May 29, 2026
Technically, summer doesn’t arrive until mid-June, but most people look at the Memorial Day holiday weekend as the unofficial start of the summer. And Hollywood is no different. In fact, the studios generally put some of their bigger titles in early May to get a head start on what is usually a busy season at the box-office.
This month kicked off with The Devil Wears Prada 2, a legacy sequel that was a major hit, both domestically and internationally. The momentum continued with Obsession, the breakout horror movie that is proving that strong word-of-mouth can lead to more tickets being purchased by fans of cinema. We still have the continued success of Michael, Project Hail Mary, and other independent movies that are punching above their weight class. And last weekend saw a “good enough” opening from a new Star Wars movie. Decent money by 2026 standards, but well short of what Disney was hoping for when they fast-tracked what feels like episodes of a television show into theaters.
I’ll get into my thoughts on all of these new releases shortly, but it’s worth pointing out that there is strong momentum heading into the proper summer months. The year-to-date box-office is up 10% over 2025, and we still have some major new releases to look forward to in the next few months – namely, Disclosure Day (June 12th), Toy Story 5 (June 19th) The Odyssey (July 17th) and Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31st). More good times ahead.
If you weren’t already convinced of a turn in enthusiasm towards movie theaters, you only need to look at Netflix’s recent announcement about Greta Gerwig’s next picture, Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. After signing a megadeal to make two Narnia movies, Gerwig pushed for a proper theatrical release and Netflix, because it’s not their model, initially refused her request. They ultimately negotiated a two-week run in IMAX theaters, beginning on Thanksgiving, followed by a release on the streaming service in time for Christmas. Word was circulating around Hollywood that Gerwig was continuing to lobby for a longer release and Netflix acquiesced a few weeks ago, agreeing to give the film a wide release in February, before landing on the streamer seven weeks later. Great news for movie lovers and theaters. Even better news? Netflix took that Thanksgiving slot and gave it to David Fincher’s next film, the quasi-sequel to Once Upon A Time…in Hollywood, starring Oscar-winner Brad Pitt returning as Cliff Booth. So we get to see that movie on IMAX screens too. Yippee!
Is Netflix coming around on putting their films in theaters? Nothing’s official, but I’m convinced that during their pursuit of Warner Bros. they learned there is real value with that strategy. Recall WB rudely left Netflix at the altar to shack up with Paramount, in a deal still under regulatory review. Not only does theatrical exhibition make them money, but it also gives more juice to a title, leading to more people watching it at home down the road. There is also increasing pressure from A-list filmmakers and actors to secure a theatrical release for their movies. For example, Margot Robbie rejected more money from Netflix to take Wuthering Heights (in which she co-starred and produced) to Warner Bros. because they guaranteed a robust theatrical release and marketing campaign. That film made over $200 million worldwide, despite tepid reviews. Another example – Netflix just won a bidding war to acquire La Bola Negra, one of the hot titles at this month’s Cannes Film Festival, in a deal that includes a guaranteed theatrical release. It looks like the tide is turning, which is fantastic news for movie fans.
Ok, let’s get to this month’s reviews, starting with a return (I guess?) to Star Wars.
Yikes! – The Mandalorian and Grogu
It’s been almost seven years since a Star Wars movie graced the big-screen when the Rise of Skywalker was released in late 2019. The film was a box-office hit, but diehard fans of the franchise were pissed at director J.J. Abrams and his co-screenwriter Chris Terrio for retconning certain characters to give the end of the sequel trilogy a neat ending. I remember having a decent time watching that movie, but haven’t seen it since. I am planning to revisit all of the Star Wars films over the next year ahead of writing a piece on the career of Harrison Ford. Next year is the 50th anniversary of the original film, so it feels like the right time to do that.
In 2019, Disney leveraged the Star Wars IP to launch Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian, the series that made Pedro Pascal (in the lead role) a household name, and served two audiences perfectly. The look and feel of Star Wars activated the nostalgia button for Gen-Xers like myself, and the Mandalorian’s cute sidekick Grogu (dubbed Baby Yoda to the casual fan) became a monocultural hit. I thought the first season of the show was very good, but it tailed off in the second season and the third season was a chore to finish.
