- Brian Cox, Dan Stevens Join “Dexter: Resurrection” for Promising Second Season (October 28, 2026)
The successful 2025 return of “Dexter: Resurrection” is one of this era’s most shocking TV surprises. After a legendarily misguided original season finale and mediocre reboots in “New Blood” and “Original Sin,” there was little reason to believe that this ghost of the Showtime original would find a pulse again. But did it ever: “Resurrection” was the best “Dexter” season since the prime of the original, a funny, sharp, very NYC thriller with great performances from top to bottom, including memorable guest turns from Peter Dinklage, Uma Thurman, Neil Patrick Harris, David Dastmalchian, Krysten Ritter, and Eric Stonestreet.
Knowing they needed to strike again quickly, the creators of “Resurrection” return with a second outing just over a year later, picking up exactly where they left off. That second part casts a shadow over the season premiere—Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) may love to close loose ends, but it doesn’t make for thrilling writing—but the season starts to develop its own personality in the second episode. Sadly, only two were sent to press, but there’s more than enough reason to believe Dexter Morgan is legitimately back, probably for multiple years.
Season one of “Dexter: Resurrection” saw Dexter killing serial killer memorabilia collector Leon Prater, dumping his remains in the Hudson River. To get there, Dexter also had to take out Angel Batista, and the murder of his former ally literally haunts him in the new season’s opening scene. Don’t worry, Angel doesn’t become the new Harry Morgan—James Remar returns as Dexter’s spectral conscience, the only person who truly knows about his Dark Passenger.
Brian Cox as Don Framt in Dexter: Resurrection, season 2, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Matt Infante/Paramount+.
Anyone who saw season one knows not everyone saw the end of Dexter’s blade, and the premiere brings almost all of them back. A subplot involving Dexter tracking down the escaped Al Walker (aka Rapunzel) feels like a bit of a drag, both in concept and execution, designed to close the loop on Stonestreet’s arc and force Dex out of town while his son Harrison (Jack Alcott) graduates from the police academy.
Yes, the guy whose dad is one of the most prolific serial killers in history, and a guy who might not be 100% stable himself, has followed pops into criminal justice. As if that setup isn’t far-fetched enough, he ends up at the same station as Claudette Wallace (the wonderful Kadia Saraf) and Melvin Oliva (Dominic Fumusa), the cops who nearly put both Morgans away last season.
Luckily for Harrison, Wallace and Oliva have other concerns right now, and both promise fascinating thematic arcs this season. Two serial killers will clearly dominate the writing this year, both serving to offset Dexter’s very rigid lifestyle. First, there’s Don Framt, aka The New York Ripper (Brian Cox), a retired serial killer that nearly everyone knows is guilty, but there’s just not enough evidence to prove it.
Dexter has spent so much of his life keeping his crimes secret that he’s fascinated by someone who practically flaunts his, even taking pics with adoring fans. It’s a rich counterpoint, and possibly even fertile ground, for an era when it feels like people with power commit crimes in plain sight.
Dan Stevens as Lucas Stark in Dexter: Resurrection, episode 3, season 2, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Matt Infante/Paramount+.
Then there’s The Five Borough Killer (Dan Stevens), a casual monster who gives up his seat for someone on the train before calling the NYPD to tell them someone will be murdered at a sporting event tonight. When he randomly shoots a woman in the parking lot of a game and airdrops the video to a stranger, it becomes clear that he’s one of the truly scary things in the world of serial killers: A purely random assassin, and one flaunting how easy it is to operate in plain sight. He contrasts with Dexter in that Morgan has a very specific code. How do you stop someone with no pattern? No logic? The potential cat-and-mouse between Hall and Stevens is one of the most promising elements of season two.
As if the characters played by Cox and Stevens weren’t enough—it wouldn’t be “Dexter” without stuffed plotting—the writers find a way to bring Thurman back into the action in a way I won’t spoil, other than to say it’s another aspect of the season that challenges Dexter’s way of being. Much of this season’s writing centers on the idea that Dexter is in a bit of a midlife crisis, and the plotting reflects that, with subplots clearly designed to throw him off his axis even further.
Some of that writing isn’t quite as sharp as last year, especially in the premiere. Most of all, Dexter’s inner monologue and conversations with Harry feel a bit more comedic than ever. Lines like “My dead dad gives me five stars” and “Is it any wonder I never cried at the end of Old Yeller?” after Dex sees an angry dog kind of sound like Dexter is doing stand-up comedy for the viewer. His dry wit and Hall’s perfect delivery have long been a star, but it would be easy for this show to push a bit too far into parody of what it used to be.
