May Film Notes

Some quick thoughts on movies I watched last month, followed by lists of my current favorite films and performances of the year so far...

an asterisk (*) indicates a first time viewing

Wicked (2024)*

When it hits, it really hits. But yeah, despite it's long run time, it feels like half a movie in a way that doesn't leave me excited for the next installment in the way that the first Dune or Across the Spider-Verse did. That said, I enjoyed watching it with my wife and daughter and I do wish we'd seen it when it was in theaters.

Game Night (2018)

That first scene with Jesse Plemons is basically the same as his scene in Civil War.

The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel (2026)*

I'm not exactly a huge RHCP fan, though I have enjoyed some of the stuff from the first half of their career. I will say that the archival footage of their gigs in the '80s showcases how undeniably propulsive and dynamic they were as a live act back then.

What really made me want to check this out, though, was that I really didn't know much about Hillel Slovak because the Blood Sugar Sex Magik era was when I first really became aware of them and anything from before that era was discovered in retrospect. And yeah, he seems like an interesting guy whose death was a profound loss, not only for his best friends and "brothers," but also for the sound and cultural impact of the band.

Now, I'm really not sure how I feel about the so-called "digitally reconstructed" voiceover that the film employs to give voice to Slovak's thoughts, as read from his journal. I mean, it's very convincing, but is it ethical or moral? Or is its convincing nature a problem in itself?

Mother Mary (2026)*

Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel, as haunted pop star and a long-ago jilted collaborator, are captivating to watch as they circle each other, poking and prodding at old emotional wounds – and maybe a couple of physical ones, too. David Lowery's lush and oft-mesmerizing imagery, coupled with in-the-pocket editing really make the whole experience extremely compelling while you're watching, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't seem to forget much of it pretty soon after leaving the theater. Of course, maybe that's fitting given the elusive dreaminess of it all, though, so I won't be surprised if this one grows on me if/when I watch it again.

The Drama (2026)*

There's a lot of good stuff happening here, and the two leads have a better chemistry than I thought they might, given their 10 year age gap in real life. However, despite good performances all around, the film just never quite has the bite you might hope or expect from its premise.

Wicked: For Good (2025)*

Well, that was a bit of a mess, wasn't it?

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)*

>>>This review may contain spoilers.<<<

Overall, not bad. However, at a certain point, the cameos started to distract and I do wish the <SPOILER ALERT> "this billionaire can save us from the other billionaire" scheme wasn't the solution they steered toward, though I guess it is pretty realistic these days.

The Thing (1982)

Hey guess what... watching this on your nice-sized TV is a much better experience than watching it on a Microsoft Surface in bed with your sick spouse. Hopefully, I can keep leveling up and next time see it in a theater.

Network (1976)

Seeing this on 4K, like so many movies from the era, is a totally different experience as compared to how I saw it for many years, either on VHS or DVD. It's gorgeous in a way I never knew before and in a way that matches the underlying material and everything else happening on screen. Highly recommend seeing this new version of it if and when you can.

Inside Out (2015)

Mark this one down as yet another movie that hits different when you rewatch it after becoming a parent. Like truly, there are moments that seem so profoundly in touch with what I observe in my own kid. And to give a sense of how locked in she was while watching it: I think she asked me like two questions throughout it, instead of the barrage that sometimes/often happens when we watch stuff together. She was just absolutely rapt with attention from beginning to end.

Repo Man (1984)*

Man, if I'd seen this when I was 15 or 16, I really would have loved it. So it's a shame I came to it in my 40s, when I'm just a bit too disconnected from the particular mix of irreverence and whatever else I had going on then. Still a lot to enjoy and admire, but I think I notice the seams a bit too much now, or something?

Obsession (2026)*

Inde Navarrette's completely unnerving and unafraid performance as Nikki outruns everyone else in the movie. She and the premise/execution are worth the price of admission alone. Everyone else is good, too, but damn she was great. Very interesting to watch a YouTube creator whose weird comedy sketches I'd sometimes happen across on Instagram become an impressive filmmaker whose future work I'll now look forward to.

Inside Out 2 (2024)*

There are some genuinely great moments in this, and I enjoyed the new emotion-based characters. It's not quite as good as the first one, but it was a really fun thing to watch with my kid who, just as with the first one, sat absolutely transfixed through the movie.

Taxi Driver (1976)

Watched this for the umpteenth time as research for a project I'm working on. It still feels fresh and new every time, most likely due to the fact that it constantly, progressively, and unfortunately feels more and more predictively attached to any current moment you happen to watch it in, especially in recent years.

All the President's Men (1976)

Yet another '70s movie that looks completely fresh and alive in 4K.

I Love Boosters (2026)*

If David Lynch directed a movie about one of the side characters from Pee Wee's Playhouse it might feel a lot like a Boots Riley film. And while I enjoyed this a lot, I felt like it didn't quite have the same strong through line of escalation as his previous film, Sorry to Bother You, which was one of my favorite films of 2018. But hey, a film that ultimately ends up being about the need of the various workers and oppressed people of the world needing to band together to overcome the odd mix of slop and elitist BS holding them down, is something I'm very glad to have in the world. And I look forward to revisiting it.

Fight Club (1999)

I wish I could be that productive while asleep.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)*

A lot of the action was fun and I could watch a sitcom of those little Babu Frick guys (about the only good thing to come out of Rise of Skywalker) doing dumb little adventures with Grogu... But the whole thing felt empty of consequence, and not just within the Star Wars theatrical cannon, but just as a film overall. The two titular leads essentially end up exactly where they started, at least partly because the mandate seems to have been to go for lots of plot and nearly zero story. The result is a film that seems somewhat arbitrary in its progression. All that said, it's still not the worst Star Wars film and I'm sure it'll make for a breezy rewatch that I can enjoy with my daughter once it's on streaming.

Oh, one other thing: how the hell do you have Sigourney Weaver, one of the most acclaimed women in all of sci-fi films, in your movie and basically do absolutely nothing of note with her character?

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

I still think this looks like a '90s magazine photo spread come to life and that Danes does a much better job with the material than Leo, who is actually kinda bad in it, maybe?

Current Favorite Films of 2026

movie posters for '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple;' 'Send Help;' 'Obsession;' 'Backrooms;' 'Hoppers'

Current Favorite Performances of 2026

an asterisk (*) indicates a new addition since last month

Best Lead Female Actor:
- Inde Navarrette, Obsession*
- Rachel McAdams, Send Help
- Anne Hathaway, Mother Mary*
- Michaela Coel, Mother Mary*
- Keke Palmer, I Love Boosters*
- Margot Robbie, Wuthering Heights

Best Lead Male Actor:
- Ralph Fiennes, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
- Ryan Gosling, Project Hail Mary
- Dylan O'Brien, Send Help
- Ian McKellen, The Christophers
- Bill Skarsgård, Dead Man's Wire*
- Robert Pattinson, The Drama*

Best Supporting Female Actor:
- Sandra Hüller, Project Hail Mary
- Erin Kellyman, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
- Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada 2*
- Naomie Ackie, I Love Boosters*
- Demi Moore, I Love Boosters*
- Renate Reinsve, Backrooms*

Best Supporting Male Actor:
- Jack O’Connell, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
- Jay McCarrol, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie
- Ben Affleck, The Rip