Movies, Films & Flix

Quick Thoughts:

1. Director/writer/producer/VFX artist Takashi Yamazaki has crafted another excellent creature feature.
2. The visual effects are jaw-dropping.
3. The cast does a fine job of leaning into the seriousness and committing to the melodramatic aspects. I like it.
4. It’s one of the best creature feature sequels ever made.
5. Whether it’s adding massive fans to make the outdoor scenes feel believably windy, or meticulously recording actual planes to aid the sound mix, Yamazaki made some neat decisions that helped the production immensely.

Godzilla Minus Zero is a human-driven drama more interested in character dynamics than smashing cities to the ground. That being said, the monster mayhem is top-notch, and the credits go to the returning Godzilla Minus One crew who worked tirelessly (and hopefully got paid well) to make Yamazaki’s vision a beautiful reality.

In the press notes, Yamazaki talks about the pressure he and his VFX team experienced after winning the VFX Academy Award in 2023. By using the motto “quality first,” they’ve once again created gorgeous monsters that look incredible as they smash, fight, and soar through the clouds. The team expanded from 35 to 50, and they were given extended pre-production time to test out new technology and plan each shot. Yamazaki redrew all the storyboards so he and cinematographer Kôzô Shibasaki could plan how to shoot in a traditional 2.35:1 aspect ratio and in the IMAX formats of 1.90:1 and 1.43:1. The result is a film that inspires awe and admiration

Godzilla Minus Zero focuses on what happens when a new threat threatens Japan. The Shikishima family is back, with Koichi (Ryunosuke  Kamiki), Noriko (Minami Hamabe), and Akiko (Sae Nagatani – adorable). They are still dealing with the aftermath of Godzilla, but have formed a nice family dynamic in the two years since Godzilla appeared. Then there’s Kenji Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka), who now leads the Large-Scale Disaster Response Bureau, a team created to battle monster threats to the island. Sassy neighbor Sumiko Ōta (Sakura Ando) manages an orphanage, and the Shinsei Maru boat crew members Shirō Mizushima (Yuki Yamada) and Seiji Akitsu (Kuranosuke Sasaki) return for comedic relief. The new characters are meteorologist Makoto Aoyama (Masami Nagasawa) and Professor Kanji Murakami (Min Tanaka), who harbors deep scars from his World War 2 experiences.

The nice thing about Shin Godzilla, Godzilla Minus One, and Godzilla Minus Zero is how people unite to defeat Godzilla via teamwork, science, and experimentation. It’s nearly impossible to defeat a godlike Kaiju, so it’s fun when capable people eschew deadly explosives and explore unique solutions like weather charts and new technology to delay attacks. Also, an immense personal cost comes when battling deadly kaiju, as families are ripped apart, friends die, and brave humans are smooshed by tons of concrete. The “Godzilla Minus” movies work because they are human dramas first, and use the monsters to develop the characters.

Once the movie is released and the plot elements are commonly known, I’m going to release a podcast episode that dives into all the good stuff in Godzilla Minus Zero. Until then, know that I admire the movie and think Yamazaki is doing something special.

Quick Thoughts:

1. Wicker is a delightful romance that takes a high-concept idea and creates a neat world.
2. Director/writers Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer have created something special.
3. Alexander Skarsgård’s physicality is perfect. You believe he’s made of wicker (the sound design is great too).
4. Olivia Colman can sell anything. You legitimately believe she’s in love with a wicker man.
5. Between Cyrano and Wicker, I really like a romantic period piece featuring Peter Dinklage.
6. Once again, it’s impressive that Wilson and Fischer took a short story and expanded it into an endearing, fully fleshed-out screenplay. It’s harder than it seems.

Based on “The Wicker Husband,” a short story by Ursula Wills, Wicker focuses on what happens when a Fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) asks a Basketmaker (Peter Dinklage) to make her a Wicker Husband (Alexander Skarsgård). The film is funny, mature, and intelligently written by Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer (who also directed and are married). The best thing about the experience, aside from the wonderful casting and absurd premise, is how it explores new love, jealousy, and opening yourself up after a decade of building walls. It makes you wish more rom-coms were written by married couples who add different perspectives and insights into their high-concept screenplays. Many people will watch Wicker because it’s about Alexander Skarsgård having sex with Oscar-winner Olivia Colman, but hopefully they’ll leave the theater thinking about how to be a better partner (or scheming how to create a wicker spouse).