The Mandalorian launched an avalanche of Star Wars television shows, most of which were bland, best served as background noise in the living room. I didn’t have much interest in any of them except Andor, which is an A+ television series, primarily because it’s a political thriller first and a Star Wars story second. It helps that the show was spearheaded by Tony Gilroy, the brilliant screenwriter and director behind films like Michael Clayton. If you are remotely interested in Star Wars and have never watched Andor, I highly recommend it.
There were various fits and starts for the next Star Wars movie after The Rise of Skywalker, but nothing could get off the ground. You can find numerous articles online about the scrapped ideas. The most intriguing one to me was The Hunt for Ben Solo, which was to be directed by Steven Soderbergh and had Adam Driver interested. The script was rejected by Disney because they couldn’t solve how to get past the plot point when Driver’s character died in The Rise of Skywalker. Seems like they could have figured something out. Eventually, a new film was put into motion, Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine), starring Ryan Gosling. But that movie needed time to get done (we’ll see it in 2027), so Disney called Jon Favreau (the showrunner for The Mandalorian) and said, “Hey, instead of doing a fourth season, want to make a movie instead?” And that’s how we arrived at his new picture, The Mandalorian and Grogu.
On the positive side, the film opens with a terrific action set-piece and we get some fun scenes with Mando and Grogu. So, I was slightly encouraged and trying to be open-minded that this could be a good time at the movies. Unfortunately, as the minutes ticked by, I became more and more aggravated (and worse, bored) as this film suffers from a number of problems.
First and foremost, there are no stakes at all in the story that Favreau chose to tell. Despite any peril that Mando and Grogu face, you know nothing serious will happen to them. Really, the big problem with this film is the lack of any character development. The third most important character is a descendant of Jabba the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), and quite frankly, I really didn’t care about his fate. In fact, there are only a few human characters of consequence portrayed onscreen. Pascal only removes his helmet for one sequence, and Sigourney Weaver has a supporting role that seems to exist only to tell Mando about his next mission and deliver lazy plot exposition to the audience.
Now you may be saying, “Character development? In a Star Wars movie?” Yes, look at the original trilogy, or even the prequels and sequels. We actually got to know and care about the characters, even if the storytelling wasn’t perfect or some of the acting was wooden. In The Mandalorian and Grogu, most of the characters are CGI creatures. After an hour, I felt like I was watching a CGI puppet show. And some of the battle scenes with the creatures looked downright bad. I just wanted characters I could get to know and have a vested interest in their fate. Pascal is fine, but his character has no personality. Weaver is wasted in this role as she is barely in the movie and then shows up for a climactic battle scene that felt like obvious nostalgic fan service, right down to the uniforms the pilots were wearing and the screens inside their fighter cockpits.
Maybe I am too old (and cynical) to enjoy this type of story. At times, I wondered, “Is this just a kids movie and not for me?” And then I was hit with another violent scene or scary creature and remembered that somebody got smoked with a blaster two minutes into the film. So, this is not a pure kids movie. Maybe the Star Wars world has passed me by, but this feels like the most “Honey, we have that at home” example in the history of “Honey, we have that at home.” Because we LITERALLY have this at home – this movie is basically a few episodes of a television show put on the big screen. If you really love the show, you will likely have fun because Grogu is cute and does a few funny things. But if you want a good Star Wars story, my advice is to stay home and watch Andor. The Mandalorion and Grogu is now playing in theaters.
A Totally Normal (and Quite Delightful) Movie – The Sheep Detectives
Let’s move on to a more positive experience at the movies that features some special effects that actually put a smile on my face and didn’t make me groan in frustration. How about a silly comedy about talking sheep who solve a crime in a small English town? Totally normal, right? Trust me, this is a winning comedy fit for the whole family.
As The Sheep Detectives opens, we meet George (Hugh Jackman), a shepherd with a devoted flock living happily on a farm next to George’s trailer. When he is not around, we see them communicating with each other, voiced by some highly-talented actors including Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Bryan Cranston. A crime is committed (no spoilers) and the town’s dimwitted police officer (Nicholas Braun) has no shot at finding the perpetrator. Enter the sheep to save the day, and figure out the mystery.
