutionary group with a lot of background, regardless of how intricate their password system is, though Perfidia emphasizes that "revolutionary violence is the way" to get people to list. Much like any Pynchon novel, how much you glean from the feature is how much you already know about the history of revolutionary movements in this country. What's fascinating is how Anderson looks at race within these movements. Perfidia runs the French 75 with an iron hand and a confidence that borders on cocky at times. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/Leo-DiCaprio-movie-teyana.jpg.webp) Taylor is nothing short of superb. From her stride into a room to her interactions opposite Penn, Taylor plays Perfidia as a woman that doesn't know fear. Even when she becomes pregnant she's unafraid to shoot machine guns with her stomach front and center. The only time she lacks control is in the grips of postpartum depression. To see a Black woman in charge of a revolutionary gang, when so often those roles are defined by men, is fascinating. And it's pushed up against Penn's Steven J. Lockjaw, a virulent racist who infuses so many of his lines with venom. (Bob telling him the baby's name is Charlene causes Steven to retort, "Sounds like a Black girl's name," dripping with hatred.) At its heart, *One Battle After Another* is a story of liberation, whether that's the liberation the French 75 is enacting–Perfidia lists their creed as "freed borders, free bodies, free choices, and free of fear"--to the liberation of being defined by one's genes or familial history. Bob chooses to spend his days after Perfidia leaves him to abandon most of his responsibilities as a father. He spends his days getting high, leaving Willa to be the adult, demanding where he is all day. So when the shit hits the fan and Bob is required to fall back on his French 75 training...he can't remember any of it. He can't remember the passwords, the locations, even just acquiring a gun requires him to rely on others, in this case "Sensei" Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio Del Toro). It'd be easy to see DiCaprio's Bob as another take on *Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's* Rick Dalton, a deluded, self-absorbed ninny. But DiCaprio takes much of the humor he's become known for and infuses that with a deep well of love and emotion for Infiniti's Willa. Whether that's holding the newborn right after she's born, hearing Perfidia claim that Bob loves the baby more than her, or desperately trying to find the answer to "What time is it" to learn where she is, DiCaprio never lets you forget that he's doing this out of love for his child. Is Bob a fuck-up? Of course. He'll be the first one to admit that. But that doesn't mean, when the chips are down, he won't lay down his life for his offspring. The moments when DiCaprio aren't on-screen, you do feel a slight change in the vibes and the momentum. You also feel it when the movie loses Taylor, if only because their interactions are so magnetic. In fact, there's a large community behind Willa, even if they don't know her. What's so smart about Anderson's feature is how much it reminds audiences that, when oppression is happening, people do band together. The French 75 aren't the only group organizing. Steven, using his military and government backing, uses the pretext of rustling up immigrants and getting drugs off the streets (sound familiar?) to invade the town where Willa lives. Sensei Sergio tells Bob, as they race through the streets, that he's got "a Latino Harriet Tubman situation" going on, as he himself is involved in harboring and moving immigrants safely out of the community. Cinematographer Michael Bauman's camera beautifully shows off the underground making moves while the police storm the town, showcasing a group of teens trying to help Bob escape, their shadows starkly contrasted against the night sky and the red and blue police lights beneath them. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/one-battle-after-another.png) Del Toro is hilarious as an equally confident ally who spends his days saying, "Ocean waves" and generally just being a center for calm. And Regina Hall, as French 75 associate, Deandra, also acts as a bridge between Perfidia and Willa, helping the young girl reconcile with the situation that left her without a mother. But *One Battle After Another* is truly a triangle of two men, two depictions of fatherhood, clashing between a young girl trying to find herself. Chase Infiniti is a bright new star and it's remarkable how she holds her own against acting titans like DiCaprio and Penn. She's a character that is out of the know for much of the movie only to receive a deep rush of information about who she is in a very short amount of time. If hell is a teenage girl, imagine what it looks like when that teenager assumes something about herself that ends up being false. Her scenes with Penn are the strongest, if only because for all his absurdity and anger, she complements that with cool defiance. If Bob is the father who roll your eyes at, Penn's Steven is the person you hope to God never becomes a father at all. The one element of the feature that is the hardest to swallow it's probably because it feels the most Pynchon-esque (Pynchiest?). Much of Steven's motivation for finding Willa stems from his desire to be included in a secret club known as the Christmas Adventurers. There motives aren't known though the assumption is safe that they probably aren't celebrating Christmas, despite their ominous greeting: "Hail, St. Nick." These moments are where the purest humor derives from though it's utterly absurd and that does take a moment to sink in, that what these characters are saying is meant to sound ridiculous. But, regardless, where else can you see character actors like Kevin Tighe and D.W. Moffett talk about race, sexuality, and potentially murder in a way that's deadly serious and silly as hell? It's amazing how quickly the runtime flies but that's the power of a string of interesting characters and a narrative that has so many threads to explore. One Battle After Another is an ensemble powerhouse, with Anderson taking a stab at what could be his most politically charged feature. DiCaprio is wonderful, but then again there's not a dull note in the entire cast. ## Grade: A- *One Battle After Another hits theaters September 26.* *Are you excited for One Battle After Another? What's your favorite PTA film? Leave a comment below.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### A Big Bold Beautiful Journey Review: Kogonada's Romance Is a Life-Affirming Wonder URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/a-big-bold-beautiful-journey-review-margot-robbie/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T18:04:56.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* ***Don't want to commit to a subscription?*** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/maga-culture-critics/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** "Are you ready to take a big, bold, beautiful journey?" The central premise of director Kogonada's latest feature is one that can go all manner of ways, and the movie certainly does. At times it's a drama, at others it's a story of grief, about finding oneself, about change. It's also a love story about learning to be open, to appreciate others, to find compromise. Like Kogonada's previous features, particularly his 2017 feature *Columbus*, it's the tale of two wayward spirits who find each other and have to remove their own baggage (or bullshit, if you will) to find love. At the end of the journey, what the audience has experienced is a wondrous dive into humanity's capacity for love that is truly life-affirming. I felt this was a movie made specifically for me, and I have a feeling others will think that as well. David and Sarah (Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie) meet while being the requisite two single people at a wedding. They both rent cars from a kooky car rental agency where the GPS asks them if they'd like to take a "big, bold, beautiful journey?" The two respond in the affirmative and are tasked with teaming up. What results is a 24-hour drive back home where every stop leads them to a door. Behind every door leads them to a moment in time they're forced to confront, act out, and learn from on their way to changing their lives and, hopefully, finding their newfound love for each other. Kogonada and screenwriter Seth Reiss clearly find themselves inspired by classic romance films and musicals where emotions burn bright, love can bloom over a brief period of time, and there's always time for a musical number. Even the posters for the film evoke comparisons to Jacques Demy's 1964 romantic musical *The Umbrellas of Cherbourg*. "Life is better when you're open," David says and that's something the audience should be cognizant of. Reiss and Kogonada are making a classic era movie and thus questions like "Who brings the doors" and "Is this reality or not" are irrelevant. The journey is, quite literally, the destination. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/DF_02676_r.jpg) Farrell has been showing his chops as an actor for several years and his capacity to surprise is still astounding. As David, Farrell plays the character closed off. He can have a conversation with Sarah, but when she presses him too hard--whether that be to dance or boldly asking if he'll marry her--there's a slight twinge in his face. He's uncomfortable. He's not in control. He's dismissed her. As the pair are brought together, particularly during a moment where he's forced to confront an old fiancee, you see David's realization that he has been outright cruel in the past. That's not who he wants to be, he just is. And yet, when David is charming, he's downright perfect. Did I have "Colin Farrell singing a selection from *How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying*?" on my 2025 bingo card? Nope, but it is the moment that demands Farrell make a proper musical. Compared to Sarah, David appears to have a charmed life. Perpetually told he's special by his parents--played by Hamish Linkletter and Jennifer Grant (another Old Hollywood connection--David believes it's made him presume he's perfect. And yet, in going through his past, he understands how much strength that's given him. A moment wherein he talks to his younger self brings it all home. Robbie gets the darker turn as Sarah comes with all manner of emotional baggage: Her mother died, her father was absent, and Sarah ends up cheating and leaving every man she's been with. Immediately upon meeting David she tells him she'll hurt him, which Sarah simultaneously fears and seems to pride herself on. Robbie is tasked with making Sarah not likable, but vulnerable. This comes through best in her moment opposite Lily Rabe as her mother. The two's sequence is by far the best moment in the movie. Rabe is luminous as the mother willing to pretend, who says the things children need to hear, and is willing to forsake sleep for a moment of connection. Rabe always makes a meal out of her moments in movies and this is another. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/DF_03236_r.jpg.webp) What makes *Big Bold Beautiful Journey* so special is how necessary it feels right now. We've had movies wherein a character goes back in time and interacts with a family member they've lost or recreates a past moment. But as the car rental team (hilariously played by a cursing, German-accented Phoebe Waller-Bridge and a gruff Kevin Kline) tells David, "Sometimes we have to perform to get to the truth." These moments are necessarily reality. They're the performance that runs through our subconscious. The things we wished we'd said in the moment. The people we wanted to be but weren't. It is through the art of going through these moments that one is able to find catharsis and peace. There's a moment where Lily Rabe's character tells Robbie's Sarah, "Choose to be content first and enjoy the moment of happiness that comes from that." It's a moment that hits like a ton of bricks, particularly if you, like me, are dealing with trying to find a place in a world that feels depressing and chaotic. What *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey* ends up being is that balm from a mother, a parent saying you're special, a partner telling you they see you. It's the right thing you need to hear at the right time wrapped up in a beautifully nostalgic love for cinema and its own power to create meaning and comfort in our lives. It's a movie I needed and I feel others will as well. *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey* is gorgeous in both cinematography and execution. A thrilling adventure where Robbie and Farrell play lush characters who are beautiful messes. It's a movie for the moment, and boy, do we need it. ## Grade: A *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey hits theaters Friday.* *Are you looking forward to taking A Big Bold Beautiful Journey? Leave your favorite Spinal Tap moment or line in the comments.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### Bending the Knee Is Also Invading Culture Criticism URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/maga-culture-critics/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T15:15:40.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *If you want to read the full story please become a paid-subscriber. Paid subscribers get access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. *Don't want to commit to a subscription?** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-emerald-fennell-margot-robbie/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- I've been thinking a lot about conservatism entering the culture space, and that was before the recent news about Bari Weiss [potentially taking over CBS News](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/business/media/cbs-news-bari-weiss-free-press.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and Olivia Nuzzi, the New York Magazine reporter who was exposed for having an intimate relationship with RFK Jr, [going to work at Vanity Fair](https://nypost.com/2025/08/26/media/rfk-jr-s-sexting-partner-olivia-nuzzi-in-talks-for-job-at-vanity-fair/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). But it's worth revisiting this question as culture criticism tries to stave off its own death by doing as the Romans do. This is a trend I started noticing in looking at journalism gigs via various newsletters and job boards. Fox News had several positions open in the entertainment and culture space. A journo friend of mine applied and did an interview where one of the questions asked was how well-versed they were in Fox News personalities, as much of the coverage would be skewed towards that. A few months back I noticed a job posting for a film critic. The job paid decent money (for film criticism!) and was fully remote. It was also for a strongly conservative website that included in the job post how reviews would primarily conservative content and/or reviewing movies through a similar lens. _This post is for subscribers on the Gold Film Maven tier only._ ### Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues Review: A Dismal Farewell to Rock's Loudest Band URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/spinal-tap-2-the-end-continues-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-11T16:54:39.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** Rob Reiner's 1984 feature *This is Spinal Tap* is not only a fantastic example of the "mockumentary," which has gone on to inspire the likes of movies like Popster: Never Stop Never Stopping and the entire cinematic output of Christopher Guest. It's also one of the funniest comedies and a solid exploration of the changes in the hard rock music scene in the mid-1980s. All of which is to say that when it ends, and Spinal Tap gets a second wind to tour Japan at the finale, that's really all we needed to hear. Instead, forty years later, we're seeing *Spinal Tap return for Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues*, a film as clunky and muddy as its title. Where *This is Spinal Tap* was a comedy masquerading as a documentary film, and doing both extremely well, *Spinal Tap 2* is a thinly drawn concert film pretending to be a sequel and doing neither good enough to be compelling. It's a shame because there's clearly still a lot of vivacity and camaraderie between the bandmembers and director Rob Reiner, and there were plenty of avenues to take a story about aging rockstars, trapped in the 1980s, trying to make a go into today's music landscape. It's been forty years since the rock band Spinal Tap was documented in their first feature. Since that time they played every major rock venue you could think of. But for reasons unclear they haven't spoken to each other in fifteen years and have gone on their separate ways. When they're forced into a contractually obligated final concert in New Orleans, members David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, and Derek Smalls (Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer, respectively) must put aside their differences to make magic happen one last time. What happens when one tells a story about a rock band that chased trends becoming successful in their own right? The existence of the first film meant that Spinal Tap, in essence, became a real band with the sequel utilizing sequences from the band real-life performances at Live Earth, the Glastonbury Festival, and performing at the Royal Albert Hall. You could say the band had made it and were no longer struggling. But for as much as Spinal Tap 2 wants to remind you of moments you love from the original film, like the Stonehenge performance (now with a bigger monument), there are fundamental elements that it hopes you forget to make the narrative plausible. The fact that the band is reuniting because they owe one contract gig from their past with former manager Ian Faith (the late Tony Hendra) that Ian's daughter Hope (Kerry Godliman) sounds ridiculous for a band that no doubt has lawyers. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/Spinal-Tap-2.webp) But the goal is to say that, after all this time, the band is still struggling. They've lost money thanks to Derek's crypt scheme, but still appear successful. Nigel runs a cheese shop, that also might sell guitars, alongside his girlfriend Moira (Nina Conti). David is doing soundscapes for true crime podcasts which...kinda sounds like a nice gig if you can get it. And Derek is running The Museum of Glue. Each hasn't been in contact with the other for fifteen years for "reasons unknown" that ends up being utterly ridiculous for those who have watched the original film. Even worse, the "resolution" of that grand conflict is brought up at the end credits to zero consequence. Really, though, the script (what little probably exists considering how much improv takes place) feels like a first draft, with absolutely zero in the way of meat or stakes. The movie barely clocks in at 90 minutes and at least 20 minutes consists of either the camera following characters off-stage where they do nothing or just letting the band perform full rehearsal songs with the likes of Paul McCartney and Elton John. There are a few one-liners that come together, but much of the movie is the band talking over each other--the sound mix in here is outright bad, particularly in the concert sequences--or just trying to recreate bits from the first movie such as Nigel's love of different sound effects. The band attempting to get a drummer, a cursed position, is the only time a previous moment still has humor. Guest, McKean and Shearer all know these characters like the back of their hand, and it is great when they are together and given opportunities to tell a genuine story. Their attempts to talk about the concert only to be interrupted by a ghost-hunting tour that runs through their living room is great. These actors have played this band so much that they *are* the band itself. Yet, the movie seems to think that nothing about the world of music has changed at all in forty years. Hell, not even the band members have changed in forty years, still wearing the same hairstyles as the first feature. They don't have anything to say about the current state of rock – which feels all but nonexistent these days – or the musicians around them, probably they're surrounded by band members as old as they are. If anything, there's a fairly sad movie to be found here that the script doesn't even want to think about. Nigel has a girlfriend, a tweak from the first film, but that's the only type of personal relationship found in this movie. In the first, we didn't need to know if these guys had wives or kids because they were young and sending up the sex, drugs and rock and roll life. But as the three joke about dying – they're forced to take an album picture in a cemetery – there's no discussion of how, outside of Moira, none of the men have had a lasting relationship. There's no children to be found. What do they have to show for it? It's the moment that most feels like these characters are nothing more but costumes for them to take off and on when they need to. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-07-25-at-7.49.24-AM.jpg.webp) The final concert is where the movie ends. And by ends, it's such an abrupt moment it doesn't play like a goodbye but more like they ran out of film or budget to do anything else. It's a shame. *Spinal Tap 2* is a movie meant for the choir, a closed garden that will only work for diehard Tap fans and do little to invigorate newcomers to it. Thankfully the first film is still out there to delight audiences. The trio of performers still have a lot of spark, but they're forced to pull this movie, like a big Stonehenge, over the finish line. ## Grade: D+ *Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues hits theaters Friday.* *Are you a Tap fan? Leave your favorite Spinal Tap moment or line in the comments.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### Bugonia Review: Yorgos Lanthimos's Latest Is a Quirky Call to Save Our Planet URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/bugonia-review-yorgos-lanthimos-emma-stone/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T01:36:53.000Z ***"Two posts in a day you say?" Actually, this morning's post was prematurely sent in error and you'll notice it's been taken off the site. Here is the proper review meant to drop today. Apologies for the inconvenience.*** *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** Yorgos Lanthimos wants you to care about the planet. If only to save your own skin. Such is the case with his latest feature, *Bugonia*, an incredibly quirky call to arms about the beauty of our world and how hellbent we are on destroying it. What's been called Lanthimos's most political feature to date, *Bugonia* is a story steeped in the world of conspiracy theory, toxic work environment, and all manner of things we point to as reasons the world sucks. But in Lanthimos's hands that becomes an opportunity to tell a wild, at times cringingly hilarious, story about our planet, how we choose to spend our time, and aliens. Lots of aliens. Teddy and Don (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis, respectively) are convinced the world is being infiltrated by an alien group known as the Andromedans. According to Teddy, who subscribes to the conspiracy the deepest, their goal is to kill the bees and eventually destroy the world. He believes one of these aliens is in the guise of Michelle (Emma Stone), the CEO of a pharmaceutical company. Teddy and Don kidnap Michelle, in the hopes that she'll take them to meet her planet's leader. But do Teddy and Don have any credibility, or are they just utterly crazy? *Bugonia* is a story of the haves and the have nots, a deep and blistering satire of class distinctions and how that can manifest in trying to find a group, no matter how silly, to blame for life's problems. Teddy and Don spend their days engaged in cheap and hilariously absurd training for when they need to kidnap Michelle. These scenes are contrasted with Michelle's own training regime--the benefit of a woman with unlimited time and money--that is incredibly high tech and rigorous. On the surface, Teddy's hatred of Michelle is more than justified. Not only does he have a deep personal vendetta against her, but Michelle is played up as the boss from hell that everyone knows. A running gag is Michelle, with Stone plastering the widest of grins on her face, reminding everyone that they can stop working at 5:30pm. Unless they have work. Then they should stay. If they want to. But they don't need to. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/Bugonia.jpg.webp) Lanthimos crafts a two-hander between Teddy and Michelle, with each wanting to wield their power over each other and, in turn, having the upper hand in the conspiracy theory at large. Teddy, on the surface, seems utterly insane. His theory is so detailed that it sounds true, and yet it is those selfsame details that make it ridiculous. And he punctuates everything with reference to all the extensive "research" he's done. If Michelle seems like every boss you know, Teddy is every person you've met online who gives you in-depth discussions on lizard people or whatever cause conspiracy is popular this week. Plemons and Stone are utterly fierce. Plemons is no stranger to playing an utterly batshit character. His buffoonish quality masks a dark inner torment. One minute he's able to have a nice dinner with Michelle, the next he's crawling on the table like a spider monkey to choke her own. His violence comes in sharp rages, unpredictable and lightning quick. But he also conveys the pain Teddy is in, desperate to find some meaning to life and an explanation for why his life sucks so much. There's also a strong vein of misogyny that runs through his personality. Part of his hatred of Michelle is keenly felt in the fact that she's a woman who would reject him. Stone is given the less showy role of a woman who believes she's surrounded by lunatics. Her feelings are valid, but they crunch against her coldness and the violence of her own actions--albeit done behind a desk and with the aid of pharmaceutical drug trials. The unsung hero is newcomer Aiden Delbis as the meek Don. Delbis is an actor on the spectrum and his Don could very easily fall into the trap of being the Lenny to Plemons's George, bringing up a host of questionable exploration of how neurodivergence is depicted on-screen. But in a movie where the characters are so outsized, Delbis brings things back down to Earth (literally) by playing the lone human in the group, in terms of having a heart. He truly vacillates between whether Teddy is sane or not, and regardless Don knows he can't go so far as to hurt another person. He's the lone character with empathy. There is a questionable element to how his narrative ends in the movie that's steeped in disability film history. It left me feeling very mixed on whether the character is truly good representation or not. Where else can you see a movie that gives us electroshock therapy to a Green Day song? Yorgos Lanthimos's *Bugonia* is such a fresh exploration of humanity and what our future in the world is. One could say by the time it reaches its conclusion it's utterly depressing, and yet it feels so inevitable. This is a movie where you'll want to wait for others to see it so you can truly dive into its themes. Plemons is the MVP, though Delbis and Stone are also great. Another hit from Lanthimos! ## Grade: B+ *Bugonia hits theaters October 31.* *Are you a Yorgos Lanthimos fan? Leave your favorite Lanthimos movie in the comments.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### 'Eleanor the Great' Review: June Squibb Grips Your Heart in Scarlett Johansson's Directorial Debut URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/eleanor-the-great-review-scarlett-johansson-june-squibb/ Last updated: 2025-09-09T17:05:07.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** In last year's *Thelma*, actress June Squibb told us a hilarious and heartfelt story about growing old and the ways society ignores the elderly wrapped up in a fun action/adventure narrative. There's a similar sentiment that runs through her latest movie, *Eleanor the Great*. A story about a great lie and the impact it has on others opens up to explore the need to pass stories on to the next generation, and how often the stories of the elderly are either ignored or exploited, as well as the loneliness that comes when one hits a certain age. Ably handled by Scarlett Johansson, in her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great isn't just another knockout performance by Squibb, but a tender story of friendship, love, and remembrance. Eleanor Morgenstein (Squibb) is 94-years-young living in Florida with her best friend, and Holocaust survivor, Bessie (Rita Zohar). The pair have lived together for over a decade, sharing twin beds in one room, sharing a life together. But when Bessie dies, Eleanor is forced to move to New York to live with her overprotective daughter Lisa (Jessica Hecht). As Eleanor tries to find a life of her own in New York she accidentally wanders into a support group for Holocaust survivors and, pressured by the group to tell her story, co-opts Bessie's experience as her own. This entices a young college student named Nina (Erin Kellyman) to want to tell Eleanor's "story" as part of her journalism class. A few critics at larger publications have felt duped by *Eleanor the Great*, presuming it's a comedy. Maybe because Squibb's last movie was? Or it's possible that they assume a movie starring an elderly woman must be funny because what other genre would they do? (The commonalities/stereotypes between movies about the elderly vs. the disabled are many.) There are certainly moments where Eleanor is funny--going to a synagogue and flipping off a patron, for example--but the majority of the movie is wrapped up in the warmth of two grief-stricken characters finding friendship with each other. In this case, it isn't just Eleanor who's hurting, but Nina. The young journalism student is struggling with the death of her mother and an absentee father (Chiwetel Ejiofer) who refuses to talk about it. For screenwriter Tory Kamen, the movie is about grieving through communication. How the stories we tell about those we've loved and lost help keep them alive for us. If we don't talk about them, did they ever really exist? That's also the question that fuels Eleanor's choice to take Bessie's story of surviving the Holocaust and passing it off as her own. Bessie demands Eleanor listen to her story about losing her brother, telling Eleanor that once Bessie dies who else will know of her brother at all? When Eleanor tells Bessie's stories, Johansson chooses to cut to Bessie recounting the tale. Zohar and Squibb have an easy camaraderie with each other indicative of two people who have been each other's shadow for decades. Zohar infuses such emotion and gravitas to her horrific narratives, at one point practically keening in grief for what she's experienced. She only has a limited amount of screentime but Bessie is in every scene, particularly in how Eleanor refuses to let her go, even when the lie eventually makes its way to its foregone conclusion. Squibb continues to show such nuance in her performances. Eleanor Morgenstein holds little in common with Thelma Post (the main character from Thelma). As Eleanor, Squibb takes on the part of listener. Many of her interactions involve hearing Bessie's stories. Being the vessel by which they're carried out. She holds the same role for Nina, allowing the girl to share her pain outside of her cold household. Cinematographer Helene Louvart pushes the camera in close on conversations between Eleanor and others, forcing the audience to take note of every moment where Squibb expresses confusion, sadness, or joy. And, yet, Squibb isn't just a receptacle for everyone else's feelings, she also showcases feelings of her own. Her scenes opposite Kellyman are particularly darling, not just in the twee way usually showcased in movies where old people interact with the young. Nina and Eleanor are kindred spirits. They understand the mutual love and appreciation for storytelling. They both, also, desperately, are in need of a friend who understands them. Their bond is so strong that when the third act inevitably sees everything fall apart, the audience is less invested in Eleanor getting back on her feet, but more whether her relationship with Nina can be fixed. This is really a two-hander between Squibb and Kellyman, with Zohar always lingering (in spirit) in the periphery of scenes. Hecht gets in some moments as the stereotypical overprotective yet absentee adult daughter of Eleanor's. The pair have a decent heart-to-heart in the movie, but it's hard to reconcile with a character complaining about not knowing what her mom does all day while continuing to let her eat dinner alone. The character doesn't get enough meat to make her choices not seem heartless. Ejiofer comes off more like the A-list name meant to sell the movie more than anything. He has a few key scenes as Nina's father, a news journalist, but again he's really there to fulfill the means of reconciling all the characters at the end than anything organic. *Eleanor the Great* is another stellar role for Squibb, with Kellyman and Zohar giving in some equally great moments. If these are the types of projects Johansson wants to tell as a director I'm all for it! This was a heartfelt, emotionally resonant story about the power of our lives and the capacity of our stories lingering on long after we've left this world. Take someone you love and see it. ## Grade: B *Eleanor the Great hits theaters September 26.* *Are you a June Squibb fan? Leave a comment below.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### The 'After the Hunt' Interview Gives Us Another Cringey Moment for Journalism URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/after-the-hunt-ayo-edibiri-journalist/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T15:14:00.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. *Don't want to commit to a subscription?** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-emerald-fennell-margot-robbie/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- I'd planned to make today's newsletter a piece about who actually was still working in journalism (spoiler, it's a lot of [MAGA-loving conservatives](https://www.businessinsider.com/bari-weiss-free-press-could-transform-cbs-news-2025-9?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and their associates), and then something on social media caught my eye late last night. International journalist Federica Polidoro came under fire this weekend when social media shared a cringe-inducing video of her interview Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edibiri during a junket for Luca Guadagnino's *After the Hunt*. I've included the video below but, in sum, Polidoro--a white journalist--asks a question about how, specifically, Roberts and Garfield felt "now that the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movement are done." Either out of audacity for the question or a lack of understanding, Polidoro repeats it and the look on all three actors faces says a lot. Edibiri, in particular, looks shocked and jumps in to answer the question. Social media called the journalist out for intentionally excluding Edibiri and from there Polidoro conjured up a terrible apology letter which brings us to today. _This post is for subscribers on the Silver Film Maven and Gold Film Maven tiers only._ ### Wuthering Heights and the Emerald Fennell Hate Train URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/wuthering-heights-emerald-fennell-margot-robbie/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T15:11:06.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content.* *If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. *Don't want to commit to a subscription?** [***Leave a tip***](https://thefilmmaven.com/#/portal/support) ***to show you enjoy what you're reading.*** *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- This week we got our first view of Emerald Fennell's follow-up to her 2023 feature *Saltburn*, an adaptation of Emily Bronte's *Wuthering Heights*. The trailer, timed to Charlie XCX's new music had all the Fennell beats: fingers going into things, rampant horniness, and a slick sense of anarchy that permeated *Saltburn*. And, like *Saltburn* (and even her directorial debut, 2020's *Promising Young Woman*), people had opinions. Lots of em. _This post is for subscribers on the Silver Film Maven and Gold Film Maven tiers only._ ### The 6 Best Things I Watched and Read in August URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-books-august-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-05T14:38:51.000Z *The Film Maven has hit the road and left Substack behind (though I'll continue to cross post until the end of the year). Welcome to TheFilmMaven.com hosted by Ghost!* *This means that The Film Maven is 100% independent and even more reliant on subscribers, both paid and free, for support. Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to The Trade, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my Popcorn Disability articles on disabled representation in film, and more. So consider becoming a paid subscriber today!* August is over and I am not at all reminded that I have to finish writing a whole book by Halloween night. (Me nervously sweating!) But, thankfully, movies and books have continued to provide a sanctuary for me and while I didn't get a ton of top choices this month--I am spending my time writing a book on the weekends--it's about quality, not quantity. Below you'll find the six movies and books I absolutely fell in love with last month. Be sure to drop you new discoveries in the comments below. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 'The Conjuring: Last Rites' Review: The Warrens Ghost Adventures Fizzle in Finale URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-conjuring-last-rites-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:00:10.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** It's been thirteen years since audiences met Ed and Lorraine Warren, fictionalized versions of controversial ghost hunters that have continued to frustrate and fascinate viewers. James Wan's 2013 feature is one of the best horror films of the decade, while 2016's *The Conjuring 2* has some solid moments. But the franchise has had diminishing returns of late and it's hard to find life in the old ghosts of Last Rites, and that's definitely a challenge considering how many ghosts are presumably packed into this movie, spread out over two separate plot lines that are fascinating and boring in equal measure. There's a sense of deja vu while watch the final (supposedly) installment of the *Conjuring* series. And we aren't just talking about Lorraine's (Vera Farmiga) visions of the past and future. There are moments that feel derivative of other horror movies--common considering the genre--as well as moments pulled directly from the previous *Conjuring* movies. Hell, there's even a moment where Ed (Patrick Wilson) talks about how kids don't care about what they do anymore, reminiscent of a major plot point in Universal's latest[*Jurassic World*](https://thefilmmaven.com/jurassic-world-rebirth-review-scarlett-johansson-68b5115ac7c92e001b09420b/) movie. One more movie and it's officially declared a theme! When *The Conjuring: Last Rites* isn't trying to figure out something new to say it's falling back on doing what worked somewhere, anywhere before. It's 1986 and Ed and Lorraine have given up their life of ghosting adventuring due to Ed's increasingly bad heart. They're called back into service after a family in Pennsylvania deals with a haunting in their house, but this case is unlike any other. The Warrens find their faith shaken and must do whatever they have to in order to protect their now grown daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson). Like any good sequel, or final installment for that matter, it's all about going back to the beginning, to find out information about some sort of origin that makes everything after it sensical. Because events in a franchise can't just happen in isolation. *Last Rites* takes us back to 1964, introducing us to a young Ed and Lorraine impeccably cast and played by Orion Smith and Madison Lawlor, respectively. A heavily pregnant Lorraine is trying to exorcise an antique mirror that could be responsible for a suicide. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/65a0cfd0-6e67-11f0-9a91-b5139a85556a.jpg.webp) The trauma of interacting with the demon causes Lorraine to go into labor and one of the best scenes in *Last Rites* plays out in the first 10 minutes. Lawlor and Smith don't just look like their grown counterparts but bring all the emotional impact of what these two characters will grow into in later installments. As Lawlor's Lorraine prays for a miracle the emotional resonance of her performance, complemented by Eli Born's tight cinematography and some fantastic use of lighting, creates such emotional torment. It's a moment of true terror in a highly realistic situation, no ghosts needed. It's a shame that this is Lawlor and Smith's only scene (if anything, they'd be great to continue the franchise in some sort of past universe). From there the movie jumps into the 1980s, introducing the Smurl family of West Pittson, Pennsylvania. Similar to previous *Conjuring* movies they're a large family of eight living in an indeterminate amount of rooms in a small-looking townhouse who run into trouble with a large antique mirror that connects back to the opening scene. With no A-list names in the cast the Smurls are a nondescript hodgepodge of characters whose only identifiers are "Mom," "Dad," "main girl," "older girl," "other girls" and "grandparents." There's little interest in them in the script, mostly returning to them when the movie needs a jump scare, usually the result of one of the little girl's creepy baby dolls or ghosts hiding in the corners waiting for people to turn on lights. (We're a long way from the cold tension of "hide and clap" from the first.) The more intriguing story is found with the Warrens, albeit it's not particularly a horror movie. Ed and Lorraine have crafted a legacy of being renegades and fighting ghosts. What happens when no one cares about them anymore? Or, more importantly, what are they going to do when the icy hand of death comes closer to them and the prospect of entering the plain they've been fighting against comes ever closer? Wilson's Ed, with his bum ticker that's used so often it's like he has a "heart attack" button being pressed, makes this particularly interest. Ed isn't just worried about his legacy, but also becoming an old man who still wants to find something fun in life. He lives to hunting ghosts but struggles to be boiled down to a "punchline," in a world where people hear what they do and assume they're the Ghostbusters. (A great way of situating the time and place of this movie.) Wilson continues to be a bucket of charm and it's irritating that the movie clamps down Wilson's humor and warmth. They peek out most often with Judy's fiancé Tony (Ben Hardy), who is set up as another Ed surrogate, no doubt if they want to find another means of spinning this series off. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/rev-1-CLR-03361r_High_Res_JPEG-H-2025.jpg.webp) The primary focus of *Last Rites* isn't on Ed and Lorraine. It's not even about the Smurl's. It's about the Warrens's daughter Judy, a character that's basically an older derivative of Carol Ann from Poltergeist. Tomlinson, who looks like if Bryce Dallas Howard and Elizabeth Olsen were combined, plays Judy not unlike Margot Kidder in *The Amityville Horror*. That is to say she's incredibly meek and childlike in a weird way. Having done some math during the movie Judy is 22 but acts as if she could be between 14 and 22\. This is to say much of the performance is very doe-eyed with Judy perpetually in dangerous situations she needs to be extricated from. (These are also situations she puts herself in, whether that's trying on a wedding dress or deciding to follow her mom's voice into a shadowy attic, no questions asked.) The weakest link, or at least the person who is flat out wasted, is Vera Farmiga. Long the heart of the series due to Lorraine's ability to bridge the gap between the physical and metaphysical veil, she is given absolutely nothing in this movie. It's remarkable she has any dialogue, and in fact there are long swathes where she says nothing. Farmiga is there to just look off into the distance, look at items, make a scared/concerned/sad/happy face, or scream and cry. The script can't find any reason to use her, odd considering how bonded her and Judy have been throughout the series. It's probably because the script can't really decide what story it wants to tell: the Smurl's haunting or unknown entity (possibly Annabelle the evil doll?) that's been haunting Judy since the beginning. There are so many threads the script stitches in, but can't pluck the one it wants to focus on nor knit them all together. For nearly 90 minutes of the film's laborious 135 minute runtime it's a back and forth between the Warrens and the Smurl's, with the most tangential of connections between them. In this case, it's a priest the Warrens know who takes an interest in the case for reasons and reenacts a blessing sequence direct from *Amityville*. It's over an hour before the two plot lines even meet, and by then you know too much about the Warrens and absolutely nothing about the Smurls. On top of that, one narrative is a straight-up family drama with some jump scares, and another is a horror movie with few jump scares. The tonal imbalance is off the charts. But, hey, we get a possession sequence and other moments you'd check off a "You're Watching a *Conjuring* Movie If..." list. By the time the movie comes to its conclusion--the Warrens have proven that stairs are everyone's natural enemy--the Smurls haunting is completely irrelevant. They give them a send-off with ten minutes of movie left. The hope is to leave audiences with a positive view of the legacy of Ed and Lorraine but *Last Rites* doesn't know what to do with them, and what it ends up doing undermines the fun that's come before. By the time this closes out *Last Rites* certainly holds true: a weak script kills the franchise and is helping it pass onto the other side. ## Grade: D+ *The Conjuring: Last Rites hits theaters Friday.* *Are you a Conjuring fan? What do you think of this being the finale feature? Leave a comment below.* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### The 7 Must-See Movies of September URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-september-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T13:56:14.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. So consider becoming a paid subscriber today!* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** I’ve been told summer is over and fall is here but you sure as hell wouldn’t know that if you’re like me and living in LA where we recently had a heatwave. But for the world of movies the kids are back in school and we’re inching ever closer to awards season. This September though is a bit of an odd bag, filled with movies that probably would get smothered by the big Oscar contenders and yet weren’t ready for prime time during the summer. The schedule is also really odd with what seems like just three weekends having the majority of films. (And the Toronto Film Festival starts early in September so there’s that.) The seven films below—none of which I’ve seen yet—represent the movies I’m personally excited for this month, ranging from kooky comedies to emotionally resonant dramas. Be sure to let me know in the comments what movies you’re excited for in September. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ticklish Business #210: Saturday Night Fever (1977, with Margo Donohue) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/saturday-night-fever-john-travolta-margo-donohue-podcast/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T13:56:50.000Z Ticklish Business #210: Saturday Night Fever (1977, with Margo Donohue) 0:00 /200 1× *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’ll be including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! If you preorder and show proof of purchase I’ll give you a *free paid subscription to The Film Maven for 1 year*!* ***\*\*This episode was recorded prior to Margo's unfortunate passing towards the end of July. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones.\*\**** We're hitting the dance floor with Margo Donohue, the author of *Fever: The Complete History* *of* *Saturday Night Fever*. Margo joins Kristen and Emily to discuss John Travolta's rise to fame, New York in the 1970s, and whether contemporary audiences can find any redeeming qualities in these characters. We also talk about how much we love Donna Pescow. A lot! [⁠](https://amzn.to/3Jwuxow?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[**Buy Margo's book, Fever, by clicking this link.**](https://amzn.to/3Jwuxow?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠](https://amzn.to/3Jwuxow?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to pre-order now before it releases on November 13th! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠The merch shop is live⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠become a Patron⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com): • [⁠Follow Emily's Instagram⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) • [⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠](https://creators.spotify.com/dash/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc/%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Rachel Clark Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Dana Raines Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Patrick Seals Richard Silver Rosa ### 'Caught Stealing' Review: Austin Butler Carries Darren Aronofsky's Haphazard Crime Thriller URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/caught-stealing-review-austin-butler-darren-araonofsky/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T13:57:06.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** Throughout his career Darren Aronofsky has crafted movies that are as dreamlike as they are realistic, as tenderhearted as they are vicious. But in the years since his groundbreaking work in *Requiem for a Dream* (2000), *Black Swan* (2010), and even the still highly divisive *Mother!* (2017), other directors, influenced by Aronofsky, have taken up his mantle. And it is this feeling that the mentor is now “homaging” the mentee can be felt in Aronofsky’s latest feature, *Caught Stealing*. On the one hand, he borrows so liberally from Martin Scorsese’s 1985 feature *After Hours* that that film’s star, Griffin Dunne, plays a prominent role. On the other, the film’s frenetic yet wandering plot feels directly pulled from the work of the Safdie brothers, particularly *Good Time* (2017). So if you enjoy what Aronofsky is borrowing from, you’ll find plenty to enjoy about *Caught Stealing*, but don’t expect it to be top-tier Aronofsky. Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) is a washed-up thirtysomething bartender who spends his days drinking when he isn’t having flashbacks of the devastating car crash that ended up his baseball career. When his neighbor Russ (Matt Smith) tasks Hank with watching his cat for a few days, Hank reluctantly agrees. But he soon discovers Russ is into something dangerous with a group of shady characters, and Hank’s life is now in danger. Aronofsky’s inspirations might be the work of Scorsese and the Safdies but *Caught Stealing* lacks that sense of propulsion that yanks the characters from A to B. Or that doesn’t start right away. The first half of *Caught Stealing* is rambling bit of setup. Butler’s Hank spends his nights working at a bar and his days drinking. He occasionally spends time/sleeps with his ill-defined ex-girlfriend/fuck buddy Yvonne (Zoe Kravitz) and is content to coast through life in a beer-infused haze. The movie reinforces this sense of aimlessness even after Russ, with his ‘80s punk look living in 2008 NYC, arrives and demands Hank watch Bud, his utterly darling cat. From there we see Hank attempt to avoid responsibility for the Bud, until he can’t any longer. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. It isn’t until *all* the bad guys converge, at least 30 minutes in the movie, that *Caught Stealing* finds its feet and starts to move, and once it does it becomes a capable little crime thriller. Hank’s world is rife with colorful murderers, all of whom are defined by a kooky character trait, from a Russian goon who loves crawling on the floor and head butting people to Hasidic Jewish assassins, played by Vincent D’Onofrio and Liev Schreiber. Mostly, these characters are there to scare Hank from going to various places in the city, ranging from a trip to the assassin’s Bubbe’s house in Brighton Beach, delightfully played by Carol Kane, through the various NYC subway systems. *Caught Stealing* proves Butler can carry a movie on his own because even when it seems like that first half of the movie goes nowhere Butler keeps you engaged. His Hank is a charming guy, whether he’s trying to convince Yvonne he’s changed or he’s singing Meredith Brooks’s “Bitch” drunkenly on a pool table. Much of his malaise is motivated by a horrific car crash he caused, that killed his best friend and ruined his ability to play baseball for the San Francisco Giants. Butler holds all the regret and fear behind an easy smile. He also has a deep well of sensitivity, particularly in the scenes opposite the darling Tonic, the cat. One could say their relationship is the perfect “enemies to lovers” story wherein Hank initially hates the cat only to see him as an ally or a child. This does leave Hank’s actual lover, Kravitz, to be little more than the girl repeatedly asking him “What’s wrong” before making an abrupt exit from the narrative entirely. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. As Regina King’s character, Detective Roman, explains, this is about money so the plot doesn’t have any great stakes and really acts as a means of allowing Hank to find redemption for his past. The plot becomes formulaic, though never boring, as the audience understands exactly where Hank is gonna end up. Though because of that that means there are moments of humor, particularly once Smith’s Russ returns to the chaos that’s unfolded. *Caught Stealing* certainly doesn’t feel like an Aronofsky movie, and that generic sensibility will affect your mileage on it. It does give Butler a great opportunity to prove his worth as a leading man. # Grade: C- *Caught Stealing is in theaters Friday.* *What do you think of Caught Stealing and Austin Butler? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### 'The Roses' Review: Jay Roach's Remake Is at War With Itself URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-roses-review-benedict-cumberbatch-olivia-colman/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T13:57:31.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** When Roger Ebert reviewed Danny DeVito’s 1989 adaptation of Warren Adler’s novel *The War of the Roses* he called it “a black, angry, bitter, unrelenting comedy, a war between the sexes that makes James Thurber's work on the same subject look almost resigned by comparison.” Released during, as Susan Faludi coined it, the backlash era of second wave feminism, *The War of the Roses* played on everything about 1980s excess and gender, with a healthy dose of the blackest comedy you can get (which DeVito would continue with the criminally underrated *Death to Smoochy*). Suffice it to say, time has only made DeVito’s film timelier and explains why the remake, *The Roses*, is utterly toothless. Directed by Jay Roach and written by Tony MacNamara, himself no stranger to dark humor, *The Roses* attempts to craft a black comedy for 2025\. (Never mind that turning on the news every day brings its own brand of inescapable ironic humor.) But a muddled premise that doesn’t know where to start and stop, coupled with a wild pendulum of performances makes *The Roses* a splashy A-list vehicle with no one at the wheel. Theo and Ivy Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, respectively) have had several years of a seemingly happy marriage. But when Theo loses his job in spectacular fashion it’s on Ivy to pay the bills. She takes to opening a restaurant that grows so successful it causes her to be estranged from the family. So when Theo decides he wants a divorce the pair decide to hurt each other however they can, physically if necessary. Dropping any mention of war or violence in favor of a generic title sets the tone and that continues into the opening scene, wherein Theo and Ivy—tasked by a marriage counselor to name 10 things they like about each other—lob a variety of horrific insults at each other. This moment feels more like a ripoff to the opening of *Mr. and Mrs. Smith* (2005) than anything. But MacNamara’s script seems hamstrung to make this a movie where the lead characters aren’t despicable, simply frustrated (?) with each other. They punctuate most of their insults, whether jokingly or not, with a comment that they’re British; it’s “repartee,” Theo says. Not only does this come off like the script doesn’t believe Americans will get British humor but it also softens and undercuts the characters at every turn. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Theo and Ivy exist in a weird limbo where they’re too generic and dull to be compelling and too hokey to be over the top. We see their “meet cute,” more them quickly have sex in a food storage locker, and then getting married. It’s unclear exactly what draws them together, short of a lustful moment, but they make it work for nearly a decade until an important building Theo designs falls apart in a once in a century storm. This causes Ivy—who has seemingly spent her time smiling and baking extravagant desserts for her family without complaint—to finally have an opportunity to go out into the world. The problem is MacNamara’s script has absolutely nothing to *say* about the dynamic between Theo and Ivy, and this change in their power balance. (This certainly isn’t Fair Play.) Instead, what it does appear to say is how awful Ivy is for falling in love with her job. We see her being wined and dined, going on jet rides to Los Angeles and falling in love with success. Meanwhile, Theo takes to fat-shaming his kids and turning them into fitness obsessed automatons. Though Theo is positioned as being selfish for his desperation to be the successful one in the family, too often it is Ivy who is the one left to bemoan what a terrible mother she’s been. The movie sets up bigger stakes for her in only to make her feel even worse about her decisions, compared to Theo who, okay, isn’t successful but at least his kids love him! Cumberbatch and Colman are serviceable in the roles, but neither offers much of a compelling performance as the characters are too generic to be interesting. The only intriguing plot point they have is they’re both shitty people, albeit the movie wants you to think one is slightly worse than the other (hint, it’s not Doctor Strange). Colman is light and bubbly, even when she’s calling someone a variety of four-letter words, while Cumberbatch gives another of his awkwardly charming performances he’s given dozens of times. The group is surrounded by a variety of characters whose excessiveness only appears to serve the purpose of propping up how bland the Roses themselves actually are. Andy Samberg plays family friend/attorney Barry, the closest equivalent to the Danny DeVito character from the original film. He’s teamed up with Kate McKinnon as Amy, a character whose banter vacillates between insufferably horny and insufferably sensitive. The rest, from Zoe Chao to Ncuti Gatwa, amble into the frame for a few sequences but don’t move the needle much. (Here’s hoping Allison Janney got a lot of money for her lone scene as Ivy’s divorce attorney. Apparently enough to get her a place on the poster.) Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. The movie spends so much time with Theo and Ivy starting arguments only to apologize that by the time the third act arrives and knives start flying it’s hard to muster up much enthusiasm. Their kids, who go through a three-year age-up in the movie for no reason at all, admit they’re thrilled their parents are divorcing, saying they should have done it years ago and that’s the problem with *The Roses*. These aren’t two characters, like Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas in the original, who you believe are so tenacious and want what they want that they’ll sink their teeth into each other and refuse to let go. The Roses are just a bland couple who don’t want to divorce because it’s just familiar. God forbid they divorce and actually become interesting. So, when they eventually start pointing guns at each other it’s more shocking because they don’t seem convincing. *The Roses* is a great example of 2025 filmmaking wherein the desire to utilize IP, no matter how unfamiliar, and find a story later doesn’t work. The War of the Roses was such a big, outlandish movie that fit nicely into its time period and had a director like DeVito who wasn’t afraid to bring the macabre *and* the humor. The Roses doesn’t have much humor and isn’t dark at all. It’s like a piece of puff pastry, cute on the outside and absolutely nothing on the inside. # Grade: D+ *The Roses hits theaters this Friday.* *What do you think of The Roses? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Just Where Is Entertainment Journalism Supposed to Pivot To? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/journalism-pivot-chicago-tribune-layoffs/ Last updated: 2025-09-09T23:17:49.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers. It’s an offshoot of my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid subscriber. Why is it important to get a paid subscription? Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** There’s not a day that ends in Y lately where I’m not seeing more notices about journalists—of all stripes—looking for work and a company engaging in layoffs. IndieWire just went through another round recently, what seems to be its third wave in the last nearly two years. And last week the Chicago Tribune, the former home of Gene Siskel, [announced they’d be laying off 10%](https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/07/24/chicago-tribune-newsroom-layoffs-alden-global-capital?ref=thefilmmaven.com) of their staff including film critic Michael Phillips. This marks the second round of layoffs in five months for the Tribune. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Honey Don't' Review: This Coen/Cooke Joint is Better Than the Last, And That Ain't Saying Much URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/honey-dont-review-margaret-qualley-chris-evans/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T13:58:06.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** The Coen brothers have crafted some of the finest, funniest cinema and their desire to split and pursue separate projects is one of those things where you wonder if the world would be better if they just reunited. (For the record, I also think this could happen if Hall and Oates reunited but, alas.) If anything, the movies would have to be better if only because what Ethan Coen’s been cooking up lately hasn’t been particularly good. To be fair, his latest feature, *Honey Don’t*, is infinitely better than his last feature—2024’s *Drive-Away Dolls*—but that isn’t saying much. It’s like saying eating dirt is better than eating shit. The films Coen’s making with his wife, co-screenwriter Tricia Cooke just lack any particular humor or sense of story structure in favor of kooky characters who enjoy spending screen time engaged in laboriously long sex scenes. In the case of *Honey Don’t*, there are glimmers of the humor found in the likes of *Fargo* but they fly by in favor of a haphazard mystery that falls apart, and a heroine more content to find a reason to get into bed than to actually solve said mystery. Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley) is a private investigator who discovers a client she was supposed to meet has died under suspicious circumstances. Her attempt to find out who killed her leads her to a roadside church called the Four Way Temple led by the charismatic (and perpetually horny), Reverend Drew Devlin (Chris Evans). Along the way Honey meets a lonely cop, MG Falcone (Aubrey Plaza), who makes Honey wonder if it’s time for her to settle down. There’s a moment early in *Honey Don't* wherein Qualley saunters into the local police station, impeccably dressed thanks to costume designer Peggy Schnitzer, and Charlie Day’s perpetually peppy police officer Marty Metakawitch loudly yells, “Honey O’Donahue.” His character will refer to her exclusively by her full name throughout the entire movie. He will also find a reason to say her full name in nearly every sentence he utters (when he isn’t chuckling about her quirky lesbianism and asking her out). This is the moment where you either embrace the clunky writing of *Honey Don’t* or suffer for the mercifully brief 88 minute runtime. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Coen and Cooke delineate characters into those who have only one gimmick—Day and his desire to use Honey’s full name—and those who actually feel like quirky people. In this case, nearly everyone feels like the former and only Qualley is the latter. Her Honey…..O’Donahue feels like a character ripped directly from a Dashiell Hammett novel. You could see Lauren Bacall or Barbara Stanwyck playing the character, albeit probably with less anal beads and vibrators involved. Qualley commits to the character—and a questionable accent that, for a girl seemingly from Bakersfield, sounds a lot more Texan—who is tenacious in her desire to solve the mystery, while also being the surrogate mother to her sister’s ever increasing brood of children. Honey’s personal life, when it’s not about sex, is about parsing her adulthood with her bad childhood—a father who abandoned her, a mother who died. Part of her relationship with Plaza’s MG is about dealing with the fact that both of them are terrible at relationships. Qualley is able to make Honey feel less like a cipher and more like the troubled, fucked up person the screenwriters no doubt attempted to make her. But there’s supposed to be an actual mystery here and while it isn’t much, it does exist. The problem is there’s little depth to it. Her “investigation,” what little she does, takes her to the Four Way Church, which appears to be a joke considering how often its owner is engaged in sex with multiple partners. There’s little to parse out of the story. What you think is happening at the church *is,* period. It’s mostly an excuse to give Evans an opportunity to play the smarmy cad he’s played better in other movies, infused with a lot more female nudity. There’s a whole plot point about the church pissing off “the French,” whose emissary is a shadowy woman called Cher (Lera Abova). Who she is, how she fits, and what her aims are are left a complete mystery. But, hey, at least you get to watch Chris Evans perform oral sex on her! Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. The lack of sex scenes in movies, in general, is a topic that continues to be fascinating in terms of the generational divide. As a millennial, I miss the sex scene. But I miss sex scenes done well, not ones that just feel like they’re shoved in without any care or concern for ~~their partner~~ the story. The sex scenes in *Honey Don’t* are a lot like the sex scenes in *Drive-Away Dolls*. There’s no build-up or seduction. They’re unnecessarily explicit and come off more like a means of titillating the audience than anything passing for organic to the characters. And what’s worse, in *Honey Don’t* there seem to be more sex than there is actual narrative about the dead woman the movie started with. Hilariously, by the end the plot completely goes off the rails, introducing a serial killer who has to give the audience a ton of exposition in order to make it make sense. *Honey Don’t* is something you can certainly watch. Qualley drags this movie to the finish line and she is the best part. The rest of it is a shaggy mess that never gels into anything cohesive. There are better whodunits, better mysteries, better sex scenes in other movies! *Honey Don’t* indeed. *Honey Don’t hits theaters Friday.* # Grade: D- *What do you think of Honey Don’t? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Relay' Review: David Mackenzie and Riz Ahmed Team Up for Fantastic Old School Spy Thriller URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/relay-review-riz-ahmed-lily-james-david-mackenzie/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T13:58:36.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** It’s been a minute since a movie has left a smile plastered on my face while I was watching it, indicative of a movie where I genuinely don’t know where it’s going and am just wrapped up in what’s being presented on-screen. Within the first 30 minutes of David Mackenzie’s latest, *Relay*, that smile showed up and never left my face. It’s not just because of how much classic Hollywood inspiration Mackenzie draws from, nor is it the superlative performance from the always stellar Riz Ahmed. It’s the fact that Mackenzie tells an old school story with such a contemporary verve and sense of enjoyment. Relay is a movie that, like some of the most timeless features, could just as easily have existed in the 1970s, or the 1990s, as it does today. Miss those ‘90s thrillers that weren’t about saving the world but were just fun and well-told? Here’s a new one for ya! Ever wonder who brokers the deals between companies and the people too afraid to go public? In *Relay*, that’s handled by a shadowy loner (Ahmed), a ghost who spends his days living in isolation and only communicating with those he works for through a telephone relay system used for the Deaf and hard of hearing. When he meets Sarah (Lily James), a scared biotech whistleblower, he presumes it’s like any other job. But Sarah’s former company are hellbent on keeping her silent, and the broker starts to wonder if his feelings are getting in the way. Mackenzie’s film is a movie that doesn’t happen enough times: a thriller that’s smart enough to give its audience the situation without holding their hand. The movie starts at the conclusion of one of the broker’s deals. The whistleblower meets the company CEO who wants information and the audience wonders if death is going to ensue. “I wanted to see what evil looks like,” the man says. “But you look just like everyone else.” This is a movie about appearances and what an audience expects villainy and heroism to look like. Though Ahmed’s character—whose name isn’t revealed until close to the end—has a highly convoluted system of locks, traps, and servers to run his business the premise is fairly simple. He helps whistleblowers who regret their decisions and simply want peace of mind to leave everything alone. No one’s hellbent on going to the public or being a hero. The exact opposite of the ‘70s paranoia thriller. The people the broker works with just want to feel safe. Sarah is one such woman, a biochemist who has discovered a specific wheat strain could make a lot of people sick…but just wants to return the information she’s found and go about her life. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The fun of *Relay* comes from how Mackenzie and crew set up the mouse trap that, by the third act, the viewer knows will eventually snap and draw everyone together. The intricacy of the broker’s world is fantastic and wound as tight as can be. Ahmed doesn’t even have a line of dialogue for the first 30-odd minutes of the movie, content to listening to his voicemails and generally go about his life unobserved. Akin to Gene Hackman’s character in *The Conversation*, Ahmed’s role starts out as purely observer. A man with a job content to have no ties to humanity, if he can help it. His only communication is through the telephone relay system he uses to call his clients, the voices of different operators giving no indication of who he is, but also letting him be a variety of people. If there’s any reason to see *Relay*—and there are many reasons to see it—it’s how it uses a disability-centric device in a way that can actually benefit the community. *Relay* is not particularly a Deaf or disabled story, but there are elements woven into the narrative that, no doubt, will help those who have no connection to those communities. (Make this a Riz Ahmed double feature with *Sound of Metal* and thank me later.) The broker uses the system because of its anonymity and the fact it doesn’t keep records of its conversation. But it also situates him as an outsider alongside those in other marginalized communities. At one point he goes to get a fake ID and the person doing it is Deaf, the two communicating in ASL. In a time when disability services are being cut, and there are still people who don’t know how Deaf people make phone calls, this opens the door to examining the day-to-day lives of their communities. Several reviews have mentioned Mackenzie using *Klute*, *The Parallax View* and *The Conversation* as influences for *Relay*, implying a heavy, convoluted story of paranoia and surveillance. And there is plenty of that to be found in the way it brilliantly executes a story focused on telephones, cameras and tracker devices. But there’s another movie found within *Relay* not being referenced and that’s Stanley Donen’s 1963 feature *Charade*. It’s not just because Ahmed’s broker uses Archie Leach—Cary Grant’s real name—as a pseudonym, or at one point gets to go full Grant with the suit and heavy-rimmed glasses (yes, it’s as hot as it sounds). It’s the way the movie blends the mystery and said paranoia with a heavy dose of romance as Ahmed and James’s characters start to let their simultaneous guard down. When the two finally have an actual phone conversation it’s akin to a sexual moment because of how vulnerable and intense the movie has built up the connection, and the audience’s longing, for them to inhabit some sort of the same space. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Ahmed continues to prove he’s a movie star. His performance here is quiet and sensitive. His inquisitiveness is found in how he looks at people in crowded rooms where you can see his mind working out how to fix the situation. A third-act reveal of his background almost seems unnecessary because, up till this point, the audience more than understands the type of person he is. James works as good as anyone would as Sarah. Her moments opposite Ahmed are sexy, albeit in a more awkward way than the slick cool of something like *The Thomas Crown Affair*. A third act twist does feel completely unexpected considering how lived-in James’s performance is. The rest of the cast is just the noise that surrounds the two, particularly Sam Worthington as the cocky baddie. *Relay* is a remarkably strong film that takes its old school inspirations and modernizes them to great effect. Riz Ahmed continues to be remarkable. This is fun, sprightly movie that you shouldn’t just see in a theater, but see again with a lot of friends. *Relay is in theaters this Friday.* # Grade: A- *Are you excited to see Relay? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Popcorn Disabilities: 'Fantastic Four' and the Theory of Love is Blind URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/popcorn-disabilities-fantastic-four-alicia-blind/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:00:06.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, where I look at disability through the lens of popular culture. Because July is Disability Awareness Month I’ll be covering a different disabled movie every Friday in July! If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*stories, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** Back [when the new ](https://thefilmmaven.com/fantastic-four-first-steps-review/)[*Fantastic Four*](https://thefilmmaven.com/fantastic-four-first-steps-review/)[ movie came out](https://thefilmmaven.com/fantastic-four-first-steps-review/) I was asked by a few people how I felt about the movie erasing Ben Grimm’s blind girlfriend, Alicia Masters, from the narrative in favor of Natasha Lyonne’s fairly non-descriptive character, Rachel. Not knowing much about the *Fantastic Four* I had to admit I didn’t particularly mind because I’d only really seen the character, played by Kerry Washington, portrayed fairly one-note in the 2000s era takes on the material. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Highest 2 Lowest' Review: Spike Lee's Kurosawa Remake Splashy Exploration of Social Media and Celeb Culture URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/highest-2-lowest-review-spike-lee-denzel-washington/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:00:21.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 feature film *High and Low* is a propulsive drama that borrows liberally from American film noir and police procedurals to, at its core, tell a story about the Japanese culture clash in the 1960s, capitalism, and morality. These are all themes that filmmaker Spike Lee has already played with in several of his feature films, so right away the desire to remake Kurosawa’s feature is questionable. The end result is found in *Highest 2 Lowest*, a propulsive drama that tries to tell the same story, albeit reconfiguring Kurosawa’s themes for more contemporary looks at the generation gap, parasocial relationships, fame and social media, and Lee’s own cultural legacy. It’s a lot to parse and it can leave *Highest 2 Lowest* seeming jumbled and aimless, but when it zings in just the right way, magic happens. David King (Denzel Washington) is the CEO of a once successful record label, touted as the man with “the best ears in the business.” But the literal kingmaker has little time for his wife and teenage son. But when David’s son Trey (Aubrey Joseph) is kidnapped, David is willing to put everything aside to save him…until it’s discovered Trey is alive and well and it is his chauffeur and best friend, Paul’s (Jeffrey Wright) child who is in danger. The lilting strains of “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” from *Oklahoma* greets listeners during the opening credits, the first juxtaposition between the fantasy of American presented in that musical and the epic high rise where David and his family live. The metaphors run heavy from minute one. David, regularly referred to as King David by the people hoping to make a deal with him, is frustrated that when he and his son leave their house on the mountain Trey is only concerned with his social media followers. David sees those being followed on social media as leaders but wonders “Where are you leading them?” It’s an interesting conceit that runs throughout the movie, the line between David’s obligations to himself, his wife and son, his company, and the cultural legacy of his label, best known for curating the best in Black artistry. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. But these moments flirt with seeming hokey and overwrought. At one point a young girl auditions for David by singing a song about how he’s god. It is funny to hear David give shade to the company wanting to buy his, a thinly veiled Amazon, when this is technically an Apple production. And it doesn’t help that the musical cues are just as heavy and pointed as the dialogue. David enters a room for an innocuous scene and ominous music plays. He has a talk with his son and the score plays just as loudly as the dialogue, as if the audience needs someone holding their hand telling them how to feel. The film adheres to the original Kurosawa plot fairly closely, right down to Mark Friedberg’s production design on the King penthouse mimicking the house on the hill Toshiro Mifune’s character lived in. And much like the original, the trajectories stay consistent: David is a workaholic trying to make a bid to buy his company and take back his legacy. The kidnapping happens as does the reveal that the kidnapper’s made a mistake. The first half of the feature becomes a moral quandary movie, wherein David has to decide whether to put up his seed money to save the life of a child that isn’t his…and what happens to him if he doesn’t. But Lee’s interpretation lacks the tight pacing of Kurosawa that made Mifune’s character discussing his decision for over an hour engaging. Instead, Lee will cut to images of the family—marking time like chapters—spending time with the police, none of whom have real characters except for Dean Winters who is just “the douchey white cop.” The film picks up in fits and starts, but works best when Washington and Wright are discussing things or when Washington is just left to talk to himself. This marks the fifth collaboration between Lee and Washington and the actor continues to show why he works best with the director. His David King may have once had the shine and charm we’ve come to associate with Washington. Glimpses of his face on the cover of *Time* and *The New Yorker* showing off the actor in his youth. Instead, this is a character concerned with his legacy. David wonders if those buying his company care about the history, the artistry he was responsible for, a thinly veiled take on Lee himself. And yet when Washington has to bring those decades of power to the forefront—confronting his son after being told “it’s just money”—the audience is more than able to be scared of him. But Washington works best bouncing off Wright as Paul, an ex-con who’s turned his life around. Wright plays a supporting role but brings leading man power to it, particularly in the final third when he and Washington get to do more action. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. The outcome of the ransom is decided about halfway through the film, leaving an additional hour of story telling. The back third of the movie, the fallout of David’s decision to pay the ransom, is easily the strongest segment of Highest 2 Lowest and is where Lee feels more confident in veering away from Kurosawa while still holding on to the required beats of the original story. The introduction of A$AP Rocky as Yung Felon—there’s a lot of on the nose stuff—gives the movie a needed shot in the arm to cross the finish line. He makes a meal out of the character, an angry young man released from prison desperate to try to make it as a rapper. It’s where Lee’s sharpest critiques come, examining youth culture and their desire to make it quickly. As Yung Felon says, “attention is the only form of currency.” It’s a shame that he and Washington only have the one scene together, akin to Kurosawa’s film, as it’s the best moment in the movie. *Highest 2 Lowest* is far from Lee’s best but it’s hard to top another, equally iconic, filmmaker. *Highest 2 Lowest* works best when it’s trying to say something different from its predecessor and that happens predominately in the final hour. The pacing makes this an arduous experience but, as previously mentioned, when it works it’s fire. # Grade: C+ *Highest 2 Lowest is in theaters Friday.* *Are you excited to see Highest 2 Lowest? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** [*My beloved cat Elliott Stabler had to have unexpected lifesaving bowel surgery last month and we’re nearly 80% funded on our goal to pay off the bills. Consider sharing or donating to my GoFundMe page. I’m giving away a ton of great items, as well as doing donor-requested movie reviews!*](https://gofund.me/b32f6052?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Ticklish Business #209: Giant (1956, with Julie Gilbert) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/giant-1956-ticklish-business-podcast/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:00:34.000Z Ticklish Business #209: Giant (1956, with Julie Gilbert) 0:00 /200 1× *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’ll be including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! If you preorder and show proof of purchase I’ll give you a *free paid subscription to The Film Maven for 1 year*!* Edna Ferber biographer Julie Gilbert joins us to discuss the 1956 Western epic *Giant*. The trio talk about James Dean, Liz Taylor's feminism, and how the movie isn't afraid to deconstruct the genre it's set in. [⁠](https://amzn.to/3H5rD9F?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[**Buy Julie's book Giant Love by clicking this link.**](https://amzn.to/3H5rD9F?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠](https://amzn.to/3H5rD9F?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish\_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, leave us a review. Find Kristen and Emily's books wherever you buy books. Kristen's latest, [⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[⁠](https://amzn.to/4mkjb5B?ref=thefilmmaven.com), is available to pre-order now before it releases on November 13th! • Love T shirts, pins, and other merch? [⁠The merch shop is live⁠](%E2%81%A0https://www.redbubble.com/people/ticklishbiz/shop%E2%81%A0)! • ICMYI, the best way to support Ticklish Biz is to [⁠become a Patron⁠](%E2%81%A0https://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz%E2%81%A0%C2%A0): • [⁠Follow Emily's Instagram⁠](%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/msemilyedwards%E2%81%A0%C2%A0) • [⁠Follow Kristen's Instagram⁠](%E2%81%A0https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88%E2%81%A0) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Rachel Clark Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Dana Raines Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Patrick Seals Richard Silver Rosa *What do you think about Giant? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* ***Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.*** [*My beloved cat Elliott Stabler had to have unexpected lifesaving bowel surgery last month and we’re nearly 80% funded on our goal to pay off the bills. Consider sharing or donating to my GoFundMe page. I’m giving away a ton of great items, as well as doing donor-requested movie reviews!*](https://gofund.me/b32f6052?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* ### Culture Journalists Are Reentering Their Blog Era But Is Second Time a Charm? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/entertainment-journalism-substack-blog/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:00:49.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers. It’s an offshoot of my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid subscriber. Why is it important to get a paid subscription? Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! If you preorder and show proof of purchase I’ll give you a *free paid subscription to The Film Maven for 1 year*!* Last month forever Senior Culture Reporter for HuffPost, Candice Frederick posted on BlueSky that with news room almost exclusively made up of white journalists, that Black and Brown journalists were moving into their “blog era.” It’s something that journalists, BIPOC and femme-centric journos, have been noticing for the last year, as newsrooms decide DEI is dead and return to the bad old days of white/cis/het/male/abled newsrooms. And it seems like a journalist is being laid off and starting a Substack every other day. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Director Amy Berg Talks Jeff Buckley's Similarities to Janis Joplin and Almost Getting Jimmy Page URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/jeff-buckley-documentary-amy-berg-interview/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:01:09.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! If you preorder and show proof of purchase I’ll give you a *free paid subscription to The Film Maven for 1 year*!* There’s a sense of possibility that permeates every frame of Amy Berg’s documentary, “*It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley*.” The magic of being young, of being a musician on the brink, aided by the enthusiasm of Buckley himself. So when sitting down to talk to Berg, my second time interviewing her, the first thing she notices is I’m wearing a Led Zeppelin T-shirt, Buckley’s favorite band. It’s yet another moment of magic, enhanced by talking about a documentary that reminds me not only why I’ve come to love Buckley, but why I love music itself. But for Berg, she resisted doing a documentary on Buckley for years. “It's more like what enticed me to walk away from it,” Berg tells The Film Maven. There wasn’t anything about Buckley she didn’t find fascinating, so much so that she’d been trying for years to get the rights to tell his story. “He had a really interesting, short life that deserves a look,” she says. “His music is timeless and his story is timeless.” Unlike her previous documentary subject, Janis Joplin, there was also a desire to correct the narrative. Buckley drowned in the Mississippi River in 1997, with many people assuming, to this day, that he overdosed. So for Berg, the desire was to finally put that story to rest. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Berg does seem commonalities between Buckley and Joplin, the subject of her 2015 documentary, *Janis: Little Girl Blue*. “They were both groundbreakers,” she says. Buckley’s specific singing style was unlike anything currently being heard in the midst of the Seattle grunge scene, akin to Joplin’s raspy performances. They also had fractured family dynamics, with Buckley having an estranged relationship from his father. She also saw both features as depicting unknown love stories, in Buckley’s case his deep love for his mother, Mary. “The answering machine messages were so emotional,” Berg says. “I would cry when I listened to them the first couple times. I just felt that the mother/son relationship was so important and formative and complicated so I had to go after that narrative.” But that demanded Berg have final cut over the project, leading to a delicate dance between herself and Buckley’s mother to gain trust in the director’s concept. What’s amazing, and specific to Berg’s documentary, is the emphasis on time and place. Using illustration and archival footage, there’s a unique feeling watching *It’s Never Over* that reminds you of the sense of the present that came from the 1990s. Audiences weren’t glued to their phones and Berg understands that focus. “We leaned into the ‘90s videos,” says Berg. “We had his journals and his drawings, his voice, all the film archives. We wanted to create something that was dynamic. Water was a big theme, and Led Zeppelin. Those two themes drove the narrative. In earlier cuts it was all over the place but it found its continuity and got simplified as time went on.” Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Of course, bringing it back to Led Zeppelin, one of the big almost moments for Berg was getting Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page to talk about the young singer. “He had said yes, but he just couldn't line up a date for us. So that was a bummer,” she says. What sticks out to Berg, though, is the excitement to see Buckley’s story told. It reminds her of record store release parties of the past. “The waiting was the hardest part,” she says. “There hasn't been something for them to go and embody this excitement about Jeff Buckley.” So much so that when the film’s trailer dropped it got five million hits. “He's kind of like a fine wine,” she says. “It seems to have reemerged on the charts recently. The more people that discover him, the more people are interested in him.” The director recounts how, while making the feature, Buckley’s “Lover, You Should Come Over” became a hit on TikTok with 400 million follows. Berg wonders what Buckley would have thought of that success. “He might have felt like that takes away his artistic control, \[his\] integrity.” Regardless, it opens up a whole new generation in discovering Jeff Buckley’s music, and Berg’s feature. *It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley is in theaters now.* *Are you a Jeff Buckley fan? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* *Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.* [*My beloved cat Elliott Stabler had to have unexpected lifesaving bowel surgery last month and we’re nearly 80% funded on our goal to pay off the bills. Consider sharing or donating to my GoFundMe page. I’m giving away a ton of great items, as well as doing donor-requested movie reviews!*](https://gofund.me/b32f6052?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'She Rides Shotgun' Author and Director Discuss Adapting a Dark Fairy Tale For the Screen URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/she-rides-shotgun-author-director/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:01:21.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. So consider becoming a paid subscriber today!* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** ***\*\*The ending of She Rides Shotgun is discussed below\*\**** Adaptation is a tricky needle to thread. On the one hand, pre-existing material lays out the pertinent structure of the story a screenwriter needs to tell. But said screenwriter is forced to please two audiences: one with a deep love for the source material and one that might not know of its existence. As if that’s not hard enough, they have to translate written material to a moving medium like film, requiring things like narrative condensing. Author and screenwriter Jordan Harper has been on both sides of the desk, both before and after the adaptation of his book *She Rides Shotgun* hit screens earlier this month. (It’s a movie I adore and [you can read my review here](https://thefilmmaven.com/she-rides-shotgun-review-taron-egerton/).) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Weapons' Review: Zach Cregger's Latest Jams Up With an Unfocused Story URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/weapons-review-zach-cregger/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:01:39.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! If you preorder and show proof of purchase I’ll give you a *free paid subscription to The Film Maven for 1 year*!* Director Zach Cregger burst out the gate with the 2022 horror thriller *Barbarian*, a movie that struggled to maintain cohesion after a stellar first half. The announcement that Cregger had another original feature under his belt immediately vaulted it to nearly every critic’s most anticipated lists without knowing anything about it. The end result, the similarly single word title *Weapons*, may yield a bigger A-list cast but still suffers from a lack of narrative structure. At times coming off more like a pitch for a novel or a miniseries, *Weapons* gets smothered by the weight of its own construction, focused so much on populating the frame with characters to the detriment of a story that makes sense. *Weapons* is a modern day fairy tale/camp fire story/urban legend. As the child narrator says at the beginning, “A lot of people die in really weird ways in this story” and they aren’t kidding. In the small town of Maybrook, 17 children ran out into the darkness at 2:17 am for reasons unknown. The townsfolk, led by Archer Graff (Josh Brolin)—one of the fathers of the missing kids—blames the children’s teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) as her class was the only one affected. Justine and Archer, on their own separate trajectories, will try to figure out what happened to the Maybrook 17, and the darkness that lies within the town itself. There is a fascinating horror movie somewhere within *Weapons* and it shines when it just allows itself to be creepy. There’s a lot of similarities to Stephen King’s It—right down to its clownish, ginger-haired villain—and it’s when Cregger emphasizes the spooky elements that the audience is drawn in. And that’s helped by a game cast that isn’t afraid to play with both the external fears in the narrative as well as their character’s own personal flaws. After a few misfires unworthy of her talents earlier this year, Julia Garner finally gets a role where she can give a dynamite performance. Justine Gandy is a woman fueled by guilt, not just about her students disappearing but about her alcoholism. The way shame flits across Garner’s eyes when traveling to a liquor store hits all the right notes. Josh Brolin also sells the role of a father uninterested in grieving but desperate to find answers. It takes a fair amount of time for the pair to finally team up, but once they do it elevates the third act. Unfortunately, Garner’s character is the primary focus, leaving Brolin’s Archer mired in the committed father role. It’s interesting that he is the figure teaming up with Justine by the end as he doesn’t register in much of the narrative before or after outside of stray scenes. Alden Ehrenreich’s police officer Paul has more screen time than him. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. There’s a novelistic quality to *Weapons*, from the extensive narration laying out the dynamics of the town, to the multiple chapter headings that give us each individual character’s POV. This results in a lot of repetition as the viewer watches events happen from Justine’s perspective, and then shows portions of that same event from another character’s perspective, like Paul’s hooking up with her. At over two hours it becomes cumbersome watching the same scenes play out in different ways, particularly Paul’s interactions with a homeless junkie (a memorable Austin Abrams). And whatever divergences to the story don’t necessarily add in character depth but yield further exposition to ultimately make sense of the big bad, played expertly by Amy Madigan. *Weapons* is at its best when it leans into the central question: what happened to the Maybrook 17? Where did they go and why? There are only two roads to take when penning a script around a mysterious query like that. The story can either attempt to answer it definitively, crafting a world that sets up and answers the why. Or you tell the viewer just enough and leave them with enough ambiguous strings to spend their days positing their own theories. Cregger goes for a third option which is answer the conceit with just enough world building to say it’s solved, and leave more frustrating plot holes that make you wonder why a stray line of dialogue wasn’t added here or there to clean things up. It is Madigan, as Aunt Gladys, who blows everyone out of the water with a big, showy performance that can feel a little too Pennywise-adjacent at times. Cregger falls back on a similar reveal as Barbarian in that old hags are always the problem. (If he does one more of these types of movies we could say he’s singlehandedly bringing back hagsploitation.) Madigan is utterly haunting and, had the movie been done in chronological order it’d have been great watch that character build throughout the narrative instead of coming in like a garish wrecking ball. She immediately alerts the audience that SHE, and she alone, is the cause of what’s happening. Her scenes opposite young Cary Christopher as Alex are the perfect children’s fairy tale interactions. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. But the introduction of the central villain in the 11th hour only shows the fractures in the narrative. The audience spends more time asking about the “how” because what happened to the Maybrook 17 and deconstructing character reactions. A woman pops up dressed like a Halloween character, acting completely at odds with the situation and the cops don’t bat an eye? At least in *IT* there’s an explanation about the evil permeating Derry’s adults and making them turn away. At one point, Alex’s dad says no one is sure if Aunt Gladys is even family….yet they let her stay in their house? Because the world in which we’re seeing isn’t focused on these character these decisions just play out as dumb. *Weapons* continues to build on Zach Cregger’s mystique and is another decent horror entry, if you don’t think about it for a millisecond more than you should. The narrative structure affects the pacing, and the third act is messy, but the performances are undeniable particularly Amy Madigan. Seriously, give the woman an award. Any award! *Weapons is in theaters Friday.* # Grade: C *Are you excited to see Weapons? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* *Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.* [*My beloved cat Elliott Stabler had to have unexpected lifesaving bowel surgery last month and we’re nearly 80% funded on our goal to pay off the bills. Consider sharing or donating to my GoFundMe page. I’m giving away a ton of great items, as well as doing donor-requested movie reviews!*](https://gofund.me/b32f6052?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Freakier Friday' Review: A Millennial Retread That Still Shows Off Some Magic in Its Premise URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/freakier-friday-review-lindsay-lohan/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:01:49.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! If you preorder and show proof of purchase I’ll give you a *free paid subscription to The Film Maven for 1 year*!* Disney has yet to give up on their long-running *Freaky Friday* franchise. What started out as a 1976 feature with Jodie Foster has been adapted for every generation since, most famously the 2003 film starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan—though, justice for the forgotten 1995 film with Shelley Long. And after seeing the utter train wreck that was *Hocus Pocus 2* and the *Enchanted* sequels, it’s understandable that fear permeates this reheating of another beloved franchise. Thankfully, director Nisha Ganatra breaks the Disney+ curse with *Freakier Friday*. In the hopes of reheating everything millennials once loved, and a desire to pull in the Gen Z and Gen Alpha crowd, Disney has returned to the *Freaky Friday* universe with a movie that doubles up on everything, including the number of people switched. Tess and Anna Coleman (Curtis and Lohan, respectively) have appeared to learn from their initial switcharoo. Anna is a single mom to teenager Harper (Julia Butters) and is a successful music manager, at the expense of putting aside her own musical aspirations. But Anna’s mother, Tess, struggles to let Anna parent Harper on her own, inserting herself into their dynamic. Tess and Anna’s problems seem natural to women now in their late thirties and sixties in Jordan Weiss’s screenplay. Tess is trying to move from authoring to podcasting while Anna is every millennial trying hard to stay centered, believing a grounding breath will keep her anger at bay. Yet each of them is clearly showcasing a facade, hiding their fears about growing up, mortality, and being alone. So Tess stalks Anna’s Instagram to turn smothering into helpfulness while Anna just sublimates everything she feels. Unlike the first film, where Tess was already engaged, we see Anna meet and fall for Eric (Manny Jacinto), a kindhearted British widower with a teenage daughter, Lily (Sophia Hammons) of his own. There’s no tricks up anyone’s sleeve with *Freakier Friday*. From the minute Anna and Eric meet—and decide to marry after just six months together—it’s obvious to see where everything will go from there. But what makes everything fun is how the four actresses, both established and ingenue, hold everything together. A bizarre psychic, played by a kooky Vanessa Bayer, replaces the more racist fortune telling aspect from the first feature, though the end result is the same: Anna, Tess, Lily and Harper all switch places. Harper in her mom’s body and Tess in Lily’s. And while the obvious learning lessons are established quickly that never diminishes the pure fun to be had in *Freakier Friday*. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Weiss’s script toes the line between making comments about the distinctions in the generations and belaboring the point. There’s the obligatory needle drops for the likes of Spice Girls, Britney Spears and Chappell Roan, as well as pokes at Gen Z sensitivity—Harper’s door has a sign that says, “No triggering. Respect my safe space.” Lily, in Tess’s body, screams out at a pickleball match about Boomers which leads to a hilarious exchange with two other women about being “We’re Gen X. Elder millennials.” However this can lead to inconsistency in how the younger girls act around other young girls, particularly Anna’s famous music client, the single-named Ella (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan). It’s hard to think they’d have no ability to chat with her. But like the 2003 film the focus and joy of watching *Freakier Friday* comes from the dynamic and acting prowess of Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. The two don't just seamlessly slip back into their old characters of Tess and Anna, they perfectly inhabit two totally new characters without making you think they’re playing at it. Lohan, having a career renaissance of late, is solid as Anna. She’s every millennial trying to hold it together, maintain a sense of identity, AND be the person her fiancé and daughter need her to be. When she’s Harper, she’s deftly reverts back to the young girl trying to find her place in the world. A wordless scene of Lohan on a surfboard in the ocean, or asking Lily (in Tess’s body) about why she hates California, conveys the optimism of a life just beginning. She also nails the physical comedy, particularly when trying to flirt with old flame Jake (Chad Michael Murray). Let’s be real, though, the *Freaky Friday* universe has been, and always will be, about Jamie Lee Curtis who continues to go for broke here. As Lily, she is simultaneously petty, vain, brittle, and hilarious. (Shout out to costume designer Natalie O’Brien, who gives Curtis even more fantastic outfits to wear.) It’s easy for Curtis to play Lily’s selfish side, whether that’s putting on massive amounts of lip plumper for a passport photo shoot in a Walgreens or trying to explain why she can’t get up from a squatting position. Yet Curtis’s experience as a performer makes her able to give Lily necessary depth. A scene in a record store, wherein Lily has to disclose a lie she’s been telling, is perfect in Curtis’s hands as the actress whispers, “You’re not going to tell anyone are you?” You can hear the fear underneath every syllable. She also continues to have a ton of fun with Murray who, this go round, might have had some residual fallout from the previous film. Hammons and Butters hold their own in the dual roles they’re meant to play as both parent and adult. But maybe because the issues of high school haven’t changed that much—or have so much it’s doubtful a Disney movie like this would discuss them—there’s little special to their plot line once they’re left playing adults trapped in teen bodies. The jokes generally extend to how the pair can eat whatever they want and can ride e-scooters without fear of getting hurt. Butters and Hammons are strong comediennes and can give the more serious tones the third act requires, but they aren’t given enough strong material to make you want to follow them around. Odds are this is why they feel so marginalized when the switch takes place. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. *Freakier Friday* is the best Disney sequel in a minute thanks to the continued joy of watching Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis together. The comedy is broad and the story formulaic, but all of that is what builds on some of the best Disney classics. This is another good installment of the *Freaky Friday* franchise worth taking your kids to see. # Grade: B- *Freaky Friday is in theaters Friday.* *Are you excited to see Freakier Friday? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* *Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.* [*My beloved cat Elliott Stabler had to have unexpected lifesaving bowel surgery last month and we’re nearly 80% funded on our goal to pay off the bills. Consider sharing or donating to my GoFundMe page. I’m giving away a ton of great items, as well as doing donor-requested movie reviews!*](https://gofund.me/b32f6052?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### The 7 Best Things I Watched in July URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-watched-july-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:02:06.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! If you preorder and show proof of purchase I’ll give you a *free paid subscription to The Film Maven for 1 year*!* I’ve heard a few people say it online but July felt like it lasted 100 days, right? I certainly had my fair share of things going on and, weirdly enough, watched only a small handful of movies. But the seven movies below comprise at least two future favorites of 2025, one ‘90s classic I’m glad to finally cross off my watch list, and a lot of great documentaries. ## *It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley* (2025) Yes, I was just talking about this doc in [my Must-See Films of August](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-august-2025/). I’ll have a lot more to say about this this week, including a full interview with director Amy Berg, but this is one of my favorite documentaries of the year. Whether you’re a Jeff Buckley expert or only know his recording of Leonard Coen’s “Hallelujah,” there’s something in here for everyone to learn, and some fantastic music. What I love is how Berg, utilizing illustration and archival material, truly makes the viewer feel like they’re experiencing the music scene in the 1990s. Much like Berg’s other documentary, *Janis: Little Girl Blue*, she capably balances the music with the real person, trying to parse the myth from reality. It’s a beautiful doc that will make you fall in love with Jeff Buckley all over again. ## *Strange Days* (1995) I got told by a lot of people over in The Film Maven chat to prioritize when it was expiring on Criterion last month and I’d like to thank them all! If I saw this in 1995 I’d have been insufferably hyping it up. Kathryn Bigelow’s 1995 dystopian sci-fi feature is intense, gritty, and remarkably prescient to today. It puts the “neo” in Neo-noir with a story of a black marketeer peddling in memories, played fantastically by Ralph Fiennes, trying to save the wayward love of his life. The story is steeped in the 1940s, but it’s the acting that takes it over the top. Fiennes is at his peak hotness but when paired with the equally stunning Angela Bassett they become the hottest couple that’s ever lived. How did we not just make these two a screen team in everything? Add to that Ellen Mirojnick’s fantastic costumes and this is a 1990 fever dream I never wanted to wake up from. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/d132bdc6-f309-45af-94e0-fdf6a704974e_600x337-heic.jpg) ## *Shari & Lamb Chop* (2023) Another fantastic documentary, this time from director Lisa D’Apolito, the woman behind the equally charming *Love, Gilda* from 2018\. This is technically a 2023 release but due to the pandemic things got delayed and audiences were finally able to see it starting in July. I grew up on Shari Lewis and *Lamb Chop’s Play Along* so I knew I’d eat this up with a spoon. D’Apolito has said studios erroneously felt that Lewis’s life wasn’t worth discussing because there was no conflict. Lewis didn’t struggle with drugs or personal demons. But what D’Apolito captures with *Shari & Lamb Chop* is the story of a comedic genius. Lewis was able to do some amazing things with her puppets and it’s astounding to watch her seamlessly switch between herself and a variety of puppets at a rapid-fire pace. Lewis deserves her flowers for what she did for comedy, and I’d like to think this documentary does that. If you need the equivalent of a warm blanket in your movies, this is it. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. ## *Saving Face* (2004) Gotta thank Criterion Channel for giving me another delightful new discovery in Alice Wu’s romantic feature *Saving Face*. The movie follows a mild-mannered Chinese-American doctor Wil, played wonderfully by Michelle Krusiec, who falls in love with the beautiful Vivian (Lynn Chen). Unfortunately, Wil hasn’t come out to her mother yet, leading to a host of complications. Everyone in this movie is pitch perfect. Krusiec and Chen have an easy chemistry that feels lived-in. But Joan Chen steals the show as Wil’s mother who discovers she’s pregnant. There’s a lot of themes unpacked involving the Chinese-American experience, particularly with regards to queer relationships. It’s also very sweet and funny! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/b25aa165-28ad-42ef-96b2-378f56fab2d0_2605x1465-heic.jpg) ## [*She Rides Shotgun*](https://thefilmmaven.com/she-rides-shotgun-review-taron-egerton/)[ (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/she-rides-shotgun-review-taron-egerton/) [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/she-rides-shotgun-review-taron-egerton/): “It’s been a minute since a movie has enthralled me, swept me up in its story, dazzled me, and left me a sobbing mess at the end. Director Nick Rowland’s adaptation of the Jordan Harper noir novel *She Rides Shotgun* did just that. Inspired by the likes of *No Country for Old Men* and *The Night of the Hunter* (Harper calls its “*Paper Moon* with a body count”), Rowland’s drama is a percussive, heartrending story of fathers and daughters packed to bursting with beautiful dialogue, stark cinematography, and a career best performance by Taron Egerton alongside a stellar debut by Ana Sophia Heger. *She Rides Shotgun* is a film that could just come and go, and that’s unfortunate. It’s one of the year’s best movies! Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger are pitch perfect. This is one where I want to include all the adjectives to discuss how much I love it.” Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. ## [Together (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/together-movie-2025-review-dave-franco-alison-brie/) [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/together-movie-2025-review-dave-franco-alison-brie/): “You’ll know exactly if *Together* is for you the minute you see two dogs start fusing into each other. This is a movie about the coalescence of identity, and how much two people try to fight against it. We meet Millie and Tim as they’re planning for their big country move. The pair worries they’re less in love with each other and more used to each other. The potential death of their relationship is only the first bit of existential dread in the movie. Tim’s friend says, “When I die, I don’t want someone else’s life flashing before my eyes.” And Millie and Tim discuss what final social media message they’d want to leave when they die. *Together* is a wild ride that, for all the squishing and melding, is also a powerful story of romantic complacency. Brie and Franco are utterly superb. This is one that left me cringing as often as it made me find these two utterly darling. It’s a special one you should take your loved one to go see.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/e6b4a811-4ac5-42ea-8895-50f3979fa4a9_1920x1080-heic.jpg) ## *If I Should Die Before I Wake* (1952) I didn’t get to finish the entirety of Criterion’s Argentinian Noir collection, but glad I got to see this. Director Carlos Hugo Christensen’s feature holds commonalities with the likes of Rene Clair and similar fairy tale elements to 1944’s Curse of the Cat People with its story of a young boy whose female classmates start being murdered. The boy, having seen the killer himself, promised his friend not to reveal a confidence and it starts to eat away at him. The script deftly looks at childhood promises, and how kids can take secrecy and loyalty literally. At the same time, it isn’t afraid to show the violence and horrors children can be involved in. I can’t fathom an American movie in the 1950s being so overt about a child killer. Néstor Zavarce holds the frame as the young Lucio, a boy desperate to make his father proud but also haunted by the secrets he’s held in. It’s a dreamlike experience that holds its own against the works of Val Lewton and Robert Wise. Forgot to include this month’s Leaving Criterion List! Let me know what I should prioritize in the comments below. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/784c0811-cc73-4299-ab33-a3a0417c17d3_787x355-heic.jpg) *What movies did you enjoy last month? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* *Enjoy what you’re reading? Share it with friends. Help us get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of 2025 and I’ll do a full written and video review of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.* [***My beloved cat Elliott Stabler had to have unexpected, lifesaving bowel surgery and the bills are high. Consider sharing or donating my GoFundMe page (and looking at the cute pics I took of him). I’m giving away a ton of great items to those who donate, including a Fantastic Four viewfinder!***](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-elliott-vet-bills?attribution%5Fid=sl:1613e710-8984-4ee3-b22b-323886502017&lang=en%5FUS&utm%5Fcampaign=man%5Fss%5Ficons&utm%5Fmedium=customer&utm%5Fsource=copy%5Flink) *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 11 Must-See Movies of August URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-august-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-07T00:38:41.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. So consider becoming a paid subscriber today!* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** If you follow me on TikTok—yes, it’s weird that I have officially entered that world—then you know I start all my movie reviews by reminding people I’m not an influencer but a film critic hoping to help you spend your money at the movies wisely. But I realized I wasn’t actually telling people what movies to keep on their radar to begin with. Thus, I’m gonna be kicking off every month championing the movies I’m excited for in the coming month. Some I’ve already seen and others I’m eager to. Either way, life is short so let’s spend it at the movies that look halfway decent. And stay tuned throughout the month as I give reviews on the movies below. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Ticklish Business #208: Dangerous When Wet (1953) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/esther-williams-dangerous-when-wet-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:02:48.000Z Ticklish Business #208: Dangerous When Wet (1953) 0:00 /200 1× *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’ll be including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* Summer comes to a close and we're saying farewell to the beach with Esther Williams and the 1953 movie *Dangerous When Wet*. It's been a minute since we've disagreed on a movie and we look at Williams as a swimming star, her relationship with Fernando Lamas, and Kristen does dramatic readings from Williams's autobiography. **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates mcf Rachel Clark Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Reyna Moya-James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Dana Raines Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Patrick Seals Richard Silver Rosa ### 'She Rides Shotgun' Review: A Fantastic Western-Tinged Noir That Demands To Be Seen URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/she-rides-shotgun-review-taron-egerton/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:02:59.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* It’s been a minute since a movie has enthralled me, swept me up in its story, dazzled me, and left me a sobbing mess at the end. Director Nick Rowland’s adaptation of the Jordan Harper noir novel *She Rides Shotgun* did just that. Inspired by the likes of *No Country for Old Men* and *The Night of the Hunter* (Harper calls its “*Paper Moon* with a body count”), Rowland’s drama is a percussive, heartrending story of fathers and daughters packed to bursting with beautiful dialogue, stark cinematography, and a career best performance by Taron Egerton alongside a stellar debut by Ana Sophia Heger. Little Polly McClusky (Heger) waits for her mother to pick her up after school. After hours of waiting a car arrives bringing her father, Nathan (Egerton) back into her life. Recently released from prison, Nathan knows time is of the essence. He’s got a “green light” on him, a kill order, given to him by the leader of a neo-Nazi group he was forced to be a part of. With Polly’s life in danger, Nathan is forced to take his daughter he barely knows on the run. There’s an old-fashioned sensibility that permeates *She Rides Shotgun*, no doubt the result of the translation away from Los Angeles, where Harper’s book is set, to the American Southwest. Cinematographer Wyatt Garfield’s camera combines the awe-inspiring beauty of the mountainous desert landscape against the equally isolated locations Polly and Nathan go into. Even when the pair are at a bustling airport parking lot they’re the only living characters in the frame. Their world is cozy and intimate, but also lonely. We meet Polly alone in front of the school as Nathan, whom the audience doesn’t know yet, beckons her to his car. In any other movie, the audience understands what horrors await the young girl until she discovers it’s her father, a man she only fleetingly remembers. (Nate attempts to recount moments of bonding with his daughter only to meet a quizzical gaze from her in return.) The script gives only snatches of the pair’s respective pasts—Nate is ashamed of his and Polly has barely lived long enough to have one. It’s clear Nathan is a follower, sheepishly following his big brother his whole life who, now dead, has left his little brother nothing but a life of crime and a cadre of villains, both law enforcement and otherwise, wanting to kill everyone he holds dear. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Taron Egerton should be an Oscar winner (*Rocketman* forever), and he continues to show why he’s one of the most dynamic actors working today. When the viewer meets him, he’s a raw nerve, on the edge of threatening. It’s not just in his physical appearance, the remnants of his life in a neo-Nazi gang, but in the way he constantly scans the room, his tongue lingering at the corner of his mouth. He pushes Polly along, so frustrated that he refuses to let her pick an item out of the vending machine. Her hunger, whether it be for food or comfort, is little more than a hindrance to his freedom. And yet, as the narrative goes on, that transition to compassion for his child grows organically in the way Edgerton looks at Heger. A convenience store robbery is tense and chaotic, yet Nathan still remembers to get the Snickers bar Polly asked for. Egerton is the established force that moves things along but it is young Heger who shines across the screen like a shooting star. The *Paper Moon* comparisons are apt as Heger gives off a Tatum O’Neal vibe, though where O’Neal’s Addie Pray is hardened at the beginning, Heger is the opposite. She’s a child, through and through, and it is through her connection to Nathan’s violent world she is forced not to just toughen up, but to grow up. Heger threads the needle between a child and a child performing the moves of adulthood. The moment she discovers what’s happened to her mother leaves Heger to give an emotionally nuanced moment of simultaneously grieving for her mom and understanding she must bond with Nathan or have absolutely no one. When Nathan gets shot and Polly has to stitch him up, it’s a moment for her to realize that adults aren’t gods. The Coen brothers influence is felt immediately in how quickly potential enemies can become allies, and vice versa. Following alongside Nathan and Polly is Detective John Park (Rob Yang). What’s fascinating is that, in the landscape where there are villains and heroes, we also get shades of gray and that is best embodied in Park who wants to do the right thing, and also get some glory if he can. The script is at its shakiest when its at its most profound. Polly’s opening narration talks about a man who thinks he’s a god. Throughout the feature much is made about a place called Slabtown, the largest meth operation in the Southwest, and how its owner—referred to as the God of Slabtown—has eyes and ears everywhere. The goal is to set him up as the scariest person in the world and while the casting is on the nose, the hype doesn’t truly match up. With the focus on Nathan and Polly there’s a lot of mumbled backstory meant to elevate Slabtown as this Hadestown-esque existence. But it isn’t until the third act that we get our first glimpse of the God of Slabtown and, even then, the script struggles to make it compelling after spending nearly half the runtime with Polly and Nathan. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Regardless, once the pair make it to Slabtown the Western fans hit home, with gunfights and Garfield’s camera showing the sheer immensity of the God’s army. It’s easy to see the writing on the wall where the story will end but that doesn’t make it any easier to watch. But it is the movie’s final scene, as Polly dances to “Clearest Blue” by Chvrches—which will make its way onto my favorite needle drops of 2025 list—that the movie’s utter brilliance comes through. The camera, focused on Heger attempting to dance while simultaneously holding back a tidal wave of emotions, finally able to breathe….it’s one I cannot stop thinking about. *She Rides Shotgun* is a film that could just come and go, and that’s unfortunate. It’s one of the year’s best movies! Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger are pitch perfect. This is one where I want to include all the adjectives to discuss how much I love it. # Grade: A- *She Rides Shotgun is in theaters Thursday.* [***My beloved cat Elliott Stabler had to have unexpected, lifesaving bowel surgery and the bills are high. Consider sharing or donating my GoFundMe page (and looking at the cute pics I took of him). I’m giving away a ton of great items to those who donate, including a Fantastic Four viewfinder!***](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-elliott-vet-bills?attribution%5Fid=sl:1613e710-8984-4ee3-b22b-323886502017&lang=en%5FUS&utm%5Fcampaign=man%5Fss%5Ficons&utm%5Fmedium=customer&utm%5Fsource=copy%5Flink) *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* *Post your thoughts on the movie (after you see it) or this review below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'The Naked Gun' (2025) Review: Liam Neeson Commits to the Bit in Reboot That's Better Than It Need to Be URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-naked-gun-2025-review-liam-neeson/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:03:13.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! If you preorder and show proof of purchase I’ll give you a *free paid subscription to The Film Maven for 1 year*!* It’s been 31 years since Leslie Nielsen played bumbling police detective Frank Drebin, a franchise that’s been more successful as a feature film than the TV series, *Police Squad*, from which it derived from; *Police Squad* lasted six episodes in the spring of 1982\. In that time the comedy stylings of the Zucker/Abrahams team has been analyzed and cited as the type of humor “that can’t be done today.” Or, that is until *Popstar* director Akiva Schaffer decided to redo *The Naked Gun* today. With a solid and game cast led by a pitch perfect Liam Neeson, *The Naked Gun* is a far better movie than it has any right to be. An opening bank robbery introduces audiences to Frank Drebin, Jr. (Neeson), a member of the Police Squad desperate to make his late father proud. But the bank robbery ends up holding far more dastardly implications, including murder. While investigating the mysterious death of a man named Simon Davenport, Frank meets and falls for Simon’s sister Beth (Pamela Anderson), a mystery writer determined to find her brother’s killer. The two team up to stop the evil tech genius Richard Cane (Danny Huston) and the Plot D.E.V.I.C.E that threatens to undo humanity. What works in *The Naked Gun’s* favor is its script, credited to Schaffer, Doug Mand and Dan Gregor. As we learn from Frank’s pitch-perfect noir narration, he’s a man looking for purpose in his life and misses the old days where things like Miranda Rights and police brutality weren’t acknowledged. Much like Drebin, how does a *Naked Gun* movie find humor in the police in today’s landscape? The answer is in constantly poking fun at police movies themselves. Frank’s captain, Chief Davis (a fantastic CCH Pounder), is simultaneously trying to ignore what Frank’s doing and calling him out on it. Neeson, known for his string of hard-hitting action films, plays on that same established persona. He wants to beat the crap out of the bad guys and can’t understand why he’s not being celebrated for it. It’s revealed he arrested everyone at a McDonald’s over “freedom fries.” Frank isn’t a bad cop, just a highly stupid one. By relying less on what’s popular and more the timeliness of the noir and detective story, it prevents *The Naked Gun* from immediately feeling dated. If anything there’s a fun blending of the contemporary with Frank being at least 15 years behind. A scene involving his TiVo is particularly funny. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The humor in *The Naked Gun* skews to the broad, silly and scatalogical, which isn’t a detriment if that’s what you’re looking for. The movie’s PG-13 rating keeps the humor less reliant on foul language and more the foulness of farts and diarrhea. Neeson understands how to play the character for peak impact. His deadpan expressions are perfect when Drebin needs to be serious, but he also has a childish innocence to him, particularly when talking about his “daddy,” the late Frank Drebin played by Leslie Nielsen. Him saying the word “man’s laughter” when he means manslaughter couldn’t have worked with a different actor. The script lets him rely more on the dialogue than the situations, although Neeson is in several awkward situations—the schoolgirl outfit in the trailer is only a prelude to a hilarious dialogue exchange involving Frank and his lack of pants. Like any good spoof movie the film draws a fair amount from the likes of contemporary action films like *Mission: Impossible* series (face ripping!). But what the screenwriters are best at is borrowing from timeless classics. A dialogue exchange between Beth and Frank about hot dogs and stuffing turkeys is a direct riff on an exchange found in *Double Indemnity*. And a later attempt to fool one of Cane’s henchmen, involving a faux hospital, feels like it might be a reference to the amazing James Garner movie *36 Hours* (but seems more like another *M:I* reference). The requisite cop humor is also on display, like poking fun at how much coffee they drink. So much so that cups are being handed to them even in the air. But the true revelation might be Pamela Anderson as girl Friday, Beth Davenport. Though there’s a clear honeypot angle to her—Drebin describes her as possessing “a bottom that would make a toilet beg for the brown”—the script never objectifies her or makes her the butt of the joke. The humor is derived from her belief that a wig and a gun will allow her to infiltrate places. Anderson plays the character as determined, if a bit daffy—like a Jean Arthur or Audrey Totter. Like Neeson, she also has a way with the script’s dialogue. When Frank asks her she went to “UCLA” her response is “I see it every day. I live here.” And to hear her do some jazz scatting…give this woman her flowers. The plot itself is completely incidental, so much so that the MacGuffin they’re searching for is literally named “Plot Device” and really is there to give some big third act conflict. Huston’s Richard Cane is another Musk-esque tech bro (which we’ve already seen once [this year in ](https://thefilmmaven.com/m3gan-sequel-review-blumhouse/)[*M3GAN 2.0*](https://thefilmmaven.com/m3gan-sequel-review-blumhouse/)[.](https://thefilmmaven.com/m3gan-sequel-review-blumhouse/) Three officially makes it a trend). It’s definitely worthwhile to see the usually serious Huston play comedy, but there’s not much to the character. Even his tech bro conceit is abandoned pretty quickly. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. *The Naked Gun* is silly, dumb and inoffensive. It’s neither good or bad but fits comfortably in the mediocre category. It has some funny one-liners and is enjoyable in the moment, but it’s hard to fathom we’ll see any future installments starring Neeson’s Drebin. Get a drink and watch this with some friends and you’ll have a decent 90 minutes. # Grade: C- *The Naked Gun hits theaters Friday.* [***My beloved cat Elliott Stabler had to have unexpected, lifesaving bowel surgery and the bills are high. Consider sharing or donating my GoFundMe page (and looking at the cute pics I took of him). I’m giving away a ton of great items to those who donate, including a Fantastic Four viewfinder!***](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-elliott-vet-bills?attribution%5Fid=sl:1613e710-8984-4ee3-b22b-323886502017&lang=en%5FUS&utm%5Fcampaign=man%5Fss%5Ficons&utm%5Fmedium=customer&utm%5Fsource=copy%5Flink) *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* *Are you seeing The Naked Gun on Friday? What have you heard about this one? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Together' Review: Dave Franco and Alison Brie Impeccably Hold Together This Frightfully Fraught Romantic Horror Film URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/together-movie-2025-review-dave-franco-alison-brie/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:03:27.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! If you preorder and show proof of purchase I’ll give you a *free paid subscription to The Film Maven for 1 year*!* Last year Coralie Fargeat’s *The Substance* made audiences cringe with its unrelenting body horror opening up a discussion about women’s unfair beauty standards. Michael Shanks’s feature film debut *Together* can be discussed in similar terms, albeit its use of body horror to lift the veil on the boundaries of relationships, and how couples navigate maintaining individual identities while being part of a cohesive unit. You know, if all that was said while said couple was melding into each other. Practically a two-hander, with real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie being on screen the entire movie, the couple balances every squelching sequence with a deep balance between romance and resentment. One of the best horror films of the year may also be the most romantic and dramatic in a way that leaves you saying “Aw” for every “Ew.” Millie and Tim (Brie and Franco, respectively) have spent a decade of their life together. But where Millie is ready to move to the country and start a new job, Tim is worried his dreams of being a musician are disappearing. The couple’s move feels less like a next step and more a death knell. But when the two fall into a mysterious hole during a hike, and drink from a spring within, they unleash a horror that sees them start to meld into each other. You’ll know exactly if *Together* is for you the minute you see two dogs start fusing into each other. This is a movie about the coalescence of identity, and how much two people try to fight against it. We meet Millie and Tim as they’re planning for their big country move. The pair worries they’re less in love with each other and more used to each other. The potential death of their relationship is only the first bit of existential dread in the movie. Tim’s friend says, “When I die, I don’t want someone else’s life flashing before my eyes.” And Millie and Tim discuss what final social media message they’d want to leave when they die. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The genius is how Shanks’s screenplay says, “But is it death in the way you think?” The couple’s move to the country only isolates them further—Millie’s only friend is mild-mannered teacher/co-worker Jamie (an always great Damon Herriman)—while Tim seems to be suffering from depression. He won’t have sex with Millie and has nightmares about his parents, who died in horrific fashion. The two’s entire relationship is one big red flag and, as Millie says, “If we don’t split now it’ll only get harder later.” Little does she know! The pair decide to go on a hike, conveniently where the dog fusing at the opening takes place and the rest is history. There’s a play-like quality to *Together*, particularly because outside of stray drop-ins from Herriman’s character and an opening party, Brie and Franco are the two in every scene. Hell, they’re predominately the only two characters alone in the majority of scenes, only fueling the isolation they face further. But they hold as strongly as their fused together arms. Franco’s Tim is closed-in, filled with trauma as well as just good old fashioned fear that there’s a potentially better life for him as a single man. Where Millie is all smiles and sociability, Tim is the rain cloud who can’t make the best of things. Franco has the showier role—he’s the one choking down Millie’s hair in one scene—but Brie gives such a natural, organic performance. As Millie tells Tim, she doesn’t want to be his mother. She wants a life with a partner. The horror starts quick and dirty. Before you can say “Spice Girls”—it makes sense in the movie—the pair are unable to be apart from each other, Tim is slamming into shower walls, and the pair are stuck together in *VERY* uncomfortable places. Brie and Franco are able to infuse these moments with the terror they require, but also a natural levity. As if you could see this real-life couple trying to figure out these situations. When the pair get lost in the woods, Tim breaks the discomfort by joking about “finding North” while, later, when the pair get stuck together during sex, the way Brie says “I’m sorry” is both gasp and laughter-inducing. It’s a vital component to keep the movie from becoming too oppressive. If there’s a misstep in it’s trying to explain the sinister forces behind the magical water. Clocking in at a little under two hours, the movie’s pace is perfect once the couple starts trying to figure out what the hell is happening to them. But when a character who you obviously assume has nefarious intentions turns out to be just that, and starts explaining the details that are fueling the transformation it feels like letting the air out of the balloon. Particularly during the film’s final image which leaves all hosts of questions that don’t need to be explained, but do because of all the other people who have conceivably done this. It never ruins the movie outright but it’s lily gilding that isn’t needed. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. But, hey, where else will you get a Spice Girls needle drop? *Together* is a wild ride that, for all the squishing and melding, is also a powerful story of romantic complacency. Brie and Franco are utterly superb. This is one that left me cringing as often as it made me find these two utterly darling. It’s a special one you should take your loved one to go see. # Grade: A- *Together is in theaters Wednesday.* [***My beloved cat Elliott Stabler had to have unexpected, lifesaving bowel surgery and the bills are high. Consider sharing or donating my GoFundMe page (and looking at the cute pics I took of him). I’m giving away a ton of great items to those who donate, including a Fantastic Four viewfinder!***](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-elliott-vet-bills?attribution%5Fid=sl:1613e710-8984-4ee3-b22b-323886502017&lang=en%5FUS&utm%5Fcampaign=man%5Fss%5Ficons&utm%5Fmedium=customer&utm%5Fsource=copy%5Flink) *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* *Are you seeing Together on Friday? What have you heard about this one? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Popcorn Disabilities: 'Me Before You' and What Hollywood Sees as Disabled Romance URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/me-before-you-movie-popcorn-disabilities/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:03:38.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, where I look at disability through the lens of popular culture. Because July is Disability Awareness Month I’ll be covering a different disabled movie every Friday in July! If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*stories, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* There’s a disabled movie I call caretaker cinema, wherein a movie is less about the disabled character and more the caretaker (nurse, spouse, child, etc.) who takes care of them. Throughout the caretaker narrative, the person learns about the challenges of being disabled while simultaneously growing as a person for having known the disabled person. Narratives in this vein also blend a person who takes care of a disabled person’s physical needs with their own emotional needs. A caretaker becomes a partner and sometimes that partnership is a sexual one. A disabled movie that employs the caretaker cinema trope in a romantic context shockingly erases the line between employee and sex worker. “Are you a caretaker who wants to have sex with your disabled client?” is a question brought up, albeit subtextual, of several disabled films. Sexual harassment laws say what? Outside of the multiple levels of questionable power dynamics at play—employer versus employee, financial status/need, abled versus disabled—films that equate a paid caretaker with a sexual partner emphasize how a disabled person’s world is crafted and defined by those actively taking care of them, and that their dating options are exclusively restricted to this pool. There’s an added dichotomy with how it plays with gender. Men retain some semblance of power that is never diminished by their disability. The majority of disabled men on-screen are physically disabled and have a romantic partner able to see past their aesthetic imperfections. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Hollywood Falling Back on Questionable Men Feels like a Basic Instinct URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/basic-instinct-sequel-joe-eszterhas/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:03:52.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* Two headlines out of Hollywood got plenty of notice this past week: first that [Joe Eszterhas is re-booting his original screenplay concept of ](https://deadline.com/2025/07/basic-instinct-reboot-amazon-mgm-united-artists-1236461678/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Basic Instinct*](https://deadline.com/2025/07/basic-instinct-reboot-amazon-mgm-united-artists-1236461678/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[ at Amazon](https://deadline.com/2025/07/basic-instinct-reboot-amazon-mgm-united-artists-1236461678/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), and that [Johnny Depp and Ridley Scott are working on some bizarre Hyde graphic novel](https://variety.com/2025/film/news/johnny-depp-hyde-ridley-scott-mechanical-cake-1236466144/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) series that could, in theory turn into a film down the line. Something felt off about the stories—not that heavyweights were planting seeds in hopes of a future harvest on the industry’s love of well-known intellectual property. That’s a given. That’s not special or unique at all. No, it was something else entirely: the overwhelming, foreboding gloom of the timing and political implications of these two individual statements. And what they’re saying feels gross, regressive, and bald-faced for anyone aware enough to listen. The original *Basic Instinct* was released in 1992, when I was six years old. There has barely been a time in my life where references to the film didn’t wheedle themselves into pop culture. Scantily clad interrogation scenes are de rigueur, almost as lazy of cinema shorthand as an *8 ½* moment of a middle-aged man leering over sunglasses at a pretty girl. And yet, for all the times that scene has been reference people ignore the fact that actress Sharon Stone maintains to this day the infamous [leg crossing scene was filmed without her consent](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/03/sharon-stone-on-how-basic-instinct-nearly-broke-her?srsltid=AfmBOoqLmrI2AAZ%5F%5F083NVENXITma-pG1Qhk8E14gXdYKyum5AM8KWNO&ref=thefilmmaven.com). A line in the announcement article about Ezsterhas [on The Wrap](https://www.thewrap.com/basic-instinct-reboot-joe-eszterhas/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) caught social media’s attention: “The Eszterhas reboot,” the article said, “is expected to be ‘anti-woke,’ according to an individual with knowledge of the deal.” Of course, our source for this conceptualization is anonymous, but let’s be real: it had to come from somewhere and it had to come from someone kind of high up on the movie-making food chain. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The quote *attributed* to Eszterhas that appears in many outlets is itself a real humdinger and hasn’t gotten nearly the attention it deserves thanks to the anonymous “anti-woke” statement of purpose. I’m once again pulling from The Wrap: “‘To those who question what an 80-year-old man is doing writing a sexy, erotic thriller: the rumors of my cinematic impotence are exaggerated and ageist,’ said Eszterhas in a statement. ‘I call my writing partner the TWISTED LITTLE MAN and he lives somewhere deep inside me. He was born 29 and he will die 29 and he tells me he is ‘sky high up’ to write this piece and provide viewers with a wild and orgasmic ride. That makes me very happy.’” It makes me roll my eyes, but I am not, at my core, a 29 year old man. Many people have bemoaned the loss of “sexy” movies coming out of Hollywood, explicit movies made for explicitly adult audiences. Audiences—and Pedro Almodóvar—have been complaining since at least [2019 that juggernaut Marvel movies just aren’t sexy](https://www.vulture.com/2019/04/marvel-movies-arent-sexy-enough-for-pedro-almodovar.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com); Karina Longworth did an entire season of [You Must Remember This](http://www.youmustrememberthispodcast.com/episodes/2023/erotic-90s-archive?ref=thefilmmaven.com) about the heyday of the erotic thriller; my favorite culture writer, Jude Doyle, also went down an [erotic thriller rabbit hole](https://jude-doyle.ghost.io/the-lavender-menace-basic-instinct-paul-verhoeven-1992/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) on his newsletter last summer. But when we asked for more bold movings about the politics of sex, we maybe should have been more specific. Unlike other erotic thrillers of the early 90s era like, say, *Indecent Proposal,* in which two men fight in vain to control the sexuality of a woman they both desire, *Basic Instinct* is a neo-noir, dependent on the corrupting agency of a female character to lead our hero astray. The corruption of Sharon Stone’s femme fatale, though, is her coded masculine appetites for sex, for women, for revenge, and for literal bloody murder. Having a screenwriter flagrantly admit he’s learned nothing in the last time since the film’s release, and no doubt celebrates the movie’s anti-woke elements, like it’s misogyny and claims of being homophobic, continues to champion the growing sense of meanness we’re seeing in our current society. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. It’s hard to compare a film containing cinema’s most notorious (and predatory!) upskirt shots to a Victorian novel, but here we are. Robert Louis Stevenson’s *The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde* is an 1886 treatise on mental illness, a parable about emergent science and a Victorian morality tale. Dr. Jekyll is a man in the obsessive thrall of his own genius, unable to stay humble in the possibilities of his own research. The novella is a tale of substance abuse and what happens when a man becomes enraptured by a magical elixir that turns him into a vehicle of unrepentant rage. And, above all, it is about a man whose greatest triumph and dirtiest sin is the erasure of inhibition, leading to a monstrous representation of unchecked appetite. The press release quotes about *Hyde* are much more PC, to the point that the [Variety exclusive announcement](https://variety.com/2025/film/news/johnny-depp-hyde-ridley-scott-mechanical-cake-1236466144/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) makes Scott and others involved in the project seem downright oblivious to the issues at play, though details of the production and its companion graphic novel series are boorishly obvious. Fully transformed and leaving Dr. Jekyll in the dust, the titular Hyde, per the press release, “freely explore\[s\] his dark tendencies with uninhibited abandon.” The forthcoming graphic novel, written by the president of the production company Mechanical Cake, co-producing the adaptation with Scott Free, has designed its on-page character with Depp’s well-known likeness. They are not shying away from Depp, a man still deep in the shadow of accusations of significant sexual assault, abuse, and substance use. Though he has been dropped from multi-billion dollar franchises that previously championed his involvement, Mechanical Cake and Scott Free are leaning in. It is, as the kids say, a *choice* to build a picture on this star’s shaky foundations. Though, of course, a quick dip to the Mechanical Cake company [website](https://www.mechanicalcake.com/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) reveals a company motto of, “Don’t worry about pleasing any of the people any of the time.” An interesting perspective to take on making a consumer-facing product, but who am I to say. Again, the hope is that audiences will flock to buy this purely on Depp’s notoriety. Though the association with Scott, and the fact that Depp has a feature coming out with actual actors, makes one wonder if Hollywood just assumes everyone has forgotten ALL the issues around him. In 2015, one of the world’s most celebrated crime writers, Val McDermid, wrote a piece for [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/apr/01/why-crime-fiction-is-leftwing-and-thrillers-are-rightwing?ref=thefilmmaven.com#:~:text=As%20my%20compatriot%20Ian%20Rankin,our%20readership%20to%20our%20perspective.) about the politics of, well, murder fiction. Though Stevenson’s *Dr. Jekyll* was not originally written as a piece of mystery fiction, we will allow that it is in itself a fairly good whodunnit thriller, a story of investigations into missing men and violence plaguing London. That *Basic Instinct* is a thriller is without question. McDermid offers that on the overall, *crime novels* are: > “critical of the status quo, sometimes overtly, sometimes more subtly. It often gives a voice to characters who are not comfortably established in the world – immigrants, sex workers, the poor, the old. The dispossessed and the people who don’t vote. > > The *thriller* \[emphasis added\], on the other hand, tends towards the conservative, probably because the threat implicit in the thriller is the world turned upside down, the idea of being stripped of what matters to you.” In the past few years, many of us have found a sort of perverted solace in knowing that the people who are loudly criticizing the #MeToo movement, who are attacking diversity/equity/inclusion efforts, and who are grossly misusing the concept of “wokeness” are acting like animals caught in a trap. Their thrashing, violent, desperate screams are the dying bleats of a once-powerful force of nature feeling its lifeblood being drained away. Their worlds have been turned upside down, their unchecked and unearned power—what they hold most dear to their sense of selves—is being stripped from them. Campaigns hinging on “anti-wokeness” are pathetic and silly and desperate. That leaves us to hope, of course, that both of the projects announced this past week completely subvert our expectations and offer nuanced ruminations on power, on privilege, on sex, on abuse, and on life itself. But, and I say this with a sigh, my hopes are not high. After all, I have read *The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde*, a novella with flaws of its age but a compelling lesson nonetheless: that any of us giving into our pride, over and over again, refusing all self-reflection and contemptuous of critique, are condemned to become a monster: > *But time began at last to obliterate the freshness of my alarm; the praises of conscience began to grow into a thing of course; I began to be tortured with throes and longings, as of Hyde struggling after freedom; and at last, in an hour of moral weakness, I once again compounded and swallowed the transforming draught.* But, maybe this is where we’re at. These moves feel like the filmmaking landscape is saying, “Here there be monsters, deal with it.” If the goal is to get people back into the movie theater, and the idea that reheating nostalgia will bring people in, is the concept that we can reheat the flawed stars and films of the past to cater to the current political regime? It’s a bitter pill to swallow and could very well backfire. Or it will continue to say that people are just content to lie down and take what they can get. [***My beloved cat Elliott Stabler had to have unexpected, lifesaving bowel surgery and the bills are high. Consider sharing or donating my GoFundMe page (and looking at the cute pics I took of him). I’m giving away a ton of great items to those who donate, including a Fantastic Four viewfinder!***](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-elliott-vet-bills?attribution%5Fid=sl:1613e710-8984-4ee3-b22b-323886502017&lang=en%5FUS&utm%5Fcampaign=man%5Fss%5Ficons&utm%5Fmedium=customer&utm%5Fsource=copy%5Flink) *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* *What do you think about these movies? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Review: A Frothy Adventure Light on Story But Full of Family URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/fantastic-four-first-steps-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:04:03.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* The First Family of the comic book world has tried to get off the ground several times by this point, from the hokey (and technologically limited) release in 2005 and its sequel in 2007, to the 2015 reboot whose troubled production history is far more entertaining than the finished product. (Did anyone else just notice we’ve gotten a Fantastic Four reboot over 10 years for the last 20?) Some would argue, myself included, that *The Incredibles* remains the best *Fantastic Four* movie we’ve ever gotten and that doesn’t change with the release of Marvel’s *The Fantastic Four: First Steps*. Director Matt Shakman certainly crafts a grounded, well put together story, with some fantastic lead performances but the narrative is frustratingly slight. This is a world you want to live in and explore, but spend too much time wondering about *why* things are the way they are. The Fantastic Four are the protectors of Earth 828, celebrated and beloved after being exposed to cosmic rays during a space expedition and returning home with superpowers. In this 1960s-esque, technologically timeless landscape the Fantastic Four are global leaders, celebrities, and international icons. When Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), aka Invisible Woman, and Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), also known as Mr. Fantastic, are set to have a baby, the entire world is excited. But when the intergalactic herald Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner) arrives to announce that the villain Galactus will arrive to destroy their planet, unless Reed and Sue give him their son, the Four must figure out how to save Earth and keep the child safe. *First Steps* smartly eschews the Four’s origin story in favor of a quick flashback—like a retro TV program—laying out how the four got their name and the background of their lives. We meet Reed and Sue as they’re discovering they’re going to have a child, after two years of failing to conceive. The familial dynamics of the quartet celebrating the new arrival, and the awareness that Sue’s proclamation that “Nothing is going to change” is a lie, sets up a great conceit. For fans who loved Shakman’s work on *WandaVision*, it feels like something similar is at play. And much of the feature’s first half settles nicely into a fun look at being a superhero family. How do you still have Sunday dinner when Moleman (a hilarious Paul Walter Hauser) is trying to take the PanAm building? There’s a very Incredibles vibe to everything, from the Kasra Farahani’s gorgeous production design to Incredibles composer Michael Giacchino’s equally earworm-y score. Even when Reed confesses Galactus wants their son, Franklin, and sees how quickly humanity turns on them, the narrative focused primarily on the Four is interesting as it connects so nicely to the parasocial relationships we have today. Our heroes must live and die for us, and possess no identity of their own. How dare you not give up your baby for humanity! The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. But with Shalla-Bal’s arrival comes stakes, not necessarily anything tying into the four’s emotional connection (like Hela in *Thor: Ragnarok*), but an intergalactic “Thing” meant to kickstart the plot. Wherein the first half was settling into finding the story as the group moves along—the arrival of a baby, in itself, brings stakes and momentum—this abruptly kicks everything into gear and becomes 100% focused on nothing more than “Save Earth.” This means the characters become one note, boiling down to a single scene of personality. Pedro Pascal chokes out “It’s my job to think of terrible things so that terrible things don’t happen,” and while it’s a beautiful scene for Pascal the movie doesn’t give him anything else. He spends the screen time being a worrywart and look frazzled. Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm is….lonely? tired? It’s really unclear. But he does have a cute potential girlfriend (Natasha Lyonne). The need to set up the humanity saving completely vaporizes any interest or depth for the characters. That being said, the core Fantastic Four are amazing and deserve multiple movies together. But it’s Vanessa Kirby who elevates everyone. Kirby brings a similar vibe as Elizabeth Olson’s Wanda Maximoff in that she’s extremely intelligent, empathetic, and extremely powerful. But Sue’s power isn’t completely derived from her superpowers. It’s *because* she’s intelligent and empathetic. Her and Pascal’s scenes together are so tender and warm it’s a shame there aren’t more of them. Sue’s birth scene in space is an extremely tense and beautifully rendered moment. As the Giacchino score rises and lives are in danger, Sue tries hard not to admit everything is going to change as Reed provides comfort. It’s gorgeous. And once Franklin arrives, it is Sue who is left to justify her desire to keep her child (you almost just wish this was a Sue Storm movie, not an ensemble). Quinn, Moss-Bachrach and Pascal are good, but they lack any big moments to make you want to follow them compared to Sue. Quinn’s Johnny Storm is left in the bonding position with Shalla-Bal, the joke being he’s drawn to the “sexy space alien.” And Julia Garner is relegated to the “hurt people hurt people” narrative we’ve seen Marvel churn out countless times. She’s very reminiscent of Zawe Ashton’s bland villain *The Marvels* or Emma Corrin’s character in *Deadpool & Wolverine*. Covered in CGI, Garner isn’t left to give much of a performance. The third involves a hodgepodge of stray plot points culled from earlier that seem placed to fill specific gaps in the third act. Paul Walter Hauser makes a meal out of his few scenes but it’s hard not to start giggling at how quickly and simply other countries are to give up their plutonium or move in with underground city dwellers. It’s not a “we all come together for the greater good” narrative as there’s no real foundation for it. It plays abruptly like “we need to wrap this up and this is what we conjured up.” (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes screenwriter Josh Friedman and regular Marvel screenwriter Eric Pearson are credited alongside Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer’s script.) It leaves a very grounded story for the first half with a “don’t think too hard, if at all” mentality by the end. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. *The Fantastic Four: First Steps* is just that. It’s a first step for a new generation of Fantastic Four movies and, the hope, is that the stride becomes more confident from hereon out. All the materials are there. As for this film, on its own it has some serious issues to overcome, predominately in pacing and a narrative that goes for big as opposed to personal. Either way, it’s still a worthy watch, but the whole affair is the equivalent to getting a coffee that’s 90% foam. # Grade: C *The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters Friday.* [***My beloved cat Elliott Stabler had to have unexpected, lifesaving bowel surgery and the bills are high. Consider sharing or donating my GoFundMe page (and looking at the cute pics I took of him). I’m giving away a ton of great items to those who donate, including a Fantastic Four viewfinder!***](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-elliott-vet-bills?attribution%5Fid=sl:1613e710-8984-4ee3-b22b-323886502017&lang=en%5FUS&utm%5Fcampaign=man%5Fss%5Ficons&utm%5Fmedium=customer&utm%5Fsource=copy%5Flink) *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* *What do you think about Fantastic Four at this point? Are you seeing the new movie? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* ### 'Trafficked' Host Mariana van Zeller On If Journalism Is As Bad as I Think It Is URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/trafficked-mariana-van-zeller-interview-video/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:04:42.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. So consider becoming a paid subscriber today!* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof of your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** Investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller has stared down the barrel of machine guns to interrogate cartel leaders and has talked to people bilking others of thousands of dollars, capturing it all on camera for her National Geographic series *Trafficked*. But five years since its start van Zellar is still able to be surprised. In the first episode of the new season of *Trafficked*, which premiered Saturday, van Zeller hears a harrowing story about a woman killed for being a drug mule right in small-town America. “They cut off her fingers,” van Zeller tells The Film Maven. “This is in the United States, in small town America. They cut off her fingers and they chopped her up with a chainsaw while she was still alive. This is happening, again, in small town America. That is that was shocking to me.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Popcorn Disabilities: Marlee Matlin and 'Children of a Lesser God' URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/marlee-matlin-popcorn-disabilities/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:05:00.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, where I look at disability through the lens of popular culture. Because July is Disability Awareness Month I’ll be covering a different disabled movie every Friday in July! If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*stories, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*! *Send me proof your preorder and I’ll give you a paid subscription to The Film Maven for one year!** Before the pandemic I made the sad confession that I didn’t have much of an opinion about Marlee Matlin’s career because I’d never seen the movie that garnered her the Best Actress Oscar: 1986’s *Children of a Lesser God*. With the history of disabled representation so haphazard, much of my avoidance of the movie was fueled by my belief that the movie’s Oscar success was indicative of another derivative take on the subject. That, as the lone Deaf woman to win an Oscar there had to be a level of pity involved in her depiction. It’s such a sad state of affairs to see how internalized ableism leaves those of us with disabilities uninterested in supporting other Deaf and disabled creatives because of how Hollywood has shown them. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The New York Times Lays Off Critics and Shows the New Criteria for Criticism URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/new-york-times-critic-layoffs/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:05:15.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers. It’s an offshoot of my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid subscriber. Why is it important to get a paid subscription? Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* On Tuesday, the New York Times made the announcement that their four arts and culture critics—music critic Jon Pareles, TV critic Margaret Lyons, chief theater critic Jesse Green and classical music critic Zachary Woolfe—[would be removed from their positions](https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/new-york-times-culture-desk-critics-margaret-lyons-jon-pareles-jesse-green-zach-woolfe-reassigned-1236461249/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and new critics would be hired. The four weren’t being fired, per se, but would be reassigned to new, undetermined roles in the future. It’s unfortunate to see four top-tier writers demoted, regardless of the situation. But what struck me, and other writers out there, was what NYT Culture Editor Sia Michel said they were looking for to fill the four open jobs. “We are in the midst of an extraordinary moment in American culture,” Michel said in a letter to staff. “New generations of artists and audiences are bypassing traditional institutions, smartphones have Balkanized fandoms even as they have made culture more widely accessible than ever, and arts institutions are facing challenges and looking for new opportunities.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ticklish Business #207: Beach Blanket Bingo (1965 with John Malahy) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/beach-blanket-bingo-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:05:32.000Z Ticklish Business #207: Beach Blanket Bingo (1965 with John Malahy) 0:00 /200 1× *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’ll be including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* You're gonna need a bigger boat to listen to this episode! We're hitting the water and trying to avoid becoming a hot lunch with a look at the 50th anniversary of *Jaws*. Christopher Shaw Myers, author and nephew to star Robert Shaw, joins us to break down the movie's significance, Shaw's performance, and why Peter Benchley's book sucks. [*Buy John’s book Summer Movies: 30 Sun-Drenched Classics here.*](https://amzn.to/4eUubns?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates McF Rachel Clark Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Reyna-Moya James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Richard Silver Rosa ### Dance, Monkey, Dance: The TikTokification of An Arts Career URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/becoming-an-author-social-media-advice/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:05:51.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. So consider becoming a paid subscriber today!* It’s the last phrase any creative person wants to hear: *Your social media needs to be bigger.* Since I graduated college in 2006, I have never had a job that didn’t involve writing in some capacity. Copywriting to corporate communications to editorial to corporate social media to book. That’s the exact trajectory of the jobs that I’ve had over the last 19 years, and I thank my lucky stars that I’ve gotten as many chances as I have on a Bachelor’s of Arts. But, alas, in the decade after Facebook told us we should “pivot to video,” this writer is facing an existential dread: Must I *really* garner a following on TikTok before I can continue my work? _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Popcorn Disabilities: 'Coming Home' Showed Us Disabled Life During Wartime URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/coming-home-popcorn-disabilities-jon-voight/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:06:24.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, where I look at disability through the lens of popular culture. Because July is Disability Awareness Month I’ll be covering a different disabled movie every Friday in July! If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*stories, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* After the passage of the OBBB it took me down a rabbit hole of how movies have presented disabled lives, particularly of our veterans and those living on government assistance. It was also a great opportunity to discuss one of my favorite disabled movies. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Christopher Reeve Is Superman URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/christopher-reeve-superman/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:06:39.000Z *This is a cross-post with Max Covill’s site It’s the Pictures.* [*If you enjoy what you’re reading please make a point to visit and subscribe to Max’s site.*](https://itsthepictures.substack.com/?utm%5Fsource=substack&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcontent=share) *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* There have been many actors who’ve put on the red cape. It began with the Superman serials back in 1948 with Kirk Alyn and continued with George Reeves on the *Adventures of Superman* from 1952-1958\. Modern performances include actors like Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill, who played the legendary superhero in movies like *Superman Returns* and *Man of Steel*, respectively. But there’s only one actor who truly captured the essence of what Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created in *Action Comics* #1— Christopher Reeve. Reeve’s journey to Superman was unconventional. He had studied at the Juilliard as a theater major and found work at multiple productions, working with actors like Katherine Hepburn, William Hurt, and Jeff Daniels. It was during the production of the Off-Broadway show *My Life* that Reeve got the call to audition in front of Superman director Richard Donner. The documentary, *Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story*, goes into great detail about all the actors who were considered for the part. People like Neil Diamond, Robert Redford, Bruce Jenner, and Arnold Schwarzenegger were connected to the superhero in some way or another. The list of people who wanted to play him was lengthy. But there was only ever going to be one choice. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. > “I realized that if I could pull off this part, it could change my life.” - Christopher Reeve. Reeve brought a boyish charm to Superman that few others could. Although the character of Superman had every opportunity to grow up like his peers, he contextualizes the world with a hopeful demeanor that few of us possess. That could simply be how Superman was written for the screen, but with Reeve in the suit, you believe it. Donner was looking for that specific element when he cast Superman; you had to believe what you saw on screen. You had to believe a man could fly. Many of the other actors Donner considered, all he could see was that actor attempting to fly. With Reeve, audiences could get swept away in the fantasy. > “I met Christopher Reeve in New York,” reflected Donner. “I had gotten a call from someone who said, ‘There’s a kid who’s terrific. Would you like to see him?’ He was about 20 or 30 pounds lighter, his hair was a sandy color and he had dressed in the burliest clothes he could find to make him look good. He just had this great look and I gave him my glasses to wear and he looked so much like the part it was unbelievable. Nobody wanted to go with him because he was an unknown, but the idea to me was that we *should* go with an unknown so that you could make it believable. It ended up just that. ([https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/christopher-reeve-superman/](https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/christopher-reeve-superman/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)) During my prep for the It’s the Pictures podcast and this piece, I rewatched *Superman: The Movie*. Reeve does not appear in the film until about the 48-minute mark when the adult Clark Kent arrives in Metropolis and begins his job at the Daily Planet. It takes even longer, almost an hour into the movie, for Reeve to finally put on the iconic costume for the first time. A lot of superheroes keep their public persona separated from their superhero work. For Reeve, that meant he had to portray the sweet, but hopeless, Clark Kent in addition to Superman. Reeve gets to play Kent as the comedy relief of the movie, while Superman does the heavy emotional lifting. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. *Superman III* is often maligned for leaning into comedy (especially with the odd inclusion of Ricard Pryor), weak villains, and Superman feels like an afterthought to the story. One portion of the movie allows Reeve some flexibility when it comes to his Superman performance, the idea of an evil Superman. There’s a junkyard fight between “good” and “bad” Superman, where Reeve gets to explore even more nuance with Superman. Even though Reeve’s acting career is defined by his role as *Superman*, Reeve’s activism became just as important to his legacy. After a horrific accident left him with paralysis, Reeve dedicated his life to research and advocacy for those in need. A foundation, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, exists to “finding treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders.” Reeve did plenty to raise awareness and funding for research, but he often pursued that life with a disability was something to be “fixed” rather than emphasizing access, inclusion, and dignity. Even with that caveat, Reeve is certainly remembered for being a *Superman* on and off the screen. On the eve of a new theatrical *Superman* movie, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role. Christopher Reeve personified Superman, with his boyish charm, genuine smile, unrelenting drive, and his commitment to saving lives through his activism. David Corenswet might be playing *Superman* in James Gunn’s new movie, but for me, Christopher Reeve will always be *Superman*. ### 'Superman' (2025) Review: The Man of Steel Grapples With a New Age of Superhero URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/superman-2025-review-james-gunn-david-corenswet/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:06:57.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* The *Superman* franchise, more than any other, has seen some epic highs and lows over its cinematic legacy. Every person comes to the character with their own preconceived notions and idealization of the character, or personal history that influences things. This means there’s a heavy bar to clear for any creative attempting to take on the character. They have two paths they can follow: create something so in tune with the diehard fanbase that’s unafraid to offend them. Or smash everything and create something new from the ashes. James Gunn’s *Superman* does the latter, and it soars because of it. Set three years after Superman aka Clark Kent (David Corenswet) revealed himself to the world, the Man of Steel becomes enmeshed in the issues between two warring countries: Boravia and Jarhanpur. The war is merely a distraction created by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). When Lex invades Superman’s Fortress of Solitude and reveals a secret about Superman’s origins it causes the city of Metropolis to turn against the superhero. And yet it is up to Clark, alongside his girlfriend and colleague Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) to save humanity. There will be a subset of people angry at a bit of retconning of Superman’s origin story, most famously laid out in Richard Donner’s 1978 feature but Gunn utilizes that to examine the nature of humanity, what makes a person who they are: their DNA or their upbringing. It’s not the film’s main narrative focus but it sets the precedent that this is a different Superman story and, honestly, it works. Gone is the grim dark world of Zach Snyder’s universe and in its place is a movie that threads the needle between a comic book and a standalone cinematic feature. It’s weirdly refreshing not to see a *Superman* movie in love with reminding people about the obvious things. The movie immediately establishes this is a landscape where people are already aware of Superman and, by proxy, the audience should as well. Gunn’s take on *Superman* is how much it focuses on how the character would live in a world that, dare we say, is realistic to our own? In an interview with Lois, wherein Clark as Superman believe she’ll understand his logic, she pushes him to emphasize that, in many ways, he is a lone person who thinks he knows what’s best for people and eschews working with the government. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. And, boy, does much of what the character struggles with mimic what we see today. Luthor decries him as an “alien” or a possible spy whose goal is to infiltrate and take over. Hoult’s Luthor is a wild-eyed loner with a gamer mentality, content to have his robotically enhanced soldiers fight Superman as he screams out game moves like he’s playing *Call of Duty*. Heavily influenced by the likes of Elon Musk and, more specifically, Peter Thiel, Hoult’s Luthor finds Superman reprehensible as he appears to emphasize a dependence on physical strength rather than intelligence. Hoult’s performance is the right blend of over-the-top incel mixed with the hyper-intelligent deification we’re seeing today. That’s not to say Superman is a fantastic exploration of geopolitics. For every moment where Superman shows his ability to help, Gunn gives us overwrought scenes of the brown residents of Jarhanpur begging for Supes to save them. One little boy holds up the Superman symbol and closes his eyes as military surrounds him. Again, much of this is thinly veiled social critique, right down to the Eastern European authoritarian president of Boravia, but the movie knows when to eventually move away from things. Corenswet and Brosnahan make a good pairing. Corenswet, in particular, doesn’t attempt to mimic Christopher Reeve or Henry Cavill’s performances but takes pieces from both. He has the same awkward manner as Reeve when he’s Kent, as well as Reeve’s ability to turn Superman on and off when needed. He also has Cavill’s determination. But, really, Corenswet makes Superman his own. As the character he’s a man trying to find his place and a sense of identity, a man frustrated that even when he does the right thing it’s perceived as wrong. A man that definitely knows the hashtags about him online. (A joke about a monkey bot army works so well.) Brosnahan gets some good opportunities to shine as Lois, particularly in the interview scene with Clark. There is an emphasis on her doing the journalism that, coupled with Skylar Gisondo’s fun Jimmy Olsen, makes the scenes worth watching. That being said, there are a lot of characters in *Superman*, and the sheer abundance of them means several get thrust aside. Superman gets a variety of metahuman friends this go-round, though the one that steals the show is Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific. His quiet tones and awareness that he’s the smartest man in the room makes you want him and Superman to team up more. However, Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner and Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl don’t have much outside of a few one-liners. Ma and Pa Kent (Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince) are delightful, but have about two scenes in the grand scheme of things. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Gotta shout out the adorable Krypto, the Super dog. No notes. He is a very good boy. Are there moments that are hokey? Of course, but then again this is a franchise wherein Superman turned the world backwards to save his lady love, baby Superman was a thing, and that’s to say nothing about *Superman IV: The Quest for Peace*. There’s a slickness and fun to this Superman not unlike the first *Guardians of the Galaxy* (no surprise considering the Gunn factor). It’s a movie that’s content to be colorful, to be funny, to be heartfelt when needed. It’s far from a perfect movie and isn’t even necessarily a great one, but it’s the funnest time I’ve had watching a *Superman* movie in a while. # Grade: C+ *Superman is in theater Friday.* *Have you considered subscribing to The Film Maven’s Founders Plan? As a Founder you can set up regular Zoom meetings with me to learn how to get into film journalism or publishing. Founders also receive regular care packages and swag! Consider becoming the ultimate Film Maven Founder today.* *Let’s work together! If you have editorial opportunities and would like to collaborate with me on an entertainment or disability project, drop me a message.* *What do you think about Jurassic Park at this point? What should the franchise do from this point on? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Embeth Davidtz Talks Lessons From 'Matilda' in Her Latest Movie URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/embeth-davidtz-matilda-director/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:07:13.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. So consider becoming a paid subscriber today!* To a generation of children Embeth Davidtz will always be Ms. Honey, the kindhearted teacher who championed the intelligence of Matilda (Mara Wilson) in the 1996 Roald Dahl adaptation, *Matilda*. It’s a movie that, in a way, aided Davidtz in her directorial debut, an adaptation of Alexandra Fuller’s memoir *Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight.* The story about a little girl named Bobo (Lexi Venter) experiencing the last days of the Bush Wars in Rhodesia similarly prioritizes the intelligence of children, as well as the liveliness and sense of play they can find in trying times. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Best Things I Watched and Read in June URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-to-watch-june-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:07:31.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* Summer is just breezing by me (and it’s not at all reminding me that I’m on deadline for another book). What I watched and read in June was a heady mix of classic and contemporary, weird to formulaic, and because I overshare I’m gonna continue mixing in the best stuff I watched with everything else that didn’t make the cut. So let’s dive! Let me know what you enjoyed watching and reading in June, and what you’re looking forward to in July. Scroll further down and you'll see my “Expiring on Criterion Channel” monthly list I’ve been sharing in the group chat. Tell me what to prioritize! Clicking the title links will take you either to my original review/coverage or a link to purchase it! # The Best ### [Prime Minister (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/prime-minister-jacinda-arden-documentary/) Documentarians Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz made a story that, dammit, I needed right now. *Prime Minister* isn’t just the story of New Zealand’s female prime minister Jacinda Arden. It’s also a look into empathetic leadership and balancing the needs of a country’s people against the needs of the world. I try not to get too political on here—harder and harder these days—but after the last month it was so refreshing and bittersweet to watch a competent leader like Arden try to help her country during the rise of COVID. Even Walshe and Utz were surprised at how timely the movie was, [telling me in an interview](https://thefilmmaven.com/prime-minister-jacinda-arden-documentary/) that, “We could never have imagined that it was going to land in this moment like this week,” said Walshe. “I'm just still baffled, what we're watching from afar. You guys are watching it up close.” ### [The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three (1974)](https://amzn.to/44LpKI1?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Up until last month my experience with *The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three* was the 2009 remake with Denzel Washington and John Travolta, a movie I remember liking but have had no interest in revisiting since. Thankfully, everyone recommended I watch it when I posted my June “Expiring on Criterion Channel” list and thank you all because it is amazing! Four armed hijackers take a New York City subway car and from there you get an hour and 45 minutes of pure character development and action. And not necessarily action in terms of shootouts and fast moving cars, but high stakes and tension. Robert Shaw as the main hijacker Mr. Blue, and Walter Matthau as the put-upon subway detective Lt. Garber have an intense relationship purely through microphone. Without belaboring each other’s background, the script lets us know exactly who these men are, enhanced by Matthau and Shaw’s demeanors. You don’t *need* in-depth backstories on these two men, but you desperately want them. Alongside these two and their cat-and-mouse game you get Hector Elizonda…as a villain…with hair! And all the hostages on the train get a moment to shine. When they say “they don’t make movies like they used to,” I’d like to think they’re talking about *Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three*. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. ### [28 Years Later (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/28-years-later-review-danny-boyle/) [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/28-years-later-review-danny-boyle/): Was it worth the wait? It’s odd. And that’s not a bad thing. 28 Years Later plays on a lot of various themes amongst Boyle’s filmography from the sentimentality found in his feature *Millions* to the slick visuals and languid storytelling of *The Beach*. Garland’s script is completely unpredictable, and I’m not exaggerating that at all. But it is hard to believe there’s a structured sense of why things are happening in the movie. It’s impossible to imagine all these plot beats being thought in advance. *28 Years Later* is a recipe I’d assume says: a dash zombie movie, a pinch of melancholy story of loss and existence, a hint of tone poem, and a soupçon of batshit insane. *28 Years Later* is still an entertaining ride, but it coasts on the goodwill of the franchise and a cultural love for zombies. That and vibes. Williams, Comer and Fiennes are stand-out. Boyle still knows how to tell a story well! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/36fc1173-d93d-47ea-bab9-dad6a81271a3_1296x730-heic.jpg) ### Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (2024) Based on Alexandra Fuller’s memoir of the same name, Embeth Davidtz’s directorial debut follows 8-year-old Bobo (Lexi Venter) as she witnesses the last days of the Rhodesian Bush War. She watches her mother, Nicola (Davidtz), struggle to give up land she believes is rightfully hers, while the Black house servants and locals Bobo interacts with desperately want change. I have a full interview with Davidtz dropping this week and she has such a flair for adapting written material. The film examines the colonialism of the time period with an acute awareness of the racism and power imbalances at play. Alongside that, Venter is a bright young discovery—not surprising considering Davidtz’s work with child stars in *Matilda*. This was one where I kept thinking about the acting choices, the bits of business, certain performers did, as well as the grander impact of a story like this coming out now. If this is in your city, go see it! ### [Dark Carnival: The Secret World of Tod Browning](https://amzn.to/44PC1er?ref=thefilmmaven.com) This is going up there with *Character Limit* for one of the best books I’ve read this year. Out of print for several years, *Dark Carnival* was recently republished in a beautiful updated edition and I finally have a copy I can put on my shelf. Tod Browning is one of the most shadowy, fascinating, and (potentially?) progressive directors of the silent era into the 1930s. While he’s best known as the director of 1931’s *Dracula*, it was the release of 1932’s *Freaks* that made him infamous, and kinda sorta ruined his career. Authors David J. Skal and Elias Savada pull from first-person interviews and other primary source material to lift the veil on a man who was deeply fascinated by disability. Add in some breathtaking photos from the era and *Dark Carnival* isn’t just the foremost biography on Browning, but it’s also essential reading for anyone interested in disabled film history in the 1930s. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/17b33177-9cbe-4b8b-94a8-54cbf1e0f8db_980x551-heic.jpg) ### [Are We Good (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/marc-maron-documentary-julie-seabaugh/) I’m not a Marc Maron fan. I know nothing about him and I’ve never listened to his comedy. But I think that might have changed after watching Steven Feinartz’s documentary on Maron, Are We Good? What could have been a typical documentary about a stand-up comic returning to the stage in the wake of tragedy is actually a quiet and sensitive look at grief, and wondering how one finds their ability to laugh at anything, let alone make up jokes, in the face of great loss. “When he came back on his next podcast, and even through the Instagram lives that he continued doing, it was just the most heart wrenching \[thing\]. But, personally, revelatory,” said [producer Julie Seabaugh to TFM](https://thefilmmaven.com/marc-maron-documentary-julie-seabaugh/), and she’s right on the money. This is a documentary that is, at different points, heart wrenching, funny, and revelatory. Whether it’s Maron tearing up while looking at his late partner Lynn Shelton’s raincoat or being ecstatic to get a picture of her from a fan every scene is so imbued with meaning. It’s a truly beautiful doc. ### [Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna (2025)](https://www.hulu.com/movie/last-take-rust-and-the-story-of-halyna-234f0e6d-61ab-4ac8-8132-dc55799e62e4?ref=thefilmmaven.com) I’m starting to realize how many sad movies I’ve watched this month and that tracks. Was June a good month for anyone? But in all seriousness, director Rachel Mason’s *Last Take* is a thought-provoking and uncompromising exploration of the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. As Mason explained, what started as an attempt to document Halyna’s life turned into a story of trying to understand how and why she died. If you thought you knew everything about this case, you’ll find something you didn’t know here. The level of access, to both on-set footage and people at the scene, is astounding, many of whom are frank about their own complicity in what happened. It’s a shame this movie isn’t being more widely brought up considering how the *Rust* cast dominated everyone’s timeline but, as Mason lays out, that’s the point. The case was never about the death of Hutchins, thought it should have been, and she lays out a compelling case to turn the narrative. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/daf53913-1268-4c50-b37f-4f5a06320022_1500x844-heic.jpg) ### Stolen Time (2023) Speaking documentaries we should be talking more about. I was fortunate to watch Helene Klodawsky’s documentary *Stolen Time*, exploring the issues inherent in the Canadian nursing home industry. (I picked a great time to watch this after the OBBB passage.) Though this is speaking to Canadian politics there are heavy implications for how things are being handled in nursing homes today—[Reid Davenport’s ](https://thefilmmaven.com/life-after-2025-review-reid-davenport/)[*Life After*](https://thefilmmaven.com/life-after-2025-review-reid-davenport/) would make a good, though infuriating, double feature. From outright negligence to just low quality of life, how countries choose to treat their elderly and disabled remains a travesty and this puts a pretty big lens on it. ### [My Mom Jayne (2025)](https://www.max.com/movies/my-mom-jayne-a-film-by-mariska-hargitay/2286880c-d686-47ee-96c5-0241e8c8a3b3?ref=thefilmmaven.com) There’s a lot to be said about *My Mom Jayne*, both positive and negative. I get leery when I see a documentary or biography about an Old Hollywood star where the family is involved as it can sometimes lead to an overly sanitized or hagiographic depiction of the person. While directed by Jayne Mansfield’s daughter, actress Mariska Hargitay, the fact that Hargitay has no concrete memories of her mother puts her in the liminal threshold between family and outside observer which allows for a more warts and all depiction. As my friend, and Mansfield expert, April Verve says, the “My” in the title is significant as the first half if front loaded to Jayne and the second focused on Hargitay herself and the revelation that actor Mickey Hargitay was not her biological father. The documentary is never boring and is incredibly emotionally resonant but your mileage will vary based on what you hope to get out of it. (If you’re a [Patron of my classic film podcast](http://www.patreon.com/ticklishbiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com), Ticklish Business, you can listen to a more in-depth interview with Vevea and I about the documentary over there soon.) Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. # The Rest ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/e32fe954-1ecb-4075-9ab7-8e28c6017223_1059x766-heic.jpg) ### [Delightfully Dangerous (1945)](https://amzn.to/46AFAX8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Should I have had high hopes for this one? Nope. It’s a Jane Powell movie and what you see is what you get. Not to say there aren’t great Jane Powell movies (I love *A Date With Judy* and *Royal Wedding*), but the majority have a lot of the same format and humor to them. *Delightfully Dangerous* sees Powell as a teenage girl desperate to make it on Broadway. She believes her older sister has succeeded but is horrified to find out she’s a bubble dancer. There’s a lot that could be written about the weird push-pull of sexualizing Powell and/or utilizing her innocence in a sexual way and *Delightfully Dangerous* tries its damndest. By the third act Powell is tarted up and trying to entice Ralph Bellamy of all people. It’s silly at best and outright boring at worst. (Powell movies work best in Technicolor.) ### [Materialists (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/materialists-review-pedro-pascal-chris-evans/) [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/materialists-review-pedro-pascal-chris-evans/): *Materialists* is as shallow as its characters, but so desperately wants to think it isn’t. The script is all over the place, and when it finally settles into a groove there still seems to be pieces missing. Johnson falls flat while Evans tries his utmost to charm. The MVP is Pedro Pascal, though he’s underutilized and set up as a second banana in the Ralph Bellamy mode for reasons that just seem mean. This ain’t gonna make anyone’s rainy day (last Madonna reference). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/e541ec6a-dae5-4d9b-acb8-0670c7de904f_890x674-heic.jpg) ### This Man is Mine (1934) Another Ralph Bellamy movie and this one is even funnier in that two women are actively vying for his affections. (If you aren’t an Old Hollywood person, Bellamy was often the second or third banana without a shot in Hell of getting the girl at the end.) This John Cromwell-directed feature is actually decent in that Irene Dunne plays Bellamy’s wife, a woman who believes her marriage is a happy one. And it is, until Bellamy’s ex-girlfriend (played by the delightful Constance Cummings) arrives. From there the movie is a fairly realistic look at how a woman deals with her husband’s infidelity. The ending is remarkable by 1934 standards in that Dunne’s Tony isn’t particularly interested in taking her wayward husband back. Sure, the audience knows it will happen, but the script doesn’t seem to want it to. It’s worth checking out if it’s on TCM as it’s sadly not on physical media. ### [Elio (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/elio-review-pixar-disney/) [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/elio-review-pixar-disney/): There’s several threads tied together in *Elio* that, on their own are interesting, but feel shortchanged when tied into the knot that is the actual movie. Elio is a shy, lonely little boy whose parents died in some unknown incident—bad enough that he’s referred as “the boy whose parents died”—and lives with his Aunt Olga. Right away there’s a familiarity on par with a reverse Lilo & Stitch, but there’s the bare minimum of insight into Elio and Olga’s relationship. We know she spends her days monitoring the skies for space debris and has eschewed joining the military’s space program to care for her nephew. But there’s only about 20 minutes to establish her absenteeism and his problematic nature. Elio laying on the beach with a makeshift sign—”Aliens, abduct me, please”—is hilarious and leads to a great fight scene that shows off his inability to make friends. *Elio* is a charming little delight, but it never rises beyond this. This isn’t a soon-to-be Disney/Pixar classic and holds more in common with smaller films like *Luca* or *Soul*. The story is interesting, but the script adds in too many subplots to make anything feel central. This is a story made in pieces and while some pieces are fascinating and fun to watch, it’s frustrating that the whole doesn’t work as well. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/8524937d-453a-478e-a6c8-dc8656c5fd66_1200x799-heic.jpg) ### [M3GAN 2.0 (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/m3gan-sequel-review-blumhouse/) [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/m3gan-sequel-review-blumhouse/): Where the first *M3GAN* drew inspiration from *Child’s Play* (and potentially Disney’s *Life Size*), *M3GAN 2.0*decides to go for straight up ‘80s action movie, and all that that implies. While it aims to hearken back to the likes of *Terminator 2* it comes off like a haphazard logjam of various robot movies with little that makes it feel, decidedly, *M3GAN*…*M3GAN 2.0* works when M3GAN is front and center but, as it stands now, there’s just not enough of her. Jenna Davis and Allison Williams continue to work well off each other, but their central conflict is smothered by a haphazard ‘80s techno plot that’s too muddled to be interesting. At least we can all still do the M3GAN dance. ### [JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography](https://amzn.to/4eG1vOT?ref=thefilmmaven.com) Weirdly enough, I started reading this before the whole Ryan Murphy series snafu started. The death of JFK Jr. and his wife and sister-in-law is one of my earliest celebrity death memories (next to Phil Hartman). Since the time, I’ve been intrigued by the deification of him and this oral history attempts to tell us about the man, not the image. Though author Rosemarie Terenzio is a friend of the late JFK Jr., she makes an effort to show us who Kennedy was like and it’s not all great. There are plenty of moments where he comes off as apathetic and selfish as he is brilliant and funny. But there remains a hollowness to everything. Maybe it’s the lack of any of Kennedy’s own interviews, or those of his family. Either way, this was a good read but I still came away from it knowing only a little more about him than I anticipated. But, maybe that’s the point? We can never truly know a figure unless we were there. Either way, it makes for intermittently frustrated reading. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/a09143fc-e77b-469d-acb3-d194362da08d_3000x2400-heic.jpg) ### The Boys From Brazil (1978) This was one I’ve been meaning to see for awhile and it happened to be on my monthly “Expiring on Criterion.” Based on Ira Levin’s novel of the same name, the movie follows a Nazi hunter (Laurence Olivier) trying to stop Dr. Joseph Mengele (Gregory Peck) who is engaged in a bizarre plan that’s been ongoing for years. On the one hand, it’s great to see how some of the older A-list Hollywood actors of the studio era were getting along into the 1970s. Olivier and Peck are fantastic, particularly the latter playing the evilest of men. (Hearing Peck curse was enough to induce a gasp out of me.) But you have to remember this is an Ira Levin novel, so the third act takes a harsh left turn into laughably bad. The eventual plan Mengele is enacting is ridiculous as all get-out and the teen boy in the role is laughably bad. It does undo a lot of the tension set up and becomes a cheap *Omen* remake. But Gregory Peck calling someone a “bitch” is still worth a watch. ### [F1 (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/f1-movie-review-brad-pitt/) [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/f1-movie-review-brad-pitt/): Considering Kosinski and screenwriter Ehren Krueger’s last team-up, 2022’s *Top Gun: Maverick*, it’s not surprising this feels like Tom Cruise should be in the title role. Sonny Hayes is a guy who comes out of his tuna can/home to Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and is the guy you allow to “let do his thing.” He’s a rebel, he’s a loose cannon, he’s a…maverick, you might say. We meet Sonny as he’s competing in the Daytona 500 and it’s this scene that is the film’s highpoint. Claudio Miranda’s fantastic cinematography—best rendered on an IMAX screen, if you have the opportunity—lushly showcases the artistry of the drive. As fireworks pop off in the frame it’s an exquisite moment that the movie chases throughout the rest of its runtime. It’s not that the other drive scenes aren’t equally stunning, but it’s this moment where everything just makes you gasp in awe. Everything and everyone is in service to Sonny, who becomes a bit of a race car Messiah by the time *F1* is over. It’s not that *F1* is a bad movie, just a painfully silly one, and that can work if it’s what you’re seeking. On its own it’s a stock race car movie whose magnetic visuals do a lot to help an uninspired story. Idris is great but everyone swirls around Pitt, who isn’t given anything beyond a typical Brad Pitt performance. If Tom Cruise was in this movie, what might have been, and it’s hard not to keep thinking that while watching. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/a17577a7-abe2-479a-9bce-a299287652b1_2000x1333-heic.jpg) ### [Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/jurassic-world-rebirth-review-scarlett-johansson/) [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/jurassic-world-rebirth-review-scarlett-johansson/): A text crawl lays out at the beginning of *Jurassic World: Rebirth* that it’s been 32 years since dinosaurs returned, and that in those 32 years not only has our climate and viruses killed most of them off but “interest has waned.” Nobody cares about dinosaurs anymore in this world and that certainly feels true of *Rebirth*, which spends more time focused on its numerous characters rather than how dinosaurs are living in 2025\. The end result is a movie that feels more primed to spin-off a *Land of the Lost* retread than anything passing for *Jurassic Park*. *Jurassic World: Rebirth* still can’t find an interesting story worth telling with its premise. Content to ride the coattails of the original, *Rebirth* tries two competing stories, neither of which amounts to much. The cast is fun, at least, and keep the entire film from floundering but it’s hard to think we’ll ever see them again. The world has grown weary of the dinosaurs here, and it seems like screenwriters are too. ### [The Panic in Needle Park (1971)](https://amzn.to/3GwBTY0?ref=thefilmmaven.com) After finishing Al Pacino’s autobiography *Sonny Boy* I knew I wanted to see some of the earlier work of his I’d bypassed. One of them being this Jerry Schatzberg directed feature from 1971\. Pacino and Kitty Winn play two heroin addicts in love who live in New York City’s “Needle Park,” aka Sherman Square. You can see the connections to other drug-centric movies that would pop up in the film’s wake, but I was captivated less by Pacino and more by Winn, who plays the lovelorn Helen. For all of Pacino’s Pacino-ness, Winn sits there in quiet contemplation. You see the eagerness, the love, the frustration, the shame. This isn’t a movie I particularly had fun watching, but it reminded me of why so many 1970s films are such a punch in the stomach. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/eace66d0-8666-4fde-857f-7f91db6f5974_600x474-heic.jpg) ### Please Believe Me (1950) If there’s one movie I outright hated watching it’s this Norman Taurog-directed feature. Deborah Kerr plays a British woman who discovers an elderly American penpal she’s been corresponding with has died and left her an inheritance. Though the audience sees the inheritance is probably garbage she immediately gets on a ship to America. Along the way she meets three different men: one a fortune hunter (Robert Walker), another a wealthy playboy (Peter Lawford), and the playboy’s dependable attorney (Mark Stevens). Which one will Kerr’s Allison choose? Though they clearly set up one guy as the winner the ending will leave you scratching your head as the pair have zero chemistry. Kerr has chemistry with none of the men but the guy they choose as her paramour feels like someone just pulled a name from a hat. It’s unfunny and boring, to boot. But Peter Lawford is pretty at least. ### [Dangerous Rhythms: Jazz and the Underworld](https://amzn.to/4lGgk6c?ref=thefilmmaven.com) T.J. English is one of favorite writers. Go read *Havana Nocturne* and *The Savage City* right now. His latest plays one a lot of the themes he’s written on prior, particularly the Mob and Havana. Having read *Havana Nocturne* there was a lot that felt repetitious here. The focus becomes less and less on jazz, and the co-opting of Black music, and more a standard Mob story. It isn’t one of English’s best works but he continues to have such a skill for cementing time and place in his books. ### [The Guilty (1947)](https://amzn.to/4lahRSc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) This one was a doozy, and while the movie is formulaic it is the ending that makes it worth watching. Bonita Granville plays a dual role as sisters going back-and-forth dating two different men. When the good sister is killed it’s up to the bad one, and one of the men she’s dated, to solve the case. The movie can’t be as salacious as it should—it’s 1947 after all—but the final sequence is interesting. There are also some kooky plot points that I was surprised were touched on at all. And here’s my “Expiring on Criterion” list for July. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/e139520e-8d7f-4f98-8737-8607fdd91a27_1183x900-heic.jpg) *Have you considered subscribing to The Film Maven’s Founders Plan? As a Founder you can set up regular Zoom meetings with me to learn how to get into film journalism or publishing. Founders also receive regular care packages and swag! Consider becoming the ultimate Film Maven Founder today.* *What movies did you enjoy in June? What should I prioritize in July? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Popcorn Disability: Susan Peters, First Disabled Lady of Television URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/susan-peters-disabled-popcorn-disabilities/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:07:48.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, where I look at disability through the lens of popular culture. Because July is Disability Awareness Month I’ll be covering a different disabled movie every Friday in July! If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*stories, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Read more about the history of disability in film by pre-ordering my upcoming book,* [*Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. I not only expand on what you’re reading here, but examine the stereotypes, tropes, and the good, bad (and really ugly) of disabled movies.* [*Preorder the book by clicking this link*](https://amzn.to/44CsqXh?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* Actresses have struggled for better representation on-screen, but there aren’t nearly as many examples of disabled actresses to pull from. Where disabled men play characters who are brilliant, flawed, courageous, and desirable, disabled women and the characters they play are couched in terms of their sex appeal, or lack thereof. A great example of this is the life and career of Susan Peters, an actress you probably haven’t heard of. It’s a shame, because Peters tried hard to break down the barriers placed in front of her, not only as a woman but as a disabled woman. She only made twenty films in her entire career but she left an imprint on the history of disabled women in film. Susan Peters was born Suzanne Carnahan in Spokane, Washington. Prior to her accident, Peters made her mark in prestigious feature films like 1940’s *Santa Fe Trail,* opposite Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, 1941’s *Meet John Doe*, and 1942’s *Random Harvest*. I recently watched this for the first time (in anticipation of my next book) and Peters is filled with such an ethereal quality to her, though I do wonder how my viewing of her, pre-disability, would have changed had I not known she was eventually disabled. It was in *Random Harvest* that Peters earned her only Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Her mounting success set her up to become one of MGM’s most promising stars. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ticklish Business #206: Jaws (1975 with Christopher Shaw Myers) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/jaws-1975-ticklish-business-podcast/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:08:01.000Z Ticklish Business #206: Jaws (1975 with Christopher Shaw Myers) 0:00 /200 1× You're gonna need a bigger boat to listen to this episode! We're hitting the water and trying to avoid becoming a hot lunch with a look at the 50th anniversary of *Jaws*. Christopher Shaw Myers, author and nephew to star Robert Shaw, joins us to break down the movie's significance, Shaw's performance, and why Peter Benchley's book sucks. [Buy Christopher's book Robert Shaw: An Actor's Life on the Set of Jaws and Beyond by clicking the link.](https://amzn.to/448CDvD?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates McF Rachel Clark Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Peter Dawson Reyna-Moya James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Richard Silver Rosa ### 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' Review: Dinos Run Amuck While the Franchise Tries to Start Over URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/jurassic-world-rebirth-review-scarlett-johansson/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:08:58.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* A text crawl lays out at the beginning of *Jurassic World: Rebirth* that it’s been 32 years since dinosaurs returned, and that in those 32 years not only has our climate and viruses killed most of them off but “interest has waned.” Nobody cares about dinosaurs anymore in this world and that certainly feels true of *Rebirth*, which spends more time focused on its numerous characters rather than how dinosaurs are living in 2025\. The end result is a movie that feels more primed to spin-off a *Land of the Lost* retread than anything passing for *Jurassic Park*. Set five years after the events of Jurassic World: Dominion, an expedition led by mercenary Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) travels to an island once used as R&D for the original Jurassic Park. Alongside scientist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), the goal of the mission is to obtain various dino DNAs for a potential life-saving drug. There’s a lot of time being juggled with in *Jurassic World: Rebirth*, from the opening that takes place “17 years ago” to the “32 years ago” text crawl and the ingrained audience awareness that this is taking five years after the events of the first movie. It’s one of several instances where the script, written by David Koepp, vomits up something passing for establishment and just hopes you go with it. The opening only exists to set up the big bad dinosaur whose technical name you don’t need to know short of “D-Rex” which is situated prominently on its enclosure. After a *Final Destination*\-esque Rube Goldberg device we get a brief glimpse of some dinosaurs before we get our opening title. There’s less of a *Jurassic Park* vibe to this and more a variety of other movie influences. That introductory scene feels akin to director Gareth Edwards’s own *Godzilla* feature, as well as a heavy dose of *Alien*. The *Alien* vibes continue with our ~~Ripley~~ leading lady, Zora. She’s a character whose disaffected cool is indicative of her “I’m too old for this shit” mentality. We know she has trouble keeping friends and that her mom died of heart disease but that has absolutely no bearing on her looking for the dinosaur DNA to cure heart disease (no, really, it doesn’t). Johansson’s performance is a lot of fun, less Sarah Connor and more Quint shooting dinosaurs off the side of a boat. The movie is afraid to make her *too* venal, leaving Johansson to rely on her charm to make up for her character’s lack of personality, but it works. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. In fact, the entire cast—the ones you’re meant to care about at least—is good for what they’re given. Mahershala Ali, in particular, makes a meal of the only defining trait his character has: that he’s lost a child. When Ali isn’t impeccably recreating the Jeff Goldblum flare scene, already spoiled in the commercials, he’s remarkable kind and empathetic to the children placed on the boat. This is all to say put him in another one of these movies (albeit with a better narrative). Bailey is also trapped with little to do, being the nerdy scientist who tries not to sob when he actually sees a dinosaur in the wild. He’s reminiscent of Cary Grant in *Bringing Up Baby*, right down to working with Dino bones in a museum at the introduction, but he does little other than be in peril and look awe-struck. And that is the movie’s biggest problem. For all the emphasis on why everyone is going to meet dinosaurs, there’s nothing else about them that’s particularly interesting. The movie becomes a series of characters wandering in the jungle, having stray encounters with dinosaurs, and trying to reach a central point. It’s like playing a video game where there’s no story other than “Get here and see what happens.” Zora talks about how the park was used for “experimental work” on dinosaurs and this is where all the rejects ended up. (Does that make this an island for the dinosaur disabled?) But there’s absolutely nothing done with this premise. Sure, there’s a dinosaur that looks like a pterodactyl mixed with a pelican, and the main dinosaur baddie gives off Alien/Predator vibes but they never feel particularly thrilling. Some moments play like rip-offs of scenes from the first film—Isabella and her friends hiding in a convenience store a la the raptors—but there’s no belief that anything from this movie will continue on into future installments. The main narrative with the mercenary team falls apart once they reach the island, transitioning to a secondary plot involving a father, Reuben (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and his two children being swept up by Zora’s crew after a dinosaur attacked their sailboat. It’s obvious why the group ends up blending with the main story: to introduce neophyte characters and return the franchise to the view of children. Unfortunately, much of this means the youngest, Isabella (Audrina Miranda) is routinely placed in perilous situations where her family is forced to watch and yell her name. She also gets cute dinosaur friend named Dolores. Garcia Rulfo, Miranda, Luna Blaise (who plays older sister Teresa), and David Iacono (who plays Teresa’s boyfriend), are all okay but they are more inhabiting *Land of the Lost* than *Jurassic Park*. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. There’s something far more interesting in this movie that gets abandoned within the first ten minutes: dinosaurs are dying, from either disease, climate change or old age, and no one cares. As Zora and pharmaceutical villain Krebs (Rupert Friend) drive through the streets of New York, a lost dinosaur is more of a traffic impediment than anything else. The bloom is off the rose with the dinosaurs, and it’s hard not to wonder if the movie is commenting on its own existence. That’s an interesting concept ripe for a story about the political implications of dinosaurs in today’s day and age, but it goes nowhere. Instead of doing anything unique with the *why* behind dinosaurs in the “Neo Jurassic age,” as Loomis calls it, better to just refer to the original film and rely on what works. But it feels tired, as tired as that lost Dino at the beginning. There is a whole “do we make medicine accessible for everyone” mini-plot that, oof, is gonna feel weird after this week. *Jurassic World: Rebirth* still can’t find an interesting story worth telling with its premise. Content to ride the coattails of the original, *Rebirth* tries two competing stories, neither of which amounts to much. The cast is fun, at least, and keep the entire film from floundering but it’s hard to think we’ll ever see them again. The world has grown weary of the dinosaurs here, and it seems like screenwriters are too. # Grade: D *Jurassic World: Rebirth is in theaters Wednesday.* *Have you considered subscribing to The Film Maven’s Founders Plan? As a Founder you can set up regular Zoom meetings with me to learn how to get into film journalism or publishing. Founders also receive regular care packages and swag! Consider becoming the ultimate Film Maven Founder today.* *What do you think about Jurassic Park at this point? What should the franchise do from this point on? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'F1 Review': Brad Pitt's Racing Drama Sails (When It Isn't Riding the Brakes) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/f1-movie-review-brad-pitt/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:09:12.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* The race car drama is a genre with tropes so established it’s like a music biopic. Nearly everyone has a *Talladega Nights* line they can throw out while watching a movie about a man and his love of fast cars (“This sign is dangerous and off-putting but I do love me Fig Newtons”). So whether it’s *Rush*, *Ford v. Ferrari* or Brad Pitt’s *F1*, it comes at a bit of a disadvantage because the formula is so well-known: once hot/promising racer suffers devastating event and is has to beat the odds to come back and win. Director Joseph Kosinski does nothing to change that and, if anything, lifts heavily from his *Top Gun: Maverick* star Tom Cruise’s own established race car drama, *Days of Thunder*. But Kosinski and crew know audiences aren’t coming for the story. They came to race, and dammit *F1* gives it to them. For what the movie lacks in narrative compulsion, it makes up for in a technically wondrous series of sequences. Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was a once promising Formula 1 driver who, after a devastating accident in the 1990s, walked away from F1 to race stateside. He lives in a trailer and generally has zero purpose in life until he’s reunited with friend Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem). Cervantes runs the F1 team Apex GP, but after three failed seasons the team is at risk of being sold. Ruben needs a driver who can turn everything around. Though reluctant, Sonny takes the opportunity to join the team and immediately clashes with its young star driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). Considering Kosinski and screenwriter Ehren Krueger’s last team-up, 2022’s *Top Gun: Maverick*, it’s not surprising this feels like Tom Cruise should be in the title role. Sonny Hayes is a guy who comes out of his tuna can/home to Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and is the guy you allow to “let do his thing.” He’s a rebel, he’s a loose cannon, he’s a…maverick, you might say. We meet Sonny as he’s competing in the Daytona 500 and it’s this scene that is the film’s highpoint. Claudio Miranda’s fantastic cinematography—best rendered on an IMAX screen, if you have the opportunity—lushly showcases the artistry of the drive. As fireworks pop off in the frame it’s an exquisite moment that the movie chases throughout the rest of its runtime. It’s not that the other drive scenes aren’t equally stunning, but it’s this moment where everything just makes you gasp in awe. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Sonny flirts the line between being a man of the past and the present. He’s followed by a litany of “dad jams,” from Billy Squier to Queen, and he grouses to young whippersnapper Pearce about participation medals while speaking exclusively in race-related trailer lines like “Who’s fighting? I’m racing.” Characters tell Sonny he’s an asshole numerous times, though the movie never wants us to see that as anything more than charm. Pitt tends to work best these days opposite an equally strong co-lead (Clooney or DiCaprio, for example), and here he’s forced to hold up the entirety of *F1* and it only goes so far. His smile is meant to keep us on his side, but there’s little background to him that doesn’t seem cobbled together from Rebel Playbook 101\. Ruben sums him up in one sentence as “a gambling Junkie who missed his shot.” The quickest of references are made to his dad dying young, and two random shots of a man and a child (implied to be Sonny and his Pop) are all we get towards any significant background. And said background is only in service to his animosity with the young Pearce, who seems equally underwritten. Where Sonny isn’t the media, being a brand, or having a cell phone, Pearce harps on how “ancient” Sonny. He’s written how you’d expect a screenwriter in his fifties would see Gen Z and Alpha today, as spoiled children more content to chase fame than have any sense of skill. And yet Pearce’s story is the most compelling in a way the script never acknowledges. Pearce is a Black driver in a competition where there’s only ever been a lone Black F1 driver, that being Lewis Hamilton who, not surprising, is a producer on this and is referred to in the finale. There’s no discussion of his challenges as a Black racer and how much of his attempt to brand and make money is because of his marginalization in a sport that continues to exclude people like him. But, hey, at least this movie makes a point of saying women are in F1\. Kerry Condon plays Kate, a role that Jennifer Connelly or Rebecca Ferguson could play in their sleep. Condon is sweet and has a strong brogue but there’s little to her character other than she understands wind and is attracted to Sonny. It’s a stretch to call her anything other than “the girlfriend.” Another equally cute, and blonde, female mechanic also gets more screen time. It’s funny how this movie acknowledges misogyny in the sport more often than racism. Idris is an intimidating presence, but the script never lets him break out because Pitt is the focus. The two butt heads before eventually having a begrudging friendship, but with another hour in the storyline the movie puts Pearce into a car accident that kicks him out of racing (and out of the screen) for long stretches. By the time he returns, he and Sonny are back to butting heads as if the first hour accomplished nothing in their relationship. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Thankfully, the bevy of racing sequences keeps the story from dragging things down too much. Although, any time there aren’t fast cars on the screen you’re desperately waiting for them to come back and liven things up. The eventual third act does fall into racer formula, with Ruben plaintively stating Sonny is “driving angry” at one point. (Bardem is far too good for this movie, by the way. The role is thankless but he brings such a warmth to a stock character.) Everything and everyone is in service to Sonny, who becomes a bit of a race car Messiah by the time *F1* is over. It’s not that *F1* is a bad movie, just a painfully silly one, and that can work if it’s what you’re seeking. On its own it’s a stock race car movie whose magnetic visuals do a lot to help an uninspired story. Idris is great but everyone swirls around Pitt, who isn’t given anything beyond a typical Brad Pitt performance. If Tom Cruise was in this movie, what might have been, and it’s hard not to keep thinking that while watching. # Grade: C- *F1 is in theaters Friday.* *Have you considered subscribing to The Film Maven’s Founders Plan? As a Founder you can set up regular Zoom meetings with me to learn how to get into film journalism or publishing. Founders also receive regular care packages and swag! Consider becoming the ultimate Film Maven Founder today.* *What do you think about F1? Are you looking forward to Brad Pitt and race cars? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'M3GAN 2.0' Review: The Killer Doll Gets an Upgrade (and Less Screen time) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/m3gan-sequel-review-blumhouse/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:09:28.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* The 2022 horror feature *M3GAN* delighted audiences with its mix of fun frights and utterly bonkers storytelling that, coupled with a dance sequence that instantly went viral, turned a little story of a killer doll into a phenom. So it was unsurprising that Universal felt they had a potential franchise on their hands and immediately greenlit a sequel. But did lightning strike twice? Where the first *M3GAN* drew inspiration from *Child’s Play* (and potentially Disney’s *Life Size*), *M3GAN 2.0* decides to go for straight up ‘80s action movie, and all that that implies. While it aims to hearken back to the likes of *Terminator 2* it comes off like a haphazard logjam of various robot movies with little that makes it feel, decidedly, *M3GAN*. Taking place after the events of the first feature, Funki toy creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has taken the L and become a crusader for eliminating tech from children’s lives. Cady (Violet McGraw) is a budding aikido addict with a love for Steven Seagal. When the government comes to Gemma to reveal the existence of another AI robot named Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), Gemma realizes there’s only one person (?) that can stop her: M3GAN. After resurrecting the doll, M3GAN and Gemma are forced to work together, and trust each other, in order to save the world from destruction. You might presume to have gone back in time once *M3GAN 2.0* starts. Whether that’s an opening that sees a group of foreign men execute a woman or Cady’s blind love for Seagal in 2025, director (and screenwriter) Gerard Johnstone really enjoys his ‘80s actioners. Because of this there’s a lot of exposition. Like too much. We get exposition from the U.S. government about the opening attack wherein Amelia kills an asset she was meant to rescue. More exposition comes from detailing what Gemma and Cady have been up to since the first film. Spoiler, Gemma didn’t really get in *that* much trouble for crafting a doll that killed numerous people and no doubt destroyed a company. She still has a shitload of money and is able to afford a massive house in the Mission district in San Francisco. And then there’s additional exposition to explain M3GAN’s return. It’s a lot of information that bloats the runtime to nearly two hours. Though this feels less like a Schwarzenegger or Stallone movie and more something Chuck Norris might have made. Johnstone takes the reins as sole screenwriter this go-round and the loss of Akela Cooper is acutely felt in that *M3GAN 2.0* forsakes the weirdness in favor of straightforward action. (This is less of a horror movie than the first film.) Stray lines certainly bring the laughs because of how bizarre they are—”You wouldn’t give your child cocaine. Why would you give them a smart phone” is a personal favorite—but the various things you loved about *M3GAN* the first go-round are absent. There’s no fun, quirky dance and there’s only one musical number, albeit hearing M3GAN croon Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” is one for the ages. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. If you saw the last two *Mission: Impossible* movies there’s a similar theme at play with the reliance on AI. M3GAN and the gang are all trying to get access to a motherboard seeking sentience. The movie turns into a heist film as the various entities split up and try to gain the pieces they need. But there are so many interesting threads that go unexplored: from M3GAN discovering she doesn’t need to rely on humans, to questions of trusting between AI and humanity. Gemma and M3GAN continue to dive into navigating their trust issues, and while that’s intriguing—how can the pair trust each other when they’ve tried to kill each other—it’s quickly solved. There’s a theme connecting all of *M3GAN 2.0’s* flaws and that’s an absence of M3GAN herself. Jenna Davis’s vocal work continues to be a highlight, bringing in the childlike innocence of M3GAN’s voice with a cool confidence that makes her intimidating despite her small stature. What worked so well about the first one was the physical presence M3GAN brought in, aided by a live actor. Here, M3GAN’s face looks far more CGI rendered and there are limited scenes where M3GAN is physically on-screen, more often relegated to a disembodied voice in someone’s head or a hologram. The middle portion, wherein M3GAN needs to find a new upgraded body is great because Williams and the supporting cast have someone to work off of. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. The absence of M3GAN could be because the story is more content with poking fun at the various new things that are being technologically celebrated rather than telling a story about the character. Sakhno’s character, Amelia, is so close a cousin to Kristanna Loken’s T-X from *Terminator 3* as to be a little sister. The performance is fine, albeit Sakhno’s is just meant to look seductive and robotic. A detour introduction to a disabled tech genius, played by Jemaine Clement, is clearly inspired by Elon Musk and Sam Altman. It certainly would have been interesting to use the disability in tech story for something interesting—there’s far more exploiting of disabled people with it—but instead uses it to craft a shlocky villain. Outside of the disability angle being utilized to just show how tech makes a douchey tech bro walk, Clement gives the same haughty asshole performance he tends to give. *M3GAN 2.0* works when M3GAN is front and center but, as it stands now, there’s just not enough of her. Jenna Davis and Allison Williams continue to work well off each other, but their central conflict is smothered by a haphazard ‘80s techno plot that’s too muddled to be interesting. At least we can all still do the M3GAN dance. # Grade: D+ *M3GAN 2.0 hits theaters Friday.* *Have you considered subscribing to The Film Maven’s Founders Plan? As a Founder you can set up regular Zoom meetings with me to learn how to get into film journalism or publishing. Founders also receive regular care packages and swag! Consider becoming the ultimate Film Maven Founder today.* *Did you see the first M3GAN? What’d you think? Are you looking forward to another go-round? Leave a comment below or* [*join us in The Film Maven Chat to discuss this and other topics*](https://substack.com/chat/1154508?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*!* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Deadline: Entertainment Journalists Are Prepping to Jump Ship URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/journalism-jobs-dead/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:09:43.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers. It’s an offshoot of my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid subscriber. Why is it important to get a paid subscription? Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* Over the last two months I’ve been feeling *a way* about journalism. After walking away from a highly toxic job last April I had several book projects to keep me focused. But now that at least two of those projects are done, and I’m pushing for more freelance work while writing my last, I’m starting to wonder if entertainment journalism has any room for me anymore? I’m not alone in this. In casual scrolling of social media and LinkedIn I’ve seen many journalists, several of whom are laid off and looking for work, talking about the lack of interviews, lack of communication from editors, and ghost jobs. Last month I was told by a recruiter that one position at a prominent trade had over 1,000 applicants apply in just a few hours. But we knew all this. This is an employer’s market, competition is high and jobs are scarce. But what I started noticing is how many people are just ready to finally give in the towel. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Julie Seabaugh Talks Marc Maron, Documentaries, and Today's Journalistic Landscape URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/marc-maron-documentary-julie-seabaugh/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:09:54.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. So consider becoming a paid subscriber today!* Julie Seabaugh has been in the journalism world for 22 years, writing for the like of *Variety* and *Rolling Stone* about the comedy scene. Whether it’s an LA Times piece about why our President shouldn’t be going on comedians’ podcasts or about specific comics themselves, Seabaugh understands the interplay of what makes humor political and vice and versa. “I'm always very much into tracing turning tragedy into comedy,” Seabaugh tells The Film Maven. “I love the dark stuff. It's very vital to me personally and I think society as a whole.” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ticklish Business: High and Low (1963) with Scott McGee URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/ticklish-business-high-and-low-1963-podcast/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:10:17.000Z Ticklish Business: High and Low (1963) with Scott McGee 0:00 /200 1× *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’ll be including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* International Month comes to a close with a look at Akira Kurosawa's contemporary noir feature *High and Low*! And who better to join us than TCM producer and author Scott McGee. Scott joins Kristen and Emily to talk about this morality tale, its connections to today's society, and what the "right type" of wealthy man can look like. [Buy Scott's book Danger on the Silver Screen here.](https://amzn.to/3ZwuSgg?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates McF Rachel Clark Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Peter Dawson Reyna-Moya James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Richard Silver Rosa ### '28 Years Later' Review: Danny Boyle's Long Simmering Sequel Goes All Over the Place (In a Good Way) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/28-years-later-review-danny-boyle/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:10:36.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* As I was walking out of my *28 Years Later* screening a young guy (30 or under) asked if I liked the movie. This was the first of the features he admitted he’d ever seen and that struck me. When Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s 2002 horror feature debuted in theaters it surprised people, not just for its indie-esque filmmaking, no-name (at the time) actors, but for taking the then-typical dumb, shambling cannibals and making them fast. (The movie also warned up to never trust birds which is bearing fruit these days.) This is all to say that not only has the zombie genre changed over the last 23 years, but so has filmmaking. One only has to look at the slickness and stars in the 2007 sequel, *28 Weeks Later*, to get just a smidgen of how vastly the franchise leaped. But *28 Years Later* is the long-awaited reteaming of original director Danny Boyle with original screenwriter Alex Garland. Was it worth the wait? It’s odd. And that’s not a bad thing. 28 Years Later plays on a lot of various themes amongst Boyle’s filmography from the sentimentality found in his feature *Millions* to the slick visuals and languid storytelling of *The Beach*. Garland’s script is completely unpredictable, and I’m not exaggerating that at all. But it is hard to believe there’s a structured sense of why things are happening in the movie. It’s impossible to imagine all these plot beats being thought in advance. *28 Years Later* is a recipe I’d assume says: a dash zombie movie, a pinch of melancholy story of loss and existence, a hint of tone poem, and a soupçon of batshit insane. Set 28 years after the events of the first feature, mainland England has been forced to fend for itself with the zombies effectively takin over. A small isolated island called Holy Island has been able to make do and have created some semblance of normalcy. Young Spike (Alfie Williams) is sent on a rite of passage trip to the mainland with his father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and learns about the world outside the fortress of his home. When Spike learns there’s a doctor out there who might be able to help his ailing mom Isla (Jodie Comer), Spike take her on a journey through the zombie-infested area to hopefully save her. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Much like *28 Days* and *Weeks*, the opening *28 Years Later* sets the tone for everything that is to come. Set in the Scottish Highlands, a group of children watch Teletubbies while trying to ignore the sounds of scuffling outside. Of course, it’s a matter of time before the red eyed, puking zombies we know and love arrive and if you can’t handle a kid massacre in the first few minutes the rest of the movie probably won’t work for you. This opening has zero bearing on anything until the literal last frame and it sets in motion what does, at times, play as a very haphazard story. A title card lays out the plots of the previous two films in about three sentences so don’t expect to have questions answered about the geopolitics of letting England (?)/Europe (?) fall into ruin. As with Garland’s *The Beach,* the emphasis is on how a small, self-sustaining community thrives during this time. We meet Spike and his father who appear to have a tenuous relationship. Jamie wants to take his son out to kill zombies, never mind that his wife is waking up in searing pain while having memory gaps that make it very obvious what’s going on. The first half of the movie focuses on Jamie and Spike’s scouting trip and while the character dynamics might be slight, the action is never short of percussive. Jamie tells Spike about Alphas, a race of naked zombies that are bigger, stronger and smarter than the average ones. (The equal opportunity nudity in this movie is excessive but tip of the hat to you, Mr. Boyle!) They also have a penchant for ripping people’s heads and spines out of their body. The level of violence is a lot here and when it happens it is unrelenting. But longtime Boyle cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle does such a beautiful job of making it haunting. Images of the Alphas as black figures on a hillside is one of the most terrifying images I’ve seen in a movie in a minute. It makes the moments where the movie relies on freeze-frames as things connect with heads jarring and off-putting. During this first half there is a vibe akin to Garland’s outside efforts, *Civil War* and *Warfare*, that is hard to shake. One of the aforementioned freeze frames that play like a war photog taking snapshots. And as Jamie and Spike walk through the wooded areas of the mainland, picking off zombies, historical footage of soldiers or cinematic images of crusaders are spliced in as Rudyard Kipling’s “Boots” is recited. Is the intent to illustrate Spike being radicalized into a world of war? Who knows? The technique isn’t repeated once Spike and Isla go out on their own journey. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. The true meat of the plot is in Spike’s desire to help cure his mom of the mysterious illness plaguing her. Williams’ performance is darling. He holds in the fear without forsaking any of the vulnerability, particularly in the playful moments opposite Comer. Comer, as well, also provides a requisite tenderness to the horrors surrounding everything. Isla can’t remember much of anything and Comer’s eyes contain all the fear about what we already know is bound to take place. Her and Williams have a far different dynamic, with him being the parent guiding her along, than he and Taylor-Johnson. Taylor-Johnson is front-loaded to the first half of the movie—Spike is told if anyone leaves the island no one is allowed to look for them—and falls into being a gregarious, flawed father, and little else. *28 Years* comes into its own once Spike and Isla set out, with the movie expertly combining the heart pounding zombie insanity with a tenderhearted story of mothers and sons. The lush, verdant landscape is perfectly rendered amongst all the death and horror, with Spike’s traversing the worlds almost like a fairy tale character. He and Isla eventually meet up with Dr. Kelson (an orange-accented Ralph Fiennes) and from here the movie moves away from the zombies and into a melancholic examination of all the death and destruction that’s happened over the 28 years of this universe. It’s a thought-provoking moment, particularly watching in the wake of our quick rise to move on from COVID. As Kelson reiterates to Spike, it’s about remembering that death is inevitable and honoring those who have reached there end. Of course, this involves a lot of cremation and skulls but Fiennes is perfectly suited to eloquently discuss death while showing how easy it is to expose someone’s bare skull. After this divergence into an elegiac state of mind it’s almost ridiculous to go back to the action of the zombies, but the movie does. It’s actually amazing how Boyle and Garland don’t seem to care that the movie is all over the place. This culminates in one of the most bonkers endings I’ve seen in awhile. If the ending doesn’t tie into *28 Years Later: The Bone Temple*, the spin-off directed by Nia DaCosta set for next January, then it might go down as one of the weirdest movie close-outs in history. Also, shout out to Young Fathers whose music throughout is utterly gorgeous, particularly towards the end when it gives strong Clint Mansell vibes. *28 Years Later* is still an entertaining ride, but it coasts on the goodwill of the franchise and a cultural love for zombies. That and vibes. Williams, Comer and Fiennes are stand-out. Boyle still knows how to tell a story well! # Grade: B- *28 Years Later hits theaters Friday.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Elio' Review: Pixar's Latest Is a Sweet Family Drama But Far From Out of This World URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/elio-review-pixar-disney/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:10:48.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/4a6f2966-2a92-4244-b77f-11195995b456_1920x1080-heic.jpg) *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* Disney and Pixar continue to be at an interesting crossroads in their relationship. The animated production company once known for cutting edge technology and inventive storytelling still hasn’t seemed to recover 100% from the pandemic. Despite the sleeper hit *Elemental* in 2023 and *Inside Out 2* in 2024, more often than not Pixar gets lost in the shuffle of Disney’s other animated features. Pixar’s latest, *Elio*, is the only movie coming out from the studio this year—in a move inspired to return to a “quality first” principle as opposed to hitting a deadline—could very well be the next *Elemental* though it holds more in common with the likes of *Luca* or Disney’s own CGI feature, *Strange Worlds*. Elio Solis (Yonas Kibreab) has lost both his parents and is being raised with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana), an orbital analyst at the local military base. The lonely Elio believes the only place he’ll find true acceptance is in outer space and begs any wayward aliens to come for him. The aliens do come and take Elio away, but under the belief that he is the leader of Earth. The group known as the Communiverse want to make Elio one of their ambassadors. Elio plays along for a while, but when he’s tasked with making sure interplanetary warlord Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) leaves the Communiverse alone, he’ll have to find a way to stop a potential interstellar war. There’s several threads tied together in *Elio* that, on their own are interesting, but feel shortchanged when tied into the knot that is the actual movie. Elio is a shy, lonely little boy whose parents died in some unknown incident—bad enough that he’s referred as “the boy whose parents died”—and lives with his Aunt Olga. Right away there’s a familiarity on par with a reverse Lilo & Stitch, but there’s the bare minimum of insight into Elio and Olga’s relationship. We know she spends her days monitoring the skies for space debris and has eschewed joining the military’s space program to care for her nephew. But there’s only about 20 minutes to establish her absenteeism and his problematic nature. Elio laying on the beach with a makeshift sign—”Aliens, abduct me, please”—is hilarious and leads to a great fight scene that shows off his inability to make friends. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. During a trip to the local air and space museum Elio learns about the Voyager satellite and its Golden Record, a series of recordings sent out to space as a message for any signs of intelligent life to learn about Earth. For Elio, this gives him hope that he’s not as alone in the universe as he thinks. This is Elio’s most fascinating plot point. Elio believes that there is a world out there that could accept him, a world where he finds community. But like most of *Elio’s* narrative beats this only serves as a means to get to the bright colors and curveless landscape of the Communiverse which, stylistically, is akin to the afterlife in Soul or the various towns in *Elemental*. That’s not to say it’s not gorgeously rendered, just derivative. However, Communiverse is bright, shiny, and tactile. There’s so many things I’d love to see rendered physically. It’s certainly a beautifully sensory place. The various alien ambassadors he meets aren’t particularly distinct, outside of their vocal distinctions, and it’s unnecessary to really get to know them as their goal is obvious: if Elio can get Lord Grigon to go away, he’ll become a Communiverse ambassador and live there forever. This is when *Elio’s* true plot kicks in. Lord Grigon is an aggressive blowhard who declares that if the Communiverse won’t let him into their group he’ll take it (sound familiar?). Through Elio’s interactions with Grigon the little boy learns about Grigon’s son, Glordon (Remy Edgerly), a soft, worm-y sweetheart who doesn’t want to be a war machine like his dad. Does Gordon look like if a *Dune* sandworm and things from *Mickey 17* had a baby? Yes. Is it utterly adorable? Damn straight! And what’s amazing is how much expression the movie renders out of Glordon, a character with no eyes. The animation and father/son story makes this come off more like a continuation of *Luca*. Both stories are about lonely boys, a forbidden friendship, and issues of prejudice. Not to mention the characters here look like carbon copies of the buck-teethed characters in that previous feature. It’ll be exciting to see Pixar’s *Gatto* in 2027 if only because it looks like a different form of animation. But the voice cast is fantastic, particularly Kibreab and Edgerly. There’s a lot of florid, overdramatic lines perfectly suited for kids who love drama and they have such a flair for it. Elio’s special language, known as “Elioese,” is a lot of fun and Kibreab just knows how to add a hilarious flourish to his dialogue. But it’s Edgerly and how he conveys Glordon’s innocence that sticks with you. Glordon and Elio have the sweetest relationship, even if it feels like we’ve gone a long way away from where we started. While Elio is bonding with Glordan, Aunt Olga is spending time with a clone of Elio who is presented as the perfect child. Elio looks in on his Aunt from time to time, getting progressively more jealous, but since there was little dynamic between the pair before this it’s hard to necessarily care. There’s far more development between Glordon, Elio, and Lord Grigon. It’s easy to see wherein the various different screenwriters came into this as the various narratives all seem cleanly demarcated to move from A to B. The narrative doesn’t feel so much like one cogent story as various chunks created when the initial narrative is backed into a corner or didn’t have enough meat on it to sustain things. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. This becomes a problem during the third act, when Aunt Olga is finally integrated into the Communiverse story. But even then there’s a race to wrap up her storyline with Elio and return to what’s happening with the Communiverse. Things just seem very unbalanced or, if anything, better suited to a TV series than a feature film. *Elio* is a charming little delight, but it never rises beyond this. This isn’t a soon-to-be Disney/Pixar classic and holds more in common with smaller films like *Luca* or *Soul*. The story is interesting, but the script adds in too many subplots to make anything feel central. This is a story made in pieces and while some pieces are fascinating and fun to watch, it’s frustrating that the whole doesn’t work as well. *Have you considered subscribing to The Film Maven’s Founders Plan? As a Founder you can set up regular Zoom meetings with me to learn how to get into film journalism or publishing. Founders also receive regular care packages and swag! Consider becoming the ultimate Film Maven Founder today.* # Grade: C *Elio hits theaters this Friday.* ### 'Prime Minister' Directors Talk Promoting a Documentary During Trump Times URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/prime-minister-jacinda-arden-documentary/ Last updated: 2025-10-01T03:49:52.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. So consider becoming a paid subscriber today!* Living in California this week has been equal parts frightening and infuriating, the perfect time to watch a documentary about a competent female leader helping her country navigate uncertainty! But, really, Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz’s documentary *Prime Minister* is certainly a movie that people need right now. It’s sensitive and uncompromising portrait of former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Arden says so much about what leadership, whether male or female, looks like. The documentary explores Arden’s election, the disclosure of her pregnancy after being elected—making her one of the few women to give birth in office. Most people in the U.S. know Arden for her total shutdown and isolation of New Zealand in the wake of COVID, which allowed the country to have some brief respites where life was returned to normal. But the rise of variants, coupled with right-wing pushback, eventually saw Arden resign due to widespread threats and criticisms of her governance. “I remember thinking \[after meeting Arden\] I needed to see that as a female leader in directing and running a business,” Walshe tells The Film Maven. “Somebody who was unapologetically turning up exactly as themselves, with emotion, and empathy and anxiety. I found that incredibly inspiring and, at a personal level, it changed and allowed me to be who I am, which was profound.”For the filmmakers, the seven year journey to bring Arden’s story to the screen was in the hopes of showing a leader who was compassionate, warm and empathetic, a marked contrast to the Trump-ian world we’re living today in the U.S. In reference to the idea that female politicians are too emotional Utz jokes that it’s funny hearing that in a week when Trump and Elon Musk legendarily broke up. “We could never have imagined that it was going to land in this moment like this week,” said Walshe. “I'm just still baffled, what we're watching from afar. You guys are watching it up close.” For the pair, they didn’t want to tell just a one-dimensional story about Arden, though they admit they could have easily done an entire film just on Arden as a mother or Arden dealing with the COVID pandemic. Instead, Walshe and Utz praise Arden’s open door policy of wanting to show that “politicians are human.” The project initially started with Arden’s husband, Clarke, filming her daily life, and those scenes do a lot towards lifting the veil and bringing the audience into the Arden household. Even once Walshe and crew came into the process, the level of intimacy they had with Arden is amazing. One specific scene, wherein Arden watches and reacts to a protest happening outside, couldn’t have a whole crew sitting there watching, so Walshe’s husband, Leon, shot the sequence. “You can't have a boom operator and a director in there directing where \[they\] should stand,” she said. “Hats off to him, to Clark, for making those editorial decisions about what's appropriate to shoot. You've got to somehow be the eye of the of the audience and then also become invisible.” The level of trust between Arden and the crew was established almost immediately. “We didn't have to do two hours of interview to warm her up and make her feel like she could trust us,” said Walshe. “I think 10 minutes in, Lindsay and I looked at each other and we were all flabbergasted because she was speaking so openly and with so much emotion. I wasn't even ready for it.” It’s impossible to watch *Prime Minister* and, for U.S. audiences at least, not filter it through the continued discussions of whether a woman will ever run again for President, let alone be nominated. For Utz, she refuses to believe that’s impossible. “I reject that,” she says. “I think we need more female leadership. I think women are natural born leaders and for so long many of the characteristics—empathy, kindness, being a good listener, having a sense of humor—all these incredible strengths that women bring to leadership are assets not liabilities. And we need to start talking about them as assets and seeking them out in our elected officials.” Considering the current landscape of cinema, it was possible not to ask about working in the documentary space in today’s world. While Magnolia Pictures is releasing theatrically (and HBO Documentaries and CNN Films will stream it), Utz and Walshe warn it’s still not easy making a movie today. As Utz explained, financing continues to be a problem for filmmakers, as well as last-minute slashes to budgets. “Filmmakers I know, who've worked for years to secure money for their projects, just lost it overnight,” she says. “If you have the impulse to be a documentary filmmaker you should make a movie, and keep making movies, and finding a way to bring your work into the world. Because we can't stop that important work, especially right now when so much is unfolding in our world.” *Prime Minister is in theaters now.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### The 'Ballerina' Embargo Said the Quiet Part Loud About the Role of Critics Today URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/ballerina-john-wick-embargo-critics/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:11:31.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers. It’s an offshoot of my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid subscriber. Why is it important to get a paid subscription? Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Ballerina*, the latest spin-off in the John Wick franchise, hit theaters at the beginning of June. The movie with [a $90 million dollar budget opened to just $24.5 million domestically](https://www.slashfilm.com/1882645/ballerina-box-office-opening-john-wick-universe-death-sentence/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) where it came in behind the live-action remake of [Disney’s ](https://thefilmmaven.com/lilo-and-stitch-2025-review-remake/)[*Lilo & Stitch*](https://thefilmmaven.com/lilo-and-stitch-2025-review-remake/). As of this writing the movie has only amassed $55.6 million and causing sites to question whether the Keanu Reeves-starring franchise has played itself it. But I’m not here to talk about *Ballerina* (a movie I haven’t seen…alongside the rest of the John Wick universe). Instead, I want to talk about something that happened leading up to Ballerina’s release that got movie critics in an uproar. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'How to Train Your Dragon' (2025) Review: This Shot-for-Shot Remake Soars Higher Than Expected URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/how-to-train-your-dragon-2025-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:11:42.000Z If you’ve ever read *The Men Who Would Be King*, the fantastic dive into the creation of the animation studio DreamWorks, then you know about the company’s not so friendly rivalry with the Walt Disney Company and how often the latter studio came out on top. *A Bug’s Life* vs. *Antz*, *Finding Nemo* vs. *Shark Tale*, *Cars* vs. *Turbo*? So it was only a matter of time before DreamWorks decided to mimic Disney but jumping on remaking their own animated offerings, starting with a live-action version of their highly successful 2010 feature *How to Train Your Dragon.* It holds a lot in common with [Disney’s recent redo of ](https://thefilmmaven.com/lilo-and-stitch-2025-review-remake/)[*Lilo and Stitch*](https://thefilmmaven.com/lilo-and-stitch-2025-review-remake/): each is a near shot-for-shot remake about a story of a neglected child and their unconventional pet. But where *Lilo & Stitch* (2025) didn’t know how to strike the right balance between new material and recreation, *How to Train Your Dragon* (2025) does. Director and co-writer Dean DeBlois—who, ironically, co-wrote and directed the original *How to Train Your Dragon* and *Lilo & Stitch*—crafts a remake that is just as heartwarming, exhilarating and fun as the predecessor. Situated on the isle of Berk, a tribe of Vikings spend their days killing the dragons that invade and raid their land. Their chief Stoick (Gerard Butler) is committed to finding the dragons’ nest and destroying them once and for all. But when his son Hiccup (Mason Thames), determined to make his father proud, finds the most elusive dragon of all—a Night Fury—and befriends it, the boy must decide whether he stands with his people or the dragons. There are slight tweaks to this new iteration of *How to Train Your Dragon* but, for the most part, it’s a near shot-for-shot retread. On the surface this should make for an ultimately boring experience, and it very well could be if you’ve watched the original frequently or fairly recently. But a story well told is still a well told story and *How to Train Your Dragon* (2025) is. We meet Hiccup as the town disaster, desperate to please his macho, dragon-killing father and failing at every turn. Hiccup’s attempt to kill a Night Fury yields success—which no one witnesses—and ends up seeing a lot of the village lit on fire. At its core, *How to Train Your Dragon* (2025) is less a boy and his dragon story and more a boy trying to bring honor to his dad story. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thames’ performance owes a lot to Jay Baruchel’s original vocal work, but his performance is still relatable (even under an unfortunate wig). Thames turns Hiccup into a charming nerd less interested in doing the right thing for his family as he is trying to be his own man. His journey through the Trial of Flame, a series of training exercises where the winner must kill a dragon publicly, sees him utilize elements he’s learned to subdue the dragons. He’s less interested in winning and more seeing if his hypothesis is true. His interactions with the Night Fury, the adorable Toothless, is where Thames truly shines. Too often in CGI-heavy movies you can feel the actor is working alongside a tennis ball (or nothing at all), but Thames makes you believe Toothless is standing next to him, particularly in the gorgeous flying sequences (*Matrix* cinematographer, Bill Pope, does great work). The original animation of the movie back in 2010 was gorgeous and it’s brought to lush life with this new iteration. As mentioned, Pope beautifully shows off the green landscapes of the Irish locations the movie was filled in. Hiccup’s rides with Toothless show off the differing topography, whether it be verdant, rolling hills, or sharp, craggy oceanside cliffs. And the sheer amount of CGI dragons in the frame never clash with the reality of the landscape. If you’ve complained about Marvel CGI of late, DreamWorks has some top quality work here, whether that being in Toothless’ deep green eyes or the dragon entirely made up of flames. Thames doesn’t carry this movie on his shoulders, he’s complemented by a great supporting cast. Gerard Butler is big and brash as Stoick. His dynamic with Hiccup is fairly simple—he sees his son as such an embarrassment he jokes about being able to go back out in public—but the script does a solid job of showing his growth over the runtime. If anything, his scenes opposite Nick Frost’s Gobber, the armorer missing some limbs, illustrate Stoick’s fear of having a son who is different and why he’s so overprotective. Nico Parker is solid as the confident Astrid, while the various other youth playing the various fledglings in the Trial of Flame all have moments to shine. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. It is hard to shake off the feeling that this is a Cliff’s Notes version of the original film, a fact enhanced by how quick that two hour runtime is. Scenes feel like they should go on a beat longer, particularly before the third act confrontation in the nest of the dragons. The movie also doesn’t do a whole lot with being a disabled story—Toothless is missing part of his tale and a character navigates limb difference—but that’s to be expected. *How to Train Your Dragon* doesn’t reinvent the wheel so much as much the same wheel again in the same fun way as the original. The visuals are beautiful to look at and the cast brings a lot of fun and heart. The remake doesn’t try to supersede the original so much as give a different option to a story that remains as compelling now as it did in 2010. # Grade: C+ [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Materialists' Review: Love Isn't All You Need in Celine Song's Latest URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/materialists-review-pedro-pascal-chris-evans/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:11:57.000Z We open in nature, with two Indigenous people clad in animal skins wordlessly engaging with each other. *Wait, they don’t look like the three Materialists leads? Am I in the right movie?* Don’t worry, you are. It’s meant to set the tone for writer/director Celine Song’s throughline: that people have been taking the leap to get married since time immemorial. It’s also a jarring opening that situates the rather jarring divergences *Materialists* takes throughout its near-two hour runtime that will leave you scratching your head. After coming out of the gate with her 2023 feature *Past Lives*—another movie with a romantic love triangle at its center—Song’s follow-up movie can’t help but feel like a sophomore slump with its clunky tone and narrative detours that detract from what works so well about love triangle movies: trying to debate and argue where the heroine should be with. *Materialists* is less a love triangle and more about one indecisive New York matchmaker. Lucy (Dakota Johnson) appears to have it all. She’s successfully helped nine couples find love and matrimony, even if they try to waffle out of it at the last minute. She has a great apartment (in NYC, let me remind you) and stellar wardrobe. She also plans to marry rich or die alone. When she meets Harry (Pedro Pascal), a unicorn who checks off every box in the Prince Charming playbook, Lucy believes she’s hit the jackpot. But when her ex John (Chris Evans) returns to her life Lucy starts to wonder if she’s no longer a material girl. Song makes her point immediately: during the cave man times, things like animal horns, knives and flowers (plus a healthy dose of love) was more than enough to secure a happy and advantageous marriage. Not so in the wilds of today where Lucy hears men nearing 50 refusing to date anyone under the age of 30 and women demanding a man who makes six figures and is over six feet (“Six feet can double a man’s value,” as Lucy explains). Lucy spends her days wrapped up in a world where romance is nice to have but it’s far from a non-negotiable. As Lucy heavy-handedly explains, so many times it becomes annoying, marriage is little more than a business merger, with each person bringing in certain things as a dowry to create worth. *Materialists* definitely lives up to its title and that makes the whole movie a bit cold and formalistic. We’re introduced to a cool, well-dressed career woman in Lucy who, not unlike Jennifer Lopez’s character in *The Wedding Planner*, does everything from talking brides off a ledge to hyping the concept of matchmaking to the bride’s friends as finding a “nursing home partner and a grave buddy.” But, in Johnson’s hand dare we say materialism isn’t particularly interesting? Johnson has the coolness down but there’s little warmth or depth to her performance as Lucy. She exudes little chemistry opposite Pascal, though that’s justified through the narrative, but there’s just as little opposite Evans, a man she presumably loved for five years. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Lucy’s relationship with John sees far more development, and by development it’s just more scenes. The lone flashback to their dynamic sees the couple arguing in the street—in an NYC where no one is threatening to run them over—over the key facets that define Lucy and John. She hates that he’s broke (and arguing about money reminds her of her parents) while he hates that she hates that he’s broke. Evans, at 43, is hard to buy as a self-proclaimed 37-year-old busboy who dreams of being an actor and still lives with three roommates. Despite his supposed love for Lucy, and his awareness of her desire for a man with money (or at least someone headed in that direction) he’s seemingly had no interest in actively changing his life. The script doesn’t lay out the why’s behind anyone’s history so when John sees Lucy again and proclaims his love the audience questions what he’s done to actually make himself worthy of her. The script also treats everything with a similar surface level. There’s a lot of comparison that could be drawn between this and the work of Whit Stillman in the sardonic dialogue and the blending of the melancholic with the privileged. But this doesn’t have the same verve as a Frances Ha or a Metropolitan. It’s hard to particularly care who Lucy ends up with, though it’s known from minute one—both because of the backstory and just the formula of these movies—who she’ll end up with. But since the script knows that it doesn’t give audiences much of a choice or even a desire to give Lucy romantic conflict. Pascal’s Harry is charismatic, charming, funny, and essentially all the reasons we love Pedro Pascal. This self-awareness is probably why the movie doesn’t spend any significant time between the couple, short of a few spliced together dates and love scenes. It’s as if the hope is that if we don’t get a ton of Pascal we won’t want him to win. In this instance, Madonna’s claim about the guy with the cold hard cash IS Mr. Right. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. The one thing Johnson gets right with Lucy is how unable she is to make a decision. There’s not necessarily a feeling that the characters grow throughout the narrative but that they just decide to give up, to settle, the things Lucy has been desperate to avoid. And it’s not a “surrender to love” type of thing but comes off like a “surrender because this is about as good as you’ll ever get.” Lucy’s decision isn’t between John or Harry, but a decision to not decide anything at all. Then again, the script can’t seem to decide either as sandwiched in between the love triangle is a rather ham-fisted subplot wherein a client of Lucy’s is sexually assaulted by a man Lucy matched her with. It comes from out of nowhere and adds in a heaping dose of not only reality but clashes with nearly everything that’s laid out. A third act moment wherein Lucy and John have to potentially save the client from the rapist—who refuses to leave her alone—is just so confusing and leads absolutely nowhere. *Materialists* is as shallow as its characters, but so desperately wants to think it isn’t. The script is all over the place, and when it finally settles into a groove there still seems to be pieces missing. Johnson falls flat while Evans tries his utmost to charm. The MVP is Pedro Pascal, though he’s underutilized and set up as a second banana in the Ralph Bellamy mode for reasons that just seem mean. This ain’t gonna make anyone’s rainy day (last Madonna reference). # Grade: D+ [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### The Film Maven Watch Diary for May 2025 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/movie-recommends-may-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:12:10.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* Well, May is finally over and good riddance. I went through a bevy of existential crises about my life and career—I mean, the month did start with [Polygon being gutted](https://thefilmmaven.com/entertainment-journalism-jobs-permalance/) and tons of great writes being out of work—so I tried my best to lose myself in movies. The variety of films below comprise some I watched as I put the finishing touches on But Have You Read the Book, Vol. 2\. (If you’re excited for that one you’ve got some time. But [I do have a new book dropping](https://thefilmmaven.com/popcorn-disabilities-book-cover/) in November!). Some were new releases and others were random watches. Regardless, let’s look back through the month that was and what I enjoyed…and what I wish I’d skipped. # The Best ## How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998) I did a “Written by Terry McMillan” double feature as I got to the finish line of *BHYR Vol. 2* and one was vastly different than the other. I’ve seen *Waiting to Exhale* (1995) a few times and it’s a movie that feels *very* 1995\. The script is overwrought and there’s a TV movie feel to it, though I’ll say it’s better than the book. So I went in with some trepidation going into my first-time watch of *How Stella Got Her Groove Back*, reuniting *Waiting to Exhale’s* star (Angela Bassett) and co-writers (McMillan and Ron Bass). But there was nothing to fear because this movie is just as fresh and vibrant now as it was in 1998\. Bassett plays Stella Payne, a stuck-in-her-ways single mother who takes a spur-of-the-moment trip to Jamaica. Along the way she meets a young Jamaican man named Winston (Taye Diggs) and their romance forces them to confront everything from age and generation gaps to whether it’s possible to find love again. It is ridiculously laughable that Bassett, at 40, is struggling to find a man. She is stunning this (and complemented by Ruth E. Carter’s costuming). But, hey, it was the ‘90s. But the script is so nuanced in its exploration of relationships. Diggs and Bassett have a natural chemistry and the script doesn’t focus on the “ew, she’s old” age gap—though that’s there—but more what expectations are expected in a relationship when one is 20 vs. 40\. And it’s funny as hell. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. ## [Final Destinations: Bloodlines (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/final-destination-bloodlines-review/) [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/final-destination-bloodlines-review/): *Final Destination* has prided itself on opening with a bang and *Bloodlines* is no exception. Young Iris (Brec Bassinger) goes on a romantic trip to the Skyview with her boyfriend, but what is meant to lead to a sweet proposal is telegraphed—via music cues and lines like “I’ll never let you go”—from a mile away as ending in disaster. You’ll never listen to “Shout” the same way again, that’s for sure. But it’s one thing to know what’s gonna happen, it’s another to see it. Complemented by Todd Masters’s expert makeup effects, the Skyview disaster enters the pantheon of best *Final Destination*death scenes. No one is safe, not even children, and everything from a piano smushing someone to finger skin getting ripped off is pumped full of visceral impact. Even in moments where you might think certain things are CGI—like the Skyview sunset—the practical effects are aces. If *Final Destination: Bloodlines* is where the franchise ends, it’s a fond farewell, especially since Todd is no longer a presence. The death scenes remain the star of the show, but it is becoming harder to find actors able to liven things up in between those beats. *Final Destination: Bloodlines* is on the lower end of the franchise spectrum, but it continues to emphasize what we love about the series: that we all end still fear the Reaper. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/7df31f79-7fa4-4a9a-9478-2d190d63c5db_1415x796-heic.jpg) ## [Mission Impossible—The Final Reckoning (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/mission-impossible-final-reckoning-review-tom-cruise/) [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/mission-impossible-final-reckoning-review-tom-cruise/): It’s been nearly 30 years audiences were introduced (and the previous generation were re-introduced) to Ethan Hunt and the Impossible Missions Force. (Between this and the release of [*Final Destination: Bloodlines*](https://thefilmmaven.com/final-destination-bloodlines-review/) this week, millennials have never felt older.) What started out as a fun late-’60s TV show has transmorgified into the juggernaut action franchise it is today, so much so that you’d be hard pressed to find many who recall it’s small screen origins. But in those 30 years Cruise, and his ever evolving ensemble, have engaged in high-octane, blockbuster filmmaking that continues to feel unique in a world of CGI juggernauts, fueled by the 62-year-old superstar continuing to place himself in peril at every opportunity. But all good things come to an end. This is, as the title says, the final reckoning despite Cruise’s hemming and hawing on red carpets. And it goes out with a bang. Like an IMF mission, everything about *Final Reckoning* is bombastic and thrilling. And unlike it’s story which places an emphasis on how “nothing is written” and man makes his own destiny, co-screenwriters Christopher McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen weave a taut tale that ties in so many previous *Mission: Impossible*plot threads so organically it feels like there was a master plan leading to this film from the very beginning. ## Pee Wee as Himself (2025) The cottage industry of reevaluating disgraced figures of the 1980s and 1990s is starting to hit a wall, but there’s still plenty of interesting people to explore. As is the case with Pee Wee as Himself looking at the life of the titled children’s TV shot, aka Paul Reubens. Reubens’s death in 2023 cast an eye on how people were quick to ruin his name after he was discovered in a porn theater in the 1990s, coupled with the fact that Reubens finally came out as a gay man. There are plenty of flaws found in *Pee Wee as Himself*, most of it stemming from the fact that Reubens refused to cooperate and talk to the filmmakers at a certain point. So there is an overall sense of the vague with the documentary, as if the filmmakers were afraid to make assertions while Reubens was still alive and didn’t add anything in after he was gone. But the moment where Reubens does talk about himself are interesting. It’s obvious he struggled with identity issues and, had the movie spent more time with him, no doubt the film’s true impact would hit harder. But what’s there is a frustrating look at a man who knew Hollywood wouldn’t accept him and what happens when persona overtakes the person. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/e0cd368f-909b-482d-a016-050f95592736_1651x1080-heic.jpg) ## Sally! (2024) I started a new part-time gig that has given me the opportunity to watch some really good documentaries, starting with the documentary *Sally!* (Not to be confused with the NatGeo documentary on Sally Ride.) *Sally!* is the story of lesbian activist Sally Gearhart. Sally is a hoot from the minute the documentary opens, openly supporting and envisioning a female utopia where men aren’t necessary. The documentary uses that to peel back the layers on the lesbian rights movement, something criminally underdiscussed considering, as one of the talking heads says, queer history has been written by gay men. This continues today, as evidenced by clips from Gus Van Sant’s 2005 film *Milk* that shows sequences that show only Sean Penn’s Harvey Milk in situations where Gearthart was with him. If you’re looking for a unique entry into queer history for Pride Month, find this one. ## Backlash: Misogyny in the Digital Age (2022) A harsh but vital view for anyone who spends time online (which is everyone). Directors Léa Clermont-Dion and Guylaine Maroist interview a variety of different women, different ages and countries, to examine online harassment and misogyny in social spaces. On the one hand it’s heartbreaking to see sequences of children as young as eight discussing being harassed online and trying to combat bullying. On the other, it’s a biting look at how online harassment affects everyone, even though in politics. It’s a hard sit, but it speaks to a lot of what is happening right now. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. # And the Rest ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/a4e64bd5-b17f-4e3d-9361-21fe0d08e0fc_3500x2280-heic.jpg) ## Agnes of God (1985) This is on the cusp of being one of the best but the overall mid quality of it puts it here. I had high hopes for this Norman Jewison directed adaptation of John Pielmeier's play, and there are plenty of good elements. Meg Tilly gives a transcendent performance as the young nun, Agnes, dealing with either mental illness, the fall-out of sexual repression, or the trials of sainthood. And Anne Bancroft is wonderful as the Mother Superior whose closeness to Agnes leads to questions. But the movie seems unsure whether it wants to be a mystery, something more horror based (a la *The Exorcist*), or a drama about a highly religious woman vs. an atheist (Jane Fonda). There are so many interesting threads in making this a mystery around whether is Agnes is a saint or just mentally ill but then we get divergences into Fonda—at her most overwrought and melodramatic—shouting about trying to save her while reminding everyone she has issues with organized religion. It all tries to be too much. And then it just ends. No catharsis, no resolution, not even a question to make the viewer think more. Just credits. ## Another Simple Favor (2025) Did anyone have high hopes for this? We all figured something was up considering the move from a theatrical release to an Amazon Prime Video debut *and* the Lively/Baldoni discourse sucking the air out of everything. But, oof, is this one of the biggest squandered sequel opportunities. The script, credited to the first film’s screenwriter Jessica Sharzer and *Terminator: Genisys* screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis, doesn’t have a clue where it wants to go. With those two women at the helm, it makes sense why things seem so haphazard. It starts out with a simple premise: Emily (Blake Lively) is getting married. But like most of the plot points here there’s an overly complicated and elaborate reason why. This all forces everyone to a beautiful island that seems like someone watched *Glass Onion* and wanted to copy it. The costumes and locations are gorgeous, and Lively still knows why we love Emily as a character, but that’s the only good points. The “twist” is ridiculous—and includes a sexual assault joke that is SO not funny—and forces a total retcon of Emily’s character that just feels like a studio note you’d get in 2025\. “People don’t like women to be bitchy anymore.” A total mess and I’m still angry I wasted two hours (it’s a 90-minute movie, tops) on it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/8138b9c8-90a8-4d0c-aec8-880076fd86b9_3500x2280-heic.jpg) ## Thousands Cheer (1943) This George Sidney-directed musical is part of the genre of war films that’s a cavalcade of stars with a thin premise of plot to stitch it all together. In this case, soldier Eddie Marsh (Gene Kelly) falls in love with Kathryn Jones (Kathryn Grayson), the colonel’s daughter. Their relationship is threatened by Kathryn’s father who thinks Eddie is a bum, and Eddie’s fear of returning to the trapeze act his family runs. Oh, and they’ve decided to put on a show. The vignettes are okay, if only to catch glimpses of stars like Lucille Ball and Margaret O’Brien. But when the focus is on Eddie and Kathryn the relationship feels very one-sided. I’m probably biased because Grayson is not an actress I particularly enjoy, but she is dull as paint her. Kelly is giving everything and thank goodness he did better movies after this. ## City Hall (1996) I do love when TCM shows random movies from the ‘90s! This was one where the cast made me look twice. Al Pacino? John Cusack? Bridget Fonda? In a 1990s political drama? With a script co-written by Paul Schrader AND Nicholas Pileggi?! I’m a sucker for a good ‘90s political thriller a la *Nick of Time* or *The Insider*. Unfortunately, this one has a very rose-colored glasses view of politics, wherein Al Pacino’s New York mayor can showboat his pants off at the funeral of a dead little boy and still come out of a messy legal situation by saying, “You know, maybe I should resign for the good of the office!” Simple times. It’s also boring as hell. Fonda and Cusack are just the blank slates trying to solve a mystery that should point to a bevy of corruption but ends up hitting with all the impact of a wet towel. Funnily enough, I can tell you exactly what parts of this movie I assume were contributed by Schrader: the gritty New York filled with bad cops, drugs, and what should be a fascinating look at the Black community. You can also see in all the Mob stuff what Pileggi contributed. If only all of this was better. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/d1489220-7c2f-4b8a-909c-8a539471f69f_2048x858-heic.jpg) ## [Lilo & Stitch (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/lilo-and-stitch-2025-review-remake/) [From my review](https://thefilmmaven.com/lilo-and-stitch-2025-review-remake/): *Lilo & Stitch* 2025 isn’t a bad movie. Director Dean Fleischer Camp isn’t a stranger to sweet stories of loss, being the man behind Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, and co-screenwriters Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes certainly pay homage to the fan base that grew up with the movie. The casting is charming and the VFX are ridiculously good. The problem is the give-and-take nature of a script that slavishly recreates the original film’s greatest hits while breathlessly trying to leapfrog over those same moments to add in original storytelling that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. There’s a moment in this movie that involves Stitch and a defibrillator and that’s what *Lilo & Stitch*(2025) is. A vain attempt to shock a familiar story back to life. Hewing so close to the original most in the theater will just wonder why they aren’t watching the animated feature. And yet there’s just enough there to make it different, though dull in execution. Barely two months have passed since the last Disney remake, and though [this is far better than](https://thefilmmaven.com/snow-white-2025-review-rachel-zegler/)[ *Snow White*](https://thefilmmaven.com/snow-white-2025-review-rachel-zegler/) this will probably end up right next to that retread as a movie you’ll barely remember come the fall. ## Insignificance (1985) This was a recommendation from someone who cited it as the best Marilyn Monroe performance (in terms of someone playing her) of all time. I don’t know if I’d say the best, but it’s certainly good. Directed by Nicolas Roeg, *Insignificance* tells of a fictional night wherein Albert Einstein (Michael Emil) interacts with Senator Joseph McCarthy (Tony Curtis), Joe DiMaggio (Gary Busey) and Marilyn Monroe (Theresa Russell). Having seen other Roeg films I assumed this one would be kooky and it is. The group spends the runtime talking about life, the nature of the universe, physics, and more. The aimlessness is part of the allure, but it isn’t particularly engaging. Russell’s performance is what most will walk away praising as she understands the various personas Monroe gave. I’m glad I saw this but it’s far from Roeg’s best. [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Ticklish Business: Seven Samurai (1954) with Alicia Malone URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/alicia-malone-seven-samurai-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:12:32.000Z Ticklish Business: Seven Samurai (1954) with Alicia Malone 0:00 /200 1× We're going on vacation through the world of classic film! Yes, International Month is back. But unless the previous two years, where we did two movies from different countries, we're spending June in one country with a single director: Akira Kurosawa. TCM host and author of the new book [*TCM Imports: Timeless Favorites and Hidden Gems of World Cinema*](https://amzn.to/4mMeoe2?ref=thefilmmaven.com), Alicia Malone, joins us to kick things off with a look at one of several Kurosawa movies dubbed the best movie of all time. It's 1954's [*Seven Samurai*](https://amzn.to/4dDUehW?ref=thefilmmaven.com). Kristen, Emily and Alicia explore the samurai genre, discuss this movie's influence on our conception of the American West, and thirst over Toshiro Mifune. [Buy Alicia's book here.](https://amzn.to/4mMeoe2?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates McF Rachel Clark Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Peter Dawson Reyna-Moya James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Richard Silver Rosa ### 'Popcorn Disabilities' Cover Reveal and Release Date URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/popcorn-disabilities-book-cover/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:12:44.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Also, with tariffs set to ruin everything I’m currently giving readers a 2-week free trial of TFM’s paid membership to give you a good idea of the work I’m doing. Paid memberships allow me to hire freelance writers and do more in-depth content.* [*Use this link to take advantage of my F\*\*\* Tariffs deal and redeem your free trial*](http://thefilmmaven.substack.com/ftarrifs)*.* If you’ve been on the site for a while you know all about [Popcorn Disability](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability), the series where I deconstruct disability tropes and stereotypes in the movies. Some might think me watching movies that I know will make me mad is a problem but, honestly, it gives me opportunities to let people know about disability in general. What better to show people why they should be offended by something? Not to mention I love being snarky about a movie as much as the next person. Last year I sat down to write one of the most difficult books of my career (and I have two more coming after it). A book that looks at disabled tropes and stereotypes in the movies and, more importantly, how they make disabled viewers feel about themselves. There’s a reason disabled people have so much self-loathing. It’s because, for better or worse, movies have kind of told us to hate ourselves. Writing this book made me angry and sad, at times, but it was also highly cathartic examining how the movies I love, and love to hate, about disability have shaped my own conception of myself as a disabled person and, ultimately, what needs to change. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. So, let’s unveil the cover of *Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies*! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/ba41356c-eba4-4395-8098-1430df0e5fa7_1800x2700-heic-1.jpg) Have I mentioned I love this cover? And, yes, TCM host Ben Mankiewicz was kind enough to write my foreword. I can’t wait for everyone to read this and maybe look at some movies a little closer. Or at least realize why I get so angry when a hospital wheelchair pops up in the frame. I’ll be dropping more snippets of *Popcorn Disabilities* as we inch closer to its release date on **November 13th**! In the meantime, you can get a sneak peek by reading the piece I did on [Harold Russell and ](https://thefilmmaven.com/best-years-of-our-lives-harold-russell-disabled/)[*The Best Years of Our Lives*](https://thefilmmaven.com/best-years-of-our-lives-harold-russell-disabled/). Harold gets a lot of love in the book. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. And I’ll also be revealing personal appearances and book signings as they happen, as well. You can pre-order the book now via Bloomsbury, and it should hit online retailers soon. (Honestly, I don’t care where you buy this. A sale is a sale to me!) [***Pre-order Popcorn Disabilities now***](https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/popcorn-disabilities-9781493086344/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *Have you considered subscribing to The Film Maven’s Founders Plan? As a Founder you can set up regular Zoom meetings with me to learn how to get into film journalism or publishing. Founders also receive regular care packages and swag! Consider becoming the ultimate Film Maven Founder today.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Some Essential Tips for Writing and Publishing Your First Fiction Novel URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/how-to-get-fiction-book-published/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:12:59.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Also, with tariffs set to ruin everything I’m currently giving readers a 2-week free trial of TFM’s paid membership to give you a good idea of the work I’m doing. Paid memberships allow me to hire freelance writers and do more in-depth content.* [*Use this link to take advantage of my F\*\*\* Tariffs deal and redeem your free trial*](http://thefilmmaven.substack.com/ftarrifs)*.* Last year, [Kristen wrote an excellent primer](https://thefilmmaven.com/how-to-sell-book/) for those of you who are interested in writing a book. Kristen writes non-fiction (excellently, I should note), and her advice is incredible for those of you who want to also dip some toes into the world of non-fic. But if you’re interested in writing fiction…well, that’s a whole different ball game. ## **First things first: Write the whole book** This is the key difference between writing our two different kinds of books. If you’re shopping around a fictional novel, collection of short stories, poetry anthology…you better have the whole thing done. Depending on the age group and genre word counts vary, but novels for adults should be at least 70,000 words (on the short side for mystery, literary fiction, romance, and a couple other styles) and 120,000 words (sci-fi and fantasy, mostly). All genre expectations should be met, or completely overthrown in a way that makes people realize you are the epitome of genius (this is probably not the case, so meet those genre expectations, kids). Every *i* is dotted, every *t* is crossed and every plot hole is sewn up. Your families and friends never want to read anything you’ve written ever again because they’ve beta-read every single word of this novel that they can recite it to you like The Gettysburg Address they memorized in middle school. Hopefully it’s the greatest book ever written—and if it isn’t you have to sure as hell believe it is before continuing down this gauntlet. Publishing a novel is a constant push-pull in having the hubris to believe you have written the greatest book ever written, and being humble enough to know you haven’t. You are warned. ## **Traditional publishing vs. self-publishing?** I’ve done both. I have two self-published novels and three traditionally published novels. There are advantages and disadvantages to both and no one can make this decision for you although I am happy to answer questions about both avenues. I err on the side of traditional publishing now, but self-publishing works wonderfully for extremely niche markets, like specific romance angles and fantasy. I write mainstream mystery novels and enjoy the process of traditional publishing. ## **If you want to publish traditionally, you need an agent. Time to query!** Sites like [ManuscriptWishlist.com](http://manuscriptwishlist.com/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) help you find agents in the publishing industry who are looking for books that may align with what you have already written. Most agents require you to send queries that fit specific formats—ranging from a personalized letter, perhaps a short summary, perhaps the first 10, 20, 50 pages of your book. Maybe they want it emailed, maybe they use proprietary software. ***FOLLOW THEIR DIRECTIONS***. Agents receive hundreds of queries over the course of a year and a quick way to get no one to look at your book is if you don’t follow the directions. Above all: be polite, be professional, and know that no one asked you to write this book, so no one really owes you their attention. You need them more than they need you. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. ## **So you have an agent: now what?** Your agent will ask you to make some changes to your book and this is *entirely* to make your book sell. I struggle with this immensely (just ask my agent!). It is at this point that I have to remind myself that the book is no longer *mine* and the path of trying to sell it to another person is the part where the book I’ve just spent the last six to twelve months writing no longer belongs to me. Again: this is something I struggle with, like everyone else. But it helps to remind oneself that the story is the story and the details are the details. Making some changes doesn’t mean that the book that’s “going out” is no longer the book you wrote. ## **Hurrah! It’s sold!** Your agent will have editors they know they want to pitch your book to and will happily tell you all about them if you ask, or leave you in the dark if that is what you prefer. This is a long, slow, painful process. My first book took six months to sell, as acquisition editors took their time to ask for more pages or the whole book, then took their time to read it, then took their time to figure out how they were going to fit it into the slate of books they already have or are coming out. This is a business and you only supply one small part of it. Hopefully, an editor (or more than one!) wants your book and it is your agent’s job to make sure that you come to an agreement on contract details such as an advance, how much you get paid per book or eBook sold, how one divvies up advances if TV and movie rights are sold, etc. etc. This is something you will have to discuss with your agency and oftentimes you will be gobsmacked at how little you are going to make on something you spent hundreds of hours writing. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. ## **Now, the work begins** Your editor will want changes. Maybe several rounds of them. Then the copyeditor goes through it all two or three times. You will need to write synopses, summaries, marketing materials, bios and acknowledgements, notes, get headshots. You will need to stick to many, many deadlines—physical production of books takes a long time—and not miss them. This is not a great industry for people who couldn’t turn term papers in on time in college. Extensions are granted, but begrudgingly, and maybe at cost to you. Book publishing comes with a lot of “hurry up and wait” scenarios. You might only have two weeks to do edits but the publisher has two months ‘til they contact you about the next round of work you need to do. This isn’t an excuse to stop writing your next book. If anything, the best chance you have of selling your next book is in the lead up to or just after your current book is sold. Get writing. Marketing and publicity budgets are scant, unless you are lucky enough to be “top of list.” That means you are one of the few authors a publishing company is going to champion to press and the media at large in an angle to become a best-seller. This happens for basically no one who isn’t Stephen King. You are most likely a midlist author, a debut who might make a big splash. But that splash largely depends on how much *you* are willing to lift to make it. Book tours, Youtube interviews, podcast guest spots, relentlessly begging your family and friends to talk about you, Goodreads review campaigns…whatever you can do, do it, short of committing felonies. Every ounce of juice you can squeeze will make a difference. No matter how many times you talk about your book on social media someone you know will have absolutely no idea that you have a book coming out. Paper the walls of Facebook with your notices. The people who mind don’t matter. Just remember: ## **Before you know it…you’re old news.** The unfortunate thing about traditional publishing is that next month your publisher has a whole new stack of books to push. Your window for being the hottest new thing is terrifyingly short. There is no amount of prep work that is too much prep work for marketing or publicising your books. If I knew then what I know now I would have spent my entire advance on a publicity team and outside marketing to try to make a bigger name for my debut book. After all, you only debut once. Every writer has their own threshold for what they are willing to do, but in the era of modern publishing a lot more of it is on your shoulders than you think. *Emily J. Edwards is the author of three novels in The Girl Friday Mystery series, beginning with Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man. She earned her degree in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College and took the long road to becoming an author, working for over a decade as a wine and spirits journalist, radio producer, and creator of the podcast,* [*F\*ckbois of Literature*](https://msemilyedwards.com/fbol/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, and ch-host of the podcast Ticklish Business. Emily currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband—a composer—and several quadrupeds. Pronouns: she/her/hers* *Any questions I didn’t answer? Are you a writer with tips on navigating the book industry? Leave a comment or join the subscriber chat!* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Matt Remick on 'The Studio' Is Every Entertainment Journalist These Days URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-studio-seth-rogen-entertainment-journalism/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:13:16.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers. It’s an offshoot of my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Also, with tariffs set to ruin everything I’m currently giving readers a 2-week free trial of TFM’s paid membership to give you a good idea of the work I’m doing. Paid memberships allow me to hire freelance writers and do more in-depth content.* [*Use this link to take advantage of my F\*\*\* Tariffs deal and redeem your free trial*](http://thefilmmaven.substack.com/ftarrifs)*.* I’ve been catching up on the last few episodes of Apple TV+’s amazing inside Hollywood series *The Studio*, and trying to stretch out the experience for as long as I have. (I haven’t seen the finale yet so no spoilers in the comments, please and thanks.) But after watching episode 8, “The Golden Globes,” I came to a painful realization: that the series about a Hollywood studio also is just as bittersweet about the state of my own industry. ***If you haven’t seen “The Golden Globes” episode The Studio I’ll throw up a spoiler warning. Though you should just watch the series regardless because it’s wonderful.*** The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. As the title implies, Continental Studios President Matt Remick (Seth Rogan) is on his way to the Golden Globes where one the movies he greenlit, Zoe Kravitz’s Open, is nominated. His goal is to have Zoe thank him in her acceptance speech, aware that it’s the only time studio heads are even heard about. His mad attempt to convince Kravitz to do it, unsurprisingly, leads to hilarious consequences. Or, at least, it should be hilarious but it honestly was a painfully bittersweet episode. Matt has spent the entire series—as he says in the next episode, “CinemaCon”—trying “desperately to be cool.” He wants to bring back old school appreciation of movies, as well as the moguls whose names became as synonymous with filmmaking as the directors themselves. He also understands something everyone won’t admit to but feels inside: that, plain and simple, this job is cool. Who wouldn’t want to be apart of it? There’s a reason why so many people, my dad included, simultaneously say they wish they had my job and also how easy it is. It’s another thing *The Studio* deconstructs so skillfully. Matt devotes his whole life to running the studio yet everyone around him blithely thinks he does nothing. Matt has spent the entire series saying he’s an artist, assuming himself part of the team of creatives who make movies, only for everyone to say he’s delusional. A trip to the bathroom sees him run into Netflix’s CEO Ted Sarandos, who argues with Matt over whether they’re artists or bean counters. Historically, moguls weren’t the ones behind the camera but they *were* involved in shaping the movies that got made, for good and ill. If Hollywood is such a collaborative medium—what is a director’s part of the film vs. the cinematographer vs. the screenwriter, etc.—then aren’t studio heads part of that? It’s something I’ve been asking while watching *The Studio:* when did the Old Hollywood mogul die? I’d assume Weinstein was the last person whose name you’d know synonymous with his studio. Sarandos tells Matt the only reason anyone thanks him at the awards is because they’re contractually obligated. Public validation, like a social post, is itself a type of currency for entertainment writers. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/9683d9ec-76aa-42ce-baba-4ce2589947a4_1560x1040-heic.jpg) But Matt’s desire to see himself as an artist resonates with us entertainment critics and journalists for the sheer fact that there’s a tendency to undermine our contributions. I struggled for years to say I was a journalist or critic, routinely telling people “I just write about entertainment,” as if it was fluffy and pointless. It wasn’t until I started working at IndieWire, and seeing the impact my writing could have on a reader, that I realized my journalistic work *was* journalism, just in a different medium. However, in Hollywood-associated jobs specifically, there is a desire to underplay contributions if they aren’t front and center. This is something Matt’s dealt with on *The Studio* already. The episode “The Pediatric Oncologist” heartbreakingly lays out the trod on nature of filmmaking today, and Matt’s role within it. Matt is dating the aforementioned pediatric oncologist (Rebecca Hall) who, alongside her friends, poke fun at Matt’s job. They don’t know what he does, make fun of the silly movies he’s involved in, and have a moral superiority that they, as doctors, are more valid to the world than him and entertainment. As Matt tells the doctors, before going on a tear that eventually puts him in the hospital, movies have a power to define people’s lives. What is in every hospital room? A TV, so for a few minutes someone’s pain can be distracted by something that makes them feel better or has meaning to them. Matt has been on a quest to make himself relevant in the industry since the beginning and it all comes to head in “The Golden Globes.” Matt becomes obsessed with getting Zoe to thank him after his mom tells him everyone is coming to watch the Globes because a movie he’s made was nominated. No one understands Matt’s world and its significance to him or other people, and if he can’t even convince his own mother that he’s important in his job, who else will believe him? Which brings it all back to the world of entertainment journalism. At the episode’s end, Zoe does thank him but her words are drowned out by the play-off music ushering her off-stage. His mother grouses that no one heard him being thanked and Matt is left to drive him, still feeling insignificant despite his prestigious position. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. I left a highly toxic, though prestigious, job at a trade last April and since then I’ve felt myself at a professional crossroads. Know the Hollywood saying, “When you’re hot, you're hot and when you aren’t….?” Well, that’s true in entertainment journalism because the minute I left my job it felt like all the work I’d put in with regards to relationship and access went up in smoke. And there are countless people now in that same boat with the influx of layoffs going through the industry. Watching Matt Remick sit in that limo, unacknowledged, hit me hard. Entertainment journalists are also questing for relevancy. Relevance that our words are important, relevance that we’re in the Hollywood bubble, if only adjacent to it. If a man at the top of the industry, running an entire studio, can’t feel relevant? The quest feels like Don Quixote chasing windmills. We’re never as relevant as we want, and even when we’re at the top we’re still not doing exactly what we want to be doing. Everything feels so illusory at the same time that it’s slipping and fading away. *The Studio* is a comedy, and yet so much of it feels painfully accurate in its awareness of Hollywood in a time of such great upheaval. We aren’t at the highest echelons of the world like Matt, but Matt’s feelings of inadequacy in a world of power, beauty, and glam, hits like a ton of bricks. Now I’m gonna watch that finale! [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Popcorn Disability: 'The Best Years of Our Lives' (1946) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-years-of-our-lives-harold-russell-disabled/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:13:31.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, where I look at disability through the lens of popular culture. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*stories, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Also, with tariffs set to ruin everything I’m currently giving readers a 2-week free trial of TFM’s paid membership to give you a good idea of the work I’m doing. Paid memberships allow me to hire freelance writers and do more in-depth content.* [*Use this link to take advantage of my F\*\*\* Tariffs deal and redeem your free trial*](http://thefilmmaven.substack.com/ftarrifs)*.* I’ve been wanting to write about Harold Russell for awhile, him being a prime example of Hollywood’s continued use and abuse of the few disabled performers in existence. So I figured no better time than Memorial Day to spotlight Russell and his work in the fantastic 1946 feature *The Best Years of Our Lives*. Disabled representation was what first inspired Harold Russell, to take up acting. Russell was a bilateral amputee, one of just 63 vets in the country, who had prosthetic hooks in place of his hands. It was while watching the 1944 short film *Meet McGonegal*, following an amputee who illustrates to disabled vets how to do basic things without their arms, that Russell was inspired to help other vets transition to a new life with a disability. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ticklish Business Interview with Karina Longworth URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/karina-longworth-interview-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:13:45.000Z Ticklish Business Interview with Karina Longworth 0:00 /200 1× *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’ll be including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *You Must Remember This* host Karina Longworth sits down with us to talk about the new season of her show, "The Old Man Is Still Alive." We discuss which directors weathered the collapse of the studio system best, why Stanley Donen's *Blame It On Rio* gets so much guff, and John Huston's third act celebration. [Listen to You Must Remember This here or wherever you get podcasts.](http://www.youmustrememberthispodcast.com/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates McF Rachel Clark Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Peter Dawson Reyna-Moya James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Richard Silver Rosa ### 'Lilo and Stitch' (2025) Review: A Remake That Surfs on the Goodwill of the Original URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/lilo-and-stitch-2025-review-remake/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:13:58.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Also, with tariffs set to ruin everything I’m currently giving readers a 2-week free trial of TFM’s paid membership to give you a good idea of the work I’m doing. Paid memberships allow me to hire freelance writers and do more in-depth content.