Wilson and Fischer’s first film, Save Yourselves! tells the story of a couple saving themselves during an alien invasion, so between it and Wicker, the duo enjoy high-concept love stories with a fantasy or sci-fi twist. Wicker takes place in a 17th-century (ish) fantasy village by an unknown sea, and opens with a wedding ceremony in which a man named Bottlewasher places a collar around the neck of a soon-to-be-dissatisfied young woman. During the afterparty, we’re introduced to Fisherwoman (Colman), the village fisherperson who lives on the outskirts of town, and seems happy she never married a mediocre husband and lost her autonomy. During the festivities, she comes across Tailor’s Wife (Elizabeth Debicki), the beautiful local mean-woman who in another world could’ve run the village, but instead is a walking advertisement for her tailor husband. After being casually (and cruelly) told that she’ll live out her days alone, the Fisherwoman picks up an exploding wicker basket that predicts she’ll be the next to marry. That night, she travels to the village’s somewhat mystical basketmaker and asks him to make her a husband.

The following day, a naked wicker man walks around the town getting ready for his marriage to the Fisherwoman. In a neat coincidence, the two have a nice marriage as they have bed-destroying sex (which he promptly and often repairs), comfortable quiet moments, and intimate dances at wedding receptions. As she works, he repairs her home, and their comfortable existence begins to infect the town with jealousy as locals start noticing their inadequacies. It’s all very funny (and true), and made better by Olivia Colman, Peter Dinklage, Elizabeth Debicki, and a committed Alexander Skarsgård, the first WHILF in cinema history.

Cinematographer Lol Crawley (The Brutalist, The Devil All the Time, Vox Lux, The OA) was instructed to make the film look like a 17th-century Dutch painting, and he succeeds in making the village designed by Renátó Cseh (production designer) look wonderful. The 1:85 aspect ratio works well for the romantic fantasy (and making Skarsgård look huge), and his idea to use three Arri Alexa Mini LF cameras for the crowd scenes creates welcome naturalism (the extras are really good). The magicians at Wētā Workshop created a flammable work of art that retrains Skarsgård’s looks (and hair). Joe Dunckley and his crew spent 18 months researching and developing the look to create a stoic, handsome, imposing, and strangely sexy creation (according to the press notes).

Shot in Hungary over 30 days, the handsome production takes a simple idea and expands into something fun and true. I can’t wait to see what the directors do next.

Quick Thoughts:

1. It’s one of the best documentaries of the year.
2. Once Upon a Time in Harlem introduced me to interesting and intelligent people whom I want to know more about.
3. More than 50 years in the making, this doc feels like a perfectly preserved time capsule.
4. William Greaves knew how to film a party.
5. The interview setups are gorgeous.

Directed and produced by William Greaves, who between 1953 and 2005 worked as a writer, director, cinematographer, or editor on more than 75 projects. Once Upon a Time in Harlem is an enlightening, educational look at the Harlem Renaissance (1918 to mid-1930s) and the people who made that time special.

In April 1972, Greaves sent a letter to Jean Blackwell-Hutson asking for her help coordinating a get-together for surviving Harlem Renaissance figures. He then hired four cameramen (including his son David) to film the four-hour cocktail party in a cinema-verite style at Duke Ellington’s home. The cameraman (and sound crew) move effortlessly through the party, capturing conversations and interactions, and eventually settle in a comfy room to record a group conversation amongst legendary figures like Leigh Whipper, James Van Der Zee, Aaron Douglas, Ida Mae Cullen, and Eube Blake. It’s all interesting, but the knowledge gained and the stories told about gangster/philanthropist Casper Holstein and the importance of libraries (and librarians) stand out.

The guests know they are being recorded, so there’s a bit of showmanship; however, as the cocktail party progresses, the guests get more comfortable and begin to converse, argue, debate, and share stories about the Harlem Renaissance. It’s a fascinating watch, and further proof that Greaves was an expert filmmaker who could create an atmosphere where dozens of luminaries felt comfortable enough to be themselves.