When I first heard about this movie, I dismissed it as a silly farce that was not for me. But early buzz had me intrigued, and I’m so glad I took a chance on seeing this one in the theaters. It’s very funny, albeit silly most of the time, but most of all, it’s charming. The antics that the sheep get into while trying to piece together the mystery are hysterical, and the cast surrounding them (including Emma Thompson and Molly Gordon) are also very good. The Sheep Detectives is kind of a combination of Babe (you remember the one with the talking pig) and an Agatha Christie mystery and is sure to put a smile on your face and bring a few tears to your eyes. For a fun time at the movies, this is one I highly recommend. The Sheep Detectives is now playing in theaters.
The Gang’s All Back – The Devil Wears Prada 2
Speaking of charming, I had a delightful time in the theater watching The Devil Wears Prada 2, the sequel to the 2006 monster hit. And audiences clearly were excited to see a reunion of these characters, because the sequel has racked up over $500 million worldwide at the box-office.
At the center of our story once again is Andy (Anne Hathaway), who has become a successful journalist, but loses her job early in the film. She is recruited to come back to Runway magazine, to help solve a PR crisis, and improve the quality of their journalism. The devil herself, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) is still running the magazine, with her trusty lieutenant Nigel (Stanley Tucci), but things have become challenging. Not only is Miranda facing a sweatshop factory scandal, she is under pressure from the magazine’s new corporate tech-bro overlord (B.J. Novak) to improve the magazine’s profitability. Also along for the ride is Andy’s old nemesis Emily (played by Emily Blunt.)
The first film, which I liked a lot, was about Andy trying to find her place in the world, and dealing with a terrible boss. I was glad to see that this new installment offers a fresh story, while maintaining some of the laughs at Miranda’s cluelessness and some of the absurdity of the fashion industry. This new story is focused on the plight of journalism, and what can be done to save a noble profession. There are a few wacky plot developments, but that’s ok with me in a movie not trying to take itself too seriously. Now, I know nothing about the fashion industry, but I was really impressed with the glitz and glamour on display, especially the scenes shot on location in Italy. The film looks gorgeous and you can tell that director David Frankel (who also helmed the original) knows how to bring this story to life on the screen. If you were a fan of the original, it’s a no-brainer that you should head out to see The Devil Wears Prada 2, now playing in theaters.
An Acting Showcase – I Swear
You may have seen some headlines about this true-story movie a few months ago due to a very unfortunate incident at the BAFTA awards. The BAFTA’s are Great Britain’s version of the Oscars and the winner of Best Actor that night was Robert Aramayo for his portrayal of Tourette Syndrome activist John Davidson in I Swear. While Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage presenting an award, Davidson (in attendance to support the movie) shouted racial slurs, which were picked up by a microphone at his table. The incident was heard by those in the room and viewers watching the broadcast at home. Jordan and Lindo responded with grace, but it was an awful situation and a huge embarrassment for the BAFTAs, leading to multiple apologies from the organization overseeing the awards. Aramayo’s win that night caused confusion for the Oscar race as his film wasn’t released in the United States until this year, so he wasn’t eligible for the award that ultimately went to Jordan. This incident might come up again as the Oscar race heats up again later this year if Aramayo is in contention. Let’s move on to the movie.
The first third of I Swear is focused on the childhood of John Davidson (played by Scott Ellis Watson), as he is growing up in Scotland with his parents and siblings. As a teenager, he starts developing twitches and the uncontrollable urge to swear, infuriating his parents and teachers. At first they think he is just misbehaving, until they learn that he has Tourette, which is in the early days of its discovery. The film then shifts forward as we see John as a young man (played by Aramayo), still living at home with his mom and struggling to do anything to fit into a normal life. Eventually, he moves in with the family of a school friend, who help him get a job at a local community center, and make some friends. Despite the progress John makes, he also faces many adversities from strangers who are offended by his outbursts.
