Aarcflick

 Kitao Sakurai directs an eclectic cast in a big-budget production that lacks a coherent plot, yet remains entertaining nonetheless. As film adaptations of video games improve—or, at the very least, gain in popularity—several models have emerged for adapting source material that once posed an insurmountable challenge for Hollywood. Some games develop their stories and mythologies so effectively that a faithful adaptation is all it takes to achieve success (a category ranging from *The Last of Us* to *Super Mario Galaxy*). Director: Kitao Sakurai Writers: Kitao Sakurai, T.J. Fixman, Dalan Musson Stars: Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Callina Liang Success can also be found at the opposite end of the spectrum: by acknowledging that a game’s plot is of little consequence and instead crafting an original film that captures the essence of the gameplay experience (see: *Resident Evil*). Kitao Sakurai’s take on *Street Fighter* falls somewhere between these two extremes; while it doesn’t full...

 Michał Marczak, director of *All These Sleepless Nights*, finally returns with a visceral film that challenges the "true crime" genre. In the early hours of May 27, 2023, 16-year-old Krzysztof Dymiński snuck out of his family home around 4:00 a.m., took a bus to Warsaw, and walked to the middle of the Gdański Bridge, which spans the Vistula River. A rotating security camera captured him there—motionless, gazing at the water—for 20 minutes, until the device shifted its focus elsewhere. When the camera turned back to that spot less than a minute later, Krzysztof was gone. He has not been seen since. Director: Michal Marczak Writer: Michal Marczak With the exception of one final, razor-sharp image, Michał Marczak’s bleak new film about the disappearance of Krzysztof—known as "Chris" to those close to him—contains no photographs of the boy. There are no school portraits, no traces on social media, and no home videos from happier times—moments that, in retrospect, would...

 *Trust Me, I’m a Doctor* (2026) is a biographical comedy-drama that explores the complex relationship between celebrity culture, medical responsibility, public judgment, and the pursuit of personal redemption. Directed by Thane Economou and starring Kal Penn, Linda Hamilton, and Abbie Cornish, the film revisits the controversial story surrounding Dr. Sandeep Kapoor and his connection to model and television personality Anna Nicole Smith. Rather than presenting a conventional medical drama filled with hospital emergencies and heroic doctors, the film focuses on a legal and personal crisis that unfolds following Smith’s death in 2007.  Kapoor finds himself caught up in an intense investigation, facing accusations, media scrutiny, and the prospect that his professional decisions could destroy both his reputation and his private life. Blending courtroom drama, celebrity gossip, dark humor, and biographical storytelling, the film examines what happens when a private doctor-patient...

 Directed by Dawn Shadforth, Damon Thomas, and Sophie Muller, and based on the novel *The Price You Pay* by Aidan Truhen, this AMC+ and Prime Video series stars Catherine Zeta-Jones as Jackie Price, alongside Daniel Ings (Sam), Sidse Babett Knudsen (Karenina), Christine Adams (The Doc), Raff Law (Sean Harper), Julian Rhind-Tutt (Friedrich), and Enzo Cilenti (Don Markel). The series consists of eight 60-minute episodes. Jackie Price has spent nearly two decades building a comfortable identity in the art world, leaving a violent criminal past behind. She has it all—money, connections, and a well-ordered life—but it all falls apart when she discovers that someone has hired the "Seven Demons," a group of assassins, to take her out. She soon realizes that running away won't help, especially when the people around her also become targets of the attackers. Stars: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Julian Rhind-Tutt She must rely on her instincts to figure out who is aft...

 Baek Ho-rang has an artificial heart powered by a battery that is slowly running out. He meets Gong Bo-bae, who possesses electrical powers. Although the plot of *Take Charge of My Heart* might seem familiar, it will captivate you from the very moment you start watching. The story follows Baek Ho-rang, a wealthy *chaebol* heir whose life depends on a battery-powered artificial heart—one that is failing slowly but steadily. His health condition complicates his responsibilities at TS Group, where no one seems to understand his vulnerability. Meanwhile, Gong Bo-bae has been trying to find love for 30 years, but her mysterious electrical powers make dating rather unusual. Here’s the twist: Bo-bae’s abilities can recharge Ho-rang’s artificial heart, and in the most unexpected way, their lives become intertwined. What begins as a practical arrangement evolves into something more complex. Their circumstances lead them into a contractual relationship, offering viewers amusingly awkward si...

 The plot centers on Native American activist Leonard Peltier and his conviction. Some stories of injustice become so deeply embedded in history that the fight for justice and accountability continues long after the original events. *Free Leonard Peltier* immerses us in one such story by examining the decades-long imprisonment of Native American activist Leonard Peltier and the movement that refused to let the case fade into oblivion.  Directors: David France, Jesse Short Bull Writers: Jamie Deradorian-Delia, Adam Evans, David France Stars: Ted Evans, Leonard Peltier Peltier, a prominent member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), spent nearly 50 years in prison after being convicted in connection with the 1975 deaths of two FBI agents during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. He has always maintained his innocence. In January 2025, President Joe Biden commuted his sentence, allowing him to serve the remainder under house arrest. However, despite this,...

You can never fully rely on promotional material to accurately describe a movie or series, but I am pleased to say that the official synopsis for *Gnomes* hits the tone perfectly: "*Gremlins* meets *Hot Fuzz*." This six-episode horror-comedy series indeed captures that unbridled, spirited energy characteristic of the works of Joe Dante and Edgar Wright—the directors of the aforementioned films. It stands out particularly for its atmosphere of barely contained chaos, presented with a knowing wink to the audience but never veering into excessive self-awareness. It is also—without a doubt—the best television series ever made about murderous garden gnomes awakened by an ancient evil. Creator: Joel Kohn Stars: Asa Butterfield, Megan Smart, Darren Gilshenan In the small town of Nompton, something—to paraphrase a line from another production with a similar tone—strange is happening in the neighborhood. It isn't ghosts, exactly, but garden gnomes coming to life and developing a p...