Jack Alcott as Harrison Morgan in Dexter: Resurrection, episode 2, season 2, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. Photo Credit: Matt Infante/Paramount+.
The second episode corrects some of that while also bringing Cox, Stevens, and Thurman deeper into the plotting. Alcott/Harrison continues to be a bit of a cipher in the middle of this show—his becoming a cop feels like little more than a wheel in the plot that will eventually force him into a situation where he can use his position to save dad—and bringing back Dexter’s landlord/friend Blessing (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) reminds one that they didn’t do enough with that actor/character last season.
Yet the underwriting of Blessing and Harrison never lingers long enough to drag “Resurrection” into the dismal morass of late “Dexter” seasons, because so much else works. Sometime after the dirge that was “New Blood,” the writers remembered that “Dexter” needed to be fun again and shifted into the entertaining reality the franchise is in now. Never bet against Dexter Morgan.
Two episodes screened for review. Returns on Paramount+ on October 30, 2026.
- “Hellraiser: Revival” Has Such Sights to Show You (October 28, 2026)
The horror junkies who traveled to Texas this year for the annual genre event called Fantastic Fest were treated to something unexpected: commercials before every screening for a video game. Of course, this was no mere puzzle game: It was the launch of something aimed directly at people willing to spend fest prices on world premieres of indie horror flicks. Pinhead was about to return in Saber Interactive’s “Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival.”
The preview, with its full-frontal nudity, S&M imagery, and extreme violence, made it clear this wasn’t a family-friendly resurrection of the Cenobites. And yet the consensus at FF was a bit poisoned by the long history of awful video games based on film IPs. It probably wouldn’t be any good. Believe it or not, it’s pretty fun, and a reminder of what made Barker’s universe popular enough to return 40 years later.
One element that likely enhanced the production of “Revival” from the start was the involvement of the author of Books of Blood, collaborating on a script rich with storytelling detail that even some sequels to Barker’s 1987 horror masterpiece couldn’t match. It’s hard to convey to people who weren’t there how much of a shock to the genre system Barker’s 40-year-old film was when it hit theaters. A Faustian study in sex and violence, Barker tapped into something primal, unafraid of the kind of for-adults-only imagery and themes that usually terrified studios. It’s rich with atmosphere and actual tension, a film that feels almost dangerous in its willingness to go anywhere.
“Hellraiser” was such a hit that it spawned nine sequels and a reboot, and almost none of it was worth watching. It feels like only a matter of time before a TV version finally gets off the ground, given the success of “It: Welcome to Derry” and “Crystal Lake.”
The creators of that inevitable TV series would be wise to play “Revival,” an experience that understands “Hellraiser”’s roots in a way so many mediocre sequels and forgettable reboots failed to. This intense game follows a survival-horror template that feels heavily inspired by “Resident Evil,” with a blend of stealth, ammo rationing, puzzle-solving, and even inventory management.
A “Resident Evil” game with Cenobites? It’s an occasionally remarkable experience that overcomes a few shoddy, repetitive mechanics to work when it needs to. It’s a game that’s consistently harrowing and very much “for adults only” with its blend of extreme violence, references to sexual bondage, and nightmare fuel creatures who want to rip you apart before you die. This game very much wants to tear your soul apart.
You play Aidan Lynch (Xalavier Nelson Jr.) in first-person. Eschewing much of a set-up at all, you’re dropped into a nightmare landscape known as the Scarlet Church after sadomasochistic sex with your girlfriend Sunny that involves the legendary “Hellraiser” puzzle box, aka the Genesis Configuration. Sunny ends up literally ripped apart by Cenobites, the monsters that are worshipped by the Scarlet Church, which means you first have to evade and kill cultists who bow to the very creatures that killed the love of your life. The cultists are led by a monster named Marlowe, who wants the Genesis Configuration to turn his people into Cenobites themselves.
This means you have to sneak around both cult members and creatures from the other side, using stealth and limited weapons to survive. The latter includes melee weapons that degrade with use, while firepower includes shotguns, SMGs, and more open as the game progresses. One of the title’s most engaging mechanics is using the infamous box as a weapon: you can grab environmental objects and hurl them at your enemies. Snatching a saw blade from one bad guy and hurling it at another? Pretty badass. Aidan eventually upgrades to the point where he can use the box as a fire hurler, grabbing flames from torches and other sources and setting monsters aflame.
