Dream Log

STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU

2026 | Dir. Jon Favreau | 132 Minutes

3 out of 5

The galaxy's shiniest bounty hunter and his unbearably adorable son arrive at the cinema in this one-off space adventure flick that's dramaticaly inconsequential and thematically threadbare. It's loud, it's explosive, it's occasionally fun, but there's markedly far less plot development in this feature than on a single episode of the streaming show of which it spun off. Good for one ride, but it's difficult to imagine repeat viewings would hold any value. Hearing Ludwig Göransson's theme music in a movie theater sure is sweet though. 

MORTAL KOMBAT II

2026 | Dir. Simon McQuoid | 116 Minutes

4 out of 5

A bit heavy on lore but it more than delivers on the promise of what a new Mortal Kombat movie should be, offering up impressive fight after impressive fight, clever nods to the game series, and tons of (often janky CGI) gore. It's thankfully a vast improvement over its direct predecessor, quickly discarding what didn't work in the 2021 picture and smartly capitalizing on what did. Once again, Josh Lawson's Kano steals every single one of his scenes.

MICHAEL

2026 | Dir. Antoine Fuqua | 127 Mintues

3 out of 5

A standard issue biopic greatly elevated by superb performances and Michael Jackson's music. The narrative is not particularly groundbreaking or insightful, following the standard story beats of the genre while sidestepping nearly every controversial aspect of its subject, but it's a crowdpleasing experience from start to end for those willing to buy into the well-crafted fantasy. Colman Domingo is impressively detestable as the domineering Jackson family patriarch, while Jaafar Jackson is an instant star delivering an uncanny performance as his uncle.

LEE CRONIN'S THE MUMMY

2026 | Dir. Lee Cronin | 134 Minutes

3 out of 5

Gnarly, disgusting, and extraordinarily mean-spirited, Lee Cronin's take on The Mummy evokes Raimi-esque setups and creature work though it's generally more miserable than fun as an overall experience. It offers more than its fair share of gross-out bits and supernatural terror, but it's overall unsatisfying on a narrative level. Empty calories for gorehounds.

PROJECT HAIL MARY

2026 | Dir. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller | 156 Minutes

5 out of 5

This Andy Weir space adventure adaptation from Lord and Miller not only offers a wealth of humor, suspenseful moments, and breathtaking imagery, it's also totally heartwarming through and through. In classic sci-fi tradition, heroic scientists working the problem take the spotlight and the picture does a spectacular job of enabling viewers to vicariously bask in the triumph of its intelligent and resourceful protagonists with each discovery and breakthrough. Ryan Gosling carries the picture virtually alone for long stretches at a time, turning in arguably his best performance yet.

Train Dreams

TRAIN DREAMS
2025 | Dir. Clint Bentley | 102 Minutes

"This world is intricately stitched together, boys. Every thread we pull, we know not how it affects the design of things."

In early 20th century America, laborer Robert Grainier experiences love and loss as time marches relentlessly forward.

Adapted from Denis Johnson's 2011 novella of the same name, Clint Bentley's Train Dreams tells what is ostensibly the simple life story of an American workman at the dawn of the 20th century from his birth to his eventual passing, but it does so by delicately transporting the viewer through a meditative and exceptionally poignant journey. The film offers a wealth of insight into protagonist Robert Grainier's psyche not only through the voice of an omniscient third-person narrator applied rather skillfully but also through glimpses into Grainier's haunting dreams. While Grainier is a man of few words, the feature does an outstanding job of turning his joys, fears, and aspirations into the audience's own. As Grainier's understanding of his place in the grand scheme of nature is gradually influenced by the people in his life, arguably the viewer by extension attains a bit of existential perspective as well.

Filmed in the forests of Washington state in a 3:2 aspect ratio to evoke a sense of nostalgia, the look of the feature is visually striking, immersing viewers in the lush majestic greenery of the natural world juxtaposed against humanity's relentless industrial progress. It's all the more devastating when the land is set ablaze at the midway point of the narrative, bathing the picture in shadow and flame as Grainier plunges into despair. The film depicts Grainier's dreams in an appropriately surreal manner, populated with fleeting visions of his murdered Chinese workmate and, eventually, the wife and daughter he lost.

