- “Resident Evil: Requiem” is a Perfect Evolution of Past Successes (February 25, 2026)
One of the best video game franchises of all time returns this week with the phenomenal “Resident Evil: Requiem,” a game that takes how this franchise shifted its personality with 2017’s “Resident Evil: Biohazard” and marries that style to what fans loved about the recent remakes of “Resident Evil 2” and “Resident Evil 4.” It narratively echoes those early games with the return of fan favorite Leon Kennedy while also appealing to those who fell in love with the series through “Biohazard” and 2021’s “Resident Evil: Village.” It’s a bit shorter than it should be—it could have used a few tougher, intense boss battles late in the game—but it is consistently satisfying, riveting, and sometimes even terrifying.
“Requiem” opens with such a confidently conceived and directed prologue that it gets its hooks in you from the start. You begin the game as FBI Agent Grace Ashcroft, daughter of reporter Alyssa Ashcroft, a character from 2004’s PS2 game “Resident Evil: Outbreak.” The writers of the 30-year-old lore of “Resident Evil” have loved to drop Easter eggs and references into their storytelling with increasing frequency—Alyssa Ashcroft is even referenced in “Biohazard,” for example—but “Requiem” sees them most aggressively weaving mythology from past games, most notably 2-4, into their new storytelling.
It features so many characters and locations that Capcom has asked that we keep most of them under wraps, but it’s been revealed that you’ll be going back to Racoon City and going back to the origins of how all of this began. That alone should be a draw for fans of the series, and it’s all handled incredibly well narratively, not feeling like a cheap connection to the beloved games but a new way to appreciate what you loved about them all those years ago.
Before Racoon City, Grace goes to investigate a series of murders at a decrepit hotel called the Wrenwood. These early sequences are stunning for their atmosphere, with wind blowing through broken windows and rain on the street below. As your flashlight barely illuminates its way around the Wrenwood, the writing flashes back to Grace’s childhood, revealing that she may be more connected to Leon and Umbrella than she knows. The entire game can be played in either first- or third-person, but the developers recommend playing in first-person for Grace’s tense story of survival and in third-person for Leon’s action-driven narrative. It’s literally like alternating between the tension of “Biohazard” and the explosivity of “RE4 Remake,” two of the most beloved games in the history of the franchise.
Grace’s story takes her to a medical facility called Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center that’s been overtaken by some of the most impressive nightmare fuel in video game history. There’s the massive dude with a machete who stalks the halls, the thing that looks like an enormous zombie baby, and then there’s “the girl,” a creature who hunts Grace in darkness, avoidable by luring her into the light. Grace’s half of “Requiem” centers on puzzle-solving and stealth as the story moves this strong new protagonist through a facility that brings back memories of her dark past.
If we’re all figuring out how Grace got here, along with the game’s co-protagonist, Leon Kennedy’s journey has been well-documented. “Requiem” features an older Leon, facing both physical degradation and the ghosts of his time in Racoon City. The gameplay on Leon’s side is very similar to “Resident Evil 4 Remake” with significantly stronger weapons and an axe that fits well into enemy skulls.
There’s something remarkably satisfying about successfully avoiding enemies in Grace’s chapter, only to introduce those same enemies to Leon’s shotgun in one of his sections of the game. At times, the arcs intersect literally, such as in a sequence in which Leon provides sniper fire for a fleeing Grace. You get to know both of these characters not just as cogs in the plot machine, but also how they move and how they succeed or fail. While it could have easily been clunky—two games never merging into one—it’s the opposite, a fluid way to distinguish two important halves of this story that keeps the game fresh.
The characters and their associated gameplay are incredible, but the environments of “Requiem” are just as important to its success. The Wrenwood sets a bar for setting that the rest of the game matches. Most of all, Rhodes is a stunning location in terms of design, a place that includes everything from well-stocked libraries with a “Shining” vibe to medical facilities out of “Re-Animator” to an underground facility that houses things you’ll soon want to forget. The return to Raccoon City has a desolate isolation that almost feels like the desert setting of “Resident Evil: Extinction.” On that note, when the game returns to a sterile, white Umbrella facility, it has echoes of the first “Resident Evil” film, again reminding one of how closely the games and films are culturally intertwined.
