- Season 2 of “X-Men ‘97” Is The Team, And The Superhero Genre, At Its Best (June 30, 2026)
The boom of superhero television shows that began to dominate the genre at the beginning of the 2020s has thankfully receded. It’s not to say that there isn’t value in the superhero genre expanding to a different medium, but the sheer number of series released within the Marvel universe quickly became a chore to consume rather than something that was actually enjoyable. But there’s a Marvel Studios production that stands out amongst its failed or canceled peers and would be welcomed to release a season each year: “X-Men ‘97,” which was renewed for a highly anticipated second season.
Picking up right where season one left off, the X-Men have been splintered into three factions: one group has traveled back in time to 3,000 B.C, another has stayed in the present day, and the third has traveled to the future in 3960 A.D. In each of these timelines, the X-Men and their friends and foes must try to stop En Sabah Nur (Adetokumboh M’Cormack), also known as Apocalypse (Ross Marquand). While two of these groups are desperate to get back to the 90s, the season never feels like it’s rushing to get these characters back into the habitat where we first met them. Instead, season two revels in trapping its ensemble within the inescapable grasp of time, intensifying and prolonging their absence from the world they know.
En Sabah Nur (voiced by Adetokumboh M’Cormack) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97 Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel. © 2026 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.
Ensemble shows like this haven’t necessarily worked in recent months, with the final seasons of “Stranger Things” and “The Boys” both receiving criticism from fans who ridiculed their bloated casts. Somehow, with each episode running only 30 minutes, season two of “X-Men ‘97” has managed to make each character in this expansive cast feel integral not only to the mission they’re on but also to the foundation of this series. Each episode exists within its own realm, using these sparse thirty minutes to detail one fraction of the X-Men that has been torn apart. By taking its time and allowing each splintered group to reign over its own episode, the series’ pacing has been tightened, making each episode feel like a separate experience.
The second episode is where this becomes fully realized, when we’re transported back to the present as the show’s title card reads “X-Force ‘97” rather than its regular one. What unfolds is an episode focused on those left behind in the 90s, with Cable (Chris Potter), his disciples Jubilee (Holly Chou) and Sunspot (Gui Agustini) reluctantly joining forces. We watch as they embark on vigilante missions that become increasingly dangerous, forcing Jubilee to question the morality of Xavier’s (Marquand) teachings and Cable’s desperation to stop Apocalypse by any means necessary. Mostly shown through Jubilee’s perspective, we watch all the creative ways she uses her powers and get an in-depth look at how one of the X-Men left behind is forced to grapple with their status as a hero forced into limbo.
(L-R): Beast (voiced by George Buza), Bishop (voiced by Isaac Robinson-Smith), Rogue (voiced by Lenore Zann), Professor X (voiced by Ross Marquand), Magneto (voiced by Matthew Waterson), and Nightcrawler (voiced by Adrian Hough) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97 Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel. © 2026 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.
The character work here is more fascinating than ever, with “X-Men ‘97” continuing to give this superhero group the respect they were never given in Fox’s live-action films. The animation is still top-tier, and the action sequences are more thrilling than the sloppy CGI that has plagued recent live-action superhero films. Each blast of Cyclops’ (Ray Chase) glasses appears so red, their hue feels like it’s actually emulating heat, and there’s a significant weight behind every blast of rain or snow that Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith) throws at her opponents. With each scene, it feels like we’re watching something special unfold, not just for these characters that have finally been given their dues, but for the superhero genre at large.
With its second season, “X-Men ‘97” has become a more complex yet refined version of itself. Though its storylines take place thousands of years apart, between the past, present, and future, each of them fuses into a magnetic story about family and destiny. With M’Cormack’s tenure as En Sabah Nur, a complicated foe who toes the line between villain and anti-hero, the series features some of the best voice acting put to screen in decades. As the X-Men attempt to stop him from becoming the villain they know and fear as Apocalypse, the series embarks on a stunningly crafted journey that delivers some of the most thrilling arcs in a genre in desperate need of rejuvenation.
Four episodes were screened for review. Season premieres July 1st on Disney+.
- Home Entertainment Guide June 2026: Hoppers, Crime 101, The Mastermind, More (June 30, 2026)
10 NEW TO NETFLIX
“Andre is an Idiot““Another Round““Color Book““Drinking Buddies““Lawrence of Arabia““Poor Things““Side Effects““Song Sung Blue““Ticket to Paradise““Under the Silver Lake“
12 NEW TO BLU-RAY/DVD
“Audition” (Arrow)
It’s hard to pick a favorite film from someone as prolific as Takashi Miike (he’s made over 100), but the consensus pick would probably be this horror masterpiece, now given a lavish 4K limited edition treatment by the geniuses over at Arrow. If you haven’t seen “Audition,” it’s best to know as little as possible. Just know that it’s about a widower (Ryo Ishibashi) who fakes auditions to find a girlfriend, his toxic masculinity leading him into the world of a deeply disturbed young woman. The Arrow edition now in stores includes a brand-new restoration from the original negative along with a new interview with Ishibashi and hours of previously available material, including aa commentary by Miike, interview with him, and a great essay by the brilliant Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. New writing in the collectors booklet also shines in one of the most essential horror 4K releases of the year.