“Hellraiser: Revival” also leans heavily on puzzle-solving in the “real-world” segments, but even more so in stretches where you find yourself in the Labyrinth, often chased by a Cenobite as you navigate the trap-filled maze to escape to a reality that’s not much safer. These stretches are remarkably thrilling, adding pace to traditional puzzle-solving and stealth gameplay that’s often lacking. They can also get a bit repetitive, as can the game overall, but they show developers taking risks by varying the structure through experiences that balance stealth, combat, and pure terror.
There’s also something admirable about how remarkably adult “Revival” is, coming off more intense in terms of sex and violence than any of the movies (and, arguably, a bit too much, if there is such a thing in Barker’s world). It feels both of a piece with the films—even Doug Bradley returns to voice Pinhead—and more ambitious than any of them since “Hellbound: Hellraiser II.” Horror franchises struggle when they try to repeat what made the sequels exist in the first place, but “Revival” understands the first two movies better than any follow-up, embracing a chaos the sequels often portrayed only superficially. This is an incredibly dark game, one that’s both extreme in its violence and adult in its sense of humor—for example, one mission requires you to find S&M devices like paddles and dildos to proceed. This is not your mom’s RPG.
There are places in which “Revival” could have used another round of developer notes. The physics are often clunky, whether it’s inconsistent aiming or glitchy melee physics. The resource allocation is downright bizarre; sometimes I’m loaded with ammo, and other times a boss battle feels almost impossible. One puzzle-solving technique involves using the box to move platforms, but the puzzles are poorly designed and executed. Some of these could be dealbreakers, but horror fans will forgive what “Revival” gets right instead of focusing on how it could have been better. It’s also worth noting that the game’s launch version was pretty glitchy, but it either ran smoother as I got further or was patched into a better existence.
Horror fans are a remarkably forgiving lot. Many of my friends from Fantastic Fest have already played and loved “Revival,” and anyone who has read Barker or gotten a thrill out of this universe should join this Hellfire Club. It’s not a perfect trip to Hell, but it’s a memorable one. (75/100)
The publisher provided a PS5 review copy of this title. It is also now available on Xbox, Switch 2, and PC.
- “So…This Is Goodbye”: Walter Koenig (1936-2026) (October 27, 2026)
Looking back on “Star Trek”‘s storied sixty-year history, it’s hard to believe Walter Koenig‘s Ensign Chekov wasn’t on the show from the start. (In fact, 1982’s “The Wrath of Khan” simply retcons him being on the U.S.S. Enterprise during the events of Ricardo Montalban’s classic episode “Space Seed”; I guess he was just in the bathroom the whole time.)
But ever since Koenig’s chipper cosmonaut joined the original series cast in 1967, he’s felt like a fundamental part of “Trek” history. And as we look back on his life and work after his passing at 90, he was a foundational pillar of science fiction television in ways that go beyond the mop-topped navigator.
Koenig was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1936, to a pair of Russian Jews who emigrated from the Soviet Union to America. As a child, the family moved to Manhattan, where he grew up; he later graduated from UCLA with a degree in psychology before the acting bug bit him and he returned to New York City to study at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.
His first big acting role was, fittingly, under “Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, as a Marine Corps sergeant on “The Lieutenant”—many future “Trek” alumni would hail from that series. Of course, he didn’t join the show until its second season, when Roddenberry saw the need to broaden its appeal to younger audiences. (That, combined with the then-30-year-old Koenig’s already receding hairline, led to the Monkees-esque mop top he’d wear through most of his tenure.)
Tales that Chekov’s Russian heritage came from Roddenberry responding to a Pravda complaint that his utopian future had no Russian characters are apocryphal. Even so, his presence felt significant in a 1960s TV show that envisioned Americans and Russians working together as a visionary resolution to the Space Race.
Even so, Chekov remained a welcome addition to the Enterprise crew for the show’s second and third season, with his thick, marble-mouthed Russian accent (with all those ‘v’s switched to ‘w’s) and his naive insistence that a little old lady in Russia invented everything under the Sun.
As “Trek” supporting cast members go, he, like everyone not named Shatner, Nimoy, or Kelley, got short shrift, mostly answering Captain Kirk’s orders or reading damage reports. But he got his focus in plenty of episodes, like “The Deadly Years,” where his immunity to a rapid-aging disease proves vital to the crew’s cure, or “The Trouble with Tribbles,” where he joins Scotty in a barroom brawl with some Klingons who trash-talk the Enterprise.
He was comic relief, the doe-eyed innocent, and stalwart space adventurer all in one, and when the show focused on him, Koenig leapt at the chance to fill the screen with his infectious enthusiasm.
