- The People from the Sea: How “The Odyssey” is About America (August 4, 2026)
There’s no easier way to get people angry these days than to make a movie out of a story they already love in some other medium: A comic book. A fantasy saga. Or, as we’re seeing with Christopher Nolan’s latest cinematic tour de force, an ancient Greek epic poem. Long before the movie hit theaters, online commenters (and a few notable academics) were already calling Nolan’s take on “The Odyssey” a travesty, venting on social and conventional media about the “historical inaccuracies” and compromises to “wokeist” demands they detected in its teaser trailers, production photos and casting announcements.
It’s never smart to leap to conclusions based on stray glimpses of a three-plus hour film as seen in scattershot leaks and early promo pieces, but especially so when the filmmaker in question is a director who makes choices, not mistakes. You may disagree with his choices. But they’re painstakingly planned, not frivolous or erratic, and certainly not the result of knee-jerk reactions to outside pressures.
And even if his choices step on people’s expectations of classic literature, part of what makes the classics so durable is exactly because they’re universal enough to be endlessly reinterpretable. Shakespeare’s plays have been turned into teen rom-coms (“10 Things I Hate About You”), gonzo horror flicks (“Tromeo and Juliet”), queer road dramas (“My Own Private Idaho”), space opera (“Forbidden Planet”) and samurai movies (Kurosawa’s “Throne of Blood” and “Ran”)—dramatically different, sometimes bizarrely altered versions.
Which is … totally fine.
Matt Damon (center) is Odysseus in THE ODYSSEY, written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Because, like “The Odyssey,” Shakespeare’s plays are fiction. Great fiction—timeless fiction—but nevertheless entirely made up, and in their original context enjoyed more as mass entertainment than as revered, sacred texts. Shakespeare’s plays were performed in front of hooting audiences eating oranges and loudly commenting on the action. Homer’s poems were originally delivered by lyre-strumming singers at weddings and rowdy banquets, who often riffed satirical asides to needle their hosts and other notables, and casually inserted improvised references to current events into their renditions.
All of which is why it doesn’t make sense to talk about the “historical accuracy” of Nolan’s “Odyssey”: The original poem wasn’t based on factual events in the first place and was regularly used as a vehicle for the opinions and inventions of its performers.
So why shouldn’t Nolan have license to do the same?
“The Odyssey” was ultimately not a surprising choice for a Nolan project: It’s a war chronicle, a superhero story, a revenge movie, a tale centering on an unreliable narrator (an amnesiac who’s unsure if he’s awake, dreaming, deluded or unhooked from the flow of time). It’s like it contains the seeds of every Nolan movie, everywhere, all at once. And as with his prior works, he’s created a film that’s both a crowd-pleasing entertainment and a complex commentary on a deeper theme.
He’s used the conventions of film noir to explore the power of weaponized ignorance (“Memento”); unpacked the nature of grief and survivor guilt through a sci-fi heist caper (“Inception”); and highlighted the moral and personal compromises that the forces of order must make to restrain chaos via superhero stories (The Dark Knight Trilogy).
Director Christopher Nolan on the set of his film THE ODYSSEY, written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
The underlying message of “The Odyssey” is obvious, and it has been pointed out by others. It’s an allegorical musing on America, a nation whose leaders have shattered cherished norms and precedents and turned its back on the principles of its own framing—leaving chaos, mayhem and destruction in their wake. “Oppenheimer” asked whether men should play at being gods. “The Odyssey” explores what happens to an empire when its leaders forsake them—out of greed, selfishness, spite and vanity.
In service of King Agamemnon, shown as a dark figurehead in gold-accented armor, Odysseus (Matt Damon) defeats the Trojans with his genocide-packed wooden horse, an act that’s celebrated as a stroke of cunning to the Greeks, and reviled as an astonishing war crime by the gods. For this act of treachery on foreign soil, Odysseus is cursed to wander lost for decades, in a journey that we see could have been cut short any number of times, if it weren’t for the protagonist’s own narcissism, bloody-mindedness and incompetence.
