REVIEW: “Relentless” (2026)

January 13, 2026 by Keith Garlington

Writer-director Tom Botchii serves up a genre smorgasbord with his new film, “Relentless”. It’s fun to even consider the various thrillers it qualifies as. For starters it’s an action thriller, a revenge thriller, a psychological thriller, even a home invasion thriller. It dips its toe into exploitation cinema. It sometimes plays like a bruising character study. At other times you’ll swear you’re back in the grindhouse theaters of the late 1970s.

Whatever you consider it to be, far more important is that Botchii keeps things entertaining. “Relentless” might not live up to its name, and it certainly has its flaws, some of which become noticeable early on (more on them later). But Botchii’s vision and inspiration, helped by two firmly committed lead performances, keeps the audience engaged, even as the story struggles to fill its lean 93 minutes.

“Relentless” is a tightly focused two-hander that begins with introductions to its main characters. Teddy (Jeffrey Decker) is a homeless man living out of his car. We meet him as he’s listening to old voicemails from his ex-wife before going to sleep in his cramped backseat. Elsewhere, Jun (Shuhei Kinoshita) sits in his ultra-modern two-story home, enjoying a nice meal of fine sushi. He pecks away on his laptop before climbing into his warm comfy bed for the night.

Their two paths cross the next evening when Teddy shows up at Jun’s home posing as a salesman. After Jun brushes him off, Teddy forces his way inside with a sawed-off shotgun, stalking Jun like his prey. After a brief brawl, Jun grabs his precious laptop and flees into the night with Teddy in pursuit. Jun manages to get away but loses his laptop in the process. Determined to get it back, he follows Teddy to a gas station only to be knocked unconscious and kidnapped.

Jun wakes up tied to a chair in an old abandoned house with Teddy sitting across from him. From there the two men have a verbal standoff, with Jun swearing he doesn’t know who Teddy is and Teddy insisting he does. Botchii lets the mystery linger, leaving us with a number of consequential questions. Who are these two men? What is their connection? And what’s on this laptop that both seem fixated on? It makes for an intriguing setup with Botchii maneuvering Decker and Kinoshita like chess pieces until he’s ready to reveal more.

The eventual revelations catapult the story into an ultra-violent mano-a-mano showdown that isn’t afraid to let the blood gush. At the same time, the characters are never as fully-formed as they could be. Their individual pasts are merely referenced through exposition which doesn’t allow the story’s themes to resonate as they should. And it’s attempt at social commentary is wobbly at best, with certain motivations playing like wild swings rather than meaningful considerations.

As mentioned, “Relentless” does struggle to find enough story to fill its already lean 93 minutes. Botchii eats up some of the time with stylish visual flourishes that look good but are otherwise weightless and repetitive. Still, this is a solid sophomore effort from an ambitious filmmaker with an interesting vision. Botchii may not hit all of his marks, but he squeezes everything he can out his modest budget and two sturdy lead performances. And to his credit, he’s not afraid to take chances in the process.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

Random Thoughts: The 2026 Golden Globe Awards

January 12, 2026 by Keith Garlington

Last night the Hollywood Foreign Press brought us the 83rd Golden Globes Awards. 2025 was a peculiar year for movies and that translated to the Globes broadcast. Sadly, we once again have one invincible movie being pushed through every awards show. Along with it comes several winners that were just as easy to predict. But thankfully the show wasn’t without a few big surprises to go along with its more obvious moments. And that’s how these things often go.

As I do every year, here are a few random thoughts on this year’s Golden Globes awards...

When it comes to the big winner of the night, there was no drama at all. The frustratingly flawed yet wildly revered “One Battle After Another” has been ushered through awards season as this year’s darling. So it’s no surprise it won Best Picture – Musical or Comedy at the Globes. Unfortunate but predictable.
As for the best movie of the year, “Train Dreams”, the Hollywood Foreign Press couldn’t even bring themselves to nominate it for Best Picture or much of anything else. Whatever.
The first award of the night was Best Supporting Actress which went to Teyana Taylor for “One Battle After Another”. It was unexpected, but knowing the fashionable adoration for the movie, it shouldn’t have surprised anyone.
Taylor’s win means Amy Madigan went home empty-handed. It’s a shame considering how tremendous (and deserving) she was in “Weapons”. Suddenly her Oscar chances have dipped.
Speaking of no surprise, Paul Thomas Anderson wins Best Director for “One Battle After Another”. Like Best Picture above, it was one of the most sure-thing wins of the night. PTA winning had been etched in stone since the movie first released.
“One Battle After Another” also won Best Screenplay despite easily being the weakest of the six nominees. But OBAA love knows no bounds. And the more deserving nominees this year were simply out of luck.
Then there’s “Hamnet” which won the final award of the evening, Beat Picture – Drama. I really thought “Sinners” had it in the bag. But it was “Hamnet” getting the big win that I wasn’t expecting. It now stands as a legit contender for second place in the Oscar Best Picture race.