Like his fellow castmates, Koenig struggled after “Trek”’s cancellation, especially to find new acting roles. But he paid the bills by becoming a television writer, notably contributing episodes to “Land of the Lost,” “The Powers of Matthew Star,” “The Incredible Hulk,” and, ironically, “Star Trek: The Animated Series.” Then, when Hollywood came calling to bring him and the rest of the original crew back to the big screen for 1979’s “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” he came right along.
Watching Koenig in the Kirk “Trek” movies is fascinating, especially as someone so baby-faced; he maintains his bright-eyed naivete into middle age. He still has the mop top, of sorts, and still feels like the baby of the crew, even though by the movie series’ heyday he’s in his late forties.
His real spotlight moment comes in “The Wrath of Khan,” where he gets a significant subplot separate from the Enterprise crew as the first officer of the Reliant, which Montalban’s Khan Noonien Singh takes over (but not before turning Chekov and his captain, played by Paul Winfield, into his thralls thanks to some space-slug shenanigans). Here, he gets to play darker, more haunted dimensions to Chekov, and even some body-horror terror as he sells the pain of struggling against a creature controlling your mind. It’s hardly Shakespeare, but they’re effective moments that sell what was, to date, the darkest “Trek” story yet.
Of course, Koenig got to play into his more comic layers as well, most notably in 1986’s “The Voyage Home,” where he gets to run around San Francisco at the height of the Cold War asking police officers where the “nuclear wessels” are in a thick Russian accent. As in the original show, he often shared a console with his seatmate, George Takei’s Lt. Sulu, who served as the other half of this particularly odd couple. Of his friend’s passing, Takei wrote on Facebook, “Walter was more than Chekov. He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend… To the fans who loved him for so many years, thank you. He loved you too. Rest well, my dear friend. Keep navigating a steady course.”
He was also one of only three original “Trek” cast members to cameo in the “Next Generation” intro “Generations,” essentially standing in for Dr. McCoy in a clumsy prologue that he nonetheless made the most of.
While his acting roster didn’t extend much beyond Chekov, his other major notable role is important to cult sci-fi fans as fan favorite Alfred Bester on the 1990s show “Babylon 5,” a “Psi-Cop” who frequently dropped by the station to serve as a thorn in the side (and occasional ally) to the crew of the station. Slimy and supercilious where Chekov was warm and welcoming, Koenig clearly relished playing the baddie and balling his leather gloves into fists as he sneered one veiled threat after another.
From there, he’d largely serve as an ambassador emeritus for “Trek,” appearing at conventions and doing occasional voice work as Chekov for one game or audiobook or another. (I remember him fondly for appearing alongside Takei and Shatner in the 1990s FMV game “Starfleet Academy,” where he was one of several teachers instructing new recruits on the finer points of starship captaincy.)
He wasn’t the only actor in his family; he married actress Judy Levitt, with whom he acted in several “Star Trek” movies and “B5.” (She passed in 2022.) They had a son, Andrew, who earned his own cult-hit TV fame as “Boner” on the ABC sitcom “Growing Pains,” before dying in 2010 at 41. He’d live to see his pet role played by the gone-too-soon Anton Yelchin in the J.J. Abrams-produced “Star Trek” reboot trilogy, and he celebrated his first name in a voice cameo in a 2023 episode of “Star Trek: Picard,” playing Pavel’s son, Anton.
Even as he fell victim to the kind of typecasting that comes with starring in a cult-hit show, Walter Koenig made the most of his fate, remaining inextricably tied to a bona fide cult phenomenon. In an interview with the Archive of American Television, he described his fans as having “a sense of humanity and a sense of justice and a sort of political bent…people who had imagination.” As one of “Trek”’s foundational members, he’s an enormous part of that tradition. Not a bad legacy to leave, even as one departs this world for the stars beyond.
- HBO’s “The Gilded Age” Reaches New Heights in Gritty Fourth Season (October 27, 2026)
Like many episodes of HBO’s hit period drama “The Gilded Age,” season four opens up with a wedding. This time, it is an unconventional one, with the bride and groom agreeing to marry to protect their reputations and status in high society. A sprawling affair, the wedding seems filled with joy, even though the two aren’t marrying for love. But because this is a show written by Julian Fellowes, this backdrop slowly gives way to a season that feels less like a night of celebration and grows heavier with each episode.