It’s not an accident that Nolan cast the extremely white Matt Damon (an iconic native son of Boston, the cradle of American democracy) as his protagonist, or that he chose to have his actors, even his British performers, speak in a quintessentially middle-American accent and idiom. An aging white leader at the center, surrounded and enabled by an array of people of color, women and other marginalized people, is what the United States has been for almost all of its history, and naturally, it’s these vulnerable subordinates who pay the price for the protagonist’s hubris, time and time again—abandoned, consumed, cast away, used as disposable pawns. A score of crewmen in the gullet of a cyclops, a half-dozen more yanked away screaming by a multi-headed snake monster, whole boats full of sailors plunged into the murky depths by angry Poseidon’s raging storms? Who’s even counting?
The inclusion of trans actor Eliot Page in the film, a centerpoint of outrage from right-wing politicians, seems particularly notable given his casting as Sinon, who becomes an unwitting human sacrifice to enable Odysseus’s glory; out of all of America’s groups, none has been more overtly used as a decoy target than trans persons, who have been banned from military service (no Sinons in America!) and many organized sports, had their healthcare access and legal I.D. stripped away, and been accused of everything from pedophilia to terrorism.
Lupita N’yongo as Helen of Troy and her regicidal twin sister Clytemnestra seems like equally pointed casting: We see her as both ultimate object of male desire and as enraged madwoman, two caricatures regularly painted on Black women—but also, it’s not that long ago that a Black woman, Kamala of Frisco, was simultaneously portrayed as the most aspirational person on Earth and as the ruthless destroyer of her white male patron, and, like Helen, left humbled and scarred.
L to R: Anne Hathaway is Penelope and Tom Holland is Telemachus in THE ODYSSEY, written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Helen and Clytemnestra aren’t the only ill-treated women in “The Odyssey”. Odysseus’s patient and long-suffering wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) is left cloistered in his palace, fending off the predatory paws of loutish suitors and forced to take on the hard work of administering Ithaka in her husband’s absence, sans credit and without power of her own. When she finally unleashes a rant at her callow son Telemachus (Tom Holland) that rather than him, another mediocre white male, she should be the one on the throne, since it’s her competence that has kept the kingdom from collapsing, that could be Hillary Clinton, Liz Warren and dozens of other female would-be chief executives shouting from the archives: “Empty throne? I’ve been sitting on an empty throne for 20 years! My knowledge, my years of experience, that’s all nothing compared to the bristles on your chin!”
And when Odysseus finally arrives back home, after his self-caused misadventures and years spent self-medicating his PTSD and engaging in cuddle therapy on Calypso’s beach, his first act is to savagely and methodically murder and drive out the suitors who have gathered in his absence, once again breaching Zeus’s mandate that guests should be welcomed and treated like representatives of the gods themselves, a bloody mass deportation that Odysseus laments as a necessity (much as his war crime was a necessity), even if it ends the age of Ithaka’s ascendance and makes him outcast among men and subject to divine judgment. It doesn’t matter, he says; the future will forget the crimes of the “great” and remember only the epic sweep of their deeds.
“The Odyssey” is big and noisy and full of fury, because that’s how America represents itself to the world. Odysseus is neither as smart nor as complex nor as resourceful as he thinks, or as the rest of humanity believes. That’s not an error of characterization on Nolan’s part. It’s just an expression of our American reality as an aging, fraying empire hurtling from crisis to crisis, whose leaders who are too busy putting their hands in others’ pockets to keep a firm one on the rudder.
And Nolan’s film is not a misbegotten attempt to modernize a classic—it is a deft and purposeful reflection of America in this moment, seen through the glass of mythological metaphor. We are the lost warrior-navigator trying to find our way back, only to have our own recklessness, stubbornness and lack of concern for our allies send us adrift. We, America, are the people from the sea.
