REVIEW: “Evil Dead Burn” (2026)

July 13, 2026 by Keith Garlington

Starting with its inception in 1981, the Evil Dead film series has maintained a distinct identity all its own. And that’s quite an accomplishment in the regularly crowded horror genre. After three movies, original masterminds Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell mostly stepped away in 1992. But the film series was far from done. In 2013 director Fede Álvarez gave us an obviously inspired soft reboot. It was followed by Lee Cronin’s 2023 stand-alone sequel. And now Evil Dead fans have a new entry to once again make them squirm.

“Evil Dead Burn” is another worthy installment that comes from director Sébastien Vaniček. He plucks several elements directly from the franchise’s core to tell his own story, although one with some surprisingly deep connections to its predecessors. Working from a script he co-wrote with Florent Bernard, Vaniček takes his audience on another wince-inducing horror ride. And he doesn’t shirk on the franchise’s key signatures, namely the gore-drenched set pieces and sudden moments of pitch-black humor.

As everyone should know by now, Evil Dead movies aren’t for the faint of heart. But “Burn” ratchets up the grisly horror even more than normal, with Vaniček using nearly everything at his disposal to unsettle his audience. Fish hooks, corkscrews, candle wax, a fountain pen, a dishwasher, a shower curtain – that’s just a small sample of the many objects he weaponizes in some devilishly gnarly ways.

As for the story, it loosely builds itself around the theme of domestic abuse, with characters representing survivors, abusers, and enablers. Souheila Yacoub plays a young woman named Alice. After her abusive husband William (George Pullar) is killed in a car wreck, Alice attends the funeral with his family. Afterwards they all congregate at the family’s homeplace where we get a clear understanding of who these characters are and of the family conflicts that seem ready to boil over.

In addition to Alice, there is William’s angry father Edgar (Erroll Shand) and his oblivious mother Susan (Tandi Wright). There is William’s empathetic but weak-kneed brother Joseph (Hunter Doohan) and his wife Thya (Luciane Buchanan). Lastly there is William’s grandmother and Susan’s mother Polly (Maude Davey) who is struggling with dementia. Bitterness, favoritism, passivity, negligence, animosity – just some of the sins that paint a troubling picture of this broken family.

But in true Evil Dead fashion, the terror kicks in with the arrival of the Deadites – malevolent demons who violently possess the bodies of the living or dead. They’re summoned by the reading of cursed texts from ancient demonic books such as the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis (aka The Book of the Dead). In this case, they’ve been drawn by Joseph’s study of his late grandfather’s research into the Deadites. We learn the missing patriarch devoted his life to studying the Necronomicon and searching for an ancient artifact believed to hold the secret to killing the Deadites.

As franchise fans will expect, the violence unleashed on the family by the Deadites is gruesome, vicious, and sadistic. The movie’s creative uses of blood and gore energizes the horror by its sheer audacity. The bulk of it is realized through a strong reliance on inspired practical effects and terrific makeup artistry. And it’s all enhanced by a slew of crafty camera tricks that rattle us to our core. Vaniček and DP Philip Lozano firmly ground us in the terror with an array of rotating cameras, intense tracking shots, sharp zooms, and more.

It may sound cliché, but once “Evil Dead Burn” has you in its twisted clutches, the movie refuses to let go. While die-hard fans will have a blood-splattered ball with it, the graphic violence is fairly relentless which may end up pushing some folks away. And the film is tagged with an ending that isn’t nearly as potent as everything that comes before it. Yet “Evil Dead Burn” features the same wicked edge that the series is known for while also introducing some compelling new layers to the established lore. And it features two end-credits scenes (yes two, so stay till the very end) that tease some wild and gnarly things to come. Feed me more!

VERDICT – 4 STARS

New on Home Video: “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” on 4K Ultra HD + Digital

July 10, 2026 by Keith Garlington

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is bringing one of the year’s best horror movies to home video. “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” is a genuinely unsettling chiller that sees Cronin putting his own unique spin on the often told Mummy tale. It’s an unabashedly grisly horror spectacle that will have you squirming one minute and unexpectedly laughing the next. And now you can do it in the comforts of your own home.

“Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” will be available to own on 4K Ultra HD + Digital Copy July 14th. See below for a full synopsis of the film as well as release information including a list of special features.

About the Film:

Year: 2026

Runtime: 134 Minutes

Director: Lee Cronin

Screenwriter: Lee Cronin

Cast: Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, Veronica Falcón, Shylo Molina, Billie Roy, Hayat Kamille, May Elghety, Husam Chadat, Mark Mitchinson

Rated R for for strong disturbing violent content, gore, language and brief drug use

The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace—eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.

Hot off the record-setting resurrection of EVIL DEAD RISE, writer/director Lee Cronin turns to one of the most iconic horror stories of all time with an audacious and twisted retelling: LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY.

Special Features:

“Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” on Digital, 4K UHD, and Blu-ray contain the following special features:

The Making of Lee Cronin’s The Mummy – Director Lee Cronin reveals his striking vision for a terrifying new mummy tale of heart and horror. Explore the film’s claustrophobic atmosphere and meticulous filmmaking as it delivers emotion and relentless terror!

