Based on a true story, two down-on-their-luck musicians (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson) form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band, proving it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams. SONG SUNG BLUE will open in theatres nationwide on December 25th.
THE HOUSEMAID is a wildly entertaining thriller starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, based on the best-selling book. From director Paul Feig, the film plunges audiences into a twisted world where perfection is an illusion, and nothing is as it seems. Trying to escape her past, Millie (Sweeney) accepts a job as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy Nina (Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar). But what begins as a dream job quickly unravels into something far more dangerous — a sexy, seductive game of secrets, scandal, and power. Behind the Winchesters’ closed doors lies a world of shocking twists that will leave you guessing until the very end.
DC Studios’ newest feature film to hit the big screen will be in theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures, starring Milly Alcock in the dual role of Supergirl/Kara Zor-El.
Craig Gillespie directs the film from a screenplay by Ana Nogueira.
When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.
Alcock stars alongside Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, and Jason Momoa.
DC Studios heads Peter Safran and James Gunn are producing the film, which is based on characters from DC, Supergirl based on characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film is executive produced by Nigel Gostelow, Chantal Nong Vo and Lars P. Winther. Behind the camera, Gillespie is joined by director of photography Rob Hardy, production designer Neil Lamont, editor Tatiana S. Riegel, costume designer Anna B. Sheppard, Visual Effects Supervisor Geoffrey Baumann, and composer Ramin Djawadi.
DC Studios Presents a Troll Court Entertainment Production, The Safran Company Production, A Film by Craig Gillespie, “Supergirl,” which will be in theaters and IMAX® across North America on June 26, 2026, and internationally beginning 24 June 2026, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
A scene from SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT. Courtesy of Cineverse
Are you feeling a bit of déjà vu from seeing the title SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT? That’s probably because there have been a morgueful of sequels and derivatives from the original 1984 Christ-X-mas splatter-fest of the same name. Besides its five sequels, and a 2012 remake (just called SILENT NIGHT), plus a slew of other Seasonal slasher sprees like SANTA’S SLAY (my favorite title), NIGHTMARE ON 34TH ST., SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT, and AXEMAS, to name a few. The juxtaposition of innocent holiday cheer and gruesome gore makes for a proven formula.
So, this one is a reboot of the original, with eight-year-old Billy horrified by the sight of his parents being slain by a psycho in a Santa suit (I wonder if Bruce Wayne would have turned into a serial killer instead of Batman if his parents’ murderer had been similarly attired? Discuss among yourselves.) Flash-forward to adult Billy (Rohan Campbell) doing a mashup between the original plot and “Dexter.” He’s been traveling around for years, guided by a voice in his head (Mark Acheson) like Dexter’s “dark passenger” who teaches him to recognize the bad people they’ll target for their December sprees, plus mentoring on how to do it without getting caught. That detection is like a Spidey Sense, but for a significantly different purpose. Bullies, corrupt officials, cheating spouses and others belonging on the Naughty List, including the occasional supremely bratty kid, are all fair game for Billy’s Santa suit and his axe or other weapon of “mess” destruction.
In this current December, he arrives in a small Wisconsin town and is quickly drawn to a babe named Pamela (Ruby Modine; yes, Matthew’s daughter). He starts working with her in her dad’s Christmas shop. Billy has an Advent Calendar to keep track of his killing regimen by putting a drop of each victim’s blood under the flap for the day, much like Dexter’s collection of blood drops on microscope slides. He’s also got a full closet of Santa suits and beards, because each gets soaked in more blood than anyone could clean before the next visit. Or ever.
The killings are plentiful and grisly, with some darkly comic aspects running throughout, so no gore-fest fan will be disappointed. There are a couple of highlights, including a murder montage and a group scene on top of the standard one-on-ones. But if you’re hoping for nudity in the titillation mix, look elsewhere – like the 2012 remake, which featured flashes of boobage.
Campbell looks like a young Tom Berenger, playing his character close to the vest. He’s devoted to his “calling”, but starting to chafe at the rootless lifestyle, especially when his interest in Pamela starts appearing to be mutual. His killings come from a righteous determination to remove the scumbags from each year’s venue, rather than sadistic glee. Ms. Modine plays a much more interesting role. She reminds me of a young Juliette Lewis, simultaneously sweet, sexy and borderline crazy, with the latter two mostly bubbling under the surface – all in one petite package.
