- “The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek” is a Serviceably Grim Nordic Noir Thriller (May 4, 2026)
No one does a dark and grisly murder like the Scandinavians. The steadily rising popularity of Nordic noir is testament enough to this fact, as viewers of all stripes continue to embrace the twisty, chilly sub-genre, known for its flawed protagonists, moody visuals, bleak subject matter, and slow-burn approach to storytelling. Usually quite a bit darker than your average crime thriller, these stories often feature familiar plot beats garnished with unflinching violence and complex supporting characters. Netflix’s “The Chestnut Man” is one of the better recent examples of this phenomenon, a Danish thriller from 2021 that follows the investigation into a string of serial murders, all marked by the inclusion of a disturbing chestnut figurine alongside various mutilated dead bodies.
Now, five years later, Netflix is returning to the Nordic noir well with “The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek”. A standalone sequel that’s based on another book by author Søren Sveistrup, who is probably best known as the creator of the internationally acclaimed drama “The Killing,” it’s a follow-up that ticks many of the same narrative boxes that made its predecessor so successful, and even cribs its name for some added brand awareness. Technically, viewers don’t even need to have seen the original to enjoy this installment. (Though, of course, it’s nice if you have.)
Kastjanemanden. (L to R) Danica Curcic as Naia Thulin, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard as Mark Hess in Kastanjemanden. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024
The six-episode sequel re-teams the unorthodox pair of seasoned Copenhagen detective Naia Thulin (Danica Curcic) and Europol interloper Mark Hess (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) for a completely new investigation. The pair’s pre-existing emotional connection is the show’s only real link to its predecessor, but “Hide and Seek” adds some new context by confirming that the two attempted a romantic relationship in the unseen multi-year gap between the two seasons, and their subsequent (also offscreen) break-up has left plenty of unresolved tension between them.
“Hide and Seek” begins in 1992, as a brief prologue follows a busload of schoolchildren on a nature field trip who discover a dead body in the marshlands. The show is not subtle at all about the fact that this case will somehow play into the season’s larger mystery; the first of several formulaic elements pops up throughout its episodes. In present-day Copenhagen, Thulin and Hess are thrown back together to solve a case involving a woman named Zara Solack (Elisha Lack) who is found murdered after being stalked and harassed by a mysterious figure who sent her creepy texts containing lyrics from a nursery rhyme-esque song about counting, with some grossly misogynistic bits thrown in for good measure. But when it turns out that Zara isn’t the only person who has received such texts, Thulin and Hess will have to find a way to work together again to find and thwart a killer.
Elsewhere, grieving mother Marie Holst (Sofie Gråbøl) is still struggling to come to terms with the loss of her daughter, Emma, more than two years after her disappearance and death. Determined to get justice for her murder, she’s still digging into the past: Going through Emma’s laptop, reconnecting with her friends, and grilling an ex for any details her daughter might have kept from her back then about her personal life. No one who has seen the original “The Chestnut Man” (or pretty much any related show in this genre) will be surprised when evidence ultimately suggests Emma’s cold case and the ongoing present-day murders are connected in some way, but creators Dorte W. Høgh and Emilie Lebech Kaae manage to weave the two seemingly disparate plots together in a surprisingly satisfying way. (And that’s much less clunky than the series’s later callbacks to its opening murder.)
[Show Name]. (L to R) [Actor] as [Character], [Actor] as [Character] in [Show Name]. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024
As a framing device, the obnoxious counting rhyme doesn’t offer quite as compelling or creepy a hook as the disturbing chestnut figurines that littered the show’s first season. (Whether this is because the song is intangible or really just kind of bad is a judgment best left to the viewer’s discretion.) Nothing about “Hide and Seek’s” central mystery feels particularly groundbreaking in its delivery or story, and there are moments when its slow-burn narrative style can feel especially ponderous. But for those who enjoy the Nordic noir genre’s familiar themes and plot beats, this is a strong example of many of its strengths.
The series is incredibly atmospheric, boasting moody visuals, muted colors, and a generally claustrophobic feel. It’s definitely not a drama for the faint of heart — there’s lots of violence, death, and some fairly grisly kills — but it’s tense and tastefully shot. It wrestles with frequently difficult subject matter without sensationalizing its worst elements. And there are several major surprises, including a dramatic mid-season twist that completely reshapes much of the story in unexpected ways, and a final reveal that is less overtly telegraphed than the conclusion of its predecessor.
Thulin and Hess’s partnership remains compelling despite their interpersonal problems, and the chemistry between Curcic and Følsgaard powers much of the season’s first episodes, particularly as the still-disparate pieces of the show’s larger mystery come into focus around them. Fans who watched the original “The Chestnut Man” may find themselves annoyed that the franchise essentially skipped over the primary beats of the pair’s romantic relationship, but their unresolved personal issues loom large over much of their investigation.