As these two characters secure their futures, everyone else’s lives seem to be on the brink of destruction. Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) watches as her daughter Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) has an elongated and frightening labor; Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and her sister Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon) still wrestle for control of their home; Peggy Scott’s (Denée Benton) emergence as an important voice in the writing world stifles her relationship with her fiancée; and at the center of it all, Marianne Brook (Louisa Jacobson) is left bereft after she and Larry Russell (Harry Richardson) continue to be drawn to one another.
While many storylines still have the typical fluff that makes “The Gilded Age” so entertaining, this season gives the Russell family much-needed stakes. At the end of season three, the family patriarch, George Russell (Morgan Spector), was upset that Bertha was meddling in their children’s personal lives and told her to stay in Newport while he and their son, Larry, traveled back to New York. With Bertha beginning the season caring for Gladys, George has become a shell of the man he was before he was shot last season in an attempted assassination. Usually poised, George slowly unravels under the weight of a mysterious affliction, his dedication to his railway business, and the money it brings in.
Although this may not sound dissimilar to how previous seasons have unfolded, the way the camera frames George, and the dark shadows that often seem to surround him, make every scene he’s in feel unlike anything the series has achieved up to this point. Spector harnesses George’s anger with ease, letting the man we once knew, someone who used his business to ensure his family’s success, slowly shift into a man driven only by wealth and notoriety. Yes, this series has always dealt with serious issues like race and sexism, but George’s unraveling adds a weight to the show unlike any plotline introduced in previous seasons.
Along with him, Marianne’s dilemma over her relationship with Larry grows into one of the series’ most pressing storylines. Her position as an unmarried woman desperate for a life she can call her own finally transforms her from one of the show’s dullest characters into a fascinating woman crumbling under the weight of secrets she is forced to keep from her loved ones. Between her and George, “The Gilded Age” finally steps away from the unchanging structure that has made it so successful, and so predictable. As a result, the stakes in season four feel higher than ever, forcing these characters and the society they live in to shape around the new circumstances they find themselves in, or, at times, are forced into.
It’s a much-needed change for the show, which, although it’s always been fun to watch, hasn’t always felt like must-watch television. Silly plot lines remain, with footman-turned-inventor John Trotter (Ben Ahlers) moving on from making clocks to crafting what seems to be the KitchenAid. But for every small moment that feels wholly indulgent, the series ups the ante with its main cast by throwing them into rocky waters that threaten to swallow them whole. Like always, as these threads unfold, the cast bares their soul for the audience, and this season gives younger actors like Jacobson and Richardson their best material yet.
“The Gilded Age” often makes me wonder how long a series like this can withstand the fickle mind of the modern television viewer, and how long the characters they watch can stay engaging while largely remaining unchanged. Thankfully, this season delivers the show’s most expensive storylines yet, as Fellows and the writers’ room he employs continue to push the audience to think critically about how modern issues like bodily autonomy and substance abuse affected people across societies in the late 1800s. With its fourth season, the series has slowly changed not only its structure but also the themes it deems pressing, allowing this often fluffy show to become a grittier, more authentic version of itself.
All episodes were screened for review. Premieres November 1st on HBO.
- CIFF 2026: Corpus, No Rest for the Wicked, castration movie iii.ii; a fragmentary passage (October 27, 2026)
Any self-respecting film festival worth its salt programs not just the latest buzzy awards contenders or the most intriguing international dramas, but a hefty, horny, hair-raising midnight program. And so, the Chicago International Film Festival’s After Dark program this year played host to a bevy of creature features, genre thrillers, and folk-horror freakouts.
Among the program’s other highlights include “Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant,” “HotSpring Shark Attack: Great Kyushu Showdown,” and the gloopy French “Species,” which basically asks, “What if we did ‘The Substance’ for young professional burnout?” But this dispatch from the fest’s genre program focuses on the intersection of queerness and horror (and, in one case, DIY shot-on-video drama), finding lonely terror (and bittersweet comfort) in the complexities of queer life, longing, and identity.
After a haunting prologue at a photoshoot featuring a young model named Cammy (Nuha Jes Izman) and a mysterious metal mask whose purpose remains opaque (“It’s important in this industry to show you can be edgy”), Corrin Evans’ “Corpus” plops us in the sweat and neon of the 1990s New York City club scene. Amid the club drugs and thumping house music, we find Sayo (Jeff Wahlberg), a twinkish photographer who spots his on-again, off-again paramour, an up-and-coming actor named Vince (Brodie Townsend), and sweats when he’s called over to hang out.