Jessie Buckley appears to be in the driver’s seat for Best Actress after winning the award at The Critic’s Choice and now the Golden Globes. She was phenomenal in “Hamnet” delivering a performance that is 100% worthy. It’s great seeing her win and equally great seeing her reactions.
It wasn’t an especially great night for “Sinners”. While it did take home a couple of statues including the worthless Box Office Achievement award, it lost out on the biggies. I wonder why? Was it the rabid OBAA obsession? Or was it the age-old bias against horror movies which has long plagued these awards shows?
When announcing the nominees, couldn’t the Globes have shown actual clips from the movies or shows instead of just pinning where they were sitting in the room? It was such a bizarre and uneventful choice.
Nikki Glaser returned to host and she opened the show with several strong jokes. She basically followed the routine from her many celebrity roasts which means everybody was fair game.
Possibly my favorite from Glaser: “Sean Penn, you’re such an original. Everyone in this town is obsessed with looking younger; meanwhile, Sean Penn is like, “What if I slowly morph into a sexy leather handbag?“
Playing Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack” as Macaulay Culkin came out to present was kind of hilarious.
The very best moment of the night came in the Best Supporting Actor category. Stellan Skarsgård gave the best supporting performance of the year in “Sentimental Value” and it was great to see him win. It’s especially satisfying considering SAG didn’t even nominate him for their upcoming Actor Awards.

Sadly, “Sentimental Value” wouldn’t win another award. It’s such a shame and a big miss for the Hollywood Foreign Press.
“The Secret Agent” wins Best Non-English Language Motion Picture. It’s a good choice although “Sentimental Value” would have been my pick. Especially with the unfortunate absence of “Nouvelle Vague” from the nominees.
Timothée Chalamet wins Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy Film for “Marty Supreme”. It was certainly one of the biggest performances of the year. Nevertheless, Chalamet will be entering Oscar night in a really good position.
Ludwig Göransson wins Best Score for “Sinners” and it was very well deserved. Frustratingly, for some reason the Globes chose to cut it from their broadcast.
If the producers really wanted to show Göransson’s win they could have cut Judd Apatow’s rambling never-ending presentation of Best Director in half and had plenty of room. Unfortunately…
Wagner Moura wins Best Actor – Drama for “The Secret Agent”. He gave an a terrific performance, no doubt. But of these nominees, it should have went to Michael B. Jordan. What he did in “Sinners” was next level.
Side Rant: The fact that Daniel Day-Lewis hasn’t been nominated ANYWHERE for Best Actor this entire awards season puts a big asterisk next to this entire category.
Rose Byrne winning Best Actress – Musical or Comedy for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” was a nice moment and it was great to see her so appreciative. It was a powerful performance.
Glaser closing out the show wearing a Spinal Tap cap was a nice tribute to the late Rob Reiner. RIP.

And those are a few Random Thoughts from this year’s Golden Globes awards. Overall it was a fun enough show, although it’s hard to get too excited when there’s such a lack of drama in key categories. Now it’s onto Oscar night.

REVIEW: “Primate” (2026)

January 12, 2026 by Keith Garlington

After spending nearly two months cramming everything from big studio prestige films to small moody indies for award season consideration, it’s nice to recline back and take in an unashamed genre blast like “Primate”. Make no mistake, this bonkers horror confection knows exactly what it is and it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. The best part – director Johannes Roberts mostly hits his mark, delivering exactly what fright fans will be expecting.

“Primate” is a bit like blending “Cujo” with a 1980s slasher flick. Its main antagonist may be a chimpanzee named Ben, but he might as well be Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees once the grisly monkey mayhem begins. But here’s the trick, Roberts and his co-writer Ernest Riera completely sell Ben a terrifying threat. But they manage to make him a sympathetic figure as well, which gives the film an added punch, especially in its final act.