Something you should know: My in-game completion screen showed a playtime of just over 8 hours (though the PS5 welcome screen showed 13—I think the total is likely somewhere in between). That’s going to be a sticking point in an era of $70 games. I must say that I sped through the game very quickly, doing less exploring than normal and rarely dying. Those who take their time will easily add a few hours to that number, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I was hoping for another major chapter or two in the final act, one that comes on pretty abruptly.
I think the game length debate is largely overblown—there are great short games and bad long games—but my main complaint about “Requiem” would be that it feels like there is a bit less meat on its bones narratively than the best in this series, and that it lacks some of the big, huge, boss set pieces that people have come to love.
But that’s literally it. There may not be enough literal game time for some gamers, but what is here is undeniably great. It’s fluid in both design and gameplay; its environments feel genuinely three-dimensional; the puzzle design is top-notch; the voice work and sound design are perfect. It makes sense that I wanted more, and you probably will too, but that doesn’t diminish what’s here.
Where does “Resident Evil” go now? With this sure-to-be-hit and a new standalone film from Zach Cregger of “Weapons” fame forthcoming, 2026 is going to be a good year for fans of the Capcom franchise. Without spoiling, “Requiem” unsurprisingly ends in a way that implies this game could herald a new future for the series, one that employs this hybrid style in subsequent adventures.
As someone who has played every single “Resident Evil” game, I’m happy to report that this one is near the top—not quite “RE4,” but few games are. Ultimately, it’s a reminder of how effective these games can be at their best, rollercoasters of tension to action, suspense to execution. I just hope it doesn’t take them five years to make another one.
The Publisher provided a review copy of this title on PS5. It will also be available on PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch 2 this Friday, February 27.
- Life Within the Lens Celebrates Black Filmmaking (February 24, 2026)
Last night, as I am wont to do, I went to the Music Box Theatre. There, a programme in its seventh iteration titled Life Within the Lens took place. It was staged by the Chicago-based programmer and curator Tyler Balentine, who previously presented his Melanin, Roots, and Culture series in 2024 and 2025, which featured Life Within the Lens as an accompanying shorts block. This year, not only did he stage this shorts section, he also began a weekly series at Facets of Black shorts entitled Sunday’s Best, which will have its final showing on March 1.
His assemblage of seven shorts in this year’s Life Within the Lens filled the 700+ seat theater at the Music Box, where a sea of Black folks celebrated cinematic offerings, whether through the origins of their creators or the place of their setting, with ties to Chicago. These screened works leaped effortlessly across genres to tackle heady topics, often with light-hearted flair. So, as I settled into my seat with a plate of àkàrà, jollof rice, chicken suya kabob, doused with a spicy peri-peri sauce, all from Dozzy’s Grill, a local West African restaurant which catered the night, I took in a bevy of sincerely crafted stories that reminded of the potentiality of Black cinema.
The programme began with Jacob Sutton’s “BLK IS TIME/WAKE UP,” an abstract piece that combines footage of dance, often slowed to a crawl, matched with an energetic lyrical piece of poetry. Filmed at the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, the lo-fi short witnesses a lone dancer, dressed in a white button-up shirt, moving through an amber-lit space with sharp intensity. Sometimes Sutton’s use of time lapse becomes so intense, it feels as though our protagonist will simply spin out of frame. Bending time to even greater effect is the use of The Last Poets’s 1971 track “Black is Chant/Black is Time.” Those verses’ active, often kinetic rhythm, provides a rebellious backbeat to the honed movements of the protagonist, intimating the pulsations of Black life.