I Swear is a very moving story that only works because of the tremendous performance of Aramayo. He portrays John in a way that has us laughing at the absurdity of some of the things he says (be prepared if you are easily offended by rough language), but feeling the sympathy when those outbursts result in cruelty and (in a few cases) violence. There was one scene in particular that I found myself laughing, then realizing how sad the situation was getting for him. You find yourself rooting so hard for John to find some normalcy in his life, recognizing that he will never be cured. While some people may find I Swear to be a schmaltzy story, I was quite moved and was very glad I sought this one out in the theater. I Swear will be available to rent on demand in early June.
A Terrific New Twist on a Heist Thriller – Tuner
Who doesn’t love a heist movie? With Tuner, writer-director Daniel Roher (an Oscar-winner for his 2022 documentary Navalny) brings a new twist to the genre in a film I enjoyed quite a bit. Our main character is Niki, played by Leo Woodall, who works as a piano tuner owned by Harry (Dustin Hoffman, in a charming supporting performance.) Niki suffers from a condition that makes him hyper-sensitive to sound. He constantly wears headphones as loud sounds can cause debilitation effects. Fortunately, his condition helps him excel as a piano tuner, not to mention his perfect pitch and musical training.
Things are going pretty well for Niki, especially after he meets aspiring pianist Ruthie, played by Havana Rose Liu. However, one night while at a luxury home tuning the piano of the owners, he is disturbed by the loud drilling and hammering he hears upstairs. It turns out there are robbers trying to crack a safe. You know who can help? Someone with excellent hearing. Niki opens the safe, receives a cut of the proceeds and soon gets recruited to help the gang steal more valuables. He questions if he should pursue the crimes, but a financial emergency makes the decision easier to swallow.
I’ve had Tuner on my watch list since I read about it late last year, following its screening at several film festivals. Fortunately, I was able to catch it during a mystery movie screening at my local theater a few weeks ago and my instincts were right – this is a terrific film. Woodall is excellent as the reserved Niki and he has genuine chemistry with Liu as his love interest. The crime scenes are orchestrated well, and while the third act has some implausible events, I still left the theater satisfied. I was most impressed with Roher’s sound design that makes us feel what Niki is experiencing in a visceral way that was very effective. It reminded me of the sound design used in Sound of Metal, the excellent Best Picture nominee from 2020 with Riz Ahmed. Tuner is now playing in theaters, and should be available to rent on demand in late June or July.
The Next Generation is Here – Obsession and Backrooms
Horror is definitely having a moment right now, which is a little strange given that Halloween is six months away. Nevertheless, over the last two months there have been six wide releases in the genre, with a few other films that you could argue play in the horror space. I thought Faces of Death was fantastic, as I covered last month. Hokum, a creepy haunted hotel movie with Adam Scott was pretty good, but relied too much on the overused family trauma plot device. Passenger, about a demon terrorizing people on road trips, had an incredible trailer. Unfortunately, that was really just the prologue of the film, the rest of which was underwhelming. Why so many horror movies? Well, the genre is one of the sure-fire bets for Hollywood studios as the production costs are usually pretty cheap and if you catch lightning in a bottle, you can become the sensation of the movie year, much like last year’s Weapons. Which brings us to a new horror film that is defying gravity at the box-office this month.
If you are a psycho like me who sees a lot of films, you pray for a new release like this. A movie that is so freaking good, you immediately want to see it again and tell people all about it. I have been reading about Obsession, written and directed by 26 year-old Curry Barker, since its premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival to great acclaim. I saw one trailer and purposely avoided learning anything else. I wanted to go into this one fresh, even picking the first available showtime at my local theater to avoid any online spoilers. And I’m so glad I did, because Obsession was such a big hit, it set off an insane amount of online discourse, with theories, screenshots, and raves for what will be one of the biggest hits of 2026. The film cost less than $1 million to make and it will surpass $100 million at the box-office this weekend. A true movie sensation we rarely see.
The story of Obsession is simple. In fact, it’s a tale we’ve known for over one hundred years, inspired by The Monkey’s Paw short story. Well, technically Barker saw an episode of The Simpsons about a monkey’s paw and got inspired. You know the plot. A person is granted a wish and picks something that will make them incredibly happy, but in fact, there are severe consequences they didn’t anticipate, which cause great catastrophe.
