RAMAYANA: RISE OF A LEGEND

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So, are you a huge fan of this year’s box office blockbuster, THE ODYSSEY? And are you yearning for another ancient-time mythological epic? I mean, Christopher Nolan’s masterwork was released nearly four months ago (and he’s not working on a sequel)? Then, you may enjoy taking a detour from Greece to India for another set of heroes, gods, and monsters. Oh, and this film is also based on an epic. Okay, then get comfy (different edits clock in at close to three hours), put on your 3D glasses (so you can dodge all the spears and arrows), and prepare to be immersed in the spectacular world of RAMAYANA: RISE OF A LEGEND.

The opening act drops us right into the center of an incredible battle with hundreds of soldiers, fierce giants, and weird, savage “beasties” (horse-like felines, man-like birds, and a flying elephant or two). Eventually, one faction triumphs. In the following years, the losing side is banished to the underground caverns beneath the opulent paradise known as Lanka. The disgraced queen instructs her directionless son to go on a mission of enlightenment. More years pass as he calls upon the god Brahma to grant his wish for invincibility. Soon after, the gifted fighter known as Ravana (Yash) appears at the palace of Lanka and single-handedly defeats the royal army and ascends to the throne. The story then shifts to another land, Ayodhya, where we meet the title character as a child. This king’s favored son, Rama (Ranbir Kapoor), is the near-perfect mix of courage, kindness, wisdom, and battle skills. When Rama and his three brothers explore distant lands, they arrive at Mithila. There, he succeeds in the ritual of the golden bow and wins the hand of the beautiful princess Sita (Sai Pallavi). The two bond and are married in a lavish ceremony in Ayodhya (the citizenry adores her). But there’s no “happily ever after” as jealousy poisons the mind of a royal wife (the king has a quartet), who implores her husband to banish Rama so that her birth son will be next in line for the crown. Rama agrees to leave and is joined by Sita and his loyal brother Lakshmana (Ravi Dubey). The idyllic home they build in the wilderness is soon discovered by forces from Lanka. When Rama rejects the advances of Princess Kaikeyi (Lara Dutta), resulting in her attacking Sita and being disfigured in the melee by Lakshmana, Ravana swears revenge. Can he triumph over the trio and destroy this family?

Talk about visual “eye candy”, though this is a full-on Thanksgiving-style feast or a Vegas all-you-can-eat buffet. Just…wow. This is the high-octane mix of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Narnia series, and the more recent wonders of WILDWOOD almost exploding out of the screen. I was unfamiliar with this mythology, so I was surprised to see story arcs and scenes reminding me of King Arthur, the Bible, Norse mythology, and classic comic books from both DC and Marvel. With an epic of this scope, one might overlook the splendid performances, especially Kapoor as the noble, idealized Rama, Dubey’s comic timing as the affable sidekick Lakshmana, and especially Yash channeling some Gerard Butler gruff, growling swagger as Ravana. His “fire dance” and “brain battle” with ten versions of his psyche are big highlights. Still, we must address this amazing fantasy world that has been orchestrated by director Nitesh Tiwari, who also supervised the astounding visual effects and co-wrote the screenplay adaptation. Each cityscape gleams with lofty, ornate towers, and even a rose-like floating helicopter castle. Then there are the sinister forests, full of danger and mystery (and grim titans). As for the latter, my only problem with some of the CGI humanized giants is that old “refugees from the Uncanny Valley” trope, as they don’t reach the zeniths of Gollum and the Hulk. But it’s a minor quibble when we get to drink in the superb set designs and finely-detailed costuming while our ears are filled with the soaring musical score from A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer (yes, that one). Now, be forewarned that the Hindi-language version clocks in at 195 minutes, so you could get a sensory overload from the movie magic and incredible action set pieces (love the magical quiver and bow). Oh, and since the ads try to hide it, this is a “part one”, though we’re promised a conclusion in 2028. Still, this is one dazzling spectacle, a true movie “ride” to be savored on the biggest screen possible (and 3D, if you can splurge). Rejoice for RAMAYANA: RISE OF A LEGEND!