So, if you’re seeking respite from the ubiquitous holiday music and décor providing a backdrop for miles and miles of mindless smiles, here’s a quick fix that oughta do the trick.
SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT opens in theaters on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025.
SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom friends set sail in their biggest, all-new, can’t miss cinematic event ever…The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. Desperate to be a big guy, SpongeBob sets out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs by following The Flying Dutchman – a mysterious swashbuckling ghost pirate – on a seafaring comedy-adventure that takes him to the deepest depths of the deep sea, where no Sponge has gone before.
The cast includes Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Mr. Lawrence, George Lopez, Isis “Ice Spice” Gaston, Arturo Castro, Sherry Cola with Regina Hall and Mark Hamill.
THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTSOnly In Theatres and in 3D December 19, 2025
“THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS” is rated PG for rude humor, some thematic elements, and mild language.
Barb (Regina Hall), Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill), Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke) and SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny) in The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon.
“Marion” is a police procedural drama series from French TV, and a perfect example of why I try to see a whole season before reviewing it, rather than assuming the rest from a partial release for screening. This one’s set in Paris, with Edwidge Marion (Louise Monot) taking over the small squad of railway detectives operating out of La Gare du Nord. The six-episode season consists of three two-part cases. As usual, the series combines its crimes du jour with romances, personal stories and evolving relationships among the principals and their families. This one is somewhat heavier on baggage (not the kind passengers carry) and backstories than most, with a disorienting number of flashbacks. Each pair of episodes had a different author… unfortunately.
In the first offering, an attack on a deaf lad in a train station mens’ room leads down a rabbit hole (rather literally and figuratively) to an extensive series of gruesome crimes, with a laudable amount of suspense anchoring a few romantic subplots. The latter brings a couple of dimly-lit boinks, but no exposed naughty bits in Laetitia Kugler’s well-crafted script.
My appreciation of the writing started fading with the next duo, written by Caroline Ophelie. A prisoner is killed while being transferred through the train station for medical reasons under Marion’s watch. She is unfairly blamed for the screw-up in protection. The victim had allegedly cached away $11 million from a heist, and the cops really wanted to learn where it was hidden before he croaked. The investigation turns up several suspects, and includes a couple of twists, but the path to the goal line seemed relatively stilted, compared to the first mystery.
Then it bottomed out with Round Three, penned by David Bourgie. In this one, Marion is shot in the head at the beginning. While in a coma, her body disappears from the hospital. The search leads to a bizarre set of circumstances, ranging from mummies of recent origin to a far-fetched set of psychological and logistic elements. Even worse, numerous actions of the protagonists are ridiculously inept and foolhardy, failing to even consider a blatantly obvious possible solution to the grisly crimes. This descended all the way to annoying as it unfolded.
(Side note – I just realized this series offers a double boost for feminism. Most of the best sleuthing comes from the female detectives. And the two women wrote better scripts than the guy.)
All things considered, I still recommend watching the first two or four episodes. Skip the third set (unless you want to confirm the basis for my displeasure. Or, you might even make it a drinking game, downing a shot each time one of the good guys does something stupid.) And it’s OK to hope for a second season. Marion and her crew have enough appeal to warrant further attention… if they line up the quality of writing the cast deserves.
Marion, in French with subtitles, streams on MHz Choice as of December 9, 2025.
With all the manic activity, preparations, shopping, and general “hub-bub” that fills the holiday season, most of us have precious little “downtime” to reflect. If you do get a “breather” you might pause to mull over your relationships with family and friends. And perhaps not all those memories are seen through “rose colored glasses”. Yup, regret can be an unexpected source for the end-of-the-year blues. This new film proclaims that those “pangs” can even affect the very-rich and famous. That includes iconic Hollywood “A-listers”, like the title character of this movie. And the “m-word” certainly applies to him because there are few movie stars that have been at the top of the box office longer than that “leading man” with the “matinée idol looks”, Mr. JAY KELLY.
Naturally, when we first meet Jay Kelly (George Clooney) he’s on a movie set, wrapping up his final scene. Right at his side is his devoted longtime manager Ron Sukenick (Adam Sandler), as they hear “Cut!”. Back at his lush estate, Jay meets with his youngest daughter Daisy (Grace Edwards), who’s preparing to join some school friends on a train trip through Europe. Jay tries to convince her to cancel and hang out with him between acting gigs. She declines just as Ron delivers a big bombshell: the director that gave Jay his “big break”, Peter Schnieder (Jim Broadbent), has died. Jay then recalls their last get together when he passed on Peter’s last film project. After attending the funeral, Jay runs into his old acting-school buddy, Tim (Billy Crudup), who suggests that the two get a drink at their old dive bar hangout. Things turn sour when Tim recalls how Jay got a role he had wanted, Their reunion ends in a fistfight on the sidewalk. The next day, Ron does damage control as Jay hits him with a bombshell. Rather than work on a new project with a hot directing duo, he’ll go to a Tuscany film festival that wants to honor him with a career award. But Jay doesn’t want another piece for his mantel. He makes a few clandestine calls, and finds out Daisy’s travel itinerary by following her BFF’s credit card trail. With Ron in tow, along with his long-time publicist Liz (Laura Dern), the “Kelly crew” flies to France where they board Daisy’s train. Along the way, Jay reconnects with the “common folk” while drifting in and out of memories before the big event in Italy, where he’ll encounter more folks from his troubled past.
So Clooney as a long-time, decades-spanning screen icon…not much of a stretch, sure. The guy has enough charm to spare, or at least for a couple more years. But here he peels back the sparkle to show the melancholy at Jay’s core. We see the sadness edging out that boyish twinkle in his eye as Clooney projects an unexpected vulnerability when Kelly realizes that time may not heal all wounds. His pairing with Sandler as the put-upon “wrangler” Ron is most inspired. Yes, Ron’s devoted to Jay, but Sandler shows us how the countless frustrations are boiling to the surface, ready to dour some hot steam into that suave mug. And he shows how his own family is losing the “tug-of-war” with Kelly. Dern’s great as another senior member of the “crew” who has his own regrets concerning her past with Ron. As Liz, Dern channels the staccato line delivery of those classic movie workin’ gals.The supporting cast is very impressive, including Patrick Wilson as another star in Ron’s “stable” (their Dinner “confab” is a highlight), Stacy Keach as the “rough around the edges” reminder of Jay’s boyhood, and Riley Keough as the elder Kelly daughter who is immune to papa’s “too late” attempts to reconnect. But the big standout may be the superb early-in-the-story turn by Crudup as the affable at first, old method acting buddy who suddenly bares his fangs on the startled “old pal”.
This is the latest work of one of the medium’s most interesting filmmakers, Noah Baumbach, who crafted the script with actress Emily Mortimer, who also plays Jay’s hairstylist Candy. This is a more grounded story than many of his more fanciful flicks like his WHITE NOISE, but not nearly as emotionally raw as MARRIAGE STORY. He gives us an interesting “insider’s view” of the industry, with riffs on several current stars and their scandals (now, who might those directing brothers be). Plus, Noah does dip his toe into fantasy with his unique flashback “transitions”. Suddenly, Jay will work through a day and be plunged into a major mistake from his past (he’s on his first movie set, he’s at a therapy session with one of his kids). We get some nice comic bits with the cute train passengers who adjust to the big star quickly. Oh, and that location works, especially in Tuscany, is quite dazzling. Though this can get a bit too fluffy and “navel-gazing”, the story does make its point concerning the consequences of putting your career first since in the non-soundstage world, we don’t get a second “take” to make things right. That’s a good lesson for moviegoers and movie stars like JAY KELLY.
Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal give striking performances in Chloe Zhao’s lushly beautiful, romantic and heartbreaking tale of William Shakespeare’s marriage to his wife Anne and the death of their young son Hamnet, whose loss led the Bard to write perhaps his great play “Hamlet.” As a title card at the film’s start tells us, the names Hamnet and Hamlet were considered essentially the same, alternate ways of spelling it. In Zhao’s drama, Shakespeare’s mysterious wife is renamed Agnes. As little is actually known about Shakespeare’s wife Anne and their marriage, which gives director Chloe Zhao free rein to be inventive. Love, death, pain and hope are the themes.
The film was inspired by Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel “Hamnet” and written for the screen by director Zhao and the author, the resulting drama is more Chloe Zhao’s vision than a true adaptation of the book. Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao proved herself a master of powerful imagery framing human questing and connection in NOMADLAND, and brings those gifts to this tale as well, but in this case in a more intimate way, of two people falling in love and having a family.
While the real William Shakespeare was 18 when he married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway, the director chose to ignore that age gap in casting Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. In the film, William Shakespeare is a young struggling Latin tutor, now doing farm work for neighboring families to help out his parents who had fallen into debt. Anne, now Agnes, is the strong-willed oldest daughter of a more well-off family, where Will is doing some manual labor. Smitten on first sight, the young tutor offers to teach the family’s younger children, as a way to be closer, in order to woo Agnes.