- Short Films in Focus: Warsha (August 4, 2026)
Dania Bdeir’s “Warsha” is one of my favorite kinds of short films. In a tight fifteen minutes, it takes the viewer on a real journey of one person’s interior feelings of entrapment, confinement, freedom, and liberation, while also providing unbearable suspense and an exhilarating surprise ending that makes the white-knuckle moments worth the agony. It easily remains one of my very favorite films I ever programmed for the Chicago Critics Film Festival and demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
Now that I’ve hyped it, you should just go and watch it before reading any further. Bdeir’s story focuses on Mohammad (Khansa), a Syrian refugee working on a construction site in Beirut. He lives in a small shelter with many other workers who take a van every morning to a site with the creakiest elevator, which takes them to whatever floor they work on that day. None of these men ever have a moment of privacy. They are constantly around each other, getting on each other’s nerves, and look at their job as a kind of curse. At one point, Mohammad learns the site has lost their sixth crane operator, and for good reason: It is the site’s most dangerous job. Mohammad sees it as an opportunity.
Why is the crane job so dangerous? It sits atop what will eventually be a skyscraper. Many believe that to be assigned that job is to receive a death sentence; Bdeir films it as such, keeping Mohammad in the shadows as he walks the corridors to his fate, then bathing him in unforgiving sunlight as he gets to the bridge that leads to the crane. Why would anyone want this particular job?
This is where I have to warn you that this is one of those terrifying movies that deals with heights. It’s a phobia of mine, and no matter how many times I see certain films, I become unnerved at what I’m watching and feeling. No matter how dumb the movie (“Fall”), no matter how funny (“Nirvana The Band The Show The Movie,” the “Moonlighting” pilot), no matter if I know everything will turn out okay (“Die Hard,” “The Walk” in IMAX 3-D… I could go on), any movie that deals with heights and ordinary people dealing with the danger atop tall buildings and structures, I freeze up. Or anyone just casually sitting on a high ledge (Emma Stone in “Birdman”). Stop! The tension turns me into a whimpering scaredy-cat. “Warsha” belongs on that list of films that do it the best.
There is another component to the film that I will leave for you to discover. Bdeir’s skillfully made short is a fine character study that, through Mohammad’s eyes, is almost wordless. We get expository dialogue about the crane from the men around him, but Bdeir keeps the camera focused on Mohammad’s face and Khansa’s eyes tell the story with captivating subtlety. We are drawn into his inner world without being fully let in until the very end.
Normally in this feature I have a Q&A with the director, but Bdeir has an extra treat in store for this film on its Vimeo page. Go into the audio settings, and you can hear Bdeir’s commentary track where she gets into the technical aspects of the film (you will wonder “how did they do this?”), the casting of Khansa and the film’s reception (questions I would normally ask here). Give it a listen if you want to learn more about this extraordinary movie.
- “Sterling Point” Might Be Your Next Messy Teen Drama Escape (August 4, 2026)
If you spent the last few vacation seasons immersed in “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” then the new Prime Video series “Sterling Point” might be your next watch. There’s the YA novel aura, magical island escapism, and an ensemble built on messed-up family dynamics and secrets the past generations try to keep hidden (but not well enough). You know, that kind of aesthetic. A world of pretty teens and new adults navigating complicated emotional terrain in the isolation of a very specific island subculture. It’s high school, but during break, so there are no classes or teachers in the way. And like “The Goonies,” the parents are only a suggestion.
The series follows Annie (Ella Rubin), raised in New York with her adoptive father and twin brother (Keen Ruffalo). When she inherits Sterling Point, a secluded Canadian island on Lake Muskoka, from their mysterious grandfather, she heads out for a gap summer to get to know herself better. On the island, she runs into Ramona (Amélie Hoeferle), who forces Annie to deal with a past she didn’t know existed.
