The Odyssey (2026): This summer’s top blockbuster, a popcorn hit preceded by casting controversies that prove completely irrelevant upon watching, arrives with a typical Nolan aroma. What struck me is how much it resembles the themes and characters of Dune, right down to the bizarre casting of Zendaya as Athena in what feels like an extension of Chani. Told through a fractured timeline, Odysseus’s return to Ithaca swings from mythical creatures to man-caused atrocities, honing in on the fractured morality of the modern world as our hero struggles with his own transformation and biblical-feeling undercurrents. The film has moments of genuine existential philosophy, yet it still finds room to end like a John Wick story. I enjoyed the sheer scale and showmanship, though what will ultimately haunt me are the brutal logistics of surviving inside a Trojan horse for days on end. More thoughts here. 8
Carolina Caroline (2025): Director Adam Rehmeier keeps his hot streak going, following up on Dinner in America (2020) and Snack Shack (2024) with his own Bonnie and Clyde story. Starring his go-to man, Kyle Gallner, and the Australian Margot Robbie…oh, wait. And the thriller-action oriented Margot Robbie, Samara Weaving (I just realized, Hugo Weaving’s niece), it’s all a crime origin story mixed in with family dysfunction and a dollop of romance. For whatever reason, I kept wanting to spell romance with a capital R, even though this isn’t sappy stuff, but rather an intense connection that unlocks a shared thrill-drive. Sure, Gallner and Weaving (Oliver and Caroline) play cool characters, but the movie stands out when it hones in on their insecurities, particularly when the “victimless crimes” approach proves in contrast to reality. Maybe it’s not enough to make it a cinematic staple, but the familiar beats and cool soundtrack work together well to ensure its warranted claim to at least a third-row seat in its genre. 7
World War Z (2013): Not much has changed from my take last time around on WWZ. A fun, at times spectacular, but also frequently braindead zombie flavoured apocalypse movie, it’s not the theme you would expect of director Marc Forster, but it is the quality. As Brad Pitt travels the world to save humanity, the movie expects everyone to seamlessly work together at a moment’s notice. Surprisingly, it does, though personal hubris generally undermines the success rate. It sure is crazy how some of the scenes play out and how many stupid things happen, you know, so that the movie can happen, but all in all WWZ manages to hold it together well enough through its visuals and mood (fake Tubular Bells anyone?) to make itself enjoyable. 7
Jimmy O. Yang: Finally Home (2026): I’ve been struggling recently to review these stand-up shows, as I can’t find very neat things to dig into. This one, though, is distinctive, in that the special is filmed in Hong Kong and Jimmy smoothly transitions between Cantonese and English in an approach that’s questionable, but ultimately works. The title does say “Finally Home”, so it would be strange to keep it perfectly enclosed in an English bubble. As with Jimmy’s “Good Deal”, this is an uplifting special, working the mixed cultural heritage well, a criss-crossing effort that stays sharp and funny throughout most of its runtime. 7
Evil Dead Burn (2026): Just like its demonic antagonists, the Evil Dead franchise refuses to die. Sometimes, it’s for the better. Other times, it’s to burn. From the same director-writer combo that brought you Vermines (2023), (d. Sébastien Vanicek), the movie neatly ties into the beginning/ending of its predecessor. But that’s just some demonic side hustles, as the story follows the Price family, which harbours a dagger that kills evil and, once unwrapped from its robust plastic packaging, attracts it. It’s not a great family, to say the least, and it comes down to “the outsider” Alice, who simply married into it, to save the day. The movie delivers on what you would expect, extreme gore alongside some visually playful scenes, but it falls flat when trying to intersperse some comedic moments in the mix. It’s also a very dark movie that is mostly content to go through the motions, so I’m not sure if it’s nonsensical that the demonic entity might be attracted to a dagger from miles away, but wouldn’t “feel it” when a few meters apart. Regardless, it’s definitely not as tight and fun as Rise, but hopefully they can up the ante for the (next) sequel. 6
tributary stu 
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