* [*Use this link to take advantage of my F\*\*\* Tariffs deal and redeem your free trial*](http://thefilmmaven.substack.com/ftarrifs)*.* The 2002 release of Disney’s *Lilo & Stitch* marked a turning point for the animation titan. The Chris Sanders-directed and co-written story was a dark and melancholic exploration of friendship, family and trauma that wasn’t afraid to play up the weirdness and the harsh realities of living life. It was also ridiculously funny, charming, and is an enduring classic going on over 20 years. The latest Disney live-action remake of it though continues to ask the question: what do we actually *want* from these movies? If they hew too far from the source material, like *The Little Mermaid,* they’re not good. But, as with this new take on *Lilo & Stitch*, if they’re *too* similar to the original they’re also not good. *Lilo & Stitch* 2025 isn’t a bad movie. Director Dean Fleischer Camp isn’t a stranger to sweet stories of loss, being the man behind Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, and co-screenwriters Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes certainly pay homage to the fan base that grew up with the movie. The casting is charming and the VFX are ridiculously good. The problem is the give-and-take nature of a script that slavishly recreates the original film’s greatest hits while breathlessly trying to leapfrog over those same moments to add in original storytelling that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Lilo (Maia Kealoha) is a lonely little girl living with her old sister Nani (Sydney Agudong) after their parents die. As Nani struggles to act as mother and sister, Lilo can’t seem to stay out of trouble or make friends. When Lilo prays for an angel it manifests in the form of Stitch, an alien experiment that crash-lands on Lilo’s Hawaiian island. On the run from his captors, Stitch befriends Lilo and the two form an unlikely bond meant to teach them the meaning of “Ohana.” The opening scene has you seeing double with a near recreation of the Intergalactic Council overseeing Stitch’s case and the punishment of his creator Dr. Jumba Jookiba (Zach Galifianakis). The Grand Councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham) is prepared to send Stitch into exile but, like the original, he escapes and runs off with a police cruiser….yes, the red one. For the first 20ish minutes of this *Lilo & Stitch*, outside of condensing a lot of line readings—including much of Lilo’s Pudge the Fish speech which is a misfire—it’s a near shot-for-shot retread of the original. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. And yet in these moments of duplication it’s impossible to ignore something feels off, and it’s not just hearing Galifianakis’s average voice performance for Jumba. Editor Phillip J. Bartel swiftly moves audiences from story beat to story beat with nary a minute to become enmeshed in what is being told. Stitch lands on Earth. Nani is overworked and can’t make time for her little sister. Lilo is lonely and gets into fights. A social worker (a very empathetic Tia Carrere) is threatening to remove Lilo. Jumba and annoying partner Pleakley (Billy Magnussen) are on Stitch’s heels. These moments all happen in such rapid succession that, if you didn’t know the movie, you’d think everything is vastly underwritten…because it is. But Disney is more than aware that most of those watching this *have* seen the original movie, can quote it, and have probably watched it more than once so it’s not like they need to give context. But it doesn’t do anything to invest new viewers into the world of *Lilo & Stitch*. Much of Stitch’s trajectory in the first film wasn’t just about learning not to be naughty. It was about finding a family and a place where he belongs. He was the Ugly Duckling who didn’t fit. That’s all wiped away in favor of “Ohana” repetitions. Where Snow White tried to redefine what the term “fair” was,” Lilo & Stitch does the same with “bad.” Lilo and Stitch are said to not be bad but “just do bad things sometimes.” The movie’s theme feels more like a moral for a small child to clean up after themselves than anything deeper. *Lilo & Stitch* (2002), though, was a deep movie. One that didn’t shy away from the difficult and frightening realities of the world. It’s why director Chris Sanders had such a hard time getting it made at the time. And while Nani and Lilo are still navigating the world of social workers and the threat of foster care the script shies away from getting too invasive into what that looks like. Carrere’s character is understanding of what Nani is doing, and the film’s awareness that Nani is still a child herself is a fantastic new addition. But when things get too harsh, the film pivots. Lilo and Nani trying to verbalize their feelings about the line between sister and parent is a few stray lines before Stitch crashes into things. Nani being given an option that sees Lilo removed from her care cuts to Jumba and Pleakley’s shenanigans. When Nani tells Lilo “I need you to be in reality with me,” it’s easy to understand why Lilo isn’t because reality plays like little more than a pesky mosquito Pleakley wants to save. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. The script is aware they need these moments, but never give them time to breathe. Take the original film’s presentation of Lilo and Nani’s fight after the social worker visits. It’s a fantastic moment of two sisters trying to one-up each other. (“Go to your room!” “I’m already IN my room!”). This same scene plays in 1.75x mode with the actresses spitting out the lines so fast the humor is entirely sucked out of it. This isn’t limited to the comedy, entire moments of introspection are leapfrogged to give us *Lilo & Stitch’s Greatest Hits*. This ends up dulling the film’s conclusion because by the time you have a moment to edge out a tear we’re on to the next thing. The actors do a lot to lift up where the movie sags. Newcomer Kealoha is utterly darling and perfectly cast as Lilo. She has the right blend of comedic timing, vulnerability, and sweetness the character needs. She also does a great job of trying to assert herself opposite the wily Stitch. And for someone so young she is great at working with CGI (or the tennis ball that no doubt stood in for Stitch). Chris Sanders returns to voice Stitch and he slips right into what makes the character fun. Agudong is ultimately let down by the way Nani is written, but her performance is powerful, particularly in the third act when so much is reliant on her reaction to the realities of what is about to happen. Billy Magnussen doesn’t do anything different from his past toothy-grinned, manic characters but it still works. His Pleakley is still overly in love with Earth but Magnussen adds such enthusiasm to his performance. Galifianakis is an odd bit of casting, playing the character too evil for a movie this light and yet not commanding enough for him to be an effective villain. And Courtney B. Vance is utterly pointless as Cobra Bubbles, newly minted as a CIA agent with barely any screen time of significance. There’s a moment in this movie that involves Stitch and a defibrillator and that’s what *Lilo & Stitch* (2025) is. A vain attempt to shock a familiar story back to life. Hewing so close to the original most in the theater will just wonder why they aren’t watching the animated feature. And yet there’s just enough there to make it different, though dull in execution. Barely two months have passed since the last Disney remake, and though [this is far better than](https://thefilmmaven.com/snow-white-2025-review-rachel-zegler/)[ *Snow White*](https://thefilmmaven.com/snow-white-2025-review-rachel-zegler/) this will probably end up right next to that retread as a movie you’ll barely remember come the fall. # Grade: D+ *Lilo & Stitch is in theaters this Friday.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Why Are Disabled Journalists Still Not Covering Disabled Content? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/deaf-president-now-documentary-disabled-journalists/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:14:14.000Z *This is a complimentary entry for free subscribers but it’s worth becoming a paid one. Why? Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles. Becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism* *Also, with tariffs set to ruin everything I’m currently giving readers a 2-week free trial of TFM’s paid membership to give you a good idea of the work I’m doing. Paid memberships allow me to hire freelance writers and do more in-depth content.* [*Use this link to take advantage of my F\*\*\* Tariffs deal and redeem your free trial*](http://thefilmmaven.substack.com/ftarrifs)*.* Last week saw the release of the Apple TV+ documentary, *Deaf President Now!*, directed by Davis Guggenheim and Nyle DiMarco. I’m still waiting to watch it but from what I’ve been told it’s a *Crip Camp*\-esque look at an underrepresented moment in disability history. I’m excited to watch it. But in seeing the various reviews and interviews start to roll out in promotion for it I noticed the continuation of a sad trend: No Deaf or disabled critics were doing interviews or writing stories about it. This is something that happens far too often when the few disabled-centric movies Hollywood deigns to give us come out. Most outlets, especially trade-based ones, don’t have Deaf or disabled writers on staff, and with freelance budgets all but non-existent these days it’s far easier to just task a hearing/abled journalist on staff with it. But what makes everything more upsetting is hearing from Deaf and disabled entertainment journos who have tried to get ahead of the game and actively pitch covering these films. Deaf author and journalist Sara Novic took to social media last week to discuss how she was ghosted by various outlets after offering to write authentic coverage about the movie. When I took to social media to see if I could read **any** reviews or coverage on *Deaf President Now!* written by Deaf or disabled journalists I got one response: [a link to Sara’s review](https://buttondown.com/signs+wonders/archive/review-deaf-president-now-documentary/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) she decided to write for her own website. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/04d3cd16-bbd3-4549-8b4c-4cee6558bdc1_1186x1073-heic.jpg) I recall complaining about the lack of disabled people in entertainment spaces once and having a journalistic colleague ask whether I was upset about it in general, or upset that I wasn’t the one being asked? It’s something I’ve returned to a lot in discussing the lack of Deaf/disabled critics in these jobs because A) this person assumed I was only complaining to get a job and, by extension, assumed I thought *I* was the only disabled journalist worth covering these topics and B) because the issue remains today. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. I’ve always said I don’t want to be the only disabled journalist writing about these things, and I shouldn’t be. I don’t know the specific limitations Deaf writers face, all I can do is funnel that through being a disabled wheelchair user. Two different life experiences. I do, however, try to use my platform and name as a disabled journalist to, hopefully, make people more open and aware of Deaf/disabled writers in general. But, these days, I don’t think anything is working. The coverage of *Deaf President Now!* illustrates that websites either don’t care about authentic writing, don’t know any Deaf/disabled critics, or don’t want to put in the time and effort to find them. Though, let’s be real, it’s probably all three. And, yes, times are tough in the journalism space. If you need a reminder of that I urge you to read the entirety of my [“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed”](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/journalism-is-fcked) series. It is easier to find someone to review or write about a movie who you’re already paying. The fact that *Deaf President Now!* is co-directed by acclaimed documentarian Davis Guggenheim is no doubt just enough of a pass for an editor to give it to a hearing person. It’s hard enough to get coverage for anything in a landscape where an inordinately large amount of established journalists are out of work or have limited opportunities for writing, and those still working at trades are overburdened and doing the work of at least three people. So we should be grateful that this movie is getting any type of love. But, I don’t know about you, I’m sick of being grateful that others are caring about these topics and more focused on: hire people to dive into these topics who understand them. And, before someone inevitably drops this in the comments, journalists *can and should* be able to write about anything. The coverage for this and other disabled movies should they are! The issue is that Hollywood pumps out a small handful of Deaf and disabled content a year and, like the filmmaking world in general, if Deaf/disabled journalists can’t even write about content that’s about them…how the hell does one expect to get more Deaf and disabled journalists in these spaces? Then again, maybe the reality is one I’ve talked about for years: no one expects Deaf and disabled journalists in these spaces. Ever. This is something certainly more in vogue in our current “DEI is dead” era. Hell, [not even white women can get a job](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-criticism-women-critics/) these days. How do we fix this? Honestly, it’s not on journalists to fix it. The ones who care about this topic are doing it by writing reviews for their own outlets and at least trying to put some accurate discourse into the world. The ones who can and should be fixing this are website editors and PR people. Editors, if you don’t have any Deaf or disabled journalists, make this the one time you use your freelance budget and seek out someone to cover it. And not just for the review but for junket interviews! Editors, it will save you the embarrassment of having a journalist unskilled in disability rhetoric make an easy faux pas. I once had a PR person send me a list of “appropriate phrases” before I interviewed a disabled actor and when I said, “I’m disabled so I already know” they were so relieved. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. PR folks, you also have power here. Emphasize when you do your publicity outreach that you *want* Deaf and disabled journalists. Also, and this is part of a broader issue I should probably discuss in a future article, take chances on smaller sites. Yes, we know the trades have the widest reach but with so many established and long-time journalists laid off and starting Substacks if they’re still writing it’s worth it to court them. If “any publicity is good publicity” going back to a journalist and saying, “We want coverage anywhere based on your reputation” the coverage will come. Will you get 100K people reading it which translates into maybe a quarter actually watching the movie? Or a journalist with an established following whose readers DO actually watch the movie? (I call this “Kristen’s *Conclave* Principle.”) The point is there’s only so much Deaf and disabled journalists can do before the real work has to be taken up by those with power, and I ain’t seeing it. Till then, I’m excited to see more people watching (and learning) from *Deaf President Now!* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Bring Her Back' Review: A Viscerally Heartbreaking Slice of Horror URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/bring-her-back-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:14:30.000Z There’s nothing quite like a mother’s love. I’m not a mother, but I have a fierce one who I couldn’t help but think intensely about the entire time while watching Danny and Michael Philippou’s sophomore feature *Bring Her Back*. The power of maternal devotion and care is something that has been harnessed in many a film regardless of genre, but there is something so dirty, bold, and true about the way that instinct is explored in this grimey, gruesome, and downright heartbreaking horror film. This is a movie with an emotional core on fire, ready to bring you down to the depths of its terrifying sorrow at any and every turn. The story follows a blind teenage girl named Piper (Sora Wong) and her step-brother Andy (Billy Barratt), forced into foster care after the tragic death of their father. Their new foster mother is an eccentric and somewhat unpredictable woman named Laura (Sally Hawkins), who, unbeknownst to them, has a plan for the siblings that stems back to a trusted demonic ritual and the death of her own child. This film would be nothing without its performances because of the emotional depth of the story, but *Bring Her Back’s* most important performance is Hawkins. She’s always been good at weird and wild characters but her true strength is the empathy she elicits. She is firing on all cylinders, free to use all of her strengths in a role that’s full of depth, weight and raw humanity. She is so good at striking a balance between creepy and deeply sympathetic, and it allows the audience to stew in their internal conflict as they watch. It feels like the role Hawkins was born to play in all its messy, twisted maternal glory. The young cast is just as strong, meeting Hawkins toe to toe at every turn. Wong’s turn as Piper is something of a revelation—the Philippou brothers revealed at the first look screening Q&A in NYC that she’s never acted before—and her innate naturalism in front of the camera is refreshing to watch, especially someone so young. She is adept at nailing a sense of hardened teen independence that slips in the right moments to give way to adolescent naivety and fear. Barratt’s Andy is a sweet and well-meaning counterpart who packs real emotional punches throughout, and they both have a distinct and believable bond on screen. It feels as though they actually are siblings, which is crucial to making the entire story work. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Jonah Wren Phillips, who plays Olivier, also gives a revelatory performance that showcases impeccable physical acting. His eyes are so soulful that it’s hard not to see the buried terror within them. His malleability in the role is key to Hawkins’ character’s overall goals, as well as her menace. These are killer performances that must be perfect in order for the film to hit as hard as it does. The movie manages to feel like an established Danny and Michael Philippou film, a pretty big feat for a directing duo on their second project. *Bring Her Back* has a similarly muted color palette to their debut feature *Talk To Me*, but what gives their work a uniform style is bleakness. Bleakness is the writer-director team’s calling card. Both films share an undeniably bleak thread and, depending who you ask, some might say *Bring Her Back* is even bleaker than *Talk to Me*. The brothers are so good at focusing on the grit and grime, the moments or things in life that are messy, and bringing them to their most gruesome conclusions. That impulse bleeds distinctly into the general aesthetic of their style. It makes it feel like there is a strong horror oeuvre taking shape here. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. The practical effects of *Bring Her Back* are astounding and not only impress on the technical and realism levels, but also from a sheer sense of horror. It feels like an onslaught but because the Philippous are so good at it we want more. The effects work feels like they’re getting better in this arena. Anyone who knows their background knows they’ve been messing with effects and stunts for a long, long time on YouTube and it’s clear that all of that knowledge is paying off in a big way in the transition to big budget projects. The story is what anyone and everyone will stay and they applaud this film for even. Why? Because it’s full of undeniable heart despite its ugliness. Love is innately ugly, as it will always be tied to one of life’s rawest feelings: grief. Danny and co-writer Bill Hinzman craft a story and script that feels deeply truthful and wholly other-worldly, and that does a beautiful job of highlighting the horror and the distorted, corrupted love that lives inside it. It is a deeply relatable film, one that anyone who has ever lost someone can lose themselves in that much more. A truly special film that will make you want to cry as much as it makes you want to scream, *Bring Her Back* is, at its core, a terrifying and truthful blaze that burns bright in the name of love. *Bring Her Back hits theaters May 30.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' Review: Tom Cruise Goes for Broke in Fitting Finale URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/mission-impossible-final-reckoning-review-tom-cruise/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:14:47.000Z It’s been nearly 30 years audiences were introduced (and the previous generation were re-introduced) to Ethan Hunt and the Impossible Missions Force. (Between this and the release of [*Final Destination: Bloodlines*](https://thefilmmaven.com/final-destination-bloodlines-review/) this week, millennials have never felt older.) What started out as a fun late-’60s TV show has transmorgified into the juggernaut action franchise it is today, so much so that you’d be hard pressed to find many who recall it’s small screen origins. But in those 30 years Cruise, and his ever evolving ensemble, have engaged in high-octane, blockbuster filmmaking that continues to feel unique in a world of CGI juggernauts, fueled by the 62-year-old superstar continuing to place himself in peril at every opportunity. But all good things come to an end. This is, as the title says, the final reckoning despite Cruise’s hemming and hawing on red carpets. And it goes out with a bang. Like an IMF mission, everything about *Final Reckoning* is bombastic and thrilling. And unlike it’s story which places an emphasis on how “nothing is written” and man makes his own destiny, co-screenwriters Christopher McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen weave a taut tale that ties in so many previous *Mission: Impossible* plot threads so organically it feels like there was a master plan leading to this film from the very beginning. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) remains on the run and in pursuit of the AI plague known as The Entity. The Entity plans to take over the nuclear arsenal of every major country, instituting nuclear war and the annihilation of humanity. Hunt and his crew are tasked with not only capturing Entity true believer Gabriel (Esai Morales) but finding a means to stop The Entity before it destroys the world. *Final Reckoning’s* opening lines act as both an exposition dump for those who don’t recall the last feature, as well as the beginning of what ends up being a very well-rounded farewell to a man described as the “best of men in the worst of times.” For long-time viewers of the series, Ethan Hunt is a man who could have easily coasted on being the typical white male, big-grinning, rouge smarty pants that populated the ‘80s and ‘90s. The charismatic rebel who, as President Erika Sloane says, “never followed orders” but “never let us down.” The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. As the series went on, the team-up of Cruise and McQuarrie fleshed him out and presented him as a man trying to grapple with the price of being a modern-day superhero. One who couldn’t hold onto relationships, who struggled to get close to people he’d eventually lose, who’d look at himself at the age of 60 and wonder if everything in his life was a mistake. It’s a theme that continues to run through *Final Reckoning*, as not only is the world itself threatened with destruction but the Entity’s self-awareness has created a cult-like group of followers willing to do its bidding, where fear, misinformation and distrust are rampant. For Hunt, the struggles of 2025 look far bigger and more frightening than 1996. Connecting back to *Mission: Impossible 3*, specifically, the IMF must look for a Russian sub submerged on the ocean floor that houses The Entity’s source code. Over the near-three hour runtime, Hunt and the team split into two. Hunt goes in search of the sub while the team, led by Benji (Simon Pegg) and Grace (Hayley Atwell) travel to the Arctic in the hopes of finding the sub’s coordinates. The script understands the ridiculousness of its own existence, telling the audience flat out much of the plot runs on near-impossible stakes and just sheer luck. It’s a film that says, “Don’t think about it too hard” while never outright thinking the viewer is dumb. What’s fascinating is how Cruise seems to take a step back and trust the team he’s assembled, as Hunt and as a producer, to carry things. Though he’s never fully off-screen, Cruise spends the majority of his screen time in high pressure stunt sequences that look like something out of *Fear Factor*. That isn’t to say we don’t get any acting from him, but it’s a different type. He shows the pressure, the fear, and the courage Hunt needs to keep his cool and complete the mission. And yet there are moments where Cruise stands in an open space and takes it all in with such gravity. This is a story about a man trying to appreciate what being alive means, and the friends he’s made along the way, and you believe Cruise understands that. The two halves cleanly offer up equal levels of thrill and pathos. Cruise takes on the more action-oriented role. Though the stunt on the biplane is on all the posters, what’s even more amazing to watch is a near-dialogue free sequence of Hunt going through the Russian sub as it rolls towards an undersea gorge. Eddie Hamilton’s editing is Oscar-level, intercutting Hunt and the various nuclear bombs clanking and rolling all around as the sub rotates. McQuarrie has said the [whole thing was a set on a rotating gimbal](https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250514-tom-cruise-nearly-met-his-end-on-the-final-reckoning?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and it is a breathtaking feat of stunt work, cinematography, and acting that truly feels like the actor is not only thousands of miles below the surface, but that his own life is in peril. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. The other half is the IMF traveling to the Arctic in hopes of, once Ethan gets the Entity where he wants it, keeping it contained. Ordinarily, teams like this are cannon fodder for easy tears, and though there is a moment where you will cry—unless you’re heartless—nothing ever feels manipulative. This is a group that, despite newcomers like Atwell and Pom Klementieff’s Paris, acts as if they’ve been together for decades. And yet none of them lose an ounce of ingrained characterization. Paris openly admits her only talent is “I kill people” and yet Klementieff showcases how that desire to kill has changed since the last movie. (Also, she has incredibly comedic timing here.) Atwell, is also charming and fun, even if she still feels like another warm female body for Hunt to fall for. That being said, her and Cruise continue to have some great comedic chemistry. A sequence where Hunt violently dispatches a henchman isn’t seen but heard, with Atwell providing a series of horrified facial expression that conveys the apparent gruesomeness as well as a bevy of humor. But it’s scene stealers Rolf Saxon and Lucy Tulugarjuk as Bill and Tapeesa Dunlow, respectively, that anchor this B-plot. A small, but memorable character from the 1996 *Mission: Impossible*, Saxon’s character is now a disgraced CIA agent literally relegated to the Arctic for 30 years. But what McQuarrie gives us is a beautifully simple love story that’s romantic and funny—Tulugarjuk’s facial expression—that acts as a fantastic parallel to Hunt’s own questions about his life. By the time the final countdown arrives it’s anyone’s guess what can happen. The finale is another fantastic, award-worthy sequence to show off Hamilton’s editing skills as we cut between Hunt trying to stop a baddie, Grace waiting for instructions on the Entity, characters dying, and a bomb being dismantled. These intercut scenes never come off like a chintzy TV series “high stakes” moment, but a series of unified hopes and fears for the future of the world. It’s a highly tense five minutes, is what I’m saying. Is this Hunt and crew’s last hurrah? Again, Cruise is being cagey about everything but if so it’s well-deserved and a fitting end. *Mission: Impossible — Final Reckoning* is a true culmination of not just a franchise, but a body of work from some fantastic actors and cinematic craftsmen. A series that started out as a basic TV remake has transformed into a franchise that never once self-destructed. Hunt and crew have earned themselves a long rest and it’s gonna be a great time at the movies. # Grade: B+ *Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is in theaters May 23.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' Review: Death Pulls Some New Tricks Out of an Old Bag URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/final-destination-bloodlines-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:15:00.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/afec9da8-aeb3-465d-b9a9-66ab764f6561_681x383-heic.jpg) *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles and hire freelance writers. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first *Final Destination*, a still highly effective horror thriller about a group of teens literally trying to stave off Death after having a premonition about their imminent demise. The movie was aimed firmly at the *Dawson’s Creek* crowd (did I say it’s been 25 years?) while manifesting the existential dread the target demographic hadn’t learned to embrace…yet. Five films later, audiences have come to fear everything from log trucks to Lasik, and those once bright-eyed teens watching are now adults who, as much as they don’t want to admit it, are starting to feel a lot closer to Death than they’d like to admit. Not speaking from personal experience, at all. *Final Destination: Bloodlines* reinvigorates a franchise that, at the end of 2011’s *Final Destination 5*, appeared finished for good. The results are an altogether mixed bag of fun and inventive kills trying to buoy up a haphazard story and selectively interesting characters. College student Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) has spent the last two months having recurring nightmares about the same event: a young woman visits a Space Needle-esque restaurant called The Skyview in the 1960s. Once there, a series of events causes the tower to collapse and kill everyone inside. Stefani believes the woman in the dreams is her grandmother Iris and goes on a journey to find her. What Stefani uncovers is a decades long conspiracy by Death itself to kill everyone who survived the Skyview disaster, and Stefani and her family are up next. *Final Destination* has prided itself on opening with a bang and *Bloodlines* is no exception. Young Iris (Brec Bassinger) goes on a romantic trip to the Skyview with her boyfriend, but what is meant to lead to a sweet proposal is telegraphed—via music cues and lines like “I’ll never let you go”—from a mile away as ending in disaster. You’ll never listen to “Shout” the same way again, that’s for sure. But it’s one thing to know what’s gonna happen, it’s another to see it. Complemented by Todd Masters’s expert makeup effects, the Skyview disaster enters the pantheon of best *Final Destination* death scenes. No one is safe, not even children, and everything from a piano smushing someone to finger skin getting ripped off is pumped full of visceral impact. Even in moments where you might think certain things are CGI—like the Skyview sunset—the practical effects are aces. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Screenwriters Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor eschew the typical *Final Destination* format, wherein the events are foreseen by a person directly involved in them, and take a more circuitous route of having Stefani see the premonition her grandmother saw decades ago. The technique is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it presents a great opportunity to expand the world and tie in every *Final Destination* that’s taken place since 1999\. One big disaster unifies everyone and, if this ends up being the *final* in the franchise, cleanly closes the door. But it also makes things unnecessarily convoluted. Stefani’s been having the recurring dreams for the last two months and finally starts to investigate why, leading her to a now elderly Iris living her life like she’s Gladys Cooper in the “Nothing in the Dark” episode of *Twilight Zone*. And because this is Iris’s premonition Stefani is seeing, the movie shows us not only that in full but also Iris stopping it. For a near two-hour movie there’s enough time spent in the 1960s timeline to justify its own feature. It’s a tangential way to sew up the two halves but the ‘60s plot, which includes stellar production design from Rachel O’Toole and costumes from Michelle Hunter, ends up being the more intriguing of the two. It also leads to some weird plot discrepancies. If Death is coming for every member of a family who is biologically bound, why waste time with a character who isn’t actually related? This happens not once, but twice, and a line like “when you fuck with Death, things get messy” is supposed to answer that. The group of assembled teens, siblings and cousins from the same family, are distinct but some have more personality than most. It’s hard to fault character when, at this point, the movies are about ushering everyone to their doom, but it is hard not to zone out during scenes when death isn’t on the screen. Santa Juana lacks the clear-sighted, true-believer quality of Devon Sawa’s Alex from the first film, and most of her performances falls into the “I’m not crazy. You have to believe me variety.” Some, like Anna Lore’s cousin Julia, do little more than introduce themselves before becoming grist for the Rube Goldberg death traps and, honestly, isn’t that what the *Final Destination* series is really about? Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Richard Harmon is the movie’s MVP as the brash, tattooed, and pierced Erik. He could easily fall into the role of douchebag non-believer we’ve seen in these movies, but a reveal about his background ends up giving him a necessary shot of pathos, enhanced by Harmon’s expressive acting. And what would a *Final Destination* movie be without an appearance by Death (?) himself? Actor and horror icon Tony Todd died last November, and his final appearance in the franchise is a poignant send-off, blending his ability to scare with the deep, emotional power of his acting talent and a fair bit of self-awareness of the illness that ultimately took his life. The audience finally learns how he fits into the franchise as a whole but it’s his final speech, improvised by the actor himself, that sticks with you. You can’t get closer to Death than a man already knocking on the door, and for a franchise all about fearing the inevitable, Todd’s goodbye shows him embracing what was to come, reminding us that it’s not about fearing death but making sure you live life. A bittersweet goodbye to a man who made us fear and respect him in equal measure. But for all the individual pieces that bring a smile to the viewer’s face it’s hard not to see the seams of the story, which don’t lay flush. The second and third act, firmly placed in the present, go through the typical *Final Destination* formula, but the characters never give us anything compelling to watch, short of their deaths. So the viewer simply waits for the great makeup and inventive death scenes to pop up. And while there are some GREAT moments—an MRI machine is used to horrifying effect—there are just as many where everything lags. If *Final Destination: Bloodlines* is where the franchise ends, it’s a fond farewell, especially since Todd is no longer a presence. The death scenes remain the star of the show, but it is becoming harder to find actors able to liven things up in between those beats. *Final Destination: Bloodlines* is on the lower end of the franchise spectrum, but it continues to emphasize what we love about the series: that we all end still fear the Reaper. *Final Destination: Bloodlines hits theaters Friday.* # Grade: C [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Trump’s Three Old Men Aren’t Going to Save Hollywood URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/trump-film-ambassadors-mel-gibson-sylvester-stallone-jon-voight/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:15:15.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. So consider becoming a paid subscriber today!* *Also, with tariffs set to ruin everything I’m currently giving readers a 2-week free trial of TFM’s paid membership to give you a good idea of the work I’m doing. Paid memberships allow me to hire freelance writers and do more in-depth content.* [*Use this link to take advantage of my F\*\*\* Tariffs deal and redeem your free trial*](http://thefilmmaven.substack.com/ftarrifs)*.* The course of President Trump’s river of policy vomit has turned towards Hollywood this week, as he has decided to lend his business acumen to an industry he helped murder a scant five years ago: American-made movies and the in-person cinema experience. In case you forgot the frenzy of President Trump’s first term, half a decade has passed since he declined to immediately address a virulent airborne pandemic, actively campaigned against known amelioration techniques like vaccination and masking, and effectively resigned an entire nation to become reclusive shut-ins for a full calendar year. Yet this week, he has decided it’s time to put his splashy, bargain-basement brand name towards reinvigorating the American film industry by, [per an article in Variety](https://variety.com/2025/film/news/trump-sylvester-stallone-mel-gibson-jon-voight-ambassadors-hollywood-1236276088/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), tapping into the star power of three very special Industry Ambassadors: Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, and Jon Voight. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Ticklish Business #202: TCM Classic Film Festival Audio URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/tcm-classic-film-festival-audio-ticklish-business/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:15:35.000Z Ticklish Business #202: TCM Classic Film Festival Audio 0:00 /200 1× Another TCM Classic Film Festival has come and gone, but whether you were on the ground in LA or you couldn't make it, Ticklish Biz has you covered with some great audio from the festival. We start off with Ben Mankiewicz, and Elle and Dakota Fanning introducing Michelle Pfeiffer at her hand and footprint ceremony. Then it's Alicia Malone and actor Barry Bostwick discussing *The Rocky Horror Picture Show* (1975). Next Eddie Muller and Dana Gould improvise an intro for a chilly evening screening of *I Love You Again* (1940). And, finally, Michael Mann, Al Pacino and Ben Mankiewicz talk all about 1995's *Heat*! You can listen to even more TCM Classic Film Festival audio, including Michele Pfeiffer's speech during her hand and footprint ceremony and Eddie Muller and Ernest Dickerson talking about 1955's *The Big Combo* exclusively on Patreon! **This episode was created thanks to our Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates McF Rachel Clark Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Peter Dawson Reyna-Moya James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Richard Silver Rosa ### Trump Tariffs Come for the Movies URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/trump-movie-tariffs/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:15:47.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*stories, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Also, with tariffs set to ruin everything you can get a 20% discount off a TFM paid membership. Paid memberships allow me to hire freelance writers and do more in-depth content.* [*Use this link to take advantage of my F\*\*\* Tariffs deal to redeem*](http://thefilmmaven.substack.com/ftarrifs)*.* I don’t know about you, but I’m personally sick to death of hearing about the giant Orange Person in the White House and how he and his merry band of sycophants are destroying everything. The movies are, as Nicole Kidman continues to remind me, “where we come for magic” and they’ve been bearing a fair amount of weight in my life, something I don’t see changing over the next three years. But, Trump finally made it to the film industry and thinks, yet again, he’s the only one who can ~~save it~~ destroy it. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Guess It's Back to Permalance URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/entertainment-journalism-jobs-permalance/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:16:04.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers. It’s an offshoot of my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Also, with tariffs set to ruin everything I’m currently giving readers a 2-week free trial of TFM’s paid membership to give you a good idea of the work I’m doing. Paid memberships allow me to hire freelance writers and do more in-depth content.* [*Use this link to take advantage of my F\*\*\* Tariffs deal and redeem your free trial*](http://thefilmmaven.substack.com/ftarrifs)*.* I’ve had a version of this piece in my drafts for a few months now. But after the announcement that [Valnet was buying the gaming site Polygon](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/05/gaming-news-site-polygon-gutted-by-massive-layoffs-amid-sale-to-valnet/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), and that much of Polygon’s staff was being laid off as a result, I figured it was time to finally write the damn thing and look at where journalism — not just entertainment-based but in general — is heading. And it’s a place writers have seen before: permalance. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Film Maven Recommends For April 2025 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/movie-recommends-april-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:16:19.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* *Also, with tariffs set to ruin everything I’m currently giving readers a 2-week free trial of the paid membership. Hopefully this gives you a good idea of the work we’re doing. Paid memberships allow me to hire freelance writers and do more in-depth content.* [*Use this link to take advantage of my F\*\*\* Tariffs deal and redeem your free trial*](http://thefilmmaven.substack.com/ftarrifs)*.* Wow, was April a whirlwind month! My deadline for my next book, But Have You Read the Book Vol. 2 is coming soon so that meant a lot of book reading and movie watching (though, sadly, just one book made the best of the month list). And this past weekend I spent watching movies as part of the TCM Classic Film Festival. Oh, and the movie theater finally shook the dust off itself because we have several new releases I’m still talking about weeks later. It’s time to dive into the month that was! --- ## Nobody’s Fool (1994) I’m slowly wending my way through Paul Newman’s filmography and made time for this 1994 drama. Newman plays the selfish Donald Sullivan, a man content to go through life pulling pranks and being a loner. But things change when his estranged son returns to town, carrying a host of problems new and old of his own. Maybe because of my own background but I’m a fan of the “bad dad” genre and Newman made it an art form. The way he plays Sully is as a man tormented by the ghosts of his own past and his own relationship with his dad. He desperately assumed his methods would fix his son, only to see that that’s not the case. It’s such a warm, gregarious performance that only Newman could bring. And it’s complemented by a host of other cozy supporting performances from the likes of Melanie Griffith, Bruce Willis and Jessica Tandy. This is a comfort film at its finest and Newman was still able to charm the pants off man and woman alike. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. ## [The Accountant 2](https://thefilmmaven.com/the-accountant-2-review-ben-affleck/) (2025) From my review: *The Accountant 2* is another highly outlandish actioner but when it doesn’t take itself seriously it’s vastly entertaining. Affleck and Bernthal should continue to make movies together because their rapport is infectious and funny. The autism plotline still doesn’t work and the plot is far more nonsensical than the first go-round, but you’ll remember *The Accountant 2* far more than the first. Who knew completely ignoring the first film would actually be to this one’s benefit? I have found numerous reasons to bring up this movie since I watched it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/fac06bfa-9f53-49e9-836b-d3dcc9598694_1432x806-heic.jpg) ## One to One: John and Yoko (2024) I’m planning a more longform, in-depth exploration of why this movie is so special to me but, in short, it’s a documentary that is more than only being about John Lennon and Yoko Ono. It’s not even necessarily about them, but more their One to One concert. Using that concert, director Kevin MacDonald deconstructs the couple’s image as well as the political turmoil of the time period. This is a marvel of editing, and there are several amazing sequences wherein war footage is intercut with commercials to illustrate how people continued to live their lives as atrocities were being committed, both here and abroad. It spoke to so much about how I’m feeling today regarding politics and entertainment. This is a must-see movie! Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. ## [Sinners](https://thefilmmaven.com/sinners-review-michael-b-jordan-ryan-coogler/) (2025) From my review: *Sinners* is a movie that isn’t afraid to go for broke. This is a movie that has so many singing performances it’s officially a musical. (Also, as I said online, this movie is a great proof of concept for a Ryan Coogler-directed adaptation of *Hadestown*.) It’s weird — it’s got an extended step-dancing scene — and it’s horny. It’s brash. It’s exciting. *Sinners* is everything! (I love how my Instagram algorithm is exclusively *Sinners* content these days.) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/da444ac4-8601-4ed7-bd4f-cddb045cefb7_1024x767-heic.jpg) ## Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife (1938) This was a Criterion expire and what a fun one to watch! Director Ernest Lubitsch isn’t my favorite (gasp) but he knows his way around a wacky comic situation. Gary Cooper plays Michael Brandon, a hopeless romantic who drops women who don’t hold his interest. This has caused him to be married and divorced seven times. Enter Nicole De Loiselle (Claudette Colbert), the woman determined to be the last Mrs. Brandon. I didn’t love this as much as *Midnight* ([my big discovery last month](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-march-2025/)), but it’s another solid Colbert comedy. Gary Cooper is always good at playing a lummox, though I’ll still never like him and he knows why! ## The Big Combo (1955) As I mentioned, I spent the last weekend attending the 16th annual TCM Classic Film Festival. I saw 8 movies, mostly rewatches, but I’m so happy I made a last-minute change and decided to see the one new to me movie, 1955’s *The Big Combo*. This is a police thriller noir about a detective (Cornel Wilde) who attempts to take down a brash crime boss known only as Mr. Brown (Richard Conte). This was Wilde’s passion project and while he’s still duller than paint, the movie is so crackling and breathless in its pacing he works to provide an anchor. Really, though, *The Big Combo* works best for how subversive it is for 1955\. Conte’s Brown is a loudmouth control freak, but he has such a potent magnetism to him. And his henchmen, Fante and Mingo (Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman, respectively) are definitely a couple! If this is ever on TCM you should definitely sit down and watch it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/6da504d9-089d-4afd-8eab-1bad32734506_1000x667-heic.jpg) ## [Thunderbolts\*](https://thefilmmaven.com/thunderbolts-review-florence-pugh-marvel/) (2025) From my review: For all its flaws, *Thunderbolts*\* is one of the stronger Marvel entities to come out in awhile and certainly the best of the year so far. Pugh and Harbour keep things afloat, while the ensemble nature is a lot of fun. This ain’t winning any Oscars but it understands what’s ailing us. Sponsored by Shane’s Tires (iykyk). ## Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard I read a lot of books this month but my first Elmore Leonard novel (gasp again) was fantastic! If you’ve seen Steven Soderbergh’s 1998 movie of the same name, the story is near identical. But where Soderbergh made a bubbly crime rom-com, Leonard is pure noir. There’s a darkness and tension to the story that’s absent from the movie. I consumed this book and I’m so glad I did. *What movies or books stuck with you throughout the month of April? Leave them in the comments below.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Thunderbolts' Review: Florence Pugh and Crew Are the Glue Holding This Together URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/thunderbolts-review-florence-pugh-marvel/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:16:39.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* Since the release of *Avengers: Endgame* in 2019, Disney, Marvel, and the characters within the universe have struggled to answer the question: what’s next?How, and who, do you replace the most iconic and powerful superheroes with after they’ve all said goodbye? (At least until the multiverse retconning that sees RDJ and Chris Evans return, of course). More importantly, how do you make any of that resonant in a world, and cinematic landscape, where superheroes seem so trite? Back in February, [*Captain America: Brave New World*](https://thefilmmaven.com/captain-america-brave-new-world-review/) tried to lay some of the groundwork for that to mixed results. What *Thunderbolts*\* wants to do is hew towards what 2012’s *Avengers* did in bringing a group of disparate people together and forcing them to form a community, a family if you will (at least until Marvel’s first family finally arrives in a few months). There’s a similar tone and story beats found in the likes of *WandaVision* and *The Marvels* which, if you didn’t like those films, odds are you won’t care for this. But, if you thoroughly enjoyed those, as I did, then *Thunderbolts*\* will give you something to enjoy for two hours. We meet Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) at a crossroads in her life. She’s emotionally struggling in the wake of her sister’s death, believing she has no purpose in life. She’s determined to walk away from the black ops work she’s doing for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) but with Valentina under impeachment proceedings that’s harder than it looks. Valentina plans to kill Yelena, along with the other people she’s recruited. But when that goes south Yelena is forced to band together with the likes of John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), along with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and her own quasi-father Alexei (David Harbour) in order to survive. Even when the Marvel formula wears thin, with the right script and actors it’s fun in the moments and that’s what *Thunderbolts*\* is: fun. There’s a lot of humor mined from a group of characters who refuse to believe there’s power in community. The various flaws of the team are on display during their first meeting in a top-secret vault. Walker tries hard to dominate and mansplain everything, while Ava is the one routinely willing to walk away while Yelena tries to play peacemaker. The script never gets into the weeds about just how terrible these characters are, especially Walker who remains very eesh in today’s world, there’s an acknowledgement and understanding that these people aren’t gonna do a complete 180 degree change overnight. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Co-screenwriter Eric Pearson wrote the screenplay for *Black Widow*, another solid and underseen entry in the MCU, while Joanna Calo was a producer on the utterly charming Netflix series *The Baby-Sitters Club* so it’s understandable that *Thunderbolts*\* has a lot of the familial drama and whimsy of something like *The Marvels*. Disney has mined the depths of generational trauma for a few years now, and while there is some of that in *Thunderbolts*\*, at it’s core it’s a depression story. Yelena can’t find any meaning in life and sees the mild-mannered Bob (Lewis Pullman), a young man seemingly living in Valentina’s vault, as a kindred spirit. I sound like a broken record but there’s certainly an awareness in the current cinematic landscape of where we are right now the benefit of *Thunderbolts*\*. We’re all depressed these days, aren’t we? Thunderbolts\* is at its best when it allows itself to go to that dark place, albeit that becomes a bit ridiculous when the film’s big bad finally makes himself known. We’ve seen the horrors of the Red Room a few times now, and yet Pugh is just able to sell the well of emotion that resides inside Yelena Belova. Whether that’s guilt at the things she was forced into doing as a child, or the hurt she feels at her surrogate father not talking to her for a year (on top of losing her sister whom she just reunited with), Pugh understands how to mine the depths of guilt and torment. She is the glue that holds the entire movie together. And she has great chemistry with Pullman, specifically, as the innocent, doofy Bob. (Seriously, though, Pullman might want to mix it up or people are gonna be calling him Bob into eternity.) We’ve seen numerous characters like Pullman’s Bob, but those formulaic elements are nicely balanced by Yelena’s need for grief. Because of how dark Yelena’s story is there’s a need for a lot of humor which can be smothered a bit too heavily, particularly in the film’s first 30 minutes before it finds its groove. Thankfully, David Harbour understands the comedy he’s needed for and steals every scene. Harbour is a chameleon, able to bring the laughs and the heart. He’s just as note-perfect bemoaning how he’s not on a Wheaties box as he is apologizing for being a terrible dad to Yelena. Whatever you need, Harbour delivers. The rest of the cast is stuck in perpetual B-mode, and though they get moments to shine as an ensemble there’s less depth to them as individuals. Sebastian Stan’s Bucky doesn’t have much purpose here, acting as a bridge between the Avengers and this new crew. He’s a fledgling Congressman who apparently can’t get any bills passed for reasons unknown. Honestly, where is the political drama about Bucky Barnes — Winter Soldier/assassin turned politician — trying to reform democracy? I’d watch that. Much like *Brave New World*, Bucky’s personal life is fairly non-existent and it’s a shame. Really, Stan is there to look damn cool thanks to cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo. Russell and John-Kamen are also good but the former gets one scene of backstory while John-Kamen is as ghostlike as her character. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. For all its flaws, *Thunderbolts*\* is one of the stronger Marvel entities to come out in awhile and certainly the best of the year so far. Pugh and Harbour keep things afloat, while the ensemble nature is a lot of fun. This ain’t winning any Oscars but it understands what’s ailing us. Sponsored by Shane’s Tires (iykyk). *Thunderbolts\* is in theaters May 2.* # Grade: C+ [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Flower Drum Song' Actress Nancy Kwan Talks Her Storied Career URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/nancy-kwan-interview/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:16:57.000Z 'Flower Drum Song' Actress Nancy Kwan Talks Her Storied Career 0:00 /200 1× *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’ll be including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* *Flower Drum Song* star Nancy Kwan sits down with Ticklish Business in anticipation of her new autobiography! Nancy talks about being discovered young, what her costars were like, and more. We also talk about the joys of actor James Shigeta. [Buy The World of Nancy Kwan now.](https://amzn.to/42F6o52?ref=thefilmmaven.com) **This episode was created thanks to our Ticklish Business Patrons**: Ali Moore Danny David Floyd Gates McF Rachel Clark Shawn Goodreau A Button Called Smalls Chris McKay Jacob Haller Peter Blitstein Peter Bryant Peter Dawson Reyna-Moya James Bridget M. Hester Cat Cooper Daniel Tafoya David Baxter Diana Madden Harry Holland Jamie Carter Karen Yoder Lucy Soles Nick Weerts Richard Silver Rosa ### On Being a Disabled Journalist, or Why RFK Jr.'s Thoughts Are Way More Common Than You Think URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/rfk-jr-disability-comments/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:17:15.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. So consider becoming a paid subscriber today!* I always planned to write a piece about being a disabled journalist and how best to advocate for yourself if you are disabled and interested in journalism. [RFK Jr.’s asinine comments](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/well/autism-kennedy-reaction.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com) this week about autism made me decide to finally sit down and write the damn thing. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'The Wedding Banquet' Review: Andrew Ahn's Remake a Winsome Romance URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-wedding-banquet-2025-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:17:35.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/a8994c4b-024a-41af-948c-c4087377dcc8_500x281-jpeg.jpg) *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* In 1993 director Ang Lee’s *The Wedding Banquet* hit theaters, a film that, sadly, isn’t available on any streaming platforms currently. Because of that, director Andrew Ahn’s remake is probably going to be people’s first time watching any version of the movie (it certainly was for me). And because of this lack of prior awareness viewers coming to the film might be surprised that it’s not a straightforward comedy like the trailers have touted. What it is is a charming dramedy about finding love and seeking out one’s own identity strongly led by a set of great performances by Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran. Couples Lee and Angela (Gladstone and Tran, respectively) and Chris and Min (Bowen Yang and Han Gi-Chan) are best friends and neighbors dealing with different relationship issues. Lee wants to have a child, while Angela is ambivalent, while Min wants to get married and Chris believes he’s not good enough. When Min’s grandmother declares it’s time for him to leave the US and take over the family business he says he can’t…because he’s getting married. Never mind that Min’s grandmother doesn’t know he’s gay. Thus he decides to convince Angela to marry him. There’s a warm, cozy ‘90s feel to *The Wedding Banquet*, and that’s because Lee’s original film is from that era. A story of four friends with romantic issues placed against a high concept premise comes off like a representative of a kinder, simpler era in the landscape of big-budget, CGI-heavy filmmaking. The stakes are high, but not on the level of affecting the state of the free world. However, when you do ensemble stories like this it’s hard to balance everyone’s stories together. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. As a group there’s a fantastic interplay between the stars. It’s obvious Lee, Angela, Min and Chris have been each other’s lives for decades. Min and Chris live in Lee and Angela’s guest house, and the group constantly comes into and out of each other’s houses like it’s an episode of *Friends*. But when cut away into their own individual stories, Lee and Angela’s plotline has a clear advantage. Part of this is because it’s Gladstone and Tran who have such a strong bond. Gladstone’s Lee wears her sexuality on her sleeve, so much so that she knows Min’s grandmother would never see her as straight. Gladstone doesn’t get enough opportunities to do comedy and she works so well here, never undercutting the humor but giving things a sharp edge. Lee’s desire for children makes sense because she comes off as the Mama Bear to the entire group. Where Lee is strong, Angela is a bit of a waffler. Her mother didn’t talk to her for years after Angela came out. Angela worries she’ll be just as terrible a mom as her own was to her. Angela walks around like an open wound, with Tran constantly showing the pain behind her eyes. Her interactions with her mother, played fabulously by Joan Chen, are relatable if you’ve had a parent who hijacks your problems to make them their own. Because there’s so much meat on Angela and Lee’s plotline, it makes Chris and Min’s narrative more in service to *The Wedding Banquet’s* actual plot. The pair certainly have their own issues. Chris maintains that “He \[Min\] is so good. And I am not good enough,” while Min is a hopeless romantic. But there just isn’t enough to sustain focusing on these two for long, especially not when Gladstone and Tran aren’t around. The pair have chemistry, but it comes off as fleeting. Han is sufficiently sweet, but it’s a fairly one-note performance. Yang has proven he’s great with comedy but he struggles with the more dramatic side of things where he comes off as perpetually irritated. Joan Chen, as Angela’s mother May, and Youn Yuh-jung as Min’s grandmother steal a fair amount of their own scenes as well. Chen, especially, is a joy to watch. Her flighty need to insert herself into Angela’s narrative expertly skirts the line between obnoxious and endearing. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Editor Geraud Brisson works well in keeping things moving, though the script is more content to focus on the four as a group. It isn’t until about 40 minutes in that things really ramp up and Angela and Min’s wedding takes precedence. Even then the script squishes in a fair amount of topics alongside, not just the established issues of the two couples but Min’s relationship with his grandmother and May and Min’s grandmother paralleling each other. There’s also a third act reveal, stemming from a one-night stand that adds in another plot twist to an already overstuffed narrative. But for all its flaws *The Wedding Banquet* works as a strong throwback to the relationship drama/comedies of an earlier era. It also should invigorate audiences to go seek out Ang Lee’s original film. On it’s own merits, Ahn’s interpretation is charming. Gladstone and Tran walk away with the film. In a landscape of BIG event movies, it’s nice to slow down and just enjoy people with a movie like this. # Grade: B- *The Wedding Banquet hits theaters tomorrow, April 18.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Sinners' Review: Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan Make a Bold New Entry in the Horror Genre URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/sinners-review-michael-b-jordan-ryan-coogler/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:17:52.000Z *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* There comes a moment in Ryan Coogler’s *Sinners* when you realize you’re watching something totally unique. It’s when young Sammie (Miles Caton) is performing in a local juke joint. His music becomes so powerful that it “pierces the veil” between past and present, and the camera laconically traverses the juke joint watching the history of Black music play out. People dressed in 1980s tracksuits dance amongst those from the 1930s, those covered in African tribal dress are placed alongside contemporary dancers twerking. It’s a masterful, fantastic sequence that emphasizes this is a story about community. It’s also a “survive the night” movie about vampires. What makes *Sinners* such an audacious movie, though, is how the director integrates a variety of influences, both cinematic and technical to create something so vibrant, so thrilling, so damn entertaining. Because of this lyrical mastery the story beats have a tendency to get muddled. But everyone is having such a damn good time watching, who really cares? Set in 1932, *Sinners* follows the Smokestack Twins: Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) who have returned to their Mississippi home from Chicago to open a juke joint. They assemble a group of friends and confidantes, but when the club is set upon by vampires everyone will have to band together to stay alive. The trailers hype *Sinners* as a solid horror feature, and while it is things take a bit of time to get going. Preacher boy Sammie is the first person we meet, covered in blood and clearly having endured a serious ordeal. From there the movie backtracks to the previous day and the return of the Smokestack twins. Michael B. Jordan plays dual roles and Jordan’s acting, alongside the script and the visual effects do a fantastic job of situating these two as individual characters. It’s impressive watching how Jordan moves when he’s Smoke vs. Stack. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Smoke is cold but holding an inner grief over the dissolution of his family life and a deep love for his abandoned wife, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku). Stack is gregarious, a womanizer and charmer who refuses to admit his love for the mixed race Mary (Hailee Steinfeld). Both men see a return to their hometown as a means of purging their demons. If only…. The first hour or so is about getting the band back together, so it’s a fair bit of introduction and exposition of all the characters we’ll come to know and care about. Everyone gets time to shine, though there are a few standouts. Mosaku’s Annie is utterly amazing, who takes on a leader position when things go bad. (It’s refreshing to see a movie where no one asks “what’s a vampire?”) But it’s truly Miles Caton who leaves an impression. Caton’s baby-face makes the audience believe this is a naive little boy, though one with an incredibly powerful musical voice. As things go on, he is forced to step into being an adult quickly. Coogler has said he took inspiration for the film from Robert Rodriguez’s *From Dusk Till Dawn* and *The Faculty*, which is easy to see. The script has moments of levity organically placed throughout. And in a landscape where Gen Z has eschewed sex and sexiness on-screen, damn is it wonderful to see a movie that just oozes sex appeal. And I’m not saying that because there’s two Michael B. Jordans. There’s running discussion about oral sex, and essentially everyone is looking for it amongst the bloodflow. In a world where Jim Crow is running rampant and people are trying to find outlets, who wouldn’t just spend their time trying to get laid? One could just as easily see him draw from the likes of *Assault on Precinct 13* to Ernest Dickerson’s *Demon Knight*. That last one is a particularly apt comparison (and thanks to Chris Evangelista for pointing it out on social), particularly in Jack O’Connell’s step-dancing, Irish balladeer/vampire Remmick. Like Billy Zane’s Collector, Remmick is enigmatic and charming, but also does things that are so truly bizarre that it’s clear there’s some unknown backstory the audience isn’t privy to. It’s just ingrained in his personality. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Once the vampires make themselves know the film slams into horror territory and it’s where all that character development at the beginning works. A great horror movie is one where everyone may not be a saint, but they don’t deserve a horrid death. (The 1988 remake of *The Blob* is a great example.) Here, you don’t love every character, but you certainly mourn their passing. And this is a movie where everyone is a potential victim, there’s no preying on horror stereotypes of final girls and kindhearted virgins. This brings in an air of surprise where you never know what to expect. Coogler’s script and direction set the tone but absolutely everything about this movie is impeccable. Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw continues to prove she’s the best DP around. The warm browns and candlelight gleam off her camera, and the tracking shots are expertly executed. No surprise, Ludwig Göransson’s score is breathtaking, a heady mix of jazz and electric guitars. There’s also some wonderful sequences where the movements of the actors play in rhythm with Göransson’s non-diegetic music. This is a movie that is just luscious! Because everything is at a 9, the audience is willing to forgive some of the moments that come off as contrived, particularly the “why vampires” of it all. Remmick ends up stumbling on two character who just happen to have Klan associations. And the Klan happens to have something planned. The threads don’t get tied off cleanly but, honestly, by the time this is revealed the movie has provided so much entertainment you won’t care. *Sinners* is a movie that isn’t afraid to go for broke. This is a movie that has so many singing performances it’s officially a musical. (Also, as I said online, this movie is a great proof of concept for a Ryan Coogler-directed adaptation of *Hadestown*.) It’s weird — it’s got an extended step-dancing scene — and it’s horny. It’s brash. It’s exciting. Sinners is everything! # Grade: B+ *Sinners hits theaters April 18.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### How the 2020 Comedy 'Dinner in America' Does Autism Right URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/dinner-in-america-autism-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:18:06.000Z ‘’You are a total punk rocker.’’ *Dinner in America*, which premiered at Sundance in 2020, is a comedy-drama set in Detroit, Michigan, directed, written and edited by Adam Rehmeier. Kyle Gallner and Emily Skeggs play lead characters, Simon and Patty. Patty and Simon have had a one-sided epistolary relationship for the last two years, though Simon is completely unaware about until a chance meeting brings the two together. Simon is on the run from the law and the two develop a romance through their mutual love of punk rock music. As I watched *Dinner in America* for the first time, I was taken aback by Patty and how much I saw myself in her. Identifying with this fictional character is surprising considering I’m a Black British woman in her thirties. Unlike Patty, I wasn’t infantilized growing up. I did reasonably well academically. I struggled but hid it well. Culturally speaking, there was no recognition or understanding of neurodevelopmental conditions that impacted behaviour and mental health in my life. As a formally diagnosed autistic woman, I identified with Patty’s intense interests, perceived weirdness and struggle to discover her purpose. From an early age, I was obsessed with film and TV, read voraciously, and was seen as ‘’odd’’ and ‘’strange’’ by my peers. A childhood nickname I was given was ‘’scientist,’’ and my communication style made me a target for bullies. Skeggs’s portrayal in *Dinner in America* is a welcome change from the coming-of-age films where the weird girl gets the popular boy and has a makeover in the end, like John Hughes’s *The Breakfast Club* (which I love). According to professor and writer Gulsabah Palinko, autistic representation in film increased in the 2000s, with approximately 35 films meeting the criteria, compared to the 1970s where there was just one. One of the earliest examples is Barry Levinson’s *Rain Man* (1988), wherein Dustin Hoffman plays an autistic man with savantism. Groundbreaking for its time, the film’s legacy is one perpetuated by the stereotype that autistic people have mathematical gifts of some kind, with Hoffman’s character having an uncanny talent for counting cards that his half-brother, played by Tom Cruise, exploits. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Another example is Harold Becker’s *Mercury Rising* (1998), an action thriller starring Bruce Willis. Willis plays a man protecting an autistic boy from the NSA who is classed as a national security threat after breaking a cypher. Neither of these portrayals depict autism with any nuance and conflate autism with savantism when they are two very different things. These movies also show autism from a white, male perspective with narratives highlighting advanced mathematical abilities, exploitation and characters lacking independence. While this characterisation may be accurate for some autistic people, it ignores the vast array of differences in autistic women’s presentation and needs, and is not representative of everyone living with it. Stereotypes like these make it difficult for girls and women to receive an accurate diagnosis according to the National Autistic Society. Patty is a 20-year-old junior college dropout who loves music, particularly the fictitious punk band PSYOPS. She is socially awkward, mistreated by her peers and underestimated by her family. The viewer meets Patty sitting alone at a deserted bus stop. She’s waiting to go to her job at a local pet store. The film quickly establishes what Patty’s life is like and Rehmeier’s script does not sugar-coat the bullying Patty endures because of her differences. Two jocks descend upon Patty, sexually harassing her and frequently calling her the “R” slur. Patty doesn’t challenge them. She’s silent, and by not responding the hope is that her bullies will go away. They don’t. The jocks in the movie don’t touch Patty, but they physically grab their private parts and humiliate her with their overt sexual display. Their grotesque actions suggest Patty is sexually inexperienced and easily rattled by their behavior. This mirrors the presumption that disabled people are undesirable sexually, and incapable of experiencing sexual desire or exercising their sexual autonomy. In Patty’s case, they couldn’t be more wrong. Patty is in touch with her sexuality and she knows exactly what she wants: John Q, the masked singer of PSYOPS. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/30f4fbeb-c55d-4e8c-949e-2fd324b2157a_500x281-jpeg.jpg) *Dinner in America* forgoes explicitly labelling or diagnosing Patty which allows the audience to experience her character without prejudice. When you’ve met an autistic person, you have met one autistic person. Not all autistic people have intense interests, not all autistic people drop out of school, and not all autistic people struggle with employment like Patty does. Patty is on ‘’five different medications’’ that are so strong they knock Simon out for 11 hours. It is crucial to note that Patty is misdiagnosed and overmedicated, a common experience for autistic girls and women before they receive a formal diagnosis. As an autistic-coded character, Patty struggles with social communication. Her boss, Mr. Hanley, wants her to wash the pets at the store but does not clearly communicate this to Patty. He demands she get a ‘’rag and soapy water’’ to clean the animals but Patty takes this literally. She asks a clarifying question: ‘’Do you mean with the hand soap from the bathroom?’’ He’s exasperated with her question and frustrated that she is not moving quickly enough. The scene is a clever example of the double empathy problem coined by Dr. Damion Milton, when allistic (non-autistic) and autistic people struggle to empathize with each other due to differing ways of experiencing the world. It is up to both parties to try to communicate with each other and ensure understanding. In reality, this burden/failure/blame falls on autistic people. ‘’From the position of the non-autistic onlooker, autistic people can seem to have an impaired understanding of social life and other people,” says the National Autistic Society. “Such ideas are embedded within dominant psychological theories that attempt to explain autism as pathology, a deviance from normal development and cognitive functioning…’” Patty struggles to assert herself at work and with her peers, and this lack of assertiveness makes sense because her family doubts she can take care of herself. They love her, but they show it in an overbearing way. When home alone Patty is forbidden to use the kitchen appliances. There is no context for this lack of trust. She is 20 and needs her parents’ permission to attend a music gig. Patty is self-aware enough to lie to her family and say she wants to see The Alliance, rather than the punk rock group she adores, PSYOPS. Her parents deny her request and an embarrassing compromise her mother suggests cements the fact that her family has not accepted that she is a grown adult. Through Skeggs’s performance and Rehmeier’s snappy script it’s clear Patty is frustrated with them. She screams at the dinner table while clenching her fists. ![](https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/70e13e72-cf54-4432-817e-6cf22bb81b02_1200x630.avif) Patty’s mother, played brilliantly by Mary Lynn Rajskub, has little patience for her daughter’s questions at the dinner table. A simple, ‘’Mom, what’s cumin again?’’ is met with impatience. ‘’Honey, let’s not do this tonight. Just eat your salad, please,” her mother replies. Even her adopted brother, Kevin (Griffin Gluck) calls her the R slur in front of their parents and Simon. Her parents chastise Kevin for exposing the chicken cordon bleu as a frozen meal rather than bullying his sister with the ableist slur. Patty is used to this verbal abuse, as evidenced by the slurs and literal barking the bullies on the bus subject her to on her ride home, and it is uncomfortable to watch her internalize it. The scene speaks to the sad reality that ableism occurs not only externally, but in the family home where one should be safe and able to express oneself freely and honestly. When Patty first meets Simon she’s intrigued by him. She recognizes they were both in the same music appreciation class in junior college before she dropped out. It’s the first time *Dinner in America* hints at the two’s love of music and loose acquaintance. Simon is initially only interested in finding a new place to hole up and hide from the cops. He assesses Patty and notes her naivety after she discloses the reason Mr. Hanley gave for firing her. At her suggestion, they go to her home. Once there, Simon casually uses homophobic slurs, anything to elicit a reaction from her. She ignores it, not understanding his agenda and failing to read between the lines of the homophobic quips he makes about her family photos that decorate the walls. Simon gets off on getting a reaction out of people, but Patty isn’t like any person he’s ever met. Her failure to be triggered by him sparks his curiosity in her. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/012bab3d-7bcc-45c6-94a5-4271bc342ba5_1920x804-jpeg.jpg) There’s a delightful sexual tension between the two of them, which we see in the kitchen scene where Simon adopts serious bedroom eyes, puts a little bass in his voice and closes the physical gap between them. As Simon advances, Patty keeps her body in the same place. She looks at Simon with a quiet desire she is desperately trying to keep hidden. Reheimer is not a cruel screenwriter and he rewards our patience with Patty and Simon consummating their relationship by the film’s end. Having intense interests is common in autistic people, and at the first opportunity Patty shares with Simon her fervent love for PSYOPS. She has collected all their music on physical media and, in a state of complete abandon, begins to dance furiously, thrashing around her bedroom. Her passion frightens Simon, but it’s about to get worse when she reveals that she has been writing love letters and sending risque Polaroids to the lead singer, John Q, revealed as Simon himself. Unlike Simon’s bandmates, Patty is passionate about punk music and what Simon stands for. This revelation forces him to see Patty in a new light. It’s his affection for her that propels him to push Patty to demand the respect she deserves. Simon discovers that Mr. Hanley owes Patty $400 in back pay and that her parents have encouraged her to apply for low-skilled menial jobs. Simon does not mince words in how that limits her: ‘’that’s a shit job.’’ He accompanies her to the pet store to demand the $400 in wages Mr. Hanley owes her. Patty is courageous, holding a label gun like a weapon, screaming that she wants her “motherfu\*\*\*\* check!’’ It’s a fantastic scene that contrasts with how passive she was in her introduction. Patty lets her boss know unequivocally that she is not ‘’slow’’ and knows how to do her job. Patty’s experience echoes reality as only 29% of autistic people are in paid employment according to the Office for National Statistics. Disability discrimination and a lack of reasonable adjustments contribute to an unsupportive environment and make sustaining employment difficult. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/e48b9f3c-d5a5-4113-9105-8585bca14c03_1080x608-jpeg.jpg) After this triumphant visit to the pet store Patty and Simon celebrate in the local diner, where Patty invites Simon to kiss her. We segue into one of *Dinner in America’s* most beautiful moments: The arcade date. We see Patty happy, laughing, and having fun. Too often films depict autistic characters as uncomfortable and suffering. The crux of the narrative is that their neurodivergence is something to *overcome*. Patty’s life is not dominated by misery. Her love of punk rock music fills her with joy and it is a delight watching her share that with another person. After their arcade date, the couple return home. Patty initiates sexual contact but Simon declines as she still does not know his true identity. He feigns exhaustion and promises to drive her to her job interview in the morning. Simon does not take her to the job interview but instead brings her to his family home. Patty is nervous to ring the doorbell despite being given a literal script for what to say should someone answer. They enter his house, relieved to be alone and head for the basement. Patty is enchanted by the numerous instruments Simon knows how to play, and it is here where we get one of the most beautiful and meaningful scenes in the entire film. Simon confesses to Patty that he is John Q, the masked singer of PSYOPS. He expresses his appreciation and mutual excitement about receiving her love letters, or ‘’power pop songs.’’ Patty is overwhelmed by the reveal and his adulation while Simon is astounded by her talent. She initiates their first sexual encounter, giving enthusiastic consent, even asking for a second tryst! Patty is a grown ass woman and seeing this autistic-coded female character exercise her sexual autonomy is a joy. Our ableist society believes Patty has nothing to offer the world because she struggles to engage in capitalism and maintain a dead-end job (in truth, these are arbitrary milestones). But she is a creative and artistic person who writes beautiful songs and melodies. She sings the Watermelon song, one of the love letters she wrote Simon, with his encouragement, and her performance moves him to tears. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/748774f0-89f2-4493-b9f2-9a37ae1c7e67_1200x675-jpeg.jpg) Simon accepts Patty fully, but the same cannot be said for his family, namely his sister Renae, who is condescending towards Patty at the dinner table, implying the same ableist ideas that Patty is intellectually inferior because she doesn’t know the meaning of ‘’pyro.’’ Simon defends Patty but Renae is relentless. She hammers this ableism home, referring to Patty as ‘’not being the sharpest stick…’’ Again, Simon defends her. Patty also defends Simon from the accusatory comments of his sister, who sees him as nothing more than a criminal. Patty is coming into her own and growing in confidence, but the social interaction takes its toll. She asks Simon,‘’Simon, do you think I’m a \*\*\*ard?’’ While she doesn’t show her true feelings in front of Simon’s family, once she is alone with him in the pickup truck her emotions and the shame are unleashed. Simon slams the brakes and lovingly chastises her for talking about herself in an ableist and hurtful way. He tells her firmly: “Don’t you ever talk like that. Ever. You are not a retard. You are a total punk rocker.’’ Patty: " I am?” Simon: “Yes.” “You are punk as fuck.” Patty overcomes the external and internal ableism she struggls with. She learns she is not as flawed as she was led to believe. It is our ableist society that is flawed because it measures a person’s worth by how well they perform to neurotypical standards in a capitalist society that devalues artistic pursuits. Even without her creative gift Patty has value, and through her character arc it’s evident she truly believes this by how she responds to the bullies on the bus. The world hasn’t changed; people are still as prejudiced as ever. The girls on the bus still call her the R slur, but Patty has changed. She is proud of who she is. I cheered inside when that girl got a well-deserved knuckle sandwich. Skeggs’s performance in the scene was so convincing that the crew thought she punched the actress for real. Patty’s character arc begins and ends on the bus. Her personal growth is beautiful and heartwarming to watch. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Roger Ebert famously said “...movies are like a machine that generates empathy” and he is right. Film exposes us to different people from all walks of life, some we may never meet and some we may go to great lengths to avoid out of shame or ignorance. Patty’s story is a well-rounded portrayal of an autistic-coded character who does not warrant pity or disdain. She does not need a physical makeover to be accepted. She does not shed her neurodivergence to accept herself. You don’t need to be autistic to identify with not fitting in, with struggling to find your purpose or being misunderstood. Patty is infantilized and underestimated for most of her life, but it takes one person to see her, not put her in a box or assign a limit to what she is capable of. We can all stand to be reminded of this. Autistic people are diverse. Some have gifts or talents, some are delightfully average, but if we can be compassionate and kind there is no reason for anyone to feel misunderstood or alone. *Dinner in America* is a powerful reminder to not dismiss people based on ableist ideas. If we assess ourselves honestly, we will find that we are biased, and need to unlearn this. The world is a better place because of our differences and that should be respected, accepted and celebrated. We can do this by engaging with curiosity rather than judgment, meeting people where they are and embracing people wholly for who they are, not for who society dictates they should be. What’s more punk than that? Athina Clarke is a writer whose work has appeared in Black Ballad, NDConnection and GeekVibesNation. She is an ardent physical media worshipper. You can follow her on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/blackpistachio/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and [Twitter](http://thereelprincess/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). *Have you seen ‘Dinner in America?’ What movie makes you think of autism representation?* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'The Accountant 2' Review: A Wild Ride That Tries to Kickstart Something New URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-accountant-2-review-ben-affleck/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:18:23.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/d21960ae-d6c2-4648-9a29-bb58e87e8fb6_500x281-jpeg.jpg) *This post is free but it’s worth it to become a paid member of The Film Maven community! Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* Nearly ten years has passed since the first *Accountant* debuted. That film was a derivative actioner for most of its runtime before taking a sharp third act turn into director Gavin O’Connor’s brotherly love narratives. It’s a totally fine film that comes of like much of 2016’s movies. It’s surprising it took over eight years to get a sequel to a movie that got middling reviews and a decent box office. It’s also surprising that the movie isn’t coming from the first’s home studio, Warner Bros., but Amazon. And it’s also *also* surprising that *The Accountant 2*, at times, is infinitely better than the first. (Trust me, nothing shocks me more than that last one.) Accountant/assassin Christian Wolff (Affleck) is tasked with trying to find out who murdered former deputy director of the Financial Crimes division, Ray King (J.K. Simmons), Wolff’s contact from the first movie. Because Ray was seemingly investigating a string of murders, Chris must turn to his younger brother, Braxton (Jon Bernthal) for help. The two brothers, still estranged after the events of the first movie, are forced to band together to figure out what’s going on. Screenwriter Bill Dubuque doesn’t necessarily rectify the problems of the first movie. The action still very derivative, and almost like a severe return to 2016 norms regarding Mexican drug cartels and illegal immigrants, but what shines best is that brotherly love that wasn’t the central thesis of the first feature. When the movie is about two brothers struggling to relate to the outside world and each other it’s heartfelt, it’s fun to watch, and it’s funny as hell. It helps that stars Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal have such a strong chemistry between them. O’Connor and cinematographer Seamus McGarvey have some fantastic interplay starting from the first sequence, a polished dance of sequences — shout-out to editor Richard Pearson — that introduces new character, Anaïs (Daniella Pineda), and returning figure Ray. Simmons only gets a few scenes, and his death is forewarned in the trailer, but the fight sequence he gets is incredibly entertaining and will make you afraid of where a pen can be put. (Aside, there is a lot of fighting using everyday objects here. If you need to learn how to turn a garbage bag into a weapon, *The Accountant 2* has you covered.) It’s a wonderful, breathless sequence at odds with the middle of the movie. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Little appears to have changed between Chris and Braxton over the last eight years. Chris is still living in an Airstream talking to the nonverbal Justine (weirdly enough played by Allison Robertson here while voiced by Alison Wright, the actress in the first). Braxton is also doing much of the same: killing people while asking surviving victims banal questions and eating their food. But the two understand they have to try to get out in the world. For Chris, he’s getting out in the dating world. He goes to a speed-dating event where, no surprise, every woman immediately lines up for him. He looks like Ben Affleck, after all! But upon sitting down they’re all turned off by his talk of taxes and other bizarre topics. The way McGarvey shoots it and Affleck plays it — slapping on a wide, toothy, and painful looking grin — is hilarious. Braxton, for his part, wants to adopt a puppy named Greg. He’s just *very* impatient about the whole pet adoption process, culminating with him spending several minutes in front of the mirror (in his underwear, no less) attempting to modulate his voice and tone to talk to the adoption company. Again, scenes like this utilize the comic timing and persona of Bernthal to great effect. You miss these moments when the initial plot, the murder of Ray King, calls the audience back to it. The crux of the plot is messy, to say the least. Outside of King’s murder there’s added layers of a missing family from El Salvador that all culminates with a third-act Call of Duty-esque shootout on a drug compound in Juarez. There are moments where the movie unintentionally comes off as jingoistic but mostly it just seems dated, like a plot ripped from a sequel to Sicario. The addition of another super-assassin in Pineda’s character makes a movie that’s already very silly even sillier. The first movie went long on the autism plotline, not only to try to justify a neurotypical Affleck playing the part but to also emphasize that everyone did their research on it. Weirdly enough *Accountant 2* does its damndest not only make autism look so cool anyone should beg to have it, but does just as much to say maybe it’s not talking about autism? Affleck puts on a bizarre speaking cadence this go-round that was not in the first film, specifically with any “p” sounds. It’s so prominent and distracting even Braxton makes fun of it, making it hard if he’s just as confused as the rest of us on his brother’s newfound way of speaking. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. There’s a desire to make Justine a more central figure, and Harbor Neuroscience a prominent location. Once there it’s revealed that Justine has recruited all the children to act as hackers and coders, making Harbor Neuroscience look like a cross between Facebook and the Academy out of X-Men. The emphasis is clearly on that these children aren’t just neurodivergent, but geniuses, flying in the face of the first film where it was a school for autism (I don’t recall any emphasis on these kids being military-grade smart). Then again, the movie employs the phrase “Acquired Savant Syndrome” a lot, essentially saying that if someone hits their head hard enough they’ll also be a savant. It’s a highly odd way of trying to get around the criticisms from the autism community and while it doesn’t work, you gotta applaud the script for twisting itself into large knots to overcome it. *The Accountant 2* is another highly outlandish actioner but when it doesn’t take itself seriously it’s vastly entertaining. Affleck and Bernthal should continue to make movies together because their rapport is infectious and funny. The autism plotline still doesn’t work and the plot is far more nonsensical than the first go-round, but you’ll remember *The Accountant 2* far more than the first. # Grade: C+ *The Accountant 2 hits theaters April 25.* *What did you think of the first Accountant? Leave it in the comments.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Disney's Learning All the Wrong Lessons From Snow White's Failure URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/live-action-tangled-canceled/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:18:40.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*stories, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* Last week it was reported that Disney had abruptly put [hit the pause button](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/tangled-live-action-remake-pause-disney-1236180940/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) on development for a live-action remake of their 2010 feature Tangled. Set to be directed by Greatest Showman helmer Michael Gracey fan casting for the movie has gone far and wide, with many hoping singing sensation Sabrina Carpenter would be the helm and several touting Jennifer Lopez as Mother Gothel. Let’s just say, I’d camp out for tickets to that movie! This is clearly a panic move by Disney as [they prep to take a $115 million dollar](https://deadline.com/2025/03/snow-white-bombs-rachel-zegler-1236354912/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) bath on Snow White. But is it necessarily the best option for them? Like any good studio these days, no one really seems to see the forest for the trees when it comes to box office failures. As my friend and pundit Scott Mendelson [wrote back when Snow White came out](https://scottmendelson.substack.com/p/snow-white-box-office-disaster-one-billion-not-bar-for-success), “There is no circumstance in which a *Snow White* remake released in 2025 gets anywhere near $1 billion in global grosses.” The only one who believed Snow White was going to break through the wall like the Kool-Aid man out the gate was Disney. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Time to Put Our Money Where Our Mouth Is With 'Coyote vs. Acme' URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/coyote-vs-acme-saved/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:18:56.000Z *This is a complimentary entry in The Trade for free subscribers but it’s worth becoming a paid subscriber. Why? Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles. Becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism* Earlier this week a miracle happened. After months of speculation regarding the fate of Warner Bros. animated feature *Coyote vs. Acme* — a film many thought had been [disappeared at year’s end after failing to find a buyer](https://www.thewrap.com/coyote-vs-acme-update-offers-warner-bros/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) — it has found a home. Ketchup Entertainment, the company that also put out the Looney Tunes movie *The Day the Earth Blew Up*, [decided to purchase the movie for $50 million](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/coyote-vs-acme-ketchup-warner-bros-b2725146.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com). This is certainly great news as audiences will have the ability to see the movie, but it brings up a few questions about the future of dealmaking like this, Warner Bros. as a company, and how we celebrate (or destroy) cinematic history. The predominant question I keep going back to, and it inspired this headline, is will audiences put their money where their mouth is? Despite theaters continuing to struggle to bring in audiences — and studios trying hard to convince them to increase the theatrical window — audiences are still ingrained to wait for VOD. Despite the cries for original content, movies like Steven Soderbergh’s *Black Bag* [aren’t exactly becoming instant blockbusters](https://www.thewrap.com/black-bag-mickey-17-original-films-struggle-box-office-why/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. *The Day the Earth Blew Up*, which should cater to much of the same audiences as *Coyote vs. Acme* barely broke even and that movie only had a $15 million dollar budget. *Coyote vs. Acme* has a respectable $70 million dollar budget. Can audiences band together to actually pony up the dough for a movie they desperately wanted to save? Infamy might be to *Coyote vs. Acme’s* advantage. The very public anger from animation fans and movies lovers after Warner Bros. plans to bury it were revealed could easily be played up by Ketchup’s marketing. “The movie Warner Bros. didn’t want you to see!” But that knife cuts both ways by reminding audiences about the movies that we still won’t be seeing in a theater near us, namely *Batgirl*. That movie, starring Leslie Grace as the title character, was [deleted for a tax write-off](https://variety.com/2023/film/news/batgirl-movie-shelved-dc-studios-head-peter-safran-1235506921/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) in 2022 for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons was the movie’s presumed low-quality, as it was built for a Max release as opposed to a theatrical one, but we’ll never know. It’s hard not to wish Batgirl had the same group of saviors wanting to see it released. It could very well be terrible but, hell, let the audience decide. We’ve seen studios dump titles in turnaround and hope another distributor comes along. There is an air of, bare minimum, *Coyote vs. Acme’s* sale being a great way for WB to make money, no matter what. They sell the movie, collect $50 mil and move on. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. And, really, it does feel like a backward victory because, the same week *Coyote vs. Acme* got a reprieve the studio announced plans to [bulldoze the original buildings](https://deadline.com/2025/03/warner-bros-looney-tunes-building-131-protest-signs-1236352601/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) on the Warners lot where the Looney Tunes were created. If you live in Los Angeles you’re used to seeing historical icons destroyed with little consideration of their significance but this doesn’t feel like a victory but a rescue mission for a group of characters that have failed to be introduced to a new audience. It’s reminiscent of Disney’s treatment of the Muppets, in the sense that they acknowledge their’s a built-in audience for them but they still mire them in small scale projects or quickie product placements. Do I think the release of *Coyote vs. Acme* will bring us more Looney Tunes projects? Sadly, no. The lack of appreciation for 2D animations and animators, and the lack of institutional knowledge on why the Looney Tunes work leaves me thinking projects like these will continue to be unicorns in the cinematic landscape. Will I be seeing *Coyote vs. Acme*? Damn right I will be, if only to see what the studio thought wasn’t worth saving. *Do you think Warner Bros. made a mistake with this? Is this doomed to be a one-off Looney Tunes project? Drop an answer in the comments below.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'The Life of Chuck' Review: Mike Flanagan Tries Something New With This Stephen King Adaptation URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/life-of-chuck-review-mike-flanagan/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:19:12.000Z *The Life of Chuck* is an incredibly timely movie, and that’s not because it deals with something specific to our current world circumstances (though it certainly does). It’s more about the feelings it evokes, from the collective fear that everything’s not going to be okay to the existential dread of realizing our time is far more limited than we’d like. As someone who spends a lot of time thinking about death, even before everything went to hell, Flanagan gets me, as did *Life of Chuck*. The film is certainly a gamble for Flanagan. It’s not a horror feature nor does it have the deep family dynamics of his TV work. It’s an incredibly sentimental and earnest film about life and the nature of living that can, at time, be a tad overwrought. But it is that feeling of understanding, that what unifies us is often what terrifies us and how we choose to put that aside to make ourselves happy and, in the process, connect with others. *The Life of Chuck* was certainly a movie I needed right now, if only to leave me saying, “See, someone else gets it.” Based on a series of short stories by Stephen King, *The Life of Chuck* is a movie that, due to its structural nature, is hard to discuss without admitting some large plot points. Told in three parts, the film follows Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston), a mild-mannered man who, in the process of living his life, is able to craft a universe of of people whose lives he’s touched. The film starts at its conclusion, “Act Three - Thanks, Chuck.” The world is in disarray with extreme weather events, a 9.0 earthquake that is causing parts of California to strip away “like wallpaper.” Schoolteacher Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and nurse Felicia (Karen Gillan) are emotionally and physically petrified. The only one that seems to be happy is the employer of Charles Krantz, who has randomly put up billboards and bought TV ads to thank him for “35 great years.” The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This section is *Life of Chuck’s* strongest section if only because of how relevant it feels. Marty and Felicia are pushed to their limits while everyone else is either apathetic or in “fuck it” mode. The script doesn’t go for a puzzle box, merely plopping its characters, and the audience into this world on the brink of extinction. There’s nothing to explain or rationalize, it just is. The main question is Chuck and why is his retirement being celebrated, but honestly the strength of this section is just allowing us to live in this frightening landscape. Flanagan is a master of letting things settle, and extended moments of Marty trying to watch 1944’s *Cover Girl*, or a young girl making the decision to rollerskate at night, ends up providing comfort because its emphasizing how we make autonomous decisions to try to find meaning in chaos. It could be said *Life of Chuck* is a vibes movie and that’s certainly true as the overarching feeling of the movie evokes some of King’s best adaptations like *Stand By Me*. At times, this doesn’t feel like a Flanagan picture but something Rob Reiner would have directed in the ‘80s (and that’s not a bad thing). That sense of nostalgia mixed with the bittersweet of time having come and gone is what works for the film. The other two sections, “Buskers Forever” and “I Contain Multitudes,” provide the necessary answers to where we started, but they present a vastly different tone as well. We meet Charles Krantz at various moments in his life. As an adult, Hiddleston is personable as Chuck though the character remains very much a cypher, no doubt because Chuck is meant to be an Everyman. Hiddleston’s wide smile and friendliness don’t give us much depth but that’s not the point. “Buskers Forever” is the film’s most sentimental, with an extended, expertly choreographed dance sequence. But it’s in “I Contain Multitudes” that Flanagan and King dovetail most skillfully. We follow Chuck as a child (played by Benjamin Pajak) as he grows up living with his grandparents (Mark Hamill and Mia Sara) after the death of his parents. Like any good King plot there’s mystery about what resides in the locked upstairs cupola in his grandparent’s house, and the reveal ends up tying the entire movie together. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Because *The Life of a Chuck* is about one’s ability to create community throughout their lives it’s not surprising that Flanagan brings back so many of the performers who have populated his own universe of films. Gillan and Ejiofer’s quiet conversations beautifully convey the sense of fear and desire for connection people feel in tough times. And Hamill ends up stealing the third act as Chuck’s curmudgeonly grandfather, Albie. What I keep returning to, though, within *The Life of Chuck* is what is omnipresent in all of Flanagan’s features: the questions we have about death. Not necessarily what comes after, but the sense of what one experiences leading up to it and our chronic ability to plan for what we know is inevitable. “I Contain Multitudes” dives into this without getting too philosophical through the nature of the cupola. Though the movie is about one’s need to live a full life in the face of death it isn’t afraid to say that we desperately try to plan for how we’ll react when we’re faced with it and that, in the end, there’s nothing we can do. No one is going to prevent it and all we can do is go in with our eyes open. It’s unknown how those who have celebrated the director for his horror output will take to *Life of Chuck*. But what has stuck in my memory since seeing it is Flanagan’s ability to bond with an audience. For a movie where everyone is seeking comfort, Flanagan does that for his audience. *The Life of Chuck* isn’t a movie with answers, but it’s a movie with compassion and understanding, which we can definitely use. *The Life of Chuck hits theaters June 6.* # Grade: B- [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### The Film Maven Recommends for March 2025 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-march-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:04:24.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism* Am I the only one who thought March was a thousand days? Between the Oscars and :looks around: everything else going on, it just seems like we’ve been through a lot in just 30 days. I’ve probably mentioned this in a previous post, but I’m really seeking comfort in films and books, more than even during the pandemic, so let’s look at the good literature and films that brought a smile to my face this month. \*I’m interested in getting the subscribers thoughts. Do you enjoy the format from the last few months, wherein I lay out and discuss everything I’ve consumed in a given month (the Best and the Rest) or this wherein it’s just the movies and books I’ve enjoyed and recommend? Let me know in the comments or in the member chat.\* ## [Black Bag (2025)](https://thefilmmaven.com/black-bag-review-steven-soderbergh/) After the cinematic desert that was the first two months of 2025, March actually gave us movies. Or, for this film critic, it gave me several options between things I genuinely wanted to see. And while I’ve watched several mid movies this month the highlight for new releases remains Steven Soderbergh’s *Black Bag*. Much like [*Conclave*](https://thefilmmaven.com/conclave-review-ralph-fiennes/) which, ironically, is also a Focus Features film (I swear they aren’t paying me), I’m pretty sure I want to make Soderbergh’s spy drama my entire aesthetic. I said it in my original review but *Black Bag* is the answer to “What if Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender played Kathryn and George as if they were Mr. and Mrs. Smith with a hint of Nick and Nora Charles and then funneled through a Le Carre novel with a *Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf* twist?” I stand by that 100%. It’s such a sexy, fun movie that, strangely enough, doesn’t get bogged down in the spy stuff that leaves you saying, “Okay, but who are they going after?” Weirdly enough, this was my mom’s biggest critique about the film — “It doesn’t go anywhere” — and she came up short when I asked her to tell me the plot to *Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*. Go for Cate’s wig and costumes, stay for Marisa Abela just running off with the entire thing. It’s out on VOD today, btw. ## The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R.A. Dick I’m continuing to work through a variety of books for *But Have You Read the Book, Vol. 2* (Romance Edition) and R.A. Dick’s *The Ghost and Mrs. Muir* was a surprising read, especially if you’ve seen the 1947 film. There’s an ambiguity throughout the book as to whether ghostly sea captain Gregg is truly a ghost or a manifestation of Lucy Muir’s conscience. The reader wonders if Lucy uses Gregg as the prism through which to justify her decisions or say things she can’t say considering the time period. It’s less a romance and more a feminist story of independence. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/06b77bed-11e7-4367-a977-6dffd0e7335b_1486x836-jpeg.jpg) ## The Conversation (1974) I talked about this when we did a [Ticklish Business bonus episode](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) on Gene Hackman after his passing but, at the time, I hadn’t seen his two most iconic films: *The Conversation* and *The French Connection*. I can now cross one of those off the list (thanks to the Criterion Channel). Much better writers than myself have written about Hackman and Francis Ford Coppola’s *The Conversation*. Watching it in 2025, where nearly everything in our house is listening to us, *The Conversation* almost feels quaint with Harry Caul (Hackman) hanging out in parked vans listening on reel-to-reel tapes and worrying about phone taps. What stood out to me in this inaugural watch, though, was Hackman’s ability to give us the spectrum of emotions while listening, at different points, to the same conversation. You can see his mind filling in the blanks, entertaining the intrusive thoughts that we have on the daily about the context of what this conversation is. He evokes frustration at not having the answers and, eventually, fear at being complicit in something that he went into blindly. It was also bittersweet to watch this and also see the late, great Teri Garr as Harry’s girlfriend who loves in the dark, blinded by a love (or at least a connection to him). This one left me with a lot of food for thought. ## Chocolat by Joanne Harris I’ve seen the film version of *Chocolat* a few times but this was a first time read of Harris’s book and I loved it. The movie is fun and cuddly but the book is far darker. The story of a single mother opening a chocolate shop opens up a deep look at religion and intolerance. Alfred Molina’s character, in the book, sees heroine Vianne as the incarnation of the Devil himself, sent to test him. There’s far more magical realism within it, akin to Laura Esquivel’s *Like Water for Chocolate* (the books and movies would make a great double feature). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/eff29b0d-050d-4c75-a923-e52a396f2450_1777x962-jpeg.jpg) ## Crimes of Passion (1984) I’ve been working my way through Ken Russell’s filmography for the better part of a year. Ken and I have an interesting relationship wherein, even if I don’t adore the movie, I respect the sheer audacity of his work. There’s no other director I know that can go deep in the weeds with literary and philosophical references while also making you feel you’re on hallucinogens. *Crimes of Passion* isn’t a top Russell film for me, but it’s certainly his kookiest and, yet, maybe his most romantic? Kathleen Turner plays a woman who, by day, works in corporate American and, by night, is a sex worker named China Blue. This movie has everything: Hollywood Blvd strolls, a sex toy named Superman, Anthony Perkins dripping in flop sweat (allegedly he was doing poppers in his free time because, YOLO). The movie is extreme but if you’ve seen any of Russell’s work the maximalism is usually mitigated by breathtaking cinematography and acting. Dick Bush, who worked on *Victor/Victoria* and Friedkin’s *Sorcerer*, is magnificent and Kathleen Turner is pure fire! Also, I give Tony Perkins props for just going for it. ## Random Harvest by James Hilton James Hilton was the author behind *Goodbye, Mr. Chips*, a film I’ve yet to see. But his 1941 war story *Random Harvest* — adapted into a film starring Greer Garson and Ronald Colman — is a fabulous mix of soapy melodrama and romance. We meet a captain of industry who struggles with memory issues and, from there, the movie works backward as he tries to remember his war years. It plays around a lot more with structure than the film version and the writing is beautiful. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/09679d73-9e37-4744-8057-82a12d1e93ab_1480x1080-jpeg.jpg) ## Midnight (1939) *“Every Cinderella has her midnight.” Midnight* entered the pantheon of being a future comfort movie for me, and it should be for everyone else. Claudette Colbert plays a chorus girl stranded in Paris who, through a series of hijinks, ends up pretending to be a foreign Countess at the behest of a rich man hoping to use her to break up his philandering wife’s relationship with another. It’s zany while making perfect sense, proof of the best classic era films. Colbert’s comedic zenith was the 1930s and between this and 1934’s *It Happened One Night* she perfectly understands the financial humor that cemented post-Depression cinema. The rest of the cast is utterly impeccable but the real stunner is the script, the work of comedic geniuses Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett. There’s a scene wherein Colbert’s Eve and John Barrymore’s Georges have to come up with a fictional backstory for Eve’s fictional husband (being impersonated by Don Ameche’s Tibor) and it had me laughing for three days. It’s punctuated by Mary Astor’s deadpan acceptance of it, believing it’s better to be part of the crowd than admit she doesn’t get it. Just impeccable. ## Laura by Vera Caspary Vera Caspary was a fascinating woman. She was an author, magazine writer, Communist. Her books prioritize independent women navigating the job landscape, the one place where they find autonomy. Her novel *Laura* is no different, unless you see Hollywood’s (fabulous) 1944 adaptation. I love the movie version of Laura but the book is a stark story of an independent woman butting up against men seeking to control her. Unlike Gene Tierney, whom Caspary thought played the character like the shopgirl next door, book Laura Hunt just wants to live independently, date who she wants, and live life. She’s a great portrait of womanhood in the 1940s, and today. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/36ca6ef4-6c4e-4241-ac0d-4dc720d6594f_3500x2280-jpeg.jpg) ## The Goodbye Girl (1977) *The Goodbye Girl* is the best movie I watched in March. It might be the best movie I watch all year! You can’t ever go wrong with Neil Simon adaptations, especially when it’s focused on New York (see, also, *Barefoot in the Park*). The story revolves around struggling actress Paula (Marsha Mason) and her struggle to raise her young, precocious daughter Lucy (Quinn Cummings) in the wake of Paula’s disintegrating relationship. When she learns her ex has sublet the apartment to another actor, Elliot Garfield (Richard Dreyfuss), they’re all begrudgingly forced to live together. There are a couple things to love about *The Goodbye Girl* but what I love about Simon is his ability to make you wish you were in New York in that time period. This is NYC in the late-’70s as while it certainly looks grimy there’s a magic to it, especially within Paula and Elliot’s apartment. Simon adapted his play and, note for note, it is hilarious in the way great “opposites attract stories” are. Dreyfuss won the Oscar and he earned it, if anything for making me believe, and desperately wish, he was like Elliott. He’s picky, he’s romantic, he’s got conviction. His interactions with Cummings are adorable. Cummings, wow! How did this girl not become the next Jessica Chastain? Her worldly wise performance weedles its way into your heart without ever getting annoying in the way some “child-adults” can be. I just love this movie. ## Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson Richard Matheson adapted his own book for the 1980 film which is one of the best sci-fi romances you’ll see. Matheson, because he’s a genius, rightly understood what to change about the book that works better for the film. No surprise, considering he was a skilled screenwriter. But what I ended up appreciating about the novel, and why I think Matheson and I’d have been friends, is how deep in the weeds he gets about science and mortality. There are large swathes of the book where he discusses paradoxes and time travel elements, the questions readers might have. But he also gets deep into what living his life in the past would be like. It’s a great, existential, double with his other book, *What Dreams May Come*. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/54d31b7a-298c-47f9-b7c0-fa6cb29f1451_2048x1536-jpeg.jpg) ## Merrily We Go to Hell (1932) Dorothy Arzner is one of the few female filmmakers who worked during the studio era, her work often prioritizing stories about women put into harsh, domestic conditions and trying to figure out what to do. *Merrily We Go to Hell* is one such story, with Sylvia Sidney playing Joan Prentice. Joan falls in love with Jerry Corbett (Fredric March), a newspaper reporter struggling with alcoholism; five years later he’d play another famous alcoholic, Norman Maine in 1937’s *A Star is Born*. Joan and Jerry marry, but Jerry’s inability to put down the bottle threatens everything. Sylvia Sidney was one of the most beautiful women in Old Hollywood. Her big, liquid eyes and bright little smile draws you in. It’s remarkable to watch her in the 1930s and then remember she’s Juno “Your caseworker” from *Beetlejuice*. But *Merrily We Go to Hell* is a tragic story about Joan’s desire to desperately make her marriage work, and save her husband from herself, and her inability to do it. The ending is a tad trite considering, but Arzner and Sidney make it work. [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'The Woman in the Yard' Review: A Stellar Cast Elevates a Familiar Horror Premise URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/woman-in-the-yard-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:19:45.000Z *The Woman in the Yard* has one of the more effective horror marketing campaigns out there, from its title that is simultaneously vague and defined, to its eye-catching trailers and the fact that *Orphan* director Jaume Collet-Serra is behind the camera. One of several forays into the “mad mothers” genre, it often seems like the beats in the movie are so familiar as to make the ending a foregone conclusion from minute one. But what ends up elevating (and saving) *The Woman in the Yard* is some truly stellar casting that creates a sense of intimacy and warmth in a movie that isn’t afraid to become utterly nihilist. Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler) is just struggling to make it through the day after losing her husband David (Russell Hornsby) in a car accident. She’s shrugged off most of the parental responsibilities for caring for her young daughter Annie (Estella Kahiha) to her teenage son Taylor (Peyton Jackson). But when a mystery, veiled woman (Okwui Okpokwasili) plunks down in their front yard one day Ramona will have to do to keep her children safe. We’ve seen this story before: a mother who struggles to get out of bed after suffering a trauma. She’s on edge, angry, and is probably an inch away from going utterly crazy. Sam Stefanak’s script for *The Woman in the Yard* wears its influences overtly, from movies like *The Others* to *The Changeling*. Ramona as a put-upon mother struggling to keep her sanity heavily parallels fantastic horror pieces like *The Babadook* as well as truly bad features like 2016’s *Lights Out*. It’s easy to watch five minutes of this movie and start taking bets on what established ending it will go with. However, where it could easily follow those features, the script takes a wide swing with a far darker, and relatable, story about depression and the internal struggle between one’s own mind. Is Danielle Deadwyler too good for movies like this? You’re damn right. But she brings such a needed gravitas to the film that doesn’t make her untouchable. With her leg in a brace, the result of the car accident that took Ramona’s husband, the audience meets her as temporarily disabled woman seeking strength. Strength to get up and function, strength to not see her kids as a millstone around her neck, strength just to make it to tomorrow. The chronic look of pain and melancholy in Deadwyler’s face is a perpetual state, even after the arrival of the titular woman in the yard. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Collet-Serra wastes no time in getting to what the audience came for and one of the two brightest spots of casting in the film is Okpokwasili as the title character. Tall, intimidating, with cheekbones that could cut glass, Okpokwasili is utterly enigmatic and frightening, whether it’s sitting in a chair or eventually standing up. At the same time, there’s a sense of connection between her and Deadwyler, even before the plotline eventually resolves itself. The character isn’t there as a bogeyman, but more an overwhelming sense of foreboding, existential dread personified (which seems to be a theme in movies this year). Rounding out the strong acting is young Peyton Jackson as Taylor. An audience surrogate asking the questions everyone else is like “Why don’t we call the police” and generally reiterating that what is happening is not normal, Taylor is also a teenage boy forced into being a caregiver for his sister. He skillfully balances the teen boy angst and antagonism with adult skills. We see the boy cook a full breakfast and generally be a voice of leadership when no one else is. Jackson has such a command of the screen and emotion, along with a great sense of comedic timing. He points a gun at the Woman and threatens to shoot saying, “I’m legally able to do that” sound great before he takes a beat to punctuate it with “I think” under his breath. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. *The Woman in the Yard’s* biggest problem is when it’s forced to explain to the audience what it’s set up. This is where formula ends up being its undoing, though thankfully the brief runtime and strength of the performances never makes anything boring. That being said, to say anything about where the finale goes, or namedrop any specific films, is to completely give away the ending because of how generic it is. Couple that with a few too many fake-outs and the whole thing starts to fall apart. What will be fascinating is hearing how people take the film’s utterly bleak ending which is, weirdly enough, posited as a positive/sacrificing thing. It’s doubtful you’ll be thinking about *The Woman in the Yard* within the new few weeks. But the acting from the central cast, especially Peyton Jackson and Okwui Okpokwasili lifts things up. It’s a thriller that, had it gone just a tad meaner, could have been a solid B-thriller. Going in with low expectations and just expecting to be entertained will serve you well. # Grade: C [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Rachel Zegler and Why Hollywood Loves to Blame 'Difficult' Women URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/rachel-zegler-snow-white-controversy/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:20:02.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*stories, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* On Tuesday, [Variety](https://variety.com/2025/film/news/snow-white-death-threats-zegler-social-media-guru-1236347433/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) published an article looking into the “fiasco” of Walt Disney’s latest live-action remake, [*Snow White*](https://thefilmmaven.com/snow-white-2025-review-rachel-zegler/), and just why it bombed with a domestic box office take of under $50 million. Instead of looking at reasonable explanations such as Disney churning out these live-action movies with all the automation and blandness of a shoe factory the “real” culprit turned out to be Snow White herself, actress Rachel Zegler. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Popcorn Disability: Lon Chaney and 100 Years of 'Phantom of the Opera' URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/phantom-of-the-opera-lon-chaney/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:20:16.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, where I look at disability through the lens of popular culture. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*stories, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* At the beginning of the month horror host Joe Bob Briggs showed 1925’s *The Phantom of the Opera* as part of his Shudder series, *The Last Drive-In* (shout-out #MutantFam)! The intention was to honor the film’s 100th anniversary and the power of Lon Chaney Sr.’s performance, so I wasn’t too surprised that the series didn’t explore the movie’s impact as a disabled narrative; Briggs tended to boil everything down to the Phantom being “ugly.” Again, I’m not surprised. Looking at films through any lens, let alone a disabled one, is hard if you don’t know what to look for. So, let’s talk about 100 years of the *Phantom of the Opera*, and how Lon Chaney, and his performance, set a tone for horror performances we still see today. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### TCM's Eddie Muller Talks 'Dark City Dames' URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/eddie-muller-tcm-interview/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:20:28.000Z TCM's Eddie Muller Talks 'Dark City Dames' 0:00 /200 1× *In my free time I host a classic film podcast called Ticklish Business and, in the interest of spreading my love of classic film, I’ll be including episodes here for your listening enjoyment. You can listen to Ticklish Business via* [*Spotify*](https://open.spotify.com/show/2v9YsVqLuXnwAoXSlIAAVc?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *and* [*Apple Podcasts*](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ticklish-business/id1129352801?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*. You can also subscribe to our* [*Patreon*](https://www.patreon.com/TicklishBiz?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where we have bonus episodes and more.* TCM's "Czar of Noir" Eddie Muller joins us once again to discuss the women of his latest book *Dark City Dames: The Women Who Defined Film Noir*. Eddie chats about interviewing some of the most iconic film noir women and how his new book seeks to tell their stories more fully. You can pre-order [Dark City Dames: The Women Who Defined Film Noir](https://amzn.to/4bPorK2?ref=thefilmmaven.com) before it's April 8th publication by clicking the link. And if you're in Los Angeles you can purchase tickets to [Noir City Hollywood](https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/noir-city-hollywood/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) now. ### 'Snow White' Review: A Beautiful Apple With Little Inside It URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/snow-white-2025-review-rachel-zegler/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:20:46.000Z If *Snow White* was a jukebox musical I’d assume it would start with Rachel Zegler as the melodious Snow White singing Taylor Swift’s “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” Especially considering how much home studio Disney has simultaneously celebrated and dreaded its release. Between [non-Disney sanctioned comments](https://screenrant.com/snow-white-controversies-rachel-zegler-what-said/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) made by Zegler, Gal Gadot’s problematic background and that whole pesky [disabled issue](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/peter-dinklage-snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs-backlash-little-people-1234695983/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) the movie was always going to be a tough sell since it was announced but after [scaling back](https://variety.com/2025/film/columns/disney-snow-white-premiere-zegler-gadot-controversies-1236333285/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) on the typical splashy Disney-level premiere for it it’s surprising it’s not just being placed on Disney+. And it’s a shame because the movie, though shallower than Snow White’s wishing well, isn’t 100% terrible. *Snow White* is a visually gorgeous attempt to modernize a 1937 era story. It just modernizes when it should focus on storytelling and leaves behind things that probably should be a bit more nuanced. Rachel Zegler 100% keeps the mine train on the tracks, doing a lot of heavy lifting for an overabundance of CGI and Gadot’s performance, a smarmy, snarling overexaggeration. But, at the end of the day, *Snow White* has been so cleansed of anything that would offend, it also lacks anything that would make it memorable. Snow White (Zegler) lives in a magical kingdom with her parents. But after her mother’s death her father marries a shadowy woman (Gadot) who takes the kingdom for herself. When Snow White threatens the Evil Queen’s supremacy as the “fairest in the land,” the Queen wishes her dead. Snow White’s kindness saves her life and she finds herself in the woods. She finds her strength with the help of seven ~~men~~ ~~dwarfs~~ magical creatures who, alongside a charming bandit named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) help Snow White take back her kingdom. *Snow White* feels like a movie genetically engineered by focus groups and bean counters, all but a requirement in today’s filmmaking landscape. So much of what you see isn’t necessarily ripped from the original film as it just better movies in the Disney or musical landscape. Snow White’s kingdom looks like a mix of Genovia meets *Wish*. Burnap’s Jonathan is a fairly solid amalgamation of *Tangled’s* Flynn Rider meets Cary Elwes in *The Princess Bride* (there’s a lot of *Princess Bride* homage here). When these are used effectively, like Burnap, they create a nice bit of familiarity that’s enjoyable. When it’s bad, like Gadot’s mean girl villain song “All is Fair,” a very poor attempt to recreate Sondheim’s “The Last Midnight,” it makes you wish you could just watch the original. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The problem is what was modernized to bring the movie in line with 2025 standards feels so unnecessary and just dampens the character. Zegler is appropriately feisty and sweet as Snow White, but she falls firmly in the Strong Woman™ trope. Everyone notes how kind she is because her equally one-note parents were. Snow White’s go-to songs, “I’m Wishing” and “Someday My Prince Will Come” are nixed in favor of Pasek and Paul-penned songs that are less standard “I Want” songs and more “I’m Strong” songs. Zegler sings the hell out of them but the character is just as blah as she was before. Erin Cressida Wilson’s script focuses on the duality of the word “fair,” with the Evil Queen using it in a beauty context while Snow White is all about the justice side. This becomes a tad heavy-handed at the end but at least makes sense from a storytelling perspective. However, eliminating Snow White’s original motivation of believing in wishes does lob a curveball at the original story, namely Snow’s motivation to eat the famous apple. It was a “wishing apple” in the original but, here, the movie just gives her an apple and lets her put 2 and 2 together. Then there are the ~~dwarfs~~ ~~magical creatures~~ other guys Snow White encounters. Where the desire to make Snow a Modern Woman is on high alert the seven dwarfs don’t get much modernizing short of some Zemeckis-esque CGI and making Dopey look like his voice actor, Andrew Barth Feldman. The magical creatures gambit Disney used to describe the characters looks to be relegated specifically to their ability to touch things and realize where diamonds are? Otherwise it’s not wholly unclear why they differentiate themselves from humans, though they do. Where all of Snow’s original songs are nixed, the dwarfs keep all of theirs. The voice cast is so generic you’re hard-pressed to know any of the actors behind them. However, and it is a big however, differentiating between humans and whatever the dwarfs are does mean there are authentically cast LPs in other roles, like Quigg (George Appleby), the self-proclaimed “master of the crossbow” and actor/LP Martin Klebba voicing Grumpy. Quigg gets a few laughs, and Appleby infuses the character with some charming personality. There are also various little people in the village. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Then there’s Gadot. How do you solve a problem like Gal Gadot? After seeing the likes of Charlize Theron play the Evil Queen that, coupled with stronger writing, gives the character some nuance, this Evil Queen is mired in the 1930s and that, in itself, could be a lot of fun. But Gadot doesn’t seem to understand what to do with the character. She speaks in a husky growl while rocking the same analogy throughout the movie about flowers being weak. Her song “All is Fair,” the Sondheim rip-off, is clearly written in the vein of “Be Prepared” or “Poor Unfortunate Souls” but Gadot is not able to work with the fast-paced talk-singing and at times it feels like the post-production just decided it would be better if the music drowned her out. A reprise for this adds insult to injury. Sandy Powell’s costumes are impeccable on the Queen though. They’re pure 1930s, swathing the character in hard jewels that are beautifully eye catching. The eventual transformation of Gadot into the Old Hag gives less *The Substance*, or even Susan Sarandon in *Enchanted*, and more a Hag that just needs an upper blepharoplasty. There’s nothing egregiously bad about *Snow White*. It’s as inoffensive as baby food, Zegler is really good, as is Burnap and Appleby. It’s gorgeous to look at with some great throwback production design in the glade where the dwarfs live. But, as with several other Disney live-action remakes, there’s just nothing interesting found in them. They continue to allow A-list stars to play the characters, while grayly “modernizing” them for today’s audience. It’s fine if you need to hear a song or see the latest Rachel Zegler movie. To misquote Doctor Barbie (Alexandra Shipp) in *Barbie*, in the time it takes you to read this sentence, you’ll have forgotten all about seeing *Snow White*. *Snow White is in theaters March 21.* # Grade: D+ [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### It's a Film Bros World, Again URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/film-criticism-women-critics/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:21:02.000Z *Enjoy this formerly paywalled post and consider supporting the independent work at The Film Maven by becoming a paid subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles, and more. Want to support my work but not Substack? These same posts can be found over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* Honestly, starting to wonder if I need to call this column “The World is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” these days considering \[looks around\] everything. But the implications of the world at large always trickle down to other industries and today is a prime example of that. Let’s talk about the loss of women in the entertainment journalism world! It’s a familiar song and dance. When I asked various female film critics about whether they believed the industry would go back to being a boy’s club one said, “Did it ever stop being one?” She’s not wrong. The entertainment journalism and film criticism tracks haven’t been hospitable to women. It wasn’t until 2018 that movie review aggregator [Rotten Tomatoes committed to balancing the scales of gender](https://variety.com/2018/film/markets-festivals/rotten-tomatoes-1202918736/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), expanding their requirements to include more marginalized critics, specifically women. I talked to several female critics who said they were finally able to make it onto RT as a result of this initiative. As the #MeToo movement started to fall out of favor, the need to include women in entertainment started to reflect that. [According to a 2022 study](https://womenintvfilm.sdsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-Thumbs-Down-Report.pdf?ref=thefilmmaven.com), “In the early months of 2022, male reviewers outnumbered female reviewers by more than 2 to 1\. Men comprised 69% and women 31% of reviewers.” And while the percentage of film film reviewers rose from 2016 to 2020, that same study says it declined from 35% in 2020 to 31% by 2022. And, if you look at the various hobbyist sites out there — which I define as sites run by critics and pay their staff in access — they definitely weren’t inclined to help plump up those numbers. None of the prominent hobbyist sites I found either had an all-women staff or women in any type of leadership or editor role. Even if women were listed on their masthead the ratio tended to be 2:1 towards men. One site only had 1 women at all currently “working” for them. That tracks with that same 2022 study which lays out, “71% of those writing for their own site were male and 29% were female.” Sites like these tend to employ their friends who look like them. Also, remember that most women tend to have other obligations so working for free ain’t a possibility unless they’re working themselves (hey, that’s me!). The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. But with our current Presidential regime deciding DEI is a four letter word there’s no doubt the fix is in: diversity is no longer cool and it’s only going to get worse for women critics and entertainment journalists to get anywhere. Where, as the random executive told Ryan Gosling’s Ken in *Barbie*, “We’re actually doing patriarchy very well, we’re just better at hiding it,” there’s no need to hide anything. Corporations and companies are told they don’t need women, critics of color or disabled critics, so why hire them? Within the last year PMC has seen high profile writers and editors exit the company, including Rebecca Sun and Lesley Goldberg. The company’s DEI editor was fired. There were also layoffs at Deadline and IndieWire within the last three years. From personal experience, I’ve interviewed at two prominent entertainment-based companies — both in journalism and outside it — and made it to the last round only to have them hire a white male. Only two major entertainment journalism corporations put out diversity breakdowns — PMC (which owns Variety, THR and Deadline) and Hearst (which owns People). [PMC, to their credit, touts that 55% of their workforce](https://www.pmc.com/our-values?ref=thefilmmaven.com) is women and 53% of their leadership is women. Mind you, 65% of their employees also identity as white, as does 69% of their leadership so odds are white women are the dominant group. And at Hearst, [48% of their employees are women](https://www.hearstrise2024.com/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) with 44% being in management jobs. (70% of their employees identity as white with 77% in management so….yeah.) It’ll be interesting to see how those numbers skew over the next year. For women looking for a staff job in 2025, it’s been hard and it will only get harder. Going back to that 2022 study, 76% of those on staff at publications/sites/stations were male and 23% were female.” Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Women are the first to leave most job sectors, but in the entertainment journalism and critic game there’s no doubt that is a certainty. Women tend to have more obligations at home and certainly can’t work for free. If they’re already losing out on staff jobs odds are they’ll have to walk away from the industry entirely. I keep saying things are going to return to the “bad old days” and this is where I see it happening most clearly. Just like in the 2010s, people will be surprised at how few women are film critics or writing about entertainment. We’ll get more studies and maybe a few more rounds of trying to bump inclusion numbers. But the tale is old as time and I’m not sure what can be done to fix it short of, ya know, dismantling the patriarchy. However, if anything I want to see more women at least running their own hobbyist sites and doing better than the guys are (you know, like trying to pay staffers). If anything, we need to do like Ken, ride some horses, and keep on fighting. [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Borderline' Review: Jimmy Warden's Directorial Debut Is a Manic '90s Throwback URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/borderline-review-ray-nicholson/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:21:16.000Z Jimmy Warden’s script for the 2023 feature *Cocaine Bear* was a rollicking tribute to the world of ‘80s movies, where heroes and villains had very blurry boundaries and drug use was rampant and, weirdly enough, accepted. Warden makes the move from the page to behind the camera with *Borderline*, a feature that doesn’t have the same retro feeling as *Cocaine Bear*, but still provides some quick and dirty fun in 94 minutes. Sofia (Samara Weaving) is an international pop star and actress who lives in a magnificent house in the Hollywood hills. She also has the love and devotion of a persistent stalker, Duerson (Ray Nicholson) who, while attempting to see her, nearly kills her bodyguard (Eric Dane). Sofia assumes all is well until Duerson breaks out of the mental health facility he’s in, more committed than ever to making Sofia’s his forever. Warden has talked about this as being a tribute to video store cult classics and, like those movies, there’s little preamble to *Borderline*. A quick montage of posters and clips illustrates that Sofia is a successful pop culture figure in the ‘90s, a combo Britney Spears/Kirsten Dunst, before we’re thrust into our first meeting with the perpetually grinning Duerson. As Dane’s character, Bell, says, this is not the first time the troubled young man has shown up at Sofia’s door professing the usual stalker rhetoric: that the two are a couple, have been for years, and are to be married. It’s easy for Nicholson to rest on the laurels of his paternal pedigree, and there are definitely shades of the elder Nicholson in his hammy performance. But Nicholson, the younger, plays the character with a pathetic air. With his greased back hair and silly suit, it’s hard not to laugh at the guy the minute you meet him. Even when he’s coordinating his next visit to Sofia, complete with a panting, Harley Quinn-esque assistant in Penny (Alba Baptista), it’s clear the only people who would find Duerson close to charming are his sycophants. He does have a flair for throwing out Warden’s comedic one-liners. A young girl asking Duerson if he put a priest in a box is perfectly countered with “We put a pastor in a box. We’re Protestants.” The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Warden’s script isn’t as chockablock with the same level of humor as Cocaine Bear, but it makes up for that in an ability to convey the interesting themes of the ‘90s thriller, while adding in some bonkers moments of pure absurdity. This comes through best when the French-accented Penny demands Sofia perform a duet with her, culminating in a ‘90s-tinged performance of Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me.” Sofia is not your typical 'damsel in distress nor is she a superhuman Sarah Connor figure; her lack of height means she literally can’t reach the door lock on her massive front door. Weaving’s complemented by Jimmie Fails as Sofia’s basketball player/hookup Rhodes. Fails is so fun and perfect at physical comedy. He’s also a master of deadpan expressions, particularly in the third act which seems him placed in a position, technically, Sofia should be in. Weaving does feel similarly placed in the same role she was in in Ready or Not. It’s a far more muted performance, with the actress taking a good ten minutes to even enter the feature. It’s hard to say this is her film, despite her strong placement in the posters. If anything, it’s Dane’s film as the heroic bodyguard Bell. The viewer knows just enough about him to make you root for him: outside of being attacked in the opening frames, he’s a widower with a young daughter. There is something funny about how indestructible he is, in the vein of non-bulky action stars like Chuck Norris. *Borderline* is so breathlessly paced it’s fairly action-packed from the minute it begins to the minute it ends and that can make the story’s holes come through. Duerson, for some reason, has face blindness in certain moments, wherein he thinks he’s seeing Sofia but it’s someone else. Though this does lead to some cheap fun in the “haha, it’s a dude” variety, but it’s used inconsistently. What triggers this? Who knows. It’s used more as a deus ex machina, especially at the end. *Borderline* won’t stick in your mind by the time April comes but, in the moment, it’s a fun thriller that doesn’t waste time and doesn’t overstay its welcome which is a challenge for a lot of movies these days. The cast is fun, there are some quirky moments, and it definitely feels like a movie you’d stumble upon in a video store (or more likely via the Netflix algorithm) on a Friday. # Grade: C [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### What's Not Being Discussed About Gene Hackman's Death URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/gene-hackman-death/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:21:33.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, where I look at disability through the lens of popular culture. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*stories, and more. I also cross post these over at* [*The Film Maven Patreon*](http://www.patreon.com/TheFilmMaven?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *where you can subscribe, at the same price, without supporting Substack itself. Subscribe and show your support for independent journalism.* When the Santa Fe Sheriff announced the cause of death for actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, last week it was reported as “natural causes.” Arakawa died of hantavirus, a rare disease spread via rodent droppings, while Hackman, who died a week later, was reported as [dying of cardiovascular disease](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gene-hackman-death-investigation-update-new-mexico/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and high blood pressure, with advanced Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor. It’s hard to say either of those deaths is particularly natural, specifically Harakawa’s. There’s only been [864 cases of hantavirus in the United States](https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/data-research/cases/index.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com) between 1993, when surveillance of the disease first started, and 2022\. And if you’re saying, “Okay, but Hackman died of heart disease. That’s natural” I’d still be inclined to disagree. Remember, the elderly are anticipated to die quickly and, really, any demise at the age of 95 is perceived through the lens of natural. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Mickey 17' Review: Robert Pattinson Multiplies in Fractured Satire URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/mickey-17-review-bong-joon-ho/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:21:50.000Z South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho has never been one to shy away from confronting social issues, whether that’s the classism of *Parasite* or the mistreatment of animals in *Okja*. His latest, the sci-fi feature *Mickey 17*, might be his most pointed, sharp and overtly political film specifically looking at American politics. And Bong makes no bones about it. From the minute you see a group of red-hatted sycophants marveling at the escapades of an overly tanned Mark Ruffalo doing a little sideways jig it’s blatantly apparent what he’s critiquing and how. Within that critique is a bevy of big, existential ideas, such as how identity is substantiated in cloning, the ethics of expendable workforce, and what the experience of death and the afterlife *is*. And that’s to say nothing about more absurdist concepts like, as Toni Collette’s Ylfa Marshall blithely declares, whether “sauce is the litmus test for civilization” or not. *Mickey 17*, based on the novel *Mickey 7* by Edward Ashton, is a movie that’s hard to classify if only because it’s trying to do so much. And this desire to touch on so many dense topics leaves the movie feeling stitched together from one big book no doubt marked “Ideas.” Just when you latch onto something you like or that’s interesting, Bong takes the down a different path before ultimately landing audiences in a movie that feels like *Okja 2*. Set in the year 2054, people on Earth are eager to leave to follow failed politician Kenneth Marshall (Ruffalo) as he plans to colonize the planet Niflheim. Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) isn’t a follower of Marshall’s but he, along with his friend Timo (Steven Yeun) owe a loan shark a ton of money and need to beat a hasty retreat. Mickey, unfortunately, signs up to be an “expendable,” a person who’s sole job is to do the work that’s too dangerous for others. When Mickey dies his body and mind are copied back out into a clone who does the same job, dying every time. When the latest Mickey, #17, is left for dead and doesn’t it causes a series of situations that could lead to revolution. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Each of the big themes Bong works with in the movie are clearly delineated throughout the two hour and 17 minute runtime, starting with a question Mickey gets asked a lot: what’s it like to die? This is by far *Mickey 17’s* most interesting element. Mickey is a man whose sole purpose is to be a human guinea pig for pain and suffering, who is routinely killed only to be brought back in a version that’s always slightly different from the last. The people that surround him aren’t necessarily asking if there’s an afterlife or even if it’s painful since, as the audience sees, every time Mickey dies is in a horrifically painful way. It’s more the question of what goes through one’s mind in those final moments. And, as Mickey comes to realize, even his memories are copied and carried over, held in place in a literal brick. Though Mickey is only meant to die that doesn’t mean he doesn’t find meaning where he can, specifically in his beloved Nasha (Naomie Ackie), a soldier for Marshall’s army. While Mickey may have multiple versions of himself, each one not a carbon copy, Nasha is the one who understands they’re all Mickey, and they’re all hers. Pattinson and Ackie are *Mickey 17’s* beating heart. Pattinson may put on a wonky accent but his hangdog expression and earnestness to go through the motions is endearing. The arrival of Mickey 18 allows him to play a different facet of the same character that’s cocky and arrogant. It would have been fun to see just a few more Mickeys out in the world to let Pattinson really shows the nuances of the same person. Naomie Ackie is thrilling as Nasha, the no-nonsense soldier. She’s dominating, powerful and sexy as hell. They’re certainly the ones that feel closest to people in *Mickey 17*. The rest come off as big-mouth caricatures, particularly the film’s villains: Kenneth and Ylfa Marshall. As mentioned, the caricatures are broad and obvious. Ruffalo speaks through a puckered mouth and big false teeth as a charlatan coercing his death cult to live on scraps and colonize (terrorize?) a new world. Collette’s Ylfa feels cribbed from other Bong female villains (specifically Tilda Swinton and Allison Pill in *Snowpiercer*). Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. The satire certainly works considering current events but it all gets fairly muddled in the third act when Kenneth decides to exterminate a group of native inhabitants to the planet that look like if Okja and the worms from Dune had a baby. The movie completely pivots away from Mickey’s question of identity and into a standard “save the animals” story. *Mickey 17* has inventive ideas but gets muddled in which ones to give significant weight to, feeling like three movies in one. Pattison and Ackie are great and the satire is sharp. [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Black Bag' Review: Soderbergh's Sexy Spies Know How to Seduce an Audience URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/black-bag-review-steven-soderbergh/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:22:07.000Z When the 2005 film *Mr. and Mrs. Smith* hit theaters no one could have known it would set the tone for married spy movies for the next two decades. It’s been a hard shell to break through but, with a little ingenuity and going even further back into the past director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp have done just that with *Black Bag*. *Black Bag* isn’t just a story of two hot married spies, though it is, but more how monogamy and honesty can survive when two people are in the professional liar business. Koepp’s script deftly navigates between the petty, the romantic and the suspenseful for a movie that, [similar to Focus Features’ ](https://thefilmmaven.com/conclave-review-ralph-fiennes/)[*Conclave*](https://thefilmmaven.com/conclave-review-ralph-fiennes/) last year, seeks to hearken back to old-fashioned storytelling to make an entertaining film for adults seeking a return to popcorn films of the 2000s. All of Soderbergh’s best bits of business are on display, from the rapid-fire editing akin to *Haywire*, the David Holmes score reminiscent of *Oceans 11*, and the relationship mess of *Behind the Candelabra*. George and Kathryn (Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett) are happily married intelligence agents. But when Kathryn is accused of being a double agent, George becomes both desperate to protect her and curious as to whether there’s any truth to it. Unlike other spy movies wherein the characters are enmeshed in an overly convoluted story involving a variety of MacGuffins, *Black Bag* has one clear premise: is Kathryn a double agent and, by extension, openly lying to her husband? And that premise sustains a swift 94-minutes, even if it didn’t have subplots involving a MacGuffin-esque flash drive capable of destroying nuclear power plants. What Koepp and Soderbergh are more interested in are relationship dynamics when it involves truth. Do partners really want total honesty? Is it better to lie if it means sparing someone pain? As Kathryn tells George, she lies to him “only when I have to” while George abhors liars so much he surveilled and turned in his own spy father when he was a boy. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Much like Soderbergh’s 2013 thriller *Side Effects* — also brilliant — *Black Bag* finds the seduction that comes from lying. Kathryn is a liar so skillful she alters the dosages of her medications to her therapist to just the right amounts to avoid triggering concern. But, in comparison, are the couple’s friends Clarissa and Freddie (Marisa Abela and Tom Burke) whose chronic lying to each other quite literally ends with a fork to the wrist. However, as the movie goes on and George becomes committed to find out if his wife is the mole, the movie turns on a very slight axis. This isn’t a story about a man trying to find out if his wife committed crimes. It’s how he’s going to find a way to reconcile with his own conscience to get her out. Blanchett and Fassbender play Kathryn and George as if they were Mr. and Mrs. Smith with a hint of Nick and Nora Charles if they were funneled through a Le Carre novel with a twist of *Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf*. It makes for a heady and delicious cocktail is what I’m saying. They’re sexy and playful when alone, brilliant in the field, and can be as petty and manipulative as can be. A dinner scene wherein George assembles all the potential mole suspects devolves into a mean-spirited game of Truth (Sans Dare) thanks to George dosing their dinner. “Darling, you must not dose our guests,” Kathryn coos. Fassbender’s cold, monotone spy routine is starting to wear a bit thin, especially if you’re already watched *The Killer* or *The Agency*. But, in this case, he channels his inner Richard Burton to play a man who has to mask his emotions to avoid showing weakness. He compels Clarissa to hack into a satellite system and, while doing so, gives her a speech about how he will do everything in his power to extricate Kathryn from whatever she’s involved in, no matter what. It’s a powerful, simple scene of sexiness because of his total devotion that the audience agrees with Clarissa when she responds with, “That’s so hot.” But Blanchett is no slouch either. Outside of rocking some jaw-dropping fashions (courtesy of costume goddess Ellen Mirojnick) Blanchette is able to give an equally cool mien to Fassbender, while being more overt in her emotions. She finds the humor in Koepp’s script and is able to make George more human through her earthy sensuality. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. The rest of the cast is equally solid, though it is Abela who’s the scene stealer ([watch this and not ](https://thefilmmaven.com/back-to-black-review/)[*Back to Black*](https://thefilmmaven.com/back-to-black-review/) if you’re seeing her for the first time). Abela is the comic relief, a presumed loose cannon who might be the best spy of them all. She drops saucy one-liners and joke with aplomb, but sells Clarissa as a master manipulator, particularly in a polygraph sequence opposite Fassbender. Though Burke, Rege-Jean Page and Naomi Harris are also well-placed they aren’t written as well individually as they are together. This is a movie that works its strongest magic as an ensemble, which is why the two dinner sequences are the film’s best moments. And that is the magic of *Black Bag*. There are the usual trappings of a spy movie: covert meetings, hacking, scary Russians, and a world killing device, but they just…aren’t as important? The movie is best when the spies stop being polite and start getting real. The “black bag” that everyone references is more the pit where everyone places their secrets and while their job gives them an excuse for that the movie ultimately says, “Everyone has a black bag of their own.” *Black Bag* is such slick fun. Fassbender and Blanchett are stellar and the movie’s script hearkens back to classic cinema in the best way. At 94 minutes the film never overstays its welcome and, if anything, makes you eager to see it again. *Black Bag hits theaters March 14.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### The Film Maven Diary for February 2024 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-february-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:22:19.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. So consider becoming a paid subscriber today!* Writing a book on a time deadline never feels as daunting as when you’re doing it in February. The shortest month of the year wasn’t packed with a ton, but I’m surprised by how much I watched and read. Yes, read. To keep the recommendations flowing I’m gonna be adding in the books I’ve been reading too because, dammit, people need to read more. So, putting February to bed with a layout of everything I loved, and everything else, I consumed over the last month 28 days. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Anora' Won Best Picture and What It Says About This Year and Last URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/anora-best-picture-oscars-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:22:35.000Z *You’re probably asking, “Why is this paywalled?” Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven and becoming one shows support for independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. It also allows me to write really fun articles. And becoming a paid subscriber gives you access to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, my examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry, my* [*Popcorn Disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles on disabled representation in film, and more. So consider becoming a paid subscriber today!* Well, the Oscars have officially come and gone and we can say goodbye to last year’s films and start trying to figure out what’s going to win from this year. (I think the first wave of Oscar pundit predictions might have already dropped?) If you were in our subscriber chat last night — and thank you to everyone who came — then you experienced what I called a pretty basic award show. No real surprised, nothing shocking, and continued fervor about the stars the In Memoriam segment forgot to include. In the end, Sean Baker’s *Anora* won five of the six categories it was nominated for, and Yura Borisov should have won don’t tell me otherwise. I saw varying opinions last night into this morning focused on two key themes: surprise that it won Best Picture and pointing out the bitter irony of actress Mikey Madison taking Best Actress over favorite, and frontrunner, Demi Moore. Hollywood has never been particularly good at practicing what they preach. Hell, it’s why movies like *CODA* win Best Picture and yet disabled representation is still terrible. So, in the end, it wasn’t surprising that a young, beautiful ingenue won over the older, seasoned actress. If anything, would love to hear from some of those anonymous Oscar voters to see if they noticed as well. But what I’m more fascinated by is how *Anora*, a $6 million film put out by Neon, steamrolled through much of awards season and became our ultimate Best Picture winner. Film is a dialectic. The films influence culture and the culture influences the films. You can’t say *Anora* won in a vacuum and that it says nothing about where we are, right this second. It points out a few things to me starting with how we define popular vs. prestige. We’ve seen the stats about low Oscar viewership and the Academy’s continued pursuit to balance Best Picture nominees between popular blockbusters and more adult “artistic” fare.” And while *Wicked* seemed to fill that niche it was *Anora* that truly seemed to bridge the divide. If you’ve seen *Anora* in a theater it’s a true crowdpleaser. It’s splashy, neon-soaked posters and pop-tinged trailers didn’t sell it as a serious awards movie but a *Pretty Woman*\-esque screwball comedy turned on its ear. While Baker hearkens back to Italian neorealists when talking about his influences, he understands how to balance entertainment with a social message in a way that never feels like taking medicine or watch a “Movie.” It’s the true balance between art and fun. And that’s really I feel what people were looking for: trying to make sense of the chaos around us by celebrating a film that made us feel as much fun as possible, before giving us that knife twist of an ending. There was a moment in the Oscars broadcast last night where host Conan O’Brien said, “You know, *Anora's* having a good night. Yeah... Two wins already. I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian." The audience didn’t know whether they were supposed to laugh or not which feels like something most people are doing all over the world. Yet, O’Brien’s point is correct, and I think that’s another element people are responding to. Films, no matter what you want to say, are inherently political. They point to the politics of our time, no matter how small. *Anora*, amongst the Mikey Madison stripteases and screaming, is the story of a working stiff trying to make ends meet and falling into the con of a fairy tale. Ani, as much as she tries to resist Vanya and call him out for his joking, truly wants to believe this is the moment everyone waits for: the idea of a windfall hitting you in a way that will take you our of your circumstances and change your life for the better, immediately and permanently. Whether it’s hitting the lottery or meeting a Russian billionaire, we all dream of a magical fix that is going to make us feel financially and socially secure for the rest of our lives. In the end, Ani is the one left broken, humiliated and right back where she started. And what’s sadder is she tried so hard to be realistic. As a millennial, I’ll tell you there isn’t really a time I’ve felt the economic security and prosperity most people mythologizing the ‘90s for. There’s an excellent video review by Todd in the Shadows of, weirdly enough, Pitbull and Ne-Yo’s 2014 song “Time of My Life” that sums it up as a song about the struggles of life being omnipresent, understanding that, and just trying to find the ability to have fun in spite of it. That’s what I think of when I look at *Anora*. Life is hard, we know this, we know there are people who would seek to take advantage of us under the guise of “solving” our problems, and trying to find a way to find fun knowing that the game is rigged. People at the Oscars might not have known whether to laugh at Conan’s Russian joke, but I think giving the Best Picture award to *Anora* *was* that last laugh. [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Kristen's Oscar Picks 2025 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/oscar-predictions-2025-kristen-lopez/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:22:53.000Z Right or wrong, here's who I think is taking home a statue _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The 'Snow White' Press Tour Should Be Interesting URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/snow-white-remake/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:23:14.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*stories, and more.* Disney’s latest live-action remake *Snow White (sans Seven Dwarfs)* drops in a few weeks and it continues to dig an already deep hole even deeper. Earlier this week actress [Rachel Zegler attempted to do damage control](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/02/25/rachel-zegler-snow-white-movie-disney-fan-passion/80357723007/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) in an interview with Vogue Mexico where she interpreted criticisms for the film, valid or otherwise, in an interesting way. “I interpret people's feelings about this film as passion for it — and what an honor to be able to be a part of something that people are so passionate about.” Insert the “Sure, Jan” emoji. I’m not interested in rehashing all the critiques against this movie, you can look them up. What I am interested in is how the cast and crew are preparing to discuss the disability discourse around the movie and Disney’s hackneyed attempt back in 2024 to avoid discussing the complicated history of the Seven Dwarfs. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Popcorn Disability: 'Disposable Humanity' Reminds Us of History's View of Ableism URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/disposable-humanity-review-disability/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:23:30.000Z Cameron S. Mitchell's documentary takes a different look at the Holocaust _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Pitching a Book ... In This Climate URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/how-to-pitch-book/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:23:43.000Z As I currently work my way through writing 2 more books (and another dropping sometime this year) I get asked a lot: “I have a great idea for a book. How do I sell it?” It’s definitely not as easy as just throwing the idea out on social media or even sending the idea to the publisher unsolicited (spoiler, please don’t). There are also questions as to whether now is even a good time to get into publishing, as [Kathleen Schmidt lays out](https://kathleenschmidt.substack.com/p/how-the-state-of-the-media-will-affect) in a fantastic essay you would-be authors should read. But, if you have creativity I’m here to be a resource so I’m gonna share some tips from my journey of actually selling a book. *Note, these tips aren’t foolproof and won’t work for everyone. These are also best applied to non-fiction pitches. Fiction is a whole different process.* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### This One's For the PR Folks URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/maya-hawke-instagram-followers/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:24:08.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers. It’s an offshoot of my series* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*articles, and more.* Over the weekend actress [Maya Hawke did an appearance](https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/maya-hawke-producers-cast-actors-instagram-followers-1236309282/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) on the “Happy, Sad, Confused” podcast and talked about her antipathy to social media. “I don’t care about Instagram. Instagram sucks. Right, well just so you know, if you have over this many followers you can get the movie funded,” she said. “It’s a really confusing line to walk.” She then went on to say this: “I’m talking about deleting my Instagram and \[some directors are\] like, *‘Just so you know when I’m casting a movie with some producers, they hand me a sheet with the amount of collective followers I have to get from the cast*,'” Hawke recalled. “‘So if you delete your Instagram and I lose those followers, understand these are the kinds of people I need to cast around you.'” _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'The Monkey' Review: Stephen King Adaptation Drums Up a Jumble URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-monkey-review-stephen-king/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:04:43.000Z Stephen King adaptations are their own genre considering how many have seen the big screen. Even the jokes about King’s limitations as a writer have entered pop culture, most famously in *It: Chapter 2* when someone tells James McAvoy’s Bill that his endings suck. But some directors have been able to transcend that curse, specifically Mike Flanagan. Director Osgood Perkins, whose Longlegs last year still haunts many a person’s dreams, attempts to tackle King with an adaptation of King’s 1980 short story *The Monkey*. The problem is two clear auteurs can’t seem to balance each other out. Perkins’s nihilism and darkness shoves against King’s sentimentality and unexplained sense of dread. The end result is a movie that’s memorable and fascinating in its beginning and end, but can’t figure out how to stitch the two together cleanly. Twins Hal and Bill (Christian Convery) have little in common outside of DNA. They hate each other as much as they both love their mother, Lois (Tatiana Maslany), the one parent who stuck around after their father left them under odd circumstances. When they discover a wind-up organ grinder monkey their father seemingly left behind the two discover that, upon turning the key, the monkey chooses someone to kill in freak accidents. When the monkey picks someone close to them it eventually pulls them apart until the present day, when grown Hal (Theo James) is forced to reunite with his brother and try to stop the monkey’s destruction. King’s original story, which was published in his short story collection Skeleton Crew in 1985, draws heavily on the work of Edgar Allen Poe and W.W. Jacobs’s “The Monkey’s Paw” to tell about a father’s guilt and the omnipresent feeling of death being all around. This latter element is one Perkins himself has explored, most famously in the episode “You Might Also Like,” probably the best episode of Jordan Peele’s *Twilight Zone* reboot, as well as *Longlegs*. Perkins is fascinated with our desire to push death away by not talking about it or acknowledging its presence and that’s writ large in the first half of *The Monkey*. Set in 1999, Bill and Hal are meant to enjoy the halcyon world of being young, until the monkey’s arrival and the horrific death of Babysitter Annie (Danica Dreyer) introduces death into their lives. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. These moments are where King and Perkins blend together. The typical King narration draws comparisons to *Stand By Me*, and the monkey’s ability to pop up wherever feels akin to a far gorier episode of *Are You Afraid of the Dark*. Perkins is able to play with a child’s world of confusion about death, one that’s destroyed by the adults’ complete inability to handle it, from the priest at Babysitter Annie’s funeral saying “oh shit” before giving the sermon to Lois lovingly reminding the boys everyone dies with “I’m gonna die. And you’re gonna die. And you’re gonna die.” Perkins sums it up towards the movie’s end, it’s not necessarily death that people fear, but being present when it happens. And he is the master of making the audience watch death. The death scenes here would make the afterlife in *Beetlejuice* blush for the sheer insanity of them. Think of them like *Final Destination* on steroids. One key death has all the horror and terror you’d expect but most of them are actually humorous in how ridiculous they are. One character’s head is on fire and their subsequent running around reminded me of a Sim character. Perkins focuses more on gallows humor and the gore being so extreme as if to become meaningless. But after a rapid-fire set-up the movie actually has to start explaining things and thus becomes the problem of turning a short story into a full-fledged feature. The monkey as a metaphor for death, guilt, and the burden of adulthood are overt and while Perkins tries to mine some of the ridiculousness of the story for cinematic effect, the film grinds to a halt once grown Hal goes on a road-trip with his teen son, Petey (Colin O’Brien), to Hal’s old family home. The introduction of a now grown Bill, who has turned into a literal mad man-child, has humor in its absurdity, but the story becomes weird for the sake of it. The twins don’t have any interaction outside of phone calls, and the introduction of another teen whose character seems to have gotten this mixed up with a Ramones tribute doesn’t make much sense. James as adult Bill and Hal are solid, though James seems more comfortable as the mild-mannered dad than the lunatic Bill. Christian Convery, as the twins as children, works wonder in balancing each character’s personality in a way that feels authentic. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. And it’s a shame that the middle is such a slog because Perkins does do what King often can’t: stick the ending. Perkins takes all that nihilism and weirdness and leaves a haunting final image that will certainly connect with anyone today who thinks we’re on the verge of apocalypse. *The Monkey* is a mixed bag, one that works better as a character or societal study than a piece of entertainment. The middle is a slog that disjoints a strong beginning and end. It’s wonderful to see Perkins try adaptation and hopefully he does more. Sometimes, though, you just want more Perkins in your King story. # Grade: C+ [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Captain America: Brave New World' Review: A Fun, Slick Mixed Bag URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/captain-america-brave-new-world-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:05:00.000Z Six years have passed since Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) went off into that good night and transferred Captain America to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). And while the 2021 series *The Falcon and the Winter Soldier* attempted to show us what a new Captain America could look like, audiences who didn’t consume Disney+ shows have been waiting a minute to see Wilson’s first cinematic effort as New Cap. The end result is *Captain America: Brave New World*, a high energy thriller that hearkens back to 1990s political thrillers like *Enemy of the State.* Director Julius Onah, also a credited co-writer, maintains a suspenseful and intriguing tale of political corruption and power-mad politics. And though Marvel’s typical pratfalls end up undermining the third act, the majority of *Brave New World* hits more often than it misses. Sam Wilson and friends Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) and Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) are invited to a party at now-President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross’s (Harrison Ford) in celebration for saving a cache of adamantium. But when Isaiah, for reasons unknown, is involved in trying to kill President Ross it is up to Sam and Joaquin to figure out what happened. Thus kickstarts a series of events that sees the pair trapped in the web of a shadowy new villain. The first two-thirds of *Brave New World* do a wonderful job of setting up a wronged man thriller in the vein of the aforementioned *Enemy of the State*, *In the Line of Fire* or the Tom Clancy adaptations starring Ford himself. Onah and the other screenwriters understand the amount of plot requires a brisk clip, and the audience is quickly introduced to big bad Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) who, if given more time, could have been a stronger villain than who ends up taking over. With just a few scenes Esposito crafts a near-1980s villain, slashing priests and speaking in hushed Spanish to chill your blood. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support independent journalism, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The majority of the plot involves Sam’s attempts to clear Bradley, and this is where *Brave New World* is at its most interesting, albeit the script is forced to pull its punches. Anthony Mackie’s Wilson isn’t a supersoldier. He’s just a man who was gifted a phenomenal responsibility, much of which was explored in the Disney+ series. But putting Wilson on the world stage understandably ups the stakes, but the script is pained to avoid going too deep into issues of race relations or other things Wilson would be caught up in. There are small hints of this, like when Bradley demands Sam stop visiting him in jail because it would be a bad look. Or Ross, in a fit of anger, calling Wilson “son,” the implications which are charged, but push the plot’s themes as far as the studio will allow. Mackie, Lumley and Ramirez have a fantastic rapport and the script clearly seems interested in how these three marginalized men interact with the highest echelons of fame and government. But it must always remember it’s a Disney Marvel movie. Which means Wilson and Torres’s attempt to clear Bradley’s name sees them dive into shadowy government labs held off the books which leads them to Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns, a character that will require you to Google the plot of *The Incredible Hulk*. Disney has started moving away from creating a broad universe that requires audiences to have intimate knowledge of multiple movies and TV shows, but you will need some of that to properly understand *Brave New World’s* plot, specifically an awareness of who Torres is (from the *Falcon and the Winter Soldier* TV series), as well as the events in the 2008 *Incredible Hulk* feature. The post-Eric Bana, pre-Mark Ruffalo film. It’s remarkable that the movie doesn’t show too many flashbacks to that movie, and bloat the runtime, but instead just leaves him as a puppet-master pulling the strings. Nelson seems to be having fun covered in CGI and makeup, reminiscent of a super smart Victor Pascow from *Pet Semetary.* It’s painfully evident his plot is going to bear fruit down the line, but he works. Harrison Ford, filling in after the passing of original Thaddeus Ross William Hurt, plays a similar character as Robert Redford in *Captain America: The Winter Soldier*, in that they take an actor not know for playing villains and puts them in there. Ford is certainly capable at threading the needle between being angry and intimidating and being pitiful and sad. If anything, the movie’s portrayal of Ross is going to be … interesting to watch considering the world right now. However, when the movie veers into his “I’m the father of a daughter” subplot it gets a bit cornball. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public and more eyeballs means we can continue to do independent journalism. So please share! The third act is messy, to say the least, with reshoots evident. The issue continues to be Marvel needing to throw in too much at the sake of the story. It’s already one thing to have Nelson’s character as the villain, but the third act turns 180 degrees into featuring Red Hulk — a spoiler McDonalds ads already showed — which feels shoehorned in. There’s the bare modicum of set-up for him, he arrives and, much like most of the *Hulk* films doesn’t really know what to do with him beyond letting him smash things. It’d be great if Marvel remembered that a good story is half the battle and throwing in a rogue’s gallery of character just because you can always feels cheap. *Captain America: Brave New World* works best when it lets Sam Wilson actually live and experience the world he’s now in charge of. Mackie has enough personality and charm to give him Steve Rogers-esque stories and use them as launchpads for exploration. The movie doesn’t work the closer it gets to the end but those first two-thirds are pure enjoyment. Let’s hope Onah and Mackie get another opportunity to wear the shield and have fun. # Grade: B- [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### We Ready to Talk About Inacessible Movie Theaters Yet? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/sean-baker-theatrical-window-disability/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:25:14.000Z *Welcome to this installment of* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry. If you want to read the full story consider becoming a paid-subscriber. Not only do you get access to the awesomeness below, but you’ll be able to read every paid post including* [*our monthly watch diaries*](https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/)*,* [*disability* ](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/popcorn-disability)*stories, and more.* At this week’s Critics Choice Awards, where director Sean Baker and the film *Anora* walked away with Best Picture, and after Baker won the DGA award he made a plea in his speeches to bring movies back to theaters. Specifically, during his DGA speech, Baker asked that studios return to a guaranteed 90-day theatrical window before a movie hits VOD or streaming. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Love Hurts': This Action Comedy Will Make You Wince URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/love-hurts-review-ke-huy-quan/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:05:20.000Z When *Goonies* actor Ke Huy Quan won the Oscar in 2023 for Best Supporting Actor it was such a moment of triumph, the stuff Hollywood dreams are made of. It was even better hearing that Quan was actually getting roles — not always a guarantee — and leading the action/comedy/romance *Love Hurts*. There’s something so wonderful about seeing Quan’s face on huge billboards up and down Hollywood. It’s just sad that the movie’s not at all worthy of his talents, or the talents of everyone else associated with it. Quan stars as Marvin Gable, a mild-mannered realtor who has zero personality traits or life beyond that. When a red Valentine’s day card with the words “With Love” on it appears it signals the return of Rose (Ariana DeBose), a woman from his past many presumed was dead. Rose’s return kicks off a change of events that sees Marvin’s old life coming back to haunt him, and trying to kill him. It’s genuinely unclear what *Love Hurts’s* greatest failing is. Director Jonathan Eusebio makes his directorial debut after years of being a fight coordinator and assistant director. The fights themselves are fun to watch, if the style 87North productions employ is starting to get a tad repetition. If you’ve watched the fights in *Bullet Train* or *The Fall Guy* you know what I’m talking about. But because of how choppily edited the entire affair is — clocked in at not even 90 minutes — it’s not really clear where Eusebio himself comes through in the production. The script, credited to Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard and Luke Passmore has thin threads of an interesting story. We’ve see the tale of an assassin who goes good and tries to start a new life and watching Marvin happily try to be a realtor doesn’t exactly yield a ton of laughs — the humor mostly comes from fight scenes involving items from a staged house and a black-belt wearing Drew Scott as a rival realtor. What could have been cool was watching Quan as an assassin so deadly his own brother, Knuckles (Daniel Wu) calls him a “beautiful monster.” The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. And it’s a shame because every member of the cast clearly is game for a wild ride. What made Quan work so wonderfully in *Everything Everywhere All at Once* was his ability to be strong, kind, and romantic and the script never delves into moments long enough for any of that to shine through. Marvin is introduced to us as a chronically smiling man who touts how much he loves his life, but the only scenes of that life include him living in his office, making cookies for those in his office, and selling houses. Does he have friends outside of work? Hobbies? Who knows. He claims he loves Rose so much, enough to refuse his brother’s command to kill her, but there’s no hints of this love short of flashbacks of her dragging her to an open hole. Not to mention the 21-year-age gap between Quan and DeBose leaves the entire affair entirely chaste and off-putting. As my friend Drew Taylor said, “They had the romantic chemistry of two loaves of bread that happen to be in the same kitchen.” The rest of the cast are one-note concepts as opposed to fleshed out characters, from an assassin bemoaning his partner kicking him out to another with hidden depths as a poet. These oddball traits only serve to smother an already convoluted story about missing money and a double cross told to us in rapid-fire exposition because, remember, there’s not even 90 minutes of runtime. Mustafa Shakir is an unsung MVP as the poet-spouting Raven, bringing a commanding presence and gravitas to the role. He brings some much needed dynamism to the movie, even if the chronic cut-ins to his instant romance with Marvin’s quasi-suicidal assistant Ashley (Lio Tipton) gets grating fast. Ariana DeBose rocks a mid-Atlantic accent (?) and is definitely going for fun femme fatale/manic pixie dream girl as Rose. She’s another character that it would have been great to see in the past more, or just have her as the central character. She’s quippy, she’s slick, give her a con movie asap! Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Daniel Wu is the most wasted member of the cast, yet seems to be having the most fun, as the evil Knuckles. He and Quan only have one scene together — a bizarre turn considering the history they speak of — but Wu is so chilling that every time he’s on screen you wish, again, that this was his movie. His chugging of boba like it’s literal gasoline he needs to run, and his ability to use a boba straw as a deadly weapon, is the one highlight of Love Hurts. When he kills someone the audience might actually have affection for — or at least is told is a good person — Wu brings all the baddie energy you need. There are the most fleeting of images of a mustache-wearing Quan from his past and the audience will ache for a straightforward gangster narrative with Quan and Wu as two brothers at odds in the criminal world. There’s a lot of aching though while watching *Love Hurts*, and it’s not from the fight scenes. It’s unclear whether the film’s hour and 23 minutes was all that was salvageable or focus grouped to death but there are clear indicators that “we’ll fix it in post” happened. At least 75% of the movie is either narration by Quan or DeBose, standing in for feelings someone believed the audience wouldn’t get otherwise, or ADR. There are several moments where you can see characters clearly not talking only for lines to come out. There are also two scenes that are so clearly green screen. Were they reshoots or did the VFX team run out of time to blend them? *Love Hurts* wears its bleeding heart on its sleeve to deliver the sole message that: even assassins have shitty love lives. The cast is certainly interesting and, in a different movie, could have made something of this. As it stands *Love Hurts* limps its way to the finish line. I do want Quan to make more movies, just better ones. ## Grade: D *Love Hurts is in theaters tomorrow.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### The Film Maven Film Diary for January 2024 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/must-see-movies-january-2024/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:25:47.000Z The best (and worst) of what we've watched this month _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Sly Lives!' Review: Questlove Returns Celebrating More Music History URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/sly-lives-documentary-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:06:38.000Z Director Amir “Questlove” Thompson returns to Sundance after his fantastic (and Oscar-winning) documentary Summer of Soul in 2021 with a documentary that’s both a musical celebration and a straightforward exploration of being a Black artist. Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius) explores the titular Sly, of Sly and the Family Stone, in a way that doesn’t just break down the personal highs and lows but becomes a class in music making as well. Whether you’re a beginner to the band (like myself) or a long-time fan, Sly Lives! tells a familiar story while mining unique angles to get intimate. Thompson starts the movie asking his talking heads about the concept of “Black genius.” What is it and how does it contribute to an artist’s rise and fall? As musician Andre 3000 explains, it’s not something quantifiable but “I love it when it happens.” That’s the throughline of Sly Lives!, documenting Sly’s ability to know where the music was and, more importantly, where it was headed before anyone else. At the same time, as a Black man, Stewart was not just able to represent himself. He was required to represent the entirety of Black society, to always have a message, and to always be infallible. “We, as black folk, always have to be 3, 4, 5 steps ahead of everyone just to break even,” says musician D’Angelo at one point. That genius ended up causing Stewart to become so big as to enter into self-sabotage. " The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. There’s a similar energy found in Sly Lives! that was also in Summer of Soul: the frenetic, hard-hitting, fun impact that music provides. Joshua L. Pearson’s editing is able to skillfully blend musical performances in a fast pace that never makes the audience feel they’re being inundated with images, but it certainly conveys the fresh spirit of San Francisco in the 1960s. Sylvester “Sly” Stewart started his career as a popular radio DJ in San Francisco, but his ability to capture the musical zeitgeist at the time started early. Stewart received his first gold record at just 19 with a novelty dance song by Bobby Freeman. Stewart was one of the first to dabble in 1960s pop music, the rise of the British invasion, and psychedelia at the same time. Yet the movie always weaves in the story of not just Sly’s genius as a musician, but how it dovetailed (and sometimes clashed) with his being a Black man. As Jerry Martini, the man Stewart credits as starting the band, explains: “I was a white man trying to be Black. He was a Black man being everything.” And Thompson shows what a burden that placed on everything, going back to Stewart’s parents coming to California as part of the Great Migration. The flopping of Sly and the Family Stone’s first album was chalked up to the band needing to dress nicer and play in better clubs and, more specifically, to cater to white audiences as well as Black. It’s amazing to hear various musical artists break down the influences of the band’s music. There are influences you can still hear today in the work of Janet Jackson, Earth Wind and Fire and LL Cool J. At the same time, the need to please everyone was always a problem with the band. The irony of a song like “Everyday People,” which presents a utopia, is presented alongside the hippie movement which was predominately white while, at the same time, the Civil Rights Movement raged. Thompson and crew are so good at skillfully weaving in so many different threads and material to prove their point: Sly and the Family Stone wasn’t just a band, though it was. It also represented (and diverged) from everything happening during the time. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Of course, a music documentary like this can’t have the highs without the lows. “The same thing that makes you great is what kills you,” Andre 3000 says. Sly publicly struggled with addiction, which Thompson documents with a respect that doesn’t devolve into the tawdry. Though, as others say in the doc, Sly’s need to stay relevant as the musical culture passes him by did lead to all manner of embarrassing public appearances. In the grand scheme of things these moments aren’t as interesting as the musical exploration, though it is a necessary evil of stories like these. Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius) lives up to its title. It doesn’t have the same propulsive impact of Summer of Soul but it continues to showcase Thompson’s ability to weave a fabulous story that looks at different facets of music in a compelling way. # Grade: B [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'The Librarians' Review: An Essential Watch About the Written Word URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-librarians-2025-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:06:44.000Z Before I entered into the entertainment journalism sphere I wanted to be a librarian. The library has always been a special place for me, a place where I can read countless stories (for free!). It’s a place where, as a disabled child, I felt I belonged. As I became a teenager, I butted up against others who thought it was strange how much I loved the library. What was so great about reading? This no doubt contributes to why I loved Kim A. Snyder’s latest documentary, premiering at Sundance this weekend, *The Librarians*. “We’re stewards of the space. Stewards of the people,” says an anonymous librarian in Kim A. Snyder’s latest documentary, *The Librarians*. As Snyder’s camera weaves its way through bookshelves full of books it’s easy to understand why these are safe places for all manner of people and why someone would be hellbent on corrupting them. The various subjects Snyder talks to all express surprise at what is currently happening in today’s school libraries: books banned and burned, particularly for having LGBTQIA+ content, and librarians under fire, accused of grooming young children. “I didn’t think most school districts would entertain this,” librarian Nancy Jo Lambert says. And yet many are. Snyder starts in Granbury, an affluent, white, conservative suburb in Texas and the aftermath of a bill passed by lawmaker Matt Krause to ban 850 books deemed “pornographic” to young children. The domino effect soon takes place, with numerous schools following suit and, as Snyder lays out in the documentary, all of it part of a coordinated, highly funded campaign. “If you can control the library, you can control the community,” the anonymous librarian says, and Snyder more than shows that. School board meetings, many of them led by members of various conservative groups funded by high priced donors, become places of hostility with people screaming about pedophilia and filth in seemingly innocuous books. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. *The Librarians* put a face on the librarians who have fought, and those who have lost, for the ability to let children read and learn. Suzette Brooks defends her decision to keep Ta-Naheisi Coates’s book *Between the World and Me* and Ibram X. Kendi’s *How to Be an Antiracist* on the shelves of her library. Though the decision lost her her job it’s amazing that Brooks is able to still beam with pride at showing that the books are still in the library, yet no one is aware of it. Snyder also puts a face on the youth desperate to keep their libraries open. Kennedy Tackett is one such student who runs a banned book club in Granbury. All of these different voices seek to illustrate one thing: that those who prize the written word won’t be silenced. As one librarian says, “They’re not banning just any books. They’re banning the *best* books.” And it’s true. The works of Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, etc. are some of the most seminal pieces of literature and the viewer is left to wonder what do they all have in common that makes them so dangerous? As one of the students points out at a school board meeting: most of the 850 books on Krause’s list deal with queer themes and gender identity, issues most children can’t talk to their parents about. The most evocative images within *The Librarians* comes in the moments where the two differing ideologies in the doc collide. A subplot involving Weston Brown, whose mother Monica is part of the book banning crusade, is documented. The sensitive young man who admits his mother disowned him when he came out as gay and who found identity and understanding through literature. At one point Snyder’s camera watches him as he gives a speech to the Granbury school board while his mother sits behind him, recording him as if he’s a stranger to her. As Weston explains, his mother seems to truly believe what she says, and that appears to be true. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. In the countless faces Snyder witnesses standing at podiums screaming about protecting children, they truly do believe they’re doing the right thing. As the history is laid out, so often the true believers end up being hopelessly wrong. The documentary and those involved all agree: we’ve seen this before and yet we haven’t learned anything. There’s never been a movie more vital this year than *The Librarians*. If you prize literature, intelligence, independent thought, safe spaces for children, it’s a necessary watch. Kim A. Snyder pours so much heart and respect for her subjects here. It’s a documentary that will make you angry, sad, and galvanized to do something. If anything, it will make you want to pick up a book and read. # Grade: A [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### I Haven't Stopped Thinking About the Finale of 'The Curse' URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-curse-finale-analysis/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:26:40.000Z *(Heavy spoilers for The Curse ahead.)* “Sometimes, you have to go to extreme lengths to make your point,” Nathan Fielder’s Asher says to Emma Stone’s Whitney over a Shabbat dinner in last year’s finale episode of the transcendent limited series [*The Curse*](https://www.ign.com/articles/the-curse-review-emma-stone-nathan-fielder-benny-safdie?ref=thefilmmaven.com). I think God, or whatever higher power exists somewhere out there, loves this approach. The finale of this slept-on existential cringe marathon is heads and shoulders above the impeccable rest and it mostly has to do with that exact concept. For the better part of the last year and a half I’ve been bewitched, bothered, and bewildered in the best way by the finale. Immediately after watching it, I felt an unbearable, explosive need to talk about it but I knew almost no one who had seen it. The tragic part was they wouldn’t for several months, until it aired in January 2024. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Companion' Review: Robot Girlfriends Just Wanna Have Fun URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/companion-review-sophie-thatcher/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:06:50.000Z Hollywood has gone all in on the AI revolution, whether it’s actually using it to make movies better or worse or just using it as a horror device, there’s no doubt that the next decade of cinema will be questioning whether we deserve to have the robots take over. Director and screenwriter Drew Hancock’s feature film debut, *Companion*, tries to do something slightly different with its demented exploration of a relationship between an person and an android by taking the foundation found in *Lars and the Real Girl* to ask the question: why don’t we feel bad for the sex robot? It’s a trite question, but Hancock uses it to deconstruct tropes established in the likes of *Ex Machina* to tell a funny, unpredictable tale of girl meets boy, boy controls girl, and girl decides to save herself. Josh (Jack Quaid) and his girlfriend Iris (Sophie Thatcher) drop in on their friends who are spending the weekend chilling at a lake house owned by Russian billionaire Sergei (Rupert Friend). When things take a turn, and someone ends up dead, the group quickly turns on each other due to secrets buried in Josh and Iris’s relationship. It’s a bit irritating that the trailers and posters for New Line Cinema’s latest, *Companion*, go all in on letting you know Iris is a robot. I’ve urged several people already to go in entirely cold to this movie because the eventual reveal, about 15 minutes into the movie, is so jarring. Hancock even goes so far as to do a similar reveal later on and it still hits in a way that makes you say, “Dammit, he fooled me again!” But considering how unique the marketing for *Barbarian* was, and how it utilized other films to sell this, it would have been nice to see them have a little faith in their audience. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Regardless, Hancock takes a familiar set-up: a boy and his sex doll, and uses it to not just explore feminine identity and autonomy, but male entitlement which couldn’t come at a more relevant time. We meet Josh and Irish during the ultimate meet cute of them meeting at a grocery store. It’s a very rom-com moment and almost immediately the pair are dropped into the familiar romantic trope of meeting the friends. Iris believes Josh’s friends don’t like her, particularly his friend Kat (Megan Suri). But Josh reminds her to just “smile and act happy.” It’s little moments of dialogue like this that, if you didn’t know who Iris was, would be all the more blackly comic once it’s revealed. Thatcher and Quaid have such an easy chemistry about them right off the bat. This isn’t a *Stepford Wives*\-esque relationship where he’s not in the same league as her. You could see these two being together. Josh isn’t the perfect guy — a sweet dance moment between the two immediately cuts to a below camera shot looking up at Josh as he orgasms during sex — but it’s only as the movie progresses that you notice the red flags that would make any woman ask some questions. Quaid is great at playing up the trash man archetype between here and *Scream VI*, by the way. The reveal of where Iris’s name came from is up there with the “Push” singalong in *Barbie* as one of my favorite ‘90s retcon moments. But it’s Thatcher, continuing to find new and unique projects (Heretic just a few months ago!) and as Iris she is giving us a woman, yes woman, who is relatable. We’ve seen numerous “women controlled” movies and what Hancock always reminds us is that Iris isn’t superhuman. She tells Josh at one point that she feels pain, something which ends up being used against her as the camera focuses in on her face, trying to suppress the clear pain she is feeling. Thatcher has such an expressive face and the script, which can vacillate between horror, comedy and romance, lets the actress go through a bevy of emotions. Vanessa Porter’s costumes and the hair and makeup team also do a remarkable job of giving her a timeless, Old Hollywood look which adds an additional layer of subtext to Iris and Josh’s relationship. What stands out about *Companion’s* theme — and, again, why the robot business should stay a secret — is how much Iris talks in terms of relationship. This isn’t a robot questioning its existence. It’s a woman wondering whether her partner sees her as a person, whether he respects her. When things take a turn the audience understands how quickly characters are willing to foresake a person they love. Person. Not a machine. Iris is an object, not just in terms of being something bought and paid for, but in being in a relationship with a man who only sees her as something to own. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it! There’s a vibe akin to *Ready or Not* in Hancock’s script. Josh and his friends are various shades of spoiled and entitled, from the cool Kat who admits she’s dating Sergei strictly for his money, to Eli and Patrick (Harvey Guillen and Lukas Gage), whose dimwitted mien is scrubbed away by their mad love for each other. Guillen and Gage are particular scene stealers because they embrace having fun, whether it’s spontaneous dance scenes or Eli’s frustration at having to wield a gun around the woods. A mid-act twist genuinely saddens the audience when Eli and Patrick are separated, if only because Gage is so wonderful at conveying a look that feels like a lost puppy. *Companion* is one of the first great movies of 2025, and a movie that’s only going to get timelier over the subsequent years. If this is what Hancock can deliver with his first feature we should all be excited for what’s next. The look is fresh and vibrant, Thatcher and Quaid are wonderful. This is just pure horror/comedy in the best way possible. Also, you won’t look at an automatic wine opener the same way again. # Grade: A- [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### But Have You Read the Book, Volume 2! URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/but-have-you-read-the-book-volume-2/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:27:24.000Z Today is a mixed day of emotions considering \[looks around\] everything going on. So I wanted to take the opportunity to impart some good news to those who love my work and want more. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Will Banning TikTok Break the Influencer Bubble? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/tiktok-ban-film-critic-influencer/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:27:45.000Z Sunday will reveal whether the popular video social media platform [TikTok will be banned in the United States](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5083305-supreme-court-upholds-tiktok-ban/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), causing millions of Gen Zers to take to the app (and, in some cases, [make actual real phone calls](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CZNlaeZAtw&ref=thefilmmaven.com)) to voice their displeasure. But it brings up a question that kicks off the first installment in 2025 of your favorite series and mine: Film Criticism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed! (What, you thought that was only a 2024 thing?) I want to thank critic William Bibbiani for suggesting this topic because it’s one I hadn’t immediately thought of. So much of the influencer landscape has been colored by TikTokers, many who have cultivated a landscape of millions of followers that has led to brand deals and opportunities that play them alongside legitimate film critics and journalists. So if TikTok gets banned, does this mean film critics will get an advantage? If the TikTok numbers go into the world of yesteryear, will PR folks have to return to the devil they know? _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Wolf Man' Review: Leigh Whannell's Latest Doesn't Howl Like It Used To URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/wolf-man-2025-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:06:59.000Z Director Leigh Whannell’s 2020 remake of *The Invisible Man* was a strong experiment in reconfiguring Universal’s crop of monsters for a 2020 audience (particularly after massive misfires like Tom Cruise’s *Mummy* and the destruction of the Dark Universe). Whannell’s ability to create a contemporary monster, and take the themes of invisibility and use that to tell a story of abuse and gaslighting felt very au courant. Unfortunately, nearly all of that is missing from his next Universal monster endeavor, *Wolf Man*. All the nuance and panache of how *Invisible Man* used its monster is flattened here with a film that telegraphs it’s theme from a mile away and, because of that, has to fill in the time with lifeless characters. More a short film than a feature length movie, *Wolf Man* shows there might not be any life left in the old dog. Blake (Christopher Abbott) is a mild mannered guy struggling to raise his daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth) better than his own father raised him. When his father is officially declared dead Blake is tasked with returning to his old home, alongside Ginger and his wife, Charlotte (Julia Garner). But when the trio are set upon by a mysterious creature, and Blake ends up bit, he starts to transform into something that threatens the life of his family. There are glimmers of something fascinating within Whannell and co-screenwriter Corbett Tuck’s script that, if they existed, appear smoothed out or removed for some unexplainable reason. The film opens with a young Blake living in a clearly abusive household with his father who reiterates to him that if Blake isn’t careful it will result in Blake getting hurt. This statement is two-fold. Blake’s father clearly is worried about his son’s safety to the point of paranoia, and also if Blake doesn’t listen his father will respond with violence. The idea that abuse can be couched under the guise of protection is interesting, and had the movie decided to expand that out — either through young Blake’s story or once grown-up Blake appears — there might have been something. [Subscribe now](#/portal/signup) Instead, after a wonderfully tense scene of young Blake and his dad hiding in a deer blind, their first interaction with the creature of the title, the movie flashes ahead 30 years. Blake clearly lives with the same fear for his daughter, but he routinely apologizes for any overt display of anger. This could have been fascinating to explore — how one man’s feelings in inadequacy manifest into trauma and abuse — but for a movie called “Wolf Man,” the desire is to get there quickly, so anything unnecessary is excised. Blake’s adult life seems to be non-existent. Christopher Abbott gives us shades of a man with violence lying somewhere within him. When his daughter refuses to listen to him on a busy street he curses at her and asks “Why don’t you listen to me?” But that’s the only thing. Once the pair get home, and Charlotte arrives, the movie seems to have a time limit on how much can be devoted to their backstory. Charlotte is a journalist who clearly cares more about her work. Her marriage to Blake has all the chemistry of roommates. Almost immediately Blake gets the call to return home and outside of one conversation with Charlotte about not getting divorced the movie is off and running. The problem is we have zero understanding of why these two characters would stay together in the first place. They don’t appear to have anything in common, except a child. Abbott and Garner also don’t really give off any romantic twinges towards each other. The movie could have had them as brother and sister and it’d be just as effective. And it’s a shame as Julia Garner’s Charlotte could have been a great foil to Blake. She’s tough (or at least she describes herself as such) and he’s soft. The exploration of a man feeling emasculated by his alpha wife, again, has the potential for some real intriguing exploration from a horror perspective (even if it would have felt WAY too relevant today). Instead, Charlotte is more concerned with bonding with Ginger than her husband. This breathless quality continues when they get to Blake’s hometown in Oregon. They immediately meet a former (friend?) acquaintance of Blake’s and after driving just a few feet down a road are confronted with the creature. This is where the movie veers into straight-up monster movie fuel, eschewing any real sense of metaphor. Blake starts changing and Charlotte is placed in the position to keep her daughter safe. The movie sets this up less as lycanthropy and, as the opening text describes, some type of virus called “Hills Fever.” Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. There are some good gore effects as Blake starts spitting out teeth and gnawing on his limbs, but treating this more like a virus than a curse (as in the original 1941) feature doesn’t have the same punch. It also means Charlotte and Blake spend the entire second half of the movie severed, so there’s no ability to explore the changing dynamic in their marriage or their relationship. When Charlotte tells Blake she loves him it’s more the reassurance someone tells another who is dying than a true declaration. It’s easy to presume there’s a good 30 minutes of this movie somewhere that gave Charlotte and Blake’s relationship more development. *Wolf Man* hits the expected notes but the whole doesn’t have much howl in it. *Invisible Man* worked for how strong its script was and how it balanced that with the scares. Wolf Man goes for the scares and nothing else. Abbott and Garner try their damndest to make it work and, if anything, hopefully Whannell comes back for another Universal monsters entry to get back to basics. [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Lex's Favorite Underseen Gems of 2024 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/underseen-gems-2024/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:28:22.000Z You definitely missed these, but I'm here to help. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'A Nice Indian Boy' Review: Culture Collides in Charming Rom-Com URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/a-nice-indian-boy-review-jonathan-groff/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:07:12.000Z A tale as old as time is that of “two people meet, decide to marry, and complications ensue.” We’ve seen that diversely played out in everything from the original *Father of the Bride* to *My Big Fat Greek Wedding*. And a story doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel in order to cement itself as utterly charming and pleasant while walking that familiar path. Such is the case with director Roshan Sethi’s *A Nice Indian Boy*. The film, a queer romance that explores the generational and culture divide in Indian culture, is fated to put a smile on your face due to its leads, Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff. Naveen Gavaskar (Soni) is a highly introverted doctor content to do little outside of his job short of interacting with his loud Indian family who routinely ask him when he’ll get married. One day he meets charismatic photographer Jay Kurundkar (Groff), a white man adopted by Indian parents. The pair hit it off and decide to embark on a relationship, but Naveen’s fear of his family, and inability to be open about who he is, threatens to break them up. Eric Randall’s story, based off Madhuri Shekar’s play of the same name, takes a familiar theme: of two disparate people brought together by love and finds some unique ways to pick it apart. *A Nice Indian Boy* does this most effectively in how it plays with Groff’s Jay being a white man, yet also having a deep connection to his Indian adoptive parents’ heritage. Nearly everyone is thrown by Naveen and Jay’s relationship, not because Naveen is gay — as he says, his parents accept that he’s gay but they’ve never seen him “be” gay — but they never presumed Jay would be a white man. The script never gets too heavy with this premise to look at things like white privilege, but it does have some great moments of humor in navigating the presumption that one can’t be white and Indian. Outside of that, the usual relationship tribulations are present and accounted for: Naveen thinks Jay is too dramatic where he is quiet. Jay is a hopeless romantic where Naveen is a dour realist. Naveen struggles to admit Jay is his partner and, later, tries to deal with all the issues inherent in pulling off an Indian wedding. What keeps everything buoyant is through the interactions between Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Each brings a warmth and relatability to their characters that is charming. It’s easy to see why the two would fall for each other. Soni finds the vulnerability in a character like Naveen, a man described by Jay as practically apologizing for the inconvenience of existing. Soni is able to punctuate a laugh line as capably as do a grand romantic gesture (which Naveen admits is mortifying to him). Groff, though, is the scene stealer as the exuberant Jay. Every time Groff smiles it’s impossible for the audience not to join him. He plays the character as a man just happy to be alive, who finds the beauty and joy in everything, a fact no doubt enhanced by his character’s history in the foster system. In one scene, Jay and Naveen’s father, Archit (Harish Patel), discuss their mutual abusive fathers, bonding over their ability to be resilient. Because of the inherent personal and cultural distinctions between the couple, *A Nice Indian Boy* works the best when it’s actively focused on the pair getting to know each other. The moments of watching Jay try to draw Naveen out of his shell and Naveen confronting his own notions about what being gay and Indian actually means. The introduction of Naveen’s overly nosey family also is at its strongest when the pair are starting out. A trip to meet the folks sees Naveen’s sister, Arundhathi (Sunita Mani), complain about how accepting her parents are of Jay when she wouldn’t be given the same opportunities, while his parents try to “bond” with the pair by making everyone watch OutTV. It’s a moment of all-around humor when everything — cultural, gender, generational — just sings. Broken up into chapters the first two, detailing Naveen and Jay’s meeting, and the pair’s eventual story works. We see the pair immediately fall into a romance, almost a bit too quickly, and then navigate their friend groups and family with Naveen hesitant to admit Jay is his boyfriend at all. This is more than enough for a movie and yet, at just 90 minutes, the movie blitzes through and then has to find more to fill the time. So the back half becomes the pair’s engagement and eventual wedding. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Though it is nice to see their entire relationship go full circle, it becomes less about Jay and Naveen and more about Naveen’s family coming to terms with the wedding, coupled with a subplot about Arundhathi’s divorce. The story becomes less about the cultural divide and more a nuanced exploration of changing cultural norms around arranged marriages. This, in itself, is fascinating but doesn’t have the room to breathe as it’s thrown in amongst all the wedding humor. It would have been stronger to focus the story on one half of the relationship or the other. *A Nice Indian Boy* itself is a nice romantic-comedy. Soni and Groff elevate the humor, and the supporting cast gives everything a lived-in feel. The script is a tad shaggy but the movie’s brief runtime and exuberance more than make up for it. # Grade: C+ [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Sebastian Stan and Celebrating Abled Allyship URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/sebastian-stan-disability-golden-globes/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:28:57.000Z I don’t necessarily need an excuse to write about why Sebastian Stan is awesome. (I’ve met him and can 100% verify that he is, though.) But after watching his beautiful Golden Globes speech after he won the Best Actor award for his role as Edward in *A Different Man* (which you need to see, or see again if you already have), I knew I had to put something together. I’ve noticed the slightest, if not imperceptible shift in disability representation in Hollywood. There’s more awareness of Hollywood’s failings in regards to disability than ever before but action is still slower than molasses in terms of greenlighting projects, casting disabled actors, and allowing disabled screenwriters/directors/etc. into the room. *A Different Man* is a hard sell of a movie. It’s a black comedy/satire/horror film (whatever you want to call it) that calls out so many facets of the disabled experience in a way that, sadly, able-bodied people are just not cognizant of. In a [2024 interview I did with Stan](https://www.salon.com/2024/09/21/a-different-man-sebastian-stan-adam-pearson-and-director-schimberg-shatter-ableism-tropes/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), alongside fellow performer Adam Pearson and director Aaron Schimberg, the Marvel actor admitted he had to find his own path into looking at the world of disability within the movie because he didn’t have much experience. He’s in the same boat as a lot of people who genuinely aren’t aware of the struggles of being disabled in the world because they have no interaction with it. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Worst Movies of 2024 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/worst-movies-of-2024/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:29:18.000Z The mere existence of a list of bad movies in a given year unleashes a lot of debate. Some consider them mean-spirited or only furthering the idea that film critics aren’t actually movie fans. I tend to blame the film bro world for this, many of whom do craft lists under the guise of discussing what “art” is. But I choose to believe there is a way to discourse about movies that failed to hit the mark, and the 8 movies below do encapsulate that. We looked at movies that failed to achieve what they set out to do, others that failed to honor their narratives, and some that just made us angry. You can’t appreciate the movies you love without comparing them against movies you didn’t. That being said, we’re all movie fans here and if one of your favorites made this list we love that there’s someone championing them. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Lex's Best Movies of 2024 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/more-best-movies-2024/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:29:35.000Z It was a good year for film, friends. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Kristen's Best Movies of 2024 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-of-2024-list/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:29:53.000Z Best? Favorite? It's the movies we loved more than anything this year! _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 29 New Discoveries of 2024 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/first-time-movies-2024/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:57:21.000Z I talked about this in my New Year’s post, but I had a very fraught relationship to movies in 2024\. I didn’t have the time or the energy to watch a ton. Weirdly enough, my classic film output ramped up during the Christmas holidays. Either way, this was a great year for new discoveries — defined here as anything that isn’t a new release — thanks to the Criterion Collection, new physical releases and a general desire to seek out something “from the past.” Below are the 31 movies we watched for the first time (and loved) in 2024\. Be sure to tell us yours in the comments! (Clicking the title links will take you to our Amazon affiliate page where you can buy the movies and a percentage of your purchase goes back into The Film Maven.) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### A Thank You For New Year's URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/new-year-the-film-maven/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:58:08.000Z What I'm proud of, what I'm not, and where I hope to go _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The 9 Best Needle Drops of 2024 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-needle-drops-2024/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:58:23.000Z Music made the movies come together.... _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### It Ends With ... A Lawsuit URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-lawsuit/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:58:41.000Z You no doubt spent Saturday reading [the harrowing expose by the New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/21/business/media/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-it-ends-with-us.html?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.jE4.4Dc4.xwaBXc8EtHxd&smid=url-share&ref=thefilmmaven.com) about the lawsuit actress Blake Lively has filed against *It Ends With Us* director and costar Justin Baldoni and his production company for alleged harassment and a toxic work environment. It’s a terrifying piece that will only anger you further if you go through the 30-odd pages of exhibits included. Lively was able to obtain, through a civil subpoena, text messages and other communications that show what she claims was a coordinated smear campaign created by Baldoni and his team to ruin her reputation and credibility if her allegations ever became public. There were several things that popped out at me after reading the entirety of the Times article, as well as the entire 80-page lawsuit. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The 24 Best Horror Films of 2024 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-horror-movies-2024/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:59:04.000Z What scared us this year outside of the real world _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Entertainment Journalism Will Struggle to 'Survive to 25' URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/entertainment-journalism-struggle-2025/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:59:21.000Z The year is coming to a close and this is the last (god, I hope) installment of “Film Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” in 2024 and I’m gonna attempt to do a little armchair prognosticating to answer the question *where is entertainment journalism headed in 2025 and how can journos keep their heads above water*? The entertainment journalism economy has always been bad, but in speaking to many entertainment writers who have weathered recessions and different presidential regimes, 2024 was the year they truly felt things were at their peak. And there was certainly enough to keep them busy, what with influencers pushing out entertainment journos for opportunities and access, and legacy trade publications not only embracing the young upstarts but AI as well. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 12 Old Hollywood Christmas Classics URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/classic-christmas-movies/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T14:59:39.000Z That AREN'T "It's a Wonderful Life" _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Yellowstone' Series Finale: A Post-Mortem URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/yellowstone-series-finale-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T15:00:24.000Z \*Long, exasperated sigh\* Dear Cowboy Creator Daddy, How are you? I’m sure very well considering [you claim you make over $1 billion](https://tasteofcountry.com/yellowstone-taylor-sheridan-money-salary-net-worth/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) dollars worth of TV, collect $200,000 just for your multi-deal with Paramount PLUS all the rental fees you charge for using your ranches, horses, whiskey, etc. Trust me, I know no one’s living better than you are. But after watching this week’s *Yellowstone* finale, “Life is a Promise,” I’m starting to think Paramount is grossly overpaying you. How else can you explain the lazy, sloppy writing and lack of plot that has encompassed these last five episodes? Actually, you could probably justify it several different ways. One being you had nearly a two-year break in-between Season 4 and 5.1\. Never mind that your scripts were already coming in late and you were mired in developing what feels like 18 additional shows, hell one just starring you, but you had some downtime. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'A Complete Unknown' Review: Bob Dylan's Life Gets the Cliff's Notes Treatment URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/a-complete-unknown-review-timothee-chalamet-bob-dylan/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:07:18.000Z There’s a double meaning found within director James Mangold’s latest music biopic *A Complete Unknown*. On the one hand, it wants to show the early life of living legend Bob Dylan and how he started out as a wide-eyed kid and acolyte of fellow folk musician Woody Guthrie to become Bob Dylan. On the other, it’s telling the audience what they’ll walk away learning about Dylan by the movie’s conclusion: that he is completely unknowable. This leaves the movie formulaic at the best of times and completely frustrating at others because if you’re a Dylan superfan you’re going to feel as if vital pieces of context are missing. If you’re a Dylan newbie you won’t get enough background to understand why certain plot beats are significant. The times were a-changing for Dylan, but it’s hard to understand why you should care. Before he was Bob Dylan (Timothee Chalamet), he was young Robert Zimmerman, a New Jersey transplant who arrives in New York to see his hero, Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy). What follows is Dylan’s transformation from folk musician to musical legend, from his transition to electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, to his relationship with fellow musician Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro). Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the Johnny Cash biopic *Walk the Line*, a film that brought the musical biopic Oscar love for the new millennium and gave director Jake Kasdan fuel for his hilarious send-up of the film, *Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story*, just two years later. So when the first trailer for *A Complete Unknown* dropped it was hard to erase the jokes about Mangold returning to the genre, and the same beats, that *Walk Hard* had so sharply skewered. While there are moments that could certainly inspire a *Walk Hard* sequel — a music exec hears Dylan dabbling with electric guitars and says, “Well that’s gonna piss people off” — the movie actually plays like a watered down retread of *Walk the Line*. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Like that film, Chalamet’s Bob Dylan is a sly-grinned raconteur, who feels less like a fan of Woody Guthrie and more like a succubus leeching off his talent. We know next to nothing about Dylan’s previous life as Robert Zimmerman, short of what his tired girlfriend Sylvie (Elle Fanning) gathers from his mail and a scrapbook. As Bob tells her, he up and joined the circus and never looked back and the script doesn’t seek to contradict that at all. Screenwriter Jay Cocks, who has crafted similar inscrutable characters like Newland Archer in *The Age of Innocence*, seems to say no one can ever know Bob Dylan. Dylan is too enigmatic, too mysterious, too perfect. However, that makes for an incredibly bland and boring character, who is far too content to stand in the wings of musical performances holding a cigarette and flashing a smirk that seems to say, “I’m Bob Dylan. I’m awesome.” Chalamet certainly captures the Dylan swagger, but there’s zero sense of vulnerability, conflict, or even passion in the performance. Then again it’s probably because the script doesn’t give Dylan much passion for anything. He has obsession, to be sure, spending nights that turn into days with him writing music. Dylan is clearly driven by something, but what that is the audience is apparently too basic to ever understand. And there’s certainly little passion for the women Dylan has in his life who are simultaneously more interesting than Dylan and yet vastly underwritten. Barbaro’s Joan Baez is the film’s highlight. She conveys Baez’s fiery spirit and deep passion for the folk world. Barbaro’s voice is utterly beautiful. It’s frustrating, though, that even Baez’s agent in the movie doesn’t understand her own popularity. When Dylan first sees her he tells the crowd “she sure sings pretty. Too pretty” which sounds like an insult. At times the movie almost wants Baez to be the villain, with her taking (?) Dylan’s songs and gaining popularity off his music. It’s left hanging whether Dylan gave Baez the songs but, either way, the implication is that Baez had talent, but not Dylan talent. The movie comes alive when Barbaro is on-screen and Chalamet, also seems more engaged when playing off her in their musical performances. Though said performances owe far too much to Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. Mangold gets too reliant on mimicking their performances from *Walk the Line*, right down to the camera shooting them from behind and Baez trying to convince Dylan to sing a song he doesn’t want to sing. At one point the two actually sing “It Ain’t Me, Babe” as Sylvie looks at them and discovers their love for each other and the whole thing was just done better in *Walk the Line*. Fanning tries hard to give Sylvie personality but the character has nothing to do but be adoring and irritated with Dylan depending on the scene. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. The rest of the characters follow suit. Edward Norton’s Pete Seeger is little more than a fatherly fuddy duddy who wants to keep folk music pure, butting heads with Dylan as he wants to expand his sound and go electric. Norton’s “aw shucks” routine is nice, but there’s just no depth to his desire to keep folk the way it is short of being boring. This in spite of the movie introducing him while being on trial for performing “This Land is Your Land.” Why he’s on trial you’ll need to Google because the movie literally plops him in a courtroom and that’s all. The musical performances are lively and a key reason why it’s worth seeing in Dolby Atmos. Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael doesn’t do a lot of trickery with the camera during these scenes, content to let the music sell itself. There’s plenty of Dylan hits dropped throughout the movie, though there’s far too much emphasis on watching others watch Dylan with a knowing smile on their face. After about an hour Dylan is famous, far from the complete unknown of the title. *A Complete Unknown* is far too dazzled at its subject to dig too deep into what makes him tic. Chalamet sells the performance but coasts on charisma while the rest of the cast tries to stay out of his way. It’s a shiny biopic that’s a shard of glass masquerading as a diamond. # Grade: C [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Yellowstone': The Prince Is Having an Auction URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/yellowstone-season-5-episode-13-recap/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T15:01:04.000Z 🎵His royal highness, John S. Dutton, son of his majesty King Cowboy Daddy….🎵 Sorry, at this point the only thing keeping me sane while writing about this show is inserting the characters into Rodgers and Hammerstein lyrics. But it kind of makes sense considering all the pomp and glitz associated with the simple statement that the ~~prince~~ Duttons are having an auction. Vulture writer Kathryn VanArendonk said on BlueSky this was the worst episode of the series and I’m inclined to agree. A shameless Four Sixes pilot with special guests The Duttons left the penultimate episode giving off such mad frat boy energy that I half-expected Beth to enter a wet T-shirt contest. Seriously, the scent of Four Sixes Jaeger (are they there yet) wafting off the screen practically turned this into a 3D episode. Seriously, T.Sher, if all you want to do is party take a few months off and rage, then come back when you want to actually make some TV. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Yellowstone': Suffering, So Much Suffering URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/yellowstone-season-5-episode-12/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T15:01:28.000Z I feel like *Yellowstone* might know what I’m going through as we reach the end of this prolonged Season 5\. Why else would everyone’s favorite female marblemouth, Teeter, have a speech about how “this job is suffering?” She was talking to me, right, and the suffering that comes from writing about this damn show. I’ve been handed a note that says she wasn’t, so, maybe Cowboy Creator Daddy is just finally connecting with me because, hot damn, did this episode feel like torture. That’s mostly because the subsequent 60ish minutes had all the momentum of mid-day LA traffic: grinding to a halt to go one mile. “Catching Coup,” which I swore was titled “Catching Cold,” didn’t give us any serious drama, short of two utterly unnecessary deaths (and a lot of implied racism), for one conclusion that made everyone say, “This is Luke Grimes’ audition for Batman.” ***\*As always, spoilers ahead\**** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Nosferatu' Review: Robert Eggers' Gothic Horror Film Hits the Right Vein URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/nosferatu-review-lily-rose-depp/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:07:29.000Z In 1922 director F.W. Murnau directed the groundbreaking silent horror feature *Nosferatu*. An illegal adaptation of Bram Stoker’s *Dracula*, Murnau crafted a Germanic, Gothic exploration that might have owed its existence to Stoker, but was unique all its own. Since then the film has been rightfully critiqued, predominately for its underlying themes of anti-Semitism but it still holds a highly regarded place in horror history. A more contemporary retread of Murnau’s story has been a passion project for director Robert Eggers, whose previous films like *The Witch* and *The Northman* are heavily inspired by dark, pendulous landscapes similar to the German Expressionism in Murnau’s work. Eggers’ *Nosferatu* is less a remake of Murnau’s film and a movie that has all the operatic drama of Francis Ford Coppola’s *Bram Stoker’s Dracula*. That is to say it’s loud, Gothic and extra in everything from its horror to its grotesqueries. Eggers is a director that can usually be all style and no substance, and if you haven’t connected with his previous films this could change that because he is working with pre-existing material. However, the Eggers style is alive and well, drawing from the elevated horror world of Ari Aster and others. We meet our heroine Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) as a young teenager apparently in the thrall of some unseen entity that causes her to break out in the herky-jerky movements common to stories like these. This sets the tone for a world where characters’ evil machinations are on full display, female hysteria is at a 10, and the plague is nigh! Ellen, now grown, is in love with Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) who has been commissioned to travel to Transylvania and complete a deal between his company and the mysterious Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard). Once Thomas meets the Count, things start to go bump in the night, leaving the poor man trapped and Ellen’s soul in peril. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. There is an overarching sense of dread that permeates every single frame of *Nosferatu*, where a scene with the two most cherubic little girls on the planet leaves the audience thinking “WTF is gonna happen to these kids?” Craig Lathrop’s production design is utterly exquisite, with everything have an onerous, ornate feel to it. This is a world where every frame just looks carved and foreboding, even a coffin! Linda Muir’s costumes continue this sense of being smothered by the scenery, with the entire cast in grand, sweeping coats and tight, constricting corsets. Eggers has talked about how this movie is inspired by female hysteria and there’s a similar exploration of the themes found in his previous film, *The Witch*. Ellen is clearly sexually repressed, both madly in love with Thomas and terrified of what the draw of sexual desire means. Is it a tad lazy to have a literal vampire stand in for female desire? Sure! But Eggers is remarkably restrained with Count Orlok’s appearances, content to focus strictly on Depp’s character in isolation and attempting to warn everyone, Cassandra-like, of what is coming. Her relationship with Orlok is heavily implied to have started when she was a child, though there’s no real desire to explore those dynamics of control and autonomy during the time period. Then again, unlike Coppola’s *Dracula*, there also isn’t an attempt to make this a grand love story between beauty and beast. Depp herself is pretty damn superb, going for broke with the physical and emotional performance of the character. The dark-eyed young girl is such a Victorian gimmick but Depp uses that to craft a character constantly yearning, for love, for attention, for someone to believe that is isn’t losing her mind. She’s contrasted with Emma Corrin’s Anna, a happy housewife and Ellen’s best friend who is the purest depiction of Victorian-era womanhood you’ll ever seek to find. It’s frustrating that Corrin and Depp don’t have more interactions in the movie, as there is a fascinating character study in their dueling depictions of Victorian femininity. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. The arrival of a literal vampire is a somewhat hackneyed stereotype for pestilence and plague, which manifests as a key plot point in the movie. That being said, it’s been a minute since audiences have gotten a good, old-fashioned plague tale where people are dying in the streets and rats are the enemies of everyone. Would the story have been more effective with the Count being more ambiguous? Sure, but it works in the moment. The costume and makeup department try to distance Eggers’ Orlok as much as possible from Murnau’s, transforming the batty Orlok into a more patrician, Russian hussar. You’d be hard-pressed to tell it’s Skarsgard, though, under that between the makeup and prosthetics, as well as a very burdensome vocal performance. Hoult spends much of his screentime looking scared and sweaty. And Aaron Taylor-Johnson, as Friedrich Harding, steals most of his scenes as the straight man attempting to deal with everything being destroyed around him. But for all the other performances, Depp’s performance swallows them up as the script, credited to Eggers just seems more interested in her. The weakest link is Willem Dafoe’s Professor von Franz, this film’s version of Van Helsing. He shows up late in the game to mostly provide exposition and the third act to-do list that will save the day. *Nosferatu* should convert those who haven’t embraced Eggers’ filmmaking efforts previously, though it’ll be interesting to see if he maintains his die-hards who might be a bit thrown with how slim the script feels. *Nosferatu* is very much a movie that runs on vibes, a dark, moody film riddled with foreboding and grand Gothic orchestration. *Nosferatu hits theaters Christmas day.* # Grade: B [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Influencers, Influencers Everywhere URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/wicked-gladiator-2-influencers/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:35:58.000Z And we’re back, said in full Jimmy Fallon/SNL Morning Zoo voice, for another entry in “Film Journalism is Bad and We’re All Doomed.” If you’re just joining the series it’s where I talk about all the struggles film journalists are facing in a changing world of influencer culture. But today’s article is a teensy bit different, in that today’s topic doesn’t 100% affect journalists but showcases a new breed of celebrity and marketing, and how the two are coinciding. We’ve talked about influencers attending press junkets in lieu of entertainment journalists already. But in the last few weeks I’ve noticed on social media a host of influencers attending high profile film premieres, most recently those for *Wicked* and *Gladiator II*. And unlike the junket discourse, where at least those being invited have connections to the film world, however tangential it may be, this time was different. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Moana 2' Review: Sweetness and Song Overcome Rough Waters URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/moana-2-review-disney/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:07:39.000Z Disney has gone all in with the *Moana* universe since the first film’s debut in 2016\. In February of this year the company announced they’d be transitioning a TV series, greenlit in 2020, focused on Moana and her friends into a full-scale sequel to the first film, and in two years you can see a live-action reboot of the first *Moana*. So when Disney is asked the question “how far \[Moana\] will go” the answer is infinite. At least that’s the expectation, and there is some beautiful fruit blooming in this charming sequel. *Moana 2* gives audiences more of Moana’s adventures, introduces some new friends and catchy songs, even if it feels like the stakes are smaller and the scope is more suited to the small screen than the big one. Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) has just returned from a voyage with the hope that she will find other islanders to unite with her family and their own island. She’s told that there is an island whose channels bring everyone together, but it’s cursed by the evil God, Nalo. With the help of demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) and some new friends, Moana will travel on the most dangerous seas in order to bring everyone together. There’s a vastly different tone to *Moana 2* than its 2016 predecessor, no doubt the result of having to expand what was initially a limited series into a feature film. Moana returns to her island home where the audience is inundated with jokes that you’d find in ‘90s animated features like *The Little Mermaid* animated series. There’s little to be gathered about Moana’s relationship to her people, short of she loves them a lot, or her parents. Her parents barely factor into the narrative, in favor of making Moana’s closest companion being her little sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda) who no doubt will find the fans of those who loved Baby Moana in the first film. The Film Maven is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The first film was a Disney narrative about a young girl wanting to find her purpose, see the world, and save her family from a blight that seeks to wipe them out. The script, credited to Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, is on the weaker side, no doubt because the initial TV series was meant to focus less on the title character. Moana, now established as Motunui’s equivalent of Marco Polo, wants to find other island dwellers for the fun of it until the narrative conflict of learning that her family will be wiped out (at some point) if they don’t integrate with other people. At a little over 90 minutes, about 3 episodes if this was a series, means there are a lot of plot threads that tend to start and stop. Moana has to find a crew to go with her on the voyage, which sees her spend time bringing them together and singing a song about how they have to be in sync. The crew themselves are distinctive and a lot of fun, from Maui fanboy Moni (Hualalai Chung) to ship designer Loto (Rose Matafeo) and elderly non-swimmer Kele (David Fane). All three feel unique and relatable, making the most of the screentime they have. Much of that humor and distinction is because Moana tends to have stymied in growth, resorting to singing songs about who she wants to be. This is a character we’ve already seen become something, but guess she needs to do it all over again. Cravalho continues to carry this franchise with her quirky vocal performance — a lot of jokes land just because of how she says a line — and her beautiful singing voice. Her showstopping song “What Lies Beyond” has serious “Let It Go” vibes but dammit if Cravalho doesn’t give a Broadway-level performance. Maui seems the most disjointed and removed from the group, with nearly half of his screentime seeing him trapped in a separate location and being taunted by a shadowy bat woman named Matangi (Awhimai Fraser). The reason for his capture is never properly explained nor Matangi’s role in it. Fraser has a fabulous song called “Get Lost” that sells itself as a top 10 villains song only for the movie to never explicate whether she *is* a villain. Her plot literally ends about 45 minutes into the movie and Matangi is never seen or heard from. Had this been a TV series no doubt she’d have gotten a proper payoff. Thanks for reading The Film Maven! This post is public so feel free to share it. Not saying you liked the Lin-Manuel Miranda-penned songs from the first film is considered sacrilege but if you did happen to dislike *Moana’s* first set of songs you’ll enjoy these far more. Though the Pacific Islander influences are more muted here the catchiness and pop beats are increased to 100\. Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear’s songs feel culled more from the Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez school of songs which does make them all bigger earworms. Unfortunately, Johnson’s song is no “You’re Welcome,” the big hit from the first film. Instead of giving him a song that gives us insight into who he is, his song this round is purely a pump up Moana song. Honestly, his character is little more than a cheerleader and deus ex machina this round and could have been cut with little fanfare. And, really, that is the biggest change between *Moana’s 1* and *2*. Where Moana and Maui were a team initially, this sequel is really about Moana stepping out on her own and setting up the next generation of wayfinders. It’s not a bad decision, it just won’t please those who appreciated that dynamic in the original film. However, Cravalho’s work is so stellar, coupled with the other voyagers that accompany her, it’s hard to really miss Johnson too much. *Moana 2* is a pleasant trip to the movies that probably won’t stick with you nor will you feel it was a waste of time. Your mileage will vary greatly based on how you took to the first film. The TV roots are hard to ignore and you can just see the commercial breaks when they pop up. But it’s hard not to be swept away by the songs and beauty. # Grade: C+ *Moana 2 is in theaters November 27.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Yellowstone': Someone Finally Kicks It Into Gear URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/yellowstone-season-5-episode-11-recap/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:36:33.000Z I guess Cowboy Creator Daddy must have taken his ADHD meds finally — maybe he popped some of that Adderall Beth was talking about — because last week’s episode was surviving on fumes. You certainly can’t accuse this week’s episode “Three Fifty Three” of the same as things actually started happening! And why shouldn’t they since there’s only 3 episodes left in this entire series. If you were confused about timelines they finally converged this week, mistakes were made (and uncovered), and a shocking finale was pulled straight from the *Sons of Anarchy* playbook. ***\*\*As always, spoilers abound\*\**** _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Wicked' Review: Cynthia Erivo Defies Gravity in This Merry Musical URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/wicked-review-cynthia-erivo/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:07:48.000Z Eighty-five years ago Judy Garland went over the rainbow in *The Wizard of Oz*, a movie that has transcended its medium to permeate everything from theme park design to decor. It’s also inspired other studios that don’t have the rights to the Warner Bros. (formerly MGM) movie to try their own takes while skirting the lines of copyright infringement. But, 85 years later, the question is whether *The Wizard of Oz* ‘39 is even known to the current generation of Gen Zers and Alphas many of whom no doubt claim the Stephen Schwartz musical Wicked, based on Gregory Maguire’s book of the same name, as their de facto Oz story. *Wicked* has had a development period as long and as winding as the Yellow Brick Road itself, going all the way back to 2009 and a never-produced non-musical adaptation of Maguire’s book. Eventually, Universal was able to get things flowing, leading to the adaptation of the Broadway musical you’ll be dazzled by on-screen. And I do mean dazzled. Director Jon M. Chu is no stranger to the musical genre, having made his bones on the *Step Up* series and directing the musical adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s *In the Heights* (a film sadly undone by the pandemic). But his take on *Wicked* might be one of the most beautiful and ambitious movie musicals we’ve seen in years, one that rivals some of the best of the Old Hollywood era which, if you know me, is a bold claim. Chu hearkens back to the MGM bombast of the late-1930s with full-scale choreography, opulent practical sets and exquisite costumes (shout-out to costume designer Paul Tazewell) that will delight. Everything about this movie is a feast for the eyes and multiple viewings will only enhance that. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. *Wicked* is the story of Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo), a green-faced young woman who has been considered the outcast of her family since birth. When she gets an opportunity to study at the prestigious Shiz University she butts heads with the extremely popular Galinda (Ariana Grande). As Elphaba tries to find where she belongs, her strong magical powers put her on a collision course with everyone, including the great and powerful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). The moment the movie recreated Universal’s logo in the 1940s I knew I was hooked and, no doubt, other Old Hollywood fans will be as well. Chu and the below the line crew no doubt understand the grand world they’re holding onto and do their utmost to pay reverence to the 1939 film (without getting sued) while simultaneously creating their own vision. So, a sweeping overview of Oz will show the things you’d expect from the world, like poppy fields and even a brief glance at Dorothy and crew on the road to Oz, but there’s never an overt need to remake the original film. But it’s a tall order Chu and the cast, to pay both homage to one of the most famous films of all time as well as one of the most iconic Broadway shows of the last several decades. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande certainly have the pipes for the live musical performances, particularly in the big “Defying Gravity” number in the finale. But even outside of the singing the pair work best when together. Their love/hate relationship is the crux of the movie and leads to some great bits of physical comedy as the pair try to one-up each other. A beautiful dance sequence at the Ozdust Ballroom eventually cements their friendship, though the film always emphasizes their own individual personalities. Erivo plays Elphaba as a young woman continually underestimated, belittled and scorned due to her green color, especially in contrast to her younger sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode) who is said to be “a perfectly acceptable color.” The question is asked early in the movie: is a person born wicked or is it something they’re labeled with. The film/show challenge those labels as Elphaba starts to prove she has serious magical ability. Erivo isn’t particularly known for her comedy and she has some great droll comedic timing, particularly opposite the bubbly Grande. When Galinda decides to teach Elphaba how to be popular (la la laaa la, sorry) it lets them both show off their humor with Erivo put into the role of being more awkward. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. No one ever doubted Erivo in the title role. The more untested entity is Grande in the second lead of Galinda (“the guh is silent”), the eventual Good Witch. There are shades of original Broadway Glinda Kristin Chenoweth within Grande’s performance, particularly in the vocal cadence. But this isn’t an imitation of Chenoweth’s performance, more a light homage. On her own merits, Grande does well as the loveably selfish Galinda. What works in Grande’s favor is her ability to be vulnerable. When she harps about not getting her way or overly praising herself as a good person, it’s easy to see what a front it is. She’s also, no surprise, fantastic in the musical turns where her dancing is incredibly acrobatic. The various story threads are all fascinating and move swiftly in Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox’s script. A tale about creating villains and taking people back to a more primitive way of life will no doubt resonate in a post-election world. Goldblum isn’t in the movie much, but makes a solid Wizard, and who knew he could sing? Michelle Yeoh, Jon Chu alumni, gives such cool elegance as Madame Morrible. The true surprise, even more than Grande, is Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, the charming prince with hidden depths that both Galinda and Elphaba gravitate towards. Bailey has such a light comic touch to him and his performance of “Dancing Through Life” might be the best part of the movie, and the most ambitious set piece in the film. Those who have seen the Broadway show will know every twist and turn, and exactly what’s going to happen in Part 2\. The entire runtime of this movie alone is the runtime of the actual Broadway production. And yet it never feels like there’s an ounce of filler. From Elphaba learning about the various talking animals losing their ability to a small subplot involving Nessarose and her burgeoning relationship with one of the inhabitants from Munchkinland, Bock (Ethan Slater), it all seemingly blends to showcase the full breadth of Oz and its inhabitants in an organic way. There’s so much to love about *Wicked* and it no doubt will please fans of both the 1939 film, the Broadway show, or musical lovers in general. I’m waiting for Universal to start doing sing-along screenings. A fabulous, thrilling time at the movies, I immediately want to see this again. # Grade: A- *Wicked is in theaters November 22.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Yellowstone': What's This Show's La Perla Budget? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/yellowstone-recap-season-5-episode-10/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:37:14.000Z I keep trying to put myself into the mind of Cowboy Creator Daddy Taylor Sheridan and try to figure out how his mind works when it comes to this show. Last week, I presumed he felt omnipotent and god-like after sitting down to kill off the series’ leading man, John Dutton (Kevin Costner) in the most underwhelmingly “F you” moment. This week, I believe he sat down, poured himself a BIG glass of his Four Sixes whiskey, the whiskey made for cowboys that you can buy wherever you buy booze, and thought: How many more episodes do I have left? Five?! At this point whatever yarn-strewn murder board he’s working with is so convoluted that he’s blindly grabbing threads and stapling them together, consistency be damned. So much so that I’ve had several people ask me, both in person and online, if the series is time jumping or not. It is, it’s just that Cowboy Creator Daddy gives no fucks as to whether you notice it or not. In fact, better if you don’t. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Looks Like It's Time to Talk About 'Yellowstone' Again URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/yellowstone-review-season-5/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:37:34.000Z It’s been a minute since I last wrote about Taylor Sheridan’s ultra-successful Paramount series, *Yellowstone*. Hell, I was the go-to girl to grouse about it during my time at IndieWire, which I recommend you go back and read. I had vowed to never talk about this series again, but I started this newsletter and if there’s one thing I know people love it’s reading about hate watching shows so, let’s do this! I’m putting on my cowboy hat and dropping back into the lives of everyone’s favorite Southern version of *Succession*: *Yellowstone*. ***\*Spoilers abound.\**** Boy, did they pick A WEEK to debut their Season 5 back half. Taylor Sheridan has always said the show isn’t political, despite the makeup of its viewership being mostly conservative. Some episodes have certainly felt like they were catering more to Red state audiences than others, but that wasn’t the case here. Nope, “Desire Is All You Need” plays like someone reminded T-Sher that he’s got 6 episodes left so he better start bringing things to a boil. In the end, we get less boil and more potential simmer. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Gladiator 2' Review: Nostalgia Runs High in the Paul Mescal-Led Sequel URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/gladiator-2-review-denzel-washington/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:07:57.000Z It’s remarkable (and a wee bit sickening) to realize that in the time the first *Gladiator* hit theaters in the summer of 2000 and its sequel has debuted an entire generation has grown up and gone to college. At the time of its arrival, Scott’s epic ode to the Roman Empire was a large-scale, breathtaking tour de force that put Russell Crowe on most audiences’ maps and made the phrase “Are you not entertained” insufferable to hear after about 3 months. It was a cultural juggernaut, a fact enhanced by its five Oscar nominations including for Best Picture. The hope was to capitalize on a sequel right away but, for various reasons, it took 24 years for audiences to return to the Roman world, albeit one that now feels far different from both a creative and audience perspective. While there are moments where you might hit the same soaring highs of watching large scale battles like you did back in 2000, David Scarpa’s script has too many ideas stitched together to make everything cohesive. New additions to the world are undercut by overt attempts to return to what worked in 2000, leading to a whole affair that is fun, in spurts, in the moment. Set 16 years after the events of the first film, the city of Rome is mired in war and conquest, led by inept Roman Emperors Geta and Caracalla (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, respectively). Almost immediately the desire to rely on what worked before is on display, complete with the wailing woman of soundtrack sorrow you probably recalled back in 2000. Unfortunately, where our hero Maximus (Russell Crowe) brought war, stability, and a killer line (“unleash hell”), the opening battle here is necessary to impart the bare modicum of plot to make the audience care about our new hero, Hanu (Paul Mescal). He’s introduced in quiet contemplation, not unlike another Roman hero we know (hint, hint) and living with his wife who’s name you don’t need to recall as she’s quickly dispatched nearly as fast as she’s introduced leaving Hanu to become a husband to a murdered wife….wonder where we’ve heard that. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The introductions come fast and heavy within this beautifully executed battle scenes, but once the dust clears Hanu is enslaved and sent to Rome and you know absolutely nothing about him outside one of stray line from wizened mentor (Peter Mensah, tragically playing the same role as Djimon Hounsou) about Hanu being found wandering in the woods as a child that you might miss if you aren’t listening. It took over an hour for the actual gladiat-ing to happen but the script breathlessly moves as if it’s being charged by the minute. And Hanu’s story isn’t the only one the audience is meant to follow. The Roman intrigues is a large part of the story, much like in the first, although there’s a fractured start-stop quality to everything, no doubt fueled by the movie having to stop during the SAG-AFTRA strike. Pedro Pascal is wonderful as the emotionally conflicted General Marcus Acacius, a man not seeking lust or glory but just following orders. Unfortunately, Pascal isn’t used nearly enough to earn the emotional impact needed for his eventual meetup with Mescal’s already revealed in the trailers Lucius, son to Acacius’ wife Lucilla (Connie Nielsen). Scott is known for being a filmmaker whose director’s cuts are FAR superior to their theatrical ones and I have little doubt that the same is true here. In the case of characters like Acacius, there’s a feeling as if whole subplots were removed to make way for other elements. Acacius and Lucilla’s scenes, the one source of romance in the movie, are all great to watch as Pascal and Nielsen have a palpable chemistry, and yet the whole tone is that we’re getting a taste of something far larger. Once Hanu/Lucius is delivered into the arms of professional gladiator trainer and wannabe politician Macrinus (Denzel Washington), the movie gets a necessary shot in the arm. Washington is essentially playing the Oliver Reed role from the first film, but what the script gives him is the additional desire to be taken seriously by the Roman government. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. As Macrinus explains, he was conquered by Marcus Aurelius which opens up the door to some interesting discussions about race. Washington overpowers everyone he’s standing next to but it’s never a detriment. He is the single best part of *Gladiator II*. He’s charismatic, venal, cold, and calculating in the same scene. Any complaints one would have about his lack of an accent is diminished because his performance is nothing short of Shakespearean perfection. He’s the only character that feels as if he’s fully fleshed out. You might be wondering “What about Mescal?” Anyone who has watched the first film cannot deny how amazing Crowe’s performance was, and reviews toplined his performance. That’s sadly not the case with Mescal. The work stoppage is seen the most in his performance — and not just because his hair darkens and slightly changes between the first and second half of the film. For the first half Mescal is just quiet, though a beast with the fight choreography, particularly during a fight in the Emperors’ household. By the second half, and his first interaction with Lucilla, Mescal falls into the trap of trying to emulate Crowe’s performance, down to dropping his voice a few octaves. It’s not a bad performance, it’s just too thin in characterization. There’s nowhere where Mescal makes the role his own instead of just a poor imitation of his character’s father. Anytime the film flags it’s picked up with large scale battles sequences that are nothing short of awe-inspiring. The CGI is evident when working with animals; the first gladiator scene with Mescal and some baboons is very 2000s-era CGI. But the rest, particularly a battle at sea where the Coliseum is filled with water and sharks, is remarkably impressive. These scenes cover up all manner of sins in the film’s 2.5-hour runtime. *Gladiator II* has a similar vibe to [this year’s ](https://kristenlopez.substack.com/p/beetlejuice-beetlejuice-review-jenna-ortega)[*Beetlejuice Beetlejuice*](https://kristenlopez.substack.com/p/beetlejuice-beetlejuice-review-jenna-ortega). When all else fails, fall on what worked before. Denzel is the movie’s MVP. Mescal is fine, while the rest of the cast is given sporadic scenes that don’t linger enough to leave any imprint on the audiences’ memory. The battle scenes are fantastic but, if anything, they’ll just inspire you to revisit the first film. Whenever Ridley releases the 3-hour director’s cut of this I’ll be ready. *Gladiator II hits theaters November 22.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'The Last Showgirl' Review: Give Pamela Anderson Her Flowers! URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-last-showgirl-review-give-pamela/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:08:08.000Z Boy, did I not realize how much I needed to see *The Last Showgirl*. The hours after the outcome of this year’s Presidential election left me feeling … depressed, to say the absolute least. The last thing I wanted to do was go see a movie. But, as I mentioned in my post from yesterday, seeing movies can be a coping mechanism and, in many ways, shows up reflections of ourselves. And Gia Coppola’s *The Last Showgirl* is 100% about women reflecting on themselves, their life choices, and what it means when you’re no longer perceived as desirable in this world. Shelly Gardner (Pamela Anderson) is a 50something showgirl who has spent the last 30 years being part of a Vegas show known as the Razzle Dazzle. When she’s told that the show will finally be closing, it causes Shelly to evaluate what she’s going to do next, and if the last 30 years of her life yielded anything of value. Director Gia Coppola and writer Kate Gersten craft an exploration of Las Vegas away from the neon and glitz of the Strip. Shelly and her fellow Razzle Dazzle dancers give off a facsimile of Old Hollywood elegance on-stage, only to return home to the nomadic, makeshift family they’ve created. Shelly’s home is like a time capsule, filled with old-fashioned furniture and a projector used to play videos of former dance routines. Shelly is a modernized Norma Desmond — without the murdering — reminiscing about a time she didn’t live through, but that felt was represented in her show. Pamela Anderson is perfect as Shelly, and the actress has said there are definite parallels to the character and her own life. Anderson, still utterly gorgeous at the age of 57, doesn’t play Shelly as a ditz or overly naive, but a hopeless romantic who is questing for respect. As Shelly tells her friend Eddie (Dave Bautista), the manager for the show, the spotlight gave her power and it’s hard to give that up. Considering Anderson’s own life — a woman who struggled for respect and autonomy, and who was always boiled down to her looks — you hear the passion in every line reading. Shelly has made choices, whether good or bad is strictly for her to decide, but she regrets none of them. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Shelly is a character desperate for a different time, not to go back to her youth but to go back to a time of presumed elegance and sophistication. She reminds everyone about how the Razzle Dazzle is a part of the glittering theater world of the Folies Bergere. She may not have been cut out to be a Rockette, but the Vegas showgirl is an icon all her own. But it’s hard for Shelly to inspire others to have the same appreciation for the past as her. She’s cruelly reminded that she’s no longer young, and that the Strip has changed. The hardest person to convince is her daughter Hannah (Billie Lourd), who blames the show for her mother’s absence in her life. At the same time, Gersten’s script is uncompromising about the ways women are persecuted once they pass 40\. Shelly appears to have few skills outside of being on-stage, as does her friend Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), an equally past her prime cocktail waitress. Her other two friends, Jodie and Mary-Anne (Kiernan Shipka and Brenda Song, respectively) are similarly struggling because, though younger, they’re placed in highly sexualized auditions that focus on youth and exploitation. Gersten’s script places all of these issues on the same footing. This is the price of doing business as a woman, particularly in the aesthetic-focused world of Vegas. Anderson is the bright light that every gravitates to, but the rest of the cast is equally stellar, particularly Curtis as the acerbic Annette. Where Anderson has some semblance of her shit together, Curtis plays Annette as a wanton woman still living in the unplanned world of her twenties. As she tells everyone, she doesn’t have a “501K” and plans to work until she dies. Curtis gives an equally fearless performance, complete with a fantastic dance to “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Where Anderson is softness and flounce, Curtis is steel and they complement each other beautifully. Shipka and Song also do wonderful work in smaller roles. The former is the little duckling of the group, desperate to find a mother within Shelly due to her own’s inability to appreciate her job. Shipka is perfectly cast for the babe in the woods. Song, as Mary-Anne, is the more realistic of the group. She reminds Shelly to face reality while simultaneously struggling to find her own space in life in her thirties. And don’t forget Dave Bautista, who is so vulnerable and kindhearted as Eddie. As the show’s simultaneous manager and protector, every line delivery Bautista gives is inflected with sadness and yearning. We do not respect him as an actor enough, just like Anderson. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. *The Last Showgirl* is a story of nostalgia and reminiscing, perfect for those living through this current timeline. Pamela Anderson proves she has serious chops and it’s exciting to see where her career goes with the cultural reevaluation she’s getting today. Dave Bautista, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brenda Song, winners all in here. This is one that feels like it understands who I am, and will no doubt find its fanbase in the lovers and dreamers who miss a time gone by. # Grade: B [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### I Just Don't Know What to Say... URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/i-just-dont-know-what-to-say/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:38:52.000Z This will be about movies, kind of _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Juror No. 2' Review: Clint Eastwood's Final Film Doesn't Sway the Jury URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/juror-no-2-review-clint-eastwood/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:08:18.000Z One could write an article, or a series of articles, about the legacy of Clint Eastwood’s directorial canon. (Shoutout to my friend Corey Atad’s [ongoing series](https://www.justatad.xyz/?utm%5Fsource=substack&utm%5Fmedium=web&utm%5Fcampaign=substack%5Fprofile) about this topic.) When it was revealed that Eastwood might be hanging up his directorial hat with the release of *Juror #2*, and that long-time home studio Warner Bros. was only going to release it in 50 theaters, what felt like mild interest in Eastwood’s latest quickly intensified. Being in the room during the film’s AFI Fest premiere had everyone kiss the ring while simultaneously saying farewell to a man who has made some genuine classics. *Juror #2* is far from a genuine classic. If anything, it continues Eastwood’s string of middling movies that display his thoughts on the justice system, masculinity, and whiteness that he’s been preaching for years. As I said on social media, Eastwood should have retired after the 2003 release of *Mystic River*. (Yes, I know *Million Dollar Baby*. I said what I said.) *Juror #2* is a near-two hour episode of *Law and Order: Trial By Jury* following reluctant juror Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult). Set to celebrate the arrival of his first child, Justin initially presume the case he’s involved in will be cut and dry. Things change, though, when Justin discovers that the case, involving a young woman presumably killed by her boyfriend, might have been caused by Justin himself. First-time screenwriter Jonathan Abrams’ crafts a story that owes a debt to *I Know What You Did Last Summer* with its story of a man who has to decide whether to do the right thing and admit his potential culpability in the death of a young woman or condemn an innocent man to a life in prison. At least that’s what *Juror #2* should be doing. What it ends up being is the story of a privileged white guy trying to figure out the best way he can get out of ruining his life without being labeled a horrible person. It’s a shame because there is something interesting in the courtroom elements, particularly as audiences today know about how many wrongly incarcerated people (usually Black men) are mired in the prison system today. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Had this been in different hands it could have been a solid two-hander about the flaws of the justice system. As the altruistic public defender Erik Resnick (played by Chris Messina) mentions during one of several bar scenes opposite District Attorney Killebrew (Toni Collette): “To the justice system. It ain’t perfect but it’s what we’ve got.” And defendant James Sythe (Gabriel Basso) isn’t the perfect defendant. The only real things we know about him are he might have been a gang member and was an angry person. As many of the jurors say, if not for this crime no doubt he’d be in prison. Unfortunately, Sythe — one of several names meant to bludgeon the audience over the head with their symbolism — isn’t given much to defend himself with outside of one lone scene. The film isn’t interested in him, nor is it interested with much about the *how* and *why* the justice system is the way it is. What Abrams and Eastwood seem more interested in in keeping audiences’ on Justin’s side, even as he willfully tries to play both sides of the fence. But this ends up creating a world where everyone Justin interacts with seems incredibly dumb to not notice how ridiculously weird he acts. One could get drunk if they sipped every time Justin drops something at a crucial moment or viscerally reacts to his knowledge he might have been involved in the case. Anyone with eyes might have been like “Hmm, this guy seems a little *too* on edge.” And because Justin’s home is in the space between fear and manipulation, the character spends a lot of time making wide eyes and staying quiet to plot his next move, which leaves poor Nicholas Hoult floundering for something to do. Because Justin is boring, Hoult gives a boring performance. There’s nothing ambiguous in his performance because the movie doesn’t think there’s any shades of gray. In one pivotal scene, Justin lays out that he is a good person who might have made a mistake but he’s sorry and that’s no reason to ruin his life, is it? After spending the last few years hearing men screw up and then hoping the concept of them being goodhearted family men should be enough to forgive them their sins, it’s hard to buy what Justin is selling. But, boy, does the script want us to. The audience hears a lot about his past alcoholism and how bad things were in the before time, but not now. Numerous flashbacks, that could have had a strong Rashomon-like effect illustrating different viewpoints, always emphasizes that that day Justin was following the straight and narrow. The goal isn’t to put him on the same footing as Sythe, but to always remind you how Justin is better. This isn’t *To Kill a Mockingbird* or even *12 Angry Men*, though the movie believes it is in that vein with its moments of jury interaction and florid closing arguments from its well-motivated lawyers. It is interesting to hear how a modern audience looks at things, albeit the jury of James Sythe’s peers only includes 2 Black people, both of whom assume he’s guilty. Each are fairly one-note, one running a Boys and Girls Club as their only identifier and the other continually complaining about how she needs to get back to her kids. The other jurors are lacking in any distinguishing characteristics, outside of one losing custody of his daughter and another being a perpetually cheerful, and utterly wasted, Leslie Bibb. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. The sole holdout is J.K. Simmons as a former cop turned flower shop owner who decides to go rogue and start investigating the case, for at least 20 minutes of screentime, on his own. This subplot is actually fairly laughable. The public defender vetting the jury knows about the one juror’s custody issues but he didn’t know there was a former law enforcement officer on the panel? And worse, he didn’t ask? But the film doesn’t have time to waste on technicalities, dammit. Simmons, though, is a lot of fun and it would have been nice to let him go through the entire movie as opposed to disappearing completely before the first hour is through. Or, better yet, put him in the lead. But it’s the women that tend to suffer the worst in *Juror No. 2*, and I’m not talking solely about victim Kendall Carter, played by Eastwood’s own daughter. Zoey Deutch enters the pantheon of Eastwood’s supportive wives who’s sole job is to encourage their man. Here, she spends most of the film rocking a fake baby belly — and, hey, at least [Clint sprang for a real baby](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKrG%5F6JFlhA&ref=thefilmmaven.com) this time round — and then playing with said baby. There’s one moment of her questioning her husband but mostly she’s there to provide a perpetual smile on her face and be Justin’s excuse for why he’s doing what he’s doing. She’s not a partner, she’s a prop. Then there’s Toni Collette’s Faith Killebrew, and let’s just say there’s a reason her first name is Faith and her last name has Kill in it. Collette is always solid, no matter what type of accent she’s rocking (here it’s Southern). There’s nothing wrong with the performance, more so the character who is presented as a lonely (she has zero backstory) female politician hellbent on winning her platform with an emphasis on faith and supporting survivors of domestic violence. It’s never explicated but it is alluded to that Kendall is less a person Faith is fighting for and more another notch for her platform. It’s definitely impossible to see the movie, which starts with a reminder on the radio to vote, and not see a political context. This comes to a head during the finale when Faith is told if certain news comes to light it will undermine her platform, almost as if to say Faith’s whole goal to help domestic violence cases is just another example of a woman going on a witch hunt for bad men. *Juror No. 2* has specious arguments about politics and the justice system but even more egregiously is how dull it is. The characters are bland and one-note and there’s a real TV quality to everything. It feels tired, no doubt like it’s director feels these days. # Grade: D [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl' Review: A Delightful Crime Caper URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/wallace-and-gromit-vengeance-most-fowl-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:08:28.000Z This is where I confess something potentially unforgivable: This was my first time seeing a Wallace and Gromit film. Yes, I am aware of the stop-motion animated series’ cinematic history, and I’m a big fan of the Aardman animated film *Flushed Away*. But I just never got around to watching the animated adventures of a loveable, if doddering, inventor and his far smarter dog. That’s all going to change, though, thanks to *Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl*! This utterly delightful crime caper wears its charm on is sleeve, with solid jokes aimed at both children and adults, and one of the best movie villains I’ve seen in a while. We meet Wallace and Gromit after calling the police to report that they’ve captured master thief (and fake chicken) Feathers McGraw and secured the return of the Blue Diamond. All’s well that ends well, right? Not exactly. Wallace has become a bit too dependent on his inventions and has crafted a robot gnome that Gromit doesn’t approve of. When the gnome, NorBot, is hijacked by an incarcerated Feathers, and turned evil, it’s up to Gromit to find a way to save Wallace from going down for Feathers’ crimes. Going in cold to this film, no doubt, increased my love for the coziness and whimsy of it all. Wallace spends his days waiting for Gromit to push a button and activate one of Wallace’s inventions. Meanwhile, Gromit just enjoys spending his days in the garden. Right away the film seeks to show our reliance on technology, whether that’s our Alexa or the burgeoning world of AI. Wallace doesn’t understand why Gromit would want to sit in his garden all day and watch plants die when a Norbot can make everything “clean and tidy!” Unfortunately, Wallace has crafted the creepiest gnome this side of the Goosebumps franchise. The perpetually grinning Norbot is pure nightmare fuel before Feathers unleashes his evil plan. The perpetual happiness, shellacked grin and rosy cheeks, alongside Reece Shearsmith’s delightful vocal work, turns the Norbot from a vague annoyance to pure terror. But, for Gromit, the issue is less the Norbot’s inherent creepiness and more how it takes away the simple pleasures of life itself. It’s what makes Wallace such a great straight man in that he continually thinks he’s helping everyone but it only aids in his befuddlement. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Aardman is no slouch when it comes to the use of stop-motion — they have the Oscars to prove it — but *Vengeance Most Fowl* continues the trend of their blend of exaggerated expressions with real human emotion. This comes across the most in Gromit, who spends much of the performance being shocked and appalled at how the Norbot is working. For a character with no mouth, it’s remarkable how much expressions can be found with just some eyes and an eyebrow ridge. So much of the film’s physical comedy is what makes it special, but none of them compare to the villainous Feathers McGraw who makes a meal out of his screentime. Feathers is cut from the James Bond school of villains — the scene of him stroking a white baby seal is iconic — as well as drawing from other evildoers; a scene of him working out to the *Cape Fear* theme is hilarious. But where Wallace and Gromit are so average, Feathers’ outsized persona balances them out. It’s easy to understand, in the world of the film, why they’d be involved with a supervillain like Feathers. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. Directors Merlin Crossingham and Nick Park understand this world by now — this year marks the 35th anniversary of the first film *A Grand Day Out* — and they waste little time on building anything too outsize. The movie clocks in at a little over an hour and yet doesn’t come off as if it’s skimping on storytelling. Outside of Wallace, Gromit and Feathers’ interplay, two doofy cops, deal with the rise in crime and the retirement of the outgoing police chief. There’s a sense of breathlessness to the pace of the film, yet there are just as many opportunities for the audience to stop and revel in the warmth of Wallace and Gromit just interacting. *Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl* is one of the year’s best animated movies. I’m gonna be devoting some serious time to more of their interactions. Just a peppy, beautifully animated cinematic equivalent to a warm blanket. # Grade: B+ [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'The Room Next Door' Review: Pedro Almodovar Latest Falls Flat URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-room-next-door-review-pedro-almodovar/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:08:41.000Z There are moments of outright beauty to be found in director Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film *The Room Next Door*. From the lovely jewel tones of the costumes the characters wear — courtesy of costume designer Bina Daigeler — to the sumptuous, Edenic landscape surrounded the cabin wherein our leads are staying, the beauty of life is all around. And, really, that’s what Almodóvar is trying to get at, that within the constant fear of death it’s easy to forget to take in the glory that exists. Unfortunately, within the beauty of the objects on-screen the ensuing story can’t rise to meet the occasion. With a script filled with equally florid dialogue, *The Room Next Door* becomes a staid exploration of life and death that uses it’s looks to cover its holes. Ingrid (Julianne Moore) is an author whose latest book explores her chronic fear of death. When she hears that a former friend, Martha (Tilda Swinton), is in the hospital with cancer, Ingrid hopes to be there for her in her final months. However, when Martha proposes to Ingrid that she accompany her to a remote location and be there when Martha commits euthanasia, Ingrid reluctantly agrees. The two soon find themselves struggling to grapple with their individual decisions as Martha inches ever closer to leaving this world, on her terms. Hollywood has its fair share of cancer narratives, and while the plot beats of *The Room Next Door* don’t break new ground, it’s the process of how things bear fruit that’s meaningful. Ingrid says at the beginning of the film, “I can’t accept that something alive has to die” and that’s the movie: the acceptance between both Martha and Ingrid that death is inevitable, and that’s it’s coming far quicker than either of them would like. But almost immediately there’s a jarring disconnect within our two leads. Ingrid is surprised to hear about Martha’s cancer, but they pair apparently haven’t spoken in years … for reasons. Nor do the stories told about their friendship imply a ridiculously close bond. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. It’s one of many frustrating slights in the script, credited to Almodóvar himself. There’s one stray flashback, of a young Martha and her farewell hook-up with the father of her daughter, and it’s unclear why this specific memory gets fleshed out and not the central friendship between Ingrid and Martha. We hear about their life is stray asides — they shared a lover at one point, Ingrid eventually went her own way — but that’s all. The primary focus is on the here and now, and once Ingrid and Martha ensconce themselves in the cabin the film takes on a rather rote linkage of scenes wherein the pair bond and Ingrid worries if today is the day she’ll discover Martha’s door closed. Moore and Swinton are GOATs at this point so it’s unsurprising that they hold this today, especially as they’re really the only actors of note for much of the film’s runtime. Moore’s Ingrid is constantly worrying about how death will affect her. In one scene she presumes Martha has died, causing Moore to go through a visceral series of emotions ranging from puking to sobbing. Martha glides into frame like an angel, though very much alive, for a moment of much-needed levity. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. Swinton gets the harder role, quiet and contemplative while throwing out lines from James Joyce’s “The Dead.” Martha says “I swing between euphoria and depression” and it’s easy to see. But Swinton’s inner determination works wonderfully for Martha, a woman who declares “Cancer can’t get me if I get me first.” And Martha’s demise is inevitable, of that’s it’s certain. Unfortunately, the conclusion of Martha’s plotline opens the door for an additional 15 minutes of story, alluding to a possible murder investigation and Swinton in another role. Though Almodóvar enjoys his melodrama, these plot lines — which yield nothing — just feel like a means to unnecessarily extend the film. *The Room Next Door* is far from Almodóvar’s best. Moore and Swinton are good, but aren’t they always? John Turturro arrives to give a speech on climate change, introducing how the death of one person is only part of the death of our entire planet. It becomes cumbersome considering Turturro feels so ancillary to things, but much of *The Room Next Door* feels knitted together from disparate threads. It moves quickly, but it runs over plot elements that would make you care deeper about everything. # Grade: C [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Hard Truths' Review: Marianne Jean-Baptiste Makes Magic Happen URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/hard-truths-review-mike-leigh/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:08:50.000Z Mike Leigh gives you people as they are. He shows you the messy, happy, sad people of the world and compels you to look underneath all that to discover the why. Why do they act the way they do? Why do they make the choices they make? His latest film, *Hard Truths*, plops the audience right into the middle of the world today, this very minute practically, and shows us how people are living in a landscape where a pandemic has destroyed our sense of safety, although it’s just one in sea of issues that have made us feel scared to leave the confines of our house. Pansy (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) is an extremely unhappy housewife who spends her days criticizing her family and everyone else around her. It’s a stark contrast from her sister, Chantal (Michele Austin), who lives a quiet, happy life with her two daughters. The two sisters are forced to come together over one Mother’s Day weekend, leading to a floodgate of repressed emotions eventually being unleashed. It’s remarkable how quickly *Hard Truths* moves considering it lacks a conventional plot. We meet Pansy enacting a scene she presumably makes every day: jumping up and checking the windows outside at the slightest sound. It could be a bird, a person, a fox, but she must investigate it. Her grown son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett) and husband Curtley (David Webber) live in perpetual silence, when they aren’t trying to leave the house to have some human interaction that isn’t the surly Pansy. But even that’s a challenge, as Pansy questions where Moses goes every day — he’s 22 and lacks a job and any sense of motivation — and reminds him that, as a Black man, he’s at risk for being arrested the moment he walks outside. It’s not that Pansy’s wrong, but the way she goes about telling people things is generally harsh and abrasive. One minute the audience is laughing at her questioning why a baby is wearing a dress “with pockets” and another they’re cringing at her berating a furniture employee for asking if they can be of assistance. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. In the hands of any other actress watching a character like Pansy for 97 minutes would be torturous. But the strength of Jean-Baptiste’s performance is that the audience understands the roiling emotions that she, as the character, is trying to contain. Pansy is clearly a woman affected not only by the last several years, but unresolved grief over the death of her mother and the belief that her sister was more beloved. Spread over the series of a few days we watch Pansy, and Jean-Baptiste, go from simmering to a full roiling boil, but in a way that always feels organic. Pansy’s life of quiet and servitude to her husband and son is contrasted with that of Chantal, a hairdresser who’s life is filled with laughter. But even she and her daughters deal with the various microaggressions of white people. Where Pansy is constantly on edge, Chantal’s daughter Kayla (Ani Nelson) experiences a boss who critiques her ideas and expresses her disappointment, while simultaneously saying she’s “proud” of her. Leigh’s script, more than anything, takes the time to say the obvious: people have been collectively traumatized yes, but the fatigue of being a Black person in the world is on a whole other level. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. Jean-Baptiste, long an actress who should have her flowers already, is the reason *Hard Truths* works so well. But she’s surrounded by equally talented performers giving highly individualized performances, whether that’s Austin’s gregarious Chantal who is hiding her ow inner sadness in order to keep positive. Or there’s Barrett as the quiet, childlike Moses. Though he’s a giant of a man, the constant criticism from his mother has caused him to self-sabotage his life, miring himself in a constant depression. And that’s really what Leigh gets at: the chronic depressions of just existing as a person of color in today’s time. *Hard Truths* lives up to its title and is a fabulous leading role for Marianne Jean-Baptiste. For those who have avoided Mike Leigh’s work for being too dour this might have the balance of levity to realism that you’re seeking. # Grade: B [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Heretic' Review: Hugh Grant Creeps in a Densely Packed Psychological Thriller URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/heretic-review-hugh-grant-horror/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:08:58.000Z There are so many avenues to explore within directors and co-writers Scott Beck and Bryan Wood’s feature *Heretic*. At the top, it’s a spellbinding exploration of faith and ideology. But using that as a launchpad, the movie opens up to look at misogyny through the backhanded ways men attempt to control women and, concurrently, the ways women are forced to act against their own self-interest out of a sense of propriety. It also gives us a performance from Hugh Grant, returning to the horror genre (shout-out to *Lair of the White Worm*), that is set to become a litmus test for any future romantic relationships you might encounter. Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, respectively) are Mormon missionaries who spend their day going door-to-door trying to get converts. When they meet Mr. Reed (Grant), they believe he’s a kind man whose wife is just hiding in the next room. Unfortunately for them Mr. Reed has ill intentions and is determined to make the two young girls prove their faith. Beck and Woods’ script capably skirts the line between cringe and outright horror, many times finding the humor in-between. We meet Sisters Barnes and Paxton as they’re talking about condoms and porn, not exactly the discussion topics you’d immediately expect for Mormon missionaries. The fact that they’re having this discussion while sitting on a bench advertising condoms puts the onus on the fact they’re discussing the world around them. They may be naive — Sister Barnes comments on how “poignant” a discussion about pornography is — but they are still young women when you get down to it. They spend their days doing the Sisyphean task of taking their bikes up and down stairs as they go to various houses, with Sister Paxton the most eager to make her first conversion. Horror has always been a genre for viewers to explore the lengths women, specifically, will go to in order to stay alive. We’re taught how to use our keys as weapons and to text others our whereabouts as often as possible. But one of the earliest things most women are taught in order to avoid a potentially harrowing situation is “Get out of the situation in the kindest way possible.” Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. When the two girls knock on Mr. Reed’s door, it’s with the caveat that they won’t enter the house until he produces his wife. It’s the first in a series of moments where the girls attempt to protect themselves *and* adhere to the strictures of their faith. It’s here where Grant leverages his persona as the bumbling, nice guy Brit to fantastic effect. He’s charming, joking around dropping puns anyone’s dad would make. He lulls Sisters Barnes and Paxton, and the audience, into a false sense of security and it’s remarkable. Even when the movie starts to firmly place Grant in the villain role, the audience is taken aback. “Hugh Grant is so nice. He was in *Four Weddings and a Funeral*, dammit!” And that’s the mastery of the performance, and the casting. As Mr. Reed tells them at a certain point, “The question is why do you all let me,” meaning why do the women he’s done this to try so hard to be compliant? For him, he’s the guy telling them not to get “worked up” when they feel unsafe. Considering Grant’s history in the romantic genre it’s impossible not to presume that much of why he acts out certain scenes the way he does is because of the audience sitting in the theater thinking there must be a reason for why he’s acting this way. Even once the girls are trapped, the script always reiterates their attempts to placate Reed and get on his good side. Chloe East, as Sister Paxton, sells the audience on the sweet, seemingly compliant girl, desperate to escape. She always has a “that’s really cool” hanging in her back pocket in a vain attempt to hide her roving eyes. She has the harder job as the audience expects her to be the weaker of the pair. Thatcher, to her credit, is also solid, but playing the more hardened character is a natural thing for her at this point. What’s better to watch is how her and East bounce off each other, particularly once the pair become trapped in the basement and Sister Barnes has to be the one to try to get them out. But while the performances are magnetic to watch, it’s Beck and Woods’ script that is so compelling. Sister Paxton asks at the beginning, “How has God shown you that the church is true?” and it’s at the heart of the cat and mouse game between them and Mr. Reed. Reed, as a character, is every dude you’ve met on social media that reiterates something is just a *clear* copy of something else, and you don’t really need him to go into his argument. Everything with Reed is meant to gaslight the girls into believing he knows more than him, that his opinion is more valid than theirs, and that, ultimately, *he* is more superior than they. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. This has been quite the year for explorations of faith (from *Immaculate* to *Conclave*), but *Heretic* takes a dense look into how faith gets manipulated to really act as a means of controlling women. The plot takes a sharp left turn down some wild paths, but even when it’s at its kookiest, it’s still just the age old story of a guy who wants to be able to do whatever he wants to a woman. *Heretic* is another strong horror offering in a year that’s been full of them. Hugh Grant is utterly phenomenal as is Chloe East. This is one that you’ll want to marinate in, particularly its script. And, remember, if a person you’re dating thinks Mr. Reed made some good points, run. *Heretic is in theaters November 8.* # Grade: B+ [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Conclave' Is the Political Thriller You Didn't Know You Needed URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/conclave-review-ralph-fiennes/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:09:07.000Z If you had told me at the beginning of 2024 that a movie about the papacy would be one of my favorite films of the year I’d have laughed. I’m what you call a “lapsed Catholic” and while I’ve seen my fair share of movies about the Church, I’d be hard pressed to say I’ve loved any of them. Not so with Edward Berger’s *Conclave*, a thrilling, fast-paced drama that plays with all the twists, turns and paranoia of a 1970s political film. Berger’s film isn’t content with subtlety. It goes for big beats and big emotions, a stark contrast with a movie that should be about a group of men writing a name on a card. Elevated by fantastic performances by Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow, *Conclave* is for all those seeking a return to old-school filmmaking where performance and acting can do wonders for a formulaic narrative. Based on Robert Harris’ novel of the same name, *Conclave* follows a group of Catholic cardinals tasked with voting for a new Pope. Led by Cardinal Lawrence (Fiennes), the film explores the various in-fighting and political machinations of various groups, all who hope to elect their established candidate. There’s very little metaphor found within Berger’s film, starting from its opening moments wherein Cardinal Lawrence is brought to the chamber of the new dead Pope. Before the body is even cold, people are ripping the Papal ring off the dead man’s finger as booming drums and ominous strings play on the soundtrack. The Sword of Damocles isn’t just hanging over the heads of the characters but, as the film asserts, it’s hanging over the rest of the world. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. There’s a timeless quality to *Conclave*, in that it feels like it could have easily been directed by Sydney Pollack in the 1970s. Or, hell, Sydney Pollack in the 1990s. The emphasis on ritual and ceremony within the Catholic Church is presented with all the pomp of any other type of political election, so it’s understandable that Berger and crew craft a movie filled with characters meeting in shadowy backrooms, smoking cigarettes in corners and telling others “don’t trust them.” You’d be fine to play this alongside *Three Days of the Condor* or *The Parallax View*. Cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine is masterful with the camera, gracefully giving us sweeping God’s eye view aerial shots of the strategic planning that goes into the Conclave, from the red carpet being laid out on the terrazzo floor to the epic spread. Yet it’s contrasted with the air of high school politics, as the various cardinals separate into cliques based on the language they speak. As Tucci’s Cardinal Bellini says, “No sane man would want the Papacy” and it’s the first lie told in a series of them that goes on for a breathlessly fast-paced two hours. Lawrence, a man deemed “the manager” of the group, isn’t just investigating who might be the best man for the role but how the lies everyone tells about not wanting the job informs their characters. Fiennes’ Cardinal Lawrence is either the humblest member of the group or the bigger liar and it is that duplicity that makes his performance all the more delicious as he tries hard to discover what happened in the death of the former Pope, as well as deal with how the conclave results play out. This is a Master Class of acting, with various levels of superlative roles throughout. Fiennes is the fulcrum by which everyone walks around, but he’s far from the standout. Tucci’s Bellini, a Cardinal deemed to be the most progressive and able to usher the Papacy into the 21st century, is personable and warm, though his spine seems to be missing at every turn. Tucci brings such a level-headedness to the role. The audience wants to get behind Bellini, but is he able to rise to the occasion? John Lithgow brings the perfect level of backhanded Nice Guy energy as Cardinal Tremblay. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. But the true MVP is icon Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes. Too often, religious dramas like this are male dominated because, Church. What Berger does so well is capture the whisper network that exists, both between the Sisters and the Cardinals, as well as the Cardinals of color against those who are white. In the case of Rossellini’s character, there’s such a hidden rage boiling beneath the surface. Rage at what the men do in this place to get what they want, and no doubt rage at what the Church has done because of the decisions of men like them. It’s a fantastic piece of acting and dammit give Rossellini the Oscar. As previously mentioned, absolutely nothing is subtle about the film. If you think there’s an overt meaning about politics and religion today, you’re probably right. At a key point in the movie a bomb quite literally goes off, the sound mix blasting you out of your seats since the majority of the movie is so hushed. But even once that happens you’re so thoroughly engrossed in the machinations of what’s happening, coupled with the stray discussions about what’s happening outside the confines of the area, that it makes perfect sense. Reviews for movies I love are the hardest ones for me to write, and writing about my love for *Conclave* is a challenge. That being said, it is such an interesting, impactful film that we need right now and, honestly, could have been pulled off 20 years ago to the same effect. And that sense of being able to play whenever only makes Conclave more intriguing to watch. It’s a compelling return to adult dramas that you should make time for. # Grade: A- [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### The Blake Lively Journalist and Going Viral in This Climate URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/blake-lively-anne-hathaway-journalist/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:41:43.000Z Last week you probably saw another video from film journalist Kjersti Flaa go viral. The journo, whose initial claim to fame came during the press tour for *This Ends With Us* when [a previous interview of her and actress Blake Lively](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/16/style/kjersti-flaa-interviews-blake-lively-anne-hathaway.html?ref=thefilmmaven.com) had the actress not acting so personable when Flaa asked a question. The whole event seemed to cement people’s perceptions of Lively as unlikable. But then, last week, another interview of Flaa’s started disseminating on social media, this time of a previous interaction with Anne Hathaway that apparently saw [Hathaway’s publicist reach out to Flaa](https://www.koimoi.com/hollywood-news/throwback-anne-hathaway-issues-heartfelt-apology-to-journalist-after-rude-encounter-heres-what-she-said/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and give a public apology. Most people who have seen Flaa’s interviews have sided with her. These are presumably clear-cut moments of an actor on a press tour not wanting to engage with a journalist or having no sense of humor. And, for the Lively video, I’d have said yes. But there was something about the Hathaway one that made me wonder if this was a case of a journo trying to use their infamy to self-promote, and it sets a bad precedent in a world where access to celebrities is becoming harder and harder for professional entertainment writers. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Smile 2' Is Bigger, Bolder and Insufferably Boring URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/smile-2-review-naomi-scott/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:09:15.000Z Director Parker Finn’s feature film debut Smile was a surprise hit upon release in 2022 with a strong premise — what if suicides were like a virus that infected everyone they touched — and solid jump scares (justice for Mustache!). Home studio Paramount, no surprise, immediately wanted a sequel and thus we get the forthcoming Smile 2, a bold, ambitious follow-up that sees Finn attempt to plus everything up a thousand-fold when it never actually called for it. What started out as an inventive little horror feature transforms into a boring, generic drama with a runtime so bloated you’ll start to wonder if everyone just forgot what kind of film they were making. Like the first film our heroine is another young woman with mental health problems, albeit it it’s international pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott). Skye is struggling in the wake of addiction and a devastating car accident that ended in the death of her boyfriend. With a large world tour coming up, Skye is being pushed by everyone, including her stage mom Elizabeth (Rosemarie DeWitt) to be on her best behavior. But in a moment of weakness Skye ends up in the home of an old friend and witnesses him his suicide, sparking a chain of events that threaten her life. What immediately stands out about Smile 2 is its overarching story. Skye Riley is the poor little pop princess forced into a comeback tour she doesn’t want to do by an overambitious parent who doesn’t care about her at all. It’s surprising the opening credits aren’t tuned to Britney Spears’ “Lucky,” it’s that formulaic. We’ve seen all the beats of Skye’s story, even without the smiling horror that’s to come, immediately undercutting any sense of suspense or unpredictability this story could have. An amazingly choreographed dance sequence that goes off the rails? Just watch the only good episode (ep 2) of “The Idol.” A pop star drug into terrifying events? Lady Raven did it better in Trap. A stage mom giving a speech on her daughter being ungrateful? Gypsy’s the same runtime and far more engaging. And while there are unique moments of color and choreography that give off a Gaga meets Neon Demon mien to them they all prop up a wafer-thin story that could have been in any generic horror movie. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Before it gets to the heroine audiences will spend the next 127 minutes of their life with, the film has to conclude the cliffhanger the first Smile left off on. Kyle Gallner, for the briefest of moments, returns as Joel, the man left to witness the events of the first film, and hopes to pass on the virus to a person who actually deserves it. This ends up backfiring in one of the film’s few moments of levity as Gallner, no doubt, was already off filming Strange Darling by this point. It does set up the gore level to a 13. And that’s not hyperbole, the level of gore and intensity of the violence feels far more extensive and unrelenting than the first feature. Characters smash in their faces with the camera, in close-up, watching them slowly drop the object and do it again. Smash, see the grue, again. Coupled with the loud sound design the horror is an endurance test and, yet, it doesn’t actually feel like it’s there for the story but more to get people talking about how disgusting it is. (If you have to see one overly long, gory movie about a woman in the public eye, go see The Substance.) Naomi Scott goes for broke as the beleaguered Skye, but she’s strictly defined by her addiction and the car accident she survived. She’s hinted at having self-loathing, potential anxiety, and body image problems but these are all shooed away with Skye screaming “You don’t know what’s inside my head!” No, girl, we don’t. Would have loved a few minutes to know. Instead, we’re treated to near constant close-ups of Scott’s face as if they got a discount on them. The poor girl certainly taxes the foley artist with the amount of panting, snorting/sniffling, and guzzling we hear. But Skye never feels like a character, but a receptacle for trauma, as any good pop star girlie is apparently. As far as other characters, they’re all one note. Skye’s “ride or die” bestie Gemma (Dylan Gelula) is a deadpan bestie always asking what’s going on. While Ray Nicholson, who is actually on the poster, has about five lines of dialogue in the entire movie. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. The lack of characterization puts everything on the plot which doesn’t particularly know where to go. The first 40-50 minutes sets up Skye’s world of pop songs and performances, with the introduction of her friend Lewis (Lukas Gage in 2 scenes) and the eventual face-smashing. From there it’s back to the stage and random quick scenes of Skye seeing strange things. There are some intriguing paths that don’t get followed, such as a fan’s seeming obsession with her and her team’s lack of interest in protecting her. Another moment where the Smile gang, as her background dancers, do a slow, interpretive dance/chase also yields something interesting to see but mostly it’s those close-ups, noises and chronic (seriously, constant) reminders to drink Voss water! Seriously, Voss funded this movie, right? If someone said this script started out as an original idea and was turned into a Smile movie you could believe it as the desire to bring in all the elements of the Smile world feel like afterthoughts. The original film treated suicide as a virus but here it’s a stock stand-in for everything from addiction to anxiety which, again, doesn’t feel particularly specific or interesting. And with the power of the Smile demon retconned to literally craft whole people, events, and manipulate reality to an Inception-level extent, what little plot is there is left in doubt. There’s a whole character whose existence is in doubt by the end leaving you to think the Smile demon has all the power to create life as Elsa did to make Olaf. Smile 2 is an insufferably bloated sequel that cribs from far more interesting conceits and movies over the last two years. Naomi Scott isn’t at fault and carries this movie on her back. But everything you liked about the first Smile isn’t here and, if anything, it’s sequel might just make you question whether the original was any good at all. # Grade: D *Like cats? I’m currently* [*running a GoFundMe for my cat Elliott Stabler*](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-elliott-the-rescue-kitty-heal-and-thrive?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *(yep, that’s his name) who ran into some unexpected vet bills due to a recent emergency surgery. If you’re able to donate or share I’d greatly appreciate it.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### The Hollywood Reporter's 'New A-List' and Why Film Journalism Is F***ed URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/hollywood-reporter-influencer/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:42:19.000Z A new week dawns and we return to our regular series: “Film Journalism is Bad and We’re All Doomed.” Last Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter dropped "The Creator A-List,” a look at 50 TikTokers, Instagrammers, and other content creators “dominating the business of media.” But they didn’t necessarily advertise it as a list of top-tier creators. Per their tweets they sold this piece quite literally as Hollywood’s new A-list which a lot of journalists and others actually in Hollywood … had opinions about. It wasn’t just the declaration that these content creators were dubbed the A-list, implying a level of near superstardom at odds with many who claimed they only recognized a handful of names, but it continues the trend of showing who is really in the power position when it comes to *talking* about the industry. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Anora' Review: Mikey Madison's Audrey Hepburn Moment URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/anora-review-mikey-madison/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:09:23.000Z There’s a moment in director Sean Baker’s *Anora* wherein all the assembled characters are placed in front of a judge. As they beg him to listen to their story and, more importantly, believe what they’re saying is true, they’re also yelling at each other. It’s a scene that could easily play in the 1940s work of Preston Sturges or Howard Hawks. It’s a moment of pure screwball comedy that elevates Sean Baker’s film from well-made sex comedy to comedic classic. Anora starts in a somewhat similar way to Emerald Fennell’s *Promising Young Woman*, in that a boppy needle drop underscores the film’s images and sets up the theme that is to follow. In Fennell’s case, it was Charlie XCX’s infectious “Boys” played over gyrating old men, the song’s fantasy world of daydreaming about boys slamming against the reality of what women usually encounter. With *Anora* it’s Take That, Robin Schulz and Calum Scott’s “Greatest Day,” a peppy celebratory song of hope that plays as men spend their almighty dollar for the pleasurable company of a nude woman grinding and dancing on them. It’s a song that, in a way, becomes *Anora’s* theme. Every day is great, but today could be the ultimate. Anora, in this case, is really Ani (Mikey Madison), a Brooklyn-accented exotic dancer and sex worker. While at the club Ani is the requisite good-time party girl, chewing gum and blowing bubbles while giving lap dances and finding any excuse she can to get a guy to the ATM. When her evening is over, Ani turns in her pumps and g-string for a heavy jacket and beanie, to go home and sleep until it all starts over again. Much has been said about Madison’s performance and every superlative is warranted. There are two women inhabiting her performance: the sex-pot Ani and the strong-willed Anora, the latter subsumed and hidden away. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Madison’s wide smile and accent give off Marisa Tomei in *My Cousin Vinny* vibes or Julia Roberts in *Pretty Woman*. But it’s easy to see this role as Madison’s *Roman Holiday*. Like that film, Ani goes on a madcap adventure, only to question whether romantic love is truly enough. And like Audrey Hepburn, Madison has to grapple with the two sides to her persona: the real her in Anora and the fake her in Ani. It’s a performance for the ages, worthy of study, it’s that good. When she meets the quirky Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), a Russian transplant with seemingly unlimited funds the two spark an immediate connection and soon embark on a hedonistic, highly sexual romance. Ivan has a similar split in his personality when he’s with Ani, telling her to call him Vanya. But where Ani is tamped down to get what she wants out of Vanya, it’s easy to see the glimmers of how she really feels. Madison will roll her eyes or register her boredom as her and Ivan spend their days having quick, unsatisfying (for her) sex, and watching him play video games. She is forced to stroke his ego constantly, telling him “You’re like funny cool.” Eydelshteyn is just as perfectly suited for the role of Vanya as Madison is. He’s a man-child who understand that when his awkward charm isn’t enough that money will suffice. And yet it’s remarkably easy to see why Ani would want to be with Ivan. He says “I think we would have a great time even if I didn’t have money,” and that’s true (to an extent) because Eydelshteyn plays Ivan like a boy in need of mothering, lusting for a friend who will see him as a person. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t complicit in his own destruction, berating a manager at a Vegas hotel for not having his suite available (“You mean I have to fucking wait?”) or partying so excessively the help requires extra tips. A trashy Vegas wedding soon transpires — shoutout to costume designer Jocelyn Pierce whose costumes are exquisite — but when Vanya’s family becomes hellbent on getting it annulled he cuts and runs, leaving Ani to handle the mess. After an extremely wild first half, *Anora* slows down and settles into a screwball comedy of errors as Ani goes on a search for Vanya, accompanied by his parent’s two henchmen Toros (Karren Karagulian) and Igor (Yura Borisov). The chaos doesn’t dampen once Vanya and Ani are separated, but there is a slow-down in narrative as Ani, Igor and Toros engage in a hilariously extended fight sequence and are forced to travel the streets to find Vanya. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. Karagulian and Borisov are manic in their own way. Where Ani and Vanya’s relationship is a whirlwind, Toros and Igor hope to contain whatever explosion could result through a bumbling mix of (what they believe to be) fear and intimidation. Madison and Borisov are all subtlety in their interactions after an initial fight scene that is intense as it is side-splitting. Borisov makes Igor curious about who Ani is, and if this were any other type of film you’d be hoping a genuine love triangle would develop which, thankfully, Baker eschews. Karagulian also mines humor from Toros’ chronic misunderstanding of Gen Zers today, coupled with the film’s incisive look at class. At the end of the day, Toros just wants to keep his job. Like all of Baker’s previous work, there’s a stark look at class found within the fun and drama of Anora that hits you with a wallop, particularly in the film’s final frames. Ani tells her strip club friends that she dreams of staying in the “Cinderella suite” during her honeymoon with Vanya and, for a generation who have grown up on the most famous sex worker fairytale, *Pretty Woman*, it’s hard not to want the same for Ani. But as the movie lays bare during the fraught climax, Vanya is no different from the other strippers at the club, he just sells it better. As Blondie sings in the film’s trailer, “dreaming is free” but it doesn’t pay the bills. *Anora* is a movie that wraps you up in its fun, pop-tinged fur coat and, by the end, leaves its soul exposed. Mikey Madison is bound for superstardom and the rest of the cast is able to keep up with her. This is one you’ll want to see again and again. # Grade: A *Like cats? I’m currently* [*running a GoFundMe for my cat Elliott Stabler*](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-elliott-the-rescue-kitty-heal-and-thrive?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *(yep, that’s his name) who ran into some unexpected vet bills due to a recent emergency surgery. If you’re able to donate or share I’d greatly appreciate it.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Bird' Review: Andrea Arnold Crafts Another Stunner URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/bird-review-barry-keoghan-andrea-arnold/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:09:30.000Z Director Andrea Arnold has been here before, telling stories about teenage girls on the verge, living in an unforgiving landscape with parents ill-equipped and unwilling to work in their best interest. But where Arnold’s previous features, *Fish Tank* and *American Honey* presented feminine sexuality, the predatory nature of men and the need to make money to get out her latest feature, *Bird*, injects an element of magical surrealism to everything to make a fantastical close-out to her tough girl trilogy. This is easily Arnold’s most hopeful feature, a chaotic, beautiful exploration into the relationships between fathers and daughters, and what happens when young girls are so focused on saving others, they can’t see how to save themselves. Bailey (Nykiya Adams) is a 12-year-old girl living with her impulsive father Bug (Barry Keoghan). A father at just 14, Bug acts more like an annoying big brother than a parental figure. When he declares he’s planning to get marry it causes Bailey to lash out and seek ways to avoid being at home. She meets the enigmatic, if bizarre Bird (Franz Rogowski), who claims he’s looking for his missing family. The pair embark on a tenuous friendship that sees Bailey discover her inner strength and the true meaning of family. Arnold has always been a master of flipping the script on what audiences expect a British movie to look like. Gone is the cold, classy sterility of the estates seen in *Masterpiece Theatre* and in its place Arnold shows a diverse, in-your-face world of those who have everything and those just trying to have a little. Much like it’s title, *Bird* is Andrea Arnold in an airier, dare we say lighter world than her previous features. We meet Bailey amidst the hustle and bustle of Kent as her gregarious father Bug comes to take her home. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Arnold has always been about showcasing class distinctions, whether that’s the council housing of *Fish Tank* or the American South in *American Honey*. Arnold’s long-time cinematographer Robbie Ryan lays it all bare in a beautiful tracking shot of Bug and Bailey on a scooter where manicured lawns naturally turn into more lower-income neighborhoods where unsupervised children flood the streets. And the overabundance of children is important to Arnold’s narrative here, as Bailey could very well become a mother at any time. Her own father was a child when he produced Bailey and her brother and Bailey’s young mother has three children younger than her 12-year-old. It’s a landscape where, the lack of jobs and economic support for people leads everyone to get bored, have sex, and perpetuate the cycle. But Bug swears life is going to change for everyone with the advent of his new marriage, to the harsh accented Kayleigh (Frankie Box), who also comes with her own child, and the belief that he’s found a magic “drug toad” that will produce money for them. Keoghan, who walked away from *Gladiator II* to star, sells the immature Bug, a man who might have had a better life if he was able to grow up a few more years. Instead, he flaunts his “dreams” to his daughter and gets indignant when the child doesn’t care. Unlike Arnold’s cruel mothers, though, Bug does try his damndest to provide some type of life for his kids. While his life is presented as one big party — where friends drop by to listen to rap music or, in one hilarious scene, sing Coldplay’s “Yellow” to a frog — Bug is desperate to assert authority with his children. A third act moment at a train station is a moment for Keoghan to show the tenderness he brings to unlikable characters, with Bug finally able to impart the wisdom he, no doubt, hoped his own father would have given to him. At the same time, Keoghan is able to play with the levity in Arnold’s script, whether that’s a sly Sophie Ellis-Bextor dig (fans of *Saltburn* will bust up) or telling his kids “Sometimes I wish I didn’t have you … but I luv ya.” Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. Arnold is well-regarded for discovering new talent and, no surprise, newcomer Nykiya Adams is a stunner as Bailey. As Bird tells her, “You’re used to sorting it out, aren’t you?” and that’s evident in Adams’ haunted eyes. Bailey has had to grow up quickly, yet Adams is still able to sell her child’s sense of wonder, seen when she’s in sweeping fields or interacting with horses. The film’s 4:3 ratio plays everything like it’s a Polaroid capturing a moment in time or, considering Bailey’s age, a TikTok video. When Adams is opposite Keoghan she feels like an equal, matching his bluster with her own defiance. Or she’s the mother hen, protecting her younger siblings from her mother’s vicious, abusive boyfriend. It’s when Adams is opposite Rogowski that the audience gets a glimpse into who the real Bailey is: a determined, inquisitive young girl sick of having to take care of herself and he adults around her. Bailey’s initial meeting with the enigmatic Bird is one of curiosity and apprehension. He literally skips into her life with all the inquisitiveness of an imp. Rowgowski’s wide eyes and lisping accent give him a childlike quality outside of his bird-like nature. He spends his time outside and seems to hold little past beyond a note of where his parents might live. The movie doesn’t provide easy answers on who he is and, by the third act, the audience is left wondering how much of Bird and Bailey’s interactions are fantasy or not. The third act will either confuse or enchant depending on your mileage. Long-time, ride or die lovers of Andrea Arnold’s work will continue to find something new within the familiar confines of *Bird*. Nykiya Adams is a future star, if she chooses to be, and it’s fantastic seeing Barry Keoghan stand in as strong support for a newcomer. Arnold’s script is fresh and light while never forsaking on the heavy themes she’s come to be identified with. It’s a magical, hopeful experience. *Like cats? I’m currently* [*running a GoFundMe for my cat Elliott Stabler*](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-elliott-the-rescue-kitty-heal-and-thrive?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *(yep, that’s his name) who ran into some unexpected vet bills due to a recent emergency surgery. If you’re able to donate or share I’d greatly appreciate it.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### IT and the Horrors of Childhood URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/eddie-it-horror-stephen-king/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:43:21.000Z Since it’s spooky season I’ve been revisiting some of my horror favorites and realizing, boy, do I have a specific type of horror I gravitate to. Unlike the outsized slasher films — though *Child’s Play* will always own my heart — some of the films that have stuck with me the deepest are small-town stories with characters that feel like they own a little sliver of who I am. It’s probably why some of my favorite spooky season stuff is crafted by Stephen King (shameless reminder [I’m moderating a Q&A on ](https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/pet-semetary-10-12-24/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Pet Sematary*](https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/pet-semetary-10-12-24/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) with Mary Lambert that you should buy tickets to). Which brings me to a recent rewatch of the 2017 movie *IT*. *IT* retains just as much power seven (!) years later as it did upon initial release. The story of a group of preteen friends trying to battle a giant clown didn’t adapt King’s voluminous tome faithfully — and thank goodness [because shit gets weird](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/stephen-king-it-movie-book-differences-comparisons-clown-1201873725/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) — but it makes it up to book lovers with a dark, incisive story about growing up in a landscape of perpetual fear and anxiety. Which is probably why me, a millennial, absolutely adores it. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Saturday Night' Review: Jason Reitman's Film Works Best When It's Not About Lorne URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/saturday-night-review-jason-reitman/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:09:39.000Z There’s an odd alchemy at work in Jason Reitman’s *Saturday Night*. It’s impossible not to believe it’s a near-two hour bit of sponsored content to make you watch the series set to celebrate its 50th year on NBC. (Even more interesting is that the movie is distributed by Sony and not NBC home studio Universal.) But scrub all that away and what remains is a movie that, at various moments, is an infectiously fun, anxious exploration of how a television series gets made. It’s also a movie about the inner workings of one allegedly mad genius male who crafted something so wild and dangerous we’re still honoring it half a century later. *Saturday Night* isn’t an adaptation of James Andrew Miller’s fabulous oral history *Live From New York*, which you should definitely read, nor does it dive deep into how the show came to be. If you’re a casual viewer of *SNL*, or only know the last decade of history, you might be hard-pressed to understand what all the fuss is about when Lorne Michaels (a perpetually frazzled Gabriel LaBelle) is worried about. The audience needs to come in with at least a modicum of established knowledge of the history of the show in order to understand the significance of what everyone is doing, otherwise this is just a stock narrative about any other late night show. So if you don’t know why your audience would laugh at John Belushi (Matt Wood) grabbing cocaine out of someone’s hands and snorting it, or the fear of letting host George Carlin (an impeccable Matthew Rhys) go wild, you’ll struggle to connect. *Saturday Night* is, for better or worse, the Lorne Michaels show. And that’s not solely because Michaels created the series. As Reitman, who pulls double duty as director and co-screenwriter (alongside Gil Kenan) assert, Michael was a visionary who took all the risks in bringing a wild, hedonistic cast together to provide comedy for the masses. The movie even begins with a quote from Michaels himself, setting the tone that everything can go terribly up until 11:29, but after that it has to run flawlessly. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. To *SNL* viewers of the last 20-something years, Lorne Michaels is *SNL’s* loveable granddad or elder statesman, and LaBelle isn’t really changing up that narrative. It’s said that Lorne “could talk the peel off a grape,” but it’s hard to see that considering how often he’s forced to remind everyone what *SNL* is. Or, more importantly, what he thinks it isn’t. LaBelle must act as the boss, the big brother, and the dad depending on the cast member and it’s remarkable that the young performer is able to balance those all so well, but it leaves the audience wondering how much scrubbing of the show’s issues — which Miller documents in blistering detail in his book — is present in a movie co-produced by SNL Studios. The individual character relationships are breathlessly laid out, and if you aren’t listening closely you might not realize that Rosie Schuster (Rachel Sennott) was Lorne’s wife at the time. And much of the character drama comes through exposition about why the show’s success is so important. Lorne and Rosie struggle to balance their marriage via which last name Rosie is going to use on the closing credits. The film’s syncopated drums and tinkling pianos clearly show the dissonance and chaotic energy of the show, but it’s in the gunfire-esque dialogue and the way the camera rapidly whips between characters that conveys both the intensity and exhaustion of *Saturday Night*. A moment between Lorne and Dick Ebersol lays out how Lorne sold the concept of *SNL* with all the rapidity of a firing squad leaves the audience breathless but, at times, it’s hard to appreciate the acting or anything else that’s going on when everything is literally running at a breakneck pace. Because Lorne wasn’t the front-facing part of the series it’s easy to see why the ensemble cast portraying the first *SNL* team is where *Saturday Night* gets all the razzle dazzle, though it is mostly from seeing how well they portray time-honored performers. LaBelle and Sennott are good, but they’ve done better work elsewhere. Playing the equivalent of *SNL’s* parents they’re mainly there to be encouraging and manage the chaos. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. And while the sheer abundance of performers often leaves you clamoring for more from certain people, what works really works, particularly Thomas Dewey as the acerbic writer Michael O’Donoghue. Where Lorne tries to be all sugar, Michael is a hilariously inappropriate stick. Lamorne Morris is also a massive scene stealer as the initial series’ only Black cast member, Garrett Morris. Morris’ story, in general, is a highlight of the movie. Where stars like Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt) and Belushi’s stories are so often tempered by tragedy, Morris struggled to assert himself as the series’ only castmember of color, a critique *SNL* has still struggled with rectifying over the decades. Cory Michael Smith’s Chevy Chase and Wood’s Belushi are all great imitations of the characters, but there’s little to give them nuance beyond what you’d expect. Chase is an asshole and Belushi is trying to grapple with being in a comedy show despite Lorne’s continuous assertions that Belushi is “funnier than Brando.” It’s weird, though, that for as much time as is spent in the narrative dealing with Belushi’s irritation at the infamous Bees sketch it isn’t actually shown or performed in the movie. Dylan O’Brien is also fabulous as Dan Aykroyd. His voice work is eerily similar to the real man. Belushi and Hunt’s Radner — who is presented as little more than sweet — have one scene at an ice rink wherein she talks about how “20 years later” the pair will celebrate this with their children. The moment feels hollow in a way it always does with biopics. The fact that neither would live that long, nor have children, just feels like the script winking at the audience for “knowing” the reality.” *Saturday Night* is a decent Cliff’s Notes version of far more superior books on the making of the legendary late night sketch show. If you want to see some good actors put on their own *SNL*\-esque imitations of the real performers it’s worth it. But the film never goes as meta as it could with a story like this, and instead takes a surface level approach to the real issues inherent in the show at the time: particularly its racism and sexism. Things move so quickly, at least, that you probably won’t realize what you’re missing. # Grade: C+ *Like cats? I’m currently* [*running a GoFundMe for my cat Elliott Stabler*](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-elliott-the-rescue-kitty-heal-and-thrive?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *(yep, that’s his name) who ran into some unexpected vet bills due to a recent emergency surgery. If you’re able to donate or share I’d greatly appreciate it.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Joker: Folie a Deux is One Sour Note After Another URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/joker-2-review-lady-gaga/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:09:46.000Z It’s been five years since director Todd Phillips introduced audiences to his take on the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker. The dark, highly divisive feature heavily inspired by Martin Scorsese’s 1982 feature *The King of Comedy* worked strongly for certain audiences and repulsed others. It’s doubtful there will be much debate about its sequel, the musical-tinged *Joker: Folie a Deux*. With a near 2.5 hour runtime, the film struggles to hit the right note, vacillating between a half-baked toxic romantic drama and a jukebox musical focused on personal identity and fame. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is on trial for murdering five people during the course of the first movie. Imprisoned in Arkham Asylum, Arthur is probably worse off than he was last time, perceived as butt of the joke with Arkham’s abusive guards. When he meets the equally disturbed Lee (Lady Gaga), Arthur believes he’s found true love in spite of his beleaguered attorney (Catherine Keener) telling him there’s more to Lee than he knows. Like any good Warner Bros. property, *Joker: Folie a Deux* starts with the return of the Looney Tunes opening and an animated Joker-centric cartoon (what, did you expect something else) showing the dichotomy of Joker vs. Arthur. It sells itself as an audacious, unconventional beginning to a villain movie — although Birds of Prey did something similar, but okay — but really just shows the thin theme that will run for the next two-plus hours: the war between Arthur Fleck and his alter-ego that maybe doesn’t really exist? Phillips and cowriter Scott Silver tug at threads of an interesting story, particularly a dark social satire that is heavily coded towards examining the fervent fan response to the first film. Who is Arthur Fleck without the Joker opens up the movie to a dark look into the psyche of those who glorify and celebrate mass murderers or anyone causing chaos under the name of freedom. The problem is the film never seems to have an answer to those questions and instead seems almost gleeful in how mean it can get at every character involved. Make no mistake, no one gets or seeks redemption, but Phillips and crew also undercut solid performances with a mean-spirited edge that gets tiresome, particularly in a beautifully acted scene between Phoenix and Leigh Gill that has haphazard attempts at humor stuffed into it. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Who is Joker? And, by extension, who is Arthur Fleck? In 2019, Arthur Fleck could be read as a downtrodden young man angry at the lack of respect he’s gotten in an uncaring world. In 2024, he seems like a guy who just wants to be loved, who (maybe) is apologetic about his actions, might be crazy but definitely has been victimized. Do these things feel contradictory? Yes. The problem is these don’t feel like attempts at making Arthur more human but retconning a character that, as the first film laid out, didn’t give a fuck what humanity thought. Now, he comes off like a thin-skinned wimp who’s only popularity is trolling people. Arthur Fleck still has his fans on the streets of Gotham, the charming yet psychotic Lee being the most devoted in a way women who marry serial killers usually are. This new go-round has seen comparisons to another Martin Scorsese feature, 1977’s *New York, New York* with its jukebox musical presentation, showy 1940s-esque dance numbers and a relationship involving two crazy kids who love making each other suffer. Phoenix is bold and flamboyant one moment, mild and withdrawn the next but it never feels organic or natural to anything. It just comes off as loud for the sake of it. The arrival of Lady Gaga’s Lee provides a needed bit of light into what feels like 40 minutes of grimdark wandering. There’s a liveliness to how Gaga plays Lee that is both relatable and intoxicating. The way she cooly uses a book of matches to light a piano on fire and then casually sit down, or how she can dress like a sweet young woman and just smolder in the front row of a courtroom. You understand not just why Arthur would be drawn to her, but anyone, really. Which makes it such a shame that her character feels so flat and underutilized. We learn a few passing things about her life that hint at a far more interesting story of a young woman seeking attention through proximity to a dangerous man. Really, the only thing we’re told that unites Arthur and Lee is the equivalent of “her crazy matches his crazy.” But there’s little hedonism found in their relationship. The more overt comparison found in *Joker: Folie a Deux* is Oliver Stone’s 1994 film *Natural Born Killers*, if Mickey and Mallory Knox spent a lot of time talking about killing and screwing while doing little of either. And Gaga is mostly relegated to singing and generally being Arthur’s quiet cheering section in the courtroom and perpetual encouragement in his fantasy sequences. To both their credit, Phoenix and Gaga have chemistry and it would have been fun to see them play more in a livelier film. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. While Phillips and crew have said the movie isn’t a musical, it is. The problem is it’s less *Phantom of the Opera* and more *Les Miserables* (the Russell Crowe version). Phoenix spends most of his musical moments singing in a strangled half-whisper, with only a few instances where he’s actually allowed to belt out a strong note. Gaga, whom we know is a fierce performer, feels hampered by Phoenix’s lack of musical power. She never gets to hit the highs of her musical work in *A Star is Born* which leaves both coming off like this is a sad, drunken night of karaoke. And while these musical numbers have the thinnest of connective tissue — they’re in love! they’re singing how they feel! — it only illustrates how barebones the actual plot of the movie is. The courtroom theatrics of Joker’s trial come and go, and while Joker still has the ability to inspire chaos by purely existing it’s all channeled through Lee telling Arthur how much support he has. It’s implied, by Keener’s attorney, that this is all false but we don’t get as many of the grand shots of the sea of supporters or other instances of people connecting with Joker like the first film. This does lead to a gut punch of a sad, depressing ending but because there’s no narrative exploration of that it’s hard not to see the end as just a cruel way for Phillips to peace out of filming these movies altogether. (Avoiding spoilers, but there’s a final scene that looks to conceivably tie this narrative into *A* Batman universe and my audience was not having it.) *Joker: Folie a Deux* is an ugly look at fan service, obsession, and toxicity without any exploration of the “why” behind them all. It’s a surface level dive anchored by two performers who should have been far more meat to chew on. The musical nature of the movie plays at fantasy but comes off more like a gimmick. If Phillips is done with these movies it couldn’t come soon enough. # Grade: D+ [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### There's No Money in the Banana Stand: Chasing the Almighty Dollar in Film Journalism URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/making-money-entertainment-journalism/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:44:21.000Z A question I get asked regularly by burgeoning film journalists is some variation on “How do I make money?” This usually compels me to explain to them the difference between making money and making money you can live off of. You can definitely make money in entertainment journalism, but whether that will regularly pay your rent PLUS expenses, or make sure you aren’t living in a box in Los Angeles is another story. On Monday, former THR awards editor Tyler Coates tweeted about how a TV producer/friend told him how much money she presumed he made for a showrunner interview. This, in turn, caused other entertainment journalists — including myself — to discuss how much money we make for the various long-form and other pieces we regularly write. The answers crafted both a sense of community because we’re all apparently in the same leaky boat, and also showed the depressing lack of sustainable funding. Some journalists even shared how the money has decreased over the last several years. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/5a92a177-3077-42a0-9f75-4baadfca133d_1199x316.png) Yes, this is another entry in the “entertainment journalism is bad and we’re all doomed” canon that I’ve been discussing for the last few months. But unlike film critics losing access and entertainment organizations laying off staff, there’s a real hesitation to talk about money in our industry. Namely, who is making how much and for what levels of work. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Lee' Is a Formulaic Biopic With Kate Winslet in Fine Form URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/lee-review-kate-winslet/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:09:53.000Z Biopics are a tried and true formula. They’re so time tested, in fact, that there’s an equally well-loved subgenre of spoof movies strictly about them. That’s the overarching feeling watching director Ellen Kuras’ *Lee*, a by-the-numbers exploration of war photographer Lee Miller. Kuras and star Kate Winslet certainly grasp the import of Miller’s war work and her femininity, but the entire affair ends up being covered in quips, futuristic allusions, and other elements cobbled from the Biopic 101 handbook. We meet an older Lee Miller (Winslet) in a scene familiar to biopic lovers: being interviewed by an unnamed young man (Josh O’Connor) about her life and career. The two engage in a battle of wills, with the man telling Lee “Don’t you want the world to know about you?” as a crotchety Lee responds with a quip for everything. “All interviews are interrogations,” she says and from there we transition quickly to 1938 France. The various beats in *Lee* are familiar yet highly interesting and entertaining. There’s a reason a formula works so well, sometimes. As Lee herself says, “I was good at drinking, having sex and taking picture,” and throughout the near two-hour runtime of *Lee* we see all of that bear fruit to paint a portrait of a woman who was complicated, though far from as messy as she’d like us to believe (or at least the screenwriters are willing to show). The film has the support of Lee’s son, Anthony Penrose, so it’s understandable that there’s a glossy Hollywood sheen, literally and figuratively, to the movie. We don’t see much of Lee’s world of hedonism, with only stray references to her past with the acclaimed Man Ray. Lee lives in France with various friends who appear to spend their days lounging, topless, in a scene that looks cut from a French perfume ad. Cinematographer Pawel Edelman is fantastic with the camera work, whether that be the languid shores of the French Riviera or the dark, desolate world of WWII. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The arrival of the war is also when Lee starts to find success, becoming the go-to war photographer for British Vogue. Lee being a woman leads to challenges but they come off as easily overcome, particularly with the help of her friend and fellow photographer David Scherman (Andy Samberg). There are various strings screenwriters Liz Hannah, Marion Hume and John Collee want to pull but they never feel as hard-hitting as they should be. Lee gets turned away from attending a military debrief and just gathers up her hair to sit down in the meeting, only to get yelled at later. For narrative convenience the men just seem to start accepting her as a part of their lives. What’s more fascinating are the moments where Lee captures the lives of those ignored in the war, like female pilots and war widows and orphans left in the rubble. These moments are fleeting but hit harder because of how Lee is forced to adapt her coverage and, yet, the impact it yields comes off as more haunting. The use of Lee’s pictures also does a lot of heavy lifting to show audiences why she is so respected today, though the film is never able to really transcend why stories about photogs are so hard to tell. The audience is already watching a series of moving images yet has to look at replicas of another person’s work within the story. The portrait within a portrait mentality never clicks 100% nor does it with *Lee*. The amount of people that ask Lee to take their photo feels jarring considering the ubiquity of disposable photos today. The arrival of the war does lead to a lot of hindsight storytelling, from Lee and her friends joking that “surely they can see who he is” when talking about Hitler to “we woke up one morning and Hitler was the head of Europe.” Moments like these never coalesce in movies, and it’s doubtful Lee could have found any organic way to circumvent that, but it’s eye-rolling nonetheless. Kate Winslet is the GOAT and it’s no surprise she carries Lee on her back, both in terms of the story and as a character. Under her guidance Lee is tough, callous, funny, sweet, and messy. She’s presented as the voice of the fallen woman as well as a survivor of sexual assault, with Winslet capable of sitting in total silence and leaving the audience to feel the weight of her grief. It’s these moments that fill in some necessary blanks, such as Lee’s growing ambivalence to her work as a war photographer; we watch Winslet give a slight grimace while taking a photo of a child in a concentration camp. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. The rest of the cast also does solid work but this is Winslet’s movie, from beginning to end. Andy Samberg gives a lovely dramatic turn, the level-headed foil to Lee. The movie, thankfully, doesn’t add in a romantic triangle between Lee, David, and Lee’s husband Roland (Alexander Skarsgard), instead presenting Lee and David as having the deepest of platonic loves. Where Lee can only grimace at witnessing the horrors of the Holocaust, David is left to mourn the loss of “my people” which Samberg sells so well. We’ve seen Skarsgard play this type of conflicted husband before and here the movie tries to give some balance to his desire to return to old-fashioned ideals of marriage while being supportive. The third act reveal at the end is completely bananas, both telegraphed from the word “go” and completely unexpected all at the same time. It’s just a shame the rest of the movie is so basic in its presentation, going crazy here or there might have given it a shot in the arm. Either way, *Lee* is a good entry point for those who don’t know anything about Lee Miller or her work. Kate Winslet is good, though when is she ever not? This isn’t the great American biopic, but it’s a decent one nonetheless. # Grade: C+ [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Wolfs' Review: Brad Pitt and George Clooney Do the Same Ol Shtick URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/wolfs-review-brad-pitt-george-clooney/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:10:22.000Z There’s an inherently dated quality to a George Clooney and Brad Pitt buddy comedy in 2024\. Once the acting darlings of the 1990s and 2000s, the pair crafted an enduring franchise together in the *Ocean’s* series, but the bloom’s been off the rose for a minute. In recent years Clooney has found more consistent success as a producer and, less consistently, as a director, while Pitt’s current legal troubles have caused audiences to second-guess him. It leaves their latest team-up, the grammatically incorrect (and highly annoying) *Wolfs*, feeling like it missed the boat by a good decade, at least. Pitt and Clooney play two unnamed cleaners — think less Molly Maids and more Harvey Keitel in *Pulp Fiction*, the alleged source of the title — who are tasked with disposing a body in the hotel room of an elected official. Each works for a different person, leaving the two men at odds at who is going to take the job. But when the dead body ends up being not quite dead yet the two will have to team up over the course of one long night. Director and screenwriter Jon Watts is better known to MCU fans for helming the Tom Holland trio of Spider-Man films; he hasn’t directed a non-superhero feature in nearly a decade. So it’s understandable why there’s a fair amount of creakiness to everything, particularly in the film’s script which sets up a fairly basic premise of a female assistant district attorney running for reelection (played by Amy Ryan who disappears after about 20 minutes) getting caught in a hotel with a dead young man/potential sex worker. It’s the one element of uniqueness in the film, hearing Ryan’s Margaret hear phrases we’ve commonly heard in thrillers where the genders are reversed: “I don’t do this. This isn’t something I do.” Unfortunately any sense of originality goes out the door with Ryan, whose constant face on billboards citing her reelection continuously leave the audience believing she’ll return and/or is definitely involved in the plot somehow. Nope. Instead, the film sees Pitt and Clooney try to do differing Winston Wolf impressions for nearly two hours to little fanfare. The various cleaning techniques lack any sense of flair, short of Clooney’s character finding a fun way to hold a body on a luggage rack. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. But, for the most part, it’s hearing the two bicker like an old married couple or, more closely, like two 60-something old men who just want to get to bed before 9pm. That’s not hyperbole as a significant portion of the film sees the two literally yawning and/or asking when they can go home. At times it’s hard not to wonder if they were doing improv or not. Neither actor is particularly bad, but they’re both clearly resting on some deep-seated laurels and while there is a significant chemistry level to them — implying that, for all their characters’ talk of not knowing each other, they totally do — there’s no real sense of conflict between the pair. When Pitt’s cleaner calls Clooney “some old bag man” it’s utterly bizarre considering there’s 3 years between the two. Had Pitt’s character been younger the chronic digs about age could have had some zing instead of gathering dust. Clooney edges himself out as the MVP of the movie, if only because he has such a commanding presence coupled with an intense warmth, particularly where the Kid is concerned. The film jokes that do land are because of Clooney’s ability to convey frustration in a comedic way. Pitt is just reliant on being cocky which, at this point, isn’t a particularly charming skill. Austin Abrams is the only other performer with significant screen time, in a role that feels like Tom Holland was the initial choice. The unnamed Kid, who reiterates time and again he isn’t a sex worker, instantly takes to the two hitmen with all the adoration of a kitten following around a mama cat. Abrams is perfectly fine, but there’s little to him outside of one rapid-fire monologue meant to act as character backstory and needed exposition to fill out the plot. All of that’s supposed to make up for the fact that he’s a loose end the two will have to off by the time the credits role. That decision, which won’t be spoiled here, never feels earned at all but another sloppy script turn that probably seemed smarter on the page. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. Despite the fast cars, and an extended car chase, Wolfs ambles once the two hitmen and the Kid embark on a journey to return stolen drugs. At some point there’s a revelation that the two lone wolves (proper spelling) shouldn’t be working together, talking to each other, or even in the same room for…reasons is introduced with all the depth of two little kids who have decided they’re mortal enemies because they just discovered the word. It brings in the requisite shoot-outs, and an ending baldly ripped from one of the best movie endings of all time, but by that point you’ll be as tired with everything as the two leads. *Wolfs* will no doubt come and go, having lost its theatrical release in the 11th hour in favor of a streaming drop (a sequel has already been greenlit so go figure). The two wolves we follow for nearly 120 minutes try their hardest to have fun but it just becomes too much of a howler. ## Grade: C- *Wolves hits Apple’s streaming service on Friday.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'The Wild Robot' Review: The Best Animated Movie of 2024 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-wild-robot-review-dreamworks/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:10:08.000Z There are certain movies you watch and immediately know you’ll remember everything about seeing it for the first time. It’s a feeling that was impossible to shake while watching DreamWorks’ latest animated offering *The Wild Robot*. DreamWorks Animation has been killing it of late, taking big swings in both animation styles and storytelling that have yielded some instant classics. Their 2022 feature *Puss in Boots: The Last Wish* was my favorite animated movie that year. *The Wild Robot* could go down as one of the best movies of 2024, period, thanks to its painterly animation and a deep, complex story of motherhood and self-sacrifice that will leave you ugly crying (or prove you have a heart of stone). Robotic helper Rozzum 7134 (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) finds herself stranded on an island after the cargo carrier containing her and several other Rozzum units is destroyed. The robot, hellbent on performing her essential function which is caring for others, tries to connect with the wild animals of the forest only to face resistance. When an accident sees Roz left to care for a young gosling, the robot must decide how to carry out her new primary directive of helping the infant survive. What immediately stands out about *The Wild Robot* is the animation style that beautifully illustrates the ecosystem at play. Bright sun and green, crisp leaves can just as easily make way for dark, crashing waves against forbidding rocks. This isn’t the usual place you’d see a robot, and it’s that dichotomy that inspired author Peter Brown’s book which director Chris Sanders adapted. It isn’t enough for Rozzum to be out of her element amongst strange creatures. It’s that said creatures are animals, not the humans she’s used to. So everything she encounters has an additional barrier of not communicating with the robot at all, left to be temporarily blinded by Rozzum’s camera flash and covered in the stickers she leaves behind. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This strange, frightening wilderness leaves Rozzum questioning how to get off the island; a homing beacon becomes a recurrent element she turns on and off, with a gulf continuously growing between her own personal desires and the needs for which she was created. A chance encounter with a bear bring a lone egg into her life, with Rozzum deciding this might be her new primary function: to help the little gosling eat, survive, and eventually fly. The voice work here is some of the best exhibited on-film, rivaling some of Pixar’s choices. It’s less stunt casting and more compelling the actor to act out their character despite just lending their voice to it. Nyong’o as Rozzum aka Roz is, initially, another soothing Siri-esque voice we’ve heard countless times. What Nyong’o does so skillfully throughout the story is use her voice to show Roz’s growing love for the little gosling, known as Brightbill, in her care. She sets the tone for the rest of the voice cast. Pedro Pascal, as a rascally fox named Fink who, originally, wants to eat Brightbill, complements Nyong’o’s rationality with irreverence. Fink, who is just as lonely and isolated as Roz, albeit with some more unspoken drama left under the surface, has a level of humanity and humor that makes Roz’s cold exterior disappear. And where Nyong’o has to maintain a balance between warmth and robotic, Pascal is all tenderness, even when he’s trying to make a meal out of the baby. Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry and Mark Hamill round things out with vocal performances that never feel showy — you won’t be playing “who IS that voice” with this one — but always situate character first. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. Sanders is no stranger to strong character development and big emotions, having given audiences the beloved *Lilo & Stitch*. Like that film, he focuses on characters adrift in trying to discover who they are, and through the creation of a makeshift family learn they’re stronger together. Once Roz discovers Brightbill, Sanders’ penchant for hilariously off-base jokes creates some solid levity throughout, whether that’s Catherine O’Hara’s possum character, Pinktail, celebrating/mourning the death of a child only to discover he’s not quite dead yet or Roz telling Brightbill she feels “crushing obligation” at having to raise him. The script never treats the children in the audience as if they’re dumb nor does it shy away from the fact that this movie takes place in a wilderness where life and death can come as swiftly as an eagle ripping a crab out of Roz’s hands. Roz and Brightbill’s relationship develops not unlike Lilo and Stitch or Hiccup and Toothless. The little gosling follows Roz around only for her to believe he’s “stalking” her. She’s cold and resistant to him wanting to cuddle with her. As Roz reiterates, her only reason for helping him is to give herself a primary function. He’s in need of assistance. It’s how that slowly transitions into her feeling the *need* to help him that changes everything. The training montage to help Brightbill fly is the first of many beautifully animated/edited/scored scenes that will just leave you sobbing. The emotional beauty of *The Wild Robot* is its strongest quality and it’s what elevates the movie from “great animated film” into “classic” territory. Lupita Nyong’o and the voice cast are all superlative but, more importantly, they make everything feel lived in. The beats are heavy and packed with love and emotion in a way that you’ll connect with. Pack the tissues, for sure. ## Grade: A+ *The Wild Robot is in theaters Friday.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### The Criterion Mobile Closet and Unequal Experiences URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/criterion-mobile-closet-disability-access/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:45:33.000Z We’ve all seen the videos of celebrities hitting up the Criterion Closet and picking out their favorite titles. And you’re not a movie fan worth their salt if you haven’t thought “God, I wish I could do that.” Well, on September 19 Criterion announced the Closet — which, depending on your expectations, is actually a van — [would be going on the road](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8593-the-criterion-closet-is-hitting-the-road?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and bringing the experience to film lovers in several select cities starting with the New York Film Festival. While I won’t be attending NYFF I know many disabled film lovers in NYC who would like to see the exhibit, and I hoped to check it out myself if it eventually came to Los Angeles. So I asked the question online if the Criterion Mobile Closet would be a wheelchair accessible experience. I was quickly shown by a follower on X what is boldly stated on Criterion’s own website: that the experience [is ](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8602-what-to-expect-at-the-criterion-mobile-closet?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[**not** ](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8602-what-to-expect-at-the-criterion-mobile-closet?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[wheelchair accessible](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8602-what-to-expect-at-the-criterion-mobile-closet?ref=thefilmmaven.com). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Christopher Reeve, 'Super/Man' and Hollywood Ableism URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/christopher-reeve-superman-ableism/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:45:52.000Z The new Warner Bros. doc on the actor's life illustrates why better representation on-screen is vital _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Can 'Fancy Dance' Finally Get Lily Gladstone Her Oscar? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/fancy-dance-lily-gladstone-oscar/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:46:10.000Z Awards season officially started this week — it gets earlier every year, it seems — and while I don’t get into Oscar punditry on the daily I had to make an exception here. Earlier this year Apple Original Films released *Fancy Dance*, the Sundance darling directed by Erica Tremblay and starring Lily Gladstone and Isabel Deroy-Olson. The film follows Jax (Gladstone) as she attempts to find her missing sister and raise her niece Roki (Deroy-Olson) in the woman’s absence. But when Roki is removed from the home Jax makes a series of decisions that sees the pair on the run. *Fancy Dance* has had a long, winding path to the brief theatrical release it received this June. It premiered at Sundance back in January of 2023 — the place I first saw it — and received critical acclaim out the gate. Considering Gladstone’s soon-to-be Oscar-nominated performance in Martin Scorsese’s *Killers of the Flower Moon* wouldn’t debut until May of that year, those who saw *Fancy Dance* back in January were getting a glimpse at Gladstone’s continued power as a performer. The fact that Gladstone had 2 amazing Native-centric films in one year should have been recognized. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'The Substance' Review: A Disgustingly Rich Dive Into Inner Beauty URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-substance-review-demi-moore/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:06:26.000Z If there’s one thing Coralie Fargeat’s movie *The Substance* does well is it defines the definition of the word “squelch.” Make no mistake, that single sound will run through your brain long after the credits are over. *The Substance* is a movie that, at various times, is garish, outlandish, disgusting, prescient, traumatic and sad. Sometimes one or two of those feelings happen in the same scene. But as the audience goes on an emotional rollercoaster, and tries hard to keep their gag reflex in check, they’re also treated to a dark tale of aging and misogyny anchored by one of the best performances of the year in actress Demi Moore. Moore plays Elizabeth Sparkle, a fitness star who has seemingly hit the brick wall women in the public eye often hit: being over 50\. When her boss (Dennis Quaid going for peak grossness) tells Elizabeth they need to find someone fresher (and younger), she can’t handle it. She learns about something called “The Substance,” a mysterious serum that is promised to change her life. There’s a heavy amount of *Death Becomes Her Vibes* found within *The Substance*, albeit where that film went for over-the-top with its connection between aging and preserving the body, this film illustrates how low people will go to preserve their youth. In this case, Elizabeth has no problem injecting herself with a glowing liquid that looks like a melted highlighter. The emphasis on the grotesque is ramped up to 12 here, with cinematographer Benjamin Kracun’s camera getting up close to spinal injections, extended stitching sequences, and every pustule and infected needle mark to be found. The Substance certainly does it’s job, crafting a younger, enhanced version of Elizabeth in Sue (Margaret Qualley). Fargeat, who also wrote the script, presents a fascinating, complex story of identity within the two women. Elizabeth is told “there is no her, only you.” Yet the two women see themselves as separate entities. Sue, whose scenes are filmed like a teen pop music video, is vapid yet ambitious. Qualley’s big doe eyes and babydoll voice she puts on sells the concept of a sex bomb with a “pure heart,” as her producer says. She has no problem immediately filling Elizabeth’s role at her job, albeit turning Elizabeth’s fitness empire into more an social media-esque way to make women feel bad about themselves. As Sue complains to the put-upon Substance rep — a monotone voice on the end of the phone — about how Elizabeth “stuffs her face all day,” Liz is doing that as well as growing increasingly jealous at her younger form’s success. The two have a Felix and Oscar dynamic fueled by their mutual drive for power over events they can’t control. Elizabeth, though, is driving the train and what Fargeat’s script does so expertly is illustrate how many chances Elizabeth has to right the ship begging the question of why we act against our own self-interest? How much of us complaining about our lives is fueled by a desire for a quick fix and not having to deal with the hard work? Qualley is fabulous as conveying Sue’s drive and complete lack of sympathy for what Elizabeth has lost. But everyone pales in comparison to Moore. Demi Moore has been giving us gold in her performances for decades and anyone believing she’s just now showing her best in this movie has missed out on a lot. (And all those citing her as brave for the nude scenes in her…go back to the numerous 2004 articles on her rocking a bikini in *Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle*, which is amazing, by the way.) She goes for broke in every scene, illustrating the sadness of her situation. At the same time, she’s a master of the more comedic scenes, particularly as she starts to treat Sue like a wayward child or partner that can’t respect her. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. And yet the question the script leaves the audience with is “Why can’t we respect ourselves?” Why do, especially women, beat up their self-confidence so much? Part of this is societally, as seen in Dennis Quaid’s Harvey, an appropriately named misogynist who literally consumes things with little regard for anyone else. (This movie might have the most disgusting eating scene in history.) Harvey tells Elizabeth she is no longer desirable because of her age, and yet Elizabeth could choose to ignore it. Instead, as so often happens, she allows others to bring her down. And while *The Substance* is supposed to change her life — the implication being that it will give her what she wants — the audience is left to question whether the problem really is outsiders or Elizabeth’s own inner self-loathing. And that inner torment manifests physically with some of the grossest makeup effects I’ve seen in awhile. Olivier Afonso is a master with the makeup, particularly in the third act when the two versions of Elizabeth start to meld and as Elizabeth starts to suffer the consequences of not balancing between herself and Sue. This is coupled with some viscerally cringe-inducing sound design that captures every crack, snap and, yes, the dreaded squelch. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. Elizabeth and Sue’s interactions back and forth growing increasingly outsized, leading to a literal third-act monster that takes the movie into complete absurdism. It’s enough to test the audiences’ patience, a fact already tested by the nearly 2.5 hours. *The Substance* will test your stomach (and your patience) but it’s all worth it! Demi Moore is riveting and Coralie Fargeat’s script is a dark, satirical phantasmagoria that, if you’re part of the group that loves it, will be ride or die. # Grade: B+ *The Substance is in theaters this Friday.* ### Surviving Universal's Halloween Horror Nights 2024 (UPDATED) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/universal-studios-halloween-horror-nights-2024-rankings/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:46:55.000Z Rankings, food complaints and tips for disabled attendees included _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Can Film Critics Survive the Influencer Boom? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/film-critics-influencer-culture/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T14:37:34.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia and Alcmatta* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- I’m back with another installment in the “Film Critics Are Going Through It” series. Previously, we talked about how critics are struggling to maintain access in the rise of influencer culture and how Hollywood appears totally fine with it. This week, I’d like to be more solution oriented….if there is a solution to find, of course. I went on social to ask the question “What can critics do to deal with the current rise of influencers,” and there were various schools of thought. Let’s look at some answers and deconstruct if they show some path towards film critics surviving this brave new influencer world. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/ce070dd1-aac4-462f-ada8-0a76ab128a7b_1214x172.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/be2f846c-a1ed-4371-ac5b-39f38427bd7a_1297x244.png) ## Transitioning Into Film Analysis I heard this a lot when I broached the subject online, that film critics will need to start moving away from saying whether a movie is good or not (and why) into more analytical, essay-style writing about film theory and the like. This is certainly understandable. The influencers that are covering film events are focusing their content on whether a movie is good or not — mostly good, let’s be real — with little explanation as to why that is. Film criticism is so reliant on context and learned knowledge that many influencers just don’t have: ranging from a deep knowledge of film history to cinematic techniques. The majority of influencers today top out at 30, with much of their knowledge tending to tap out around the ‘80s. (Yes, I know there are exceptions to this. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' Review: Tim Burton Tries Hard to Raise the Dead URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/beetlejuice-beetlejuice-review-jenna-ortega/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:06:01.000Z It’s remarkable how well the first *Beetlejuice* holds up today. Tim Burton’s blend of the macabre and the humorous, crafting a version of the afterlife that is spooky yet relatable still has the ability to come off as cozy and inviting. This in spite of the Burton aesthetic now being fully integrated into society. And there’s been a desire to bring back the Ghost with the Most since the 1988 debut of the first film (the infamous *Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian* will never die). And as the current nostalgia boom rages on *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice* makes an argument for its existence with a strong story about trauma and death, that actually attempts to deal with the fallout from the original film. Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) is still struggling to cope with what happened back in 1988\. Now the successful host of a ghost haunting TV series called Ghost House, Lydia hopes to help others deal with their trauma while pushing down her own. Her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) is dealing with similar issues after the death of her father and estrangement form her mother. Everything changes though when the pair are forced to reunite after the death of Lydia’s father Charles. It’s amazing what that nostalgic rush can do. Hearing that Danny Elfman score (and, yes, Burton is still working with him) over the opening credits still hits. And there are several direct, not-so-subtle callbacks to the first film, from a children’s choir singing “Day-O” to Lydia, for reasons that don’t feel organic to her personality, still wearing the same dress she did as a teenager. The Deetzes and their kooky send-up of art snobs set against the bucolic world of Winter River, Connecticut still has the power to captivate, particularly as the daffy Delia (Catherine O’Hara) is still trying to champion bizarre art. But it’s Lydia who has grown and evolved as both a person and a character. She continues to see dead people; as for the Maitlands, a stray line of dialogue explains them away. But, more importantly, her desire to forget what happened in the first film causes her to retreat into helping others face their problems. Instead, she’s propped up by her enabler/boyfriend/manager Rory (Justin Theroux at his smarmiest). Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Ryder’s cool goth girl presence in the original is replaced with a fidgety, discombobulated energy sparked her belief that Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) is out to finish what he started, ie marry her in spite of their 600-year age difference. The death of Charles Deetz looms large over everything — and while Jeffrey Jones isn’t physically present the character is everywhere so take that how you will — and forces the main characters to go back to the beginning. The stop-motion effects to detail his death are funny and serve as a colorful change of pace to a movie steeped in dark purples and greens. Once back in Winter River the script dovetails between Lydia's attempt to deal with Beetlejuice coming back while simultaneously being compelled into another major, as well as Astrid making friends with a young boy named Jeremy (Arthur Conti). These are the strongest plot threads in *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice*. There’s always something to mine in a story about a mother and daughter at odds, but here there’s a relatable element to Astrid’s dislike of her mother that goes beyond the petulance of a teenager. How does a child deal with a parent who can’t cope with their own unsolved trauma? Ortega’s tough exterior is something we know the actress can do, but in the quieter moments with Ryder there’s a real soulfulness to her performance. It’s just a shame that the script, credited to the *Wednesday* writing team of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, doesn’t make this the main narrative. Instead, the film is bifurcated between Lydia and Astrid’s estrangement and Beetlejuice being hunted down by his (literal) soul-sucking ex-wife, Delores (Monica Bellucci) and a former actor turned dead PI, Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe); Astrid and Jeremy serve as a heavy-handed link between the two. Nothing about these two plot threads, individually, cause problems. It’s just that Lydia and Astrid’s relationship feels more compelling, developed and interesting. Because the film jumps so quickly between everything Keaton’s schtick can grow tiresome; he was only in the first film for 17 minutes, after all. That being said, Keaton can still wear Beetlejuice like a second skin and the addition of a shrunken head subordinate named Bob allows him someone to bounce off of. For the record, Bob is the MVP of this movie thanks to the effects work on the shrunken heads. I want to see Bob’s little face on everything! Bellucci and Dafoe are fun to see in their afterlife makeup, but neither has any real chance to make an impact. Their plots are fairly one note and Bellucci is absent for large swaths of the movie. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. But because there are so many things that are required to be here: namely a reason for Beetlejuice himself to exist that significant narrative moments aren’t allowed to lay and play out. This hurts the most in the third act, when Lydia and Astrid have a breakthrough in their relationship only for them to have to immediately wrap the story up. That extra 2-3 minutes letting things naturally conclude would have been an immense benefit and could have just been taken from the afterlife story. *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice* will serve as an interesting experiment in terms of whether Gen Z will give it a chance, especially considering how Gen X it feels. The needle drops are nearly all ‘70s, with an extended dance sequence to “MacArthur Park” of all things. *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice* scratches the same itch as Twisters did earlier this summer. Those that love the original will find individual pieces to latch onto even if the whole thing doesn’t coalesce well. Ryder and Ortega are the ones to watch, creating a new entry point for the Deetzes. The rest, though, fails to set itself apart, being there because it’s expected. While it’s doubtful it’ll find room on the shelf next to its predecessor, *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice* is a lot of fun in the moment. And justice for Bob! ## **GRADE: C+** *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hits theaters September 6th.* ### 7 Great Movies I Discovered in August URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/movies-in-august-2024/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T14:33:24.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia and Alcmatta* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Last month was a slog for me, professionally, thanks to Mercury being in retrograde so, strangely enough, I had time to watch movies. And while the movie theaters aren’t reflecting an abundance of content, there were still plenty of good things to see last month. So, while everyone is trying to immediately pivot to Halloween — sorry, as a September birthday baby no one celebrates spooky season around me till at least the end of the month! — I’m looking back at a few movies, some contemporary and some classic, I enjoyed spending time with in August. ## Trap (2024) Sure, [critics like me had to pay](https://kristenlopez.substack.com/p/warner-bros-trap-critics) to see this with everyone else but, in this case, I’ll say it served me well. *Trap* is M. Night Shyamalan’s best movie since *The Village* (which apparently is no longer a hot take) thanks to a fun and commanding performance from Josh Hartnett. People, I did not have the Josh Hartnett-aissance on my 2024 bingo card but I’m so happy it did (and I didn’t even particularly like him back in the aughts). Shyamalan skillfully builds tension while balancing it out with a story about a father trying to connect with his child…while just happening to be a serial killer. There’s a lot the movie says about white male privilege and crime culture. While everyone is swooning over the Hartnett shirtless with a cleaver scene I think that sequence perfectly illustrates the hubris and ego of serial killers in a way that numerous crime docs do quite capture. I’ve thought about writing more in-depth on the movie’s presentation of crime but, right now, you should all make a point of seeing *Trap*. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Christopher Reeve and 1998's 'Rear Window' URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/christopher-reeve-rear-window/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T14:31:44.000Z *In honor of the 70th anniversary of Rear Window happening this week, taking this one off the paywall for everyone to read.* **This post is free to enjoy* butit's worth it to become part of my exclusive* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*.* **🌟Supporters like:** Carrie Peel, J Cassar, Jerilyn Elise Miripol, Michelle Ruiz, Beth Golterman, JI, Steven Belgard, Jo Uhrich, Andrew F. Peirce, and Anthony Francis.💫 *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- Up until recently, actor Christopher Reeve was the most famous disabled person. And yet, like most actors who became disabled later in life, he didn’t make many features after the 1995 horseback riding accident that left him a quadriplegic. I didn’t know of any films (though I was aware he’d appeared on an episode of the CW series *Smallville*), until I discovered he appeared in a made-for-TV remake of the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film *Rear Window*. There’s not a lot of info out there on the movie, and it’s odd that considering the snazzy (and VERY ‘90s) neo-noir trailer with Artisan Entertainment’s logo preceding it, that this aired in the States on ABC. But it was an event, marking the first time Reeve had been on-screen, in a narrative feature, in two years. As far as *Rear Window* remakes goes it’s not great. It’s cheesy and dated, with so much fascination about this burgeoning thing called the Internet and a lot of recorded voyeurism that plays very skeevy in the era of revenge porn. I’m more fascinated to look at Reeve’s performance as Jason Kemp because Rear Window is less a remake of Hitchcock’s feature and more an advertisement for why Hollywood, at the time, should continue working with Reeve. Make no mistake, this is Reeve’s attempt to remind Hollywood that though he may be disabled that’s no reason to avoid casting him in features. The basic tenets that we now see as stereotypes of disabled cinema are on full display: Jason is a white male, disabled late in life (practically a PSA for the hazards of cell phones while driving), and is insanely wealthy. He has 24/7 care and a voice-activated housing system that would make Alexa blush. It’s fairly comical when Jason says “Do you know how expensive it is to be disabled in America?” Yes, says the man with the ability to enter his expensive loft, pay bills, and order a pizza with just a voice request….in 1998! But we also get SEVERAL reminders from, mostly from Reeve himself, that his disability is “temporary.” Much of this is wishful thinking—before his passing in 2004, Reeve still required round-the-clock care and was a full-time wheelchair user despite his claims that he did regain movement in certain parts of his body—and is hard to reconcile for disabled watchers. The concept of a miracle cure is often used in ableist fashion, and while it’s doubtful Reeve didn’t know about his own internalized ableism, it exists in his own treatment of the roll which, weirdly, has moments of progressivism, especially in Jason’s relationship with Claudia (Darryl Hannah in the Grace Kelly part), which has genuine moments of tenderness and sexuality—the film ends on a sexual allusion, of all things. But, really, the biggest takeaway I got from *Rear Window* 1998 was how little has changed in regards to disabled representation in film. This movie, whether intentionally or not, played as a reminder to audiences (and, no doubt, execs) that Reeve was still a good actor and should be hired. Part of why the movie focuses heavily on his rehabilitation plays as a reminder that he’s still powerful and hasn’t, presumably, lost anything. Remember, according to him this is temporary. And yet the film’s lack of success—however one would have judged that—acted as proof that audiences didn’t want to see Superman disabled. I watched this thinking of William Wyler’s conversation with Harold Russell, the two-time Oscar winner and disabled performer in 1946’s *Best Years of Our Lives*. Russell was interested in giving acting a go (he’d just won the award that proved he was good at it, after all) but Wyler told him there wasn’t going to be an increase in roles for disabled performers, and I’m sure people are still told that now. On the one hand, *Rear Window* shows how disability can be utilized in a feature film, and it shows why disability is far easier to write into films than we’re currently seeing. But, it also shows the limits of the types of disabled performers we want to see, ones free of the aesthetic reminders of disability. It’s just sad all around . **You just read this for free! Here's what** [**Gold Star paid subscribers get**](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **starting at just $4 a month or $30 a year:** - **Shout outs on my newsletter** when you join and whenever you have something you're launching. - **Included on my Gold Star Crew list** - **Bi-Monthly Zoom Mixers** where we can talk entertainment, get advice on journalism, and generally discuss the world. - **Access to our Discord server** where we can chat about movies and entertainment. It's also where I host my yearly Golden Globes and Oscar watches. - Participation in my new **Film Maven Secret Santa Gift Exchange** (launching November 2026) - **Access to all my paid content and exclusive series** like [The Trade](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/the-trade/), [Women They Warned You About](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/women-they-warned-you-about/), [Journalism is Fucked and We're All Doomed](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/journalism-is-fcked/) and [Popcorn Disabilities](https://thefilmmaven.com/tag/popcorn-disability/). --- ## Want to Work Together? Improve Your Disability Representation? Book a Consult With Me. [Kristen Lopez | Cal.comBook me to discuss: Career consultations with an emphasis on entertainment journalism and nonfiction pop culture publishing Get into publishing, creating…![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Cal.com![](https://cal.com/_next/image?w=1200&q=100&url=%2Fapi%2Fsocial%2Fog%2Fimage%3Ftype%3Dmeeting%26title%3DBook%2Bme%2Bto%2Bdiscuss%253A%250A%250ACareer%2Bconsultations%2Bwith%2Ban%2Bemphasis%2Bon%2Bentertainment%2Bjournalism%2Band%2Bnonfiction%2Bpop%2Bculture%2Bpublishing%250AGet%2Binto%2Bpublishing%252C%2Bcreating%2Bpitch%2Bdocs%2Band%2Bother%2Bliterary%2Badvice%250AQ%2526A%2Bmoderation%2B%2528experience%2Bin%2Babove%2Band%2Bbelow%2Bthe%2Bline%2Btalent%2Bfor%2BFYC%2Bseason%2529%250ADisability%2Brelated%2Bmedia%2Bconsultations%2Bfor%2Bbusinesses%2Bwith%2Ba%2Bspeciality%2Bin%2Bwheelchair%2Buse%2Band%2Bphysical%2Bdisabilities.%250ASponsorships%252C%2Bbrand%2Bambassadorships%252C%2Band%2Bsocial%2Bmedia%2Bcollaborations.%26meetingProfileName%3DKristen%2BLopez%26meetingImage%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fcal.com%252Fapi%252Favatar%252F3c31d4fa-f249-40f2-acb1-fdc67a0c2c66.png%26names%3DKristen%2BLopez%26usernames%3Dkristen-lopez%26v%3D1306a8f4)](https://cal.com/kristen-lopez?ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### So You Wanna Write a Book? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/how-to-get-a-book-published/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T14:27:20.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia and Alcmatta* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- I’ve been writing books now for almost 3 years; hell, this year alone I’ve worked on two books simultaneously! And I’m often asked by people if they can pick my brain about the publishing world to answer the age old question: “How do I get a book published?” So, in the interest of helping everyone get a leg up, and spare you spending money to attend some Instagrammer’s class on how to do this, I figured I’d share some handy do’s and don’ts that I’ve learned in my brief time writing books. *Please note: This is all from my experience. I welcome other authors to jump in and tell me what’s worked for them.* ## Forming the Idea My first book is a bit of an outlier as it was a commissioned piece; the company came to me and hired me on as a writer for an idea that already existed. But in the case of my two current books: *Popcorn Disability* and *Welcome, Boils and Ghouls*, those ideas were 100% from my head. When it comes to book writing, particularly in non-fiction, it’s imperative to have a topic that you’re comfortable living with for a year or more, and that the reason for the book’s existence is as fully formed as possible. I learned this lesson the hard way this year. In the case of *Popcorn Disability*, that idea came more so out of what I knew I was good at. I had already written a ton about disability in the movies, so why not a do a whole book on it? I didn’t have a structure stronger than that which meant, when it came to actually writing it, I wasted a lot of time making connections and setting up the throughline right before sitting down to write it. I had to figure out which movies needed to place in which chapters, all of which, I confess, should have been worked out at the pitch phase. This isn’t as much of a problem with *Boils and Ghouls* which has a far more simple A to B structure. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The 10 Best Movies of 1994 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-of-1994/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T14:25:45.000Z *This is a weird week. It’s the lead-up to my birthday on Sunday, I finished my first draft of Popcorn Disability, and there’s no big movies to review. So, suffice it to say, I scrambled to find something to write about. (I did have a long rambling theory on the Armie Hammer redemption tour but might save that till it’s actually worth writing about.) Not to mention, as I promised last week, I wanted to write something way peppier.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia and Alcmatta* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- This week I was fortunate to introduce a screening of Oliver Stone’s 1994 feature *Natural Born Killers* at the Egyptian Theatre as part of Netflix’s celebration of the 30th anniversary of the year. Yes, 1994 is now officially 30\. Or, if you’re doing millennial math, that was only about 10 years ago. I wanted to celebrate 10 movies, released in 1994, that mean a lot to me and I would consider the best. The joy of this list is that you all are welcome to jump into the comments and tell me what I forgot to include! ## 10\. Little Women We joke in film critic circles about the death of the mid-budget movies, or the demise of movies for adults. But when I rewatch Gillian Armstrong’s 1994 adaptation of *Little Women* it’s hard not to feel like we’re missing more movies like it. Sure, Louisa May Alcott’s novel had been adapted two times before this one, and would be adapted again in 2019 by Greta Gerwig. But to rewatch this one, with a script by the always amazing Robin Swicord, is to just be reminded of the fall and family. No disrespect to my Lady Greta but everyone in this cast is so pitch perfect, particularly Kirsten Dunst’s Amy — who I still haven’t forgiven for burning Jo’s manuscript — and Winona Ryder as Jo. And while Christian Bale’s Laurie is probably the creepiest of the group — he’ll marry any March that will have him, dammit — there’s a reason he made a generation of teen girls swoon. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Film Critics Are Not Alright and Hollywood Thinks It's Great URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/rotten-tomatoes-film-critic/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T14:24:08.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia and Alcmatta* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- I promise, this will be my last dark and twisty look at journalism for a minute. If only to spare my own sanity. But I had to talk about a shift in film criticism that, while brewing for a good long while ([at least since ](https://www.thewrap.com/battle-between-influencers-film-critics/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Haunted Mansion*](https://www.thewrap.com/battle-between-influencers-film-critics/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[ came out](https://www.thewrap.com/battle-between-influencers-film-critics/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)), and coupled with the entertainment journalism already on a downward spiral, just can’t be ignored. You’ll probably recall my discussion on how critics were [denied pre-screening director M. Night Shyamalan’s ](https://kristenlopez.substack.com/p/warner-bros-trap-critics)[*Trap*](https://kristenlopez.substack.com/p/warner-bros-trap-critics) a few weeks ago, part of a continued trend of studios expecting good press and only good press for their movies. But over the last week some more critic-related events only continue to illustrate the blurry role of critics in an influencer and Yelp-ified world. The belief that anyone can review a movie is not only alive and well, but it’s starting to take over completely. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Might It Be Time to Get Out of Entertainment Journalism? URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/entertainment-journalism-dying/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T14:21:54.000Z *“Journalism is Fucked and We’re All Doomed” is my ongoing column looking at issues affecting entertainment journalism writers.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia and Alcmatta* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- I’ve written this before, but a big question I’m always asked by aspiring journalists, right after “What’s it like to talk to a celebrity,” is “how do I do what you do?” I’ve always told them things like “It’s hard” to “Only do it if you *absolutely* love it AND can financially afford to do it” but, lately, I’ve felt like the harbinger of Doom outright telling them “Just don’t. Do something else.” I’ve felt like this for a few months now, the result of both leaving a toxic AF job that attempted to break my confidence as a writer as well as seeing a lot of good writers (and several friends) devote their lives to entertainment journalism and end up one in a bevy of corporate layoffs. Thus, the question above. Is it time for me or, really, all of us, to admit that entertainment journalism is dying and we should all go become plumbers? _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Gena Rowlands and the Great 'Notebook' Debate URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/gena-rowlands-dead/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T14:20:44.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia and Alcmatta* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- Actress Gena Rowlands passed away August 14th at the age of 94\. The star of stage and screen left behind an amazing body of work that, if you’ve been on social media the last week, nearly everyone has celebrated. Though it was Rowlands work with husband John Cassavetes that tended to dominate the conversation online. But if you read several of the obits written in the wake of Rowlands passing they tended to cite one movie: her role as the elderly Ali in her son, Nick Cassavetes, 2004 romantic drama *The Notebook*. People online had….opinions. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/b8a7441e-f324-44a0-a3e0-2d301dfc909b_1230x426.png)](https://x.com/KatLaRonde/status/1823894123667157305?ref=thefilmmaven.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/56728cac-807a-4c14-9881-4e88ab419846_1191x487.png)](https://x.com/TomiLaffly/status/1823919544542359981?ref=thefilmmaven.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/46ab3ba6-fad5-4409-ab2d-9e84c649ee2c_1173x434.png)](https://x.com/bananafitz/status/1823877489803821256?ref=thefilmmaven.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/359447bb-6e2d-461f-b380-2a07eb0d196e_1182x438.png)](https://x.com/carriecoon/status/1823888001983828256?ref=thefilmmaven.com) (Still kinda shocked that Carrie Coon entered the chat here and considered this moment a loss of our collective dignity.) _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Alien: Romulus' Review: A Terrifying Return to Space URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/alien-romulus-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:51:06.000Z We’ve watched many a movie coast on nostalgia these days. Hell, just the last few months is enough to make you wonder if we’ve taken a time machine back to a multiverse version of the 1990s. But when nostalgia is done right, it truly can transport an audience back to a time and place where the wonder of filmmaking could induce all manner of reactions, from laughter to tears to fear. Director Fede Alvarez accomplishes that feat with *Alien: Romulus*. Set between 1979’s *Alien* and 1986’s *Aliens*, *Alien: Romulus* introduces us to the year 2142 and the inhabitants of the Jackson Star Mining Company. Young Rain (Cailee Spaeny) lives on the planet with her Synthetic (android) brother Andy (David Jonsson) and dreams of leaving the murky, sunless planet for the colony of Yvaga, a presumed green place where everything is perfect. Her friend Tyler (Archie Renaux) offers Rain the opportunity to make it to Yvaga by lending him and his friends access to Andy to get onboard an abandoned ship floating in space. Screenwriters Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues understand why the audience is there and spend little time gilding the lily that is *Alien: Romulus*. The audience meets Rain and Andy, discover he’s a Synthetic and then immediately meet Tyler and the gang that will convince the pair to join up with them to explore the ship that might be their ticket out of the planet. (Though you’d think after all this time kids would learn if it’s abandoned, it a house or a spaceship, it ain’t good.) This is all to the film’s benefit as the audience is forced to bond with everyone because they’re seemingly decent people and have a passion to better their circumstances. You don’t need to spend precious time learning about someone’s entire history. That being said, the cast assembled create a rich depth that may not be on the page but is inhabited by their body language and character interactions. Take Bjorn (Spike Fearn), the cocky blowhard who picks on Andy because his mother died in a mining explosion decided on by a Synthetic. One line of dialogue and all you need to know. Or Isabela Merced’s Kay, a sweet girl (and Tyler’s sister) who discovers she’s pregnant. The young cast conveys both the earnestness and optimism of wanting to better their lot and life — particularly Kay who wants her baby to “see the sun” — while also having the broken world-weariness of young people forced to grow up way too fast. All of these characters deserve a fighting chance to make it to Yvaga but, like any good *Alien* film, we know that’s a pipe dream. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. It’s up to Cailee Spaeny, continuing her reign as our favorite short queen, as Rain Carradine to lead us through this venture. Spaeny has shown such range in a brief amount of time, going from the wide-eyed Priscilla Presley to a frightened war photographer. Here, she is situated as our new Ripley — so much so that the third act falls into the trap of inserting a few too many direct callbacks to the 1979 film. What makes Spaeny’s Rain stand out is how underestimated she is. One scene sees her unable to close a grate because she can’t reach it — relatable! — and watching her walk around with a gun bigger than her is a fun juxtaposition for the audience. This woman isn’t a God-like person, but an average Jane placed in unique circumstances. As I said, all hail our short Queen! But it’s *Industry* actor David Jonsson who is the beating heart of *Alien: Romulus* in spite of his character not possessing one. The mild-mannered Andy is a weakling with a stammer, routinely beat up by bullies. It’s interesting if people will see his character as disabled coded, considering his stutter and slow mental processing, written as him being an older, unused model. He says he doesn’t want to be “seen as a child” or a burden to Rain, common phrases spoken by disabled characters. His primary objective is to “do what’s best for Rain” and Jonsson being the only Black actor in the cast opens the door to exploring white privilege. Rain loves her brother, but is willing to do whatever necessary to get to Yvaga, even if that means leaving him behind. Andy even brings this up once his character undergoes an upgrade, hearkening back to Michael Fassbender’s David character. Andy becomes the primary catalyst for the film’s second act, having both the best moments — holding a Facehugger by the time — and the more existential about what it means to be human and working for the collective vs. the individual. Cinematographer Galo Olivares and production designer Naaman Marshall work beautifully to illustrate the grand scope of the ship, set against the bleak and unforgiving vastness of space around it. Alvarez has shown off the practical effects utilized in *Romulus* and it makes every emotion feel heightened because the actors are bouncing around physical creatures and sets. Olivares celebrates this, giving us plenty of wide shots of the ship to illustrate the intricacy of the set design yet can just as easily create suspense with a *Descent*\-like shot of a claustrophobic entrance onto the ship that requires the team to crawl on their stomachs. The only irksome element with the effects is the uncanny valley of youthifying a character from the first film, who should be billed third for how much screentime they have. Thanks for reading Kristomania!! This post is public so feel free to share it. Clocking in at nearly 2 hours, the film quite literally flies once the group boards the ship itself. A reveal that the ship will soon crash into a neighboring astroid belt crafts a ticking clock on things. The arrival of the Facehuggers and Xenomorph transition this into a relentless (and spellbinding) horror feature. The first Facehugger jump scare sets the tone and from there we get some grotesque body horror — Cronenberg fans will have good food — as well as a scene involving the lead Xenomorph that gives off serious “raptors in the kitchen” vibes for you *Jurassic Park* fans. Through it all Benjamin Wallfisch’s ominous, curious music feels lifted directly from the 1980s and intensifies every scene it appears in. This latest entry in the long-running *Alien* franchise is a true return to basics, from both a storytelling and a VFX standpoint that yields dividends. Immersive, terrifying, and thrilling with an astounding cast. Dare we call this one of the best movies of 2024? *Alien: Romulus is in theaters Friday.* ### We Need to Talk About Disney's 'Snow White' (Again) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/disney-snow-white-controversy/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T14:19:03.000Z *Welcome to* [*The Trade*](https://thefilmmaven.substack.com/t/the-trade?ref=thefilmmaven.com)*, an examination and exploration of topics in the entertainment industry.* *Though a portion of this is available for free subscribers, this is exclusive to my* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) *Gold Film Mavens.* *Silver and Gold subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- The D23 Expo (I’m not typing out the new name they gave it) took place this weekend in Anaheim and it was chockablock with information on upcoming movies, rides and TV shows. Friday saw the company put out a host of information on new films coming out over the next several years, and gave audiences a new look at the upcoming live-action adaptation of *Snow White ~~and the Seven Dwarfs~~*. While Disney debuted a high-class teaser for the movie right away, illicit footage of what was presented in the room was uploaded to TikTok and that, combined with the trailer, had people feeling a certain way about the upcoming reimagining of Snow White (Rachel Zegler) and the seven independently wealthy men she decides to live with. Disney has known of the issues inherent in their 1937 film and the gumption they had in even wanting to remake it, and expecting people to ignore the problems, seemed to imply the company’s infallibility. But what’s funny is how people online are responding to the clips released, and are going down some weird paths. There was a lot of discussion about how the heavy CGI creation of the dwarves, which Disney had initially called “magical creatures” but who knows if they kept that, crafted a weird uncanny valley effect. Others highlighted how easy it would have been for Disney to cast actual actors with dwarfism (like the 2012 non-Disney adaptation of Snow White, *Mirror Mirror* did, to strong effect). But many also kept bringing up one name when talking about the movie: Peter Dinklage. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Cuckoo' Review: Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens Duel in the Alps URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/cuckoo-review-hunter-schafer/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:51:50.000Z A low-key resort in the German Alps is the setting for director and screenwriter Tilman Singer’s *Cuckoo*. But as any good horror buff knows, beware of Greeks (or Germans, in this case) bearing gifts, as things aren’t what they appear. Singer’s *Cuckoo* holds commonalities with several other films released this year, and to name any of them constitutes a spoiler. But it’s those similarities that end up being the film’s undoing, coming off as derivative when it should be reveling far more in the weirdness of its premise. Hunter Schafer plays Gretchen, a teenage girl who is going through it. She’s recently been forced to move in with her father, his new wife and their daughter who are moving out of the U.S. to live at the Resort Alpschatten in Germany. There she meets the resort’s owner, Herr Konig (Dan Stevens), and a group of colorful characters that wouldn’t feel out of place in Twin Peaks. Gretchen tries to acclimate but when a mysterious hooded woman threatens her life the girl starts to wonder if something more sinister is going on. Gore Verbinski’s 2016 film *A Cure for Wellness* is a close cousin to Cuckoo, the tones of both films eerily similar. Gretchen’s arrival leads to immediate suspicion, from a neighbor saying she hadn’t “heard” of Gretchen to random women spontaneously throwing up in the resort’s store. Schafer brings a perfect blend of innocent, desperate to be believed, and someone who has watched a lot of horror movies and understands something weird is going on. So many of Schafer’s line-readings are hilariously on-the-nose, particularly her “that’s a weird way to put it” line in the trailer which hits even better in the context of the movie. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Dan Steven also seems to be having the time of his life as Herr Konig. We’ve seen Stevens play kooky characters before, but there’s such an inner fire in his performance considering the background. He’s a bizarre true believer in something that, when said out loud, sounds so silly. But when he pulls out that recorder like he’s a demented Willy Wonka summoning an Oompa Loompa it’s gold. By the third act, when the film turns into an action movie with Stevens pumping a rifle the audience has faith that Stevens understands the assignment. Singer’s biggest issue is with tone. Where *A Cure for Wellness* knew it was going for bold and operatic, *Cuckoo* tries to hit that same stride before pulling back. Herr Konig’s creepy interest in Gretchen and her little sister Alma (Mila Lieu giving a fabulous feature-film debut) never rises above “hmm, that’s off.” The introduction of a police officer with a grudge against Konig makes the third act feel like a funny “they’re two dudes who have gone mental” but there’s no added depth. And the cuckoo elements of the title could have yielded interest, but there’s never any true sense of worldbuilding for them so the entire nature of Konig’s plot falls apart if you breath on it wrong. There’s a level of incoherence to the plot that becomes more muddled once the hooded woman’s background, and the true intentions of Resort Alpschatten are revealed. And because there’s so much time spent trying to make the twist sensical, it causes other elements to be completely abandoned. Case in point, Alma starts to experience seizures that could be related to what’s happening or not. Her mother, Beth (a waste of a good Jessica Henwick), starts to fall ill towards the end for reasons that are never explained at all. Even the complicity of Gretchen’s father (played by Marton Csokas) are never contexualized. Is it a grand conspiracy or not? The movie sets things up that way but gets distracted by shinier elements. This is also a movie where a major turn revolves around someone having a tape-based answering machine, seemingly in 2024. Thank you for reading Kristomania!. This post is public so feel free to share it. Really, *Cuckoo* just seems to explain weirdness and illogic as story development and it’s not. While Gretchen is a great everyday person plopped down into a horror movie, it leaves her doing things that just feel eye-roll inducing. (If someone tells me to “lock the doors and wait” I’d be more interested in asking why than wandering outside.) That’s coupled with a good glimmer of an idea that expands out into far more questions than answers. *Cuckoo* would have made a helluva short film and it’s limitations feel akin to movies that started in short features and expanded out (*Lights Out* is a great example). *Cuckoo* is a decent entry into a strong year for horror, even if the parts don’t all fit together. Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens (and his recorder!) are worth seeing alone. It’s just frustrating that the plot feels wafer-thin and dumb. *Cuckoo is in theaters Friday, August 9.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 6 Great Movies I Watched in July URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/must-watch-movies-july/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:52:17.000Z Some of the best things I discovered this month _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Warner Bros. Set a 'Trap' for Critics URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/warner-bros-critics-trap/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T14:16:37.000Z *Though a portion of this is available for free subscribers, this is exclusive to my* [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) *Gold Film Mavens.* *Silver and Gold subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* *Can't become a recurring member now? That's totally fine! Consider dropping a little something in the tip jar to let me know you like what you're reading.* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- If you’re part of what is commonly referred to as “Film Twitter” then you noticed last week a lot of film critics talking about how Warner Bros. didn’t pre-screen their latest film, M. Night Shyamalan’s *Trap*, for them in advance. And we’re not talking about small bloggers or those with genre sites. The trades were also X’ed out of pre-screenings, unless they were interviewing cast and crew for the junket (and even then I didn’t see a lot of people I knew doing interviews). Outside of New York and Los Angeles I was told critics were being offered ticket vouchers to redeem to see the movie opening night but, otherwise, everyone was in the same boat. In the past, a move like this would have signified one thing: the studio had no belief in the movie’s success and/or that it was terrible and bad reviews would cause it to tank even more. But that wasn’t the case here. *Trap* is actually good (I can say this as a critic who went to a packed house Friday night and had the best time I’ve had at the movies in a while). So why keep critics in the dark? When I was working at my last position I was told fairly regularly: Warner Bros. isn’t a fan of the trades. And that might be true but the near-media blackout for *Trap* seemed to imply something bigger. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Deadpool & Wolverine' and the Cringe of 2000s Nostalgia URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/deadpool-wolverine-nostalgia/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:26:07.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia and Alcmatta* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- Yes, I’m back writing about *Deadpool & Wolverine* this week. A movie that, with every passing day, I like a little bit less. I’ve seen a lot of tweets and comments since the movie dropped, with claims (predominately from men) talking about how it’s an anti-Gen Z movie. Some have said it’s only for the most devout of comic fans. But what I keep going back to — and it’s a tweet I wish I could find so if someone can point to it, let me know — is a comment I heard that it acts as a nostalgic time capsule for 50-year-old men to remind themselves of a universe that wasn’t real but they desperately wish it was. And that doesn’t mean a universe where Jennifer Garner got a string of *Elektra* movies. **\[Note: Spoilers for *Deadpool & Wolverine* will be included.\]** *Deadpool & Wolverine* is fan service, make no mistake. But it’s fan service built for a specific fan. The fan that was scouring AintItCoolNews in the mid-2000s for any minor DC/MCU spoiler, and probably bitching about it didn’t conform to their expectations. So when the title characters team up with Garner’s Elektra, Wesley Snipes’ Blade, and Channing Tatum’s Gambit, I was surprised to hear how much seeming goodwill there was for everyone involved. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Popcorn Disability: Does Anyone Even Like 'Scent of a Woman?' URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/scent-of-a-woman-al-pacino-blind/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:23:48.000Z *Welcome to this installment of Popcorn Disability, the series looking at disability through the lens of pop culture leading to the release of my book Popcorn Disabilities. This is a series exclusive to Gold Film Mavens though this post is free.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Gold Film Mavens*.* **Supporters include*: Cameron Curtis, Virginia Yapp, Don Comm PR, Angel Giuffria, Tari Hartman Squire, Dkod, Debann, Matthew Jackson, Gregory Ayers and Linoleum Podcast.* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* [Tip Jar](https://thefilmmaven.outpost.pub/donate?ref=thefilmmaven.com) --- When I started writing *Popcorn Disability*, the book, people tended to give a lot of suggestions. Was I doing the “big Oscar movie” before rattling off a litany of titles. When most people think of disability in the movies they equate it with awards and, for a while, there was fuel behind that statement. It’s not so much the case now (and, really, it’s a bit of a false stat considering how few movies about disability actually get made, let alone nominated) but the early ‘90s was certainly the stereotype’s time to shine, and there is no movie more indicative of that fallacy than Al Pacino’s Oscar win for 1992’s *Scent of a Woman*. Until this week, I’d never watched the Martin Brest-directed film that nabbed Pacino his first (and, to this date, only) Best Actor Oscar after four previous nominations; said previous nominations were for *Serpico, Godfather 2, Dog Day Afternoon* and *And Justice for All*. That’s important to remember later. Also, Pacino was nominated in Best Supporting Actor the same year as his *Scent of a Woman* nom, albeit for Best Supporting Actor for *Glengarry Glen Ross*. Also worth remembering for later. All I knew about it was he played a blind guy and that everyone in 1992 started saying “who-ah” because of him. None of that prepared me for, though, for the 156 minutes which would unfold. The film follows mild-mannered prep school teen Charlie Simms (Chris O’Donnell) and the Thanksgiving weekend he spends attending to a blind veteran Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Pacino). Slade is a loudmouth, cringe-inducing ball of fire whose goal over the weekend is to cross off various things on his to-do list before killing himself. You know, as most of us disabled people tend to do (per the movies). Charlie and Frank drive around New York experiencing life, with Charlie committed to making Frank change his mind and Frank imparting words of wisdom that only a blind, vaguely racist/misogynist can. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Deadpool & Wolverine' Review: Maximum Effort, Minimal Payoff URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/deadpool-and-wolverine-review-ryan-reynolds/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:53:49.000Z Nostalgia is king currently. Chalk it up to the massive uncertainty in the world or the last four years of COVID, but as an audience we’ve collectively decided we want to spend our theater time — and our dollars — revisiting what we once loved. And *Deadpool & Wolverine* is certainly ready to scratch that nostalgic itch, with adamantium claws, no less. The trouble is Deadpool and the gang are officially Marvel characters, and we’re not talking about the Marvel of even 10 years ago. We’re talking the Marvel of the last three, and that’s not exactly a high-water mark. *Deadpool & Wolverine* suffers from the same problems that have plagued all the Phase Four/Five Marvel films, from *Thor: Love and Thunder* to *Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania* and *The Marvels.* There’s a ton of stuff in the movie — people getting ripped apart, things flying through the frame and characters, characters, characters — as well as a ton of exposition. But nothing feels like a cogent plot but more a means of getting Deadpool and Wolverine from Plot Point A to Plot Point C. The results are a mixed bag of occasionally funny one-liners and characters you forgot you probably complained about online in the 2000s, but it’s hard to muster up more excitement for this iteration of Deadpool or Wolverine. We meet Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) as he’s attempts to find something passing for meaning in his life. He’s refused acceptance into the Avengers and spends his days selling pre-owned certified vehicles (and bitching about Hondas). When the Time Variance Authority (TVA) comes knocking at his door Wade is tasked with helping them locate Logan, aka Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). The two must team up to stop a big bad, expose some form of government corruption, and enjoy an awesome soundtrack. That plot synopsis says it all because the script — credited to Shawn Levy, Rhett Reese, Ryan Reynolds, Zeb Wells and Paul Wernick — feels like everyone sat down to throw out ideas and then just smushed them onto the page. We meet Deadpool as he’s literally digging up Logan’s grave, one of several plays on the joke about them beating a dead horse with this movie. We then get the whole “I bet you’re wondering how I got here” pivot to Wade begging Happy Hogan (Jon Faverau) for a job before another time jump to Wade living an incredibly boring life. A required shot of Deadpool’s friends — whom you won’t see again till the finale because why would you — illustrates that Wade’s world is small, but he has love in his life. It’s weird to have Wade continuously talk about how he has people he loves, but we never see any real interactions with them. Outside of Rob Delaney’s Peter — who singelhandedly steals every scene he’s in — everyone else, including Leslie Uggams’ Blind Al, are in a stray scene or two. The first two features were all about Wade’s love of Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) and his connection to community, but for the most part *Deadpool and Wolverine* sees him and Logan discuss their need for people without having any real connection to them. An extended sequence in a place called the Void sees the pair reunite with forgotten comic book movie stars of the early 2000s, but even then there’s no sense of them being a true team. They meet, they form a plan and execute it all in a scene. Things feel decided on by committee and strung together with little means of true propulsion. When this movie was being filmed Marvel was still committed to interconnecting their Disney+ shows with their features. Now, with Phase 5 yielded more misses than hits, they’re committed to moving away from that. Unfortunately, this film still has that mentality. So if you didn’t watch Loki the idea of the TVA and Matthew Macfadyen’s villainous paper pusher Mr. Paradox will just look like a weakling character going on a power trip. Not to be confused with Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), another villainous character on a power trip, this time with connections to the X-Men. Macfadyen’s character kickstarts things with a bizarre plan that isn’t fully articulated. What’s his end goal? Who knows. Either way he’s quickly abandoned for Corrin's Cassandra, another soft-spoken female baddie who’s issues are chalked up to “people like my brother more.” Corrin is certainly having fun, but she’s got one character trait: Evil. And little else. The majority of *Deadpool and Wolverine’s* two-hour runtime is filled with the titled characters being annoyed with each other and going on extended rampages together. Think of it like *Midnight Run* with far more blood and claws. Reynolds and Jackman have witty repartee, but there feels like a divide between the two. Part of that is the fact that Reynolds spends so much time in Deadpool costume it’s hard to garner any reactions from his line readings. My movie partner wondered if he just ADR’ed everything. Jackman is doing all the heavy lifting, mostly because *Logan* had such heart and depth to it. A scene of him discussing the demise of the X-Men to Dafne Keen’s Laura reminds you why James Mangold’s 2017 feature is so fantastic. A shame it’s the only scene between the pair. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. When things get too series there are extended fight sequences, needle drops and cameo reveals which packs everything in and doesn’t prevent the smell of this being a massive vanity project. Negging on 20th Century Fox ad nauseam gets old fast, especially since Disney has bought the company and pretty much strip-mined it. The movie makes comments about the state of the company’s capitalism but has all the bit of a 7-year-old kid sticking their finger in someone’s face and saying “not touching you.” Annoying, but that’s all. The cameos that are included also are purely fan service. One cameo in particular that I won’t reveal because it’s not even on IMDb, weirdly enough, stings especially hard considering Marvel’s delay in bringing in superheroes of color. An online tweet mentioned this movie was firmly not for Gen Zers and it’s true. But it’s also not a movie accessible for those who didn’t terminally consume comic book movies in the aughts. My movie buddy is Gen X and didn’t understand half of the cameo jokes because she didn’t even remember seeing the movies, let alone knowing the fancasting or projects that were announced but never happened 20 years ago. This is a movie firmly for comic book men and while that’s all well and good there should still be a story there. The movie feels like the equivalent of Willy Wonka giving you access to the chocolate room and saying nothing is actually edible. It’s nice to see, but it’s purely there to get your dollars. *Deadpool and Wolverine* will definitely get audiences. The question is will it get new audiences? Is this like *Avatar*, where fans will wait so long that it doesn’t matter when they saw the last movie? It’s possible. The movie is certainly not bad, just suffering from Marvel-itis, much like countless other movies the studio has made over the last several years. Jackman and Reynolds are fun, but they’re wandering through a landscape where they don’t know the route. It just feels so empty. *Deadpool and Wolverine is in theaters this Friday.* Thank you for reading Kristomania!. This post is public so feel free to share it. ### 'Twisters' Review: Glen Powell Wrangles a Tornado of Summer Action URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/twisters-review-glen-powell/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:54:10.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/49264d76-6fd0-4c8e-8c8a-0213677f0a7d_500x281-jpeg.jpg) Revisiting the 1996 feature *Twisters* is a time capsule, for sure. Outside of seeing Todd Field before he was an Oscar-nominated director, it illustrates exactly what audiences were looking for in the mid-’90s: a great throwback to the disaster films of the 1970s with a dependable cast that never overstayed its welcome. There was also a vastly different relationship to the environment then but let’s not get into it. All of that is to say that watching the film’s sequel/quasi-remake *Twisters* is to see it reflect the world we’re living in today, for good and ill. Twenty-six years later director Lee Isaac Chung presents audiences with another group of intrepid young tornado chases, albeit this time their goal is blending the worlds of science and entertainment on-screen in a way that can come off as overly earnest but never fake. Much of this comes from everyone’s favorite actor, Glen Powell, who showcases that he is the most magnetic presence in a room. When *Twisters* is about him, and the hot tornado action of seeing it on a big screen, it’s a winner. Much like its predecessor we meet our heroine, Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) right as tragedy hits. Kate wants to find a way to collapse tornadoes before they do any damage and in the process of trying an experiment she loses three friends. Five years later Kate teams up with a former colleague (Anthony Ramos) and the two embark on storm-chasing. Add in a “tornado wrangler” named Tyler Owens (Powell) and the group takes on the task of trying to stop tornadoes once and for all. The opening tragedy sets the tone for how all the tornado scenes play out: reliant on sound and the majesty of Mother Nature’s wrath to evoke awe in the theater and it works! There’s something about the way cinematographer Dan Mindel — who worked on *The Amazing Spider-Man 2* and the third *Mission: Impossible* — captures the conflict between people trapped in terrifying situations that is emotionally resonant. A scene of Kate, Tyler, a mother and her child in a large below ground swimming pool as the twister roars above them is awe-inspiring in how the camera focuses on their individual looks of terror. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Edgar-Jones is meant to be our Helen Hunt equivalent, a once idealistic scientist who questions herself after she unintentionally gets people she loves killed. She has all the benchmarks of Hunt’s character, right down to a sequence where she wears an outfit similar to Hunt, but there is a spark missing. This is probably because it takes nearly an hour for Edgar-Jones and Powell to team up. Separately, Edgar-Jones’ Kate is dour and contemplative, wracked with guilt and more single-minded in her goal to help people, or at least her best friend Javi. Her and Ramos are nice together, but because their characters are reminders of the opening accident they have little spark. The true star of *Twisters*, outside of the eponymous acts of God, is Glen Powell and it’s weird that he isn’t introduced until the first 20(ish) minutes of the movie once Kate is introduced, vetted and brought to Oklahoma to work with Javi’s team, Storm Par. Tyler and his group of storm chasers are introduced “hillbillies with a YouTube channel” until they’re discovered to be a ragtag group of philanthropists who have found success via social media. It would have been interesting to play at that dichotomy: of government funding vs. influencer culture similar to how the original film parlayed independent storm chasing with private funding but that doesn’t hit as hard here. Instead, Kate and Tyler fall into a “will they or won’t they” dynamic, with the two razzing each other about basic things; she’s the “city girl” and he’s secretly intelligent. Thankfully, Powell’s effortless charm overcomes a lot of filmic sins and he and Edgar-Jones do liven things up significantly. It’s just unfortunate that it takes over an hour for them to actually unify, much like twin twisters coming together! The cast is fairly packed with faces you’ll recognize: the aforementioned Anthony Ramos, Katy O’Brian (from *Love Lies Bleeding*), Sasha Lane, Kiernan Shipka, a pre-*Superman* David Corenswet, Maura Tierney. They’re all great to see but there’s little room for anyone to make an impact like the ensemble behind Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton in the original film. Ramos probably has the biggest arc of the group and that’s more a half-hearted “trying to do right to get over my guilt” plot. The rest of the team only have a few lines. They all come together in a fairly pulse-pounding sequence in a movie theater — another callback to the original film — that’s, again, visually intense to watch. Let’s be real, the quest Kate and her friends are embarking on regarding collapsing tornadoes is about on par with Helen Hunt’s Jo believing all tornadoes were personally out to get her. If anything, the film’s emphasis and interest in science is unique to see. It just makes it more frustrating how the script deftly avoids using the word “climate change” throughout the 2 hour runtime, content to keep talking about an “unprecedented” rise in tornado activity in Oklahoma. No doubt much of this stems from the home of not alienating a Midwest or Southern audience. *Twisters* is far from the best thing you’ll see this year, but it is the best thing you’ll see in a movie theater! Disaster movies will always fill an itch for an audience that wants chaos on the big screen (and, weirdly enough, in a fantasy world that can be found in a movie theater). Glen Powell continues to showcase his strengths and he is a serious high point for the movie. *Twisters is in theaters July 19.* Thank you for reading Kristomania!. This post is public so feel free to share it. ### Shelley Duvall Showed Us the Magic of Storytelling URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/shelley-duvall-faerie-tale-theatre/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:21:09.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia and Alcmatta* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- Yesterday we said goodbye to actress and creator Shelley Duvall at the age of 75\. Duvall had been through it over the last several years, even after leaving acting behind, with well-documented struggles with mental illness (which is one of many things we should never forgive Dr. Phil for). But to see all the social media comments dropped in the wake of her passing it was remarkable to see such outpourings of love and respect for a woman who was so often presented through a limiting prism. In a weird twist of irony I also watched HBO’s upcoming documentary on Faye Dunaway (which is good, btw) and I kept going back to how Dunaway and Duvall are, in a way, strange bedfellows. Both women were praised and mocked for their unconventional looks. Each struggled with mental illness. Each was labeled difficult for, in many instances (Dunaway less so), talking about behavior we’d now deem as questionable or downright toxic. Duvall was done dirty by Hollywood and I can only hope that she found the peace in her personal life that her professional one didn’t yield her. For me, Duvall was her 1982 Showtime series *Faerie Tale Theatre*, an anthology show wherein future A-list stars recreated Grimm’s fairy tales with Duvall acting as narrator. I don’t know if I’d be writing an oral history on a TV anthology series if not for what Duvall created (albeit in a vastly different genre than I’m writing today). _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Disneyland and the Disability Question URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/disneyland-das-controversy/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:19:33.000Z It's a world of laughter and a world of why we can't have good things _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Popcorn Disability: Mask (1985) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/mask-review-1985-disability/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:18:10.000Z [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/42eTdI8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *is my upcoming book looking at disability in the movies coming out in 2025\. As a prelude to that, I’ve decided to review some of the movies I’m watching as I work on it. Some these will eventually make their way into the finished product and some won’t.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia and Alcmatta* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- This installment of Popcorn Disability is brought to you by X/Twitter because I had everyone vote on what they wanted me to talk about! I did not think this 1985 drama directed by Peter Bogdanovich would win against a far superior disabled movie (1976’s *Coming Home*) and the worst movie to ever exist in humanity (2016’s *Me Before You*) but here we are. So let’s discuss the movie I’ve actively avoided for the last 20 years and answers the question: Are any of Kristen’s Boys represented in her book? *Mask* tell the true story of Rocky Dennis (Eric Stoltz), a California teen with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia that results in significant facial deformities. His free-spirited biker mother Rusty (Cher) is his biggest advocate, asserting that he be treated no differently than an average teen. But as Rocky gets older the issues of growing up start to clash with his disability. I had more than a few friends ask me at the beginning of writing Popcorn Disability if I was finally gonna watch *Mask* since they were all present for the Eric Stoltz phase I went through in the 2000s. Having finally crossed it off the list, I’ll admit he’s a key reason why it works at all. The character could have so easily fallen into a sainted portrayal of disability that was ridiculously common in the 1970s and 1980s (go back to read [my ](https://kristenlopez.substack.com/p/popcorn-disability-ice-castles-1978)[*Ice Castles*](https://kristenlopez.substack.com/p/popcorn-disability-ice-castles-1978)[ review](https://kristenlopez.substack.com/p/popcorn-disability-ice-castles-1978) for reference). Instead, the character feels lived in and messy. Rocky can be selfish, good-hearted, kind of a dick. We contain multitudes, dammit. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The 9 Best Movies of the Year (So Far) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-2024/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:15:43.000Z *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia and Alcmatta* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- I can’t believe we’re already talking about the best movies of the year. Actually, pretty sure I was talking about them at my day job back in March but that post never actually went up so…feels like the first time. Writing two books simultaneously means I’ve missed a lot of new releases and I’m shocked I’ve seen as much as I have. But that’s where you come in by lovingly telling me in the comments “You didn’t watch \[insert movie\] here yet?!” Let me know what I need to jump on the bandwagon with so I can be in a good position when I update this list again in October. *Note, these are in particular order and only reflect movies out right now (so if it’s a Sundance title that hasn’t debuted yet, it ain’t eligible).* _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Maxxxine' Review: Ti West's Trilogy Concludes With a Mixed Bag of Tricks URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/maxxxine-review-mia-goth/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:55:49.000Z Ti West just gets me. Whether it’s in the moody atmosphere of his 2009 film *House of the Devil* or the true to events recounting of the Guyana massacre in 2013’s *The Sacrament*, I know if West has a film out, I’m in. And that continued with his 2022 feature *X*, a gritty tribute to the 1970s horror scene that gave audiences their first introduction to determined porn star Maxine Minx (Mia Goth). The film’s sequel/prequel, *Pearl*, didn’t hit me as hard in spite of fantastic production values and a relentless performance by Goth, but the ship rights itself and speeds into the harbor with *Maxxxine*. If *X* was a tribute to movies of the 1970s and *Pearl* the 1940s then *Maxxxine* goes for pure ‘80s grindhouse in the vein of films like *Angel*. Cinematographer Eliot Rockett perfectly captures the blend of glitz and dirt that, at least to those watching it through movies, believe Los Angeles looked like in the era of the Night Stalker. Multiple scenes of Hollywood Boulevard depict a fantasmagoria of sidewalk Charlie Chaplins and Buster Keatons, coupled with open sex work on the street, peep shows, and the chronic fear that death is just around the corner. That all comes colliding together in a breathtakingly haunting scene wherein Maxine is threatened by the weirdest person you’d expect, culminating in some bloody good ultraviolence. We reunite with Goth’s Maxine as she’s making her way in Hollywood, auditioning for a role in the slasher feature *The Puritan 2*, set to be directed by Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki in her John Ford era). Maxine is less interested in going the route of porn star turned actress Marilyn Chambers and more the traditional feature film route of Brooke Shields. One of many interesting threads the script tries to bring up is how women being nude in certain films dictated their career trajectory. Maxine gets the role and thus begins a journey that sees her balancing potential stardom with the realization that the past events of *X* are coming back to haunt her with the arrival of a private detective named John Labat (Kevin Bacon, oozing sleaze). What makes *Maxxxine* work so well is how West captures time and place. The film is a horror movie, to be sure, especially as Maxine has to contend with a stalker of her own and the very real-life serial killer the Night Stalker terrorizing Los Angeles at the time. The two killers don’t dovetail as cleanly as they could have — and the third act gets a bit kooky in a reveal that isn’t given nearly enough weight earlier in the narrative — but by that time the audience is just dazzled by Los Angeles at this time. Whether it’s Maxine wandering around the Universal backlot, being given a horror history lesson by Debicki’s Liz Bender, or her walking up the Boulevard to her friend-zoned buddy Leon’s (Moses Sumney) video store, every frame of the film is fascinating to explore. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. And like any good ‘80s thriller the plot is kind of a hodgepodge. The emphasis on Hollywood and its exploitation of women is fascinating, particularly in how each of the women drawn into its orbit reacts to possibly having a life-altering interaction. Both Halsey (making her acting debut) and Lily Collins are given fun moments to shine during this plot point, though it’s frustrating that Halsey, in particular, as one of Maxine’s peep show friends doesn’t have more screentime. But things come alive every time Maxine is in the studio, particularly interacting with Debicki’s Elizabeth. The two present cold exteriors but understand the judgement they’re receiving in the cinematic world — Maxine as a porn star trying to turn legit and Elizabeth as a female filmmaker trying to make her bones in movies. As all this is happening bodies start to hit the floor, many of them connected to Maxine herself. Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale are fun as the two cops that, if you’ve seen any ‘80s movie, are chronically three steps behind. Cannavale might also have one of my favorite one-liners of 2024\. But the script seems to have trouble unifying Maxine’s troubles with that of the Night Stalker and, again, it’d have probably been far easier to streamline them. It leaves actors like Kevin Bacon there for a few fun scenes — including a memorable one themed to the song from *St. Elmo’s Fire* which, who had that having such a huge impact in 2024? — and that’s it. It’s probably because third act sees West fall back on a familiar trope of his. West enjoys cults and cabals which were prevalent in the 1980s but there’s not enough background presented early in the story to make it make sense. A third act character reveal slams us right into the third act. And while the movie returns to watch works — the movie within the movie — it leaves the ending a sticky, bloody mess that dulls the overall impact of the finale. That being said, it’s been a minute since I’ve had such a fun time at the movies. *Maxxxine* is a movie built for a wide audience to sit down and just scream at the head bursting, neck slicing goodness on the screen. The plot machinations can be waved away with “that’s how a film would have done it in the ‘80s” and it never diminishes the fun of the movie, just whether it’s a perfect film or not. Either way, Maxine may not accept a life she doesn’t deserve, but this is definitely one you deserve to watch. *Maxxxine is in theaters July 3.* Thank you for reading Kristomania!. This post is public so feel free to share it. ### Popcorn Disability: 'Ice Castles' (1978) URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/popcorn-disability-ice-castles-1978/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:13:49.000Z [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/42eTdI8?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *is my new upcoming book looking at disability in the movies coming out in 2025\. As a prelude to that, I’ve decided to review some of the movies I’m watching as I work on the book. Some these will eventually make their way into the finished product and some won’t.* *A portion of this is available for free subscribers, but this piece is *exclusive to my** [***Gold Star Crew***](https://thefilmmaven.com/film-maven-gold-star-crew/) **of Silver and Gold Film Mavens*. Supporters include: Ashley Eakin, Jessi Parrott, Talleri Mcrae, LMoore, Tonia Steed, Chelsea Meister, Josh Hornbeck, Julia Mazza, Kathia and Alcmatta* *Paid subscribers are the backbone of The Film Maven who support independent journalism, as well as female- and disabled-created content. Paid Film Mavens get access to *shout-outs, exclusive articles and series, Zoom mixers, and The Film Maven Discord server*.* [*Consider becoming a paid subscriber*](https://thefilmmaven.com/gold-film-maven-deal) *and joining the community that invests in independent journalism free of AI and influencer opinions!* --- I’m currently working on a chapter in my book on gender and the distinctions in relationships based on disability. In sum, movies present women with disabilities as usually always having some type of facial disability, but nothing so damaging to their looks that they aren’t hot or that an abled/sighted/hearing actress can’t play them. Read [my piece on ](https://kristenlopez.substack.com/p/johnny-belinda-jane-wyman-disability)[*Johnny Belinda*](https://kristenlopez.substack.com/p/johnny-belinda-jane-wyman-disability)as a good primer. So I’ve spent this week watching a lot of beautiful actresses play blind, deaf, non-verbal or some combination thereof. (And, men, don’t worry, I’ve got a movie to discuss that stars you in this stripe to discuss later.) Today’s movie, though, is the apotheosis of a lot of the stereotypes that plague those who have, as I’ve coined it, “pretty disabilities. *Ice Castles* is the tale of a beautiful athlete who becomes disabled and through tough love — really, just a guy yelling at her a lot — is able to transcend her disability to win. The 1970s loved these types of movies thanks to the 1970 feature *Love Story*, a similar story of two people on opposite tracks in life who fall in love only to discover the female lead is disabled; in this case, Ali MacGraw’s character gets cancer, beautifully, and dies leaving poor Ryan O’Neal to a life of…being Ryan O’Neal. But the massive success of *Love Story* inspired Hollywood to make other movies about doomed couples, although they must have realized killing off a lead in every movie would get repetitive so they just gave all the women disabilities. The 1975 feature *The Other Side of the Mountain* — which I also watched — tells a similar story as *Ice Castles*, albeit it’s based on true events and the woman becomes paralyzed. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Brats' and the Journalist/Subject Situationship URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/andrew-mccarthy-brats-documentary/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:07:35.000Z Like most of us this weekend, I watched Andrew McCarthy’s documentary *Brats*. Following the rise and rapid fall of the “Brat Pack,” the 1980s band of young actors most commonly associated with John Hughes films, the documentary has received a fair bit of back and forth on whether it’s a vanity project by McCarthy, an attempt to lambast a journalist for doing his job, or a deep exploration into a term that both limited and elevated those associated with it to iconic status. Having watched the finished product it’s definitely frustrating and should remind everyone why it’s often better for documentarians, separated from the subject, to tell the story. The 90-minute runtime feels like a first draft, with McCarthy taking precious screentime to show himself cold-calling people (it even ends with a key member of the Brat Pack finally returning his call…only for the credits to roll) and reminding everyone, ad nauseaum, how much the term “brat pack” ruined his career, and probably his life. Trust me, no one felt more slighted by the term than Andrew McCarthy. And, dammit, he’s going to tell you why. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'Kinds of Kindness' Review: Yorgos Lanthimos Enters the Twilight Zone URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/kinds-of-kindess-review-yorgos-lanthimos/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:57:19.000Z After winning four Oscars in March for his sci-fi feature *Poor Things*, many were shocked that director Yorgos Lanthimos already had his new feature filmed and ready for release. Dropping a Lanthimos joint in the heart of summer is definitely a choice, but there’s really no way to prep an audience for what *Kinds of Kindness* is. An anthology film looking at three stories of wild characters trying to find meaning at the expense of their own autonomy, it’s doubtful an audience will enjoy the entirety of the film as a whole, instead gravitating to one or two of the stories that encapsulate the near three-hour runtime. If you loved *Poor Things* or *The Favourite* you’ll probably struggle with *Kinds of Kindness* as the director and cowriter, alongside Efthimis Filippou, forsakes a conventional narrative in favor of three individual vignettes bound together by one character who briefly appears in all three stories, as well as overarching themes about people’s ability to subvert their own happiness to please others. All three situations are wild and only have the bare modicum of story, compelling the audience to fill in the “whys” that drive the characters to make certain decisions. The first story, entitled “The Death of R.M.F.,” follows Robert (Jesse Plemons), a man whose every move is dictated by his boss, Raymond (Willem Dafoe). But when Robert decides to defy one of Raymond’s order it turns Robert’s life upside-down. Plemons is the MVP of *Kinds of Kindness*, playing three different characters attempting to hold it together in spite of surreal events. “The Death of R.M.F.” gives him the grandest opportunity to do that — his role gets smaller and smaller in every subsequent vignette. He plays the character as increasingly pathetic, treating Raymond’s lack of interest in him like a lover scorned; Lanthimos does a fantastic job of creating a polyamorous, pansexual world with all his characters. It’s never stipulated what the roles of this world are and why Raymond controls everyone around him. At a certain point, as Robert starts to feel more and more adrift in society, it’s implied that everyone in town (maybe the world?) is just being controlled by Raymond. Lanthimos’ script gets heady about God, religion, and how we’re so hellbent on making sense of crazy things. But with “The Death of R.M.F.” he kookily explores how content we are to give up our autonomy for the finer things. Robert sees a smashed tennis racket once owned by John McEnroe to be the pinnacle of success, and it’s the first thing he tries to steal when he feels he’s been replaced. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Plemons dominates this first sequence, although he’s complemented by Dafoe and Margaret Qualley. Dafoe is especially strong as a man who controls through educating; he’s simply trying to make everyone’s life better. Some added depth might have been nice, but the script isn’t particularly interested in presenting these characters as anything beyond who they are right at the moment. Plemons shines strongest in “R.M.F. Is Flying,” the film’s second story. He plays a police officer named Daniel whose wife, Liz, has been lost at sea. He spends his days pining over his missing wife and making his best friends watch the homemade porn they’ve all made together “to remember her by.” The return of Liz (Emma Stone) doesn’t make Daniel’s life better, though, as he becomes convinced his wife isn’t actually his wife. That and he starts to garner a hankering for human flesh. “R.M.F. Is Flying” is the strongest of the three, albeit it doesn’t have as complete a story as the final chapter, “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich.” Plemons and Stone have the opportunity to bounce off each other; he as the suspicious, paranoid husband and her as the complacent, possibly alien, newcomer. This is easily the one to be deconstructed the most. My movie guest and I spent a long time after discussing whether Daniel had reason to believe Liz isn’t actually his wife or not. If you enjoy Plemons’ ability to be normal while saying something horrible, this is for you. It’s amazing how nonchalant he is asking Stone’s Liz to cook him one of her fingers, “maybe a thumb,” with some cauliflower. The theme here is also the most overt: that our desire to showcase our love for others can leave us literally carving out parts of ourselves to please. The first three installments move gracefully, but by the time the third installment arrives you might be fidgeting. “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich” feels like the longest of the trio and is also the most complete story. Stone plays Emily, a member of a cult-like religion seeking a woman who can resurrect the dead and fulfill a prophecy. The humor here is the most absurd but the weirdness of the organization they belong to is fascinating. Thank you for reading Kristomania!. This post is public so feel free to share it. It’s where Dafoe and Hong Chau, playing the leaders of the group, get to shine, particularly Chau who spends most of the vignette licking sweat off people’s stomachs. The problem lies in a rather abrupt violation of Stone’s character that sees Emily get thrown out of the cult. The script never deals with the fact that her character endures sexual assault, instead content to see her just try to get back in. But we get the Emma Stone dance, which is funny! It’ll be interesting to see how mainstream audiences take to *Kinds of Kindness*, particularly post-*Poor Things*. Lanthimos doesn’t make things easy with an audacious, esoteric exploration of humanity and society. Plemons, Dafoe and Stone are great, but the three-hour runtime and level of absurdity might test the audiences’ kindness. *Kinds of Kindness is in theaters June 21.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### 'Inside Out 2' Review: Pixar's Animated Sequel Lets Anxiety Run Wild URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/inside-out-2-review-pixar/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:57:40.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/3cdab809-f533-4b9a-8199-e3dd7f3e1209_1298x730-jpeg.jpg) It’s been nearly a decade since audiences last saw Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, the emotions living in the head of the pre-teen Riley in Disney and Pixar’s *Inside Out*. And even though the sequel is set just two years after the first one, the world Disney and Pixar inhabits now certainly feels like a decade has passed. The same feelings one might have had towards Disney’s *Wish* last year will be keenly felt with *Inside Out 2*: that it’s fine, a decent way to spend 90 minutes, but that’s a far cry from what audiences know Pixar is capable of. It’s not that this movie is bad, but the depth of feelings feels more manipulative than it’s ever felt. The story feels roughly edited, as if it was dictated by studio notes and test screening. After recent stories about them moving away from personal stories, like the remarkable *Turning Red*, it just leaves the audience to wonder if *Inside Out 2* is what we should expect from now on? Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman) is officially a teenager. She’s made friends since moving from Minnesota to San Francisco, and her emotions are all in sync. But problems arise when Riley simultaneously hits puberty and is invited to a hockey camp wherein the possibilities of her making a prestigious high school team consume her thoughts. Joy (Amy Poehler) in Riley’s mind is prepared for everything until a new emotion, Anxiety (Maya Hawke) arrives and is ready to make Riley happier…by changing everything about her. *Inside Out* claims to be 96 minutes but if so it’s so breezy as to move with hurricane force winds. The audience is briefly re-introduced to Riley and her emotions, but that’s all wrapped up in about 15 minutes. From there the story kicks in, quite literally, with the Demo Team moving in to Riley’s brain to redo everything as the girl enters puberty. But because puberty is messy, the film doesn’t take any time to discuss the transition — much like the first film did when Riley was transitioning from childhood to adolescence. Instead, we’re told puberty is little more than smelling bad, having mood swings, and becoming incredibly anxious. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. And there’s absolutely nothing subtle about the film’s presentation of anxiety, even if it felt at times like it was speaking directly to me. As soon as Anxiety is introduced she has one scene with Joy before she and the other new emotions kick out Riley’s original team and take over. The script, written by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein, comes off like large chunks of connective tissue are missing in favor of a Cliff’s Notes version of the story. Joy and Anxiety have the same aims, but the movie separates them with neither one truly seeming to realize they’re working towards the same goals, albeit with vastly different outcomes for Riley. Even factoring in the first film, wherein Joy had to realize Sadness had a part to play in Riley’s happiness, that’s never presented here. It’s as if Joy completely erased everything she learned in the original feature. That being said, the voice cast is still top notch. Poehler and Phyllis Smith are great, although Smith feels like she’s taken a backseat here in comparison to newcomers Liza Lapira (as Disgust) and Tony Hale (as Fear). That’s probably because Sadness is sent back to Headquarters where her character is routinely hiding in a corner or stuck in a bucket. It’s a shame since Smith’s character was really the heart of the first film. Lapira has a great scene with one of Riley’s childhood crushes, an anime character, and Lewis Black as Anger has some great lines. Newcomers Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri (as Envy), Adele Exarchopoulos (as Ennui) and Paul Walter Hauser (as Embarassment) are fantastic and it’s no surprise they take up the majority of the runtime. They have a true cohesion between them, with Hawke’s Anxiety trying desperately to plan for every possibility, while Envy tries to think of all the things she wishes she had. Hawke is especially wonderful, crafting a character that is so desperate to please yet terrified of failing. It would have been nice to see her and Joy butt heads more. Thank you for reading Kristomania!. This post is public so feel free to share it. The biggest change between *Inside Outs* 1 and 2 is the tone, and that will be the biggest hurdle here, and another reason why the script needed to be far stronger. Focusing on how one lives with anxiety is fascinating, particularly with how the Pixar team presents it. The film deals frankly with intrusive thoughts and catastrophizing that made me say a few times “Yes! This is what I live with.” But there’s little humor to balance that out. The moments of fun that were found in the first movie, and the trips to other people’s heads to see how they deal with things, are absent. So the runtime — which feels more like an hour 20 of actual content — can be very downbeat as Joy rushes to get back to Headquarters before Anxiety leads Riley to a mental breakdown. And while Riley is the literal conduit for the emotions, we didn’t see much of her in the first movie, outside of her reactions to her emotions. Here, she’s given added backstory that also takes more time away from the emotions. It’s a “too many cooks in the kitchen” mentality that leaves the movie feeling both cluttered with stuff, and not enough substance to make the experience meaningful. Like *Wish* before it, *Inside Out 2* plays just fine in the moment. The question is whether it will have any longevity beyond this month, and it’s doubtful it will connect as deeply with those who loved the first film. Maya Hawke’s Anxiety is perfect, and the film does a great job of illustrating what anxiety looks like. Just anticipate having to explain a lot to your kids afterwards. *Inside Out 2 hits theaters June 14.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Popcorn Disability: Blindness in 'Johnny Belinda' vs. 'Magnificent Obsession' URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/johnny-belinda-jane-wyman-disability/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:06:27.000Z [*Popcorn Disabilities*](https://amzn.to/4cu4jOe?ref=thefilmmaven.com) *is my new upcoming book looking at disability in the movies coming out in 2025\. As a prelude to that, I’ve decided to review some of the movies I’m watching as I work on the book. Some these will eventually make their way into the finished product and some won’t.* --- If you’ve seen a disabled character in the movies, 9 times out of 10 it’s a man. Seriously, a 2023 study by Annenberg said the majority (69.1%) of characters with disabilities in [1600 of the top-grossing films](https://annenberg.usc.edu/news/research-and-impact/progress-what-progress-inclusion-hollywood-limited-and-lacking?ref=thefilmmaven.com) of 2009 to 2019 were male-identified and 76% were white. As a kid, I never saw disabled women, let alone a disabled woman that looked like me, someone that couldn’t pass for able-bodied. Most of the disabled women I saw in movies had what I’ve labeled “pretty disabilities.” This isn’t to say that their disability is glamorous; it’s that the disability the actress (who is generally not disabled in any way) is tasked with portraying is one that allows her to physically stay conventionally attractive AND pass for able-bodied. It’s easier to have a hot girl playing non-verbal, blind or Deaf because there aren’t any physical presentations of said disability on the surface. They can still be perceived as desirable (fuckable) whether they’re playing the disabled damsel in distress or not. Now, there are many performances where the performer has a pretty disability and is fantastic. I love Marlee Matlin’s performance in *Children of a Lesser God* and I love the performance I’m talking about today: Jane Wyman in 1948’s *Johnny Belinda.* The problem is that, overall, presenting disabled women as still adhering to traditional, able-bodied beauty standards makes those of us who don’t look like that struggle to find our own desirability and place in the world. When you don’t have anyone who looks like you showing codes of conduct and rites of passage in film, you’re led to believe you aren’t meant to participate in them at all. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The 3 Entertainment Journalism Questions I'm Always Asked URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/how-to-become-entertainment-journalist/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:04:27.000Z I’ve been writing about movies, TV and everything in between for awhile now and I’m often asked by students and lovers of entertainment a lot of questions about how my career. It makes me wonder about how, when I started, I couldn’t Google “how do I become a film critic” and expect to find an answer that would work. I learned a lot by trial and error and, if anything, I would love to make things a bit easier for the young writers trying to make a go of a really tough industry (that’s actually getting worse by the day). It leads me to debut this regular column which I’ve dubbed The Trade. In it, I’ll discuss issues inherent in the entertainment journalism industry, try to share some wisdom and techniques and hope that eventually it will help those writers attempting to break in feel a bit more supported than I did at the beginning. So, in this inaugural piece let’s start with something simple: the 3 questions I’m regularly asked about entertainment writing. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Bikeriders Review: Jeff Nichols Goes Full Scorsese URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-bikeriders-review-austin-butler/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:58:41.000Z When I saw 2011’s *Take Shelter*, it blew me away. The film that brought director Jeff Nichols to prominence was deliberately ambiguous, beautifully acted and downright haunting. Since then, Nichols’ films have gotten more elaborate (with more A-list talent) and to quote *10 Things I Hate About You* I’ve never felt more than “whelmed” by them. His latest film, the long-gestating *The Bikeriders*, sees Nichols create a percussive, intriguing exploration of motorcycle culture that lifts heavily from the work of Martin Scorsese. But for every moment that feels like you’re watching a scraggly, motorcycle-riding take on *Goodfellas* there are just as many that make you wonder if the movie received some editing in the transition from original studio Disney to Focus Features, and an acting performance that is built to divide audiences. Based on Danny Lyon’s book of photos from the 1960s, *The Bikeriders* tells the story of a Chicago motorcycle club known as the Vandals. Led by the quiet yet brutal Johnny (Tom Hardy), the club is a community for a band of close-knit misfits. As narrated by the wide-eyed Kathy (Jodie Comer), we learn about the rise and fall of the group and Kathy’s relationship with the enigmatic Benny (Austin Butler). The first 40-50 minutes of Nichols’ film is a thrilling introduction the world of 1960s motorcycle culture. The comparisons to *Goodfellas*, at this juncture, are apropos as we’re introduced to Comer’s Kathy as she has a moment akin to the record-scratching “I bet you’re wondering how I came to be here” moment found in most Scorsese films. In this case, Cathy ends up at a biker bar to help a friend, only to catch the eye of every man in the building — though there’s an emphasis on the fact that they’re more cat-callers and not frightening — as well as that of Benny. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Kathy is the character through which we see events progress and it’s a bit jarring, and I don’t mean because of Comer’s Chicago accent. Too often, particularly as the film progresses into a time jump into the 1970s, we’re led to believe Kathy knows everything that has happened in the group, like she’s practically a member. There’s no indication that, this being *her* POV, that she might be biased or there’s some ambiguity there. Considering she’s telling the story to a writer (an underutilized Mike Faist), it’d make more sense for him to just interview various members of the gang for an oral history format. I don’t generally like to criticize specific acting techniques or accent work — Lord knows I probably could have gone long on the Amy Winehouse performances in [*Back to Black*](https://kristenlopez.substack.com/p/back-to-black-review)— but Comer’s performance here is extremely wonky at times. The accent is a mix of Frances McDormand in *Fargo* meets Lorraine Bracco in *Goodfellas* but, more importantly, Comer often is far too reliant on wide-eyed looks and general apathy searching for a performance. The character is presented as an innocent babe in the woods but there’s little depth to her relationship with Benny. If she’s attracted to the danger we don’t see her reveling in the excitement of it. Instead, the movie sets Kathy up as being in a battle of wills for Benny’s soul with Johnny, and it’s not really a fair match. Tom Hardy is boasting an equally over-the-top accent — going for a muddy Marlon Brando mumble — but there’s an inner turmoil roiling within him. Said to have taken inspiration for starting the group from Brando’s own film *The Wild One*, Johnny is only as powerful as the respect he’s given in the club; we aren’t privy to anything regarding his personal life short of he’s married. But as Nichols’ script lays out, the desire for everyone joining the club is to find some semblance of normality and control outside of their reality. This is Hardy’s movie, through and through, because every time he’s on-screen you’re just waiting for something. A scene where a member challenges him results in Hardy coolly croaking, “Fists or knives?” In a movie without too many explosive moments, this fight scene is all sorts of intense to watch. It also serves as a strong foil for another fight scene towards the movie’s end. Thank you for reading Kristomania!. This post is public so feel free to share it. If you’re going to watch this for Austin Butler prepare for him to be a more muted presence. He’s given a movie star introduction, leaning over a pool table in a scene where you can practically hear the audience swoon. He’s the character by which everyone gravitates towards and Butler does so much with just his presence. But there are large stretches of the movie where he’s stuck in the back, reacting, or off-screen in favor of Kathy. The stark transition to the 1970s brings with it a more dour presentation of the club, and the ultimate transition from motorcycle clubs being communities of men and turning into gangs. If you’ve seen *Sons of Anarchy* you know the drill. It never truly meets the first 40-50 minutes that we saw but there’s never a moment that’s outright boring. We’re nearing 800 words and, at the end of the day, *The Bikeriders* is worth watching but never enters the realm of truly great cinema. Tom Hardy and Austin Butler are great, but the decision to make Kathy the narrator — even if that’s how Danny Lyon’s book operates — doesn’t work, particularly with Comer’s grating accent. It wouldn’t be surprising to find out there’s an extra 30 minutes of this movie waiting around for a director’s cut that might make everything feel a bit more whole. But it’s definitely one to see and experience. *The Bikeriders hits theaters June 21.* [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) ### Why the Box Office Continues to Suck URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/box-office-collapse-2024/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:02:44.000Z Earlier this week I watched Prince’s 1986 vanity project *Under the Cherry Moon* for the first time ever (you should really watch it before it leaves Criterion Channel on Friday) and it got me thinking of the current discussions about how shitty the American box office is. What does a Prince-led box office bomb have to do with why Furiosa didn’t make millions of dollars, you ask? It made me think about how a studio like Warner Bros. gave him $12 million dollars, script unseen, to make whatever he wanted and were surprised the movie didn’t return on investment. Was it really surprising at the time? And, thus, should we *really* be surprised that the current box office didn’t just immediately spring back to 2019 levels? It feels like we’ve always been talking about the lack of turnout for movies, even before the pandemic. According to [The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/market/?ref=thefilmmaven.com), between 2009-2017 the box office had been pretty steady at over $10 billion a year and that’s in spite of ever increasing movie budgets and promotion. And at that time the fear was the rise of streaming destroying people’s desire to see movies. For me, as a classic film fan, the doomsday about the death of the movie theater has always been present. According to Foster Hirsch’s fantastic book *Hollywood in the Fifties*, the fear of television caused studios to implement the roadshow film — wherein a movie was three hours long and it was presented as more of a night at the legit theater — as well as gimmicks like 3D and the travelogue to entice people into buying an experience they couldn’t get at home. Before that, during the Great Depression, theaters worried about everyone’s lack of superficial funds and would entice audiences in with giveaways like free dishes. We’ve been here before, gang, and America weathered things. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 5 Classic Films to See After Watching Netflix's 'Hit Man' URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/netflix-hit-man-classic-film-references/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:59:23.000Z If you’re fortunate to be in a location where Richard Linklater’s *Hit Man* is playing in a movie theater I highly suggest you make the effort! Considering the outcry about the dying box office and what can entice people to make the pilgrimage to a local theater, *Hit Man* is a movie worth supporting on the biggest screen possible. I absolutely adored the Glen Powell-starring story when I saw it last month and will be watching it again however I have to. The film, about a mild-mannered guy who moonlights as a fake hit man to capture people for the police is funny and incredibly sexy. And the latter part I’m definitely happy to see considering how often I wrote last year about the lack of sex in movies. (No, *Challengers* does not count as another example of this and I won’t be taking questions as to why.) But, more importantly for the purposes of this week’s write-up, *Hit Man* is also a great gateway movie to watching some great Old Hollywood films. During a Q&A for the movie I saw in April, Powell talked about how he and Linklater watched old movies and took inspiration from them for the script. One of their inspirations made my list below. But I also wanted to give a few other classic films worth seeking out that I think the movie also drew some unintentional inspo from. So this weekend your to-do list should be: watch *Hit Man* in a theater and then watch these movies. You’ll thank me later. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/43c54448-9068-4b10-bed4-a0a10aa80c4e_3748x2762-jpeg.jpg) ***It Happened One Night (1934)*** Powell has talked about the film borrowing heavily from the screwball genre which, bold claim. But, to watch the movie you can definitely see the commonalities. Frank Capra’s *It Happened One Night* tells the story of a reporter (played by Clark Gable) who teams up with a daffy heiress (Claudette Colbert) fleeing from her father and the press. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The screwball genre is often designed to put a wealthy woman opposite a salt of the Earth man and that’s certainly the case with *Hit Man* regarding Powell’s Gary Johnson and Adria Arjona’s Maddy. There’s also a hilarious sequence between Powell and Arjona wherein she has to act like she’s mad at him during a phone call while he, silently, stage manages directions. It’s very reminiscent of a scene between Gable and Colbert where the two have to feign an argument as if they are a married couple. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/ed9d9b17-91fb-4ab1-9174-24f2b17d9aec_2251x1768-jpeg.jpg) ***The Mad Miss Manton* (1938)** I actually told Powell to his face this 1938 screwball mystery was what I saw when I watched this movie. So if he ever name drops it, I suggested it! Barbara Stanwyck plays socialite Melsa Manton who discovers a dead body only to have it disappear. Labeled a prankster Melsa sets out to prove everyone wrong with the help of a cynical newspaper reporter played by Henry Fonda. I tweeted after I saw *Hit Man* that it made me wish Fonda and Stanwyck made it back in this time period. Powell definitely gives off Fonda vibes — both of them have that “aw, shucks” personality that belies a hidden darkness underneath — while Arjona can play the sweet young woman while also being a tough as nails dame, like Stanwyck. Also, both movies are funny as hell. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/6dc2ad3a-318c-431b-ac22-cf90cf2c818c_1296x730-jpeg.jpg) ***Double Indemnity* (1944)** It’s a very basic choice but it’s easy to suss out why Powell and Linklater have cited Billy Wilder’s *Double Indemnity* as an influence on this. Both films focus on an illicit couple trying to deal with the husband of the lady in question. In this case, Arjona’s Maddy is trying to exit her relationship with her husband and a whole list of complications ensue. I’ve already mentioned why Arjona gives off Stanwyck vibes but I can also see the Fred MacMurray influences in Powell’s performance, specifically the cool confidence he gives off when he’s playing the hit man character. If you’re gonna steal, steal from the best! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/ec0de828-4d37-40a9-a7e3-36922b082ff2_2128x1596-jpeg.jpg) ***Kind Hearts and Coronets* (1949)** It’s kind of funny that Glen Powell himself is supposedly making some kind of remake of this 1949 Ealing studios dark comedy. Alec Guinness stars as a member of a wealthy, titled family who, in order to claim the inheritance, kills off all the family members ahead of him in the succession. Oh, and Guinness plays every single character. Hit Man has a similar dark comedy vibe but, honestly, it’s just hilarious watching Powell play multiple takes on the hit man, all catering to the specific clients he’s interacting with. Very reminiscent of Guinness. Thank you for reading Kristomania!. This post is public so feel free to share it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/19b1916b-0fb5-4079-b39d-b0f8c7071704_5725x4169-jpeg.jpg) ***Foul Play* (1978)** We got from classic era screwball comedy to a more contemporary look at the genre (and murder mysteries) with *Fair Play*. Like Arjona’s character, Goldie Hawn plays a woman stalked and set upon, forcing her to rely on an unconventional cop (Chevy Chase) to save the day. Like Hit Man, the two leads here are just so charming — which could be proof that Chase is a good actor because…wow, who’d believe now he’s a nice guy — that you want them to succeed and elude the baddies. *What classic film influences did you get after watching Hit Man? The film hits Netflix June 7.* ### 'Furiosa' Review: George Miller Tries to Ride the 'Fury Road' One More Time URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/furiosa-review-anya-taylor-joy-chris-hemsworth/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T16:59:46.000Z It’s been almost ten years since George Miller’s *Mad Max: Fury Road* came to theaters and shook us all up. For many, so much has changed about the landscape of life and society that it feels almost like we’ve entered our own Wasteland of sorts. How could anything compare to that heady 2015 world wherein a guy hanging in the air playing guitar and Charlize Theron kicking ass made us all collectively say, “Holy shit?” Miller’s *Furiosa* doesn’t seek to reinvent the wheel so much as make an entirely new vehicle for us to work with, forsaking the bombastic power of *Fury Road* and replacing it with the cinematic equivalent of a Sergio Leone Western. Quiet and contemplative in parts, and operatic in others, with Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth in fine form, *Furiosa* isn’t on par with *Fury Road* but crafts another stellar adventure into the Wasteland. Taking place before the events of *Fury Road*, we meet Furiosa as a child (fantastically played by Alyla Browne) committing the apocalyptic equivalent of Original Sin: picking fruit from a tree she shouldn’t. She’s abducted and taken to the camp of vicious warlord Dementus (Hemsworth) and held as a hostage. Growing into adulthood, Furiosa (Taylor-Joy) becomes committed to taking revenge on Dementus and everything he took from her. *Furiosa* will be lauded as one of the best looking movies of the year, period. Cinematographer Simon Duggan makes the Wasteland look like a barren beauty, with the bright yellow desert sands complementing the bright colored flares that are shot off into the air and the shiny chrome of the cars. Seeing this movie in IMAX is essential — something I don’t say often — simply to take in the full breadth of how the frame is composed. Certain scenes, like Furiosa hiding behind an iron gate while flames spew out around her are simply breathtaking to see. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/2bad807b-96f2-465e-9168-e7d891ffa149_500x281-jpeg.jpg) Miller’s script, co-written with Nick Lathouris, is equally sprawling, comprising several years in Furiosa’s life (and a 2.5 hour runtime). The first 40 minutes are a dizzying array of set-up, with Furiosa living in the Green Place with her mother (and presumably countless others) before she ends up hanging over the seat of a motorbike on her way to Dementus’ camp. From there the audience meets Hemsworth, completely with fake nose and teeth, as the showy leader of a group of hooligans. Furiosa is forced to endure a tragic loss only to have Dementus and his crew meet up with the dreaded Immortan Joe (Lachy Hume). It’s a lot. Once Immortan Joe is introduced the film slows down in the extreme, turning into a more contemplative film as Furiosa is placed within the Citadel only to end up having to hide under the guise of being a young boy. The lack of speaking from Taylor-Joy, coupled with a lot of discussions about gas disputes and the arrival of Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) can make the audience wonder for a bit more action to liven things up. The start-stop nature of the movie definitely gives off the Leone vibes but every action scene makes things come roaring back to life. It was always gonna be tough to put another actress in the role of Furiosa after Charlize Theron straight-up dominated the performance. Taylor Joy does well, even though if it still lacks the punch of what Theron brought. Taylor Joy is more quiet and contemplative. You can see the character taking everything in and internalizing it for *Fury Road*. This isn’t a Furiosa who has been 100% hardened by life yet, but is certainly getting there. Chris Hemsworth’s role is far showier as Dementus, a buffoonish brute who rocks a parachute cap and has a penchant for dyeing his hair. Using a chariot pulled by autonomous motorcycles — the moment I saw it I loved it — Dementus is an oafish ‘80s villain we’re missing today in the world of villains always having to justify their villainy. He and Furiosa may have once started out as similar people — Dementus carries a teddy bear, allegedly from his “beautiful little ones” — but time has certainly made him unrepentantly awful. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The biggest critique was easily the score. Composer Tom Holkenborg returns and yet there aren’t those big guitar and drum-heavy musical moments that were found in *Fury Road*. For at last. the first hour of the movie it’s score-less. It’s impossible not to compare *Furiosa* to *Fury Road* and by that token this does feel more muted. However, on its own merits, *Furiosa* is utterly astounding in its technical precision, its cinematography and the performances of Taylor Joy and Hemsworth. *Furiosa* hits theaters May 24. Thank you for reading Kristomania!. This post is public so feel free to share it. ### Back to Black Review: This Amy Winehouse Biopic is Formulaic AF URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/back-to-black-review/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:00:07.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/55fcb221-09a5-4f60-a813-e8fc5cea48b6_500x281-jpeg.jpg) I’m honestly not sure where to begin analyzing the new Amy Winehouse musical biopic *Back to Black*. There are just so many angles to look at and moments that are meant to leave audiences saying, “What?” “Huh?” and “Why?” The recent resurgence of musical biopics has had some highs (*Rocketman)* though more often they’ve fallen into the low category (*Bohemian Rhapsody*). Much of this stems from questions of how much personal involvement family members and the band have in shaping a narrative, as well as a screenwriter’s individual thoughts on a subject. This is all intensified the more troubled and tragic said subject is. There was already a lot of fear and hesitation about a biopic centered on Winehouse, whose rise to fame was marred by personal issues before her untimely death and entrance into the 27 Club. The fact that the family has supported the film immediately draws comparisons to other authorized biopics like the most recent one on Whitney Houston. All of that is to say, *Back to Black* is incredibly safe in its portrayal of Amy Winehouse and her struggles, less content to dive into the messiness of her personal demons and making simplistic statements that she “lived her music.” It’s fairly lazy to chalk up a person’s life to “they were like their art and their art was like them.” It happens in countless movies about creatives and it always undermines both the subject’s talent and the art they created. It’s even worse when it doesn’t feel like the foundation is even laid for that. Matt Greenhalgh’s script is the key issue with *Back to Black*, presenting a Cliff’s Notes version of Winehouse’s life that, if you know a lot about her you’ll be angry that the movie skips over so much. If you don’t know anything about her you’ll just be left thinking she wrote songs and had shitty taste in men. We meet Amy (Marisa Abela) as a typical young woman. Gone is the beehive and the wing-tip eyeliner that would become the artist’s signature trademarks. In its place is a girl who enjoys jazz and Tony Bennett, dates a friend’s boyfriend and struggles with bulimia. Don’t worry, most of those things will never come into play again. Almost immediately — and the editing/pacing sees Amy go from obscurity to instant fame in just a few scenes — she’s called up by Simon Fuller’s management and offered an opportunity to do a demo. But, for Amy, she ain’t about that life. As she says, “I ain’t no fucking Spice Girl.” Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This movie has VERY weird thoughts on femininity and, throughout the film’s two hour runtime Winehouse certainly doesn’t ascribe to the Spice Girl’s brand of girl power, that’s for sure. She’s got more in common with Donna Reed. The majority of the movie focuses on Winehouse’s relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O’Connell), with more limited interactions with her dad Mitch (Eddie Marsan). She’s got a mom but she’s in two scenes so let’s not worry about her! But through these two male relationships Winehouse is presented as needy and hellbent on being a wife and mother. When Blake breaks up with her it’s the sole inspiration for her chart-topping (and still fantastic) album of which the film derives its title. Abela is perfectly fine as Winehouse and she does attempt to reach for the manic highs and crushing lows of the singer’s life. In the dramatic scenes, or the moments opposite Lesley Manville who plays Winehouse’s beloved nan, there’s a real heartbeat to the film. When Abela tries to sing like Winehouse it….kinda shatters the illusion, especially as Abela has to do some weird trickery with her throat to get some of Winehouse’s vocal patterns that could have just been avoided with dubbing. O’Connell is also fine, though Blake’s main character trait is being a drug user (and constantly asking why Amy beats him up when she’s drunk). More often then not the movie speeds through the singer’s life with little rhyme or reason. One minute Amy is talking about her love of marijuana and the next is having someone order her crack with no explanation of when that started. Winehouse’s famous missing tooth? Just pops up one day. Even her beehive hairdo is only given a stray reference to being something her grandmother wore that…Winehouse just felt like keeping forever. There’s no sense of interiority into who Winehouse was or the decisions she’s made. The script presents her as haphazard and ill-defined. The film holds more in common with director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s misguided adaptation of James Frey’s *A Million Little Pieces* which isn’t a good sign. Even the musical performances feel lackluster. Winehouse’s big Grammy performance of “Rehab” here plays like bad karaoke with Abela singing a-capella with no orchestra and just some backup dancers clapping. Mostly, *Back to Black* feels as sanitized as it can be, particularly if you’ve seen the far superior (though problematic) documentary, *Amy*. It’s clear that the creatives involved can’t hide Amy’s issues with drugs, but it feels like a Lifetime-translation of the mid-2000s without any of the cultural reevaluation we’ve had about that time period and the female celebrities affected by it. Then again this is a movie that also has a line wherein Amy declares “I’m not a feminist. I like boys too much.” The movie has an opinion on her feminism and none about her appropriation of Black culture. The film is weirdly heavy-handed with including Black backup singers around Winehouse as if they’re friends in spite of the singer, apparently, having absolutely no friends outside her family. *Back to Black* is a jumbled mess of pop star biopic 101 tropes. Marisa Abela is a good actress but the role just lets her down time and again, hampered by a shoddy script. If you’re looking for more about Winehouse and why she was such an icon go watch the documentary. No doubt this movie will do gangbusters with casual Amy fans who just want to enjoy singing “Rehab” in a movie theater. Thank you for reading Kristomania!. This post is public so feel free to share it. ### We Weren't Wrong About 'I Am Sam' But We Are About Mental Disabilities in Movies URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/i-am-sam-sean-penn-disability/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:01:45.000Z I’ve spent this week working on a chapter in my upcoming book *Popcorn Disability* about the filmic history of what *Tropic Thunder* referred to as going “full retard.” (A note: I do not condone or use this word but will use it when quoted in *Tropic Thunder*.) As *Tropic Thunder* laid it out, movies focused on characters with mental disabilities require them to be aesthetically pleasing to an abled audiences’ eye and be of use to able-bodied characters. > “Dustin Hoffman, 'Rain Man,' look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Counted toothpicks, cheated cards. Autistic, sho'. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, 'Forrest Gump.' Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and he won a ping-pong competition. That ain't retarded. He was a goddamn war hero.” -*Tropic Thunder* When *Tropic Thunder* came out in 2008 there was a lot of discourse around the use of the R-word which ended up obscuring the content the script was focused on: that movies about the mentally disabled require non-neurodivergent actors to engage in pantomime and mimicry, crafting characters that would prevent audiences from being too uncomfortable with them. (I wrote about it during the film’s 10th anniversary.) Tom Hanks doesn’t engage in specific mannerisms that turn an audience off and is presented as likable and of use to those around him (he literally is a generationally wealthy guy who makes his friends wealthy, too). Dustin Hoffman’s Ray can help bring his brother Charlie (Tom Cruise) some quick cash. These characters aren’t making audiences feel bad about the state of mental disability. When I told people about this chapter many asked if I’d be watching *I Am Sam*, the movie that *Tropic Thunder* cited as proof that if an actor goes too far into imitating a mentally disabled person, and makes the audience uncomfortable, it fails. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### 'The Idea of You' Review: Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitizine Steam Up the Screen URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/the-idea-of-you-review-anne-hathaway/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:01:00.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/05b77b66-bd1e-43f4-82ed-95110b8dc6d2_500x281-jpeg.jpg) Last year I wrote an article talking about the lack of sex in movies. Since that time we’ve seen a marked uptick, between *Challengers* (although I debate this), Netflix’s upcoming *Hit Man* and Amazon MGM’s latest movie, *The Idea of You.* Based on the book of the same name from Robinne Lee, *The Idea of You* gave me pause when it was first announced. It was originally presented to me as “that Harry Styles fan fic” with an emphasis on a May/December relationship between an older woman and a younger man which, in film, has a history of being problematic. Oh, so problematic. But within about 10 minutes of watching director Michael Showalter’s adaptation my fears subsided, leaving me enthralled in an old school romantic drama with two fiery leads I wanted to follow into the abyss. Solene (Anne Hathaway) is a 40-year-old single mother of a teenage daughter trying to find her proverbial groove. When her ex-husband leaves her to be the one to take her daughter to Coachella it’s there that Solene, through a comedy of errors, meets Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitizine), the lead singer of the popular boy band August Moon. The two soon embark on a relationship, though trouble lies in their wake stemming from Solene’s age difference to Hayes’ rabid fanbase. Translating a book to the screen comes with a host of challenges — I know, I’ve literally written a book on them — and there are certainly moments where one can feel like these are book characters, particularly in character names (Hayes Campbell does not sound like a real person’s name). That being said, Showalter and co-writer Jennifer Westfeldt do a fantastic job of making everything feel as authentic as possible. August Moon, despite the eye-roll inducing name, comes off like a real band (with shades of everyone from One Direction to *Turning Red’s* fictional band, 4Town) with some incredibly catchy songs. More importantly, Solene comes off less like a desperate housewife and more a woman on the liminal threshold between being an adult and still feeling like a young adult. Her and daughter Izzy (Ella Rubin) have common taste in music and Hathaway certainly doesn’t look out of place at Coachella. It’s one of the more laughable moments when people bring up her age because Hathaway looks flawless. But the actress conveys so much of the uncertainty that’s still placed on milestone markers. When does one start to feel (and more importantly act) older? Hathaway is complemented by Galitizine who actually steals the movie away from Hathaway entirely. He’s affable and charming, to be sure (you’d be shocked remembering he also played the insufferable quarterback in *Bottoms*). But Galitizine has such strong comedic timing, at times making this feel like an old-style 1940s romantic comedy. There aren’t any overt jokes made about him being a youth. He takes more humor out of moments where he doesn’t realize he’s a celebrity; when he says he’s excited to visit Glendale my entire audience laughed. The two leads also have incredibly chemistry and things are downright hot. The movie takes its time to make the two intimate but once it does it’s incredibly intense, particularly with Hathaway’s Solene being the instigator, literally dressing for occasion in a reveal that will make you gasp (and not in the way you’d think). *The Idea of You* will draw strong comparisons to *Notting Hill* and that should tell you how up and down the course of love runs in the movie. Once Hayes and Solene finally decide to take the plunge the film segues more into focusing on how Hayes’ success is the impediment in their relationship. These moments are fascinating, especially in illustrating the misogyny women in celebrity relationships are smothered with on social media. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. As Annie Mumolo’s character Tracy, Solene’s best friend, tells her “People hate happy women.” The film doesn’t present one overall big bad — though Solene’s ex-husband certainly could have taken that prize — in favor of an overall feeling of judgement that says more about our cultural biases when May/December relationships are flipped. It’s weird that this isn’t getting a theatrical release compared to *Challengers* as the long-suffering romantic drama fans will eat this one up. Hathaway and Galitizine make their characters’ drama fresh and sexy as hell, a fact enhanced by a strong script that treats its characters like people. *The Idea of You will stream on Amazon Prime Video May 2.* Thank you for reading Kristomania!. This post is public so feel free to share it. ### Abigail Review: Dracula's Daughter is a Delight URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/abigail-review-dracula-universal/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T17:01:23.000Z Though Universal’s Dark Universe officially ended in 2017, the studio hasn’t truly said goodbye to new ways of utilizing their classic horror characters, whether that’s in the eerie *Invisible Man* of 2020 or the recent Dracula-centric feature *Renfield* from 2022\. It’s Drac himself that seems to be getting the most mileage these days, between *Renfield*, *The Last Voyage of the Demeter* and the upcoming *Abigail*. It is the last, though, that tries to distance completely from Dracula and tell a story all its own. Loosely inspired by 1936’s *Dracula’s Daughter* (and, by loosely, I mean the only commonality is the title character is a vamp’s kid), *Abigail* tells the story of a gang of kidnappers who snatch the eponymous ballerina-loving character, played with such glee and relish by Alisha Weir. When they discover Abigail is not all she appears to be, the group must find a way to stay alive while trapped in a house they can’t escape. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are no strangers to houses with twists and turns and characters who you root for in spite of their dark motivations. If you’ve watched their fabulous 2019 thriller *Ready or Not*, much of *Abigail* will feel like old home week right down to the ending scene that will no doubt be memed in later years. From the outset you care about the cadre of kidnappers you’ll be spending the next 90 minutes with, from the emotionally haunted Joey (Melissa Barrera) to the Gen Z techie Sammy (Katherine Newton). Even the girl crazy Dean (the late Angus Cloud) gets the audience on his side for the amount of time he’s in the movie. The script wastes no time in setting things up. The characters meet, they snatch the child and after a brief introduction from Giancarlo Esposito — which should have been their first clue things were doomed to go wrong — the rules are set in motion: the crew members aren’t meant to know anything about each other nor are they allowed to ask who Abigail’s father is. They have to watch her until the next morning. They’re “babysitting” and that’s it. Kristomania! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. But, of course, nothing goes according to plan and just as quickly as the group start to bond they start disappearing one by one. Melissa Barrera’s Joey is the fulcrum, the kind heart that everyone revolves around and she certainly makes an impact. Joey’s perceptiveness highlights her intelligence as well as her own inner demons that are desperate to come out. Her interactions with Weir’s Abigail are charming, playing on the stereotypes of the kindhearted kidnapper and their victim, only to see that upended once the playing field is flipped. This is Weir’s film and the young *Matilda: The Musical* star is pitch-perfect as the title vampire. Whether she’s doing pirouettes over dead bodies or just calmly stating things about her father while covered in blood, Weir makes the audience believe she’s a child vampire who has lived decades. And I don’t mean she acts like Kirsten Dunst in *Interview With a Vampire*, acting like a 40-year-old woman in a child’s body (not to besmirch that performance). Instead, Weir plays Abigail like a woman who has been treated like a child and thus gives people what they want. She’s petty and petulant, but never immature. She’s a good foil for Barrera’s Joey, though the rest of the cast get their own moments to shine. Newton and Kevin Durand are solid supporting characters as Sammy and the sweet, muscle-bound Peter, respectively. Each character could be one-note but without stopping the movie to give them in-depth characterization you get just enough to hope they make it out alive. Newton, in particular, is a very fun character. And then there’s Dan Stevens’ Frank, the leader of the group. Stevens has played hard-hearted dicks before but here is on another level. Frank is motivated purely by self-interest and yet is stuck with people he feels are beneath him. He delivers a line in here that I promise you will stick with me till the end of 2024. The film’s biggest slip-up comes in its finale, wherein a series of power imbalances goes on far too long. Abigail ends up getting waylaid, leaving the final battle to be between two of the kidnappers in a way that never feels as strong and devolves into repetition. Thankfully it recovers quickly with the directing duo throwing so much fake blood on their characters as to drench them, head to toe, in red. There’s also a cameo that is fairly head-scratching but kind of had to support. *Abigail* continues Universal’s hot streak of telling inventive new stories with their Universal monster characters. Alisha Weir is amazing, as is the rest of the cast. If anything I hope it compels audiences to check out *Dracula’s Daughter*. Gory, gruesome and fun as hell. *Abigail is in theaters April 19.* Thank you for reading Kristomania!. This post is public so feel free to share it. ### 35 New Discoveries of 2023 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/best-movies-2023/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T02:59:28.000Z Hi everyone! No doubt you’ve been wondering where the hell I went this year (if you don’t follow me on the numerous social media platforms I still follow). Well, this year I started as the Film Editor over at TheWrap which, good news, meant I actually got to cover film this year. It also meant I had a ton more work to do than I’ve ever had. I’m also prepping to work on a new book for 2025! That being said, I’m kinda shocked at how many movies I watched, both classic and contemporary this year! Though I watched last classic movies this year than I did last (thanks, Letterboxd), I did watch more movies this year overall. So, let’s look at 35 movies, both classic and contemporary I loved this year. If you want a look at the classic films I loved this year be sure to check out the Ticklish Biz website and our January 31st episode of Ticklish Biz where I go more in-depth. Note, this is not a ranked list. If you want to see my top movies of the year ranked, head over to my Letterboxd account. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Kristen's Favorite Movies of 2022 URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/kristen-lopez-favorite-movies-of-2022/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:00:39.000Z I didn’t watch nearly enough movies this year. I say that every year but by the nature of my job I spend the year watching the new releases I’m interested in, and then spend November-January catching up on all the Oscar stuff and other titles we’ll be discussing come Oscar time. So before you get on me about not seeing \[insert movie here, though I promise I’ll see The Fablemans before the Oscars\], just note I do tend to catch up by the time award seasons comes to an end. So, with that being said, here are the 10 movies I fell in love with this year, a few honorable mentions, and some I just had fun with but know they aren’t good. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Three Hour Runtimes: An Ode to Award Season URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/movies-too-long/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T03:00:19.000Z It’s that time of year, where I feverishly attempt to catch up with a year’s worth of important films so that I can inevitably answer the question, “What movie should I vote for for Best Picture on my workplace Oscar ballot?” There were a lot of things I thought about writing on this for this latest newsletter—which had a high bar to cross after that big *Rear Window* deep dive—including just straight-up giving you my thoughts on some new movies I’ve seen. But after watching *Avatar: The Way of Water, Babylon*, *She Said,* and *The Banshees of Inisherin* in rather rapid succession I just figured, let’s talk about Oscar movies. Or, more specifically, let’s talk about why I feel completely adrift from this year’s Oscar movies. Part of that could be work related, as I focus on TV year-round these days and prioritize movie viewing based off what I like. But that being said, I just haven’t felt the pull to see a lot of stuff and what I have been drawn to feels very unexpected. If you asked me what my favorite movies of this year are I’d tell you *Elvis*, *Turning Red, Bullet Train, X,* and the new *Puss in Boots* movie. Yep, that’s my year in a nutshell. This makes sense if you know me. Baz Luhrmann musicals, action films (with a personal bias thrown in there), animated movies, and nostalgic horror films are my jam. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Happy 100th, Veronica Lake URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/veronica-lake-birthday/ Last updated: 2026-07-11T15:46:18.000Z I want to talk about a blonde actress of the Old Hollywood era who struggled, was professionally pigeonholed despite her own efforts to subvert her studio-imposed image, and died tragically young. No, I’m not talking about Marilyn Monroe. Or Jane Mansfield. Or any of the other tragic blondes whose names you probably know more than the woman I’m writing about today. I’m talking about Veronica Lake. You’re Googling what she looks like right now, aren’t you? It’s one of many things I’m always sad to hear when I bring her up because she certainly has a case for Hollywood immortality as we’ve come to know it. Lake became the de facto image of the 1940s, with women across the globe imitating her famous peekaboo hairstyle. She starred in several dramatic features, like *This Gun for Hire*, *The Glass Key*, and *The Blue Dahlia*. She also was in groundbreaking comedies, like Preston Sturges’ iconic *Sullivan’s Travels*, as well as Rene Clair’s *I Married a Witch*, which was said to have inspired the sitcom *Bewitched*. And yet if you did Google “Veronica Lake” you’d more than likely find several articles talking about how her ashes ended up in a New York pawn shop (they probably aren’t hers) and that she was bartending to make ends meet. Many will say that she was mentally ill at best and a drunk at worst. Several label her “difficult to work with,” while praising her male co-stars, many of whom led long and lengthy careers. It’s with all this that I maintain a protectiveness to Lake. Her image has a place in several rooms of my home. I’ve written about her. I empathize with her. To me, she is my Marilyn Monroe, a star whose face makes me smile as I mourn the struggles she had to deal with. But I also know she was a flawed person. I have no illusions about that, and I think many classic film lovers understand that about their favorite stars. Veronica was a difficult person; she had a fructuous relationship with one of her children and a non-existent one with her other two. She probably did struggle with drinking, and while I haven’t ever confirmed a bipolar diagnosis, if she did deal with that no doubt it was done in silence. If anything, I think in order to talk about Veronica Lake we have to talk about all classic film stars. [Give a Gift SubscriptionInsider access. Unignored perspective. Film criticism that actually matters.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The Film MavenKristen Lopez![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/size/w1200/2025/09/KristenLopez_Main-1.png)](https://thefilmmaven.com/gift-subscription/) Veronica wasn’t a good mother. As we’ve seen, several Old Hollywood actresses struggled with motherhood, mainly because they felt that was required of them to be successful (it isn’t enough to be a successful actress; you need to be a successful *woman*). Veronica was labeled a pain in the ass, yes, because she probably endured rampant sexual harassment and discrimination as the #MeToo movement showed us. If anything, go read Lake’s autobiography and hear how terribly Fredric March treated her during *I Married a Witch*. It’s a testament to *her* acting that she was able to convey her character’s love for March’s. Veronica always said she never left Hollywood, Hollywood left her. She seemed incredibly realistic about how the world of entertainment would leave her, and though she did exhibit bitterness about it in the end, she knew it could happen. I think part of why I love her is to disprove her belief that no one cared about her. Or that audiences would forget about her. I haven’t forgotten about her, and I hope on her centennial you don’t either. ### Other Veronica Things to Check Out ![](https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d07b4115-f705-4283-9993-514b17eeedec) - Criterion’s [“Starring Veronica Lake”](https://www.criterionchannel.com/starring-veronica-lake?ref=thefilmmaven.com) series is a one-stop shop of her most popular titles. You can’t go wrong by watching any (or all) of these. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/24/37/24372e80-8819-45cd-8a9d-4dbc679f7337/content/images/2025/09/cbc2fdce-b165-47cf-bb0d-96f981df9665_960x960-jpeg.jpg) - I joined my friend Karie Bible to [make Veronica's meatloaf recipe](https://www.hollywoodkitchenshow.com/post/veronica-lake-meatloaf?ref=thefilmmaven.com) and it definitely tasted like meat. - You can also hear Joel McCrea’s grandson, Wyatt, talk about [what his grandfather thought of Veronica](https://ticklishbusiness.podbean.com/e/146-joel-mccrea-birthday-tribute-with-wyatt-mccrea/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). ### Other Things to Read and See - I argued why [Fiona Dourif deserves an Emmy](https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/chucky-fiona-dourif-deserves-emmy-why-1234778651/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) for her performance on *Chucky*. - *The Serpent Queen* was a surprising treat for me and Justin Haythe filled me in on [his plans for Season 2](https://www.indiewire.com/2022/10/serpent-queen-finale-season-2-1234777662/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). - In case you need a reason not to watch Showtime’s *Spector* doc I discussed why [I’m sick of the Hollywood male redemption tour](https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/phil-spector-showtime-documentary-legacy-infamy-1234777011/?ref=thefilmmaven.com). - I’m a big *Beautiful Creatures* fan so I was so happy to [talk to Alice Englert](https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/dangerous-liaisons-alice-englert-starz-interview-1234778501/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) about another book adaptation series she’s in, *Dangerous Liaisons.* - And for all [you ](https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/yellowstone-season-5-review-premiere-rocky-start-1234779952/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[*Yellowstone* ](https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/yellowstone-season-5-review-premiere-rocky-start-1234779952/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)[buffs](https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/yellowstone-season-5-review-premiere-rocky-start-1234779952/?ref=thefilmmaven.com)….I’m on the beat. ## [The Gold Star Referral Program is Live. Refer Friends, Get Rewards!](https://referralrocket.io/campaign?id=cDfB6kbl&ref=thefilmmaven.com) ### Before You Leave Twitter... URL: https://thefilmmaven.com/dont-worry-darling/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T02:59:43.000Z Before you panic, I’m not leaving Twitter. (Though, boy, do I wish I could sometimes.) No doubt you’ve heard everyone today either assert that they’re staying on the bird site or moving off it in the wake of Elon Musk taking over Twitter. For me, I dread what Twitter could inevitably become, but understand that A) it’s the most accessible and widest platform I have—at least until [my Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/kristenlopez88/?ref=thefilmmaven.com) or this newsletter blow up!—and B) I hate to let a bully win. So, I’m preparing to stay with the ship. It’s Halloween week and when October started I had high hopes of doing 31 nights devoted to movies I’d never seen before and that…..didn’t work out in my favor. But I did discover two movies I absolutely loved and, initially, I didn’t think they could be more disparate: 2015’s *Knock Knock* and 2022’s *Don’t Worry, Darling*. Yep, I’m comparing Eli Roth’s ignored remake of *Death Games* to Olivia Wilde’s culturally maligned latest film. _This post is for paying subscribers only._