Dream Log

THE BRIDE!

2026 | Dir. Maggie Gyllenhaal | 126 Minutes

3 out of 5

Bold, disjointed, raucous, and bizarre, Maggie Gyllenhaal's takes the shotgun approach to reassembling Bride of Frankenstein with mixed results. When it hits, it's a rather brilliant primal scream of uninhibited feminist rage. When it doesn't, it's a fascinatingly muddled rant that struggles for coherence. Christian Bale is perfectly cast as the infamous lonely Creature. Unsurprisingly, Jessie Buckley is phenomenal as the titular Bride and the ghost of Mary Shelley(?!).

GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON'T DIE

2026 | Dir. Gore Verbinski | 134 Minutes

5 out of 5

A bold and wildly entertaining swing-for-the-fences sci-fi satire delivering striking imagery that's as inspired as it is wacky courtesy of Gore Verbinski. It's incredibly broad at points, but in that way it's sadly mostly a spot-on reflection of the collective technological hellscape of contemporary times. Playing a depressed young woman with a peculiar allergy, Haley Lu Richardson stands out among the exceptional ensemble cast led by the reliably funny Sam Rockwell.

SEND HELP

2026 | Dir. Sam Raimi | 113 Minutes

4 out of 5

A hilarious tale of survival in the wilderness as only Sam Raimi could deliver, rife with viscera, wild camerawork, and pitch dark humor. While the narrative's social commentary isn't remarkably deep, the plot isn't afraid to go take a few disturbing and unconventional turns. Dylan O'Brien is simply too convincing as a privileged asshole, while Rachel McAdams absolutely shines as a put-upon woman finding her power and striving to keep it by any means necessary.

28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE

2026 | Dir. Nia DaCosta | 109 Minutes

4 out of 5

Both viscerally and intellectually captivating, Nia DaCosta shepherds the 28 Years Later Trilogy through gut-wrenching brutality into a fascinating future rich with possibility. It further explores the post-rage-virus-apocalypse in some truly interesting ways, and it's a damn good character-driven horror movie in its own right. Though Spike's harrowing odyssey takes a bit of a narrative backseat, young Alfie Williams is immediately sympathetic as is supporting player Erin Kellyman, while the emotional core of this picture is made up of phenomenal performances from a soulful Ralph Fiennes, a terrifying Jack O'Connell, and Chi Lewis-Parry who gives Alpha Infected Samson a remarkable amount of nuance.

MARTY SUPREME

2025 | Dir. Josh Safdie | 150 Minutes

5 out of 5

Chaotic, nerve-wracking, and thoroughly engaging, it's an entertaining illustration of the high cost of pursuing dreams for those who refuse to compromise to the ruin of all. The manner in which bad situations exponentially escalate in this narrative is bonkers. As the insanely driven table tennis whiz and pathological liar, Timothée Chalamet would be totally insufferable if he weren't so captivatingly committed to the part.

Hamnet

HAMNET
2025 | Dir. Chloé Zhao | 126 Minutes

"I shall be one of father's players."

 

Free-spirited Agnes Hathaway falls in love with aspiring playwright William Shakespeare, and while their union is met with opposition from their respective families, they happily start a family together. However, Shakespeare's frequent travels to London frustrate Agnes as she is left alone to care for their children. When terrible tragedy strikes, Agnes fails to understand how Shakespeare is able to carry on with his work -- until she attends the premiere of his latest play.

Adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel of the same name by writer/director Chloé Zhao and O'Farrell herself, Hamnet is a beautifully filmed exceptionally moving drama. The narrative takes viewers on a tumultuous soul-stirring journey, chronicling the courtship of William Shakespeare and Agnes Hathaway, the births of their children, the devastating loss of their boy Hamnet, and the first performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet all from Agnes' point of view. Brilliantly directed by Zhao with a powerful performance from lead Jessie Buckley, the film is a remarkably emotionally accessible exploration of the challenges of being in a relationship with an artist and how grief may be channeled into lasting works of art.

