REVIEW: “Gator Face” (2026)

September 9, 2026 by Keith Garlington

What do you get when you combine a group of flighty friends, a masked ax-wielding psychopath, a backwoods cult, and man-eating alligators? You get a trope-filled horror concoction that stays true to what it wants to be no matter how predictable or preposterous things get. That describes “Gator Face” to a tee. Writer-director Padraig Reynolds pulls from both classic slashers and B-movie creature features to create an unvarnished throwback chiller coated in grindhouse goodness.

“Gator Face” is an independent film in every sense. Reynolds is clearly working with a micro-budget, as evident by his skeleton production crew and a mostly unknown cast. But Reynolds and his collaborators don’t let that stop them. In fact it’s impressive how much they’re able to squeeze out of so little. Reynolds does wonders in working around the limitations. He films on location in the Florida swamps. He teamed with a North Florida sanctuary to use live alligators rather than CGI. And he relied on in-camera practical effects which are cost-effective and more impressive.

As for its story, “Gator Face” isn’t going to surprise anyone who has as least dabbled in these subgenres. The characters are all cut from the same blood-soaked horror movie cloth. They make dumb choices, they spend most of their time running for their lives, and they’re one-by-one creatively slaughtered for our viewing pleasure. Meanwhile the killer stalks them relentlessly, never running out of gas and always popping up just when the audience needs a good jolt. It’s a well-worn formula that Reynolds sticks intimately close to.

But a movie named “Gator Face” clearly isn’t aiming to narratively revolutionize the slasher or creature feature genres. It’s far more interested in paying homage to the exploitation films of the 1970s. When considered that way, it’s even easier to appreciate what Reynolds is able to accomplish. The entire presentation hearkens back to such low-budget grindhouse gems as “Eaten Alive”, “Race with the Devil”, and “Gator Bait”, while still hoping to connect with younger horror audiences of today.

The movie opens with three teen friends enjoying the final day of their summer getaway. Sierra (Ellie Shaddix), Jess (Amariah Dionne), and Nikki (Kiara Mitjans) make their way to a tucked away Florida beach hidden from the big crowds. After a day of swimming and sunbathing the trio pack up and head out. But their vacation takes a twisted turn when they notice the words “3 Dead Inside” crudely written on an abandoned beach house. I don’t know about you, but my first instinct would be to get away and contact the police. Not so with our three brainiacs.

To Jess’s credit she does attempt to call the cops. But Sierra and Nikki dumbly stroll right into the house only to find themselves face-to-face with a trench coat-wearing, ax-toting maniac in a gator mask (Nikolas Kolasinski) and his very hungry alligators. The encounter doesn’t bode well for Sierra and Nikki, but Jess manages to escape into the nearby woods with the killer hot on her heels.

Jess eventually gets help from four other vacationing teens, Claire (Tabitha Brownstone), Andy (Iain P. Smith), David (Barron Regan) and Samara (Ella Mosca). But they quickly find themselves on the run with Jess, chased into the sun-baked swamplands by the relentless ‘Gator Face’. They happen upon a remote old church shepherded by Father Eli (Scot Scurlock). But with a name like The Church of the Old Flesh, it’s pretty obvious that it is no safe haven.

It’s here that “Gator Face” shifts from a straightforward slasher movie with a helping of killer alligators on the side to an utterly bonkers cult thriller that eats up most of the final act. It’s much more silly than scary, and it carries on for far too long. Yet it strangely fits within the movie’s exploitation vibe which Reynolds sees through to the very end. He even tags on a post-credits scene that teases a second movie and adds a new twist to the story he has just told.

In all honesty “Gator Face” isn’t a movie that will have mass appeal. I can even see a certain segment of modern horror fans turning their noses up to it. But if you get what it’s doing and appreciate what it’s paying homage to, “Gator Face” turns into something far more entertaining than any synopsis can make it sound. In fact, I can seeing it feeling right at home on New York City’s once infamous 42nd Street. And for me, that’s a pretty good selling point.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

New on Home Video: “Batman: Knightfall – Part 1” on 4K Ultra HD and Digital

September 8, 2026 by Keith Garlington

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is bringing Part 1 of the “Batman: Knightfall” trilogy to home video. Director Jeff Wamester and screenwriter Jeremy Adams team with the wizards at Warner Bros. Animation to adapt the well-known DC Comics arc that ran from 1993 to 1994. The first installment offers a dark and gritty introduction, with Part 2 scheduled to release later in 2026, and Part 3 set to arrive sometime in early 2027.

“Batman: Knightfall – Part 1” will be available to own September 8th on 4K Ultra HD + Digital Copy . 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: 78 Minutes

Director: Jeff Wamester

Screenwriter: Jeremy Adams

Cast: Anson Mount, Michael Mando, and Pablo Schreiber, Jack Griffo, Bruce Boxleitner, David Dastmalchian, Simon Templeman, Toks Olagundoye, Jason Flemyng, Jessica Camacho, Mick Wingert, Jeff Bennett, Andrew Morgado, Luis Bermudez, Max Mittelman

Rated R for strong bloody violence

When the mysterious behemoth known only as Bane frees Batman’s entire Rogue’s Gallery from Arkham Asylum, the Caped Crusader is pushed to his mental and physical breaking point.

Special Features:

FEATURETTE: Breaking the Bat: Adapting the Knightfall – Go behind the scenes with the long-awaited animated adaptation as the filmmakers reveal their process for breaking down the epic story; designing and animating the action; and breathing life into one of the darkest sagas in the Dark Knight’s history.

FEATURETTE: Batman Needs a Robin – Many incarnations of Robin have helped Batman fight his war on crime. The filmmakers reveal the vital role Robin plays in the Batman mythology (with an emphasis on Tim Drake), in the iconic Batman: Knightfall series and in the animated adaptation.

REVIEW: “By Any Means” (2026)

September 7, 2026 by Keith Garlington

In the period crime thriller “By Any Means”, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II emotionally grounds a powerful civil rights era story while Mark Wahlberg injects it with muscle and ruthless aggression. Together the duo drives what is a historically compelling and thematically potent feature that also comes packed with certain genre mechanics which opens the door for some thrilling action and some unexpected humor.

“By Any Means” is the sophomore feature from director Elegance Bratton. Here he works from a script by Sascha Penn that is inspired by true events, namely the FBI’s investigation into the 1966 murder of Mississippi civil rights leader Vernon Dahmer by the Ku Klux Klan. With the Klan operating under the protection of powerful politicians and local police, the FBI took an off-the-record approach. They secretly hired mafia hitman and FBI informant Gregory Scarpa to travel to Mississippi and use his violent methods to pressure locals and get confessions.

**Image Courtesy of Paramount Pictures**

While the FBI has never officially acknowledged using Greg Scarpa, courtroom testimonies, declassified communications, and several biographies have confirmed their “partnership”. It’s a fascinating revelation that provides Bratton and Penn with subject material ripe for a big screen feature adaptation. To ground their story they lean into the historical setting and pluck details from numerous real-life accounts. They also use fictionalized elements that meaningfully enhance certain perspectives. But it’s also a high-stakes action thriller that never loses sight of its genre ambitions.

Set in 1966, Abdul-Mateen II plays Wayne Strider, one of only a handful of black agents in the FBI. Stationed in Chicago, Wayne enthusiastically jumps at the chance to join the bureau’s office near his hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Once there, he naively believes his idealistic trust in the system and his by-the-book methods will help bring the Klan to justice. But reality slowly begins to creep in after the murder of his friend and mentor, Vernon Dahmer (Giancarlo Esposito).

As his investigation is constantly thwarted by local authorities, a frustrated Wayne gets help from an unlikely source. His superior calls in Greg Scarpa (Wahlberg), a mob enforcer for New York’s Colombo crime family. Wayne’s job is to drive Scarpa wherever he needs to go and to stay out of his way while he does his special brand of investigating. Scarpa’s violent methods quickly clash with Wayne’s earnest ideals. But Wayne’s perspective changes after their presence puts him and his supportive wife Allison (Nicole Beharie) in the Klan’s crosshairs.

Abdul-Mateen II and Wahlberg have a sharp chemistry that is effective in every facet of their characters’ complicated relationship. Wahlberg is inevitably a scene-stealer in a role he seems custom-made to play (prosthetic nose aside). But the story doesn’t click without the humanity Abdul-Mateen II brings. They both navigate their complexities in some compelling ways while also energizing the action with gritty, authentic aggression. You’ll find yourself caught in between rooting on their efforts and squirming at the lengths they go.

While the key characters are given plenty of room to develop, the antagonists are somewhat generically portrayed. The setting itself provides a baked-in tension. But the movie’s villains consist of mostly nondescript locals and corrupt deputies. All are either Klansman or sympathetic to them, and in that regard, they certainly serve their nefarious purposes. But don’t expect any of them to stand out or take much of a lead in defining the bad guys beyond what history has already informed us.

There is a lingering feeling that “By Any Means” could have dug deeper into its subject matter. That might be true. But to Bratton’s credit, he gets his point across while still delivering solid genre entertainment. He sticks close enough to history and his statements on it are crystal clear. But he also delivers the kind of buddy-cop camaraderie and action-fueled thrills that genre fans will delight in. That’s a tough balance to find by Bratton pulls it off. “By Any Means” is out now exclusively in theaters.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Onslaught” (2026)

September 6, 2026 by Keith Garlington

There’s a cool current trend within indie cinema that has seen a number of filmmakers seeking to recapture the throwback B-movie schlock that once frequented the screens of grindhouse theaters and the shelves of VHS rental stores. For those who may take that as an insult, it’s actually quite the compliment. I still love so many of those movies along with their often wild and storied histories. And over the years they and their filmmakers have earned their places on cinema’s rollercoaster timeline.

The latest indie to turn back the clock in this way is “Onslaught”. On paper, “Onslaught” doesn’t seem like a movie that has much in common with the low-budget exploitation films that clearly inspired it. It’s backed by the prestigious A24. It’s helmed by a blockbuster director. And it features a terrific cast of well-known names. But it doesn’t take long to recognize the film’s exploitation inspiration. And as a fan of that raw and gritty style, it’s easy to appreciate what director Adam Wingard is going for.

“Onslaught” clearly and proudly hearkens back to the work of several filmmakers, from grindhouse stalwarts like Roger Corman to the grittier low-budget genre films of John Carpenter. We catch the vibe early on and Wingard only ratchets it up as the story (written by his frequent collaborator Simon Barrett) unfolds. The finished product is an ultra-violent, sensationalistic, genre-warping delight that unapologetically immerses itself in the scuzzy grindhouse style. And I was hooked every step of the way.

Adria Arjona plays Celeste, a former Army sniper suffering from PTSD who now works as the on-site manager at a remote trailer park somewhere in the Desert Southwest. One day she’s surprised when her ex-husband (Jacob Scipio) unexpectedly drops off their daughter Daisy (Blake Kennedy) for the weekend. He also drops the news that he and his new wife are considering relocating across the country and plan on taking Daisy with them.

Not far way, in a hidden underground military research facility, a top-secret experiment is being conducted under the leadership of Dr. Hans Kammler (Dan Stevens in full mad scientist mode). Funded by a mysterious shadow board, Kammler has taken a trio of violent combat veterans and bioengineered them into ruthless killing machines. He has stripped them of their humanity, muted their ability to feel pain, and genetically enhanced their abilities. Once unleashed, the three hulking juggernauts will not stop killing until they have no more targets to kill.

The impatient board sends out a representative named Baylor (Michael Biehn) to press Kammler for results. The doctor reluctantly agrees to a demonstration but it goes terribly and violently bad. The three super-soldiers, known by their code names The Butcher (Alex Pereira), The Cockroach (Dave Campbell), and The Crybaby (Tyler Hall), escape the facility and vanish into the night. After massacring everyone at a truck stop, they follow the road to the trailer park where Celeste dusts off her military training and fights for her and daughter’s lives.

It’s a fairly simple setup to an even more straightforward story. But Wingard’s kinetic direction and razor-sharp focus propels things forward at a feverish pace. There’s no wasted time or energy. And the genre blending adds to the fun. The three soldiers have the presence of terrifying slasher movie killers. The action is fierce, bloody, and brutal. The baked-in campiness adds flashes of black comedy. And it’s all driven by a go-for-the-jugular audacity that fuels the entire endeavor.

There are several other fun supporting characters who bring their own spark to the story. Reginald VelJohnson plays Josiah, an old Vietnam veteran and trailer park resident. Rebecca Hall is devilishly entertaining as Kammler’s mysterious wife Hanna. Drew Starkey gets some good moments as Cyrus, the board’s drugged-up fixer sent in to clean up and contain the situation. And Eric Wareheim adds some humor as an overstimulated sheriff’s deputy named Kovacks.

At its core, “Onslaught” is a vicious and visceral homage to the 1970s exploitation scene. And you don’t just see it in the pulpy tropes, blood-soaked violence, colorful characters, and socio-political cynicism. It’s also in the brash colors and high-energy synthesized score. There is an unflinching intentionality behind every decision director Adam Wingard’s makes. And it’s that intentionality that allows him to see his wild and gnarly vision through to the end.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Fall 2: Deadpoint” (2026)

September 5, 2026 by Keith Garlington

The 2022 survival thriller “Fall” is a movie that often impressed with its technical prowess only to frustrate with its ridiculous premise and hokey Hallmark-esque twists. On one hand, director Scott Mann created a palpable sense of height-induced dread and you didn’t have to suffer from acrophobia to feel the effects. At the same time, it was hard to get swept away by the thrills when the majority of the our time in spent questioning the sanity of its two incredibly dense lead characters.

Much like its predecessor, “Fall 2: Deadpoint” often struggles to make sense, mostly due to the head-scratching decisions made onscreen and off. And as before, it’s hard to connect with characters who so often defy understanding. It’s not because I don’t possess a similar thrill-seeker mindset. It’s that they’re trapped in a script that’s more unintentionally funny than edge-of-your-seat thrilling.

