I still remember the wild controversy surrounding John Alan Schwartz’s mondo horror film “Faces of Death”. The movie first released in theaters in late 1978, and due to its intensely graphic content, the movie was censored or outright banned in multiple countries. Yet it was a success at the box office where it gained a notable cult following. But for many, the disturbingly gruesome feature earned more attention following its VHS home video release in 1983. It became quite the topic of conversation between those able to rent it from their local video store.

Now director Daniel Goldhaber is bringing back “Faces of Death” but in his own unique way. Where the original version played as an unsettling shockumentary, Goldhaber’s is a more straightforward narrative film that references the 1978 movie rather than remakes it. The results are surprisingly intriguing and at times fittingly unnerving. That is until everything threatens to crumble in a wobbly final act where absurdity undermines the big finish the film is going for.

Thematically, “Faces of Death” 2026 deserves credit for taking a scalpel to our current TikTok culture. It’s not the most incisive examination, but it does poke at the addictive nature of social media and our numbing consciences towards extreme content. Barbie Ferreira plays Margot, a struggling young woman who has mostly isolated herself following the traumatic death of her sister which was captured live in a now infamous viral video.

Margot works as a content moderator for a TikTok-esque video platform called Kino. She spends her entire work days viewing submitted videos and flagging explicit content with warnings or for removal. Her job is to view, approve or flag, and then move to the next submission. But she’s deeply shaken after seeing a video of what looks like a real-life beheading. A man’s voice calmly narrates the grisly ritual with startling detail. Later she comes across a chilling video of an electric chair execution from the very same account.

Margot shares her concerns with her friend and boss Josh (Jermaine Fowler) who tells her to let it go. Instead, the obsessed Margot breaks company rules and starts investigating the account after hours, coming to the conclusion that the content creator is recreating the deaths from the controversial 1978 film “Faces of Death”. The trail she follows takes her into the path of a deranged serial killer named Arthur (Dacre Montgomery). Their battling obsessions leads to an inevitable face-to-face with blood-drenched consequences.

It’s a solid setup with several disturbing reveals that should appeal to the genre faithful. And while the climax is predictable, it’s built up with a palpable sense of dread. Unfortunately logic flies out the window in the final 20 minutes or so. It begins with Margot seeking help from two of the most inept cops ever put on a screen. An equally incompetent doctor follows. And then Margot herself goes braindead in ways that are just too ridiculous to look past.

Thankfully its final act flub-up doesn’t totally derail “Faces of Death”. But it’s enough of a hindrance to keep a potentially audacious chiller from leaving the impression it’s clearly going for. Instead it limps towards a finish that could have been effective if the final leg of the story wasn’t so absurd. Still, there are things to admire in this unique horror movie swing that tips its hat to the 1978 cult classic instead of remaking or reimagining it. If only Goldhaber could have seen all of his ideas through to the end.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

When James Gunn was handed the keys to the DC Comics cinematic universe, he wasted no time leaving his mark with last year’s “Superman”. For many fans of the self-reverential filmmaker, it was exactly what they love and expect from Gunn. For many fans of the Superman character, it was far from the faithful adaptation of the beloved icon they had hoped for. Gunn made a James Gunn movie rather than a Superman movie.

Now we are getting his second big screen DCU installment with “Supergirl”. And while Gunn hands the directing reins to Craig Gillespie, his influence looks to be all over this thing. The first full trailer gives us a good sense of that. It features all the James Gunn hallmarks: gratuitous needle drops, irreverent humor, overly stylized action, etc.

Molly Alcock takes over as Kara Zor-El, the angsty cousin of Kal-El, aka Superman. As she and her CGI dog Krypto party across the galaxy, she is recruited by a young girl (Eve Ridley) to avenge her father’s death. Space pirates, mercenaries, human traffickers, and bounty hunters are all included in writer Ana Nogueira’s script. But the only piece that stands out is Jason Momoa as Lobo, the snarling anti-hero who the actor has long desired to play. Everything else looks like Gunn’s usual product.

“Supergirl” mopes her way into theaters on June 26th. Check out the trailer below and let me know of you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

“You’re Dating a Narcissist!” teases itself as a smart and sincere anti-romcom. But the film quickly devolves into an unrelatable, formulaic, and borderline obnoxious swing-and-miss. Director Ann Marie Allison attempts to offer a modern examination of love and commitment. And she certainly has a capable star in Marisa Tomei. But it all gets lost amid the movie’s strained attempts at humor and too many half-baked characters who only exist to complicate things.