Cinematographer Łukasz Żal skillfully captures lush green landscapes in natural lighting that immerse the audience in Agnes' paganistic world, while he delicately illuminates interior night scenes to emulate period-accurate lamplight, dark shadows particularly accentuating the most fraught and tragic moments of film. Production Designer Fiona Crombie delivers fine work, authentically recreating the look and feel of the setting in addition to creating a believably lived-in replica the Globe Theatre. Composer Max Richter's score is fine, but while the use of his famous work "On The Nature Of Daylight" strikes with surgical precision during the finale, it may jolt those who associate the piece with other cinematic works right out of the picture.

As Agnes delivering her finest work yet, Jessie Buckley gives a natural, bold, and versatile performance, seemingly effortless in the way she draws sympathy from the audience. While slightly leaning into tortured artist cliches, Paul Mescal is appropriately convincing as Shakespeare. Emily Watson makes the most out of what amounts to a stock character role as Shakespeare's initially disapproving eventually empathetic mother Mary. Jacobi Jupe nearly stealing the entire production as little Hamnet, utterly lovable playing the sweet and spirited little boy which proportionately makes the eventual passing of the child all the more tragic.

Conveying love, loss, and catharsis with incredible depth and clarity of emotion, Hamnet is a complete showcase of Chloé Zhao's mastery of cinematic craft. Sections of the feature are so affecting that the experience is akin to a full-on assault on the hearts of the audience. Jessie Buckley is undeniably excellent in the lead role and young Jacobi Jupe's heart-rending breakout performance is magnificent.


FRAGMENTS
- 2026 Best Picture Academy Award Nominee Sentimental Value also depicts the pursuit of personal catharsis specifically through theatrical artistic expression

- In a quirky bit of casting, Noah Jupe plays the actor who plays Hamlet, the role that was inspired by Hamnet played by his younger brother Jacobi Jupe

- Paul Mescal's tearful recitation of the beginning the Hamlet soliloquy over the Thames is a bit on-the-nose

- Memorably featured in Denis Villeneuve's Arrival among countless films and television shows, "On The Nature Of Daylight" was originally released on composer Max Richter's second album The Blue Notebooks, a protest album against the 2003 American invasion of Iraq

Frankenstein

FRANKENSTEIN
2025 | Dir. Guillermo del Toro | 150 Minutes

"If you are not to award me love, then I will indulge in rage."

In the frigid north, rescued by the crew of Danish ship from a seemingly invulnerable monstrous pursuer, a gravely injured Baron Victor Frankenstein relates to the captain an astonishing tale of scientific advancement gone awry.

Painted in broad strokes on an enormous canvas, Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is visually bold and emotionally explosive. The film unfolds in two engaging sections, one that firmly establishes Victor Frankenstein's madness and obsession as the product of a severe Oedipal complex, while the other, even more captivating, follows his creation's painful existential journey to understand his origin and come to terms with his accursed everlasting life in pursuit of meaning and purpose. Del Toro does a fine job of illustrating how both stories are steeped in tragedy, but as one attempts to overcome his misfortune through intellectual pursuit, he neglects his psychological shortcomings and foists his trauma upon a newborn entity that is consumed by destructive rage. Lofty ideas aside, del Toro can't resist inserting a sincere romantic subplot between the creature and Victor's sister-in-law-to-be that plays out rather awkwardly. His screenplay is also virtually devoid of subtext, as in one pivotal scene Victor's brother William literally tells Victor to his face that he is the monster. However, the picture is nonetheless a poignant examination of the universally relatable tension between parents and their children.

The production design by Tamara Deverell and the sets by Shane Vieau are absolutely breathtaking. The tower that serves as Victor's laboratory is uniquely opulent and memorable, each level constructed with meticulous attention to detail, with the giant stone face of Medusa on the main floor standing out in particular. The period costumes by Kate Hawley are stunning, particularly the elaborate dresses worn by Mia Goth in both of her roles. Save for one sequence featuring some janky-looking CGI wolves, the visual effects work is impressive all-around. Among the feature's bounty of ghoulish sights, the striking imagery of the flaming Angel of Death in Victor's feverish visions is outright iconic.

