Here’s a first look at the trailer for director Michael Sarnoski’s THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD, starring Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett and Noah Jupe.
Grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder, Robin Hood finds himself gravely injured after a battle he thought would be his last. In the hands of a mysterious woman, he is offered a chance at salvation.
Cinematographer Pat Scola and director Michael Sarnoski are a frequent creative duo, known for their visually distinctive collaborations on acclaimed films like the indie drama Pig (2021) and the horror prequel A Quiet Place: Day One (2024), with Scola serving as Director of Photography (DP) for Sarnoski’s films, including THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD.
Marvel Studios’ latest trailer for AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY has dropped and it features the X-Men, including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and James Marsden as Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, in his comic-book accurate costume!
These teasers have been fantastic and finally a return to the serious heroes! Steve Rogers portrayed as a loving father and Thor as older, wiser and scarred by the past battles. Looks like Disney and Marvel will be treating Doomsday with the seriousness it deserves and will finally let the heroes be heroes once again.
The 2000s X-Men era in film kicked off with the seminal X-Men (2000), establishing a successful cinematic universe with sequels X2: X-Men United (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo are helming Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY and the movie event of 2026 hits cinemas on December 18.
Dropping on Netflix January 16 is director Joe Carnahan’s THE RIP, starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, Catalina Sandino Moreno & Kyle Chandler.
Upon discovering millions in cash in a derelict stash house, trust among a team of Miami cops begins to fray. As outside forces learn about the size of the seizure, everything is called into question — including who they can rely on.
Carnahan directed Narc and Copshop. Of his new film, he says, “I’ve always been a big fan of the cop film.” He also drew inspiration from the story of his “very dear friend,” a police officer in Miami, who taught Carnahan all about “rips” — a term used to describe when cops seize illegal weapons, drugs, or, as in The Rip, lots and lots of cash. Read more about the film over at TUDUM.
Well this is one way to come out swinging in the first days of the new year. Check out the wild new trailer for THEY WILL KILL YOU. The film unleashes a blood-soaked, high-octane horror-action-comedy in which a young woman must survive the night at the Virgil, a demonic cult’s mysterious and twisted death-trap of a lair, before becoming their next offering in a uniquely brazen, big screen battle of epic kills and wickedly dark humor.
THEY WILL KILL YOU stars Zazie Beetz, Myha’La, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, and Patricia Arquette.
Directed by Kirill Sokolov and written by Sokolov & Alex Litvak, the film is produced by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti and Dan Kagan, and executive produced by Russell Ackerman, John Schoenfelder, Carl Hampe, Litvak and Sokolov.
Behind the camera, Sokolov is joined by director of photography Isaac Bauman, production designer Jeremy Reed, editor Luke Doolan, costume designer Neil McClean and visual effects supervisor Marc Smith. The composer is Carlos Rafael Rivera, the music supervisor is Andrea von Foerster and the casting director is Richard Delia.
New Line Cinema and Nocturna present THEY WILL KILL YOU, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, only in theaters in North America on March 27, 2026, and internationally beginning on 25 March 2026.
(L-R) HEATHER GRAHAM as Sharon, TOM FELTON as Kevin, and cast in New Line Cinema/Nocturna’s “They Will Kill You,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Everett Blunck as Ben, in THE PLAGUE. Courtesy of IFC
THE PLAGUE is one of those horror films that taps into familiar childhood, in this case, early adolescence and the bullying that frequently comes with that, and uses this familiarity to create the horror. THE PLAGUE opens with on-screen text giving a very specific time, Summer 2003, the second session of Tom Lerner Water Polo Camp. The camp is supposed to instill a sense of camaraderie in the 12 to 13-year-old boys, but instead something sinister is going on. What develops is a kind of “Lord of the Flies” in the suburbs. The very specific date and setting suggests that personal experience, from first-time director/writer Charlie Polinger, lies behind this chilling mix of psychological and a bit of body horror.
Most of the boys at the camp already know each other from the first session but Ben (Everett Blunck) is new. He sits down at their lunch table and, after a little teasing about a faint Boston accent, seems to be accepted. When another boy sits down at the table, he gets a very different reaction: everyone gets up and moves to another table. After a few minutes, Ben joins them. The boys’ leader, Jake (Kayo Martin), later tells newbie Ben that the boy, Eli (Kenny Rasmussen), has “the plague” and is to be avoided, because it is contagious. Eli does have a skin rash, which might be contagious, but he is also an odd duck, maybe on the spectrum. Anyway, he is the target of the boys’ group, their outcast, who they describe as having leprosy, whose body parts might fall off, and who is degenerating mentally and physically. Touching Eli, even being too close to him, can give you “the plague.”
