BEST BETS for the week:
BLOOD LINES
DISCLOSURE DAY
SHOOT THE PEOPLE
THE ISOLATE THIEF
PETER ASHER: EVERYWHERE MAN
FILM REVIEWS:
ANIMALS IN WAR (Ukraine/Germany 2025) ***
Directed by Sviatoslav Kostiuk, Andriy Lidahovskyi, Alexei Mamedov, Ivan Sautkin, Yuliya Shashkova, Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi, and Maksym Tuzov
ANIMALS IN WAR is a war anthology film consisting of seven short stories from Ukrainian and foreign artists, whose protagonists are animals suffering from the terrible war in Ukraine. The shorts are shown one after the other and not intercut, which means that the film is easier to follow without any short being interrupted. With seven shorts in total, this is probably the only way to go.
The seven interconnected stories are inspired by real events from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a war that is till going on. Instead of focusing on soldiers or politicians, the film tells the war through the experiences of animals—both wild and domestic—caught in the conflict. Each segment has a different director and visual style, but all explore themes of survival, innocence, displacement, and the bond between humans and animals. The film shows the compassion humans have for animals. The question is, why don’t a lot of humans like Vladimir Putin have compassion for another human being?
The short stories include a white rabbit, a cow, a cat, a wolf, marine creatures, and other animals affected by the war. Together, the stories create a portrait of a country devastated not only on a human level but also ecologically.
Quite ambitious in getting the message across, a few segments work better than others. The segment with the marine creatures is a tad too ambitious and confusing, while the rabbit and cow ones work best. The rabbit segment, which has the least dialogue, is the most endearing, all because the rabbit is so harmless and adorable, an animal that has an affinity to human beings. The animal becomes a symbol of innocence trapped in circumstances it cannot understand. The rabbit experiences the terror of explosions, collapsing buildings, and sudden evacuations. Through the animal's reactions, viewers witness the psychological effects of war from a perspective free of politics or ideology. The relationship between the cow and the boy who finds her is extremely moving, the cow providing milk to the boy while the boy tries to save her. In the rabbit segment, the titles at the end indicate that the rabbit was a real pet that disappeared from its cage after a Russian bombing. The cow featured in the film was also injured during shelling.
Academy Award Winner Sean Penn gets star billing in the film, the filmmakers obviously hoping his name would attract more audiences. Penn features in the first segment entitled “Eagle”. He plays an American sound producer working with a Ukrainian colleague. The story revolves around recordings of birdsong and natural sounds. As the war escalates, the sounds of nature are increasingly drowned out by sirens, missiles, and explosions. The segment reflects on what is lost when war destroys not only lives but also the ordinary sounds and rhythms of the natural world.
ANIMALS OF WAR illustrates the effect of the war from a different perspective, from that of animals, both wild and domestic. It is an ambitious film that works primarily through the observation of the effects the war has on innocent creatures that have not identified what is going on.
The film premieres via VOD and leading digital platforms on July 10th.
Trailer:
EVIL DEAD BURN (USA 2026)
Directed by Sébastien Vaniček
The EVIL DEAD franchise is well and alive, and every film has been a success at the box office. Sam Raimi, who directed and originated the first one, would be grinning in his grave when he is dead.
EVIL DEAD is an American horror franchise created by Sam Raimi consisting of five feature films and a television series. The series follows various characters as they battle demonic forces unleashed by ancient grimoires. The protagonist, Ashley Joanna "Ash" Williams (Bruce Campbell), appears in the original trilogy including The Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987), and Army of Darkness (1992), all written and directed by Raimi, produced by Rob Tapert and starring Campbell. The franchise has since expanded into other formats, including video games, comic books, and, believe it or not, a musical.
The latest is EVIL DEAD BURN because there is a lot of fire and burning in the film, especially in the climax
One would expect the spirit of the EVIL DEAD films to be consistent, but in the latest offering, there is hardly any of the Sam Raimi humour that characterized his films and made them into a cult following. EVIL DEAD BURN does maintain consistency in terms of killing, blood, and ultra violence. The film is not short of horror set pieces, but many of these do not make any sense. For example, why and how do the demonic entities choose to possess the humans of the chosen family? The protagonist is also subject to tons of violence that no human being in real life can survive. Although this is a fictional horror film, there must be some kind of credibility. One other character is tossed around the house by a demon while his back and backside are stabbed by a whole of knives and other assorted sharp objects, but he can still move around.
