Aarcflick

 As a fan of *Stranger Things* (2016–2025), I wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea of ​​an animated series set between the seasons of the original show; it struck me as just another attempt by Netflix to make a quick buck. However, I must admit that I had an absolute blast with this series. Positive Aspects of *Stranger Things: Tales from ’85* (2026–): Personally, I love that this series captures the vibe of Saturday morning cartoons—just like the ones I used to watch during my childhood: *Pokémon*, *Yu-Gi-Oh!*, *Bakugan*, *The Spectacular Spider-Man*, *Loonatics Unleashed*, and just about any DC animated series. I still enjoy hanging out with Eleven, Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, and Max on another 80s-style adventure, battling monsters from the Upside Down. The voice acting is truly excellent; I appreciate how the voice cast manages to capture the energy and personalities of these characters almost flawlessly.  Creators: Jennifer Muro, Eric Robles, Matt Duffer Stars: Brooklyn Da...

The Netflix series *Flunked* centers on Eddy, a small-time criminal gifted with an innate talent for mathematics. In this series, the police assign Eddy a bizarre mission: to help them locate the son of a criminal who is hiding out in a high school classroom. While the task itself is easy for him to grasp, carrying it out proves extremely difficult—especially considering it thrusts him into entirely new territory, a world far noisier and more chaotic than he can possibly handle. Barely a few minutes into the first episode, the viewer already grasps the essence of the plot's central conflict. Although Eddy is a mathematical genius, dealing with a classroom packed with teenagers, irate parents, and the inherent complexities of the school environment presents a challenge of an entirely different magnitude. Most of the series' humor stems precisely from this stark contrast between his strengths and his weaknesses. Stars: Alexandre Kominek, Yannik Landrein, Bérangère McNeese What fa...

 *Fuze* is an incredibly cool movie. It is, in part, an explosive countdown thriller; in part, a heist thriller; and in part, a revenge thriller. Much of its appeal lies in the fluidity with which it transitions between these different genres. Ben Hopkins (*Inside*) has penned a script full of twists, which director David Mackenzie (*Hell or High Water*) brings to the screen with great elegance. The story begins with construction workers discovering what appears to be an unexploded World War II bomb while excavating at a work site. Local residents—including the immigrant Rahim (Elham Ehsas)—are evacuated as Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his team arrive on the scene to defuse it. Police Superintendent Zuzana (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) oversees the situation from headquarters. The mission becomes complicated when they discover that the bomb’s timer mechanism has been activated. Meanwhile, criminals Karalis (Theo James), "X" (Sam Worthington), and two other accomplices se...

 Ben Kingsley and Aaron Eckhart pilot a commercial airliner straight into the center of a feeding frenzy in this above-average shark thriller. Renny Harlin’s solid and entertaining film, *Deep Water*, centers on a plane that crashes right in the middle of a massive pack of sharks. And let me tell you: those sharks are absolutely ravenous. Director: Renny Harlin Writers: Pete Bridges, Shayne Armstrong, S.P. Krause Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Angus Sampson One would think that the sound of a 747 (or whatever it is) splitting in two right over their favorite dining spot would scare these mako sharks away; however, these predators—rendered via CGI, though convincingly enough—smell, both literally and figuratively, blood in the water. The wreckage of the plane is still ablaze when they begin devouring the survivors, acting as if they were perfect, God-given jump scares. Even the tiger sharks that devoured so many of Quint’s shipmates—crew members of the USS Indianapolis—in the f...

 Damian McCarthy’s third feature film refines the Irish writer-director’s horror style into something sharp and terrifying. Jump scares often get a bad rap. It is true that they can be a lazy device—a crutch for directors who lack the skill to build tension through more ambitious structural means. But when paired with solid filmmaking, a good jump scare can transform a movie—one that might otherwise be merely good—into a dizzying, thrilling experience that leaves us gasping in awe; and that is exactly what Irish writer-director Damian McCarthy achieves with *Hokum*. Director: Damian Mc Carthy Writer: Damian Mc Carthy Stars: Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot McCarthy’s previous film, *Oddity* (2024), featured the most terrifying scene of that year: a sequence involving a flashlight, a tent, and a thunderous bang on the door of an isolated farmhouse in the dead of night. And while it is barely March, *Hokum* is almost certainly already shaping up to be a strong contender for tha...

Fatih Akin took over the direction of *Amrum* when his friend, the German cult director Hark Bohm, fell ill and was unable to direct it himself. Fatih Akin’s latest film is not, in fact, a typical Fatih Akin film at all. Rather, it is "a Hark Bohm film made by Fatih Akin." By presenting *Amrum* in this way, the opening credits prepare the viewer for a type of story very different from what one might expect if already familiar with Akin’s work. But it also presupposes prior knowledge of Bohm—the cult German author, screenwriter, and film director who originally wrote the screenplay for this film, drawing inspiration from his childhood memories on that small island. Director: Fatih Akin Writers: Fatih Akin, Hark Bohm Stars: Jasper Billerbeck, Laura Tonke, Lisa Hagmeister When Bohm fell ill, Akin stepped in to help co-write the story, before finally agreeing to take on the directing duties as well. The result is a film that the director’s longtime fans might not even recognize a...