A Bloody and Grotesque Spectacle – Blood, bugs and toenails fuel this inside look at the film’s wild SFX and practical filmmaking magic! Cast and crew also reveal how Natalie Grace transforms into a demon-possessed vessel through intense prosthetics and chilling physicality.
Possession and Ancient Demons – Explore the story’s Egyptian roots and demonic rituals. Detective Zaki and the family investigate Katie’s disappearance as the cast reveals the visceral reality of filming possession and terror while building the film’s many unforgettable scenes.
Deleted Scenes
Commentary by Writer/Director/Executive Producer Lee Cronin

REVIEW: “Office Romance” (2026)

July 9, 2026 by Keith Garlington

“Office Romance” is the latest dime-a-dozen romantic comedy to come down the streaming pipeline. It’s also among the more inconsistent ones as director Ol Parker struggles to make something worthwhile out of its many romcom clichés and misguided swings. Jennifer Lopez puts in the work and ultimately makes the film tolerable. But she can only carry so much of the load. And she can’t make the movie’s numerous uninspired choices make sense.

Lopez plays Jackie Cruz, the hardened CEO of a major airline AirCruz. The business was founded by her father Jack (Edward James Olmos) who still pops up every so often. But it’s Jackie who turned the fledgling business into a massively successful company. It hasn’t been easy, especially with a constantly critical board breathing down her neck. For that reason, Jackie has created an intimidating and almost unapproachable presence at work, intensely focusing on the job rather than making any real human connections.

After her ruthless hotshot attorney Peter (Bradley Whitford) chokes on a burrito and is hospitalized, Jackie hands over the day-to-day operations of AirCruz’s legal department to the company’s number-two attorney, Daniel Blanchflower (Brett Goldstein). He’s sharp, savvy, and handsome (a romcom prerequisite) but a bit oafish once he meets Jackie for the first time. A mutual attraction is evident, but any sparks are instantly quenched by an embarrassingly dumb gag – one of many that plague this movie.

Despite her company’s strict “no fraternizing” policy, a forbidden romance blooms, putting both Jackie and Daniel in precarious professional positions. I won’t spoil where things go from there, but it isn’t too hard to figure out. That’s because “Office Romance” follows the very same blueprint that so many others do. (1) Two good-looking people unexpectedly fall in love. (2) An eventual conflict threatens it all. (3) They overcome it to have their ‘Happily Ever After” moment.

While the predictability is one issue, it’s the lack of romantic chemistry that is far more glaring. The script (co-written by Goldstein and Joe Kelly) doesn’t put the time into building anything resembling an authentic central relationship. Instead it wastes too much energy on humor that simply doesn’t land. The attempts at raunchy comedy are especially cringe-inducing and often feel as though they belong in an entirely different movie.

The supporting characters don’t fare well either. Olmos isn’t given enough to do. Betty Gilpin is trapped inside a one-dimensional and tiresome comic relief role. Jodie Whittaker is wasted as Daniel’s foulmouthed incarcerated sister. And there is a smattering of generic office workers who do little more than fill up space in certain scenes. That leaves it all up to Lopez and Goldstein who sadly don’t have nearly enough good material to make this romcom misfire worth a watch.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “Enola Holmes 3” (2026)

July 6, 2026 by Keith Garlington

Netflix has been good to Millie Bobby Brown. She gained worldwide recognition for her role in the insanely popular Netflix streaming series “Stranger Things”, which premiered in 2016 and ran for five successful seasons. She also struck gold in 2020 with “Enola Holmes”, an infinitely charming mystery movie based on author Nancy Springer’s book series “The Enola Holmes Mysteries”. An equally delightful sequel followed in 2022, and now she’s back with the third entry.

“Enola Holmes 3” features more of the same cheeky humor and playful self-awareness that made the previous two films so enjoyable. New director Philip Barantini and returning screenwriter Jack Thorne once again tap into the comedic friction between a fiercely independent young woman clashing with the rigid norms of Victorian-era London. And they use the familiar tricks from the previous films including Enola’s witty narration and constant breaking of the fourth wall.

But while the pieces are all there and Brown is still as energetic and charismatic as ever, “Enola Holmes 3” is easily the weakest installment of the three movies. Its issues start with the central mystery which is never as cohesive or compelling as its predecessors. Plot holes and contrivances are littered throughout and become more noticeable in the second half. Thankfully Brown makes them easier to endure with her infectious spirit that pours out of a role she’s quite clearly comfortable with.

But an even bigger hurdle is the glaring on-the-nose messaging. The Enola Holmes films have always had social commentary cleverly woven into the fabric of their stories. But here it’s obvious to the point of being clunky. The movie admirably seeks to tackle the serious topic of British colonialism. But it does so with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. And while Enola’s fight for independence and autonomy has organically blended into her past stories, it’s more force-fed this time around, right through to the ham-fisted ending.

