Author Archives: Keith Garlington

REVIEW: “Miroirs No. 3” (2026)

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High among my favorite international filmmakers working today is German auteur Christian Petzold. Few in his field have maintained the consistent excellence of Petzold, whose career began in 2000 and has spanned the course of eleven movies. He’s been on an exceptionally good run, starting with 2012’s “Barbara”. It was followed by the superb “Phoenix”, “Transit”, “Undine”, and “Afire”. His latest, “Miroirs No. 3” falls right in line with those quietly alluring gems.

“Miroirs No. 3” sees Petzold following his uniquely compelling formula of utilizing grounded contemporary realism while subtly engaging classic genre conventions. And as before, it results in another richly human yet slyly evasive story with a striking emotional undercurrent. But while political allegories have often been central to his movies, here Petzold brings his steady-handed and economical style to a family drama.

The film pulls much of its strength from its lead, Paula Beer. Equal parts captivating and enigmatic, Beer has long been a perfect fit for Petzold’s storytelling form. “Miroirs No. 3” is their fourth film together. And while it could be considered a minor work compared to their past collaborations, the pair once again find the beguiling harmony that has become a signature of their films.

Beer plays Laura, a piano student from Berlin who reluctantly agrees to join her boyfriend and fellow musician Jakob (Philip Froissant) on a weekend getaway with a producer he hopes to impress. Things take a fatal turn after the couple have a car wreck on a quiet rural road. Jakob is killed and a dazed Laura is found by a older woman named Betty (Barbara Auer) who witnessed the accident.

Betty walks Laura to her nearby home and calls the police. After being examined by paramedics, Laura refuses to go to the hospital. Instead she makes a strange request – she asks if she can stay with Betty. Puzzled yet accepting, Betty agrees which sets up Petzold’s unusual scenario. Similarities between the two begin to surface with both seeming lost and detached. But it’s Betty’s situation that ends up getting thenmost of the attention.

Petzold throws several early clues at us, to the point that we get a sense for what’s going on well before it actually plays out. Betty’s house in various shades of disrepair; the near maternal care she shows for Laura; the strange looks the two get from neighbors passing by. But the biggest pieces of the puzzle come with the appearances of Betty’s son Richard (Matthias Brandt) and their moody adult son Max (Enno Trebs).

I won’t spoil where things go from there, but what starts as a beguiling mystery quickly gives way to a story about grief, healing, and the power of human connection. Again, it turns out to be a nice fit for Petzold’s minimalist yet broadly observant style. The film also shares a similar ambiguity with his past films, although here it leads to a slightly less satisfying ending. But Petzold has never minded opacity. He’s more interested in patiently sorting through the emotional journeys people take. And who better than Paula Beer to be our guide?

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” (2026)

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“Ready or Not” released in 2019 and quickly became one of the biggest surprise hits of the year. The horror comedy thriller was picked up and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures who gave it a proper theatrical release. They were rewarded when the film brought in $58 million against its modest $6 million budget. Even better, the film was well-received by critics who were quick to brand it as an instant cult classic.

The only thing more surprising than the first film’s success is that it birthed an unexpected sequel, “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come”. The key creative minds return including co-directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and co-writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. But the most crucial returning piece is Samara Weaving, reprising her role as Grace MacCaullay, the lone survivor of the Le Domas family blood bath.

Image Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

“Ready or Not 2” plays like an extension of the first film, picking up exactly where part one left off. Following what was quite literally the wedding ceremony from Hell, Grace (Weaving) passes out on the steps of the Le Domas family mansion, soaked in the blood of her dead devil-worshipping in-laws. After being transported to the local hospital, she’s visited by her estranged younger sister Faith (Kathryn Newton). The combative siblings waste no time dragging out old baggage.

But little do the sisters know, the Le Domas clan was just one of six families in an international cult of upper-crust worshippers of Le Bail. And their death triggered a clause in the by-laws putting the leadership of the cult’s ruling council up for grabs. So the heads of the remaining families converge on the lavish Danforth estate in Newport, Rhode Island, each vying for the all-powerful high seat. To win it, all they have to do is be the one to kill Grace, and by association Faith, in another game of Hide-and-Seek.

So Grace and Faith are kidnapped and brought to the Danforth mansion where they’re introduced to a new batch of pampered and power-mad hunters. Among them is the domineering Ursula Danforth (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her impetuous twin brother Titus (Shawn Hatosy), the pompous Ignacio El Caido (Néstor Carbonell), the conniving Wan Chen Xing (Olivia Cheng), and the playboy Viraj Rajan (Nadeem Umar-Khitab).