But arguably worse is the baffling journey of the film’s lead character Judy. Played by the immensely talented Tomei, Judy begins as an intelligent, self-assured and accomplished woman, albeit confident to a fault. She’s a successful author, a psychologist, and a professor at a prominent New York university. But over the course of the story, the script turns her into a raving, obsessive lunatic, often for comic purposes which generate more eye-rolls than laughs.

Judy is riding the success of her popular new book “You’re Dating a Narcissist!”, leading her to teach a class on empowering her students to recognize narcissists when looking for a partner. At the same time, her preoccupation with narcissists has turned her extremely cynical towards relationships. That’s why she’s shocked when she gets a call from her 22-year-old daughter Eva (Ciara Bravo) who has some exciting news.

Eva is an art student studying in Los Angeles which is where she meets a hunky young doctor named Theo (Marco Pigossi). After only six weeks of dating the two get engaged. But once the lovesick Eva shares the news with her mother, a panicking Judy immediately flies across the country to “save” her daughter. She brings along her best friend Diane (Sherry Cola) because movies like this seem compelled to throw in a comedic confidante and sidekick.

Once she arrives in LA it’s almost as if a switch is flipped, turning Judy into a deranged person. Of course the movie doesn’t see her that way, and it tries to offset her bizarre behavior with thinly sketched allusions to her past that are meant to earn our sympathy. The problem is that Judy gets more unbearable as the movie bops forward, to the point that it’s hard to feel anything for her. And outside of Eva, the side characters surrounding Judy are too shallow and inconsequential to be anything other than props for her story.

“You’re Dating a Narcissist!” begins as an alluring feature with a lot of promise. But over time it’s like binge-watching a mediocre-at-best sitcom that’s not nearly as smart or funny as it wants to be. Even more frustrating is that it squanders Marisa Tomei who hasn’t missed a step and deserves more prominent starring roles. Sadly the material here doesn’t do her justice, leaving her to carry a load that’s not worth the effort.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Steve Zahn gives the performance of his career in “She Dances”. It’s a funny, warm-hearted, and endearing father-daughter dramedy inspired by the actor’s own personal experience as a bonafide “dance dad” to his daughter Audrey, who makes a splash in her wonderful big screen debut. And the real-life relationship they share adds volumes to what we see on screen.

“She Dances” marks the directorial debut of Rick Gomez who works from a screenplay he co-wrote with Steve Zahn. Together they craft a story that is built upon a fairly recognizable framework. A hurting father and daughter take an unexpected trip together and end up rekindling their once close relationship along the way. That’s not what you might call a new premise. But it’s what Gomez and Zahn does with it that makes “She Dances” shine.

Steve Zahn plays Jason Phillips, a husband and father who lives separately from his wife Deb (Rosemarie DeWitt) and their daughter Claire (Audrey Zahn). The reason for the separation is a heartbreaking tragedy that comes more into focus as the story plays out. But in essence, they are three fragile people struggling to deal with things in their own ways. Jason has essentially shut himself off which has only made things worse.

Claire has grown up dancing. And now as a senior in high school, she’s all prepared for her final dance competition. But in order to make the trip, Claire needs to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Circumstances make it to where Deb can’t go. So she convinces a reluctant Claire to call her dad to step in and accompany her to the competition. Jason nervously agrees, hence setting up the scenario that will force the father and daughter to finally reckon with their pain.

“She Dances” finds some good comedy in Jason’s well-intended but fumbled attempts at being a good dance dad. At times it strains too hard to squeeze laughs out of certain circumstances. But asGomez mostly finds a solid balance of heart and humor. And it never gets too silly or too schmaltzy. Rather the film maintains a firm grip on its humanity in big part thanks to the honest and organic connection between Zahn and Zahn.

The movie is also helped by a several supporting characters who each add different layers to the story. Mackenzie Ziegler is a lot of fun playing Claire’s best friend Kat who ends up being more than just a comic tag-along. Sonequa Martin-Green gets several good scenes as Claire and Kat’s dance instructor and mentor, Jamie. And Ethan Hawke brings a his natural charisma to the small but richly empathetic role of Jason’s supportive best friend and business partner.

“She Dances” hits its marks as a routinely funny comedy and a bittersweet family drama. It’s a film that surprises on many levels, never more than when its deeper themes rise to the surface. The elder Zahn pulls inspiration from some personally meaningful places to deliver what is a career-best performance. And the younger Zahn impresses in her big screen debut, avoiding the many traps that can accompany this kind of material. She’s a revelation and I’m already excited to see what she does next.

VERDICT – 4 STARS