Special Features
BRAND NEW 4K RESTORAITON from the original Super 16mm camera negative by Arrow Films approved by director of photography Hideo Yamamoto
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Newly restored original lossless stereo and 4.0 audio, plus optional DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
Optional English subtitles
Introduction by director Takashi Miike
Audio commentary by director Takashi Miike and screenwriter Daisuke Tengan
Audio commentary by Miike biographer Tom Mes
Callback, a brand new interview with actor Ryo Ishibashi
Ties that Bind, an interview with director Takashi Miike
Damaged Romance, an appreciation by Japanese cinema historian Tony Rayns
Archive interviews with stars Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Renji Ishibashi and Ren Osugi
Deeper Deeper Into Audition, an audio essay by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
Trailers
Image gallery
Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anton Bitel, Jennie Kermode and Jamie Graham
Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Dark Inker – Sampson and original UK artwork by Graham Humphreys
“Charade” (Criterion)
When people ask me the best gateway film for classic cinema for young people, I generally pick “Rear Window,” but this would make a solid alternate choice. I know I saw it a young age, captivated by the gorgeous setting and twisting screenplay. Stanley Donen directs Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn to two of their most charismatic performances in a film that really does a bit of everything, playing as both a taut thriller and engaging rom-com. Most of all, it’s a movie that feels both glamorous and quirky, allowing two of the most beautiful people in the history of filmmaking to also be a bit eccentric and funny. Criterion had released it before, but have now updated it in 4K, including a great audio commentary that the legendary Donen did back in 1999.
Special Features
New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
Audio commentary from 1999 featuring director Stanley Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by film historian Bruce Eder
“Crime 101“
Written off by a lot of critics (not ours) when it was released as a rehash of “Heat,” this Amazon MGM thriller is better than its reputation as a critical and commercial bomb would have you believe. It’s one of the few films from the first half of 2026 that feels like it could have a strong reappraisal in five to ten years with people wondering why it wasn’t beloved in 2026. Of course, it’s not “Heat,” and it’s undeniably a tick too long, but the self-indulgence fits what Bart Layton is going for: a thriller that deftly maintains a rolling simmer for its entire runtime (the non-stop, thumping score helps). Chris Hemsworth plays an L.A. jewel thief who hits stores along the 101 freeway in L.A. When he’s grazed by a bullet in the film’s opening job, it sets in motion a series of dominoes that lead to more violence. Hemsworth gives a wonderfully subtle performance, and the ensemble also includes great turns from Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Nick Nolte, and many more. One thing that’s not going to help the film’s 2026 reputation is a truly bare-bones physical release, one that not only doesn’t include a digital code (probably because the film is on Prime), but also nary a special feature. What a crime.
“Hoppers“
The best original Pixar film since “Luca,” this quirky environmental comedy should have been a bigger hit. It’s hard to say that about a movie that made $400 million worldwide, but that’s chump change compared to the Minions and Marios of the world. Get the kids to watch this one if they haven’t, and you’ll all be pleasantly surprised by a movie that feels relatively predictable at first before getting remarkably weird in a way that mainstream animated blockbusters are rarely allowed to be. Daniel Chong’s clever flick gets a strong Disney physical media release with excellent video and audio transfers, and a reasonable amount of insight gleaned from special features.
Special Features
The Critter Diaries: Wander behind the scenes with director Daniel Chong and the Pixar team as they explore Yellowstone, study wildlife, and find real-life inspiration for our favorite new animated characters from Hoppers.
Hopping In: The Making of Hoppers: Hop into the making of the movie as filmmakers, cast, and crew share how their ideas, collaboration, and creative process brought the story, animation, and lovable characters to life in Pixar’s Hoppers.
“Meet King George” Scene Breakdown: Dive deep with director Daniel Chong and his filmmaking team as they reveal the craft of making King George’s Superlodge. Get insight into the directing process, editing, VFX, animation, and production design.
Beaverton Revealed: Explore Hoppers to find surprising Pixar film cameos, hidden references, and plenty of fun, behind-the-scenes facts.
Dam Good Bloopers: Laugh along with your favorite voice actors from Hoppers as they have fun bringing their characters to life in the recording booth.
Deleted Scenes: Check out these scenes that didn’t make the final cut, as introduced by director Daniel Chong and editor Axel Geddes.
Cold Open
The Glade
The Mission
Kings Arrive
George’s Bachelor Pad
Helicopter Ride
“It Was Just an Accident” (Criterion)
One of the biggest snubs of the last Oscar season was the fact that Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or-winning masterpiece missed the cut for Best Picture (it was my personal #4 of the year). The masterful director made one of his most ambitious dramas, another personal study of the cost of vengeance that plays like a movie Hitchcock would have loved. When Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) hears what he thinks is the unmistakable squeak of a prosthetic leg, he becomes convinced that his former captor and torturer is in his shop. Kidnapping his enemy, Vahid gathers the assistance of other former prisoners to determine his fate. Sharp, unpredictable, and even funny at times, “It Was Just an Accident” builds to one of the best endings of the 2020s. Criterion has given it the full Criterion spine # treatement (not Criterion Premieres or Janus Contemporaries), and accompanied the film with a new conversation between Panahi and the brilliant Ramin Bahrani.