That agile short transitions into Sarah Oberholtzer’s more meditative work “We Call Each Other.” In that film, which is the first of a three-part series the director has conceived, a father (Ronald L. Conner) of three brings liquid fertilizer for a garden he maintains in his apartment. One day, however, his fertilizer goes missing. He initially suspects the local community garden might’ve taken his supply until he discovers that a young man, with equal horticultural ambitions, might’ve swiped it instead. While you might expect the film to take a vengeful turn, it thankfully doesn’t. Instead, Oberholtzer invests the piece with an uncommon sense of empathy that exemplifies the quiet understanding required to uplift friends, neighbors, and even strangers.
That sense of allowing grace to unlikely figures also takes place in the programme’s third film: Phil Lee’s satirical short “Street Magnate.” The simple premise sees a plainly dressed Cory (Edward Williams III) walking into an office building housing Layment Investors. He asks to speak to the owner and is summarily dismissed by the receptionist. Rather than be deterred, he steadfastly sees his way in to talk to three white employees. I don’t want to spoil the turn that occurs after this point, but suffice it to say, it’s not just a ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ situation. It’s also an instance of subversion that smartly re-works the racist perceptions of Black men into a punchline that’s equal parts funny and eloquent.
The programme continued emphasizing passion via Sanicole’s metaphysical odyssey “The Bet.” Here, Blue (Vincent Fenner Jr), a wayward teenager gunned down after trying to rob a convenience store, becomes a spirit alongside the sage Kit (Church Lockett). Through various acts of kindness, the latter, despite being jaded about humanity, has tried to make his way from this purgatory into heaven. Blue, the newbie, who still believes in the inherent goodness of man, makes a wager with Kit to prove that people can be saved. If Blue wins, then Kit must show him how to transport from place to place. If Kit wins, then Blue must sever contact with him. Apart from its charitable premise, this film thrives on Fenner and Lockett’s easygoing comedic chemistry, which turns the afterlife on Chicago’s streets into a poignant tale about brotherhood.
Intuitively, the ghostly tale of “The Bet” leads us into Eve Wright’s equally phantasmagorical story “The Scorekeeper.” In this genre picture, one can feel shades of Jordan Peele’s “US” when a Black woman named Jade (Bri McDonald), who’s preparing for a first date, is followed by a Black female apparition… aka the Scorekeeper (Alexis Queen), who’s lugging an AV club television behind her. During the oblique film, difficult memories rise to the surface via the Scorekeeper’s poking and prodding through cryptic questions directed at Jade. This speculative format also reminds one of Rungano Nyoni’s “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl,” which also hoped to parse past traumas through metaphor. The sense of mood is equal to the task, fashioning a narrative that doesn’t immediately give itself over to easy answers.
At this point, I’m going to go out of turn by mentioning Luchina Fisher’s uplifting sports documentary “Team Dream.” The final film in the programme, though it’s not the last one I’m writing about, lovingly captures its two subjects: Ann E. Smith and Madeline Murphy Rabb. Both are training for the 2022 National Senior Games. Smith was the first African-American woman to win a statewide election in Illinois, earning a spot on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. Rabb was Executive Director of the Chicago Office of Fine Arts. Both women, now in their 80s, took up swimming for several reasons. First and foremost, because the activity fulfills them. Secondly, they want to disprove the stereotype that Black people don’t swim. Fisher tells their story simply yet effectively, giving us a full overview of their prodigious backgrounds and showing the intense effort they put into a sport that brings out their competitive fire.
Of all the films featured in the programme, however, the most thrilling might be Shiloh Tumo Washington’s “Bailey’s Blues.” A black and white shot wonder, the film, as the director explained in a Q&A, is inspired by a longer, un-produced feature the director intends to make. When that feature didn’t come to fruition, he decided to craft this documentary about the protagonist. The result is stellar and powerful.
The fictional Marion Bailey (Namir Smallwood) is a jazz stand-up bass player, who’s being interviewed by a white French journalist (Pierre Lucas) in 1962 about his role as a Black man in this musical genre. Rather than give this gazy reporter some eloquent sob story about the plight of artistry, he volleys a series of bristling retorts whose frankness electrifies every moment. This honesty commentary about systemic racism can’t be looked away from, particularly because of Smallwood’s unflinching relationship to the camera and the material. Once more, the film is also incredibly shot, matching the style of 1960s French documentaries down to the subtitles. I beg of someone, please give Washington the means necessary to realize his vision. Because what’s on display here is clearly incredible.