That bullying of the outcast is something everyone will remember from growing up. Another thing that is familiar is how this tale mirrors “The Lord of the Flies.” Even though adults are present in this tale, they might as well not be, for all they notice they take of what is going on, and of their ineffectiveness. Actually, the only adult we really see is Joel Edgerton’s stone-faced coach, who is billed as “Daddy Wags,” who varies between oblivious and ineffective. The campers are all boys, ages 12 to 13, who are attending this sleep-way camp, meaning parents are out of the picture. Edgerton’s coach is either unaware of the bullying or unwilling to step in. When he does, at a few moments, he is remarkably unhelpful, with the kid being bullied paying the price.
Later, Jake admits they made those gruesome details and “the plague” isn’t real, although Eli really does have a rash that might be contagious. And Eli does himself no favors, with a strange sense of humor, a “Lord of the Rings” obsession plus a good Gollum impersonation, and a willingness to just be weird. Ben is a kindhearted kid, and someone going through his own problems, with his parents’ divorce, and eventually, also becomes a target for Jake’s bullying.
The acting is overall impressive in this film, with standouts being Everett Blunck as Ben, who is desperate to fit in and worried he won’t, Kayo Martin as bully Jake, alternating between charming and a sharp, intelligent cunning when he spots weakness, and Kenny Rasmussen as Eli, strange but smart, and with an unsettling self-destructive side. All the young actors explore the depths of their characters, with hints of why, while Edgerton’s adult is ineffective and uninspiring, in a chilling way.
However, that rash is one of several odd things about this summer camp. If the rash is contagious, why is he at a water polo camp? It seems most camps would exclude anyone who is contagious. Also, the camp seems to be at a high school, or at least the pool is, but the kids are sleeping in bunks rather than going home. We only see the one coach/camp counselor, Joel Edgerton’s character, although we see other adults in the background and at a distance, running their own water programs at the pool. Late in the film, there is a kind of school dance mixer, with girls from a synchronize swimming camp at the same pool, who we see late in the film.
Director Charlie Polinger builds a great deal of the tension and dread in this chilling film by tapping into memories we all likely have of the time period in our own lives. He also uses a technique to create tension that I personally dislike, which is soft whispered dialog in close up, half-lit scenes, followed by very loud, jarring music or screeching sounds. The shift makes one jump but it seems like a gimmicky, unpleasant way to build tension.
Polinger does better on the visual side. Many of the pool scenes are shot from below the surface, a nice visual metaphor but also a way to create an intriguing visual landscape. In some scenes, the director even flips the camera over, so we are disoriented as to what is up and what is down. He also does a nice job of creating mood with dark and shadowy scenes for the boys discussion, or confined ones in the communal showers with boys in team swim suits, and alternating those with brightly-lit scenes of the angular pool and school hallways.
At 98 minutes, THE PLAGUE is mercifully short but it packs a great deal of horror in that time. I say mercifully, because it is not a pleasant time to revisit. It is an impressive debut feature from the scary side, although the ending makes less sense than it should and the puzzling, unanswered practical questions raised above are distracting. It is a clear way to find the horror in the ordinary, and people’s universal experiences.
THE PLAGUE opens nationally in theaters on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.
For one of the first big new film releases of 2026, we turn to a “tried and true” horror “sub-genre”, the “zombie flick” (or “walking dead” if you’re more “refined” in your terror tastes). Sure, these grungy ghouls began their cinematic lumbering more than 90 years ago (WHITE ZOMBIE and I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE are examples respectively from the 30s and 40s), but the current iteration probably begins with George Romero’s landmark NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD in 1968. But in more recent years we’ve gotten some “mixed movies” such as the comedies (ZOMBIELAND (2 of them), THE DEAD DON’T DIE, and SHAUN OF THE DEAD), and even a romance (WARM HEART). Much in that (jugular) vein, this new one from “down under” could be considered a “relationship drama” as it focuses on a woman (and her partner) who could declare on a resume that WE BURY THE DEAD.
The first person we meet in the film is Ava (Daisy Ridley), a young wife from the states who’s on a bus in Tasmania with dozens of very anxious people. These passengers are “twitchy” because they’re citizen volunteers in the “body retrieval units” after the US (we’re the “baddies” again) accidentally launched an experimental device that sends out a pulse that terminates neural functions, killing over a half a million on the island. Ava’s group is escorted by the military forces in the “zones” after they’re told that some struck by the “event” may be springing back to life. If they encounter a person whose brain is somehow “back online”, they are to send up a flare and soldiers will take care of them “humanely”. It’s revealed that Ava’s motives go beyond charity, as her husband had attended a business conference there. She wants to head south to his resort to see if he survived, but the military has forbidden travel past Hobart due to massive fires. Ava must wait for her “moment” while being teamed with a snarky “free spirit” named Clay (Brenton Thwaites), who unwittingly provides an “opportunity” via is theft of a motorcycle. The duo sneak away from the troops to travel the off-highway back roads in a quest for Ava’s hubby Mitch (Matt Whelan). But will a chance encounter with a grief-stricken soldier, Riley (Mark Coles Smith) abruptly end the journey of Clay and Ava. And what about the “re-animated” and aggressive survivors along the way?
