Articles

KOKUHO (Japan 2025) ***½

Directed by Lee Sang-il

Directed by Lee Sang-il and starring two of Japan’s most prominent actors, Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama, Kokuho is a gripping tale of friendship and rivalry in the world of Kamigata kabuki.  The story opens in Nagasaki in 1964 and unfolds over five tumultuous decades. It follows Kikuo — the son of a slain yakuza boss — who, at fourteen, is taken in by a celebrated kabuki master and raised alongside Shunsuke, the master’s son and designated heir. Their bond — part brotherhood, part rivalry — drives an epic saga of ambition, sacrifice, scandal, and devotion, culminating in the emergence of a singular kokuho: a living “national treasure.”    The film educates the audience on the world of kabuki with all the lavishness and splendour of the disciplined choreography, costumes, makeup up and voices.  The kabuki is so controlled that all the female roles are played by males.  As such, the two male actors are extremely good-looking, with the film bearing lots of homo-eroticism.  The only problem is that the film his way too long at 3 hours, stretching the last bit way too far.  The film is a hit in Japan.

THE MOMENT (USA/UK 2026) ***
Directed by Aidan Zamiri

THE MOMENT is a satire mockumentary on the British singer/songwriter known as Charli XCX.  It is brave and innovative, sometimes too much, and it takes a while, like the first half of the film, to get its footing.  This reviewer hated the first half.  The first half is quite bad, but the second half of the film redeemed itself with its freshness as well as weirdness.

The film should come with a warning about flashing strobe lights, which can be really annoying and disturbing to those with mental issues.

Charli XCX is well known to those in the music industry.  For those unfamiliar, she is quite the force to be reckoned with.

Charlotte Emma Aitchison born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer, songwriter, and actress.  She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene.  Signing a recording contract with Asylum Records in 2010, Charli XCX released a series of singles and mixtapes in the early 2010s.  In 2012, she was featured on "I Love It" by Swedish duo Icona Pop, which became her first UK number-one and went on to achieve global success.  Her debut studio album, True Romance (2013), received positive reviews but failed to meet commercial expectations.  her new film has a chance of putting her onnthe map of fame.

In the movie, Charli XCX plays a fictionalised version of herself.

The Moment is a 2026 American mockumentary film directed by Aidan Zamiri, who co-wrote it with Bertie Brandes from an original idea by Charli XCX. The film stars XCX, Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Jamie Demetriou, Hailey Benton Gates, Isaac Powell, and Alexander Skarsgård.

THE MOMENT premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2026, and was released in the United States by A24 on January 30.  The film has so far received mixed reviews from critics.  It opens in theatres in Toronto and in other key Canadian cities on February 6th.

Trailer:  

A POET (Un Poeta) (Colombia/Germany/Sweden 2025) ****
Directed by Simón Mesa Soto 

Coming right from Cannes, where A POET, in the Un Certain Regard section, won the Jury Prize, the film revolves around Óscar Restrepo, an aging poet who once had hopes of literary success but whose life has since drifted into obscurity, melancholy, and self-destructive habits.   A loser in life, but he tries to do something about it, with disastrous effects.  Nothing seems to go right!  He still lives with his mother, struggles with unemployment, and drowns some of his disappointments in alcohol.  While teaching at a secondary school, he mentors Yurlady, a teenage student with raw writing talent.  But fate is not on his side, as things go south for the poor soul.  A POET is tragedy in its most gruesome form, with Oscar brilliantly played like a monstrous troll by Ubeimar Ríos.  Dream big but achieve chaos!  One of the best of the TIFF last year and one of the best neglected international films of 2025.

QUEEN OF CHESS (USA 2025) ***½

Directed by Rory Kennedy

This doc/biography of the QUEEN OF CHESS arguably contains the most absorbing introduction one might ever see in a movie this year.  The intro grabs one and instills both curiosity and anticipation of how the life of a little Hungarian girl who beats all odds to become the world’s QUEEN OF CHESS.

Hungarian chess prodigy Judit Polgár challenges champion Garry Kasparov (both shown at the doc’s introduction) and her controlling father over 15 years, breaking gender barriers to become the greatest female player ever and one of history's finest.

