DIGGER (2026) review
screenplay by: Alejandro G. Iñárritu & Alexander Dinelaris, and Nicolás Giacobone and Sabina Berman, story by: Sabina Berman & Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Jez Butterworth
produced by: Tom Cruise, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mary Parent, Michael Sharp
directed by: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
rated: R (for disturbing sexual material, graphic nudity, some violent content, and language)
runtime: 129 min.
U.S. release date: October 2, 2026
“Words are perception. And perception is reality.”
What happens to a parody when it moves beyond parody? When the jokes are clearly no longer funny to the people telling the jokes, where does that leave the parody element? “Digger,” the latest film from Oscar-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu (“Birdman,” “The Revenant”), seems to have a script that moved past being a comedy three or four drafts ago.
THE INCOMER (2O26) review
written by: Louis Paxton
produced by: Shirley O’Connor and Emily Gotto
directed by: Louis Paxton
rated: R (for brief graphic nudity)
runtime: 102 min.
U.S. release date: October 2, 2026 (Music Box Theatre, Chicago, IL)
Earlier this year at Sundance, Scottish writer/director Louis Paxton made his feature-length directorial debut with “The Incomer”, a whimsical modern-day folk tale that is as delightful as it is humorously life-affirming. Its Scottish Island setting recalls “The Banshees of Inisherin” and last year’s “The Ballad of Wallis Island”, not just for its similarly situated location, but also for the film’s sweetly odd, slightly absurd tone, which echoes “The Hunt for the Wilderpeople”. Paxton’s main trio of characters are outsiders who will have to figure out who they are, even if they’re peculiar, eccentric, or just plain weird. “The Incomer” often confidently waves its creative freak flag in unique ways, landing on poignant themes that are simply beautiful. Read more…
KNIFE: THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF SALMAN RUSHDIE (2O26) review
produced by: Erin Edeiken, Alex Gibney, and Sruthi Pinnamaneni
directed by: Alex Gibney
rated: not rated
runtime: 107 min.
U.S. release date: September 18, 2026 & October 3, 2026 (limited)
On August 12, 2022, at 10:47 am, Indian-born British-American novelist Salman Rushdie was stabbed multiple times as he was about to give a public lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York. He did not die, but was gravely wounded and hospitalized. When he awoke in the hospital, he told his stalwart wife, Rachel Eliza Griffiths, a writer and multidisciplinary artist, “We need to document this”, and she was in agreement and on hand with a brand new camera and fiery determination. Indeed, the couple was determined to show everyone the aftermath of the horrific event, and her footage is incorporated throughout veteran filmmaker Alex Gibney’s documentary, “Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie”, based on the writer’s 2024 memoir Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder. Read more…
PRIMETIME (2026) review
written by: Ajon Singh, based on the article “Tonight on Dateline: This Man Will Die’ by Luke Dittrich
produced by: Fred Berger, William Iannaccone, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Robert Pattinson, Brighton McCloskey, Lars Knudsen, Ari Aster
directed by: Lance Oppenheim
rated: R (for disturbing sexual material, graphic nudity, some violent content, and language)
runtime: 11o min.
U.S. release date: September 25, 2026
“You see how this looks, right?”
Is it possible to hunt monsters without becoming one yourself? That seems to be the question at the heart of the film “Primetime,” covering the inception and first two years of NBC’s “Dateline” spin-off, “To Catch a Predator with Chris Hansen.” I think the filmmakers have a definite answer to that question, but whether or not that makes for an engaging film is another issue entirely.
HEART OF THE BEAST (2026) review
written by: Cameron Alexander
produced by: David Ayer, Olivia Hamilton, Brad Pitt, Marty Bowen, Richard Raymond & Nick Satriano
directed by: David Ayer
rated: PG-13 (for violence, peril, bloody/injury images and some language)
runtime: 101 min.
U.S. release date: September 25, 2026
Known for adrenaline-fueled, intense movies with a penchant for violence, such as “End of Watch” and “The Beekeeper”, director David Ayer shows a kinder, gentler side with “Heart of the Beast”. Even with a plane crash, raging white water rapids, and an attack by a pack of vicious wolves, this is still a change of pace for Ayer. Screenwriter Cameron Alexander makes his feature-length debut, telling a survival tale about two friends who have survived combat war zones and carry the mental and physical wounds to prove it. The movie is for dog lovers and viewers who like survival flicks, and if you’re both, like me, well, you’re in for a treat. Read more…
SHAUN THE SHEEP: THE BEAST OF MOSSY BOTTOM (2026) review
written by: Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow
produced by: Richard Beek and Mark Burton
directed by: Steve Cox and Matthew Walker
rated: PG (for mild, scary action)
runtime 81 min.