3.5 Out of 4


RAMAYANA: RISE OF A LEGEND is now playing in select theatres

GODZILLA MINUS ZERO – review

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A common complaint from countless film fans is the abundance and longevity of several film franchises. Many would declare that it’s time to ‘hang it up” since the glory days are long gone. Certainly, that’s been said of lots of “tentpoles’ from ROCKY to STAR WARS, and especially James Bond. Oh, and then there are the horror IP’s, which were skewered in the recent TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA so well. How many times can Jason, Freddy, and even Dracula return from their graves? Well, here’s a film that proves there’s always a chance to imbue old ideas with new cinematic life, much as Dr. Frankenstein would throw a switch and jolt his creature upright from its slumber. Now, this weekend’s new film could be considered both horror and science fiction, perhaps even a “disaster flick”. But the title star began even before Bond, as this is his 34th feature. There was a time when his movies lapsed and became the butt of pop culture jokes (the dubbing, the cheesy plots and effects). Well, with the grim “return to basics” of 2016’s SHIN GODZILLA, nobody’s laughing at the green, scaly superstar. After the US studios took another try with him (he’s a staple of the Monarch monster-verse), a team of talented Asian filmmakers reclaimed him in 2023 with the retro “back to the beginning” blockbuster GODZILLA MINUS ONE, which even won a special effects Oscar (a series first). Happily, everyone is back in the fantastic follow-up GODZILLA MINUS ZERO.

The film opens a couple of years after MINUS ONE, 1949, as another city in Japan, Matsumoto, is under attack by another “kaiju”, a winged, dragon-like behemoth. One of the few survivors (barely) is the renowned scientist/doctor Kanji Murakami (Min Tanaka) and his assistant. Meanwhile, Dr. Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka) welcomes a new member of his Large-Scale Disaster Response Unit team, a young meteorologist, Makoto (Masami Nagasawa). In another part of town, Noriko (Minami Hamabe) and her husband, former pilot Koichi (Ryunsuke Kamiki), are living a tranquil life, raising their adopted young daughter, Akiko (Sae Nagatani), though Noriko still bears the scars of her brush with Godzilla. Their peace is shattered when Koichi is called in by Noda to guide his old group of flyers (Koichi has vowed never to take to the skies again) in a plan to destroy this new menace that has been named Ghidorah. After a harrowing dogfight in the clouds, an electrical device doesn’t kill the creature. Instead, it morphs into something far deadlier. When (King) Ghidorah goes into a short hibernation, Murakami and Noda are shocked to learn that a ship was sunk by the thought-to-be-destroyed Godzilla. The two unhappily agree that the only way to stop the new menace is to utilize their old menace, and hopefully instigate a fight to the death, then try to eliminate the wounded victor. But how do they bring in the “Big G”? Murakami creates a “resonance beacon” that could draw Godzilla to them, but he needs living tissue similar to the beast. Their only hope may be the evolving scars of the still-traumatized Noriko, but there’s a chance that she could perish in the attempt. Will this happy family endure even more heartbreak? Could Koichi go back into the cockpit? And will Japan and the rest of the world survive a colossal “smackdown” between King Ghidorah and the returning “king of the monsters”, Godzilla? Whew, can you imagine the spike in insurance premiums?