A few sweeping statements are made in the doc, like “Geniuses are made, not born.”  Whether this one is true is questionable, but if not entirely true, it still contains some truth. Crafting genius helps, undoubtedly.

Judit Polgár is a Hungarian chess grandmaster, widely regarded as the strongest female chess player of all time.  She is the only woman to be ranked in the world top 10 (and one of only three to make the top 100), the only woman to achieve a rating over 2700,  and the only woman to compete in the final stage of a World Chess Championship.

Polgár’s early life was particularly interesting and emphasized in the doc. She was born on 23 July 1976 in Budapest to a Jewish-Hungarian family.  Polgár and her two older sisters, Grandmaster Susan and International Master Sofia, were part of an educational experiment carried out by their father, László Polgár, in an attempt to prove that children could make exceptional achievements if trained in a specialist subject from a very early age. "Geniuses are made, not born," was László's thesis. He and his wife, Klára, educated their three daughters at home, with chess as the specialist subject.  László also taught his three daughters the international language Esperanto. They received resistance from Hungarian authorities as home-schooling was not a "socialist" approach. They also received criticism at the time from some Western commentators for depriving the sisters of a normal childhood.

A few things, too, that non-chess experts are unaware of.  The Chess Olympiad is the Chess Olympics of the world.  Judit and her sisters got to play their first in Greece, once the communist Hungarian Government released their passports.  Then there is Linares in Spain -the Wimbledon of Chess,

What lifts director Kennedy’s doc above other docs and other films is that the film is not just a chess documentary.  Just like chess moves—it is about the moves the subject Polgár’s moves she made in her life and about determination, gender barriers, and excellence under pressure.  It celebrates not only Polgár’s technical skill but also her role in reshaping perceptions of women in competitive sports.

QUEEN OF CHESS premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and isreleased globally on Netflix on February 6, 2026.

Trailer: 

SCARLET (Japan 2025) ***

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda

SCARLET (Japanese: 果てしなきスカーレット, literal meaning: 'Endless Scarlet') is a 2025 Japanese animated fantasy action film written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda, and produced by Studio Chizu.  The story, set in Denmark, is strange for a Japanese anime, but it becomes clear when the tie unfolds amend show it is inspired by the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet.  It follows the eponymous princess who can cross time and space on a quest of vengeance after her father is murdered.

Scarlet, a medieval-era, sword-fighting princess on a dangerous quest to avenge the death of her father, is the protagonist of this powerful, time-bending animated adventure.  The film begins with the princess waking up in a strange arid land, revealed to be the Otherworld.  Voiceover informs that it is a place where the dead and living exist.  But it is not heaven, nor is it hell.  The setting allows director Hosoda to impresses audience with stunning animation, one of the highlights of the film.  After failing and being mortally wounded, she finds herself in a surreal place between life and death called the Otherworld. After failing in her mission and finding herself fatally injured in a surreal world, she encounters an idealistic young man from our present day who not only helps her to heal but also shows her the possibility of a future free from bitterness and rage. When confronted once more by her father’s killer, who is her father’s evil brother who has usurped the throne, Scarlet faces her most daunting battle: can she break the cycle of hatred and find meaning in life beyond revenge?

The film explores heavy themes like vengeance, forgiveness, healing after loss, and the cycle of hatred — all filtered through a fantastical narrative inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  Though animated, the heavy, leaden themes would make the film unsuitable for younger audiences.  The film, however, suffers from a weak narrative.  One can predict where the film is heading - that vengeance is not everything that would satisfy the sword-wielding princess, and that she has a lot to learn about the good of mankind.

The film does away with explanations.  How does the enemy Voldemand suddenly appear in the Overworld?  The princess also has an option to climb the stairway to heaven.  Apparently, the party is guarded heavily, and there are bandits to contend with on the hornet to the staircase.  And is there an infinite land in the mountains that the stairway leads to?  Too many unanswered questions hinder the story’s credibility.  The film is also punctuated with songs that emphasise the film’s theme, as in the lyrics of the songs emphasising the colour of the heart and love.

SCARLET had its premiere out of competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2025.  There, it won the Fanheart3 Award – Nave d'Argento for Best OTP.  It was released theatrically in Japan on November 21, 2025, by Toho and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan.  It opens theatrically in Canada on Feb 8th.