After finishing her freshman year at college, Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) invites her best friend Kate (Victoria Wyant) and Kate’s brother Nick (Benjamin Chang) to join her at the swanky cliffside Hawaiian home belonging to her father, a workaholic author named Adam (Oscar-winner Troy Kotsur). Kate throws a curveball when she invites the assertive Hannah (Jessica Alexander) to come along, causing an immediate friction, especially when Hannah starts flirting with Nick who Lucy has been crushing on for years.

Once home, Lucy faces the ire of her little sister Erin (Gia Hunter). We learn Lucy hasn’t been home in a long time, leaving Erin and their father to navigate the tragic passing of their mother by themselves. We’re also introduced to the other family member, Ben (convincingly played by Miguel Torres Umba in a chimp suit). Years earlier, Ben was brought home by their mother who was a linguistics professor. So in many ways he represents a connection to her which adds an extra layer to drama.

But sweet Ben’s demeanor changes after he’s bitten by a mongoose that creeps into his cage. Before leaving for a book signing, Adam calls a veterinarian and instructs the girl’s to leave Ben locked up until the doctor can check him out. But when the now feral Ben manages to escape, Lucy, Erin, and their friends become his prey. Utilizing Ben’s fear of water, the group seeks refuge in an enclosed pool, but not before Erin is bit. They’re left stranded in the water with no way to call for help, while the viciously aggressive Ben waits to tear them to shreds.

Amusingly, all of the budding rivalries and interpersonal tensions that are established in the opening fifteen minutes are instantly tossed aside and never revisited. Instead “Primate” turns into an unabashed horror romp that wastes no time going for the jugular. The mostly single location setting is both fitting and effective. And the characters manage to be more than disposable fodder. We actually want to see everyone survive, minus the two obnoxious frat guys (Charlie Mann and Tienne Simon) who show up at the worst time (we immediately root for their deaths).

Perhaps most impressive is the film’s reliance on practical effects, from Umba’s astonishing work as Ben to the film’s savage go-for-broke gore. As silly as the story may be, the practical effects turn Ben into a true terror. There’s no glaring digital gloss over him or the kills. As for those kills, they are as creative as they are brutal, with Roberts serving up the kind of carnage that should satisfy the appetites of horror fans looking to start their year with a blood-soaked bang.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Greenland 2: Migration” (2026)

January 10, 2026 by Keith Garlington

One of the bigger surprises in recent years was “Greenland”, a survival disaster thriller that released in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. With theaters shut down, the decision was made to bypass the big screen and release “Greenland” on VOD where it became a big success. More importantly, it was also a really good movie, full of nail-biting tension, big action, and a strong family dynamic at its core.

The most welcomed change in “Greenland” involved its star, Gerard Butler. He didn’t play another macho tough-guy who would spray as many one-liners as bullets. Instead he played someone grounded in the real world – a structural engineer caring for his diabetic son while trying to repair his marriage with his wife. It added an unexpected human element to his character and the story as a whole.

With “Greenland 2: Migration”, returning director Ric Roman Waugh seeks to once again capture that nice balance between apocalyptic disaster movie thrills and humanity-fueled domestic drama. He mostly succeeds, delivering an entertaining and swiftly paced sequel that has no shortage of visceral cinematic spectacle and family-driven pathos.

“Migration” begins five years after the events of the first film. For those needing a refresher, 75% of the planet was wiped out when the Clarke interstellar comet crashed into Earth. It sent much of North America scrambling for a bunker in Greenland. Among those who successfully made it was John Garrity (Butler), his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), and their son Nathan (now played by Roman Griffin Davis).

As society crumbled on the outside, a semblance of it was preserved inside the Greenland bunker. But now five years after impact, the bunker’s inhabitants have reasons to be concerned. Every effort to rebuild has been thwarted by fragments of the Clarke comet still crashing down to earth. Meanwhile the planet remains an unstable place amid volcanic fissures, radioactive electrical storms, and violent tectonic shifts.

The dwellers are forced to flee the bunker after a devastating tremor threatens its integrity. John is able get his family to the coast and onboard an enclosed lifeboat where they and a small group of survivors set a course for the wasteland of Europe. Rumors speak of an oasis at the center of a massive crater in Southern France where the grass is green and the air is breathable. Despite not knowing if it’s real or hearsay, John determines to get his family to the crater. But the journey to get there proves to be a perilous one.