Talk about your multiplex movie roller coaster! Wow, this is a more than worthy follow-up to the “outta’ nowhere” classic “reboot’ from 2023. It truly builds upon the strengths of that one, especially the “human story”. A complaint about the 60s and 70s G flicks was the often dull “reg’lar running, screaming, and trying to stop the chaos”. For many, well, carnage-lovin’ kiddos, it was an interminable wait until the fun stompin’ would resume. Again, we’re invested in them and are happy to get an “update”. That’s the case with the “joined by tragedy” family of Noriko, Koichi, and the achingly-adorable Akiko, though all struggle with PTSD. The character who suffers even more than the trio is Murakami, played with gravitas and sorrow by the terrific Tanaka. He’s endured destruction at the hands (claws) of Godzilla, but also from the atomic bomb (the flashbacks are haunting) at Hiroshima. This lays the groundwork for one of the best sequences as Murakami imagines a kaiju calamity for us in the US. And the occupying forces play a big role here, as an uneasy alliance is forged to fight the creatures (there’s a lot of mistrust four years after the end of engagement). But, hey, you’re here for the big monster fights. This delivers “big time’ from aerial skirmishes with King G to the nautical “dunking” by Big G. Of course, the two finally have a true “clash of the titans”, flattening what little is left of Ginza (the OG locale), culminating in a nail-biting effort from the human to spring an ingenious trap. As you might assume, this all looks extremely epic and grand, presented in IMAX (like THE ODYSSEY; their cameras were used). All hail returning director and visual effects supervisor, Takashi Yamazaki, who has extended the rich world of the 2023 film, while deftly accenting post-war Japan’s traumas. A few fans are squawking about the limited screen time for the Big G, since he’s sharing time here with King G, while others are enjoying the intro of a worthy adversary (and his levitating ray is “rad”). It was said three years ago, and it bears repeating, that there’s lots of thrills and wonder left in the decades-old kaiju royalty showcased in the somehow intimate epic that is GODZILLA MINUS ZERO.

3.5 out of 4

GODZILLA MINUS ZERO is now playing in theatres everywhere

WILD HORSE NINE – Review

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– by Cate Marquis –

Martin McDonagh’s WILD HORSE NINE is a funny, smart, brilliantly-written and moving story about two CIA agents, Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) taking a break from arranging a coup in Chili in 1973, on picturesque Easter Island (Rapa Nui). The older agent is becoming forgetful and losing his judgment, and their boss, played by Steve Buscemi, is becoming worried that Chris will reveal some of the big secrets he holds in his head, and is pressuring his partner Lee to deal with him.

Playwright, writer and director Martin McDonagh has made some excellent films, including THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI, IN BRUGES and THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN but this may be his best film yet. The writing is brilliant, the direction is excellent and the cast is impressive, besides John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell in the lead roles, the cast includes Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey and Tom Waits. Malkovich amazing in this mix of buddy comedy and political thriller, that is also a moving tale with a philosophical bent, and the best actor buzz has already started.

The story has some parallels to the writer/director’s first film, IN BRUGES, with a mentor-mentee pairing of an older man and younger one who are assassins hiding out in a tourist spot, Bruges. In the first film, it is the younger man who is struggling to cope with a job gone wrong, but it WILD HORSE NINE, it is the older man who struggles, dying of cancer, while his friend tries to help. John Malkovich is marvelous as Chris, the older CIA agent who is the former mentor and now friend of his partner Lee, played by Sam Rockwell. Chris is struggling with memory issues and a loss of judgment as he suffers from cancer, and Sam Rockwell’s Lee is protective of his long-time friend. They are visiting Easter Island (Rapa Nui) as a short break after their work to setting in motion a coup in Chili in 1973, which will topple the democratically elected left-wing president Allende and replace him with a brutal military dictatorship under Pinochet.

Despite it’s parallels with the earlier film, WILD HORSE NINE is more political thriller and set against a real history backdrop. The dying Chris (John Malkovich), a Catholic, is a bit worried about his immortal soul for his past deeds, although he rationalizes that they were “bad things done for a greater good” but mostly he is a wisecracking, sarcastic wit with a sharp tongue despite his failing, demented brain.

Long-time friend Lee fires back with equal power to Chris’ zingers. The banter, and all the dialog in fact, are a true joy, but with all the witty daggers flying, Lee is also protective of his talkative friend who is not only forgetting things but losing his judgment Chris is developing a tendency to forget that he can’t share everything and when to be silent, risking spilling secret information. Lee guides his friend away from blabbing while Chris flirts with a couple of pretty Chilean college students they met in the airport. Lee also covers up for Chris, hiding some of this from their CIA boss (Steve Buscemi). Even so, their boss is concerned about Chris’ talk about writing his memoirs, and presses Lee to deal with him.