Kastjanemanden. (L to R) Danica Curcic as Naia Thulin in Kastanjemanden. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024
Curcic makes for a smart and capable lead, but Følsgaard gets stuck with the decidedly unenviable job of trying to make Hess’s commitment issues seem interesting, a task at which he does not always succeed. (Hess apparently just left the country and ghosted Naia after dating for six months? Boo this man.) Among the supporting cast, Gråbøl is a standout as the grieving Marie, torn between her desire for justice and her need to be present for her surviving children. Ester Birch is also excellent as Thulin’s now considerably older daughter, Le, who is resentful about Hess’s abandonment of her and her mother.
At the end of the day, “The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek” isn’t exactly a series that’s reinventing the wheel in the world of crime dramas. But, in many ways, its formulaic nature is part of its appeal, and its solid execution makes for an enjoyable enough ride. (Once you get the counting rhyme out of your head, at least.)
All six episodes screened for review. Premieres May 7 on Netflix.
- The Unloved, Part 149: Oh… Rosalinda!! (May 1, 2026)
Not even Martin Scorsese loves “Oh… Rosalinda!!” That’s the territory we’re treading with this month’s Unloved. I’ve heard arguments that all of Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger’s ’50s work lacks the charm that made them beloved figures of then-contemporary cinema and cult figures in the decades that followed, but I’ve never believed it.
Like George A. Romero before me, I see the later works of The Archers, for that was how they were known collectively, as being dabbed with a cologne of their distilled essence. So light, so sweet, so breathtakingly singular in its loveliness. Say what thou wilt about Rosalinda, but no one else on earth could have made it, and though there’s nothing critics love more than putting a new comedy right back in the box for store credit, I find all of the late Powell movies terrific (well… maybe not his Australian movies).
The peculiarity begins with its title, though it was also known by the name of the comic opera on which it’s based, Die Fledermaus, no help from obscurity. Two different sets of punctuation is a great way to make sure no one bothers learning the proper order of them, or indeed how best to pronounce the title.
David Cairns, friend and hero: “A ballet/operetta movie based on “Die Fledermaus” but updated to four powers Vienna, with the Bat, played by Anton Walbrook, functioning as a black marketeer and general fixer — a singing Harry Lime, if you will — this movie could actually qualify as the weirdest thing the Archers ever attempted. And it’s generally regarded as a complete failure…. “
Here he describes seeing the film in the company of editor Thelma Schoonmaker, the late Powell’s husband, and cinematographer Christopher Challis:
“Thelma took the stage and told us that when Scorsese and Powell first started spending time together, Scorsese would look through Powell’s collection of memorabilia, and every now and then would find a lobby card or image from “Oh… Rosalinda!!” Anton Walbrook dressed as a bat… “‘What’s this?’ he’d ask, and Michael would look abashed and hide the image and say, ‘Oh, nothing, nothing…’”
Not even the Archers themselves seemed to have been proud of it, but as David points out the film is part of a trilogy of whizzbang theatrical pictures, in which opera and reality fuse like watercolors on canvas. “Rosalinda” may be the featherweight, “Hoffmann” the heavy, and both sit on the fulcrum that is “The Red Shoes,” about which it could be said is the greatest movie of all time without ruffling too many feathers, but to be in that company is no joke. Every time I watch “Rosalinda,” I expect to see it fizzle the way so many before me have, but I’m riveted each time. Do with that what thou wilt.
- You Can’t Stay Here: Adam Scott and Damian McCarthy on “Hokum” (May 1, 2026)
Damian McCarthy’s “Hokum,” a wonderfully well-crafted work of Irish folk horror, is a genre film in an almost classical sense. Much like his petrifying prior features, “Oddity” and “Caveat,” it’s built around a confined, potentially haunted setting, a central mystery that carries deeper personal pain, and a determined yet troubled character trying to piece it all together.
The only difference this time around? McCarthy has turned to an American actor, Adam Scott, to lead his film. Playing a writer, Ohm Bauman, who is living, writing, and drinking existence away in a small rainy town in Washington state, before he finds himself drawn to a remote area a world away in Ireland, in order to scatter the ashes of his late parents, Scott fits right into McCarthy’s horror sensibility even as his character remains continually out of his depth. As Ohm makes his way through a hell both personal and paranormal, he begins seeing a nightmarish children’s television character, Jack, on the TV in the honeymoon suite he finds himself trapped in, just as there is a witch that may be coming for him from the dark depths below the isolated hotel itself.
McCarthy and Scott spoke with RogerEbert.com about finding horror and dark humor in their film, crafting the many haunting visual and auditory nightmares, the central existential challenge about finding a meaningful end to what could otherwise be a bleakly macabre story, and more.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
I’m from Washington state, and there is a line in this film where I believe it says that this character is from “Pullman City, Washington.” Damian, was that Washington state?
McCarthy: Yeah, that’s Pullman in Washington. So 20 years ago, I went to a Weezer concert there. I spent the summer in New York. You get a three-month visa or whatever it is, so at two and a half months, I think I had two weeks left. I had some cousins out in Seattle, so my friends and I said, “We can either take what little money we have left and fly home, or else go to Seattle to see Weezer, cause they were playing in Pullman in Washington.” And yeah, it was a little nod to that.