While “Migration” fully embraces its disaster movie status, it’s just as much a survival thriller where mankind rivals nature as the story’s biggest antagonist. Whether it’s murderous marauders, reckless soldiers, or heavily armed insurgents, the dark side of humanity has emerged amid the social chaos. But Waugh, along with screenwriters Mitchell LaFortune and Chris Sparling, don’t lose their story to bleakness. No matter how hopeless things turn, they still find room for moments of empathy and compassion.

As John, Allison, and Nathan push forward on their journey to find a new home, their family dynamic is the glue that holds much of the story together. Butler’s performance is especially crucial in balancing the high-stakes action with the movie’s emotional core. He firmly anchors the film through his blend of courage and vulnerability. Meanwhile Baccarin gets a notably strongly arc, showing her character’s strength and resilience which was missing in the first film.

That said, the family’s relentlessly harrowing chain of unfortunate events almost becomes comical. And too many supporting characters only function to get the family from one point to the next. But overall, Waugh has made a worthwhile sequel that consistently ratchets up the thrills while raising the human stakes higher and higher. With its intriguing world-building and central characters worth rooting for, “Migration” puts you on the edge of your seat and tugs at your heartstrings, all at the same time.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “I Was a Stranger” (2026)

January 9, 2026 by Keith Garlington

Brandt Anderson makes his feature film directorial debut with “I Was a Stranger”, an ambitious thriller that examines the refugee crisis during the Syrian Civil War through five distinctly different and individually affecting perspectives. Anderson impresses with his confident direction and his clear-eyed storytelling, both of which feature big swings from a fresh filmmaker who clearly isn’t afraid of taking chances.

Anderson’s non-linear story is segmented into five chapters, each centered around one of the film’s five central characters. The individual narratives overlap, and in some cases converge, adding several dramatic layers that allow us to see the central conflict from different angles. It’s a serious-minded film that doesn’t shy away from the suffering which it draws from countless true accounts. It’s deftly and sincerely handled, in ways that leave us shaken to our core.

Anderson’s intensely human story begins and ends in Chicago which is where we meet Amira (Yasmine Al Massri). She works at a downtown children’s hospital, but just eight years earlier she was in her war-torn home country of Syria working as a pediatric radiologist. Anderson transports us back in time where we see the principled Amira finishing up a hectic 72-hour shift in an Aleppo hospital. But when a horrific tragedy strikes her family, Amira and her daughter Rasha (Massa Daoud) scramble to flee the country.

The second chapter follows Mustafa (Yahya Mahayni), an devoted soldier in the Syrian Arab Armed Forces and a blind Assad loyalist. Mustafa steadfastly subscribes to the belief that good soldiers follows orders. But he’s challenged by his conscience after a savage order from his commanding officer is carried out right before his eyes. Suddenly Mustafa begins to question his allegiances which puts him in the crosshairs of the regime he once vehemently defended.

From there we jump ahead one month to meet Marwen, (Omar Sy), a smuggler who may be the most compelling and complicated of the five key characters. Based in Turkey, Marwen has two distinctly different sides. At home he’s a burdened single father caring for his ailing young son. Away from home, he’s a ruthless human smuggler who preys on desperate refugees looking for a way out of the country. For a hefty price, he loads families onto inflatable boats under the cover of night and sends them out into the dark Mediterranean Sea. Whether they make it or not is irrelevant to Marwen. “The pay is the same.”

The fourth chapter centers around Fathi (Ziad Bakri), a loving husband and father trying to get his family out of a Turkish refugee camp. But escaping won’t be easy, and getting off the island will be even more treacherous. The movie wraps up with Starvos, a valiant Greek Coast Guard Captain (Constantine Markoulakis) who patrols the Aegean Sea. Despite saving thousands of fleeing refugees, Sarvos remains haunted by the many others he was unable to save.

While it’s fairly easy to guess where some of the stories will intersect, other instances will catch you by surprise. As Anderson moves us from one chapter to the next, he artfully uses specific moments and even characters from other segments to make meaningful connections. It’s a narrative device that helps answer several key questions while propelling the the overall story forward. Anderson’s assured direction and the cast’s emotionally textured performances does the rest.