The story deals evenly with the friendship between the two men and the unfolding political thriller events. The relationship between the two starts out more hilarious buddy comedy but becomes deeper and more meaningful, and moving as Chris’ decline progresses. The political side comes more to the fore later in the film, but paralleling Chris’s decline.

The name seems to have little meaning, or not anything obvious, but there is a horse in the story. The setting on Easter Island, as Chris insists on calling it, lends a strange, even surreal aspect to the film. Chris wanted to see them but his approach to them anything but reverent, calling the Moai “the heads” and seeming unimpressed. The island’s lush beauty of green landscapes and blue ocean rimming the island, contrasts with Chris and Lee’s dull brown-and-tan 1973 attire. and the landscape is filled with wild horses, whose long faces seem to echo the Moai’s stern long faces, but a bit quizical or serene rather than stern. The horses wander where they will, even up to the window of Chris’ hotel room, with Chris takes a liking to them.

WILD HORSE NINE is a remarkable film all around, from its splendid script and sharp dialog, its deep content and outstanding performances, and its atmospheric setting and photography. Funny and moving, it has much to say on the personal level, about friendship and mortality, and an equal amount on the political side and philosophical one, about unforeseen consequences, no matter how those actions might be rationalized, and an ultimate price that might be paid.

WILD HORSE NINE opens in theaters on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026.

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars

Win Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of EBENEZER

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This November, prepare to be ghosted. Johnny Depp is the deliciously unpleasant Ebenezer Scrooge in a thrilling reimagining of the most iconic ghost story of all time. On one unforgettable Christmas Eve, Ebenezer collides with his past, present, and future on a supernatural journey that will decide his ultimate fate. If you think you know his story, think again. Directed by Ti West and with a screenplay by Nathaniel Halpern, Ebenezer also stars Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Arthur Conti, Ellie Bamber, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Charlie Murphy, with Tramell Tillman and Ian McKellen.

https://www.ebenezermovie.com

The screening is at 7PM on Monday, November 9th at B&B Creve Coeur West Olive.

(Doors at 6pm) Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.

GET YOUR PASSES HERE https://gofobo.com/hwrSE24351

THIS FILM HAS BEEN RATED PG-13 FOR FRIGHTENING MATERIAL

CURFEW – TV Series Review

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If you like a whole lotta cultural relevance and speculative fiction with your murder mysteries, the British series “Curfew” might just be what the sociologist ordered. It’s set in a contemporary alternate England. Violence against women has become so intolerable that they enacted a three-year program with two Draconian aspects. The lesser is that couples aren’t allowed to marry until they’ve undergone extensive tests and interviews for compatibility and temperament to minimize the odds of domestic abuse.

The main subject is a strict curfew on all men from 7 pm to 7 am, enforced by mandatory ankle monitors like those for convicted felons on house arrest. Every guy 10 or older must wear one. As the story begins, the trial period for that law is nearing its end, with an imminent vote on whether to make it permanent. Naturally, controversy rages. Extreme measures engender extreme reactions.  

The program has succeeded in greatly reducing violent crimes against women. But the forcibly sequestered males protest vigorously at the one-sided deprivation of freedom. Rabble rousers urge opposition in strong terms, akin to our actual conspiracy theorists and finger pointers. Helen (Alexandra Burke), a high school teacher, is brutally murdered one night. Pam (Sarah Parish), the grizzled detective in charge of the case, is certain that only a man could have beaten her that badly, even though their system showed no males out that night to have done it. This might be the first time anyone foiled the tech; or Pam may be wrong about the gender of the perp. Her new partner, Eddie (Mitchell Robertson), is timid, but far from inept. Pam suffered a tragedy just before the curfew law went into effect that may be screwing with her objectivity.  

As the six hourlong episodes unfold, the sleuthing and politicking are intercut with flashbacks – mainly focused on Helen’s life. We find a bevy of suspects and motives from her career, surprisingly lurid sideline and personal life that adroitly remain undetermined until the finale. For those who read the source novel AFTER DARK by Jayne Cowie, the three credited writers varied quite a bit from the book in both format and substance, so you won’t find this adaptation predictable. 