Beautiful, wild, independent Agnes, for her part, is less keen on young Will, but he wins her over with poetry and persistence. Despite opposition by both families (with an excellent Emily Watson as Will’s severe mother), they wed and have three children, oldest daughter Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) and fraternal twins, Judith (Olivia Lynes) and Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe).
The drama follows their marriage and the launch of Shakespeare’s career in London, while wife Agnes and the children stay behind in the English countryside. Their bond is strong but nothing is more tragic for any couple than the loss of a child, and it has a transformative effect on their lives and relationship.
HAMNET is visually stunning throughout and particularly magical in the early portions. Period costumes and props are perfectly done. The setting is often a wild English countryside of old forests haunted by secrets and ancient Celtic magic. The film ranges from that wild, natural world beginning to the London stage of the Globe Theater where the play born of tragedy takes form.
Jessie Buckley is particularly moving in this drama, as a wild soul who seems as much a child of forest as anything human. There are references that her true mother was a forest-dweller, with all the magical implications of that, and the daughter is only partly of this staid village world, hints often presented in vivid, visual form. Zhao blends the visual and the dramatic well in creating these characters and their lives but she is aided greatly by Jessie Buckley’s strong performance. Paul Mescal’s William Shakespeare comes across as more grounded but firmly determined to have this wild woman and to build their lives.
HAMNET does not try to answer all questions about Shakespeare’s marriage or the creation of “Hamlet.” The film is, of course, romantic but in a human, passionate and believable way, rather than a conventional film romance. Tragedy breaks that lovely dream, throwing the characters in conflict, as they each grapple with grief in their own ways. Unlike many films this year, this one focuses purely on the personal and the individual rather than the large world, putting the experience of love and of grief at its center. The stunning natural-world photography suggests something epic and enduring, but real focus of this drama are the human emotions, of love and heartbreak, from which comes the creation of something that endures for the ages.
During this cold, hectic holiday season, what could be more invigorating than taking in a big Broadway musical hit? But there’s no need to hop on a plane to the Big Apple, this recent smash is at your local multiplex (or at a big “single screen”, if you’re so fortunate). It’s not a new idea, since Disney tried it five years ago with HAMILTON. The pandemic scrapped plans for a wide theatrical release, so it premiered on their streaming app (however, a few months ago it enjoyed a brief big-screen run). Well, now Sony Classics is behind a filmed version of a recent (it was shot last year) multi-Tony awarding winning revival of a 1981 work from a giant of musical theater. However, this didn’t “click” on the Great White Way nearly 45 years ago, though it’s grown in stature with his fans (even getting a nod in LADY BIRD). This one worked, perhaps due to a bit of “magic” from the star of a huge film franchise. Will the same thing occur when the (movie) theater curtain rises for MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG?
The show’s format sets it apart, as the story is told in reverse, going back in time from its big splashy opening number in 1976. We’re in a swanky beach house in Malibu to celebrate the opening of a new hit movie, and its “buzzed-about” producer, Frank Shepard (Jonathan Groff). Everybody’s feeding his ego, except for an old friend turned theater critic, Mary Flynn (Lindsay Mendez). She taunts him over his split with another pal, being a ‘sell-out” to his musical theater roots, and drinks too much before existing. The plot shifts to 1973 and a disastrous TV interview with Frank and his former songwriting partner, Charley Kringas (Daniel Radcliffe), which leads to the aforementioned “bust-up”. We also get to experience the second Mrs. Shepard, stage diva Gussie Carnegie (Krystal Joy Brown). The following scenes are set 3 to 4 years in the trio’s history, with Shepard and Kringas becoming Broadway hit-makers with producer Joe Joesphson (Reg Rogers), the first hubby of Gussie. We also meet Frank’s first wife, Beth (Katie Rose Clarke), as the two fall in and out of love while becoming the parents of Frank Jr. (Max Rackenberg). The “march of time” backtracks all the way to 1957, when the trifecta of Mary, Frank, and Charley begin their then-optimistic journey to become “old friends”.
