TOY STORY 5 (2026) review
written by: Andrew Stanton and Kenna Harris
produced by: Lindsey Collins and Jessica Choi
directed by: Andrew Stanton
rated: PG (for some thematic elements and rude humor)
runtime: 102 min.
U.S. release date: June 19, 2026
With “Toy Story 5”, I’ve come around to the idea of more stories with these toys. I still maintain that it all could’ve ended after “Toy Story 3”, but the latest entry in The Most Endearing and Imaginative Franchise in Movie History, co-written and co-directed by Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo” and “WALL-E”) and Kenna Harris, has changed my perspective. Yeah, I know, that hyperbolic proclamation seems a bit much (if not quite specific), but I cannot think of one other franchise that has consistently delivered what we’ve come to love about these stories and characters with each entry. This movie is as charming, hilarious, and meaningful as the last sequel, and it actually has something to say about how we live, interact with others, and use technology. It’s never heavy-handed about any of that, and serves as a reminder that human imagination and play should be cherished, encouraged, and valued. Read more…
LET’S LOVE (2026) review
written by: Jamie Adams (additional material by The Cast)
produced by: Tom George and Rebecca Long
directed by: Jamie Adams
rated: not rated (strong language and sexual situations equivalent to an R rating)
runtime: 81 min.
U.S. release date: June 5, 2025 (VOD)
“This is, like, eight years of therapy undone.”
One of the more interesting phenomena of the last ten years has been watching the internet claim that some decade-old movie with a small but devoted following is actually the most beloved movie of all time and needs a ten-years-later sequel. The sequel gets made, and it does fine, like the first one did, because it turns out the huge following the fan base thought was there simply wasn’t there. This is one of the major themes explored in the new comedy “Let’s Love,” a charming film that can’t help but be just a little too inside-baseball for casual fans, as it criticizes multiple things about the film industry.
DISCLOSURE DAY (2026) review
written by: David Koepp
produced by: Kristie Macosko Krieger and Steven Spielberg
directed by: Steven Spielberg
rated: PG-13 (for action/violence, some bloody images, and strong language)
runtime: 145 min.
U.S. release date: June 12, 2025
The more conflicted I feel about “Disclosure Day”, the more disappointed I am in it. On the one hand, it’s wonderful to see and hear a Steven Spielberg and John Williams collaboration, possibly for the last time, once again. It’s easy to be reminded how synonymous Spielberg’s work is with the master maestro. It could also be Spielberg’s last science-fiction romp, so the anticipation and trepidation are understandable, but both should be measured. After all, the last encounter the director had with aliens was in 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, and we all know how that was received. On the other hand, “Disclosure Day” often feels derivative of Spielberg’s own previous endeavors, which makes sense considering the story came from the director, yet the screenplay comes from longtime collaborator David Koepp, someone who’s worked with Spielberg before, on “Jurassic Park” and “War of the Worlds”, to name a few. There’s a lot of information to process while watching “Disclosure Day”, and with it come so many questions, the confounded kind that surface once the cinematic Spielberg glow washes off. Read more…
Interview with GREGG ALLMAN: THE MUSIC OF MY SOUL producer Michael Lehman and producer/director James Keach
To truly know a musician, you have to go beyond the music and understand the artist as a human being, rather than just a talented performer. In doing so, you usually come across at least one past trauma or hardship they had to overcome; something that has shaped them into the person they’ve become known for. Recent music documentaries that are aware of that and have included these elements in an immersive and enlightened manner have been either produced or directed (sometimes both) by James Keach. His latest, “Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul,” aims to introduce audiences to a sensitive, gentler side of an iconic, award-winning musician. Co-produced with Allman’s former manager, Michael Lehman, the documentary captures the tragedies and triumphs that shaped his life and career, featuring commentary from those who knew him best. Read more…
GREGG ALLMAN: THE MUSIC OF MY SOUL (2026) review
produced by: James Keach, Alexandra Komisaruk, and Michael Lehman
directed by: James Keach
rated: not rated
runtime: 99 min.
U.S. release date: June 17, 2026
In recent years, actor/producer/director James Keach has developed quite a knack for producing and directing some of the best music documentaries focused on American artists. It started with 2014’s “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me”, an emotional look at the musician’s last tour before Alzheimer’s claimed his life, which he produced and directed. Then in 2019, two great documentaries were released: “David Crosby: Remember My Name”, which he served as one of the executive producers, premiered at Sundance, and then he also served as a producer on “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival months later. His latest documentary, “Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul”, looks at the life of a passionate musician and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, one of the great American bands responsible for what would be called Southern Rock. Read more…
AN AUTUMN SUMMER (2026) review
written by: Jared Isaac
produced by: Zach Aries, Becky Boggs, Jared Isaac, JohnPaul Morris & Brandon Somerhalder
directed by: Jared Isaac
rating: not rated
runtime: 98 min.