Trailer: 

THE STRANGERS - CHAPTER 3 (USA/Spain 2026) *
Directed by Renny Harlin

The latest and last (Thank God for that!) of the trilogy of THE STRANGERS reboot begins rather impressively with the song The Sound Of Silence by Paul Simon played on the soundtrack while a car is driven to the town where the action takes place.  And the act is not nice, as expected in a horror film.  The film, directed by Renny Carlin, who seems to have only made one good movie in her career (CLIFFHANGER) delivers the lowest of the low in this incoherent, unexciting,g and boring end of the cult following THE STRANGERS franchise.  The film goes downhill from there and never picks up.

The Strangers is a psychological horror franchise centred on a trio of masked, sadistic strangers who torment and kill innocent victims with no apparent motive. Originating with the 2008 cult classic, the franchise has expanded into a 5-film series, including a 2018 sequel and a new trilogy (2024–2026) that reboots the timeline. 

The masked killers appear again in the movie, and the protagonist is Maya (Madelaine Petsch), who appears in all three chapters, the sole survivor and the one who takes revenge on the masked killers.  Not that the audience remembers or cares.

Chapter 3 is designed as the conclusion of the new trilogy, wrapping up the storyline introduced in Chapter 1.

This trilogy was shot back-to-back as a single, continuous narrative, meaning Chapter 3 is expected to: Resolve unanswered questions from Chapters 1 and 2; Bring the psychological and physical terror to a final confrontation, and provide closure to the central character arc introduced in the reboot.

The film is a slow-burning dread, stalking, and inevitability, rather than lore-heavy explanations.  The violence without motive (“because the victims happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time”)—remains intact with no explanation of the killers in any conventional way.

THE STRANGERS - CHAPTER 3  opens in theatres Friday, February 5th.

SWAY (Canada 2024) ***

Directed by Ramelan X Hamilton

SWAY is a Canadian gripping thriller wannabe, but mostly a drama, which is produced by Emmanuel Kabongo and directed by Ramelan X Hamilton.  The brisk 98-minute film follows the life of a prominent young Black community leader, nicknamed SWAY, facing unexpected challenges that unravel his world.  As his brother, Cy, goes missing after losing a bet of an undisclosed amount to a shady big boss character, Sway becomes ensnared in a web of blackmail orchestrated by a mysterious woman, and a murder puts his love and loyalty to the ultimate test.  The mysterious girl first appears in his bed one morning after Sway’s last rough night, he does not remember what happened the night before or who this lady is.  Premiering in LA on Feb 8th and 10th, and in Toronto on Feb 17th, with Halifax dates to be announced in late February, SWAY promises an unforgettable cinematic experience.

The script contains a few interesting though not groundbreaking ideas.  The fight against crime is duly established and serves to be the main goal of the protagonist in the storyline: “Crime is an occupation. It just sits on the opposite side of law and order.  Crime has to be driven out of Parkwood,” and so says Sway.  The success of the film depends mostly on the script, which tends to be stage-bound.

It is important most of the time for the audience to have a likeable protagonist to side with him and also the film.  Sway’s character is shown for both sides of the coin.  On his good side, he strives to do good for the foundation, achieving what the press calls  40 under 40, which one assumes is the top 40 under 40-years of age.  He is concerned about his brother and loves his family.  The family is not seen in the film.  The film also shows his other side - short-tempered, with the frequent use of foul language.  He also screams and mistreats his employees, though one employee does deserve to be screamed at.  But there is a reason for the bad side to be shown, not to reveal any more of the plot, but some dirty goings-on are revealed to the audience about Sway at the mid-mark of the film.  The revelation occurs when his interviewer puts him in a corner when questioning an unexplained fire that occurred in one of the buildings at Parkdale.  Just when shit is about to hit the fan, the lady in his bed that morning calls him to blackmail him.  This is when the audience is forced to either take Sway’s side or do the opposite.

The film is a Canadian film shot in Toronto, though the setting is the United States. The high-rise buildings of Toronto can be seen throughout the film, with many locations recognisable by Torontonians.