The biggest problem with the series is how much disbelief one must suspend. They pay little, if any, heed to the massive economic upheaval this curfew legislation would cause. All the men who worked evenings and nights outside their homes can’t continue. Are there enough women to fill those jobs? Are there enough openings created by the shifted hours and types of work for those women to provide work for all those displaced guys? Could it really be practical – or even affordable – to monitor and enforce the entire male population for curfew violations?  The effective pace and solid performances minimize the time for thinking about that stuff; but the dubious logistics and logic kept lurking around as distractions.

On the plus side, this series draws attention to real-world concerns across the globe without making a strident, one-sided polemic. Character flaws, hidden agendas and questionable tactics are as rife among the women as the men – if not moreso. “Curfew” offers food for thought in a solid mystery, so long as you keep those thoughts where the writers hoped.

2 Out Of 4 Stars

British crime drama CURFEW premieres November 3, 2026 in the U.S. and Canada on MHz Choice.

https://watch.mhzchoice.com/curfew

Win Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING

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https://hungergames.movie

From acclaimed director Francis Lawrence, THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING follows sixteen-year-old Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) from District 12, beginning on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Annual Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell, the biggest Games yet with twice as many tributes.

Based on Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING also stars Jesse Plemons, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Maya Hawke, Whitney Peak, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. Produced by Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and Francis Lawrence. Screenplay by Billy Ray and Michael Lesslie.

Set in the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, the story follows Haymitch into the arena, where he forms an unlikely alliance with fellow tribute Maysilee Donner (Mckenna Grace) and joins a coalition determined to challenge the Capitol’s control under President Snow (Ralph Fiennes). As the competition unfolds, Haymitch risks everything to take down the Games from within the arena — setting in motion the rebellion that will change Panem forever.

THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING opens in theaters & IMAX November 20, 2026.

The screening is at 7PM on Monday, November 16th at AMC Streets of St. Charles (Doors at 6pm)

Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.

GET YOUR PASSES HERE – https://lionsgatescreenings.com/oJSaS06246

Rated PG 13.

THE MONGOOSE – Review

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All through this latest action-thriller, a classic line of movie dialogue bounced around my brain. From GODFATHER III, Al Pacino as Michael Corleone (say it with me): “Just when I thought I was out, they pull (gotta’ do the hands) me back in!”. With this flick, the line relates to its star, Liam Neeson. Appearing in last year’s “reboot/re-imagining” THE NAKED GUN, he seemed to be bidding adieu to his string of action- “certain skills” roles that began mainly with TAKEN. And he “was-a” churnin’ ’em out to the point that he looked a bit uninterested or at least distracted. So, Frank Drebin, Jr. was his version of “going out” with a self-mocking chuckle. Not so fast. Well, this time it’s “go very fast. ” He’s back in full “action-hero” mode, though mainly behind the wheel as the man known as THE MONGOOSE.


We meet ex-Special Forces Green Beret Ryan Flanagan (Neeson) near the start of a pretty trying day. He’s “burning rubber” in a slick red Ford Mustang Shelby Super Snake (syncs up with the title) GT350, trying to evade countless Arkansas Highway Patrol cars. The helicopters above him trigger a flashback to his combat days in Afghanistan twenty years ago. He’s part of a quartet of brothers in a chopper soaring through the mountains as they look for the enemy. Well, the s#t “goes down,” as does their ride when it’s struck by an RPG. Soon, the battered men are captured and taken to the enemy camp. Ryan (who likes to be called “Fang”) is then jolted back to his current problems. Those flashbacks helped to end his marriage to Tara (Marisa Tomei), who’s now dating a guy named Todd in Kentucky. Up until a couple of days ago. She called Fang from a hospital after being roughed up by him. Tara begs him not to retaliate. Instead, she asks him to sneak into Todd’s mansion (he’s at work) and grab her stuff. Fang agrees, but as he’s trying to coax the pet cat, you-know-who shows up. Things get ugly, a weapon is drawn, and now Fang is wanted for a homicide and for taking Todd’s “sweet ride”. When the chase crosses into Texas, Fang becomes the “number one priority” to hard-case lawman Major Walter Pope (Michael Chiklis). As he bears down, the media contacts Fang on his car’s phone. Soon he’s a rebel hero with fans helping him out. While still dealing with PTSD as he plots a course to the border. Even with the help of new and old friends, can he elude the Major and enjoy some “authentic” margaritas?