Special Features
New digital master, approved by director Jafar Panahi, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
New conversation between Panahi and filmmaker Ramin Bahrani
Cannes Film Festival press conference from 2025 featuring Panahi and members of the cast and crew
Trailer
New English subtitle translation
PLUS: An essay by poet, scholar, and translator Sheida Dayani
“Magellan” (Criterion)
Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz is one of the kings of modern slow cinema, directing films that could often be called glacial in terms of pacing. “Norte, the End of History,” arguably his breakthrough due to its UCR placement at Cannes, ran 250 minutes. “From What is Before” is 338 minutes! So the 164-minute runtime and the presence of a movie star in Gael Garcia Bernal arguably make this the master’s most accessible work to date. Bernal plays Ferdinand Magellan in a chapter that chronicles the explorer’s actions in the early 16th century in Southeast Asia. Praised as one of the best films of the year so far, it’s been released on the offshoot label Criterion Premieres, as well as made available on Criterion Channel.
Special Features
Meet the Filmmakers: Lav Diaz, a Criterion Channel original interview
Trailer
Notes by critic Beatrice Loayza
“Marlowe” (Arrow)
This is a weird one. James Garner is effortlessly cool in a movie that’s better viewed as an audition tape for “The Rockford Files” than part of the legacy of Raymond Chandler’s iconic character, Philip Marlowe. The 1969 mod style and the gritty noir of Chandler’s source material (The Lost Sister) don’t ever really come together in a film that’s oddly incongruent at times, even if it looks remarkable thanks to a new restoration courtesy of Arrow. There’s a new appreciation of the movie and new artwork, but this odd duck of a noir is for genre, Chandler, or Garner completists only.
Special Features
NEW RESTORATION from the original 35mm camera negative by Arrow Films
Original lossless mono audio
$100 A Day (Plus Expenses), a brand new appreciation by film historian Howard S. Berger
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by John Pearson
Collectors’ booklet containing new writing by critics Jeff Chang and Priscilla Page
“The Mastermind“
No one had a better 2026 than Josh O’Connor, who gave four radically different performances in “History of Sound,” “Rebuilding,” “Wake Up Dead Man,” and this quirky dramedy from the singular Kelly Reichardt. In “The Mastermind,” the star of “Disclosure Day” plays JB Mooney, a Massachusetts family man who plans a heist to steal art from a nearby museum. As protests rage against the Vietnam War in this period piece, JB struggles to pull off his robbery, seemingly unaware of the world around him. As with all Reichardt, it’s a smart, subtle movie that really only comes together in its hysterical final scene, an image of a man swept up by a world he never bothered to consider. Sadly, MUBI, perhaps to push people to its streaming service, haven’t included a single special feature on the physical release. Given Reichardt has been inducted before, perhaps a Criterion release is being planned?
“Mortal Kombat Kollection” (Arrow)
“Mortal Kombat” is one of entertainment’s most resilient franchises. It’s been a part of the fabric for over 35 years with the first game launching way back in 1992 and a movie releasing in theaters just last month. Arrow Home Video has always been smart with timing, launching a two-disc limited edition mini-box-set to coincide with the new movie, one that includes 4K restorations of 1995’s “Mortal Kombat” and 1997’s “Mortal Kombat Annihilation.” Both films weren’t exactly stellar when they were released, and neither has aged very well, but there’s still something so wonderful about how Arrow treats its fans. You’d think these were inarguable masterpieces. For the first film, they commissioned two new commentaries, including one with Paul W.S. Anderson himself, and there’s an accompanying one from “Annihilation” director John R. Leonetti. New interviews, new posters, new artwork, new writing: It’s overwhelming in a way that something called the “Mortal Kombat Kollection” should be.
Special Features
TWO-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
Brand new 4K restorations of the two films by Arrow Films
4K presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the two films
Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio and lossless stereo audio on both films
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for both films
Collectors’ perfect-bound booklet featuring new writing on the films by Simon Ward and John Torrani
Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin
Two double-sided foldout posters featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin
DISC ONE – MORTAL KOMBAT
4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative by Arrow Films approved by director Paul W.S. Anderson
Brand new audio commentary with director Paul W.S. Anderson
Brand new audio commentary with comic book expert and podcast host Dave Baxter
Cage Match, a newly filmed interview with with actor Linden Ashby
Leveling Up, a newly filmed interview with cinematographer John R. Leonetti
Quarters to Millions, a newly filmed interview with producer Lawrence Kasanoff
The Heavyweight, a newly filmed interview with designer and suit performer Tom Woodruff
Mortal Kombat: A Journey Behind the Scenes featurette
On-set interview bites with the cast and director and B-roll footage
Theatrical trailers
Image gallery
DISC TWO – MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION
4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative by Arrow Films approved by director John R. Leonetti
Brand new audio commentary with director John R. Leonetti moderated by filmmaker Gillian Wallace Horvat
Brand new audio commentary with comic book expert and podcast host Dave Baxter
The Queen of the Night, a newly filmed interview with actor Musetta Vander
Techno, Taiko, Orcho, a newly filmed interview with composer George S. Clinton
The Man of a Thousand Deaths, a newly filmed interview with stunt performer J.J. Perry, who played Cyrax, Scorpion and Noob Saibot
On-set interview bites with the cast and director and B-roll footage
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
“Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie“
One of the funniest movies of the first half of 2026, this indie gem comes courtesy of our friends in the North, more specifically the twisted genius of Matt Johnson and his BFF Jay McCarrol. In the late ’00s, Johnson and McCarrol made a web series called “Nirvanna the Band,” loosely about their own quest for artistic success. That footage has allowed them to make a riff on “Back to the Future” that includes younger versions of themselves as the 2020s Matt and Jay end up going back to 2008, shaking reality with their efforts to play the Rivoli. Funny and sweet, this has been a sturdy hit for Neon, who have given the film a loaded Blu-ray that comes with two commentaries a deleted scene and much more. We’ll forgive that awful cover art.