“I Was a Stranger” may disappoint those looking for a deeper analysis of the nearly 14-year Syrian Civil War. And it steers clear of the politics and policies that perpetuate such suffering. But in fairness, Anderson‘s focus is on the refugee crisis that sprang from the war, viewing it through the eyes of those impacted most. It’s a bleak and often heart-wrenching film that doesn’t sugarcoat the harsh realities of the crisis. Yet it’s not without glimmers of hope which are seen in the many sacrifices. It all imbues the movie with a gravity and urgency that can be felt from the film’s crushing first chapter right through to its sobering final shot.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Best of 2025: Lead Actor

January 8, 2026 by Keith Garlington

Today I’m wrapping up my look back at the very best performances of 2025 with what could be the strongest category of the bunch – Lead Actor. It’s a group full of worthy performances from exciting newcomers and screen veterans alike. That makes it tough to narrow down to only five. But that’s how these silly lists work so let’s get to it – my five favorite Lead Actor performances from 2025. Let me know what you think.

Honorable Mentions: Will Arnett (“Is This Thing On?”), Dwayne Johnson (“The Smashing Machine”), Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”), Michael Fassbender (“Black Bag”), Guillaume Marbeck (“Nouvelle Vague”), Wagner Moura (“The Secret Agent”), Oscar Isaac (“Frankenstein”), Jesse Plemons (“Bugonia”), Orlando Bloom (“The Cut”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Eddington”), Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”), Denzel Washington (“Highest 2 Lowest”), Hugh Jackman (“Song Sung Blue”), Benicio del Toro (“The Phoenician Scheme”), Paul Walter Hauser (“The Luckiest Man in America”), Matthew McConaughey (“The Lost Bus”), Josh O’Connor (“The Mastermind”), Josh O’Connor (“Wake Up Dead Man”), Billy Magnusson (“Violent Ends”)

#5 – Russell Crowe (“Nuremberg”)

Russell Crowe is handed one of his best roles in years with “Nuremberg” and the Oscar-winner doesn’t disappoint. He’s tasked with playing Nazi commander Hermann Göring during the famous Nuremberg trials of 1946. Crowe plays his role with incredible subtlety and nuance, highlighting Göring’s charm, vanity, and cunning. Crowe has such tight control of his character’s psychology leading to some of the best exchanges put on screen last year.

#4 – Josh O’Connor (“Rebuilding”)

I’m not sure that anyone in the industry had a bigger year than Josh O’Connor. He delivered three phenomenal performances with his very best coming in “Rebuilding”, a quiet yet affecting rural drama from writer-director Max Walker-Silverman. Though understated in the best of ways, O’Connor captures such emotional depth, soulfully navigating the weight of loss and the search for purpose. This was a star-making year for O’Connor and it was his work in “Rebuilding” that fully opened my eyes.

#3 – Michael B. Jordan (“Sinners”)

He may have already established himself as one of the most exciting young actors in the business, but Michael B. Jordan still finds ways to impress and surprise audiences. Look no further than “Sinners”, a richly textured Jim Crow-era horror film that sees Jordan brilliantly shining in dual roles. While Ryan Coogler’s incredible vision is essential, the movie simply doesn’t work without Jordan who brings distinct intensity and personality to the story’s two lead characters.

#2 – Joel Edgerton (“Train Dreams”)

Clint Bentley’s sublime “Train Dreams” was the best movie from 2025. While the deft direction, moving script, and breathtaking cinematography are all Oscar-worthy, it’s Joel Edgerton’s sturdy stoicism and gut-wrenching authenticity that firmly centers this soulful story. Underneath his burly exterior is a gentle and soft-spoken man who is able to speak his heart without uttering a word. It’s an unforgettable turn and it’s Edgerton’s best work in a career full of dynamic performances.

#1 – Daniel Day-Lewis (“Anemone”)

It’s sad that “Anemone” came and went without being celebrated the way it deserved to be. Sadly the very same thing can be said for Daniel Day-Lewis’ stunning lead performance. The three-time Oscar-winning actor once again disappears within another richly complex character. It’s a performance fueled by buried trauma and simmering rage. Yet Day-Lewis never loses sight of the humanity at the core of the story. It’s another masterclass from a generation’s best actor.

And that wraps up this year’s look back on the best performances of 2025. What do you think of my Lead Actor picks? Let me know in the comments section below.