So really, we have Weezer to thank for this film, if you think about it.
McCarthy: Yeah [laughs].
This is your first film of an American character coming to Ireland, a place that’s obviously significant to their family. I’m curious, Damian, how was it that you approached that?
McCarthy: For me, it was just wanting to start to blend movies that I grew up watching. I loved American cinema but still wanted to tell my stories in Ireland. So I felt like this was the start of that, being able to work with American actors that I actually really admired, but being able to shoot at home with my crew in places I’m familiar with, and to marry those two things a little bit. It was also just so they’d feel like that outsider. That kind of “An American Werewolf in London” type thing, you know? They’ve come here, and everybody seems to know the score and know what’s going on, but this guy is not one of the locals. That was the start of it.
Adam, what was it like for you to strike a balance between your character’s attempts to connect and his tendency to hold things at a distance, given the skepticism he brings to it?
Scott: That’s something that came somewhat naturally because I was in West Cork, Ireland, a place I’d never been, and I didn’t know anyone. Everyone was unbelievably friendly, but I didn’t know anyone on the crew, the cast, or anything. Everything was foreign to me, and so being a stranger in a strange land came somewhat naturally. And he, being a skeptic, I’m a skeptic. I don’t believe in ghosts or anything like that, so there were certain things about the character and how he was reacting to some of these ideas and situations that line up, at least somewhat, with how I would react.
I also feel like this character doesn’t believe in the living either.
Scott: Yeah, yeah.
Hokum (NEON)
Damien, this character is really struggling. What was your process of finding the withering humor of that, which then goes hand-in-hand with the haunting horror pieces?
McCarthy: Yeah, the first act was almost about setting up this character to be so unlikable that the audience will hopefully engage with him so that they get to see him punished. They go, “Oh, I can’t wait to see this guy get what’s coming to him.” Then, as they get to know him, they get to see that there is a little bit more going on than just him being cruel. Then you hope that they’ll change and stay engaged and go, “Oh, well, now I’m with him because I think he’s suffered enough and I’d like to see him get out of this.”
A lot of the comedy, I never tried to be intentionally funny. It’s just that there is something about the characters talking to each other, a turn of phrase, and the way they dismiss each other. In the dialogue and how the characters react, and just in the fact that the film knows it’s a horror movie and it knows it’s trying to scare you, you get both the laughter in the way the wonderful actors I have perform and feed off each other, and then also that nervous laughter when it’s just Adam alone being tortured over this whole night. Trying to escape and frustratingly failing and then coming back and trying something else and getting even more scared, there’s a lot of dark comedy in that.
Adam, where do you see comedy and horror intersecting? You’re no stranger to both (you got your start in horror), and I feel like those emotional registers are not dissimilar.
Scott: Yeah, I feel like with comedy and with horror, in particular, they do have some crossover. Because, ultimately, what you’re seeking from the audience is an involuntary response. You can fake laugh, we all do that, you can pretend to be scared, but you know when you’re actually laughing, you know when you’re frightened. There’s nothing you can do to control either of those things. It’s about the tension leading up to a joke or to a scare. It’s about the atmosphere and all that stuff you’re trying to maintain. I’ve always found those two to have certain commonalities.
Speaking of tension, Damian, your first feature, “Caveat,” was set in a small, remote, confined place, and your next, “Oddity,” was a little bigger but still confined. Now this is much more expansive, but then it ends up getting even more into those confined spaces. How did you find this specific hotel? Was it actually multiple hotels through movie magic, and then they decided to send Adam up before he descended into hell?
McCarthy: We looked for a real hotel to shoot in around West Cork, but nothing would have been practical to film in. It was too small or too inaccessible, or strange. So this became a mix. There was a private residence we found, just a beautiful location with the carpentry and the stonework and everything, where we added a little bit of production design and art direction for that to be our hotel for certain rooms (the lobby, for example). Then it became building everything else, the honeymoon suite, the elevator, and some of the hallways. That was a big part of it, which we built in the West Cork studio. Then, for the basement, that was a beautiful castle that’s in West Cork. We shot on the ground floor of that, which is quite dark and not the prettiest part of that castle, but it worked great for us because the environment felt real.
You again worked with your cinematographer on “Oddity,” Colm Hogan. How was it that you again captured scenes that are always submerged in this darkness, but still something we can very much viscerally see and feel, too?
McCarthy: It is just about focusing the eye. If we say in “Hokum,” for example, if Adam is there in the shot, I want all eyes on him. I want that whole frame to look lovely, but then it’s all of that darkness around him, that’s where the horror comes in. It’s in all that darkness that the audience uses their imagination to fill in what could be there. Are they seeing things? Because, yeah, I’ve worked with the same cinematographer twice now, and we’ve tried to build on that ghost story type feel to it.
Hokum (NEON)
I know you’d seen “Oddity,” Adam. But did you have an idea of what this would be going into it?