Special Features
Audio commentary with Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol
Audio commentary with Matt Johnson and the Production Team
Alternate Opening
Animatics
Back to 2008, Running Cable
Deleted Scene
Home Movies
Figured it Out Featurette
Nirvana the band, the Show – Episode 101
The Banner
Post Credit Scene
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie“
The first “Super Mario” movie was a loose assembly of references to the video games that spawned it, but at least it had a few characters and set pieces that sparked (MVP Donkey Kong). You can’t really say that about this cat toy of a movie, a bunch of bright colors and lights meant to distract you from the fact that it’s about as hollow as blockbuster filmmaking gets. Loyal readers may be wondering why it’s included in a monthly column that generally features only highlights, but this movie is too big to ignore, and the truth is that the Blu-ray is stacked with special features for the fans of this nostalgic light show and we try to highlight whenever a company treats buyers right. The filmmakers here are another story.
Special Features
NEXT LEVEL: MAKING THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE – Go behind the scenes of this epic journey across the cosmos as the visionary creators at Nintendo, the acclaimed filmmakers and artists of Illumination, and the extraordinary cast who redefined these iconic characters reveal the artistry behind every meticulously crafted moment.
CAST OF CHARACTERS – Explore how this impeccable cast masterfully embodied the iconic MARIO BROS. characters, honoring their legacy while captivating audiences across generations worldwide.
Mario & Luigi
Peach & Rosalina
Bowser & Bowser Jr.
Toad & Yoshi
EXPLORING THE GALAXY – Guided by the filmmakers and cast, audiences embark on a journey through the film’s most iconic settings, revealing the thoughtful layers of nostalgia embedded in each one.
GALACTIC THEMATICS – The emotional core of any SUPER MARIO BROS. film lies in its relationships. This piece delves into the bonds between characters, examining the alliances that are tested, the connections that are broken, and those that endure and evolve forever.
COSMIC TUNES – Some sounds are unmistakably SUPER MARIO BROS. Composer Brian Tyler invites audiences inside his creative process, reimagining the franchise’s iconic game music as a powerful cinematic score that drives the action and elevates this epic adventure.
POWER-UPS – There is no greater tool in the galaxy than a perfectly timed power-up. Take a closer look at the many power-ups featured in the film, explore how the filmmakers selected which to include, and hear from the cast as they share their personal favorites.
SECRETS OF THE GALAXY – Brimming with cleverly hidden Easter eggs, the film invites fans to return again and again to catch them all. In this feature, the filmmakers and cast offer insider guidance on where to look, what to watch for, and the surprises waiting to be discovered.
“Wake in Fright” (Arrow)
I was lucky enough to see this 4K restoration at Fantastic Fest in 2024, and it was one of the most memorable film experiences of that year. You can almost feel the heat coming off the celluloid in this vision of a schoolteacher who essentially goes mad in the middle of nowhere. The restoration is finally available on physical media thanks to the great folk at Arrow, who have loaded the movie with tons of archival materials, including interviews, two commentaries, and much more. One of the most controversial films of its era, “Wake in Fright” is an unforgettable experience, a case study in madness and moral degradation that’s increasingly been rightfully recognized as one of the essential films of its era.
Special Features
4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Original lossless mono audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Audio commentary by director Ted Kotcheff and editor Anthony Buckley
Audio commentary by Peter Galvin, author of The Making of Wake in Fright
Return to the ‘Yabba, a featurette tracking down the film’s Broken Hill locations
Take in Fright, an interview with director of photography Brian West
Sounds of the Outback, a previously unreleased interview with sound editors Keith Palmer and Eddy Joseph
The Cinema’s Great Squeaky Bald Git, an appreciation of actor Donald Pleasence by film historian Kim Newman
The Filmmaker and the Film Buff, a discussion between Philippe Mora and Paul Harris
Yer Mad, Ya Bastard!, an archive interview with director Ted Kotcheff
Not Quite Hollywood, an archive interview with actor Jack Thompson
Q&A with Ted Kotcheff from the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival
Audio interview with Ted Kotcheff, conducted by Paul Harris
Audio interview with composer John Scott, conducted by music historian Daniel Schweiger
Alternate scenes from Outback
2009 TV report on the rediscovery and restoration of Wake in Fright
Who Needs Art?, a 1971 TV segment with behind-the-scenes footage
Chips Rafferty obituary by Ken G. Hall
US theatrical trailer and TV spot
Foreign Visions of Local Stories, a trailer reel of Australian films helmed by overseas filmmakers
Image gallery
Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Jay Slater, Paul Lê and David Michael Brown plus archive materials
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jeff Marshall
- Retreating From The Elephant: The Perpetually Impending Demise of Indie Cinema (June 29, 2026)
At any given moment, the movie I’m most looking forward to seeing simply doesn’t exist because no one financed it. Right now, it’s the new movie by Amanda Wilder. We are more than 10 years away from “Approaching The Elephant,” the magnificent and sensitive documentary about an alternative school in New Jersey, made by someone who seemed primed to become the heir apparent to Allan King. The trouble? No one with money ever paid to find out just what Amanda Wilder’s career could have been.
For those of you who don’t know, I’ve spent the better part of the last three years trying to get a movie financed, and when that didn’t happen, I quite literally begged people for money and came up with just enough cash to shoot it. We still owe many thousands of dollars to different funds, and there’s no post-production budget. If this sounds like a blue ribbon winner at the 8th-grade sob story competition, it most certainly is, but imagine how the rest of the independent film world feels.
