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…
THE FIX (2026) review
written by: Guy Moshe and Mark Bacci
produced by: Guy Moshe, Marina Grasic, Matthew G. Zamias, Wendy Sweetmore & Justin Oberman
directed by: Guy Moshe
rating: R (for strong/bloody violence, language, and some nudity)
runtime: 141 min.
U.S. release date: September 11, 2026
Not much goes right in “The Fix,” either in the story or in how it tells it. Based on the poster alone, it looks to be yet another Liam Neeson actioner, who looms large in the image, while a smaller-positioned Zachary Levi aims an assault rifle at us. The geopolitical thriller, co-written by director Guy Moshe and Marck Bacci, reminds us that it takes more than gunplay to make an action flick worthy of your time. Any attempt at injecting thrills into this overlong heist story revolving around a convoluted extraction in a war zone by a team of former CIA operatives is completely absent. This feature lacks not only excitement, but also actors who care about their roles and characters that aren’t dull and borderline catatonic. It’s confounding how off this debacle is, but any semblance of entertainment or viewer interest is MIA. Read more…
RUNNER (2026) review
written by: Miles Hubley and Tommy White
produced by: Alan Ritchson, Todd Garner, Mark Fasano & Jeffrey Greenstein
directed by: Scott Waugh
rated: PG-13 (for strong violence, bloody images and some language)
runtime: 98 min.
U.S. release date: September 11, 2026
Former stuntman Scott Waugh has shown an interest in action movies over the years, including 2012’s “Act of Valor” and 2014’s “Need for Speed”, but hasn’t yet had a very memorable genre offering. The last two he directed, “Hidden Strike”, starring Jackie Chan and John Cena, and “Expend4bles”, led by Jason Statham, dropped in 2023, and neither of them did very well. His latest, “Runner,” is a curious endeavor: an action comedy filmed Down Under starring Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson that is surprisingly violent, given that Angel Studios is distributing it and markets most of its movies as “values-based entertainment.” Written by the screenwriting duo of Miles Hubley and Tommy White, “Runner” will check all the appropriate boxes for those looking for an entertaining action flick. Read more…
FALL 2: DEADPOINT (2026) review
written by: Scott Mann and Jonathan Frank
produced by: Scott Mann, Christian Mercuri, James Harris, Mark Lane & David Haring
directed by: The Spierig Brothers
rated: PG-13 (for strong language, some violent content/bloody images and drug material)
runtime: 97 min.
U.S. release date: September 4, 2026
Back in August 2022, the low-budget survival thriller “Fall” dropped in theaters, spiking the waning days of the summer box office. It had unusually strong marketing and a “high” concept premise: two best friends, Becky Connor (Grace Caroline Currey) and Shiloh Hunter (Virginia Gardner), wound up stranded at the top of a 2,000-foot-tall broadcasting tower. Viewership spiked even more when it arrived on Netflix, and now we have a sequel, “Fall 2: Deadpoint” (dropping the “2” for the main titles, like other sequels lately) with two different young women reaching new dizzying heights. Screenwriters Scott Mann and Jonathan Frank (who penned the last one) join forces with directors The Spierig Brothers to offer a remake set in a new location, with significantly less marketing behind it. It may not be too original, but anyone with acrophobia and/or basiphobia will likely experience sweaty palms and soles. Read more…
ONSLAUGHT (2026) review
written by: Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett (story) & Simon Barrett (screenplay)
produced by: Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett, Adam Wingard, Jeremy Platt, Alexander Black & Simon Barrett
directed by: Adam Wingard
rated: R (for strong bloody violence, some gore, sexual material/nudity, and language)
runtime: 92 min.
U.S. release date: September 4, 2026
“Onslaught” is a movie that really tries to sell itself as something more than it actually is. It feels like it could’ve easily been one of those fake exploitation trailers that preceded 2007’s “Grindhouse”, rather than the 92 minutes of mindless, bloody action that it is. Director Adam Wingard, helmer of the last two “Godzilla vs. Kong” movies, reunites with screenwriter Simon Barrett (after their work on 2011’s “You’re Next” and 2014’s “The Guest”), for an insipid B-movie exercise that exists solely to revel in viciousness and poor attempts at humor. Read more…