It does appear that Neeson is more engaged here, perhaps because he’s not involved in lots of gunplay or “hand-to-hand” scuffles (other than what gets him on the run). I’ve read that he’s somewhat of a “gearhead”, so that may explain it. We do get to see him out of the driver’s seat in the wartime flashbacks, which allow some flexing of his dramatic skills, in addition to the end of his marriage. Neeson also tries to sneak in some humor, but these clunky exchanges are tough to overcome. The forever “May Parker”, Ms. Tomei is criminally underused here since Tara is either an irritant or a victim or a “cheerleader” (a very sympathetic ex). Her role is fairly undefined and is reduced to staring at a TV screen or shouting into a phone for most of the third act. We do get some unbridled scenery-chewing from the ever-sneering Chiklis as Pope, a really humorless and sadistic spin on Buford T. Justice, flaring his nostrils and barking commands at his underlings. He’s trying to “sell” these static sequences, but they come off as cartoony villain “set-ups”. As his most prominent “soldier bro”, Ving Rhames has the proper warmth and gravitas, but he’s often set up as the explainer or faithful sidekick.

So, this is the feature film directing debut for stunt coordinator Mark Vanselow, who does make the most of the many action set pieces. Still, the end result often feels like a FAST AND THE FURIOUS lower-budgeted riff, while also harkening back to those 70s drive-in car classics like DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY, VANISHING POINT, and the “OG” GONE IN 60 SECONDS. Perhaps it may have worked better as a straight homage to those, but the script also takes on a war subplot that mixes recent films like SOLE SURVIVOR with a twist of THE DEER HUNTER (which tells us how Fang is also the Mongoose). Plus, there’s Fang’s “fanbase” echoing THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN and THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS. And there’s a running commentary from a real-life TV reporter that feels forced, as it appears that CNN just turns things over to “Fang on the run”. Australia proves to be a pretty good “stand-in” for the southern US, despite an off-kilter gas station. Plus it’s refreshing to see an action-adventure that’s more “grounded” rather than the increasingly overblown, gravity-ignoring F&F series (another one is coming…ugh). Basically, this is a turbo-charged “B” flick with much better actors than the script deserves. So, if you really have the “need for speed”, and some “Liam Neesons” then the churning wheels and spinouts, then THE MONGOOSE may be your kind of “I can’t drive 55” animal.

2 out of 4

THE MONGOOSE is now playing in select theatres

Win Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of Netflix’s LA BOLA NEGRA

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LA BOLA NEGRA follows three generations of men whose lives are intimately connected through desire, pain, and love. From Cannes-winning directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, the film stars Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Lola Dueñas, Julio Torres, Penélope Cruz, and Glenn Close.

LA BOLA NEGRA opens in St. Louis on November 5th. Get tickets at www.labolanegrafilm.com

Watch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/82964412

The screening is at 7PM on Monday, November 2nd at Alamo Drafthouse – City Foundry. (Doors open at 6PM)

Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.

GET YOUR PASSES HERE – RSVP Form HERE

GHOST IN THE CELL – Review

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By Mark Glass

I must begin by advising that I almost passed up the offer to screen GHOST IN THE CELL – an Indonesian movie about prison violence, even with some supernatural elements and grim humor as part of the hook. I’ve just seen too many of these to expect any uptick from yet another entry. The high rating I’ve given this shows just how happy I am to have rolled the dice on this one. Even after decades of reviewing, there’s no way to spot a winner just from the title or premise. Sleepers like this justify all the non-magical frogs I’ve had to kiss (figuratively, of course) along the way.