Following the death of her husband, Alice (Souheila Yacoub) and her late husband’s family come together at a secluded house. The gathering becomes a "family reunion from hell" as members gradually turn into a new kind of living dead.
The film contains a loose narrative centred on the family of Alice’s husband. But there are a few disconnected loose ends. The beginning camp g horror sequence in which two fishing campers are brutally done away with has nothing to do with the rest of the film. The film looks as if all the horror set pieces were filmed separately and then haphazardly put together. Nothing makes much sense, especially how a human can withstand such brutal torture and violence when attacked.
Director Sébastien Vaniček is a French director best known for his 2023 hit VERMINES (English title: INFECTED), a film much better than EVIL DEAD BURN.
Each film of the franchise has received generally positive reviews from critics, with the original trilogy developing a cult following, and has grossed a collective $300 million worldwide. There is without doubt that EVIL DEAD BURN should score bloody points at the box office. EVIL DEAD BURN opens in theatres on July 10th.
The filmmakers are so confident of the film’s success that a seventh installment, titled Evil Dead Wrath, is set to be released on April 7, 2028, and it will be a prequel to The Evil Dead.
Trailer:
GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY SEX PASS (USA 2026) **
Directed by David Wain
Gail Daughtry (Zoey Deutch), a hairdresser in rural Kansas (with a nod to THE WIZARD OF OZ’s Dorothy in Kansas), and her fiancé Tom (Michael Cassidy) are two weeks away from their wedding when they discuss their "celebrity sex pass": the one celebrity they could have sex with, given the chance, without violating their relationship. Initially, Tom chooses Tilda Swinton, and Gail chooses Jon Hamm. After meeting Jennifer Aniston at a book signing with Gail, Tom switches his pass and, after pretending to leave his jacket at the store, goes back to have sex with Aniston, upsetting Gail, as she had considered the celebrity sex pass to be a joke. Gail, upset, distances herself from Tom by traveling to Los Angeles with her friend Otto to attend a hairdressing convention.
Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Gail's briefcase is accidentally swapped with a briefcase belonging to Ludovica, a criminal intent on destroying the world's financial system, as her henchmen take a picture with Henry Winkler. Enraged to discover this, Ludovica kills one of the henchmen before sending the other, Sergio, on a quest to find the briefcase and kill Gail. Sergio turns to his fellow henchmen, Niccolo, to find Gail; meanwhile, Gail explores the city with Otto. Gail realizes, after a visit to a psychic, that the only way to mend her relationship with Tom is to fulfill her side of the celebrity sex pass discussion by having sex with Jon Hamm. Gail and Otto attempt to locate Jon Hamm via his agency, CAA, and meet Caleb, an aspiring young agent. Taking pity on the duo, Caleb talks to the higher-ups, which causes him to lose his job. However, Caleb steals Jon Hamm's home address as he is leaving the talent agency and joins Gail and Otto in their quest.
A lot is going on in Wain’s comedy, but everything turns out more hectic than funny.Dialogue can be corny at times too. But director Wain does not care. At the ending, where Gail rejects the groom, she tells him that he is her world, but there is a universe out there to explore.
The film also contains some unfunny parts such as Caleb convincing Mr. Slattery (playing himself) that he is the right right (Wright) brother and not the wrong right brother. Instead of keeping that part short, it keeps going on and on. On a positive note, A few of David Wain’s humour works, like the narration made by the local mailman, including a scene that is shot with the camera in a mailbox.
But one might forget that the entire film is based on an absurd premise, which in the words of Gail herself is utterly stupid. And the film often feels like it.
Director Wain manages to elicit an impressive list of celebrities, including Jennifer Aniston and Jon Hamm as the two celebrities Garland, her fiancé, chooses. Others include Weird Al Yankovic, Elizabeth Perkins, and Henry Winkler.
One must give director Wain credit for believing the material, his own material actually, that delivers a grand ending for his unromantic comedy.
Trailer:
IKKA (India 2026) ***
Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra
A respected attorney must defend a murder suspect he previously brought down. Forced into the case, he bends every rule to secure freedom for his former enemy or risk losing all he cherishes.
IKKA is a fast-moving Bollywood crime drama that moves at breakneck speed (despite its running time of 2 hours and 20 minutes) and has the feel of those past 1960 cop thrillers.