In the press notes, I learned William invited several partygoers to return the following day (wearing the same clothes) for interviews about their experiences. I originally wondered how he pulled aside so many people during the cocktail party, so it’s neat knowing the famous authors, poets, artists, librarians, actors, and musicians agreed to return.

Greaves tinkered with the footage for decades and couldn’t create a final cut before he passed in 2014. In 2022, Louise Greaves set about preserving the 60,000 feet of footage, and in 2026, the film premiered at Sundance and later screened at Cannes, where it received a “Golden Eye” nomination for best documentary. The result is a gorgeous documentary that took 54 years to see the light of day.

Final thoughts – Watch it. It’s wonderful.

Quick Thoughts:

1. Ghost in the Cell is a brutal laughfest filled with blood explosions, likable characters, and a surprising amount of dancing.
2. I laughed aloud many times and loved all the surprises the film offers.
3. Abimana Aryasatra is the best. Watch The Night Comes for Us.
4. The idea of prisoners stopping a jailhouse brawl to dance (or pray) is wonderful.
5. The level of gore is wild.
6. Director Joko Anwar makes cool stuff with a message.
7. Best 2026 dancing.

Written and directed by Joko Anwar (Satan’s Slave 1 & 2), Ghost in the Cell is a refreshingly straightforward horror comedy about an angry ghost seeking revenge on the people who destroyed its protected forest. It’s the best time you’ll have all year watching people being brutally turned into bloody art fixtures resembling something from the Hellraiser franchise. Joko Anwar had something to say, and he used the horror genre to deliver a politically charged horror comedy. In an interview with Variety, he mentioned that he set out to “channel societal anxieties about systemic corruption and environmental destruction through supernatural horror.” The ghost in the film isn’t a metaphor, it’s a destructive force who awakes when Indonesian governmental corruption allows a protected forest to be demolished.

In a brutally sly move, the ghost attaches itself to a young journalist named Dimas (Endy Arfian) who visits the forest while on an assignment to uncover government corruption. When he gets back to his office, his angry boss is brutally killed and tied to an extremely well-anchored ceiling fan. Dimas is convicted of the murder and sent to a soon-to-be besieged prison. During his first day, he’s roomed with Pendi (Lukman Sardi), a psychopath who works as an enforcer for the prison’s most powerful gang (people want him dead for what he knows). He also meets Anggoro (Abimana Aryasatra) and his gang of likable criminals who ended up in jail for non-violent illegal schemes (mostly involving stealing money).

On the following day, Pendi’s mutilated corpse is discovered in the shower room, and it kicks off a wild series of events involving dance classes, smooshed bodies, and red auras. In a welcome coincidence, Six (Yoga Pratama), a nice convict who suffers from constant headaches (due to supernatural visions), realizes what’s going on. He notices the ghost only kills prisoners with red auras (which indicate anger), so to survive, the prisoners led by Anggoro need to stay relaxed while they battle murderous guards, deadly gangs, and angry ghosts.

This leads to hilarious moments when fights are halted so the combatants can dance/meditate/pray to lower their aura color. Much of the humor is situational, and the actors go all-in during the dance sequences and action scenes. The tonal shifts are gnarly, but Anwar is skilled enough to make them feel organic within the story.

Ical Tanjung’s (Satan’s Slaves 1 & 2) inspired cinematography lets the camera roam the prison, which makes the gnarly production feel polished and alive. Also, the practical effects and makeup design by Dodi Setiadi (The Shadow Strays) and Novie Ariyanti (The Night Comes for Us, The Raid, Preman) are believably grotesque and beautifully macabre (which was by design). Overall, Ghost in the Cell is a top-notch production that has something to say. It’s neat.

This is a bit late, but here’s the third installment of my TIFF quick thoughts. It’s a neat batch of films, and I plan on writing longer reviews when they’re released in theaters or start streaming. Enjoy!