I’ve been making micro-budget features since I was 20. Some people tried to do things the hard way, and all they got was this lousy economy and a sudden industry interest in movies by YouTubers. During my years-long odyssey to get my film “Stubborn Beast,” co-directed with my best friend in the world, Tucker Johnson, I called in every favor I had accrued, and when I tell you it wasn’t even close to enough…
Jennifer Prediger and Jess Weixlar’s “Apartment Troubles.”
The film I’m looking to second of all is the non-existent follow-up to Jennifer Prediger and Jess Weixler’s sharp and surreal “Apartment Troubles,” a comedy that came out of nowhere, the product of two underutilized actresses with a lot to offer beyond the bare facts of their places in the film economy. This hysterical movie struck me as the arrival of a duo capable of anything. Evidently, I was wrong, as no one else but me seemed to rise to this special movie’s defense.
The independent film world is more harsh and worryingly dispirited than it’s been since the 1960s. I was asking people for leads, only to be told time and again that if such things existed, there’d be a much healthier American cinema. Or as Bruce LaBruce memorably let me down easy: “Honey, if I knew someone, I’d be making a movie right now.” And LaBruce is comparatively prolific if not better treated by distributors, certainly in America. It’s a miracle when one of his movies makes it to my television, let alone theaters near me.
The one art theatre in Baltimore needs new projectors and runs mainstream movies to keep the lights dim, and programmers like Eric Allen Hatch and Alex Lei try to keep the cinema flourishing elsewhere. Alex and I took Tony Buba, the legendary (to the initiated) documentarian behind “Lightning Over Braddock,” and it took us both by surprise how much the experience of an 82-year-old experimental Marxist non-fiction director and the 36-year-old version of the same thing were alike.
As Amanda Wilder’s second film doesn’t exist, as “Apartment Troubles 2” seems less than certain, the movie I’m most looking forward to this year, Patrick Wang’s “A. Rimbaud,” I likely won’t see. It’s only playing a handful of theatrical dates, put up almost like concerts. A great artist can no longer rely on regular bookings. With this in mind, I wanted to run down a list of artists whose work struggles to enter the public consciousness, or indeed artists who never made their second film.
Patrick Wang’s “A. Rimbaud.”
Patrick Wang is one of the lucky ones, though we should have dozens more of his movies by now. Wang’s “In The Family” and “A Bread Factory: Parts 1 and 2” were understandably beloved, but the movie of his I swirl in my head like a memory from a perfect date is the magnificent “The Grief of Others,” a movie that drifts through experimental methods to tell a simple story. Its final scene is two lengthy static shots slowly enveloping and spitting each other out, and it’s quite unlike any other version of the same idea. Patrick all but runs his hands across his textures like he’s disturbing the surface of a river. Bonus it, like Dan Sallitt’s “The Unspeakable Act,” features a pre-stardom Mike Faist.
If Dan is known, it is because he is beloved. He has no casual fans, no less than devoted acolytes. When Dan’s producer called me to ask if I’d drive the gear truck for his new movie, a sequel to “Unspeakable,” the only thing that stopped me was timing—I had to go to a wedding in Chicago. Dan’s films have been steadily building momentum from what those of you with cinema studies degrees might call a Bazinian sense of stability, with the sureness and stillness of frames and performances giving way to a core of blistering emotion.
I fell in love with Dan when, during the climax of “Unspeakable,” lead Tallie Medel shouts at her brother not to leave their secret shared space in the attic. She doesn’t say what’s on her mind, but she doesn’t let him know that if he leaves the room, nothing will ever be the same. This movie had so stealthily prowled around the edges of our hero’s desires and needs that to see her finally break character, so to speak, was like a car chase in three sentences. My heart seized. My throat closed. That’s why I see movies.
Dan Sallitt’s “The Unspeakable Acts.”
And for those of us who do care about action sequences, my friend Alejandro Montoya Marin is still trying to get his new film, “The Unexpecteds,” shown and taken seriously. Alejandro got his start on Robert Rodriguez’s “Rebel Without a Crew” show, in which a group of filmmakers was given meager means to make their own movies. Alejandro’s stuck out to me instantly. They were playful, they were funny, but more importantly, he had filmmaking intelligence. The means are what they are, but the man connects the images the right way. The movies snap and shake.
“The Unexpecteds” is a story of the little guy just trying not to make getting screwed the end of his story, and it’s the story to which any of us working the independent circuit, such as it is, can relate. Ditto his sweet comedy “Millennium Bugs,” about trying to take responsibility for yourself on your own terms. Its release was scuttled by COVID, but in the years since, it has not gotten much more popular, which is a great shame.
But this, of course, gets at the real problem: Indie and independent became genres, but in so doing, “they” lost their identity. As with Indie Rock or Soundcloud Rap, the system will always adapt to consume more of what’s being made for less. The system depends on free labor. How many movies did you watch during lockdown that weren’t studio-funded?
Even at our lowest and most desperate for culture, our media intake was handled by big business. Alejandro pounded the pavement to get his money and his cast, and came to the attention of Kevin Smith, who boarded as executive producer, but a movie that misses buzz during its theatrical window has a hard road to canonization, and the director remains just one more little fish in an increasingly small, brackish pond. And when they do break through, like Anna Rose Holmer, whose incredible debut “The Fits” was justly celebrated as a bold new direction for “indie,” we in her corner just have to hope that the dismal performance of her follow-up “God’s Creatures” hasn’t stymied her longer than the four years it’s been without news of a third feature.