(Full review to be posted in the evening)
Trailer:
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IP MAN: KUNG FU LEGEND (HK 2026) ***
Directed by Li Liming
The IP MAN franchise has been very popular with Asian audiences. It should be noted that there are two of these.
The Donnie Yen series (main franchise) contains 4 films: Ip Man (2008) and Ip Man 2 to IP MAN 4: THE FINALE.
The Dennis To spin-off series, including this film reviewed here, tells independent stories about Ip Man and is not connected to the Donnie Yen continuity.
Both actors are martial arts experts, with Dennis To being a former Wushu champion and martial arts icon.
IP MAN: KUNG FU LEGEND is set in 1950s Hong Kong, after Ip Man has become an established Wing Chun master. The film opens with Dennis Top as the IP MAN passes the 3 difficult tests in order to meet the standard and thus open his own Martial Arts school. The first test involves fighting with one hand while holding an oil lamp. During the fight, the light must not go out, nor any oil be spilt. The second involves him fighting blindfolded and defeating his opponent. The third is also just as impossible for any fighter, period. Yet he succeeds. He thus opens his own martial arts school and defends the local kung fu community against Western commercial interests and criminal organisations. A Western-owned boxing gym and its criminal allies try to dominate the local martial arts community. Local schools face closure through intimidation and violence, and Ip Man becomes the leading defender of traditional Chinese martial arts, culminating in a series of battles against corrupt businessmen, hired fighters, and gangsters.
The story involves him being framed and then convicted to prison. This is the main difference between the other IP MAN films. But the storyline is not as important as the action pieces, which are the reason fans go see the franchise. The opening fight sequences are solid enough to impress and promise fans that more is to come. The tone involves a bit of emotion with his wife and child, but again, like the other IP MAN films, the emotional narrative is lacking.
The film demonstrates the principles of Wing Chun—especially: centre line control, economy of motion, forward pressure, and close-range efficiency. However, neither franchise depicts "real" fighting exactly as it would occur. Both are choreographed for cinema, and both occasionally sacrifice realism for dramatic effect.
Comparing the previous IP MAN films and the current one, KUNG FU LEGEND,
centres on Wing Chun but tends to be more traditional in appearance, slightly slower and easier to follow and more focused on martial arts demonstration than nonstop action, willing to mix in techniques from other Chinese martial arts when the story calls for it. The fights often resemble classic Hong Kong kung fu films from the 1980s and 1990s more than the sleek, high-intensity style of the Donnie Yen, original IP MAN series.
IP MAN: KUNG FU LEGEND has no theatrical release in North America, but it goes straight to debuting on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD July 14 from the Well Go USA distributor.
Trailer:
THE ISOLATE THIEF (USA 2026) ***1/2
Directed by John Suits
An emotionally resonant Civil War-era story of an isolated young woman who must outwit a malicious gang of outlaws, the new Western feature The Isolate Thief opens only in theatres July 10 from Radial Entertainment. THE SOLARE THIEF is the story of the young woman Aida, who has stolen gold in the form of gold coins, hiding the fact from the army soldiers led bySean Bean who show up,
The film begins in the year 1865 at an American outpost manned by one woman, the daughter of a recently deceased army general. An American outpost generally refers to a small, remote military camp or base established by the U.S. Armed Forces at a distance from main formations. These installations typically serve as the first line of defence to observe enemy movements, provide logistical support, or protect an area from surprise attacks.
THE ISOLATE THIEF is touted as a Western, but it blends several genres:
a survival thriller, centred on one woman's fight to stay alive, a siege film, with a small outpost under constant threat from heavily armed outlaws, a cat-and-mouse suspense story, emphasizing strategy and psychological games rather than nonstop gunfights, and period drama, set against the backdrop of the Civil War and the lawlessness that followed.
Director Suits emphasizes the harshness of living in the cold winters. The ground is hard and frozen, as seen in the segment where the soldiers are digging a hole to bury a body. He also stresses the difficulty in killing, despite the many killings that occur. The climactic killing and shootout is a desperate one in which the parties, including the surviving ones, are wounded.