- “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” Maintains Momentum in Confident Second Season (February 24, 2026)
Legendary’s MonsterVerse live-action series for Apple TV, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” achieved a franchise first: provide compelling human characters. In the first season, creators Chris Black and Matt Fraction managed to tell a captivating story with a monstrous, globe-trotting scope spanning two timelines: the 1950s and the 2010s. The series follows three branches of the Randa family tree: Keiko (Mari Yamamoto), her son, Hiroshi Randa (Takehiro Hira), and his children, half-siblings Cate (Anna Sawai) and Kentaro (Ren Watabe). It also delves into their involvement in Monarch, a secret organization co-founded by Col. Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell in the 1950s/Kurt Russell in the present day) that supervises titans such as Godzilla and Kong.
“Monarch’s” Season 2 picks up right where Season 1 left off on Kong Island in 2017, with Keiko, Cate, and Kentaro’s tech-savvy ex-May (Kiersey Clemons) being saved from the interdimensional rift Axis Mundi by Kentaro, Hiroshi, and Monarch worker Tim (Joe Tippet), with the help of Apex Industries, the mega tech rival company introduced in “Godzilla vs. Kong.” After a long-awaited family reunion between the unaged Keiko and her fully-grown son in 2017, Cate is determined to rescue Lee—who sacrificed himself to save them—from Axis Mundi. However, during the rescue effort, they unintentionally let loose a squid-like titan, which they call Titan X, into their realm. Upon his arrival, the family is once again faced with new challenges as they attempt to locate the new Titan and try to stop it. This culminates in another global rat race between Monarch and Apex, who, of course, try to exploit it for their gain.
For Lee and Keiko, it’s not their first time dealing with Titan X. Scenes from their past play out when they first encounter the monster in Santa Soledad, a village that treats it as if it were their God. Moreover, the relationship between Keiko, Lee, and Keiko’s fiancé Bill Randa (Anders Holm) is put to the test as their secrets make ripple effects to impact the family in the present.
The ten-episode season is never dull. It thrusts you into the immediate chaos and gets to the central focus of the new Titan and the ramifications of its arrival, both on a global and an intermediate level within the Randa family. The season’s plot alternates between being a thrilling extension of the MonsterVerse series that raises the stakes and a “Jurassic World” entry (if it were good) while never losing sight of the engaging humanistic elements.
The ensemble continues to deliver fine performances. Kurt and Wyatt Russell, particularly, are standouts, employing their signature charm through Lee Shaw, who serves as the most effective emotional connection between the past and the present. Mari Yamamoto’s portrayal of Keiko is commendable, as she delivers a maternal performance that resonates with her older co-star Takehiro Hira’s Hiroshi—it’s also funny to witness this mother-son dynamic after freshly seeing them play employee and boss in “Rental Family.” Yamamoto also exhibits the same emotional burden of regret and pain toward Kurt Russell’s Lee as Keiko’s younger self did with Wyatt’s Lee.
The young adult cast doesn’t fare as well. While the characters were well-developed during the freshman season, this sophomore season feels like they’re all written like characters straight out of a YA novel. Anna Sawai’s portrayal of Cate is especially empathetic, and her depiction of her PTSD stemming from surviving the G-Day attack feels authentic. However, this season, while understandable in her intense emotions, she feels as if she has slightly regressed. Numerous beats in the season depict her in a state of constant adolescent-like angst, even before she experiences severe guilt for a mistake that she punishes herself for. The same issue also persists with Watabe’s Kentaro and Clemons’ May, who are written as if they’re teens and not twenty-somethings.
After a mid-season turning point, one that throws a titan-sized wedge in the family, “Prey’s” Amber Midthunder makes an entrance as Isabel, a determined, persuasive businesswoman who has deep ties to Apex. She may come late in the game, but Midthunder’s fierce presence taking center stage adds intense chaos to the Titan X rat race.