Scott: Not really at all. I loved “Oddity” and was already excited to work with Damian when I read the script. Then I found the character super interesting and loved the story. But as far as being involved in pre-production or anything like that, I wasn’t involved until I showed up, probably a week before we started shooting. I just started trying on wardrobe and getting going on.
How did you settle on his wardrobe, and specifically, his glasses?
McCarthy: For me, it was just the idea that he’s a writer. It’s just that look, and it’s something that I thought would look interesting. Then it allowed us to play with reflections in the glasses with what he’s looking at. I’m really glad that we did it because I think even with scenes, for example, when Adam’s character is watching Jack on the TV, it’s such a disturbing image. He’s laying out everything that he’s done, and he’s punishing him. But when you look at the glasses, all that’s just in that little frame is just static. That is then a nice little tipoff to, is this just in his head?
Scott: And the jacket was something that was an idea of our costume designer, Lara [Campbell]. It struck a chord with me because it’s kind of a detective story at the end of the day, and that jacket was really evocative of an old-fashioned detective story or movie. That was a little nod when we chose that, or at least it was for me.
McCarthy: Yeah, when we first talked about it, the mystery and the detective side of it, Adam brought to my attention. I was like, “Oh no, yeah, there is that mystery to it.” That raincoat, that whole “Angel Heart” kind of feel to it, we talked about day one. But sometimes you write these things, and you’re not even aware of it.
Scott: Yeah, that billowing raincoat on the poster for “Angel Heart” as Mickey Rourke is running, it’s really cool.
Hokum (NEON)
When you mentioned the reflection of the TV, was there a children’s television show that scared you growing up, or something you were drawing from there? Because it’s a very striking image. McCarthy: It is. I’m sure when I was writing, I went down some rabbit hole on YouTube. You see these lists, “Top 10 Most Disturbing Kids TV Shows From The 1960s,” or whatever it is, and some of them are really freaky. You go, “Did kids ever really find this entertaining?” Then it made me think of what I would’ve watched when I was small, like claymation or some kind of freaky, strange puppets or whatever it would be. It was just about leaning into that because this character’s whole life was ruined by what happened as a child, and it’s something that’s still haunting him. I just thought it was a nice way to bring it back once he’s up in that honeymoon suite.
Adam, where do you then go to find some of that painful emotional history this character has? Especially when we’re fully confronted, like in the TV scene, with what happened.
Scott: It’s all there in the script. At least for me, when I’m initially going through something and figuring out what this beat is or what this one is, the thing I’m always looking for is the direct line to me and my experiences. So sometimes you know exactly what something is and exactly what a feeling is. Sometimes it’s not something you’ve experienced or have a direct personal reference to, and you have to find it. It’s a matter of just rooting around, and if it turns out you don’t have any reference, you have to either make one up or find someone who has one and talk to them. All of that stuff is part of the fun for me. Before I even get there, I try to get all of that stuff sorted.
In terms of a central throughline, I wanted to ask you about the framing story, the story within this story, Damian. The film becomes about trying to find an ending for yourself, for your own life, after what seems like the unimaginable, of being stranded in a desert with no way out. How was it that you were thinking about that through this journey? Did you always know your own ending within that?
McCarthy: Those bookends with that conquistador, that idea has been floating around in my head for years and years. When I started working on “Hokum,” because he’s a writer, it felt like a nice opportunity. What if we could see a change in this character, that he’s in a more positive mindset, that it’s not so bleak? It just felt like a nice way to use that idea to highlight the change in him. I know myself, in earlier drafts of the script, that those original scripts were a lot less entertaining, or they were certainly heavier. I think there was more violence, and it ended very bleakly, certainly not the way it ends now. There was a lot less hope in it. I think my mood was improving as I wrote it, and it was starting to come through in the script as well.
That was my goal for the script by the time I got to the end. It was just that there was a bit more hope in the story because there is so much heaviness in it, and it is quite scary and frightening, and all these things. A lot of people are going to see the movie, hopefully, and it’s nice to put them through it, like the character, really have it scary, intense, and all that, but have them come out the other side and go, “Yeah, that was worth it.”
Adam, what was your experience of navigating your character’s relationship to hope?
Scott: I don’t think there is anything in Ohm’s life that he feels he deserves. I don’t think he feels he deserves any kind of happiness. I think a key component of that is his bleak outlook and how he feels he’s been wronged. He’s at this place where he’s ready to completely give up, but he’s also not taking responsibility for it. In order to let yourself off the hook, you first have to take responsibility, and he’s not ready to do any of that. He just escapes into these stories that he writes rather than really delving into what’s going on in his own life.
Hokum (NEON)
Later in the film, when Ohm reaches a transformative point, the fire alarm echoes through the underground, becoming an almost wailing sound. Damian, what was the process like of working with the sound team on that?
McCarthy: I think it was even in the script. I liked the idea of the bell box, or the battery pack, of the alarm, that it’s melting. That it’s starting to go from just that there is a fire in the building to you having this warning sound turning into something very much more ghostly. It was again trying to lean back into that ghost story sound of it. Our sound designer is Steve Fanagan, and he’s a very talented, really great guy. He was kind of saying, “Well, there’s so much Irish folklore, with the witch, and you’re shooting this in a castle, what if it was like the banshee? Are all these characters about to potentially die? Does it go from this alarm to this wailing sound? That something is coming to get them?” It’s always just trying to make it as creepy as possible, and a lot of that is sound design. It’s like 60 to 70 percent of whether or not the film is gonna be scary.
It can’t just be what you’re seeing; there has to be a second layer to it.
McCarthy: Yeah, that was it. I just thought it was a nice idea, that alarm dying, but then it becomes more ghostly. It’s kind of spooky.
What was the experience like for you, Adam, of shooting that sequence?
Scott: That was fun. It was like the end of the shoot; that was one of the last things we shot. The fire, that was an intense thing to shoot. I’d never really done that before, where you’re shooting in actual fire. I would imagine some of it was augmented, but a lot of that fire was there on the day. Maybe it wasn’t augmented at all; we were surrounded by real flames. It was really intense and really fun. But it was also at the very end. We’d all been on this journey together, and we were all tired, just like the characters are, seeing the end in the distance.
Without giving away the context, I wanted to ask about the line “You can’t stay here,” as I found it had a profound emotional resonance and a deep impact depending on who is saying it and to whom. Damian, when did you arrive at that, and what did it ultimately mean to you?
McCarthy: The film is about a character who is trying to change. He’s quite hard on himself and on everybody else around him. I guess the whole thing comes down to mindset. You can’t stay here; you do have to participate in your own rescue, try to change the way you’re thinking, and get out of this serious, dark place that he’s in. There’s that, that’s all the internal stuff, but then there’s the literal horror sense of it. There are demons and witches, and the building is on fire. You can’t stay here, either.
Given where you’re going next, I imagine you want to stay in Ireland and continue exploring different haunted spaces. Is there anything you’re currently thinking about for that next stage, and would it potentially include Adam?
McCarthy: I definitely want to stay and make horror films. It’s something I love, and the more you make, one hopes, that you’re getting better at it. Even when you hear the audience screaming and laughing, you go, “Okay, they’re all screaming, and they’re gasping, but, if I were to do this again, I know how to make this even worse by adding just this little thing.” And, of course, I had an amazing experience with Adam. I was just so grateful for all his work on this, what he brought to it, and even just how supportive he was of the other cast members. It was a lovely feeling being in the woods, hearing the cast encourage and compliment each other. I thought that was really lovely, really great. Certainly, it would be wonderful to experience it all again.
“Hokum” opens in U.S. theaters May 1, via Neon.
- Home Entertainment Guide April 2026: Send Help, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Highest 2 Lowest, More (April 30, 2026)
10 NEW TO NETFLIX
“Beast““Benedetta““Bugonia““The End of the Tour““First Reformed““HIM““Krisha““Mass““Pig““Sing Street“
12 NEW TO BLU-RAY/DVD
“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple“
It’s legitimately hard to believe this played in multiplexes across the country. Sure, last year’s “28 Years Later” was legitimately intense, but this follow-up from Nia DaCosta is even more unhinged in consistently mesmerizing ways. A study of the evil of which men are capable, it continues the story of the last film in a way that unpacks religion, philosophy, and resilience while remaining continuously unpredictable. Ralph Fiennes gives maybe the most fearless performance of the year to date in a movie that’s almost hard to put into words. It kinda bombed, but history won’t remember that, especially if Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are allowed to return and close this trilogy out the way they should.
Special Features
Audio Commentary with Director Nia DaCosta
Behind The Scenes: New Blood, The Doctor and the Devil, Beneath the Rage
Deleted Scene
“Die My Love“
History will regard the snub of Jennifer Lawrence for an Oscar nomination for her fearless work in this Lynne Ramsay drama as one of the most egregious oversights of the era. Lawrence is incredible as a young mother losing her grip on reality. Co-starring Robert Pattinson, Nick Nolte, and Sissy Spacek, Ramsay’s film doesn’t seek to capture post-partum depression and manic disorder as much as make you feel like you’re going through the same. It is disjointed in a manner that’s gut-churning, all of it driven by Lawrence’s organic, passionate work. It’s nice to see a streaming service like MUBI take the time to release their films on physical media, but a single special feature would have been nice. Maybe they’re prepping a Criterion edition?
“The Eye” (Arrow)
The breakthrough international hit by the Pang brothers, this 2002 Hong Kong film rode the wave of Asian horror hits from the era like “Ringu,” “Pulse,” and “A Tale of Two Sisters.” Its legacy was slightly degraded by the truly awful 2008 Jessica Alba remake and mediocre sequels directed by the Pangs, but the original is still a banger, and it got the Arrow treatment this month with a new transfer and great new special features, including a visual essay by the brilliant Heather Wixson. The plot is wonderfully simple: A blind violinist receives a cornea transplant, and starts to see things that no one else can see. It’s a haunting piece of work that’s held up better than a lot of films from its era.
Special Features
Reflections on The Eye, a brand new interview with producer Peter Ho-Sun Chan
To See and to Feel: Vision, Empathy and the Feminine Ghost Story in The Eye, a brand new visual essay on the film by critic and horror specialist Heather Wixson
An archival making-of featurette with interviews with producers Peter Ho-Sun Chan and Lawrence Cheng and actors Angelica Lee and Lawrence Chou
An archival featurette on directors Danny and Oxide Pang
Original theatrical trailers
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by film critic and Asian cinema specialist Hayley Scanlon
“Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die“
The brilliant director of “Rango” and “A Cure for Wellness” finally returned in early 2026 with this clever sci-fi movie about a man (Sam Rockwell) who travels back in time to stop the A.I. apocalypse (timely!). Matthew Robinson’s script then branches off to introduce viewers to the people who will help this new John Connor, and reveals how much their lives have been impacted by dangerously developed technology, including characters played by Haley Lu Richardseon, Michael Pena, Zazie Beetz, and Juno Temple. It kinda bombed in theaters back in February; give it a chance on streaming or social media.
Special Features
The Making of Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die – Featurette
“Great Absence“
Kei Chikaura’s personal and moving drama from 2023 has finally received a stateside physical release from Vinegar Syndrome with an essay by yours truly! This nuanced character study tells the tale of a filmmaker who is forced to reconcile with his estranged father after the latter is diagnosed with dementia. Secrets about his family’s past emerge through a mystery surrounding a missing woman. Delicate and subtle, this is a great drama.
Special Features
Interview with director Kei Chikaura
Behind-the-scenes footage
16-page booklet with essay by film critic Brian Tallerico
“Greenland 2: Migration“
2020’s “Greenland” was a surprising success, a film that avoided the traps of the disaster genre by focusing on its characters, and allowing Gerard Butler to give one of his best performances. Sadly, the sequel dives right into most of those traps, avoiding actual character work for poorly devised set pieces. It’s best to forget this flop exists, but Butler-heads out there may want to know for their collection. Consider yourself informed.
Special Features
Rebuilding: Ric Roman Waugh
Pushing Forward: Gerard Butler
Heart and Soul: Morena Baccarin
What We Leave Behind: Roman Griffin Davis
Theatrical Trailer
“Highest 2 Lowest“
Spike Lee’s remix of Akira Kurosawa’s “High and Low” is one of my favorite movies of 2025, a film that seems like it was widely misunderstood by its detractors, and one that reminds us how good Denzel Washington can be when he works with Lee. In their fifth collaboration, Washington plays a wealthy music exec who believes his son has been kidnapped, only to learn that the kidnappers grabbed his driver and friend’s son instead. Washington, Jeffrey Wright, and ASAP Rocky are all fantastic, but it’s the playfulness of Lee’s direction that I love, especially the reading that this film is about his own creative passion. Notice how the filmmaking style changes when the film’s protagonist goes from his Ivory Tower to the streets below, an almost biographical commentary on how Lee gets his drive from the city he loves more than any modern filmmaker. It’s also worth noting that this is an Apple TV film that’s escaped streaming to get a physical release from A24. Pick it up on their website.
Special Features
“King’s Ransom: Making Highest 2 Lowest” Featurette
“Legends Only” Discussion with Spike Lee and Denzel Washington
Aiyana-Lee “Highest 2 Lowest” Music Video Directed by Spike Lee
Set of Six Collectible Postcards
“Innerspace” (Arrow)
One of my favorite directors of his generation, Joe Dante, has been getting more and more of his deserved flowers with every passing year. Whether it’s the remake of “The Burbs” or the near-constant rotation of “Gremlins” in the pop culture sphere, Dante’s brand of B-movie brilliance has been underrated in its influence. And now the time has come to reappreciate his 1987 sci-fi comedy starring Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, and Meg Ryan. Quaid plays Lt. Tuck Pendleton, an aviator who ends up shrunk down and inside the body of poor Short in this remarkable variation on “Fantastic Voyage.” Short’s gift for physical comedy holds the film together, but what’s most notable here is the boatload of special features accompanying this new 4K restoration, including a new commentary, archival one with Dante, new documentaries, and never-before-seen featurettes. It’s one of the best Arrow drops of the year.
Special Features
NEW 4K RESTORATION
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Newly restored original lossless 2.0 stereo, original 70mm 6-track mix in DTS-HD MA 4.1 surround and newly remixed Dolby Atmos audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary by film critic Drew McWeeny
Archive audio commentary with director Joe Dante, producer Michael Finnell, visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren and actors Kevin McCarthy and Robert Picardo
Shrinkage: The Making of Innerspace, a brand new hour-long documentary featuring newly filmed interviews with director Joe Dante, producer Michael Finnell, visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren, visual effects artists Harley Jessup and Bill George and actor Robert Picardo
Behind the Scenes with Joe Dante, previously unseen video footage shot during the production of Innerspace
Behind the Scenes at ILM, previously unseen footage shot by visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren during production
Original storyboards
Continuity and Behind the Scenes Polaroids
Production stills gallery
Posters and Promo stills gallery
Theatrical trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Doug John Miller
Double-sided fold-out poster featuring two original artwork options
Collectors’ perfect-bound booklet featuring new writing by film critics Charlie Brigden, Michael Doyle, Josh Nelson, Jessica Scott and Andrea Subissati, a short guide to Joe Dante’s stock company by Scott Saslow, plus the original exhibitors pamphlet
“Marty Supreme“
What more could possibly be said about Josh Safdie’s fantastic drama, a film that went through the spin cycle of awards season from darling to villain? Losing every single Oscar category in which it was nominated probably actually did the film a favor in that it can be reappreciated and resurrected freed from all that nonsense. I stand by my 4-star review of the film linked above, and admire A24’s exclusive release of the flick on physical media with a commentary, featurette, and even physical postcards. Send one to a hater.
Special Features
Director Commentary with Josh Safdie
“Dream Big: Making Marty Supreme” Featurette
Timothée Chalamet & Gwyneth Paltrow Camera Test with Commentary by Josh Safdie
Set of Six Collectible Postcards with behind-the-scenes photography by Atsushi Nishijima
“Monty Python’s The Life of Brian” (Criterion)
It’s funny to think there was a time when a comedy troupe consisted of some of the biggest stars in the world. People don’t realize the heights that Monty Python reached. This 1979 film was the 4th highest grossing movie in the U.K. that year and the highest-grossing from that country in the U.S. It is regularly on lists of the best comedies of all time, and Criterion has now upgraded their original DVD edition, which was out of print to a 4K version with a restoration overseen by Terry Gilliam. The release also includes the original audio commentaries, a making-of doc from 2007, one from 1979, and much more. It’s one of the densest releases of the year when it comes to special features.
Special Features
New 4K digital restoration, supervised by Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
Alternate 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the special features
Two audio commentaries featuring Pythons Gilliam, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin
The Story of Brian (2007), a making-of documentary
The Pythons (1979), a documentary about Monty Python filmed on location for Life of Brian
Behind-the-scenes Super 8 film shot by Palin
Five deleted scenes with commentary by the Pythons
Original British radio ads starring Mrs. Cleese, Mrs. Gilliam, Mrs. Idle, and Palin’s dentist
Original illustrated recording by the Pythons of an early version of their screenplay
Animated stills gallery
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by film critic Bilge Ebiri
“Point Blank” (Criterion)
Lee Marvin gives one of the most memorable performances of his career in this John Boorman adaptation of the novel The Hunter by Donald E. Westlake. Relatively underappreciated in its time, it’s a movie that historians and critics have consistently returned to, and it was even inducted into the National Film Registry in 2016. This month, Criterion dropped a 4K restoration overseen by Boorman, and included an incredible commentary in which he is joined by Steven Soderbergh. There are also new features, including an interview with the genius Mark Harris, reflections on the film by Jim Jarmusch, and much more. This one is a must-own.
Special Features
New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director John Boorman, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
Audio commentary featuring Boorman and filmmaker Steven Soderbergh
Interview with Boorman conducted by author Geoff Dyer
New interview with critic Mark Harris
New reflections on Point Blank by filmmaker Jim Jarmusch
New program on the midcentury Los Angeles architecture featured in the film, with historian Alison Martino
The Rock (1967), a short documentary on Alcatraz and the making of the film
Interview with Marvin from a 1970 episode of The Dick Cavett Show
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by Dyer
“Send Help“
Sam Raimi, don’t stay away so long next time. The inventive director of “Evil Dead” and “Drag Me to Hell” returned to genre filmmaking this year with one of 2025’s best, a rollicking thriller about a woman (Rachel McAdams) stuck on a deserted isle after crashing there with her awful boss (Dylan O’Brien). More than just a traditional survival thriller, it hums with Raimi’s visual ingenuity and twisted sense of humor. It helps that McAdams and O’Brien are on Raimi’s wavelength, reminding viewers how much fun a blockbuster can be. This one did very well with critics and viewers. Watch it again.
Special Features
Audio Commentary: Watch the film with audio commentary by director Sam Raimi and producer Zainab Azizi
Featurettes:
Constructing the Boar Hunt — Sam Raimi offers a deep dive into the creation of SEND HELP’s epic boar hunt scene and the intensive creative process that amplifies the scene’s visceral impact.
From the Office to the Island — Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien detail their transformative filming experience, moving from controlled studios to open beaches. Discover how this shift in environment influenced the development of their characters and the overall production process.
Becoming Linda Liddle — Rachel McAdams, along with the costume and makeup designers, describes the unique journey of creating Linda Liddle’s unpolished office appearance and developing her striking, unpredictable survivalist transformation.
Survival Instinct — Follow Rachel McAdams as she learns the fundamentals of surviving in the wild with the help of Survivalist Expert Ky Furneaux.
SOS: Sounds of Survival — Danny Elfman details his creative process and collaboration with Sam Raimi to write a score that elevates the emotional and atmospheric landscape of SEND HELP.
Bloopers: Check out hilarious outtakes from the making of the movie.
Deleted & Extended Scenes
- An Invitation to a Film Party: The 13th Annual Chicago Critics Film Festival (April 29, 2026)
The 13th Annual Chicago Critics Film Festival, an event for which I am the co-producer and several other RogerEbert.com contributors are programmers, launches this week at the Music Box Theatre, where over two dozen Chicago premieres will unfold to the biggest audiences the festival has seen to date.
As headlines screech about the divide between critics and moviegoers, CCFF serves as a counterargument, bringing together people who write about movies, those who make them, and those who love them. In just the last few years, CCFF ticket buyers have been treated to the Chicago premieres of “Ghostlight,” “I Saw the TV Glow,” “Sing Sing,” “Past Lives,” “Sorry, Baby,” “Benediction,” “Twinless,” “A Little Prayer,” and so many more.
This year’s crop promises a diverse range of screenings, from the sold-out opening-night comedy “The Invite” by Olivia Wilde to the return of an iconic Chicago filmmaker on closing night with “The Sun Never Sets” by Joe Swanberg. In between, Dawn Porter (“When a Witness Recants”), Zach Schnitzer & Nate Simon (“Loafers”), Edd Benda & Stephen Helstad & Judy Greer (“Chili Finger”), and several short film directors will stop by for conversations, alongside major new premieres from Sundance, Toronto, SXSW, Venice, and Cannes.
John Early’s “Maddie’s Secret” and Gregg Araki’s “I Want Your Sex” are going to be major Chicago events that will likely sell out, so we’ll let those screenings do their thing and highlight six other sections of the program that you should consider, too.
Find the full schedule with links to buy tickets here.
The Anniversary Screenings: “The Fly” (May 1), “A.I.: Artificial Intelligence” (May 3), “Something Wild” (May 6)
While the festival is largely about new indie films, we save some space for anniversary screenings of films we love, almost always on film. All three this year are on 35mm and should provoke further conversation about their place in film history. With the dominance of A.I. in the headlines, it seemed a perfect time to revisit Steven Spielberg’s 2001 masterpiece “A.I.: Artificial Intelligence,” and the fact that “The Fly” is turning 40 this year made that prophetic piece about playing God a perfect fit. Finally, we just love Jonathan Demme and jumped at the chance to showcase one of his best films.
“Power Ballad” (May 2)
John Carney earnestly believes in the power of music. The writer/director of “Once” and “Sing Street” is back with one of his biggest movies, a comedy about a family man (Paul Rudd) who ends up co-writing a song with a giant pop star (Nick Jonas) only to watch that tune get stolen. Releasing nationwide later this year, CCFF is your chance to see this crowd-pleaser before everyone else recommends it to you.
“Loafers” (May 6) & “The Sun Never Sets” (May 7)
Joe Swanberg returns to the site of the Chicago premiere of his 2015 dramedy “Digging for Fire” with his first film in six years, the SXSW hit “The Sun Never Sets,” starring Dakota Fanning, Jake Johnson, and Cory Michael Smith, who will join Swanberg for a Q&A after the closing night screening. The night before, Swanberg cameos in a wonderful quarter-life crisis dramedy that’s clearly inspired by the Chicagoan’s early works. “Loafers” is a smart, subtle comedy about young people figuring out who they are and where they belong that comes from a long tradition of Chicago indies while also feeling fresh and new. Writer/director/star Zach Schnitzer will be at the fest for a conversation about his micro-budget production with producer Nate Simon.
“Chili Finger” (May 5)
Hot off rocking screenings at SXSW and Ebertfest, writer/directors Edd Benda & Stephen Helstad bring one of the best dark comedies you’ll see this year to CCFF, and star Judy Greer is coming with them! An incredible character actress for years, Greer does the best work of her career in this Coen-esque comedy about an ordinary Midwestern couple who find a finger in their chili. Or do they? John Goodman, Sean Astin, and Bryan Cranston co-star in a film that is going to have the Music Box rocking in the middle of the fest. Be there.
Four Incredible Docs: “You Had to Be There” (May 3), “When a Witness Recants” (May 4), “Black Zombie” (May 5), “Broken English” (May 7)
It is a very strong season for non-fiction filmmaking, as evidenced by one of the strongest documentary sections in CCFF history. All four are worth a look (and horror fans shouldn’t miss “Black Zombie,” pictured above), but the Centerpiece screening of the latest from Dawn Porter is the one you definitely can’t miss. The multi-talented director of “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” “Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer,” and “Luther: Never Too Much” will bring her latest, a project made in collaboration with Ta-Nehisi Coates about a case that unfolded in his middle school.
All the Rest
Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee are remarkable in “Late Fame”; “Tuner” is one of the most consistently admired films of the fest circuit; “Carolina Caroline” reveals that Kyle Gallner & Samara Weaving have perfect chemistry; Neon returns to the fest with their latest soon-to-be horror hit “Leviticus”; and so many more. There’s truly something for everyone this year. See you there.