Anna Rose Holmer’s “The Fits.”
Take the case of my friend Charles Poekel, who hasn’t yet made another movie after his searching and sad “Christmas, Again.” He’s a professor who helps run the Bainbridge Island Film Festival, and none of that amounts to someone watching his excellent debut and wondering what this gentleman’s next act might look like. Or Zachary Treitz, whose debut feature “Men Go To Battle” was one of the best films of 2015, made on a shoestring, yet enormous in its minutia. Two men survive the Civil War in different circumstances, and Treitz locates a Malickian poetry of neuroses and exhaustion on the battlefields.
The film is riotously funny at times, achingly sad at others. But the point is that anyone could have attempted this sort of movie, and I’ve seen nothing like it since its relatively positive reception back in the day. And since then? It took Treitz almost a decade to make the Netflix series “American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders,” which shows how much the economy depends on true crime, at the expense of all else.
TV is still only available to some people. Jon Hyams has been working on undeserving network cop shows while an inferior adaptation of his documentary “The Smashing Machine” hit the awards circuit. The great Stephen Cone’s last gig was directing episodes of a long-since-canceled Sundance TV show called “This Close,” having scared up no support to follow up his acclaimed and deeply moving “Princess Cyd.” Lucky McKee’s last gig was an episode of “Poker Face.” Though her by-all-accounts terrific “Moonglow” is at hand, Isabel Sandoval was working on “The Summer I Turned Pretty” when even a casual fan would tell you she deserved the whole budget of the show to make her own art. Amy Seimetz had creative control taken away from her on the historically boring and dreadful “The Idol,” which means it’s been six years since she made a follow-up to her panic-attack sophomore feature “She Dies Tomorrow.”
A Friend of the Family (Peacock)
Neo-realist Eliza Hittman’s last gig was on the Peacock show “A Friend of the Family.” Gillian Robespierre, Courtney Hunt, Caryn Waechter, the list goes on. Not to say TV’s a bad use of one’s energy, but it does highlight that it’s easier to become a piece of a machine than to convince people you’re worth their time and money as an artist. It behooves executives to operate under the delusion that anyone can hold a camera—this is how these artists are kept away from the sets which they so richly deserve to run. But it’s that or wait for the pieces to fall into place, which explains why we only get new movies by Whitney Horn and Lev Kalman, deadpan satirists whose fever dream genre exercises just hit.
Independent cinema gets thrown around at directors who maybe once had to scrounge to get their budgets, like Sean Baker and the now-divided, rightly polarizing Safdie brothers, but they’ve been supported by a pretty serious financial apparatus in the last 15 years. Those directors ought to be subsidizing independent cinema, and to their credit sometimes they do (Baker produced Joanna Arnow’s first feature to his eternal credit), but there is no reason for there to be an ecosystem of people connected by and best defined by wasted potential, and that’s before we tally up “valedictory” figures like Alan Rudolph, John Waters, Billy Woodberry, Julie Dash, Tamara Jenkins, and Larry Fessenden. As with any other industry with insufficient union protections, the infrastructure was made by people who won’t get to enjoy it.
So yes, by all means, feel sorry for me, GOD KNOWS I NEED IT, but I’m at the very bottom of a very long list. The less curious we get about where the money is going, the more we have to settle for not caring what the studio system produces, because there’s only so much funding, only so much oxygen, and only so much room at the top, and that’s without factoring in the people who kick the ladder down when they’ve made it there. Enjoy the next movies you see with no studio financing, no name producer, no major stars, the next truly independent movie you see. It could be your last.
- A French-Language “Zorro” Offers a Charmingly Offbeat Interpretation of the Famous Vigilante (June 29, 2026)
The character of Zorro has been around for over a hundred years. Created by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley in 1919, the popular masked vigilante has appeared in over 40 feature films and multiple television series, portrayed by actors ranging from Tyrone Power and Douglas Fairbanks to Guy Williams and Antonio Banderas. And although Zorro may seem a somewhat archaic figure to modern audiences, the character has indelibly shaped much of the superhero fiction that remains so popular today.
Even those who know relatively little about the original stories in which the character appeared will find his masked crusader persona, complete with a domino mask, flowing cape, and secret lair, deeply familiar. This makes sense, given that Zorro was one of the foundational influences behind the creation of Batman, another wealthy aristocrat who plays dumb as a cover for the secret identity that allows him to battle corrupt elites and help the poor. But while these familiar narrative beats are still present in “Zorro,” MHz Choice’s eight-part French-language reimagining of the famous character, the series is eager to put its own spin on his story.
While this latest adaptation boasts familiar swashbuckling action, a masked hero, and a well-meaning crusade for justice, this isn’t a particularly traditional tale. A genre-bending mix of adventure, occasionally slapstick comedy, relationship mishaps, and colonial politics, this “Zorro” feels largely unlike any take on this particular hero we’ve ever seen before. It’s an ambitious reimagining that doesn’t always work—its insistence on mistaken identity gags will test your patience at more than one point—but the show’s refreshingly different approach to its premise still manages to make this century-old hero feel brand new again.