By now, it’s obvious that the primary focus isn’t on the big ol’ rock-em-sock-em kaijus if you’re a MonsterVerse fan who is only there for the fights. When they do erupt, however, it is of the same high visual quality and exhilarating thrill as the feature counterparts.
“Monarch’s” season 2 maintains the momentum of its predecessor, marking the best of the MonsterVerse TV series to date. But, like Godzilla’s atomic breath, it takes a while to charge up and deliver a powerful blast.
Whole season screened for review. Season premieres on Apple TV on February 27, 2026.
- “God of War: Sons of Sparta” is a Clunky Footnote in Legacy of Incredible Franchise (February 24, 2026)
Sony wants everyone to love “God of War.” On the one hand, they are hopeful that the in-production Amazon Prime Video series will make the same waves as both that company’s “Fallout” and HBO’s “The Last of Us” did. (“Sons of Anarchy” star Ryan Hurst, who actually voiced Thor in 2022’s “God of War: Ragnarok,” was recently cast as Kratos in the show, by the way.) On the video game front, while we wait for the inevitable next proper game in the hit series, Sony recently announced that they’re remaking the original “God of War” trilogy that really changed gaming in the mid-aughts.
On the day they announced those games are being fully remade (not just technically polished remasters but top-down remakes) at State of Play, they stunned fans and shadow-dropped an entirely new game in “God of War: Sons of Sparta,” now available on the PS5. As a huge “GoW” fan and an even bigger Metroidvania fan (a genre having a moment right now with both “Hollow Knight: Silksong” and the announcement of the return of “Castlevania” from the creators of “Dead Cells”), I was thrilled to play “Sparta.” The excitement wore off pretty quickly.
Let’s get one thing out of the way: “Sons of Sparta” isn’t a horrible game. But it is a game I kept finding myself making excuses to enjoy, because I really wanted to. Even fans of “Sparta” have agreed that it starts remarkably clunky, with several slow hours of what is basically a tutorial as young Kratos gets his powers. The enjoyment of “Sparta” seems to come from whether or not one thinks it ever fully escapes those early growing pains. Yes, some of the gameplay gets smoother largely through repetition, but there are elements of “Sparta” that never reach beyond frustrating, including a story that’s difficult to care about, inconsistent physics, dull combat, and shallow gameplay design. It’s a game with moments that never add up to a sum as interesting as its parts.
“God of War: Sons of Sparta” is an origin story for one of the most famous characters in video game history. It takes place before the previous prequel, 2013’s “God of War: Ascension,” and draws on Greek mythology as its basis (the two acclaimed modern titles drew on Norse mythology instead). It is the story of a young Kratos and his brother Deimos, both living in Sparta. When one of their allies goes missing, they venture out of the city walls to find him, discovering that Laconia is filled with brutal enemies waiting to be stabbed by Kratos’ trusty spear.
Like all Metroidvanias, “Sons of Sparta” is built on a foundation of repetition and backtracking as one gains access to different areas of the map as their powers and tools develop. This is a tougher bit of gaming development than it looks, as games like “Silksong” have so brilliantly embedded upgrades in their storytelling that the player doesn’t feel like they’re just doing something they’ve already done with a bit more power. The world opens up in the “Hollow Knight” games in a manner that makes them masterpieces. On the other hand, “Sons of Sparta” felt like one of the most repetitive experiences of major gaming in years. You’re constantly just doing the same thing over and over again, especially for a large chunk of the game when fast travelling isn’t an option, meaning you literally have to go through the same sections, often from one end of the map to the other, just to progress the story.
The “God of War” games are known for explosive, addictive action. That’s not the case with “Sons of Sparta.” Even boss battles feel more like obligations than the epic, earth-shaking combat for which Kratos is known. Yes, it’s an origin story, but it’s still Kratos, and so being more of a spear-poking kid instead of a Blades of Chaos-swinging killing machine just feels a bit wrong. It’s antithetical to what this series is known for, given how rarely one actually feels like a legend while playing “Sons of Sparta.” No one wants a “God of War” game with low stakes.