GHOST IN THE CELL is about as literally on point as a title can get. Dimas (Endy Arfian), a feckless nerd is wrongfully sent to a prison full of violence inflicted by inmates on each other, with even more sadistic treatment from the guards and warden. Dimas was a journalist who’d been in the jungles of Borneo to write an expose on abusive practices by industrial exploiters of the natives and land. Someone was killed and posed in an exceedingly gruesome manner. He’s blamed, even though obviously too wimpy to have done anything like that. But when one pisses off the rich and powerful, justice falls off the table.

Once in jail, a few more gory killings occur with similarly lurid arrangements of the corpses’ body parts. There were already rumors that the place was haunted. Soon the inmates suspect that Dimas brought the malevolent spirit with him. One of them, “Six” (Yoga Pratama), claims to start seeing auras of different colors around the others. The theory is that the ghost feeds on anger and when anyone’s aura turns red, they need to calm down immediately, or become the next victim.

As unlikely as that premise may seem, writer/director Joko Anwar makes it thrive as a very dark comedy, with a few surprisingly wild, silly moments that make it stand out from others in the genre. And those who stream it primarily for the gore will be fully satisfied with the horrific dispositions the ghost crafts, as well as what the humans inflict upon each other. If you liked the comedic and yucky combo of films like SHAUN OF THE DEAD, this one takes both elements to entertainingly hyperbolic extremes.

No more details. Let it surprise you as it did me for maximum enjoyment.

GHOST IN THE CELL, in Indonesian with English subtitles, is available on Blu-ray and Digital formats as from Well Go USA starting Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026.

Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars

ARCTIC CIRCLE Season 5 TV Series Review

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– By Mark Glass –

We now return to Finland for the 5th season of Finnish TV’s “Arctic Circle,”with a season-long crime scenario challenging chief Nina (Iina Kuustoen) and her small Ivalo police force. They also handle their business in six efficient episodes, unlike the overlong first season’s ten. Well done, writers and producers!

For newcomers, Nina has worked her way up the ranks to chief in the first four seasons, while raising Venla (Venla Ronkainen) and, as of last year, her new infant, as a single mother. In many of these crime series, children of the protagonists tend to be a distraction or annoyance. But Venla, who has Downs Syndrome, has been a major asset in terms of both plot advancement and the series’ emotional depth. That continues to be the case in this year’s production.

For returning fans, the season offers a significant change of tone from last year’s creepy set of crimes. That one revolved around an approaching comet that a sect of religious fanatics believed to be the catalyst for the return of Jesus, compelling them to do a bunch of horrible things to make sure it happens. This time around, the focus is on technology and terrorism, which feeds into a significant real-life concern.

A group of hackers plants ransomware in the system of a conglomerate that controls Finland’s electrical grid. They are mostly Russians, some of whom are motivated by a huge payday; others by creating an opportunity for their homeland to make a move on Finland during a nationwide shutdown. The non-Russian among them, Vaga (Betadi Mandunga), has been foiled repeatedly by an anonymous super-hacker known as D-Time, who has protected many other companies and countries against such cyber-attacks. D-time is believed to Live in Finland which is why Vaga teamed up with the others to attack this target, hoping to force his nemesis into the open so he can kill the bastard (Vaga’s opinion, not mine).

The season’s events are triggered by a murder in Ivalo, putting the case on Nina’s desk. She’s also greeted with the unpleasant surprise of her baby daddy, Toni (Mikko Nousiainen), suddenly changing careers and joining her force as a trainee. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, as far as she’s concerned. When the cyber-attack occurs, that brings in another set of cops who specialize in those crimes. It also puts Nina at odds with them, since their missions overlap, but differ, and in some ways, pull in opposite directions.

The season is replete with conflicts and secrecy, creating high levels of dramatic tension and suspense that keep building to a thrilling conclusion in Episode 6. This might be my favorite season of the quintet. Although the cases are closed, they end with a significant open question about the future that calls for a sixth season to follow. Don’t let us down, Finland!

“Arctic Circle” Season 5, mostly in Finnish with English subtitles, debuts streaming on MHz Choice on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

A scene from the Finnish TV series ARCTIC CIRCLE Season 5. Courtesy of MHz Choice