But there are rules that must be followed, and Le Bail takes his rules seriously. So much so that the consequences for breaking them are…messy. The rules are laid out by a mysterious lawyer for Le Bail (a really fun Elijah Wood) and there are A LOT of them. Most are dropped in overly long information drops. Others pop up out of the blue, feeling more like devices to get the plot from one point to the next. But at its core it’s the same as before- Grace and Faith must survive until dawn if they want to live.

Image Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

From there the bulk of ”Ready or Not 2” is more of the same but at a different venue and with different villains. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett once again playfully lather us in blood and guts. The only thing more prevalent than the chunky red stuff are the ludicrously forced f-bombs. The pointlessly potty-mouthed script dumbs things down, sometimes to the point of being a distraction. We also get a lot more lore building, but it’s nothing that will pique your interest.

While “Ready or Not 2” floods us with more gore, more lore, and more mind-numbing f-bombs than before, it also features less laughs and even fewer surprises. Still Weaving and Newton give it their all, making it easier to navigate the frustrations along the way. The inevitable kills can be fun and the overall goofiness of it all makes it easier to digest. But it’s ultimately a sequel that doesn’t offer up enough to justify its existence. And Grace probably would be better off still sitting on the Le Domas estate steps.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

Remembering Chuck Norris (1940 – 2026)

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It was only a few days ago that Chuck Norris passed away in Kauaʻi, Hawaii. The legendary martial artist, action movie star, television actor, and author was 86 years ago. He was born March 10, 1940 in the tiny town of Ryan, Oklahoma. His eventual love for martial arts opened the door to an acting career which kicked off in the 1970s before flourishing in the 1980s.

Norris’ success in martial arts led to him meeting and befriending Bruce Lee. It was Lee who gave Norris his first significant role as a main antagonist in 1972’s “The Way of the Dragon”. Norris would work in several other movies during the decade as an actor and fight choreographer. But it was during the 1980s that his career as an action star took off with films like “The Octagon”, “Lone Wolf McQuade”, the “Missing in Action” trilogy, “Code of Silence”, “Invasion U.S.A.”, and (my personal favorite) “The Delta Force”.

Norris would continue making movies into the 1990s. But his biggest success of the decade came with the hit television show “Walker, Texas Ranger”. The show ran for nine seasons and a total of 196 episodes. Since then, Norris has appeared in several television and movie projects while participating is numerous charities aimed at children, military veterans, AIDS/HIV care, and more. RIP Mr. Norris.

REVIEW: “Project Hail Mary” (2026)

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I admit to being surprised by the overwhelmingly positivity found in nearly every early reaction to “Project Hail Mary”. I know that the film’s star, Ryan Gosling is infinitely likable and has a strong and very vocal fanbase. But “Project Hail Mary” follows the kind of feel-good formula that often gets panned by more cynical critics and crowds. And it isn’t the most original slice of science-fiction to come down the cinematic pipeline.

But here’s the good news. “Project Hail Mary” is a winner. It’s a big-hearted and proudly human science-fiction adventure that is propelled by the effortless charisma of its beloved star. And this is the kind of role that fits perfectly with the current phase of Gosling’s career. He’s occasionally too silly and overly charming. But he remains remarkably grounded which keeps this unexpectedly gripping crowd-pleaser anchored for most of its hefty running time.

Written for the screen by Drew Goddard, “Project Hail Mary” is an adaptation of Andy Weir’s 2021 novel of the same name. The directing duo of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller once again bring their blend of jaw-dropping spectacle with childlike wonder, which energizes a story that certainly doesn’t break new ground. But the emphasis they place on smaller, humanity-infused details rivals any of the grander deep-space set pieces they deliver. And their film’s moving thematic shift in the second half is the icing on the cake.

Image Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

The movie begins with what plays like a fairly conventional ‘save the planet’ story. Earth’s scientists have discovered that our sun is slowly dying. A rapidly reproducing, parasitic microorganism called Astrophage is consuming our sun’s energy, which in time will inevitably lead to a catastrophic cooling of Earth. To stop the extinction level event, scientists scramble to find a solution. They discover that the Astrophage has affected every known star but one – Tau Ceti.

Enter Dr. Ryland Grace (Gosling), an ostracized molecular biologist who has found his place as a middle school science teacher. One day he is approached by Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller), the head of the multinational Hail Mary project. She recruits him to join their last desperate attempt to save the planet – a one-way mission to Tau Ceti to learn why the star remains unaffected by the Astrophage.

All of the above is mostly revealed through a series of well-incorporated flashbacks. The film’s nonlinear storytelling actually begins with Grace waking up from an induced coma, only to learn that he is the lone member of his three-person crew to survive the long journey to Tau Ceti. Light years away from home and all on his own, Grace must pull it together and complete their mission if Earth is to have any chance at survival.