Whatcha Want (2026)

• Directed by – Mina Shum
• Starring – Isabella Wei, Ming-Na Wen, Tzi Ma, Helen Dang, Manny Fernandez
• Why I watched it – I wanted to catch a Mina Shum film. I made a point to watch Canadian films, and I’m really happy I did.

Quick thoughts:

• Isabella Wei is a star. She owns the screen
• The straightforward narrative is an asset for people looking for a comfort-food watch.
• Ming-Na Wen’s character has the most interesting arc. She’s accepted her situation and tries to make the best of it.
• It’s nice seeing Vancouver be Vancouver (instead of some other city).
• It opens up an interesting world of female “trophy wife” emigrants who live alone for most of the year because their husbands work overseas. They are at the complete mercy of their husbands. It’s a tough situation

Random Awards

• Best Dancing at TIFF Award
• Ming-Na Wen is an Immortal Award
• Of Course She Rolls her Ankle Award
• Most Conveniently Located Dance Class Award
• Most Interesting Way to Save Money Award

The Last Photograph

• Director – Zack Snyder
• Starring – Stuart Martin, Fra Free
• Why I watched it – I had to see the world premiere of Zack Snyder’s latest film.

Quick Thoughts

• The Last Photograph is an ugly film with memorable visuals
• I’ve been a Zack Snyder fan (within reason) since Dawn of the Dead (2005), so it was disappointing watching him create an ugly slog for his comeback film
• It would be interesting to hear a non-Snyder fan defend The Last Photograph.
• It features child murder, corpse nudity, child trafficking, pedophilia, excessive heroin use, gratuitous nudity, and a lot of ugly stuff. None of it is needed or organic to the film.
• I wish Snyder would direct another zombie film. I like Army of the Dead and Dawn of the Dead.

Random Awards

• Best Slow-Motion Drug Usage Award
• The “Hey I’m Making Apocalypse Now in South America” Award
• The “Hey, it would be cool if we showed little children being murdered” Award

Onwards and Sideways

• Director – John Madden
• Starring – Rhys Ifans and Laura Linney
• Why I watched it – Laura Linney is always good.

Quick Thoughts

• Rhys Ifans and Laura Linney are wonderful.
• It’s a warm/insightful look into living with Parkinson’s disease.
• Paul Mayhew-Archer uses his experiences with Parkinson’s to write an honest film.
• It’s very safe (which isn’t a bad thing). It didn’t need to be anything else.
• I learned a lot.

Random Awards

• Best Skydiving Advertisement Award
• Best 2026 Parking Space Argument Award
• Laura Linney is the Best Award

Being Heumann

• Director – Sian Heder
• Starring – Ruth Madeley, Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O’Brien, Madeline Delp, Rob Delaney, Ray Fisher, Michael Patrick Thornton
• Why I watched it – Heder is an excellent director and I wanted to see her follow-up to CODA.

Quick Thoughts

• Taking place during a 28-day occupation of the San Francisco Federal Building, Being Heumann does a fine job exploring what led to sweeping accessibility regulations in 1977.
• It plays it safe, which will help with mainstream audiences, but you can feel the events being watered down.
• The ensemble cast is wonderful and filled with fresh faces.
• Ruth Madeley is excellent as Judith Heumann. She’s a human bulldozer who makes mistakes, fights for what she believes in, and becomes a better leader throughout the film. It’s neat.

Random Awards

• Best 2026 Rolled Ankle Award
• Best Elevator Loft Award
• Best Box Truck Award

The Face of Horror

• Directors – Anna Biller
• Starring – Jonah Hauer-King, Kristine Froseth, Ellie Bamber, Leo Suter, Bella Heathcote, Ben Radcliffe
• Why I Watched It – I love The Love Witch.

Quick Thoughts:

• Kristine Froseth is wonderful. She understood the assignment
• Don’t call it campy. It’s a brightly-colored adaptation of a famous Japanese ghost story that blends melodrama, violence, and vibrant designs.
• Since it’s an Anna Biller film, it feels handmade and carefully crafted. A lot of love went into creating it, and I like that.
• It made me want to rewatch some of my favorite Hammer Horror films.
• Anna Biller is the best.