As Victor, Oscar Isaac is perfectly cast as the arrogant mad scientist, believably sad, petty, and vengeful. However, the best performance of the picture is from Jacob Elordi who is absolutely revelatory in the role of the towering pitiable creature, showcasing his entire range as an actor. Mia Goth plays William's fiancée Elizabeth taking on an admirable heavy lift to sell the romance between the bride-to-be and the creature, while she also appears briefly as Victor's mother. The supporting cast features Charles Dance fitting in his role of Victor's psychologically abusive father like a glove, Felix Kammerer as Victor's somewhat dopey brother William, Christoph Waltz chewing the scenery as Elizabeth's rich syphilitic uncle and Victor's primary benefactor, and a heartbreaking David Bradley as the kindly blind man who befriends and tutors the creature.

Thematic subtlety be damned, Guillermo del Toro's penchant for both appealingly monstrous and intricately ornate design work, breathtaking sets, and earnest sentimentality perfectly matches the spirit of Mary Shelley's pioneering Gothic horror novel. This iteration of Frankenstein is deeply moving, epic in scope, and simply gorgeous to behold. It's exactly the sort of adaptation one might expect from the auteur who built his filmography around sympathetic beasts and monsters who are all too human.


FRAGMENTS
- Andrew Garfield was originally cast as the creature but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts

- Dr. Frankenstein's tower looks like something pulled straight out of Konami's Castlevania video game series

- Doing perhaps what they do best, Charles Dance plays a very Charles Dance Character (see Game of Thrones, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, etc.), Oscar Isaac plays a very Oscar Isaac role (see Ex Machina, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, etc.), while Christoph Waltz plays a very Christoph Waltz role (see Inglorious Basterds, Spectre, etc.)


007 CONNECTIONS
- Christoph Waltz (Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Spectre and No Time to Die)


MCU CONNECTIONS
- David Bradley (Church Keeper in Captain America: The First Avenger)

- Ralph Ineson (Ravager Pilot in Guardians of the Galaxy and Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps)

F1

F1
2025 | Dir. Joseph Kosinski | 156 Minutes

"If the last thing I do is drive that car, I will take that life, man."

Racing savant Sonny Hayes joins a floundering Formula One team at risk of being sold unless the team scores a victory within the season.

From director Joseph Kosinski and screenwriter Ehrin Kruger, F1 is essentially a competently crafted big budget extended advertisement for the sport of Formula One racing. The picture stylishly captures the thrill of race car driving through slick camerawork and masterful sound design. However, the narrative decidedly takes a backseat to the razzle dazzle, resorting to blending the standard sports film genre tropes of the underdog story and the seasoned veteran taking one more shot at glory, with a plot that's ultimately too thematically similar to Kosinski and Kruger's previous collaboration on Top Gun: Maverick. The old rogue indisputably proves that he is better than the talented young rookie (more so than taking him under his wing, forget passing the torch), severely bends the rules of the sport to give his struggling team an edge over the competition, and even successfully woos the pretty head of engineering while he's at -- wish fulfillment tailor-made for middle-aged dudes.

The racing sequences in F1 are a sight to behold, with pristine cinematography that clearly showcases every decisive turn, intense pit stop, and the occasional harrowing crash. The production filmed on actual Formula One racecourses in all of their glossy majesty ostensibly for authenticity and naturally as a savvy vehicle for promoting the sport. Disappointingly, celebrated film composer Hans Zimmer's score for the feature is mostly forgettable.

In the lead role of Sonny Hayes, the preposterous "nomadic racer-for-hire" who assists others in winning championships for various racing sports, Brad Pitt is perfectly charming though Hayes' somewhat shallow character arc as it is on the page undermines any angsty depth Pitt attempts to bring to the role. Damson Idris does what he can with the rather thankless part of cocky up-and-coming racer and momma's boy Joshua Pearce, serving more as a weak foil to Hayes than as a worthy counterpart and teammate. As technical director Kate McKenna, Kerry Condon manages to convincingly go toe-to-toe with Pitt until the engineering genius all but completely succumbs to his charms. The supporting cast also features Javier Bardem the team's stressed-out owner, Tobias Menzies as a slimy investor in the team, and Sarah Niles as Joshua's loving mother.