Artwork: Meije Randetti©Marcel Hartmann – Paramount – FTV – collectif 64 – Bien Sûr Productions
The story begins in 1821 when Zorro is essentially retired. His real-life alter ego, the dorky but charmingly earnest Don Diego de la Vega (Jean Dujardin), hasn’t put on his famous cape and mask in 20 years. Now a fifty-something proto-technocrat, he fights for justice by way of civic improvement. He has grand plans for improving his beloved Los Angeles, including installing a central pipeline to bring much-needed water to the town. But when he inherits the role of mayor after his father’s (André Dussollier) death, he learns that the elder De la Vega has left it in substantial debt to the predatory businessman Don Emmanuel (Éric Elmosnino).
A corrupt grifter who runs the local casino, uses shell corporations to avoid taxes, and pays his workers with mezcal that he then has the police arrest them for drinking in public, Don Emmanuel regularly—and gleefully—exploits the most marginalized and downtrodden in the community. (There’s even a point at which his casino chips become the town’s primary currency.) He fears no punishment or consequences, and his brazen behavior is nothing so much as proof that, despite Don Diego’s best efforts, the people still need Zorro after all.
Getting back into the saddle takes a while, both literally and figuratively speaking, but by the time loyal sidekick, Bernardo (the endlessly delightful Salvatore Ficarra) has upgraded his gear and introduced him to the son of his famous horse, Tornado (who is also named Tornado, because of course he is), things are suddenly looking a lot more like something we’ve seen before.
Yet “Zorro” smartly refuses to take the easy path. As Don Diego resumes his secret identity, freeing the wrongfully imprisoned, thwarting theft, and just generally riding to the rescue whenever it’s necessary, Zorro slowly emerges as the town’s de facto leader and beloved savior, frequently stealing the spotlight from his own mayoral efforts. To make things even more complicated, De La Vega’s wife Gabriella (Audrey Dana) has a flirtatious run-in with Zorro, a connection blossoms, and Don Diego ultimately finds himself trapped in a love triangle…with another side of himself.
Plenty of vaudevillian-style hijinks ensue as De La Vega pushes himself to the limit to keep his secret, complete with several close calls, misunderstandings, and false accusations. But “Zorro” is at its most interesting in the moments when Don Diego’s identities—both real and secret—come into conflict. We see our hero genuinely struggling with the intersection of his very different lives, torn between his understanding of the man he is and the man he wants to be seen as. He resents his alter ego’s popularity and ability to inspire the townspeople, even as he basks in their praise and admiration. He relishes the opportunity to reconnect with the wife he loves, physically and otherwise, though he is tormented by the fact that she’s drawn so strongly to someone else. (Even if that man is, also technically, him.)
Audrey Dana
American audiences are likely most familiar with Dujardin from his Oscar-winning turn in the largely dialogue-free 2011 film “The Artist,” and he makes for a charismatic leading man here, awkwardly earnest and dryly funny by turns. Though the series features its share of sword-fighting action, this “Zorro” is equally as interested in Don Diego’s internal battles with himself, often depicted via arguments with an imaginary version of his dead father, and Dujardin deftly balances humor and sincerity in ways we don’t tend to associate with this particular character.
Unfortunately, some of the series’ jokes go on a bit too long, and the show drags badly in its midsection. Part of the reason for this is that Zorro and Gabriella’s repeated flirtations and steadily deepening relationship require an almost laughable suspension of disbelief to work, something the admittedly strong chemistry between the actors can’t always cover for. This results in a regrettable (and, quite frankly, unnecessary) dumbing-down of her character. Her incomprehensible disinterest in Zorro’s true identity—not to mention her willingness to let him keep the mask on at all times—does a disservice to Dana’s otherwise sparky and intelligent performance as a woman who generally seems fairly modern for her time.
Told in French, shot in Spain, and full of the colorful imagery of Old California, “Zorro” makes for an enjoyable enough summer distraction, a pleasant throwback to when adventure-themed television was still something major networks still made. Despite poking at themes ranging from the rise of populism to the struggles of aging, the show never takes itself too seriously, and its broad, warmly comedic vibes will almost certainly charm a wide range of viewers. Perhaps this particular masked avenger isn’t the hero we particularly expected to reappear in the year of our Lord 2026, but his return is a welcome one all the same.
All eight episodes screened for review. Premieres June 30 on MHz Choice.
- The Honor of an Absolute Lifetime: Rod Lurie on “Lucky Strike” (June 26, 2026)
“Lucky Strike” is based on the true story of an American soldier wounded behind enemy lines in WWII, during the massive, weeks-long Battle of the Bulge, in December of 1944. Scott Eastwood plays Colonel John Castle, who relies on the then-new technology of a backpack-sized radio that allows him to communicate with his division.
In an interview with RogerEbert.com, director and co-screenwriter Rod Lurie discusses keeping the audience within Castle’s point of view, the film’s three distinct color palettes, and how his wife helped cast a key role.
Talk to me about the cinematography [by Lorenzo Senatore], which is absolutely gorgeous and is so effective at bringing us into that time and place.
Lorenzo Senatore and I talked about it a lot. There are three looks in the film, three distinct color palettes. There’s black and white in the beginning. And then we’re in America, where Scott is meeting with a woman, at the end. Then there is the bulk of the movie, which is in the Battle of the Bulge. Obviously, black and white is its own thing in that first scene. Then I wanted the scene in America to be very bright and vibrant.