Random Awards

1. Best 2026 Boisterous Laughing Award
2. Best Form-Fitting Armor Award
3. Best Face of Horror Award
4. Best Laughs That Come From a Cheeky Costume Award

Quick Thoughts:

1. John Malkovich delivers an all-time performance.
2. Parker Posey!
3. The on-location shoot at Rapa Nui gives the film an authentic vibe. I love that director/writer Martin McDonagh loves shooting on-location.
4. Between Wild Horse Nine, Seven Psychopaths, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Sam Rockwell and McDonagh have created a wonderful “numbers” trilogy.
5. Best 2026 usage of moths.
6. There’s a great bit about a sandwich.
7. You’ll learn a lot about global cheese production.
8. Fun research – While writing the screenplay, McDonagh wrote “GUILT” and “REGRET” at the top of page one. Makes sense.

John Malkovich makes everything better, and his performance in Wild Horse Nine is an absolute showstopper. He’s great in Being John Malkovich, Shadow of the Vampire, Red, Dangerous Liaisons, In the Line of Fire, Con Air, and Rounders, but he hits another gear in Wild Horse Nine. Director/writer Martin McDonagh and his screenplays draw out excellent performances from excellent actors, and he’s been on a roll with his last two films. The Banshees of Inisherin and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri received seven Academy Award nominations for acting, and early odds suggest Malkovich and Sam Rockwell are a lock. Wild Horse Nine is the total package with a crackling screenplay, on-location filming at Rapa Nui, Ben Davis cinematography, and dedicated work from Malkovich. He has stiff competition from Matt Damon (The Odyssey) and Andrew Scott (Elsinore), but it would be lovely to see him recognised for his thrilling work in Wild Horse Nine.

Wild Horse Nine focuses on a long-time CIA employee named Chris (John Malkovich) enjoying one last vacation with his friend/CIA partner Lee (Sam Rockwell) before his cancer-riddled body fails him. During their trip to Rapa Nui to see the “big heads,” Chris plans to record his memoir, which could prove disastrous for the CIA because he was in Dallas the day JFK was assassinated. Understandably, the secretive agency doesn’t want him to unleash state secrets, so the South American CIA bureau chief MJ (Steve Buscemi) tasks Lee with destroying Chris’s tape recordings.

With death on the horizon, and a morphine-addled brain, Chris worries that the 68 people he killed (and countless coup d’etats) will give him a one-way ticket to hell (McDonagh loves tackling religion). He also wonders if dinosaurs have souls and hopes rain doesn’t hurt the moths he rescues from his hotel room. Despite his morphine-caused memory issues, Chris is still hyper-observant, very dangerous, and suspicious of MJ, who may or may not be addicted to heroin. To prepare for the role, Malkovich and Rockwell rehearsed scenes endlessly, and their work paid off because their line readings feel organic and in the moment. In the hands of lesser-trained actors, McDonagh’s dialogue can come across as over-written and inorganic, but Malkovich, Rockwell, Parker Posey and Mariana di Girolamo ensure McDonagh another Oscar nomination.

Shooting for six weeks on Rapa Nui, the isolated island gave Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich plenty of time to mull over the script and devise a dynamic that plays well on andoff-screen. During a long-distance call between Lee and his wife Marge (Parker Posey), they stop sniping at each other to discuss Chris and his health issues. Mentioning John Malkovich’s character softens the conversation and gives the married couple a moment to empathise (and not scream at each other). It’s not often that you can have empathy for a CIA-spook who has murdered 68 people and destabilised many governments – but you do, because Malkovich is so good.

Wild Horse Nine is only the second film to shoot on Rapa Nui, and cinematographer Ben Davis(Layer Cake, Seven Psychopaths, The Banshees of Inisherin) frames the famous moai statues in gorgeous wide shots that give Rockwell and Malkovich time to walk among them while talking about cheese or moths. Davis shot with an Arri Alexa 35 digital cinema camera, and the footage was expertly graded to look like it was shot on Ektachrome, a popular film stock from the 1970s. Shooting on film on the isolated island was impractical, so it’s neat they shot on an Arri and relied on color grading to make it seem like it was shot in the 70s. A nice touch is the focus on the color red, which pops on Ektachrome and creates a unique colour palette on the lush green island.