Rote storytelling aside, F1 is a serviceable entertaining cinematic experience that delivers precisely calibrated crowd-pleasing moments. It's not a film that's particularly interested in challenging viewers. Instead, the picture opts to reaffirm the older folks in the audience who carry even a shred of doubt over whether or not they've "still got it" should they wish to live vicariously through the handsome movie star in his 60s outfoxing his significantly younger competitors on the racetrack.


FRAGMENTS
- This feels like it may as well have been intended to be a long-gap sequel to Days of Thunder that was reworked to be a Brad Pitt vehicle, particularly considering its similarities to Kosinski's Top Gun: Maverick

- In his 60s, it stretches credulity that Pitt could be a viable race car driver, though as a point of attractive movie star comparison, he looks a hell of a lot better in this than Sean Connery looked in his 40s starring in Diamonds Are Forever

- Kerry Condon also appears in 2026 Best Picture Academy Award Nominee Train Dreams


007 CONNECTIONS
- Javier Bardem (Raoul Silva in Skyfall)


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Kerry Condon (FRIDAY in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame)

- Sarah Niles (Lynne Nichols in The Fantastic Four: First Steps)

Bugonia

BUGONIA
2025 | Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos | 118 Minutes

"I became a human being that I told myself I would never become."

A desperate man kidnaps a powerful titan of industry, convinced that she is an alien from outer space secretly plotting to destroy the human race.

Adapted from Jang Joon-hwan's 2003 dark comedy Save the Green Planet!, Yorgos Lanthimos' fourth collaboration with star Emma Stone puts conspiracy theorists under a microscope for decidedly more chilling than hilarious effect. Lanthimos' signature deadpan style lends itself all too well to this narrative positing that more terrifying than any space alien is one deeply hurt human being's unflinching vindictive focus on pinning his misfortunes on others by way of spiraling headlong into magical thinking. Jesse Plemons' Teddy chooses to believe he is on a noble mission to free the world from the control of extraterrestrials by means of kidnapping, torture, murder, and even domestic terrorism, rather than confront and process his own trauma and grief. The fear in Stone's eyes in her portrayal of the abducted CEO Michelle is palpable. The narrative's final twist does not diminish the impact of the picture's social commentary through-line. If anything, Teddy's actions leading to the extinction of humankind in order to allow the planet to heal perfectly serves as one final gut-punch.

Lanthimos frames Bugonia in a claustrophobic 3:2 aspect ratio, immediately creating a constant feeling of unease. The heated exchanges between Teddy and Michelle that make up a significant portion of the feature are all the more intense, as are the punctuating sudden bursts of violence. The high-contract color palette of the picture further heightens the extreme emotions primed to explode at any given moment.

Emma Stone makes for an excellent win-at-all-costs negotiator who never lets slip her true feelings despite dire peril. Jesse Plemons gives a heartbreakingly earnest performance as a man horrifyingly entrenched in rather baffling beliefs. Aidan Delbis also stands out as Teddy's sweet and loyal cousin Don delivering some of the funniest line readings of the picture.

There is a potent contemporary tragedy residing just under the surface of the seemingly quirky premise of Bugonia. The material is arguably a perfect match for dark comedy auteur Yorgos Lanthimos. While it is a rather adaptation of a film released two decades before its own debut, depicting acts of domestic terror committed by the unhinged disenfranchised hits harder now more than ever and, at times, more challenging to digest than ever.


FRAGMENTS
- Showing some real commitment to the role, Emma Stone actually shaved her head to play Michelle

- It almost goes without saying that Jesse Plemons is a natural when it comes to playing awkward and/or creepy white dudes

- Aidan Delbis, not a professionally trained actor, is a natural sweetheart

- The finale not only confirms that extraterrestrials from Andromeda are manipulating the human race but also that the Earth is indeed flat