Movies

It’s rare for a horror movie’s sound to be as impactful as what you see on screen, but Bryan Bertino’s new film, *Vicious*, definitely achieves that. Now available to stream, *Vicious* traps Dakota Fanning’s character, Polly, in a terrifying situation. One of the film’s best choices was to minimize the musical score, allowing Fanning’s performance and the chilling sound design to truly shine.

A recent report from industry insider Daniel Richtman suggests Tom Holland’s Spider-Man won’t be in the upcoming movie, *Avengers: Doomsday*. While Richtman says Holland is expected to have a major part in the next *Avengers* film, *Avengers: Secret Wars*, he isn’t currently planned to appear in *Doomsday*.

Mary Bronstein had been developing this film for years, and I was interested to hear when I first became involved. She’d actually been working on it for a full seven years when the script came to me through my agent. I was immediately impressed – it was a fantastic read with lots of unexpected twists. Even the more unusual elements of the movie were clearly present in the script. What you see on screen is elevated, but it all started on the page. After speaking with Mary, I learned this story was deeply personal to her, which gave the project a strong foundation.

While the original *Harry Potter* films were popular, they weren’t without flaws. The filmmakers had to make difficult choices and streamline the story, which meant some characters and plot points were left out or changed. The new reboot provides an opportunity to address these issues, especially regarding the character of Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore was a complex figure whose full story wasn’t revealed until later in the books, and the films only hinted at this depth. Subsequent franchises unfortunately lost this nuance.

Okay, so Channing Tatum was awesome as Gambit in the new *Deadpool & Wolverine* trailer! And get this – he’s going to be back as Gambit in *Avengers: Doomsday* too! They’ve already finished filming that one, and it’s hitting theaters in 2026. I’m already counting down the days!

The movie culminates in an explosive outburst of rage. For the previous hour, we’ve watched Linda (Rose Byrne) fall apart in every aspect of her life – she’s overwhelmed by her daughter’s illness, criticized by her estranged husband, ignored by her landlord about a serious apartment repair, and feels unsupported by her therapist. As a therapist herself, she’s also struggling professionally. All of these disappointments finally come together, creating a moment that feels utterly devastating.

Director Derek Cianfrance, known for his sensitive portrayals of flawed men in films like *The Place Beyond the Pines* and *Blue Valentine*, found himself drawn to this story of a father prioritizing material possessions – a bike, a pool – over spending time with his daughter. However, *Roofman*, which he also co-wrote, doesn’t quite land as the lighthearted film it seems to aim for, resulting in an uneven tone. A good example is the scene where Jeffrey is finally caught after completing 45 jobs, with the police arriving during his daughter’s birthday party. It tries to be funny, showing Jeffrey comically running through neighborhoods, but it’s undercut by the upsetting image of him being arrested in front of his daughter, who watches with fear. Cianfrance doesn’t treat the people around Jeffrey as unimportant; the film stays largely within Jeffrey’s perspective, using voice-over to reveal his belief that he’s a well-intentioned person doing his best with what he’s got and avoiding hurting anyone.

Orcas, watch out – the new thriller *The Woman in Cabin 10* seems determined to challenge the world of luxury yachts! This adaptation of Ruth Ware’s 2016 novel significantly departs from the original story, altering the ending, characters, and their reasons for acting. Even the yacht, the *Aurora Borealis*, is different in size. With multiple credited writers, including the director Simon Stone, the film feels overstuffed with changes.

Reviewers have been buzzing about the music by Nine Inch Nails in the new film, *Tron: Ares*, which stars Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Jeff Bridges returning as Kevin Flynn. Eric Eisenberg at TopMob gave the movie 2.5 out of 5 stars, expressing disappointment despite anticipating an exciting return to The Grid.

Lionsgate Television and Temple Hill Entertainment are partnering to create a television series based on Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ popular book series, *The Inheritance Games*. The books have sold over six million copies globally, and the first book quickly became a New York Times bestseller. Barnes will also be a producer on the show, with Temple Hill executive producing. This series adds to Lionsgate’s growing list of young adult franchises, which already includes *The Twilight Saga* and *The Hunger Games*.