U.S. release date: April 23, 2026 (Music Box Theatre, Chicago, IL) & June 2, 2026 (Digital Platforms)
“An Autumn Summer” is one of those films that leans into experiences and memories rather than offering a narrative or character arc, and that will be a strike against it for some. But it’s actually one of the film’s strengths. The convincing, immersive ways in which writer/director Jared Isaac captures the waning days of summer in his directorial debut are impressive. You don’t have to be familiar with the geography or have had a similar experience to the young characters in this story to relate to that feeling when the days spent with your friends are numbered. “An Autumn Summer” captures those bittersweet, uncertain feelings when we know adulthood is looming. Read more…
BACKROOMS (2026) review
written by: Will Soodik (based on the series by Kane Parsons)
produced by: Peter Chernin, Michael Clear, Dan Cohen, Chris Ferguson, Dan Levine, Shawn Levy, Kane Parsons, Roberto Patino, Osgood Perkins, Jenno Topping, and James Wan
directed by: Kane Parsons
rated: R (for language and some violent content/bloody images)
runtime: 110 min.
U.S. release date: May 29, 2026
“I’m sorry that I broke the glass and woke you up.”
2026 will be remembered as the year that the YouTube generation beat Hollywood at its own game. In January, YouTuber Mark Fischbach’s “Iron Lung” opened less than a million dollars behind the big-budget “Send Help,” and YouTuber Curry Barker’s debut film “Obsession” just outgrossed the new Star Wars movie at the box office. Now, 20-year old Kane Parsons has just delivered A24 their biggest ever opening with his directorial debut “Backrooms,” starring Oscar nominees Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. Read more…
FORASTERA (2025) review
written by: Lucía Aleñar Iglesias
produced by: Marta Cruañas, Ariadna Dot, Tono Folguera, Olivier Guerpillon, Cesc Mulet, Giovanni Pompili & Marta Reguera
directed by: Lucía Aleñar Iglesias
rated: not rated
runtime: 97 min.
U.S. release date: May 29, 2026 (limited)
In the family drama “Forastera”, the feature-length directorial debut of Spanish writer/director Lucía Aleñar Iglesias, a bucolic summer vacation is interrupted by sudden tragedy. Set on Mallorca, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, known for its beach resorts, sheltered coves, and limestone mountains, Iglesias leans into the location’s beauty. It’s a place Iglesias often visited as a child, which is probably why her film seems to know it so intimately. The title is often used to describe visitors or transplants to Mallorca from the Spanish mainland, and here it specifically refers to the teenage protagonist who unexpectedly navigates loss, grief, and identity. Read more…
I LOVE BOOSTERS (2026) review
written by: Boots Riley
produced by: Allison Rose Carter, Jon Read, Boots Riley, Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett
directed by: Boots Riley
rated: R (for strong sexual content, nudity, language throughout and brief drug use)
runtime: 105 min.
U.S. release date: May 22, 2026
“Get your camera out, let’s go live.”
One of the more unforgettable movies of the last decade, Boots Riley’s 2018 feature directorial debut “Sorry to Bother You” presented one of the strangest visions of the world ever put to film. The Chicago-born rapper proved himself a unique visual stylist with one foot firmly in the surreal, and though the film wasn’t for everyone, it established Riley as a filmmaker to watch. Read more…
TIME AND WATER (2026) review
written by: Sara Dosa, Jocelyne Chaput, Erin Casper, and Andri Snær Magnason
produced by: Jameka Autry, Shane Boris, Sara Dosa & Elijah Stevens
directed by: Sara Dosa
rated: not rated
runtime: 90 min.
U.S. release date: May 29, 2026 (limited)
“Time and Water,” director Sara Dosa’s follow-up to her award-winning, Oscar-nominated 2022 documentary “Fire of Love,” continues her exploration of fascinating connections between humans and nature. She deemed that film, which followed married French volcanologists and their passionate obsession with volcanoes, a love story. In her latest documentary, Dosa focuses on Andri Snær Magnason, Icelandic writer/poet/environmentalist, as he simultaneously tackles two tragedies: the death of one of his country’s glaciers and the passing of his beloved grandparents. These losses are covered by sharing personal video archives of the past and present, inevitably succincly weaving together themes of family and memory with time and water. Read more…