It doesn’t help that Deimos is hanging around in most of the battles, doing basically nothing. Why give Kratos a partner when said partner has no real impact on the gameplay? Sure, it looks like he’s swinging away at enemies, but health meters never go down. It’s an example of several places where it feels like “Sons of Sparta” had an interesting idea that never developed into interesting gameplay.
Of course, all of this would have been more tolerable with better mechanics. Worst of all, the upgrades and half of the combat dynamics feel shallow. You can upgrade your gear—the spear, shield, and some random stat-enhancing stuff found throughout the game—but none of it ever feels like it does much. And as much as I kept upgrading my combat skills, it’s basically a button masher where you do the same things over and over again: strike, dodge, parry, strike, repeat. Enemies will glow different colors based on their current attack, indicating if some can be blocked, dodged, etc., and it gives the combat a weird flavor, more like memorizing a pattern over fluid action.
Visually, “Sons of Sparta” is a mixed bag, too. Some of the backgrounds, done in a pixel style, can be gorgeous. And the regions that you unlock have some unique aesthetics, including cold mountains near the top of the map and poisoned swamps near the bottom. While the environments can be engaging, the enemies are often hideous on a design level. Most of them are repetitive and uninspired, and even the bosses can feel half-hearted—there’s one that’s basically just a glowing, green ball of light.
Like most Metroidvanias, some of the repetitive combat of “Sons of Sparta” reaches that addictive spot for fans of the genre, in that I did find myself pushing through what the game does wrong just to open a new region or find a new temple to get a new power. It’s the draw of these games that keeps those of us who love them pushing through, whether it’s to reach that part of the map that remains unopened or get just enough resources to upgrade your favorite weapon. I just wish this one didn’t feel so much like work.
The Publisher provided a review copy of this title. It’s now on PS5.
- Laughs Come Consistently in NBC’s Clever “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” (February 23, 2026)
Robert Carlock, the showrunner for “30 Rock” and creator of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” is back on network TV with a show that could be called “Remember How Funny Tracy Morgan Can Be?” A show built around Morgan’s goofy, likable personality, “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” features Carlock’s quick wit, spoofing sports culture and documentary filmmaking while ultimately being about second chances and defying expectations. Most importantly, after some rocky early episodes, it’s a consistently funny show that could stand alongside Carlock’s previously acclaimed creations.
Co-created by Carlock and Sam Means (an Emmy winner for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and writer on “30 Rock” and “Parks and Recreation”), “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” is a mockumentary show that centers on its mockumentarian, a filmmaker named Arthur Tobin (a perfectly-cast Daniel Radcliffe). An Oscar-winning filmmaker, Tobin had a very viral meltdown on the set of a superhero movie that was nothing but blue screens and tennis balls, not actual people.
Shunned by the documentary community, he’s seeking a comeback by making his own “O.J.: Made in America” or “The Last Dance” with a film about Reggie Dinkins (Tracy Morgan), a famous New York Jets player who was booted out of the NFL when he accidentally called a national sports network to discuss his latest bets instead of his bookie. The Jets fell apart from there, and Dinkins became such an enemy in New York that he couldn’t leave the house without getting yelled at by a fan. He hopes Tobin’s movie can give him the comeback he so desires, and maybe even land him in the Hall of Fame.
THE FALL AND RISE OF REGGIE DINKINS — “Pilot” Episode 101 — Pictured: (l-r) Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Tobin, Erika Alexander as Monica,Tracy Morgan as Reggie Dinkins — (Photo by: Scott Gries/NBC)
Dinkins has four people circling his life who become major parts of Tobin’s documentary-within-a-show. First, there’s Monica (Erika Alexander), Reggie’s ex-wife, who also still happens to be his agent, trying desperately to hold onto his few remaining scraps of fame while he works on her own to rebuild his legacy. There’s Carmelo (Jalyn Hall), Monica and Reggie’s son, a nice kid who knows how to take advantage of his rich dad and would rather sing in his school’s acapella group than follow pops into sports. There’s Brina (Precious Way), Reggie’s influencer fiancée, a character introduced as a bit disposable, but who proves she’s more than just the flighty, younger girlfriend role.