Joel Edgerton is perfectly cast as Grainier, believably rugged but gentle exuding a deep well of emotion, totally captivating as his performance alone carries the film for long stretches at a time. As Grainier's wife, Felicity Jones is lovely, effortlessly portraying a capable woman with an inner world of her own. In a small but memorable part, William H. Macy is absolutely convincing as a veteran explosives expert with the wisdom and respect for the environment that comes with years of experience in the wilderness. The supporting cast also features Nathaniel Arcand as a kindly storekeeper who cares for Grainier in his most desperate time of need and Kerry Condon as a forestry services worker who befriends Grainier later in his life.

Train Dreams is a soulful meditation on life, nature, love, and loss. While the story of Robert Grainier plays out on a relatively small scale, the film makes a solid case is both universally relatable and remarkably profound. The picture is a visually and emotionally satisfying cinematic experience.


FRAGMENTS
-  Will Patton who previously narrated the audio book of the original novella provides the voice over for this film adaptation

- Kerry Condon also appears in 2026 Best Picture Academy Award Nominee F1


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

Sinners

SINNERS
2025 | Dir. Ryan Coogler | 138 Minutes

"Blues wasn't forced on us like that religion. Nah, son, we brought this with us from home. It's magic, what we do. It's sacred, and big."

Sharecropper and dutiful son of a preacher, young Sammie Moore longs to leave his plantation to be a traveling musician. One fateful night, Sammie discovers the full unexpectedly supernatural extent of his talent.

Ryan Coogler's Sinners is a monumental work of art. Filled with drama, music, romance, action, and buckets of blood, the picture is a superbly entertaining crowd-pleaser. Beyond its value as a widely accessible and all-around excellent genre film, the feature also serves as a sobering examination of the existential fears people of color experience in America that are as relevant in the early 20th century as they are today. Depicting the thinly veiled hatred of bigots who don't even bother to lie convincingly, the insidious threat of cultural appropriation and subsequent absorption, and the importance of finding and holding onto moments of joy especially in the face of adversity, Sinners skillfully weaves a story that encompasses a prevalent aspect of the American experience with poignancy, earnestness, and emotional resonance.

Perhaps more than the immersive production design by Hannah Beachler that transports the audience to rural 1930s  Clarksdale, Mississippi or exceptional visual effects work that convincingly duplicates the picture's lead actor, the genre-traversing musical score courtesy of constant Ryan Coogler collaborator Ludwig Göransson is nothing short of integral to Sinners. The sound of blues accompanies the heroes of the picture, while the vampires introduce elements of Irish folk music, gothic-horror-coded organ, and even heavy metal into the eclectic soundscape. Göransson's audacious soundtrack is always in service the plot, made abundantly apparent in the central set piece of the feature, worth the price of admission alone, in which the impressionable young musical savant performs his signature song and literally summons spirits from the past and future as the blues tune is infused with the sounds of rock, hip hop, West African drum beats, and even Chinese opera.

Michael B. Jordan is simply perfect as both the lethally no-nonsense Smoke and the wild hot-headed Stack, personifying the duality of zero compromise and foolhardy recklessness in the day-to-day struggle to survive. Hailee Steinfeld and Wunmi Mosaku both share electric onscreen chemistry with Jordan, emotionally powerful halves of two vastly different tragic romances. The picture's breakout star Miles Caton is absolutely engaging as Sammie, naturally charismatic in a memorable cinematic debut, and his voice is out of this world. Stealing all of his scenes, Delroy Lindo brings both hilarious comedic timing and pathos as veteran bluesman Delta Slim. Jack O'Connell makes for a compelling villain as the vampire Remmick, giving the fiend outstanding layers of depth. The supporting cast also features superb performances from Li Jun Li, and Jayme Lawson, and Omar Benson Miller.

Sinners is an unequivocal milestone for American cinema. The picture functions beautifully as a breathtaking celebration of the transportational power of music, as a stirring Prohibition-era drama set in the perilous cotton field hellscape of Jim Crow Mississippi, and as a mercilessly gruesome vampire movie authentically rooted in folklore. It vividly illustrates the struggle of American minorities against the myriad forces of oppression, whether it takes the form of overt violent bigotry or the insidious lure of cultural assimilation.