He’s played this will-they-won’t-they game with Vince for years, and he’s deeply confused about what the boy wants. Besotted anyway, he reluctantly takes Vince up on his offer to bring him and their mutual bestie Ross (Michael Vlamis) to a rotten old mansion upstate. The grounds are occupied by a famous photographer named Billie (“Roswell” alum Lily Cowles, who produces as well), who, along with her lover Cata (Ching Valdes-Aran) and the aforementioned Cammy (who suddenly seems, well, like a different person), wants to spend the weekend doing drugs, talking art, and having sex.
The vibes, shall we say, are off from the beginning, and Tayo can sniff it out; but he’s also drawn in by Vince’s smoldering sexuality, and the possibility of getting back together (as long as he plays along with the swinging scenario) makes him weak. Especially dangerous, mind you, given the trio’s true intentions, wanting the boys’ bodies in more ways than one.
Evans, a former intimacy coordinator, captures the furtiveness of queer lust in Sayo and Vince’s mutual predation; in the club scenes, Evans slows down every flash-bulb snapshot of Sayo’s probing camera, showing the blur of bodies in motion in a manner not unlike “Dredd”‘s Slo-Mo. It’s a remarkable tonal shift from that mass of bodies to the pastoral, folk-horror mix of serenity and menace in “Corpus”‘s primary mansion setting, with its falling leaves and crackling bonfires around which our boys watch our girls sing pagan folk songs.
But, in keeping with Evans’ former occupation, “Corpus” seems preoccupied with the horror of coerced consent, and what can happen when we say “yes” to something we’re not entirely sure of. It’s slinky, sexy, and more than a little surprising: The third-act reveal of just what our girls have in mind for the boys turns the film into a tangle of mistaken identities, suspenseful chases, and “Under the Skin”-like body horror.
Speaking of furtive queer romance, Kasper Kalle’s “No Rest for the Wicked” blends the vampire story with a Nordic tale of forbidden love, thick with foggy Gothic atmosphere. Set in the 1860s on the remote Faroe Islands of Denmark, the film situates us in the small fishing village contained therein, in which hunky young fisherman Baldur (Egor Venned, a Faroese model for whom this is his acting debut) whiles away his days tending to his mother, Asla (Sofia Molsoe), going to church, and praying for a better life.
One day, salvation comes in an unexpected way: After getting lost in the fog and crashing his boat, he’s rescued by the brawny Danish whaler Helge (Pilou Asbæk), who returns with him and stays at their home. He’s charismatic, welcoming, and more than a little alluring, for both mother and son. But eventually, it’s Baldur’s gaze he clearly lusts after, and the two start a furtive affair, Helge representing the possibility of escape from their cloistered island, a life of freedom.
In this first half, “No Rest for the Wicked” could be confused for a fairly terrestrial affair: No ghosts, no goblins, nothing spooky save a couple of unsettling dreams Baldur has off and on. But when Helge’s body washes ashore after a shipwreck, and Baldur’s grief leads him to an ill-advised wish marked with blood (“Dear God, let him come back”), Kalle’s film takes on a folk-horror twist that literalizes the immortality of queer love—even as its focus shifts frustratingly away from our queer lovers and more towards Asla and the confused townspeople who suddenly must deal with this new plague (and, subtextually, get over their homophobic hangups).
Cinematographer Jacob Moller expertly captures the crisp, foggy beauty of the Faroe Islands (where this was shot), alongside the lilting tones of Faroese band Hettarher to sell the isolated air of Baldur’s yearning. It moves at the pace of a historical drama, its flashes of the supernatural only accentuating the desire and sweetness of Baldur and Helge’s love. Really, it’s the townspeople, and their religion-fueled ignorance, that proves “No Rest for the Wicked”‘s true terror.
This last film isn’t a horror film, per se, though in its stark depiction of the quotidian heartbreaks of modern queer life, it’s maybe the scariest film in this dispatch. Canadian-born trans filmmaker Louise Weard’s “Castration Movie Chapter iii.ii Junior Ghosts—Premorphic Drift; a fragmentary passage” is the latest in her long-running saga of shot-on-video films depicting an expanding web of characters navigating the vagaries of queer and trans life, and at a comparatively sparse two hours (Chapter 1 is a four-and-a-half-hour affair), it’s easily the most accessible of the three. Well, ‘accessible’ is a relative term, given the heaviness of the subject matter, but like Weard’s other films, it pulls you into the cringe-inducing messiness of its characters in ways that make you feel for them all the same.