Finally, there’s the very funny Bobby Moynihan as Rusty, a former teammate who lives with Reggie and supports him through every dumb decision. Moynihan plays Rusty as a wide-eyed bumbler, a sort of vision of if Chris Farley’s character from “Tommy Boy” grew up to be a football player. It’s a funny supporting turn.
As with the acclaimed comedies that Carlock and Means worked on in the past, “Reggie Dinkins” works primarily because of its sharp ensemble, even if it’s a vehicle designed to elevate Morgan’s unique comic timing. Reggie is a classic Morgan character, a guy who may not be the smartest person in the room but someone who becomes easy to root for, especially once Craig Robinson shows up as Reggie’s on-field and now-in-retirement nemesis, a Michael Strahan-esque character who will do whatever it takes to keep Dinkins out of the hall.
HE FALL AND RISE OF REGGIE DINKINS — “Put It on Your Cabbage!” Episode 103 — Pictured: (l-r) Precious Way as Brina, Bobby Moynihan as Rusty Boyd — (Photo by: Scott Gries/NBC)
Morgan gets consistent laughs throughout the first season of “Dinkins,” but so does the entire cast. Radcliffe nails Tobin’s intellectual anxiety, someone who thinks even this project is below him but needs it to resurrect his career, and someone who ends up pretty quickly coming to like Dinkins and his family. Way, Hall, and Moynihan have laughs every episode, but Alexander may actually be the season one MVP as she not only has nuanced comic timing but does great work at grounding a show that sometimes spins off into ridiculous tangents. Alexander plays Monica’s journey completely straight, whether she’s trying to fight her way back into the business management industry or getting addicted to a reality show with Rusty.
Network TV comedy took a hit in the cord-cutting era, but an occasional surprise can burst through the crowd like “Abbott Elementary” and “Ghosts” (and more of you should be watching “St. Denis Medical,” the best comedy currently on the big four). There’d be a bit of TV justice in a show about a fading star trying to reclaim past glory, leading people back to NBC TV comedy, a place that used to define the best of the sitcom form for years. I believe in you, Reggie Dinkins.
Whole season screened for review. The premiere is now on Peacock with the second episode premiering tonight, February 23, weekly from here on.
- Trailer II for Action Sequel 'Mortal Kombat II' Hitting Theaters in May (February 25, 2026)
"This is a war for the fate of your world!" Whoa this looks like it might actually be amazingly good. WB has revealed the second official trailer action sequel Mortal Kombat II (MK2), based on the popular video platform fighting game series. This is a follow-up to the most recent live-action Mortal Kombat movie that opened back 2021. It was supposed to debut last fall (here's the first trailer) but has been delayed until May - and it will be worth the wait. Fan fave champions—joined by Johnny Cage himself—are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders. Let them fight! "We had up the ante on every aspect," says the actor playing Shao Kahn. Karl Urban stars as Johnny Cage (from his own movie Uncaged Fury), and joined by Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, and Damon Herriman, with Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han, + Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion. I'm impressed by this trailer! Outstanding! This movie might just turn out to be the best Mortal Kombat movie yet. Who's in? // Continue Reading ›
- Teaser for Jane Schoenbrun's 'Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma' (February 25, 2026)
"There is a hole at the bottom of the lake where the movies come from. He always comes back..." Uh, what? Mubi has unveiled the first look teaser for the indie slasher horror film titled Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, the latest feature made by filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun of the indie hit I Saw the TV Glow previously. After that was a hit, they were given a major chance to work with Brad Pitt's Plan B to produce a slasher concept. A queer director making a new slasher franchise sequel becomes obsessed with casting the original film's "final girl," leading both women into psychological and sexual chaos. This teaser is obviously timed with Scream 7 opening this weekend doing this exact thing. "A new kind of horror remake," starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson. The cast also features Amanda Fix, Arthur Conti, Eva Victor, Zach Cherry, Sarah Sherman, Patrick Fischler, Dylan Baker, Quintessa Swindell, Kevin McDonald, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Jack Haven. The first look teaser is packed with some exciting glimpses! I really dig the old school vibes & painted backdrops. Keep an eye out for this later in the summer. // Continue Reading ›