MID-CREDITS STINGER
In 1992, Sammie receives a pair of unexpected visitors.


POST-CREDITS STINGER
Sammie practices playing and singing "This Little Light of Mine" in his father's church.


FRAGMENTS
- This marks actor Michael B. Jordan and composer Ludwig Göransson's fifth consecutive collaboration with director Ryan Coogler

- Ruth E. Carter designed some of the featured period costumes for Marvel Studios' troubled production of Blade

- The "I Lied to You" sequence is instantly one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history, and as a Chinese American, I could not be more surprised and thrilled to see Chinese opera represented among the spirits including a brief but prominent appearance from Monkey King Sun Wukong

- Conversely, Jack O'Connell's Mandarin is disappointingly atrocious

- The manner in which Smoke goes out in a blaze of glory taking out the Klansman reminds me of the finale of Cowboy Bebop

- Seeing Michael B. Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld in early 90s fashion is incredibly amusing


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Michael B. Jordan (N'Jadaka/Erik "Killmonger" Stevens in Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

- Hailee Steinfeld (Kate Bishop in The Marvels)

- Wunmi Mosaku (B-15 in Deadpool & Wolverine)

Affeksjonsverdi (Sentimental Value)

AFFEKSJONSVERDI (SENTIMENTAL VALUE)
2025 | Dir. Joachim Trier | 133 Minutes

"It's hard to love someone who's so full of rage."

After years of estrangement, Nora and Agnes' accomplished film director father Gustav re-enters their lives in hopes of salvaging his relationship with them. While Agnes is keen on reconnecting Gustav, Nora is decidedly not despite Gustav's plan to cast her in lead part for his latest film.

Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value is an artfully understated drama that presents a grounded perspective on familial trauma and the difficult process of reconciliation. Featuring central characters gifted in artistic expression, how the film depicts the different ways Nora and Gustav seek catharsis through creative endeavors is fascinating, but the central conflict stemming from the tension between daughter and estranged father is portrayed in the form of consistent passive aggressive barbs rather than the melodramatic altercations one might expect. Instead, the feature's most cinematic moments are in its brief interludes exploring the history of the family home and all of the emotions contained within its walls over the years.

Sentimental Value also offers sharp commentary on the state of the film industry. Trier is quite frank about how difficult it is for even a renowned Norwegian movie director to get a passion project off the ground, having to rely on the clout of a major movie star, having to shoot the film in English, and most likely having to forgo theatrical exhibition to secure distribution from a certain streaming juggernaut. The challenges of the production run parallel to Gustav's struggle to connect with Nora and, perhaps more directly, process his conflicted feelings left unspoken about his late mother as the film he is making is about her as much as it about his relationship with Nora.

The greatest strength of Sentimental Value is Renate Reinsve's superb natural performance as the complex Nora. Reinsve is phenomenally nuanced in the role, fully embodying a conflicted woman in such dire need of emotional release that her continued retention of resentment against her father threatens to destroy her through figurative steady corrosion - her crippling stage fright despite her talent as an actress, her self-sabotage in the form of pursuing a relationship with a romantic partner who is clearly unavailable, and her depression almost casually revealed to be potentially suicidal late in the picture though it hardly comes as a shock. Stellan Skarsgård as also excellent as Gustav, an ostensibly charming man harboring a deep well of pain who only seems to know how to bond with his loved ones through his love of film however misguided, whether it's casting his daughters in his movies or gifting his 8-year-old grandson DVDs of erotic dramas. The cast also features an affecting performance from Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Nora's deeply empathetic sister Agnes and a convincingly earnest Elle Fanning as famous American actress Rachel Kemp who quickly realizes Gustav's plan to have her fill in for Nora is more demanding than she realized.

Sentimental Value is a quiet drama that takes its audience down the long road to understanding and forgiveness without much in the way of artifice. While it isn't the flashiest picture in terms of spectacle or big dramatic swings, it is nonetheless a sobering look at the damage that can be done by festering bitterness. Renate Reinsve is truly stunning in the lead role.