In the case of Obsession, our main character is Bear, a shy and introverted man in his twenties who has a mad crush on Nikki, one of his close friends. They usually hang out with Ian and Sarah, their other co-workers at a local music store. Ian encourages Bear to share his feelings with Nikki, but he can’t find the courage. Meanwhile, Sarah pines for him, but he has no clue. While shopping for a gift for Nikki, he buys a trinket that will grant him one wish. Later that night, he wishes that Nikki would love him more than anyone in the whole world.
What transpires over the remainder of the film is a case study in how to build uneasiness and tension throughout a movie, thanks to a talented writer-director, and a breakout performance by Inde Navarrette as Nikki. After the wish takes hold, we see her start to become more affectionate to Bear, and then slowly becomes more and more obsessed with him. This goes beyond the clinging partner. She behaves in ways that shock and terrify Bear and their friends. What makes this performance so impressive is not just watching Navarrette act like a maniac (which she does), but also the subtle moments when “real Nikki” emerges to plead with Bear to relay how terrified she feels. Barker is also very skilled in his use of the music score and lighting that sets the scene perfectly as we watch Bear (portrayed by Michael Johnston, who is also impressive) plummet down this terrifying hole he has dug for himself. If you are a horror fan, this is the must-see movie of 2026 and I can’t recommend it enough. Obsession is now playing in theaters.
If a 26 year-old writer-director wasn’t impressive enough, how about a new film from a 20 year-old YouTuber starring two Oscar-nominated actors? This morning I went out to see the next horror sensation, Backrooms, based on the YouTube short film created by Kane Parsons. He is an internet sensation and the hype for his feature-length adaptation was so strong, I needed to see it as soon as possible for two main reasons. First, I wanted to write about it for this week’s blog, and second, I was afraid of reading spoilers online.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is magnificent as Clark, a furniture store owner who is coping with the dissolution of his marriage and an alcohol addiction. He has taken to staying in the store and one night he discovers a mystery in the basement. When he sees a glimmer of light on the wall, he learns there is a room on the other side of the wall, which he is able to pass through to access. Upon entering the room, he finds a labyrinth of other rooms, set out like a maze, decorated with pieces of furniture, and other assorted items. Clark spends the next several days going into the “backroom” and mapping out the structure. He then relays his findings to his therapist Mary (the always brilliant Renate Reinsve), who is highly skeptical, given his pattern of erratic behavior. She later receives a mysterious voice mail from Clark and goes to the store to talk with him. Ultimately, she also finds the entryway to the backrooms.
It’s actually incredible that such an impressive movie was made by someone so young like Parsons. The opening of the film was a found footage scene in the vein of The Blair Witch Project, and I thought “Oh, so it’s going to be like this.” Boy, was I wrong. This is a real, big studio movie with stunning production design. The creation of the backroom structure is far more impressive than anything I saw in The Mandalorian and Grogu. And his use of sound design ratchets up the suspense as we see the stress on the actors’ faces.
Parsons created a story that is more psychological horror than traditional horror. Backrooms is clearly inspired by David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick, even if Parsons doesn’t consciously know it. There are definitely vibes of The Shining throughout the movie, and you can feel the “mindfuck” of a Lynch film at times. As much as I was impressed with the look and sound of Backrooms, as well as the outstanding performances of Ejiofor and Reinsve, I loved that this movie will keep me thinking about it for days to come, just like Obsession. It’s not a neat story that ties up everything at the end, and I was perfectly fine with that. At some point soon, I know I will be back to see Obsession and Backrooms, because they are two of the best movies of 2026, and I know a rewatch will be rewarding. It’s safe to say that with the next generation of filmmakers delivering such strong stories, the future of cinema is certainly bright. Backrooms is now playing in theaters.
That’s all for this week. I hope you enjoyed my look at some new releases. I’ll be back next month for a look at some more new releases, including Disclosure Day, Toy Story 5, and much more. Thanks for reading and if you would like to be notified about future posts, you can subscribe below.