(l-r) Annie Jacobson (Ella Rubin), Maple (Mabel Strachan), Oona (Bo Bragason), and Ramona (Amélie Hoeferle) in STERLING POINT. Photo Credit: Sabrina Lantos/Prime Video
There’s also a love triangle. Actually, double that: there’s the straight triangle and the queer one, which must be appreciated for the equal screen time. The first in this intersecting polygon of will-they-won’t-they love belongs to Annie, Ellis (Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie), and Rory (Daniel Quinn-Toye). These two dark-haired and earnest boys with opposing personalities create emotional tension throughout. For Ramona, there’s a crush, the wild child named Oona, and Oona’s parade of paramours. The ensemble is rounded out by Ruffalo, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jay Duplass, and Missi Pyle. My faves are Bo Bragason as Oona and Nikko Angelo Hinayo as Sully, who add the sparkle that pulls you into the show in their refusal to be the typical sidelined queer love interests or sidekicks.
What emerges is a story about familial ties, seeking identity, adoption, grief, and the question of nature versus nurture. That last is a theme co-showrunner, creator, and director Megan Park told Teen Vogue she’s been interested in exploring for a while. That and the authenticity of teen lives. Ultimately, “Sterling Point” questions the composition of family; are we bound by blood, love, or trust?
This marks Park’s first original series after her acclaimed films “The Fallout” and “My Old Ass,” and the bones of those predecessors are apparent here, but this series lands differently. It’s firmly a coming-of-age drama for teens, while the others, whether in comedy or tragedy, feel more aimed at adults. That might be due to an assist from “The O.C.” and “Gossip Girl” veterans Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage as executive producers.
There’s a frivolity to the characters without a true sense of charm that makes it hard to connect. The mysteries, while interesting and well developed, don’t have enough narrative pull. However, the drama builds nicely, the character arcs have real growth, and each episode gives you something to giggle about or gasp over. Frequently both, more than once. Oh, and there’s an atmospheric cover of “Teenage Dirtbag” that made me smile.
It’s a perfectly fine series full of moments that will likely be meme’d. If you like “The Summer I Turned Pretty” or “Outer Banks,” you might be ready to head out to “Sterling Point.”
Five episodes screened for review. Premieres August 5 on Prime Video.
- USA Network’s “Anna Pigeon” Is a Satisfying TV Throwback (August 3, 2026)
Come for the nature shots, stay for the compelling characters from Nevada Barr’s novels.
USA Network’s “Anna Pigeon” is filled with beautiful Montana vistas (even if shooting took place in neighboring Alberta, Canada) and golden-hour glows as it follows its titular park ranger. Played with charisma by Tracy Spiridakos, Anna Pigeon’s got a mystery to solve each week while delivering lines like “Littering is a gateway crime.”
Yes, this is a traditional show with pulpy intrigue, a little bit of sex, and some corny jokes thrown in for good measure. Like other TV series of yore, it centers a messy blonde with a diverse supporting cast. Of them, Paulina Jewel Alexis stands out as Ranger Zoey Bear Child, who views Anna as her mentor. Coming off the critically acclaimed “Reservation Dogs,” Alexis continues to bring warm humor and openness to her Indigenous identity. And “Anna Pigeon” does right by her, letting her wear her identity lightly but purposefully. She’s also free from the pressure of being the sole Native cast member, thanks to Crystle Lightning playing dispatcher Frieda Dierkz, who the costume department fits with spectacular spectacles.
These choices around Indigenous representation strike a strong note in a series that is primarily about white people and their preoccupations. At the center, of course, is Anna. She’s haunted by nightmares of the night her husband was murdered, even as she’s past the initial mourning period. No longer running from her New York life, she fields probing calls from her psychiatrist sister (Tricia Helfer) while finding a home and a lover (Cooper Levy) in Glacier National Park.