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

- I can't hear that "Dies Irae" section of "Symphonie Fantastique" without immediately associating it with Stanley Kubrick's The Shining

- This film honestly did not resonate with me as much as I think it should -- I wonder if I'll grow to appreciate it more in time

- Seriously, imagine watching The Piano Teacher and Irreversible at 8 years old, hilarious


007 CONNECTIONS
- Jesper Christensen (Mr. White in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Spectre)


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Stellan Skarsgård (Erik Selvig in Thor, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Thor: Love and Thunder)

O Agente Secreto (The Secret Agent)

O AGENTE SECRETO (THE SECRET AGENT)
2025 | Dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho | 161 Minutes

"We need to protect what we still have."

In 1977, a former professor travels to Recife during the carnival holiday. He plans to flee Brazil with his young son, but not before making a desperate attempt to retrieve government files on his late mother to preserve his fleeting memory of her. Meanwhile, a powerful enemy from his past is determined to see him dead.

Authentically staged and filmed to visually resemble a 1970s political thriller, the subject of Kleber Mendonça Filho's The Secret Agent is far from a cunning spy but he must conduct himself like one while under constant threat in a world turned upside down. The picture disturbingly depicts the casual tyranny of the Brazilian military dictatorship active during its period setting through the normalized corrupt behavior of local policemen as well as hired assassins carrying about their business openly. Though it often plays like a romp, with a wealth of snappy dialogue and skewering humor, the palpable paranoia that lingers on nearly every frame exudes an inescapable feeling of stifling unease.

The plot of The Secret Agent is relatively clear cut though the unconventional structure of the picture is anything but, presenting events and ideas through a rather tangled design. Mendonça Filho takes the viewer on several intriguing detours that offer exposition and context in ways that are both enlightening and amusing. Notably, the audience surrogate, a history student in the present day researching the protagonist Armando, isn't revealed until the very end of the first act, and the infrequent cuts back to her at moments of rising tension serve as reminders that while the events of the story already transpired decades ago, they are as vivid and relevant as ever, perennially worthy of reexamination. The feature truly comes alive during its more fantastical interludes, with stand-out sequences that include a dramatization of the absurd "hairy leg" news articles reporting brutal attacks on queer people carried out by a severed appendage and Aramndo's surreal nightmare blending striking imagery from throughout the film at the top of the third act. The stylish camerawork and vibrant color palette of the picture are perfectly complemented by excellent setting-appropriate needle-drops.

Wagner Moura is outstanding as Armando, naturally charming and convincingly embodying a principled man on the crossroads of history, attempting to recover his past and secure his future under the most precarious circumstances. In addition to capably carrying the narrative in the lead role, Moura also plays Armando's son Fernando in the picture's epilogue, delivering a performance that is impressively completely different from his Armando in tone and demeanor. Standing out among the supporting cast are Robério Diógenes as the despicable oafish police chief Euclides, Carlos Francisco as Armando's venerable father-in-law Alexandre, and Tânia Maria as the rather badass former anarcho-communist Dona Sebastiana.

Rather than overtly lecturing viewers on the evils of authoritarianism, The Secret Agent accentuates the strangeness of living in deeply troubling times. Through his protagonist, Mendonça Filho demonstrates that it takes bravery to stand up for what's right in order to pave the way to a future with "less mischief." The tragic truth is that not everyone will make it to that future, and it would behoove those that remain to study their history or risk forgetting it entirely.


FRAGMENTS
- My first exposure to Wagner Moura was his engaging portrayal of Pablo Escobar on Narcos, and while I was already impressed with his performance in that series I've grown to really appreciate his range as an actor in films like Alex Garland's Civil War and this film

- Prolific German character actor Udo Kier, who previously starred as a detestable villain in Mendonça Filho's Bacurau, makes his final screen appearance in this film in one memorable scene playing a Jewish Holocaust survivor who the idiotic police chief mistakes for a Nazi fugitive

- The plot appropriately references Jaws and The Omen, both films from the 1970s that reflected the anxieties of the time through a fantastical lens