This chapter hones in on Izzy (Avalon Fast), a cis woman who leads an unfulfilling life answering calls at a suicide hotline from home. As we see, sitting with her for an agonizingly long time in one of Weard’s intimate, single-take scenes, this job isn’t easy, particularly when she fields calls from women still grieving the loss of friends and family in a mass murder event committed by an incel at a women’s support group a year ago. (It’s an event that has curious proximity to Izzy’s life, a detail that Weard expertly teases out over the course of the film.) As if that wasn’t hard enough, she soon learns that her unemployed, layabout boyfriend, Trent (Henri Gillespi), has decided, seemingly out of the blue, that he’s a trans girl, and wishes to go by “Tiffany.”
This development shakes Izzy’s worldview to the core, and as “fragmentary passage” progresses, we see her ostensible support for queer folks wane as soon as it affects her personally. She bristles at their tardiness to their anniversary dinner because Tiffany needs her help with mascara and makeup (choosing now to start experimenting with presentation); she’s forced to field questions from friends who found out about the same time she did, etc. It’s not long before she’s trawling Mumsnet forums and trading stories with her cis female friends about how Tiffany must be captured by some kind of online social contagion.
To her immense credit (and commensurate with the series), Weard never shies away from these perspectives, shining a harsh light on them and letting us sit in Izzy’s discomfort long enough to broadly understand where she’s coming from. Yes, she feels like a “trans widow”; yes, she is having trouble processing this immense, immediate change to her life that was sprung on her with a speed that doesn’t feel respectful to her. She’s not a lesbian; intimacy with Tiffany is impossible. And Weard’s claustrophobic, digital-video presentation doesn’t just make her low-budget efforts more economical to produce: It gives each long, well-considered scene much-needed immediacy.
The performances are astonishing, particularly Fast, who imbues Izzy’s every confused facial expression and avoidant dodge with a relatable frenzy. (Rest assured, we also get appearances from other “Castration Movie” characters, including a darkly comic sidebar featuring Weard’s Michaela, who wrestles with her own gatekeeping as she leads a trans support group where she’s far too tempted to neg the fashion journeys of recently-cracked eggs.) Weard’s unadorned, yet intimate photography and naturalistic directing make you feel like you’re watching a Gen-Z Cassavetes at work.
Amid its acid-tongued takes on deeply confused and unsympathetic people, though, Weard shows immense care and empathy for everyone involved, particularly Tiffany; transition is a deeply difficult decision, especially when you hope those you love will go along with you on your journey. That they don’t, or worse, even turn against you and make it about themselves, feels doubly tragic. “A fragmentary passage” is a triumph, somehow mixing everything from the terror of social transition to the different dangers of online radicalization (incels, TERFs) into a cohesive gumbo that feels reflective in its many fragments.
- Doc 'SCTV: The Greatest Show You've Never Heard Of' Official Trailer (October 28, 2026)
"How do you even assemble all of those people at one time... in Canada?!" Netflix debuted the full official trailer for the comedy history doc titled SCTV: The Greatest Show You've Never Heard Of. It's out to watch streaming on Netflix this week. SCTV is an influential Canadian sketch comedy show that was kind of the Canadian version of Saturday Night Live. Short for "Second City Television", SCTV ran intermittently between 1976 and 1984 about a fictional television station. It was created as an offshoot of Toronto's Second City troupe. Eventually it played on American TV airing on NBC from 1981-1983. This doc explores SCTV's rise & legacy through cast interviews and a Toronto reunion, revealing how the sketch comedy series became influential and launched comedy icons while examining the lasting creative partnerships. Featuring comedy icons like Catherine O'Hara (RIP), Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Martin Short, Joe Flaherty (RIP), and John Candy (RIP). Tom Hanks is a massive fan of the show, too. This doc connects right in with the other Toronto comedy doc this year - You Had to Be There about Toronto's Godspell. The film about SCTV is a funny and heartfelt celebration of how a scrappy Canadian show changed comedy forever. 🇨🇦 Have fun. // Continue Reading ›
- Official Trailer for Netflix's 'Pride and Prejudice' Starring Emma Corrin (October 28, 2026)