“Track of the Cat” — Tricia Helfer as Molly Pigeon in Anna Pigeon. Photo Credit: Michelle Faye/USA Network © VERSANT MEDIA 2025. All Rights Reserved
In the pilot, she declares herself “a cop,” explaining her particular brand of ranger and setting herself up to encounter and solve a variety of crimes. For all the show’s awareness of the need to portray Montana’s Native community, it can’t quite bring itself to imagine non-white femininity. This is a show with a fair amount of violence against women–as seen in the six episodes given to critics–but all of the murder victims are white women, despite Indigenous women experiencing much higher rates of violence.
Still, “Anna Pigeon’s” heart is in the right place. Here, the heroes are a diverse group of environmentalists, while the bad guy is greasy, greedy patriarch Jeremiah Paulson (a smarmy Kim Coates). He’s a nasty capitalist, the man who owns the most land in the state and inspires a variety of crimes Anna uncovers. If that matches your politics, then “Anna Pigeon” will be a guilt-free pleasure for you.
To the show’s credit, Jeremiah’s easy to root against, just as Anna is easy to root for. She’s a flawed woman who drinks too much and moves on instinct. But the show doesn’t judge her sleeping around or taking a circuitous path through grief. Instead, it lets her be messy in ways that only men usually get to be.
And because of that, “Anna Pigeon” doesn’t fall into the trap that so many of these shows do, of having the vanilla protagonist be the least interesting character of the ensemble. Instead, Spiridakos holds the eye whenever she’s on screen, her piercing blue eyes allowing humor and vulnerability even as she radiates strength. And the camera loves her, with the sun bouncing off her wavy locks and caressing the various scratches and bruises she gets along the way.
Some of the mysteries she uncovers are predictable, but in a comforting sort of way. This is a show that revels in traditional TV beats with their clear sense of right and wrong. The crimes are surprising enough to keep it interesting, even if the show can’t quite pull off its multi-episode arc, thanks to some nonsensical motivation and strange acting choices.
Which is to say, “Anna Pigeon” won’t leave you thinking, but it will leave you satisfied. It isn’t a challenging show–it works best if you don’t think too much about it. But it is a pleasant one.
Certainly, USA Network’s “Anna Pigeon” is an easy way to experience Montana’s natural beauty from your living room, while following a beautiful woman completing physical and mental feats to make her little corner of the world better. And that’s a satisfying way to spend an hour or so a week.
Six episodes screened for review. Premieres on USA Network on August 7, 2026.
- The Unloved, Part 152: The Milagro Beanfield War (August 3, 2026)
When Robert Redford passed, and I was asked to put together a tribute to this great man, it occurred to me that I was saying goodbye to someone, too. Someone who put his energy not into preserving the land or patronizing the arts or helping with political causes, but into his family. In his own way. Redford’s directorial career was less than respectable, on the whole, but he made a movie that spoke to a man who came from nothing and died away from the land on which he was raised, so far from whatever home might have been.
My grandfather died a few weeks ago. When I was small, I couldn’t imagine having a different relationship to him than the one I had, of course. He was our playmate, coordinator of our vacations, Santa Claus, our loudest supporter at little league sports; he believed in us. He did everything for us. That’s not the whole story, of course, and right around the time that I learned that this very generous man may have a darker side, he became my employer. I had a front row seat to the disorder I didn’t know had a name or a cause when I was younger. Just why was this man so angry?
He rarely took it out on my siblings, but certainly as we aged his disappointment at so many things became unavoidable, in his every sigh, in his response to every broken air conditioning unit or internet problem. After a while, the most jovial man I knew growing up seemed aware he’d been left behind by everything he thought he’d conquered. He wanted to be a big wheel, wherever he was, whatever he did. Unfortunately, he wasn’t born that way, and those of us who desire wealth above all will find a way to it, but once you get it, once you prove your past self wrong, what then?