But I wanted to get a sense of the cold and the battlefield’s upsetting nature throughout that entire Bulge section. And I was very influenced by the cinematography of a man named Pierre Lhomme, who photographed a movie called “Army of Shadows,” Jean-Pierre Melville’s film. And it’s sort of the same palette that Janusz Kaminski used on “Saving Private Ryan.” Ours is a little bit more lush, I would say.
And I’ve always challenged my DPs to do something that camera movement-wise or composition-wise, that they have never done before. And Lorenzo said, “Ridiculous, I have done everything.” And I said, “No, that’s bullshit. You haven’t done everything.” I said it to him on “The Outpost” as well. And we came up with some stuff there that, to this day, people ask us how we pulled it off.
I challenged him a couple of times here as well. We came up with ideas for some oners that seemed almost impossible. Like, Scott takes out a bunch of Nazis in a farmhouse and runs outside. And we follow him, and then somehow, we follow him into a tank, all in one shot. Lorenzo would say, “This cannot be done.” And then I would say to him, “Except you.” And he goes, “I am going to try.“ And so he pulls out this magician stuff that’s really just amazing. It’s really just amazing. I love his work in this film, and I love cinematography.
The oners are so immediate and visceral.
When you can put that into a combat situation, then you really do create a first-person point of view. It was very important that this movie be Scott’s or Castle’s point of view. We tried, except in the opening section, which was very much meant to be objective, to really stay in his point of view. When we see him in conversation, we never see over his shoulder because we see what he sees, for example. And when he hears a language that he does not understand, like French or German, we didn’t give subtitles, because why should the audience understand something that he does not?
Your background at West Point and in the military lends this film a lot of authenticity, as it did in “The Outpost.” Are you from a military family?
My dad was in the Israeli military and quite a hero there, but not in the American military. I went to West Point for many reasons. My first choice was Columbia. I wanted to go to the School of Journalism, but I didn’t get in there. My number-two choice, and very, very, very high, was West Point. First of all, it’s the best school in the world. If you look at the academics at an undergraduate school, they have tons of PhDs and tons of Rhodes Scholars. Edwin Teller was one of my professors, and he’s a physicist.
It was pretty amazing being there. You didn’t have to pay to go there. You got paid. I did want to serve the country. But really, I wanted to become a filmmaker. I didn’t want to go to film school to learn things that you’re going to learn on sets. What I wanted to do was go and study the things that I wanted to make movies about. I studied leadership, principles, American history, and the military. And whenever I walked around that beautiful campus, I would always ask myself the same question: “Where would I put the camera?”
They haven’t allowed a full feature film to be made on the campus there in 75 years. It’s very difficult to get approved. It’s really the jewel of the Army. But I got it approved for a boxing film a few years ago. Right. And I got approved by Lionsgate and West Point, and then my father got sick, and I had to take care of him. And I just couldn’t take the time to make a movie at that point.
I was surprised to find you credited as a composer for the film.
I came up with the opening melody, the melody that runs throughout the film. However, all the rest of the music, all the tonal stuff in the film, comes from Larry Groupe, who has been my lifelong, career-long composer. I don’t want to credit grab too much. I did write the song at the end. I have done that for several films.
The score is very powerful. In the scene where Castle ends up in the tank, it’s very intense.
That was Larry, and there are these pizzicatos and sliders throughout the film that are also him. He’s a marvelous composer. The Outpost, he did some great electronic work. He did some wonderful tonal stuff there as well. It’s interesting that there has been a shift away from melody in movies and movie scores. And I think that really started to become very in vogue with the movie “Sicario,” where it’s basically all tonal or even in “The Revenant,” and movies like that. Nobody can hum them anymore.
I was very pleased to see one of my favorite actresses, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, in the film.
In the story that my partner Mark Friedman was told, which became the basis for this movie, our hero does go back to find the woman who made the radio that saved his life. We needed to get a very powerful African-American actress. My wife, Kyra Davis Lurie, is Black. She turned on “Lovecraft Country” and said, “Watch this.” And I did. She said, “That’s it.” And I said, “You bet.” I only had one day with her, but we’ve already talked about doing more stuff together. She’s a bit of a miracle of an actress.
It was wonderful to see the premiere at the National Archives. Why was that so meaningful for you?
It should be self-evident that for a director who is a veteran, who’s making a movie about World War II, which really put America on its best display, how much it means to be offered to screen your movie at the National Archives, where, when you walk out of the theater, the Declaration of Independence is right there. It is the honor of an absolute lifetime. Nothing I will ever do, screening-wise, will match that. The fact that these people saw our film as worthy, that we had their 107-year-old commander from the Battle of the Bulge, Herb Stern. Afterward, he held my hand and said, “You got it right.” I’m taking that to the bank now.
It’s hard for us today to realize how revolutionary the communications technology was in 1944.
It gave them the ability to communicate instantaneously from one unit to another. Asking for cover fire or just knowing where their friends were was completely and utterly essential. And the 300 series was extremely sturdy. It could transmit up to 13 kilometers. And in a place like the Battle of the Bulge, which is very condensed, something like that was very important. And of course, it was a miracle for people like Scott’s character who are trapped behind enemy lines. Just to be given the ability to at least know where your unit is changed the course of the war and warfare period.
I was very touched near the end of the film, when we see a child who shares your late son’s name.
My son died of a blood clot right in front of my eyes while I was making “The Outpost.” And I look back today, and I don’t know how I got through it. And well, I do know how I got through it. I got through it through the art that we make and the sense that we can have purpose. Before he died, I promised him that I would only do things that carried some meaning. And this is the stuff that means the most to me right now.