Image Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

The movie takes an interesting turn after Grace discovers he’s not to the only one there to research Tau Ceti. He makes first contact with an inquisitive stone-like alien who also happens to be the soul survivor of his crew sent to save his planet from the Astrophage. Their initial caution turns to curiosity as the two space travelers connect over a shared purpose. Soon they’re bridging their communication gap, sharing their knowledge, and working together to stop the destruction of their home worlds.

While their theorizing and experimenting is fun to watch, it’s the heartfelt development of their friendship that sends the story in a new direction. Grace gives his new pal the name Rocky and the two only get closer through the urgency of their missions. Rocky is the creation of Oscar-winning effects artist Neal Scanlan and was a brought to life through animatronics, puppeteering, and some VFX. Rocky is a magnificent creation who we immediately believe and invest in.

At 156 minutes, “Project Hail Mary” runs a little long, bogging down just a little around the halfway mark. But Lord and Miller quickly kick their story back into gear, transporting us through a thrilling cinematic journey that is equal parts spectacular and personal. The film looks amazing with its heavy reliance on impressive practical effects. Yet it’s the inescapable feel-good charm and stirring emotional core that makes the film so utterly irresistible. Again, it doesn’t break new ground. But it’s hard to knock it when it does what it does so well.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Wardriver” (2026)

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In “Wardriver”, Dane DeHaan plays a low-level criminal named Cole. His racket is simple but clever. He drives around swiping people’s credentials by hacking into Wi-Fi networks and/or rigging phony card readers onto ATM machines. Once he has his victim’s information, he drains their bank accounts without leaving a digital trail. He only targets small scores which keeps him off the law’s radar. But when he’s pulled into a dangerous cyberheist, Cole finds himself caught in a web he can’t escape.

That’s a good introduction to director Rebecca Thomas’ “Wardriver”. It’s a slow-building crime thriller that takes some time to get going. Much of the first half is Cole driving around Salt Lake City, typing on his keyboard, sucking on lollipops, and puffing on his vape. Still screenwriter Daniel Casey’s script does a good enough job dropping us into Cole’s lonely, isolated existence, even if it doesn’t amount to much dramatically.

Image Courtesy of The Avenue

Things finally rev up after Cole is grabbed and beaten down by a local hood named Oscar (Mamoudou Athie). We learn Oscar works as a doorman at a swanky hotel’s restaurant that is frequented by a young woman named Sarah (Sasha Calle) and a man he believes to be her father. Oscar puts together a plan using an unaware Sarah to steal a chunk of money from her wealthy father. But he needs a hacker to pull it off. So he forces Cole to join his heist.

Cole skillfully pulls off the robbery, transferring over $800k out of Sarah’s account and getting Oscar off his back. But he quickly learns the older man is a powerful attorney with political connections named Mark Bilson (Jeffrey Donovan). And he’s not Sarah’s father. It turns out he’s her sugar daddy and he blames her for stealing his money. A guilt-ridden and slightly smitten Cole jumps back in to help Sarah. But he quickly discovers he’s in over his head.

Image Courtesy of The Avenue

The final act of “Wardriver” picks up momentum while adding a few interesting twists that liven things up a bit. The ending leaves several obvious questions but none that really bother us. That’s mainly because the characters remain at arm’s length for the duration of the movie. We never know them well enough to fully invest in their situations or circumstances. Even with solid performances, we only maintain a surface-level connection to them throughout.

There are several things to appreciate about Thomas’ direction, from her choices with the camera to her trust in her actors. She also does a good job capturing atmosphere and mood similar to that of popular neo-noirs. But the story, and more specifically the characters, are practically begging for more depth. That one emphasis could have taken “Wardriver” from a minor key crime thriller to something considerably more memorable.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

First Glance: “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”

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At a time when the sputtering Marvel Cinematic Universe is in desperate need of a boost, along comes “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”. This is the fourth Spider-Man film in the MCU and the first since 2021’s wobbly but lucrative “No Way Home”. Even crazier, it is the 38th (!!!) film in the seemingly everlasting MCU. Director Destin Daniel Cretton takes the reins from departing Jon Watts, but Tom Holland returns to the Peter Parker role that made him a star.

“Brand New Day” takes place four years after the events of ”No Way Home”. If you recall, Dr. Strange saved the world by casting a powerful spell. But as a side effect, the world has forgotten that Peter Parker exists. So now he spins his web across New York City, fighting crime as Spider-Man. But as Peter Parker, he’s alone and forgotten by all those he loved. But things take a turn as his past rears its dangerous head.

The new trailer doesn’t tell us much, but it should do its job of exciting fans of the franchise. It mostly just character drops those who will play a part in Peter’s next chapter. Characters such as MJ (Zendaya), Ned (Jacob Batalon), Frank Castle aka The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and more. To be honest, it wasn’t enough to hype me for the movie. But I’m sure we will see a lot more before it hits theaters.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” swings into theaters on July 31st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.