I’m not sure my grandfather ever found out, as he never stopped trying to succeed, even though by most rubrics he had. Still, there was some awful poetic circuitousness to the miserable fact that when he passed, it was without his beloved wife by his side, without his friends, who he couldn’t see when he couldn’t walk to play golf or breathe in the heat of the summer, without the home he sold to afford palliative care, without much of anything. I thought about all of my memories with him, in the house that seemed so big to me as a child, watching the few VHS tapes he bought for us for nights we stayed with them while our parents were out or away.
He steered towards films about Spanish or Mexican people. He was born to abject poverty in the Southwest, and though he worked hard to rise above it and forget it, it always lived with him. For years he would tell me his favorite film was “The Milagro Beanfield War.” When I was a kid it sounded boring. When I was older, I couldn’t bring myself to watch something personal to him.
By then our relationship had changed. I knew too much about him. What if I saw the film and it didn’t reflect this man at all? What if it changed my estimation of him, after so many changes had already taken place over a long two decades from the time I sat in his office, doing the work of ten people as his business went under, learning to see his optimism as a hollow front for terror at his own powerlessness. This man thought he could reach the top of the world, but somewhere he still saw himself in the image of the dirt-poor farming community in Robert Redford’s charming character study, a gently socialist fable about direct political action. I saw everything good in him, and suddenly the year we spent watching him get sick and die hurt that much more.
He loved this movie because he wanted to love people, but he had a hard time extending the love he was denied to many other people. We got it, though. My siblings and I. The last thing he did for me was finance my next movie. He died before I could show it to him, but we did show him “The Milagro Beanfield War” one last time. I hope it made him feel less alone. I hope it meant something. Now I start a new chapter, with this movie and without him.
- Final 'Get Your Tickets' Trailer for 'The Dog Stars' with Jacob Elordi (August 4, 2026)
"It's no surprise how fast civilization can disappear." Ain't that the truth. Hitting theaters later this month! 20th Century has unveiled a new "Get Your Tickets" promo trailer for Ridley Scott's new post-apocalyptic thriller movie titled The Dog Stars, adapted from the book by Peter Heller. Opening in theaters worldwide in late August and it looks like it should be an entertaining experience. This is officially the fourth trailer for this film after the first trailer, second one, and post-apocalyptic third promo last month. Sparse survivors in the aftermath of a catastrophic pandemic traverse the ravaged wasteland landscape in hopes of finding the origin of a mysterious radio transmission - wanting more from their lives. Will they find someplace that isn't overrun with these freaky cannibal humans out to get them? Is there any safe haven or is it all just ravaged now? Jacob Elordi stars in this as Hig, a pilot flying his little yellow Cessna plane around. With Brolin as a tough ex-marine. They face invaders and the endless struggle of hope for a better life outside of their current existence in a tiny enclave. Starring Jacob Elordi as Hig, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, with Guy Pearce, Benedict Wong, and Allison Janney. I really hope this turned out good! I'm ready to watch it. // Continue Reading ›
- First Look Teaser for Takashi Miike's 'Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo' Movie (August 3, 2026)
"Witness the next chapter..." Neon has revealed a first look teaser trailer for the slick new Takashi Miike film - his new Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo movie. Yep! This is premiering at the 2026 Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) in September, and Neon already has their hands on it to release sometime after. Hopefully not too long after. It is the third installment in the Bad Lieutenant film series, and a standalone sequel to Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans from 2009. A gambling-addicted Tokyo cop and FBI agent search for a missing politician's daughter, while a mysterious killer lurks in the criminal underworld following their every move. The latest from prolific maestro Takashi Miike – TIFF describes the film as "a sensational ride through the darkest crevasses of the criminal underworld." Starring Lily James, Shun Oguri, and WWE wrestler Liv Morgan, with Shotaro Mamiya, Jun Kunimura, Hiroshi Tachi, and Nanase Nishino. Miike has been making series but is still on a roll churning out new films & series constantly every year. This is one seductive teaser packed with plenty of badass shots drenched in the neon lights of Tokyo. Bring it on. // Continue Reading ›