U.S. release date: September 18, 2026
Founded in 1972, beloved British stop-motion animation company Aardman Animations has shown an incredible knack for delivering clever, fun tales for all ages. Their stories usually revolve around quirky humans and anthropomorphic animals, neither of whom speaks, but they are very expressive. Over the years, the studio has also shown an affinity for classic monster flicks from the States, as seen in a handful of comedy horror features, such as the Oscar-winning “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,” a vegetation-horror movie from 2005, and “Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon,” a 2019 riff on alien invader movies. For their new feature, “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom”, directors Steve Cox and Matthew Walker deliver another humorous, satisfying Halloween outing, with an emphasis on strange farmland happenings and slapstick comedy. Read more…
THE CONDOR DAUGHTER (2025) review
written by: Álvaro Olmos Torrico
produced by: Álvaro Olmos Torrico, Cecilia Sueiro Mosquera, Diego Sarmiento Pagán, Federico Moreira &
Iris Sigalit Ocampo Gil
directed by: Álvaro Olmos Torrico
rated: not rated
runtime: 109 min.
U.S. release date: September 11, 2026 (NY) and September 18 (LA)
For his second feature, “The Condor Daughter,” Bolivian writer/director Álvaro Olmos Torrico focuses on indigenous communities and the women who dutifully anchor them. It’s an introspective tale similar to his previous work; his background in documentaries and his 2019 feature debut, “Wiñay,” both focus on a self-reflective protagonist, which typically creates a rich viewing experience. That’s true of this film, too. Olmos Torrico finds conflict in both his characters’ internal and external journeys, following them with respect and sensitivity. His focus on female characters makes for an especially rewarding viewing experience, and “The Condor Daughter” specifically considers the ideas of evolution and redemption. Read more…
THE WEIGHT (2026) review
written by: Matthew Booi & Shelby Gaines, Matthew Chapman (screenplay); Matthew Booi & Leo Scherman & Matthew Chapman (story)
produced by: Nathan Fields, Simon Fields, Ryan Hawke, Maximilian Leo, Daniel Sonnabend
directed by: Padraic McKinley
rated: R (for language, and some violence/bloody images)
runtime: 115 min.
U.S. release date: January 26, 2026 (Sundance Film Festival); September 18, 2026 (wide)
“Well, well, well… A man who knows a liquor hauling car when he sees one. I think I’m gonna learn to like you, Murphy.”
Some premises keep recurring in pop culture because they’re an effective framework for hanging just about any kind of story. One that pops up time and again is Georges Arnaud’s 1950 novel “The Wages of Fear,” a story with an irresistible premise. Four convicts are tasked with an impossible mission: transporting volatile dynamite through the Guatemalan jungle. Henri-Georges Clouzot and William Friedkin adapted it masterfully, and there’s even a 2024 Netflix miniseries adaptation.
THE HISTORY OF CONCRETE (2026) review
produced by: Clark Filio, Shirel Kozak, and Allie Viti
directed by: John Wilson
rated: not rated
runtime: 100 min.
U.S. release date: September 18, 2026
Who would’ve thought that we’d have two documentaries about concrete within just two years? In August 2025, there was Viktor Kossakovsky’s “Architecton”, which explored the history of concrete guided by legendary architect and designer Michele De Lucchi. Now there’s a documentary called “The History of Concrete” from director John Wilson, an American documentarian known for HBO’s “How To with John Wilson”, the quirky comedy docu-series that lasted for three seasons from 2020-2023. Wilson is drawn to what many consider mundane, bringing attention to things we typically tune out and people we overlook. Using clever, often wryly humorous shot selections, uncanny editing, and his own deadpan narration, Wilson keeps his subject matter funny, surprising, and entertaining. Read more…
THE UPRISING (2026) review
written by: Paul Greengrass
produced by: Jason Blum, Paul Greengrass, Gregory Goodman, Joanna Kaye, Joe Neurauter & Lars Sylvest
directed by: Paul Greengrass
rated: R (for violent/bloody images)
runtime: 128 min.
U.S. release date: September 11, 2026
I bet many had no idea that Oscar-nominated English director Peter Greengrass helmed a movie that came out last year (“The Lost Bus”), nor do they realize Oscar-nominated actor Andrew Garfield released a movie (“The Magic Faraway Tree”) last month, both adaptations of books. The former came out last fall on Apple TV+ and earned an Oscar nomination for Visual Effects, while the latter was a charming fantasy adventure that didn’t get a fair chance in theaters. While Greengrass is best known for directing three Jason Bourne movies, his most compelling films have been based on real events, such as 2002’s “Bloody Sunday” and 2006’s “United 93”. Garfield has played his share of real-life characters, from Eduardo Saverin to Jim Bakker. It’s interesting to see them come together for “The Uprising,” a period piece loosely based on real events. Since Greengrass has long explored everyday people coming together in acts of heroism, a dramatization of the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 in England plays to his proclivities. Read more…