Following the events of the second film, “Enola Holmes 3” sees our titular protagonist preparing to marry Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) in a lavish ceremony in Malta. All of the pomp isn’t really Enola’s cup of tea. But Tewkesbury’s aristocratic family, led by his snooty mother (Hattie Morahan), plan a sizable wedding fit for the rich and pampered. Because she loves Tewkesbury, Enola goes along for the ride, much to the chagrin of her renowned brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill), who thinks getting married is beneath her.

Enola’s wedding day is thrown into chaos after she learns that Sherlock has gone missing, possibly kidnapped. So she leaves Tewkesbury at the alter and sets out on what is meant to be her most challenging and most dangerous case yet. But she’ll need a lot of help if she is to find Sherlock. And she gets it from a number of supporting players including Sherlock’s friend and confidant, Dr. Watson (Himesh Patel), her own radical outlaw mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter), and even the heartbroken puppy dog Tewkesbury.

The mystery is its most fun early on as Enola searches for clues while remembering Sherlock’s training. The movie wastes no time leading her down a trail of arson and murder as she parses through potential suspects. Perhaps the local British government is involved. And what role does the crazed (and heavily rewritten) Professor Moriarty (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) play? Established in the previous film as a victim of a corrupt system, this Moriarty remains a dramatic shift from the criminal mastermind working from the shadows that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle envisioned.

Everything from the buildup to the inevitable clash between Enola and Moriarty underwhelms. Character motivations are murky and their actions can be even more baffling. Meanwhile Cavill’s Sherlock spends most of his time offscreen which deprives us of their playful brother/sister camaraderie. Still Brown keeps the energy high and she’s such a delight in a role she seems meant to play. Unfortunately this time around the heavy-handed material routinely lets her down.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Lucky Strike” (2026)

July 1, 2026 by Keith Garlington

Scott Eastwood plays a soldier stranded behind enemy lines in “Lucky Strike”, the latest World War II action thriller that is inspired by incredible true events. Director Rod Davis Lurie, working from a script he wrote with Marc Frydman, pulls from numerous real-life accounts of American troops who found themselves alone deep in enemy territory during the costly and consequential Battle of the Bulge.

“Lucky Strike” (a title based on an interesting link to the long-running cigarette brand) tells a fairly straightforward yet consistently engaging story about a soldier, armed only with his wits and a new radio, who must survive a variety of encounters in order to reach a rally point. It’s not unlike similar stories that have been told. But Lurie keeps us glued to the screen by making every encounter meaningful and by raising the stakes higher and higher.

The setting is December, 1944 in eastern Belgium’s Ardennes Forest. Eastwood plays Captain John Castle, the leader of an army engineering battalion who specializes in mining roads and blowing up bridges to stop enemy advancements. He and his team receive orders to cross into Nazi territory and block a critical road in order to keep a ruthless SS Panzer Division from reaching their fuel depots. But in no time, the mission goes terribly wrong.

While wiring their explosives, the team is hit with a surprise attack. All of Castle’s men are killed, leaving only him and the Army’s prototype radio – a backpack-sized Motorola SCR-300 nicknamed Lassie, to navigate the Nazi-infested countryside and make it to an Allied safe zone some 30 kilometers away. As Castle follows Lassie’s lead across the rugged and frigid terrain, he is both caringly aided and violently opposed by the different people he meets along the way.

Again, Lurie and Frydman ensure that each of Castle’s encounters carry meaningful dramatic weight. Whether it’s a sympathetic farm family who offer him refuge or a heavily armed Nazi patrol who puts him in their crosshairs. As for Eastwood, he delivers a performance that impressively balances his character’s courage amid peril with his feelings of utter fear and desperation. He’s tasked with carrying most of the load for a sizable chunk of the movie and he’s up to the task.

Lurie skillfully stages the action in ways that often thrusts us into the middle of it. And the lensing from DP Lorenzo Senatore ensures the tension is palpable throughout. To its credit, “Lucky Strike” isn’t a prototypical war movie. Instead, it turns into a harrowing survival thriller that surprises at numerous points on its gritty and perilous journey. The film is bookended by a part of the story that doesn’t quite click into place as intended. But the meat of the movie delivers the kind of immersive experience that anyone can get into.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

First Glance: “Werwulf”

June 30, 2026 by Keith Garlington

Robert Eggers has established himself as one of the most distinctive filmmakers of our time. Simply put, you know a Robert Eggers movie when you see it. His love for period horror and folklore has permeated every feature he has made including his last film – 2024’s “Nosferatu”. Now he’s back with another Gothic chiller inspired by a classic tale. “Werwulf” looks as if it could exist in the same dark and terrifying world as “Nosferatu”. Look no further than the new trailer to see what I mean.

Set in 13th-century England, “Werwulf” stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a local farmer who comes face-to-face with a curse that has fallen upon a small village. What is the curse? The film’s title pretty much says it all. Eggers brings back several of his favorite stars including Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, and Ralph Ineson. And he once again incorporates a strikingly distinct visual style which only adds to the terror. Dark, visceral, unsettling – just some of the adjectives the fittingly describe this wickedly good first-look.

“Werwulf” roars into theaters on December 25th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.