- Quick Trailer for 'Hit Point' Crime Thriller Series Set in West London (August 3, 2026)
"If we go down that path, it's a whole world of pain, brother." Studiocanal has revealed the official trailer for a crime thriller series titled Hit Point, arriving for streaming in the UK on U starting later this month. Two 30-something detectives, Leo and Bella, investigate a case leading them into West London's criminal underworld. As they seek answers, personal and professional boundaries fade amid twists and betrayals. From the creator of "Dirk Gently", "Vexed", "Misfits", this new series stars Nick Blood, Saffron Hocking, William Abadie, and Peter Serafinowicz. When a lion, a fox, and a jaguar (or is it a panther?), or rather three men in animal masks, intercept a Range Rover carrying 10 million pounds in cash, detectives Bella & Leo are called in. As they investigate, the romantic tension between them is palpable. The question is: do we actually want them to catch the criminals? All is not as it seems. Nick Blood plays Leo and Saffron Hocking (from "Top Boy", "The Devil's Hour", Hedda) plays Bella. It's a quick 40 second trailer with a few glimpses of footage, but I am sure it'll get the attention of some viewers interested in following these two detectives. // Continue Reading ›
- First Trailer for Korean Thriller 'Paradise Lost' About a Missing Child (August 3, 2026)
"You've had a miracle. The one I've always wished for." Uh oh, this sounds creepy. CJ Entertainment in Korea has unveiled the first look trailer for a new sci-fi thriller titled Paradise Lost, yet another new film out this year directed by prolific Korean genre filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho (of Colony, Train to Busan, Jung-E, Hellbound, Revelations, The Ugly). And yet another new film about creating lost children with AI! After the dismal Sheep in the Box this year, can we please put this premise to bed? A psychological thriller unfolds when a young boy, presumed dead in a school camping bus disappearance around 9 years ago, miraculously returns alive to his grieving mother, Ryu So-young. But she has already started using AR glasses to recreate her son to cope with his loss. "This shatters So-young's world once more — the real son is a cold stranger; the virtual son needs her more than ever." Paradise Lost stars Kim Hyun-joo & Bae Hyeon-seong. The film is premiering at TIFF 2026 this fall before hitting Korean cinemas in October. Some intriguing footage in here, almost hinting that it's better to have an AI kid than one who comes back from the dead. Very eerie. // Continue Reading ›
- Final Trailer for 'Star Wars: Visions - The Ninth Jedi' Spin-Off Series (August 3, 2026)
"Beyond light and dark lies a power never seen before." It's almost time! Disney+ & Lucasfilm revealed the second & final trailer for a spin-off anime series titled Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi. After the immense success and rave reviews for the short "The Ninth Jedi" seen in Volume 1 of Star Wars: Visions (and also the sequel in Volume 3), Disney commissioned them to make an entire spin-off series on the Jedi hero Kara. The next chapter in a story that continued with "The Ninth Jedi - Child of Hope" in Star Wars: Visions Volume 3, The Ninth Jedi special limited series will follow Kara's ongoing Jedi adventures in a galaxy far, far away. "Witness the Jedi in a new light." Lah Kara continues to train in the ways of the Jedi under Margrave Juro amid an epic journey of self-discovery as she and Juro’s small fellowship of Jedi-in-training embark on a quest to save her father. The original Japanese voice cast includes Chinatsu Akasaki (Lah Kara), Tetsuo Kanao (Juro), Hiromu Mineta (Ethan), Hinata Tadokoro (Homen), Shinichiro Miki (Lah Zhima), and Cho (Gramps). Akio Otsuka returns to voice The Narrator. There's also an English dub version coming to D+, but I always prefer to watch it in the original version. A silver lightsaber! Radical. // Continue Reading ›