The film has a strong female slant with two surviving women coming to each other’s aid. Air is also depicted as a smart and educated woman compared to the rough and crude male soldiers. The only male with redeeming qualities is Aida’s father, who is not seen in the film
Set during the closing months of the American Civil War, the film follows a young woman (played by Mackenzie Foy) who becomes the sole caretaker of a remote Union Army outpost after it has largely been abandoned for the winter. Her quiet existence changes when she unexpectedly acquires a cache of stolen gold that originally belonged to a ruthless gang of outlaws. When the criminals discover the gold is missing, they descend on the isolated outpost, convinced she knows where it is hidden.
With no realistic hope of rescue and surrounded by a frozen wilderness, she must rely on intelligence rather than brute force. She hides the gold while manipulating the gang, setting traps, exploiting divisions among the outlaws, and using the harsh winter environment to her advantage. As supplies dwindle and the tension rises, survival becomes a deadly contest of deception, endurance, and betrayal.
Overall, THE ISOLATE THIEF succeeds as a rare and entertaining, if quite violent, female survival horror film in a western setting that depicts the harshness of both the Colgate and the male beings. THE ISOLATE THIEF opens in theatres July 10th.
Trailer:
MOANA (USA 2026) ***|
Directed by Thomas Kail
MOANA is the title of both the Disney 2016 and 2026 films.
The new Moana (2026) is a 2026 American musical adventure film serving as a live-action adaptation of Disney Animation's 2016 film. The third installment and the first live-action film in the Moana franchise, the film was directed by Thomas Kail ( theatrical acclaimed director) in his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, and produced by Dwayne Johnson, Hiram, Dany Garcia, Beau Flynn, and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Moana is a coming-of-age adventure set thousands of years ago among the islands of Polynesia. It follows the journey of a young woman who must restore the balance of nature by returning a magical artifact to an ancient goddess. Once upon a time, the benevolent island goddess Te Fiti created life throughout the Pacific using a glowing green stone called the Heart of Te Fiti. The demigod Dwayne Johnson's character Maui, who possesses a magical fishhook that lets him transform into animals, steals the Heart to give humanity the power of creation.
As Maui escapes, he is attacked by Te Kā, a monstrous lava demon who rises to protect the Heart. Maui loses both the Heart and his magical fishhook. Without the Heart, darkness begins spreading across the ocean, killing plants, fish, and entire ecosystems.
One of Disney’s formulas for success is wonder and magic in their brand. Unfortunately, these elements are mostly compromised. The live-action Moana is uncannily similar to the cartoon original – but at no point does it ever match it. While the cartoon's animation was dazzlingly bright and rich, the story new and fresh, with joyous animated character design and luminescent views of turquoise waves and verdant island scenery, the live-action rehash has lots of relatively ordinary-looking actors standing around in blurry CGI settings. Also, the rehash and remake lack a fresh story.
As a musical, it is a minor one, and as a live-action film, it is also minor. There are many animated parts in the segments with CGI monsters, which makes one wonder why make a live-action remake if there is so much animation in the first place. The film is undoubtedly well put together, with the animated and live-action well integrated, but why go to all this effort in this very costly $200-$250 million production? Like Warner Bros recent expensive box-office flop SUPERGIRL, the WB marketing team has some explaining to do. Or be fired. In these days when movies go straight to streaming services within a month, the main way to make money is to keep production costs low. This is evident in low-budget hits like the recent BACKROOMS and OBSESSION. Another reason is that this new MOANA is too close in time to the original MOANA animated feature, and MOANA 2 was not that much of a hit.
If one considers MOANA as a standalone animated live-action film, it is undoubtedly well put together. As in Disney films, this story is formulaic with a lot of predictable tropes. For example, when the Dwayne Johnson demi-god character Maui swears never to return after his hook weapon is damaged, one knows he will relent when Moana is in trouble with the fiery demon Te Ka.
Moana opens in theatres June 10th.
Trailer:
THE OUTER THREAT (Canada 2025) ***
Directed by William Woods
Hot on the heels of the Steven Spielberg blockbuster alien film DISCLOSURE DAY, this Canadian (from Ontario, closer to home) cheaper yet sharp version of an alien threat is entitled THE OUTER THREAT.
After making a groundbreaking extraterrestrial discovery, astrophysicists Daniel (Mark O’Brien) and Michelle (Constance Wu) are forced to flee from home with their family, son and daughter in tow, pursued through the countryside by a relentless and anonymous assailant in the form of unidentified drones and an unseen pursuer begin tracking them. Realizing they can no longer trust the authorities, they flee into the rural countryside with their children. As the chase intensifies, the film keeps the audience guessing if the family is truly being hunted because of what they've discovered, or is fear and paranoia are distorting their perception of events.