 Written and directed by Kevin Interdonato, the action-crime film *Dirty Hands* kicks off in the Chicago underworld when a routine drug deal goes awry for the Denton brothers: Richie and Danny. Sheila, Richie’s girlfriend, finds herself torn between her loyalty to Richie and her loyalty to his boss, while rival leader Rodney and his bloodthirsty gang come hunting for them. With the son of a crime boss dead, the brothers must fight for their lives if they hope to survive the night. The film stars Patrick Muldoon as Richie Denton, Kevin Interdonato as Danny Denton, and Guy Nardulli as Rodney; it also features Denise Richards as Sheila and Michael Beach as Dally. Director: Kevin Interdonato Writer: Kevin Interdonato Stars: Patrick Muldoon, Kevin Interdonato, Denise Richards *Dirty Hands* opens in the Chicago underworld when a routine drug exchange goes wrong for the Denton brothers: Richie (Muldoon) and Danny (Interdonato). Sheila (Richards), Richie’s girlfriend, is caught between her...

A portrait of John Davidson—who campaigned to raise awareness about this condition—forms the basis of a true story that is at times humorous and at others deeply moving; the kind of film the UK used to produce with regularity in the past. Based on the real life of John Davidson—a Tourette syndrome awareness activist who serves here as an executive producer—*I Swear* is a biopic about a man who came of age in 1980s Scotland, during an era when Tourette syndrome was widely misunderstood and barely recognized. This led him to experience a wide range of situations: from difficulties in dating to acts of horrific physical violence. Director: Kirk Jones Writer: Kirk Jones Stars: Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, Somerled Campbell The "I" in the title *I Swear* is portrayed by *The Rings of Power* star Robert Aramayo; meanwhile, the second part of the title constitutes a play on words, alluding both to the involuntary outbursts triggered by his character's condition and to an oath w...

 Stephan James delivers a brilliant performance as the protagonist—a 30-year-old who has spent half his life in prison—in a drama that possesses a profound understanding of the pathways of both injustice and self-sabotage. A dozen years ago, at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, I sat in the Eccles Theater and watched *Fruitvale* (later retitled *Fruitvale Station*), Ryan Coogler’s fact-based drama about Oscar Grant, a young man shot and killed by Bay Area police despite having committed no crime. When the film ended, everyone in the room knew we had witnessed something truly extraordinary—and that Coogler was a natural-born filmmaker. When he took the stage, he was exultant; grateful for the audience’s response, yet one could also sense—as his words flowed unchecked—that he was already brimming with stories he was eager to tell. For a viewer (or a critic), this constitutes the Sundance dream: walking into a film knowing absolutely nothing about it, and two hours later, having witnes...

Given that this true-crime thriller, set in Belfast, is based on real-life events that occurred in 2004, it sounds like material that could have yielded a top-tier feature film—gripping and high-impact. However, the result feels lackluster and strikes an almost apologetic tone; it has been clumsily assembled and blandly directed by Colin McIvor, whose filmography—comprising TV work and low-budget comedies—reveals no particular aptitude for this genre. The two male leads, Eddie Marsan and Éanna Hardwicke, acquit themselves well, though one has to wonder why Marsan—undoubtedly a character actor of high repute—was chosen over a local actor. Was everyone else perhaps busy filming *Game of Thrones* spin-offs? Marsan does a pretty good job nailing the Belfast accent; nevertheless, his presence feels somewhat understated, making him an odd choice for the role of Richard Murray—a buttoned-up bank manager forced to cooperate with the robbers when his wife, Celine (Eva Birthistle), is kidnapped....

 Cole Webley’s feature directorial debut follows a family in the wake of one tragedy, as they head inexorably toward another. Greenwich Entertainment releases *Omaha* in New York on Friday, April 24, and in theaters nationwide this May. Director: Cole Webley Writer: Robert Machoian Stars: John Magaro, Molly Belle Wright, Wyatt Solis For a good portion of Cole Webley’s feature directorial debut, *Omaha*, we remain just as in the dark about what is happening as the intrepid pair of child protagonists (Molly Belle Wright and Wyatt Solis—both wonderful in their roles), who make up two-thirds of the close-knit family trio at the story’s center. This is not a flaw, but a virtue; while Robert Machoian’s screenplay is measured in how it doles out information and shrewd in what it chooses to withhold, these decisions place the audience on equal emotional footing with the very heart of this heartbreaking family drama. It is the dead of night when we meet them: the father (John Magaro), Ella ...