SWAY premieres in LA on Feb 8th and 10th, and in Toronto last year at the Black Festival.  It opens in theatres on Jan 30th, 2026

 Trailer: 

WHISTLE (USA 2026) **½
Directed by Corin Hardy

A misfit group of unwitting high school students stumble upon a cursed object, an ancient Aztec Death Whistle. They discover that blowing the whistle and the terrifying sound it emits will summon their future deaths to hunt them down. As the body count rises, the friends investigate the origins of the deadly artifact in a desperate effort to stop the horrifying chain of events that they have set in motion. 

The film begins with a basketball match in which the winning score is won at the very last second by a player called Mason.  As Mason enters his locker room and then showers, he is killed by an Aztec creature that burns him to death.  His locker is then transferred to a new girl, who discovers a whistle in the shape of a skull in the locker.  The girl brings it out and takes it to class, only to have it confiscated by her teacher.  This is when the horror begins.

The new Elevation Pictures horror flick opening is entitled WHISTLE.  The whistle referred to in the film is an Aztec death whistle that a teacher in high school confiscates and researches.

The Aztec death whistle is a small ceramic whistle from pre-Columbian Aztec culture that produces a terrifying, scream-like sound—often compared to a human shriek or a howl.

The origin is in central Mexico, dating back roughly 700–1,000 years.  As shown in the film, it is as if the research is shaped like a skull or stylized human face.  When first blown by one of the characters, the others had to shut their ears.  Instead of a musical tone, it emits a harsh, chaotic wail that can sound deeply unsettling.  The purpose of the whistle is possibly linked to death, sacrifice, or ceremonies honouring gods like Mictlantecuhtli (god of the underworld).

The film blends old occult to modern day teens in high school.  The film thus feels like a FRIDAY THE 13th film where the teens are done away with one by one, starting with the most misbehaved of the lot, as parodied in the SCREAM movies.   Then the survivors try to stop the curse.  
The protagonist is a new girl to the high school, who is, as expected, the blunt of jokes by her other classmates.  She has a history of something bad, about her mother being killed by her, an incident that is later explained in the film.  She is the one who discovers the death whistle in the locker previously owned by Mason.

The film, directed by Hardy, a veteran of horror films including THE NUN, is both a survival story and a myth-infused mystery, as the characters dig into the artifact’s history to break the curse that threatens them.

WHISTLE is the typical cheesy horror teen flick that delivers its scares in the typical, yes, cliched form, including jump scares, with one huge sound that should jolt everyone out of their seats. WHISTLE opens in theatres February 6th.

Trailer: 

YOH! BESTIE (South Africa) **
Directed by Johnny Barbuzano

“Yoh!” is a South African exclamation (from township slang) used to express surprise, emphasis, excitement, or disbelief. Think: “Whoa!”, “Oh damn!”, “Wow!”

“Bestie” means best friend. The spelling makes it cuter, more dramatic, or more teasing.

Put together

“Yoh! Bestyie” roughly means: “Whoa, bestie!”
“OMG, best friend!” or “Girl, listen to this!”

It is also the title of the new Netflix romantic comedy from South Africa.  The film is a feature-length spin-off of the popular Netflix series Yoh! Christmas, expanding that story into a standalone movie.

The film continues the story of Thando Mokoena (played by Katlego Lebogang) and her best friend Charles (Siya Sepotokele), characters first introduced in the series.  
Thando is perpetually unlucky in love, but when her bestie returns from his travels with a fiancée in tow, she's forced to face a new emotion - jealousy.  It is obvious from the film’s first frame that Thando is in love with her bestie, so the magic question is whether she will end up with him.  The film provides enough clues as to whether her bestie is a good person.  If not,t Thando will find someone else.  The film’s ending will not be revealed as it is a major plot point.

South Africa is no stranger to romantic comedies, and Netflix has quite a few already released. African rom-coms are often a fun mix of heart, humour, culture, and local flavour — often lighter than Hollywood rom-coms, more fluff than anything else.  In fact, one of the more successful ones also deals with best friends and romance,e also starring Tiffany Bar4buzano called SERIOUSLY SINGLE in 2020.  YOU! BESTIE treads no new waters and is a mix of being too pleasant and boredom.

YOU! BESTIE opens for streaming on Netflix this week.

Trailer: