The Game (1997): Placed squarely among the movies that have been part of my formative experience, Fincher’s The Game still packs a lot of punch. What has changed, though, is our desire to explore the motivations of the wealthy outside of any eat-the-rich framework. In this movie, Michael Douglas plays Nicholas van Orton, a guy who’s got it all, except, perhaps, for the joy of being alive. When his brother gifts him “a bespoke experience”, things start going from bad to worse, as van Orton is pulled into a mire of conspiracy and is pushed to the brink. Michael Douglas had already explored this in 1993’s Falling Down, but coming from another socio-economic bracket. Regardless, The Game is a cool thriller that pushes your suspension of disbelief to the limit, but also gives you enough reasons to not care about everything falling into place perfectly. On first viewing, I definitely perceived it as more influential than it actually is, which is not to say that I don’t still feel it’s a good amount of fun to watch. 8
Primetime (2026): Lance Oppenheim is in the limelight now with the Elizabeth Holmes/Nathan Fielder You Can See Everything, which has pretty much overshadowed this Robert Pattinson flick, recounting the true story of a popular American TV show entitled “How to Catch a Predator”, created by Chris Hansen. Hansen is reportedly less than happy with Primetime, particularly because he wasn’t consulted and, also, because it isn’t very factual. I have never seen the show, so I wasn’t bothered by any misalignment with reality, as the movie felt like a self-contained story. Clearly there are serious ethical questions about creating any form of entertainment around catching sexual predators, even if you argue that it happens for a good cause. Oppenheim and writers Ajon Singh and Luke Dittrich don’t even dwell on this matter, but rather focus on the emotional toll this kind of show would have taken on its makers, each with a very distinct set of mostly ego-driven motivations. I found it at times exciting, at times harrowing, but was left without a clear emotional takeaway. I guess I got the sense there would be more to it than there ultimately was. 7
Sense and Sensibility (2026): Another Jane Austen adaptation, another good day on Planet Earth. This one from the hands of Georgia Oakley stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, George MacKay and Herbert Nordrum, in the lead drama quartet. Of course nothing can stand up to the 1995 version, especially looking back at the talent involved in making it, but this 2026 rendition is very senseful. If anything, it’s too somber, doing little to really reinterpret the material to present day sensibilities, other than focusing more on the needs and bond of the lead sister pair. Which is not to say that it is a terrible thing to stay close to well worn and trodden, as love, honour and social condition vie for supremacy while dipped in the Austen whimsy. 7
Center Stage (2000): A routine ballet school movie in the vein of Fame (1980), this movie features a young Zoe Saldana, alongside a cast made up mostly of professional ballet practitioners. This and the mid writing and plot make for a less than enticing movie. However, Center Stage is committed to the craft and using professionals meant the filmmakers could focus on the actual dancing, which they very well did. About a third of the runtime consists of dance performances, which are very nice to watch for someone with my untrained eye. This elevates the whole experience to something acceptable, even enjoyable, in spite of some weird twists and turns along the way. 6
F Valentine’s Day (2026): If I were to write out the plot of this heavily genre-ed movie, you would probably nod your head understandingly. In a movie about mismatched lovers, petty frustrations intertwined with personal drama and reviving Santorini as a tourist destination, we follow Gina (Virginia Gardner), a grumpy almost-thirty born on Valentine’s Day, who shackles up with Andrew (Skylar Austin). A trip to Greece, coupled with an A-tier movie gimmick, sets up a deep reflection regarding their relationship, when both are presented with substantially more compatible alternatives (Jake Cannavale, i.e. Bobby’s son, and Sabrina Bartlett). The movie isn’t horrible within its niche and there’s some talent in the cast, but it lacks the charisma that would make it enjoyable and is also bogged down by feeling cheap (few extras, bad CGI coupled with questionable editing, the like). 4
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