- Ballerina Action Film 'Pretty Lethal' Trailer: Apatow, Condor, Thurman (February 25, 2026)
"The only way out – is together!" Prime Video has unveiled the fun official trailer for an action movie called Pretty Lethal, an action-packed thriller set for a streaming debut in March. It's skipping theaters entirely and going directly to Prime Video starting at the end of next month. So who's down? The story follows five ballerinas, on their way to a prestigious dance competition, barely on speaking terms when their bus breaks down in a remote forest. With no other options, they reluctantly seek shelter at an unsettling roadside inn run by a reclusive former ballet prodigy. From the moment they arrive, something feels wrong—and their worst instincts prove right. As the situation turns deadly, the fractured team must set aside their rivalries & weaponize years of brutal training, turning grace, discipline, and even pointe shoes into tools for survival. This stars Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, Maddie Ziegler, Michael Culkin, Lydia Leonard, and Uma Thurman. This looks like The Asylum's B-movie riff on the John Wick spin-off Ballerina, but somehow it's an actual real Prime Video flick. Let's hope it's fun. What do you think? // Continue Reading ›
- Gnarly Throwback Trucker Revenge Horror 'Trucker' Official Trailer (February 25, 2026)
"You'll all pay for what you've taken from him!" Breaking Glass Pictures has unveiled an official trailer for a gnarly throwback revenge thriller called Trucker, ready to watch on VOD coming up in March. Made by director Errol Sack, his new horror film Trucker is an homage to old school road horror favorites like The Hitcher, Joy Ride, and Duel. When a long-haul trucker’s family is killed in a fiery crash caused by a group of reckless teens, he miraculously survives. Nursed back to health by a mysterious old man, the grieving father channels his trauma and rage into a brutal campaign of retribution against those responsible. "Sack delivers a emotionally charged story that will resonate with fans of classic vigilante cinema while feeling fresh & timely." Bring it on! Starring Milo Hayden, Nicole Mattox, Katherine Gibson, Dare Taylor, Lauren Parkinson, and Jim Palmer. This "pulse-pounding ride" has a gnarly villain sporting a mask which works for this horror story. This looks like a fun pizza & beer weekend watch. Worth a look if you dig indie horror. // Continue Reading ›
- Rory Kinnear in Feel-Good Banking Sequel 'Bank of Dave 2' US Trailer (February 25, 2026)
"They're praying on the most vulnerable & desperate." Quiver has revealed the official US trailer for a new sequel called Bank of Dave 2, arriving in the US on VOD this March. It's already out on Netflix UK for streaming over there after premiering in Burnley, UK. The full title is Bank of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger - which is a fun name for this character. Rory Kinnear reprises his role as the real-life Burnley businessman Dave Fishwick, sequel to the 2023 hit Bank of Dave, this time taking on a new, more dangerous adversary: The Payday Lenders. Kinnear leads an ensemble that also includes Chrissy Metz, who plays an American investigative journalist. Directed by Chris Foggin, who also helmed the original film, the sequel reunites the creative team behind the widely praised first film. In this feel-good sequel, local hero Dave Fishwick takes on ruthless payday lenders scamming Brits nationwide. With help from new allies—and his celebrity status—Dave exposes a corrupt American loan shark, sparking a viral crusade that lands him in New York City, in court, and even onstage with Def Leppard. Starring Kinnear along with Rob Delaney, Hugh Bonneville, Chrissy Metz, and Dan Fogler. This actually seems like a nice story about taking down asshole bankers. // Continue Reading ›