“Fall 2” is directed by twin brothers Peter and Michael Spierig, the duo behind such past gems as “Daybreakers” and “Predestination”. Sadly their latest doesn’t come close to matching their earlier and better work. It simply follows the basic formula as the first film. There are a handful of harrowing sequences made effective by some cool camera tricks and decent CGI. But there are also moments when the action is killed by the sheer absurdity of what we’re seeing.

Following her death in the first film, Shiloh Hunter (Virginia Gardner) has become a posthumous viral sensation. She’s a constant topic among podcasters and influencers while gaining a legion of online fans. But it has been a much different story for Shiloh’s kid sister, Jax (Harriet Slater). She’s still grieving the loss and feeling guilty for never facing her fears the way her big sister did.

When Jax discovers a journal listing Shiloh’s thrill-seeking bucket list, she’s encouraged by her sister’s friend Luce (Arsema Thomas) to pick up where Shiloh left off. So the reluctant Jax and the enthusiastic Luce head to Thailand to take on the terrifying plank walk some 4,000 feet high on the face of the ominous Mount Kwan. They arrive at a community camp near the base of the mountain only to learn that it’s the wet season and there are no experienced guides available (so much for doing your research beforehand).

The ladies connect with a seasoned climber named John (Tom Brittney) who they hire to guide them on an illegal hike along the most dangerous trail in Thailand. They begin by scaling the face on a makeshift “ladder” until they finally reach the dreaded plank walk. The trio begin their perilous trek across the old weather-worn boards at a dizzying 4,000 feet. But as you can probably guess, things don’t go as planned, leaving Jax and company quite literally hanging on for dear life.

That’s all the setup the Spierig brothers need to get us on the mountain with their characters. From there it should all be about utilizing the intense setting and circumstances to keep us on the edges of our seats. But much like the first movie, the filmmakers aren’t content with the high-altitude horror (this time from rockslides, earthquakes, driving rain, etc). Instead they once again throw in a ludicrous revelation and an even more ridiculous late twist, neither of which adds any worthwhile drama.

“Fall 2: Deadpoint” ends with the clear intent of continuing this as a full-blown franchise. But after two swing-and-misses, it’s hard for me to muster up much excitement for a third try. “Deadpoint” lazily recycles the plot of the first film, sticking close to the original’s blueprint while adding a little of its own dressing. It does deliver a handful of thrills that comes natural with the film’s bigger scale. But they’re routinely overshadowed by the goofy plot twists that left me laughing at things that clearly weren’t meant to be funny.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “The Runner” (2026)

September 4, 2026 by Keith Garlington

Gal Gadot does a lot of running in her new Prime streaming feature aptly titled “The Runner”. Sadly, even at a lean 84 minutes, her latest film ultimately comes across as an endless jog to nowhere. To Gadot’s credit she gives it her all, firmly committing herself both physically and emotionally. But you’ll need more than a suspension of disbelief to stick with this preposterous, often tedious, and suspense-free thriller.

Gadot plays Maia Marten, a prosecutor living in London with her young diabetic son, Noah (Rory Wilmot). Maia is on the verge of closing out a high-profile double murder case against a powerful criminal kingpin named Boyd. Her entire case hinges on the testimony of a key witness, Tafa (Phoenix Di Sebastiani). After walking Noah to school, Maia takes off on her daily jog to her office. But her run is suddenly interrupted by a terrifying phone call from Noah’s phone.

**Image Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios**

The Caller informs Maia that he has abducted Noah and placed him in a diabetic coma. He tells her that he will kill her son if she doesn’t do exactly what he says. And he has hacked her phone and smartwatch to ensure she complies. He orders Maia to start running to the Excelsus Hotel which is where Tafa is being held by Witness Protection. Once there, she is to kill Tafa with a gun he provides. If she doesn’t do it within one hour, Noah will die.

So she runs…and runs…and runs. And just when you think the movie is taking a turn, she runs some more. Director Kevin McDonald and screenwriter Mark Gibson throw in a few encounters that break up the monotony. But these moments struggle to generate any excitement and they certainly don’t add any much-needed suspense. Even the handful of technical flourishes do little to energize this frustratingly flat and mostly empty affair.

“The Runner” throws in some rather shallow commentary about our addiction to digital devices only to completely forget it by the halfway mark. It also introduces some past trauma that never factors into the story in any truly meaningful way. There’s even a former (or is he current – who knows?) love interest who only seems to exist because the final act needs him (vague, I know). All of these are admirable swings at adding story depth. Unfortunately none of those swings connect.

Again, it’s a toughie for Gadot who simply can’t keep this film afloat. It’s not for a lack of trying. But the subpar material routinely lets her down, right through to its ridiculous and utterly predictable finish. It’s such a half-baked production that’s lacking in nearly every important category. Thankfully it’s only 84 minutes, so it won’t eat up too much of your time. Then again, you may be ready to check out well before those 84 minutes are done.