As their flight unfolds, the line between cosmic revelation and human paranoia blurs, leading to a tense and emotional confrontation that challenges the boundaries of understanding, science, and survival. There is the assumption that aliens exist.
It might be unfair to call THE OUTER THREAT a poor man’s version of DISCLOSURE DAY, as the film is not only pretty good but efficient enough to share many similarities with it. For one, the aliens only just come into the picture near the halfway mark, similar to DISCLOSURE DAY, JAWS and THE BIRDS, where audience anticipation is kept at its height. In THE OUTER THREAT, the attacking drones arrive only at the 30-minute mark. Like another excellent alien film, M. Night Shyamalan’s SIGNS, the protagonist and his family are holed up right in nowhere, away from the city, so that if aliens have attacked, they are unaware. The film is shot in Northern Ontario, where lots of countryside exists. But the setting is in the United States.
THE OUTER THREAT also blurs whether the protagonists are uncovering an extraordinary truth or descending into paranoia. That gives it more of an intimate, suspense-driven feel than Spielberg's blockbuster.
The film stars Newfoundlander Mark O’Brien and Americans Constance Wu and William Fichtner. Callista Crowe and Isaac Smelcer-Zhang steal the movie as the two kids.
By inevitable comparison to Spielberg’s DISCLOSURE DAY, because of the huge budget and already recognized and experienced direction of Spielberg, DISCLOSURE DAY is the superior picture, providing edge-of-the-seat thrills and action set pieces that only money can afford. Still, the Canadian THE OUTER THREAT holds its own, all things considered.
. It is a pity that the film is going direct to Digital and VOD, as the film is good enough with excellent cinematography for it to be worthy of the big screen. Director William Wood is also a notable producer. William Woods is a Toronto-based filmmaker who began his career producing the 2016 thriller Mean Dreams, which premiered in the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes. Woods' most recent films as a producer include Castle in the Ground (2020) and The Kid Detective (2020).
THE OUTER THREAT is available on VOD and Digital on Friday, July 10th.
Trailer:
SHIPWRECKED:
SHIPWRECKED: NIGHTMARE AT SEA (USA 2026) ***½
Directed by Chiara Messineo
Everyone loves a good disaster story. The new feature documentary SHIPWRECKED: NIGHTMARE AT SEA has one- a modern-day one that occurred less than a decade backwash Titanic proportions.
The feature-length documentary that examines the catastrophic sinking of the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy on January 13, 2012, one of the worst cruise ship disasters in modern history. Using never-before-seen footage, recordings, and interviews with survivors and witnesses, the film reconstructs (there are lots of enactments that allow the audience to feel that the events are actually happening) both the accident and the chaotic evacuation that followed.
The documentary begins by introducing the Costa Concordia, a 114,500-ton luxury cruise ship carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew on a Mediterranean voyage. The atmosphere aboard is festive as guests enjoy dinner, entertainment, and the amenities of what was then one of the world's largest cruise ships. The disaster begins when Captain Francesco Schettino orders an unauthorized close pass—known as a "salute"—near the island of Giglio. The ship strikes submerged rocks, tearing a massive gash in its hull. Seawater floods several compartments, causing a complete power failure and leaving the vessel crippled. Passengers initially receive reassuring announcements that the electrical blackout is only a technical problem. The documentary emphasizes how these delays prevented many people from realizing the seriousness of the situation. Meanwhile, the ship develops an increasingly dangerous list as flooding spreads.
The villain of the piece was the captain of the cruise ship. Captain Gregorio de Falco abandoned ship, claiming that he fell into one of the lifeboats. Not only was this man a coward, but he was the cause of the disaster. His sentence to 12 years in prison is hardly enough punishment for the lives lost due to his act. This man has also been accused of assaulting his wife and daughter.
The doc adds the personal element by interviewing different passengers and crew members, even though the sight of a tilting ship and the chaos on board during the crash - the interviewee survivors describe the screeching and scraping sounds.
Definitely worth a watch, SHIPWRECKED: NIGHTMARE AT SEA opens for streaming on Netflix July 10th.