"She is a very strong-willed sort of girl." Netflix has revealed the full official trailer for the new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, turning it into a "mini-series" instead of a movie. Adapted from the novel written by Jane Austen more than 200 years ago (which has already been turned into many films & series before). Hasty first impressions develop into something deeper between Elizabeth Bennet & Mr Darcy in this faithful yet fresh adaptation of the classic love story. Elizabeth Bennet and the wealthy landowner Fitzwilliam Darcy navigate pride and prejudice as obstacles in their complex relationship before finding love & marriage. With Emma Corrin as Elizabeth, Jack Lowden as Mr Darcy, Olivia Colman as Mrs Bennet, Rufus Sewell as Mr Bennet, Freya Mavor as Jane, Jamie Demetriou as Mr Collins, Daryl McCormack as Mr Bingley, Louis Partridge as Mr Wickham, Rhea Norwood as Lydia, Siena Kelly, Fiona Shaw (who's also in Sense & Sensibility), Hopey Parish & Hollie Avery as Mary and Kitty Bennet. From the pages of Jane Austen's beloved novel comes a six-part adaptation on love, longing & first impressions. Along with Sense & Sensibility (in theaters now), an exciting year for Jane Austen fans to enjoy delightful adaptations. // Continue Reading ›
- Another Wacky Trailer for 'Jumanji: Open World' Action Comedy Sequel (October 28, 2026)
"We have to be ready for whatever's coming next." Sony Pictures unveiled a second official trailer for the action comedy sequel Jumanji: Open World, the third and final (hopefully) live-action Jumanji movie in this recent series. Landing in theaters this December at Christmas-time. Everything kicked off (again) with the reboot Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in 2017 and continued with the not-so-funny Jumanji: The Next Level in 2019, now wrapping up with this finale 7 years later. The players have escaped the ever-changing jungles of Jumanji, but this time the game breaks free of its console, unleashing chaos into our world. "The final countdown begins." This time everyone from the past two movies have to deal with the game coming out into the real world, kind of like the very first Jumanji from 1995 with Robin Williams (still the best one). The funky fun ensemble cast features Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Alex Wolff, Madison Iseman, Morgan Turner, Ser'Darius Blain, Rhys Darby, along with Nick Jonas and Danny DeVito. This is a slightly better trailer than the first one, but the jokes are all so cringe that I'm still not sure if this will be any funny or completely annoying. Is anyone out there still a fan of these movies? // Continue Reading ›
- Pedro Pascal Makes Movie Scores in Gilroy's 'Behemoth!' Trailer #2 (October 28, 2026)
"We should tell the hard story..." Searchlight Pictures unveiled the second official trailer for the movie titled Behemoth!, the latest cinematic story told by the acclaimed writer / director Tony Gilroy, best known for Michael Clayton (brilliant film), the Bourne movies, and "Andor" series recently. This premiered at NYFF earlier this month to mixed reviews - some good but others not good. Pedro Pascal plays a famous cellist from a family of musicians who returns to Los Angeles to start a career as a music composer for movies. A love letter to the music of the movies. Gilroy has been a huge lover of movie scores his whole life and is finally making his personal story about that passion. The film features a series of composers known as "The Behemoth! Collective" all contributing - with: Michael Abels, Emily Bear, Lukas Frank, Michael Giacchino, James Newton Howard, Henry Jackman, Nami Melumad, Brandon Roberts, & Alan Silvestri. The title is a reference to a major movie Pascal's character is creating music for going under the secret title of Behemoth! (the first scene in this trailer). The full cast includes Pascal, with Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Alexa Swinton, Kaya Ralls, Erik Griffin, Jobeth Williams, Margarita Levieva, with Hank Azaria and Will Arnett. Honestly this still looks really good! I'm looking forward to watching soon. // Continue Reading ›
- T.J. Power Reconnects with Alien Pal in 'Allen' Sci-Fi Comedy Trailer (October 27, 2026)
"Allen did come halfway across the galaxy just to hang out with you!" "Uh, yeah he did." Netflix revealed their funny official trailer for the Australia sci-fi comedy titled simply Allen, made by the filmmakers Daley Pearson & Jeffrey Walker. Very similar to that other wacky alien friend movie Paul with Simon Pegg & Nick Frost from 2011 but with a few of its own quirks. 20 years after his original encounter with an alien, Petey never moved on. Now his old friend has returned to Earth, and the reason why is kind of complicated — and unexpected. What is he up to on our planet this time? Allen stars T.J. Power, Charlotte Nicdao, Josh Helman, Emily Barclay, and Benedict Hardie. Petey's childhood best friend, a little alien named Allen, vanished without any goodbye. Two decades later, Allen returns with a secret that could change the world, forcing Petey to finally grow up & help save it. This is made by Brisbane-based Ludo Studio, the same team behind Bluey and Thou Shalt Not Steal; Allen marks the studio’s first locally made live-action feature film for Netflix with filming across Queensland, including in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. This looks like it has a big twist and gets dark – I'm very intrigued to watch & see what they've been cooking up with the project. 👽 // Continue Reading ›