Of course, that “magic maker” I mentioned earlier is the very talented Mr. Radcliffe, who becomes somewhat of a Broadway staple with another revival of a classic (he did succeed in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” several years ago. Though he’s more of a “featured player”, Radcliffe has plenty of moments to shine as the snarky lyricist who feels discarded. This is really accented in his show-stopping number, the acerbic “Franklin Shepard, Inc” (the guy can really handle those “tongue-twisters”). So, who’s the lead, then? According to the Tonys, it’s Groff as the “morally-challenged” Frank whose soul seems to chip away with every year, giving Groff a chance to go from dark to light with each “rewind”. His big number is probably “Growing Up” as Frank gets a “wake-up call” after his showbiz dreams. The most dramatic role is probably Mary, offering Mendez the chance to hurl barbs and burns, while giving us a glimpse into her heartbreak as she pines for the clueless Frank. And her “pipes” get a great workout with “Now You Know” along with several duets and tunes with her two pals. The entire ensemble is great with outstanding work by Brown as the vampy Gussie (doing high-kicks in a sparkly gown), the funny-turned-tragic Rogers as the schlubby cynical Joe, and the gifted physical comedian and superb singer Clarke as the sweet, sorrowful Beth.
These stage pros are guided by Maria Friedman who also directed the London West End revival that spawned this US company. The pacing is superb, with performers promptly establishing the changing years, while arranging the period props and settings. Oh, the musical theater icon is Stephen Sondheim, who crafted the superb music and lyrics with his usual wit and inspired rhymes and song structure, though without any huge “”standards”, with “Old Friends” perhaps the most enduring. His “Company” collaborator George Furth cleverly adapted and updated the 1934 play by George S. Kaufman and Moss hart, getting in plenty of digs at showbiz deceptions and rivalries, elicitng laughs and a deep melancholy since we see the seeds of heartbreak planted that will destroy marriages and that central friendship. This isn’t frothy “taps and taps”, rather it’s got a real bite, which may explain why it’s taken many years to be appreciated. And now we can bask in its wonder from a reasonably-priced (have you heard about those Broadway tickets) movie theater seat and enjoy the terrific talents at work in MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.
3.5 Out of 4
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG is now playing in select theaters
A scene from SPEED TRAIN. Courtesy of Level 33 Entertainment
It’s been just over 30 years since Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves found themselves trapped in a bus that couldn’t go slower than 55 without going BOOM! in the original SPEED. Since then, there have been a ton of movies based on comparable perils in every sort of public transportation vehicle, with the possible exception of pedicabs and rickshaws (no one could cover EVERY action movie from Asia). The title of SPEED TRAIN tells you most of what to expect.
In a high-tech near future, featuring rapid rail transit and brain implants that can enhance all sorts of learning and functions, we meet a bunch of people in a mostly talky first half hour. One car on this train’s maiden voyage (Do trains have voyages? If not, insert your own alternative noun.) contains shackled violent prisoners being shipped to the death chamber. The rest are occupied by the usual assortment of random civilians, with focus on a pair of cheerleading coaches and their two captains heading for a big competition.
Unbeknownst to all is that Loklin (Louis Mandylor) designed much of that tech, but got shafted on the many millions he should have received. He’s set up a high-priced pay-to-play game, in which rich jerks can remotely control the body of a designated prisoner, who is let loose to fight or kill anyone in their path. He’s also taken command of the train, speeding it up to Doomsday velocity as it crosses the country.
The degree of harm the thugs and their masters do is surprisingly limited by unexpected fighting skills among the regular passengers – especially the cheer coach who is ex-military (Scout Taylor-Compton) and an Interpol agent with family problems. The players aren’t all that interesting, but the action is first-rate. Plenty of hand-to-hand mayhem and bloodshed. Louis Mandylor is a hard sell as a Lex Luthor-level genius, but he does well showing the deranged evil side of his character.
A side note you may also find interesting. I grew curious after seeing Louis in a lot of films lately. He’s a year younger than his brother, Costas. Both have around 170 screen credits, and 17 or 18 awards and nominations for their work. Costas has more total screen time, since one of his credits was for 88 episodes of the fine TV series “Picket Fences.” Louis’ resume includes more off-screen activity, with 13 gigs as director and 16 as a producer. Their family gatherings must a hoot of (I hope) friendly competition.
The performances are competent. Production values are laudable, with appealing sets and graphics keeping the confined setting from feeling claustrophobic. The script falls short on developing personalities for empathy, and has a few plot holes, but delivers on brisk pace and well-staged action once that phase begins. For mindless escapism, it’s a reasonable time investment.
SPEED TRAIN opens in select theaters and streaming on demand on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.