 I often have a soft spot for dark comedies—especially those that veer dangerously close to the line of cruelty, yet never quite cross it. Things can get nasty, of course, but the film must never lose sight of its comedic core. *Over Your Dead Body* is a film that, at first, seems poised to go too far—though it always knows exactly when to pull back. The humor here is interwoven with elements of action and suspense, transforming the film into something quite different from what it initially appeared to be. The result is a bit uneven at the start; however, once the movie finds its rhythm, it delivers moments of sheer entertainment fueled by pitch-black humor. *Over Your Dead Body* elicits big laughs, along with one or two truly shocking surprises—something that is greatly appreciated in a dark comedy of this ilk. The violence proves bloodier than one might expect, while the laughs spring from the most outlandish situations. This serves to take a premise that might otherwise feel off...

 Anthony Mackie co-stars alongside Aiysha Hart—who plays a queen who unites the tribes of Arabia to fight against a ruthless emperor—in a large-scale production that, from a narrative standpoint, proves functional. The stillness of Arabia’s arid and inhospitable landscapes is shattered when they become a battlefield for human conflict in *Desert Warrior*, a long-gestating Saudi epic inspired by real ancient tribes and events that took place in the region. Visually striking—though narratively conventional—the new work from director Rupert Wyatt (*Rise of the Planet of the Apes*) is set 1,500 years ago, when Emperor Kisra II (Ben Kingsley, in a one-scene appearance) orders his subjects to surrender their daughters. These young women are to serve as concubines. Among them is Princess Hind (Aiysha Hart), who has remained hidden deep within the desert alongside her father, King Numan (Ghassan Massoud). Director: Rupert Wyatt Writers: Erica Beeney, Gary Ross, David Self Stars: Aiysha Har...

 David Spade and Theo Von will star in and produce a buddy comedy, *Busboys*, which they wrote and are self-financing. Set in an Arizona border town, the film follows David and Theo—two friends who "think becoming busboys will solve all their problems. They’re wrong," according to the synopsis. Director: Jonah Feingold Writers: David Spade, Theo Von Stars: David Spade, Theo Von, Jimmy Gonzales Jonah Feingold (*At Midnight*, *Dating & New York*, *EXmas*) will direct *Busboys*, a film also produced by Robert Ogden Barnum alongside Spade and Von. "We can't wait to delight everyone with this comedy that nobody asked for," Spade declared in a statement. Spade, who became a household name during his tenure as a cast member on *Saturday Night Live*, has also starred in comedies such as *Joe Dirt*, *Grown Ups*, and *The Wrong Missy*. Additionally, he appeared in the sitcoms *Rules of Engagement* and *8 Simple Rules*. He received an Emmy nomination for his role as De...

*Marshals* represents a new type of *Yellowstone* spin-off. Rather than being a prequel series tracing the Dutton family lineage through generations of westward migration and land disputes, it is a contemporary series following an actual *Yellowstone* character—Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes), the youngest son of the late patriarch John (Kevin Costner)—beyond the events of the flagship series. And instead of being a streaming series boasting sumptuous period detail and movie stars like Harrison Ford, *Marshals* is a broadcast police procedural drama that bears only a vague family resemblance to *1923*, *1883*, *Yellowstone*, or even other series in executive producer Taylor Sheridan’s extensive portfolio. For starters, *Marshals* is one of the rare Sheridan shows not created by Sheridan himself—a writer notoriously hands-on in the creative process who once claimed to have no idea what a script coordinator actually does. (The series was originally titled *Y: Marshals*, but dropped that expli...

When I think of the word "roommate" and the world of cinema, my mind immediately drifts to the 2011 horror film *The Roommate*, starring Minka Kelly and Leighton Meester. Honestly, they looked absolutely stunning in that movie. But anyway—while this *Roommates* doesn't follow exactly the same tone, it certainly conveys that same unsettling feeling that something isn't quite right, right from the very start. *Roommates* kicks off with two college students arguing because they’ve been terrible roommates to one another.  When they are summoned to the dean's office, he offers to tell them a story to make them realize the magnitude of the offense they are committing by trying to hurt each other in front of a whole crowd of people. The story then transports us to the past, and the dean introduces us to the two protagonists of this twist-filled plot: Celeste and Devon. I know—the way I’m framing this, anyone would think it’s a horror movie. But it’s not; it’s a comedy pr...

The inaugural episode of *The Audacity* proved to be truly chaotic, with countless characters feeling as though their world was crumbling around them; yet, it all felt strangely well-coordinated, and we could already glimpse the points of convergence where all the characters would begin to intertwine. By the end of the first episode, Orson discovered—while eavesdropping on Duncan’s therapy session—that neither of his parents had wanted to take responsibility for him following their divorce; furthermore, he ended up locked in the basement when the housekeeper noticed that the door to the small room where he was hiding had been left open. We see much more of Orson in episodes 2 and 3, and it becomes evident that he will play a highly significant role in the story. Faced with the threat of blackmail (and the fact that Duncan had barged into her home just as she was already feeling paranoid), JoAnne provides Duncan with the name of one of her clients—someone who could become a potential in...