After her initial splash in the final “episodes” of the STAR WARS saga, it’s great to see that Ms. Ridley is getting to flex her considerable dramatic skills as the haunted Ava, who will take any risk or suffer any humiliation to reunite with her spouse. But then she conveys that “shift” in this seeker, as the rose-hued “tint” in her memories of marriage slowly chip away. We see this is not only a rescue of Mitch, but perhaps a relationship rescue. Ridley also has a deft physicality, whether evading the “onliners”, or darting eyes in order to find the best “action option”, making Ava a unique thriller heroine. And somehow Ava does work well with Thwaites as the more laid-back Clay, a fellow who has forsaken the altruism of this new “temp gig” in order to indulge his hedonistic appetites. This dude has serious swagger, as he readily agrees Ava’s plans, with Thwaites saying, “Why the Hell not?” with a whip of his long dark locks. Much more “tightly-wound” is Smith as the emotionally traumatized Riley, whose haunted backstory prompts him to go against his training and his moral compass. In the aforementioned flashbacks, Whelan is quite effective as Mitch is transformed from an adorably-smitten groom to something darker and wounded by life.
This tale is written and directed by screen vet Zak Hilditch. He has a confident visual flair, filling the screen with expansive island vistas, while not neglecting the focus on the desperate characters. Though the “body retrievals” are mainly done in the blazing sunlight, he gives each domicile a touch of rotting decay, with horrific menace lurking just inside the nurseries. Unfortunately, aside from the “marriage subplot” there’s little here that fans of the genre haven’t seen before, in much better thrillers. The main problem here, perhaps, is the lack of thrills. The “undead onliners” only make a handful of attacks, with wildly different results (it’s explained that the longer they’ve been ‘activated”, the more agitated they act). That may account for the rather sluggish pacing, making this feel longer than its 94-minute runtime. Yes, the “ghouls” are unsettling due to a twist on standard “zombs” in their dentistry (their “teeth grinding” is pretty creepy as we hear molars scraping as they lurch forward). But then we’re back trudging through the often lovely countryside. Plus, the “twist” ending loses much of its impact after a big reveal in last year’s superior 28 YEARS LATER (maybe Ralph Finnse could have provided a needed jolt of energy). Fans of fear flicks will want more shocks than marital conflict, while drama fans will be turned off by the dollops (not deluges) of gore in the well-intentioned WE BURY THE DEAD.
2 out of 4
WE BURY THE DEAD opens in select theatres on January 1, 2026
A scene from the Austrian TV series “Backwoods Crime.” on MHz Choice. Courtesy of MHz Choice
Some time ago, I reviewed ten mostly-unrelated tele-films from Austria, streaming on MHz Choice under the umbrella of “Backwoods Crime.” The casts, plots and locales are all different, just sharing the common thread of murders in the boondocks being handled in an intelligent, modest-action manner by whichever cops are called upon. All were worthwhile, to varying degrees. Not a lemon in the lot.
“Der Schutzengel” is the first of nine now being released for streaming under that heading. This one opens 12 years before its main action, with young Martin (Michael Steinocher) having his marriage proposal deflected by his girlfriend. She says they’re too young, but doesn’t fully close that door. We learn she disappeared shortly thereafter, with her whereabouts still unknown.
A dozen years later, Martin returns to that town as a police officer, planning to move into his old house with his new squeeze. But he starts having flashbacks to the unfinished business of that dangling proposal. Those mainly consist of the eye candy we get from Martin having recorded his then-topless intended, expecting a yes to be preserved for posterity.
Martin’s first case involves the long-term housemaid of the local gentry found dead in the pond where she regularly swam. It looks like an accident, but that wouldn’t give us 90 minutes of story line, would it? Once they determine it was murder, despite any apparent motives,questions arise as to whether it relates to that earlier disappearance, which has been gnawing at Martin ever since.
The case is overseen by Detective Paul Werner (Franz Karl), who methodically and calmly unravels the mystery(ies). There’s nothing glamorous about the process, but Karl’s low-key performance, balancing the sleuthing with sensitivity, is a pleasure to watch. He’s apparently played cops before, but this character deserves more chances to shine. Give the dude a real series, folks. Then be sure to send it along for streaming on our side of the pond.
The consistency of the quality throughout these ten gives good reason to expect more of the same from the other forthcoming nine.
That’s my last review for 2025. Happy New Year, everyone!
“Backwoods Crime: Der Schutzengel,” in German with English subtitles, streams on MHz Choice starting Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
A scene from the Austrian TV series “Backwoods Crimes.” Courtesy of MHz Choice. Copyright: ORF/Mona Film/Tivoli Film/Helga Rader
Timothee Chalamet as Marty Mauser in Josh Safdie’s MARTY SUPREME. Courtesy of A24
Timothee Chalamet is supremely charismatic and kinetic as a “bad boy” hustler in early 1950s New York with an obsession to make ping pong – table tennis – into a major sport in the U.S., in Josh Sadfie’s kinetic drama MARTY SUPREME. Director/co-writer Sadfie’s story is very loosely based on a real person, Marty Reisman, a handsome, bespectacled, and rail-thin young Jewish man from New York City’s Lower East Side, who was a table tennis wiz with a flair for showmanship in the 1950s. and an obsession to make his sport, ping pong, as respected and a big deal in the U.S. as it already was in Asia and Europe. Safdie renamed Timothee Chalamet’s character Marty Mauser, and takes liberties with the facts, but MARTY SUPREME is a kinetic skyrocket of a drama that picks up speed as it goes, about a man obsessed with a sport no one respected but who is willing to do anything, and everything, to change that.
and the film itself takes a neutral view of his sometimes appalling behavior. Marty’s lack of scruples seems to get worse as he grow desperate to reach his goals, and much of this film better suited for adult audiences than teens (although, by the end, he shows some improvement, and opens the door to more).
In the Lower East Side of 1950s New York City, ambitious Jewish teenager Marty Mauser (Chalamet) is determined to escape the life that is being laid out for him, working in his uncle’s shoe store. Marty is his uncle’s best salesman and the uncle dreams of making him the manager, but selling shoes is not Marty’s dream. He has much bigger dreams, dreams no one respects, to be a ping pong champion while making the sport he loves, and is supremely good at, into a high-profile, popular sport in the U.S.
Timothee Chalamet’s young character is charismatic and he charms all those around him, but he is not a good guy. and the film itself takes a neutral view of his often appalling behavior. Marty’s lack of scruples seems to get worse as he grow desperate to reach his goals, and much of this film better suited for adult audiences than teens (although, by the end, he shows some improvement, opening the door to more improvement).
Fast-talking Marty lives with his mother in a tiny apartment but dodges her questions (and her as well) about what he is doing. When not trapped in the shoe store, he is a hustler who makes a living playing ping pong in seedy tennis table parlors. Those parlors might remind some of the shady pool halls seen in Paul Newman’s classic THE HUSTLER, but such ping pong halls really did exist in the neighborhood where the really Marty grew up. But Chalamet’s Marty Mauser needs no manager to help him achieve his goal. Instead, he charms and exploits a host of people, good and even shady types, to reach his goal.
Marty has a girlfriend, but she is already married to someone else and now pregnant, and he has a circle of admirers, energized by his self-confidence and ambition, who he charms into giving him money or other forms of help. Marty will do anything to get the money for the next international table tennis tournament, where he expects to win the championship, and to make table tennis the major sport in the U.S. that he believes it should be.
MARTY SUPREME is darkly funny, energetic and entertaining – a somewhat bent American Dream. Surprisingly, some of Marty’s crazy antics in this fictional film are based on things that really happened. Timothee Chalamet gives an electrifying performance, one is a string of recent great ones. Chalamet’s unstoppable ping pong hustler and dreamer is backed by a strong cast of stars, often in unexpected roles. Fran Dresser is unrecognizable as Marty’s mother, a sad Jewish mother in a tiny NY apartment who pumps her wild teen son for information on his life, information he avoids giving. Gweneth Paltrow plays an aging movie star wife of a rich man, to which Marty attaches himself with a plan to get him access to places he’s not so welcome. The characters are often quirky, as are the situations Marty finds himself in, and both Fran Dresser and Gweneth Paltrow craft intriguing characters, especially Paltrow’s sharp, hard-eyed star who matches Marty in wits.
The rest of the cast, combined with a twisty plot in which unexpected disasters seem to loom around each turn, make this a drama with the pulse of a thriller. The film pick up speed as it goes, and cocky Marty finds himself juggling more balls than he expected.
While Chalamet’s cocky character is charismatic, resourceful and sharp-witted, he is no model of moral behavior. Early on, he makes a tasteless, anti-semitic joke, and then brushes aside the gasps by saying he’s Jewish so it’s OK, (although clearly not). He and a ping pong playing pal raise money playing demonstration games for money, that involve trick shots that would fit right in with the Harlem Globetrotters if that team played ping pong. Marty hustles unsuspecting people by feigning being a bad player – until the bets are down. At one point, he and a pal pull a con to get a better hotel room paid for by someone else (which really happened), with some unintended consequences.
But it is all in service of elevating his beloved ping pong and putting him on the top of the players’ heap, so we have conflicted feelings about this very young, very ambitious man with a mission. The people who back him up, even when he exploits that trust, seem to have no such doubts, and seem just drawn to his energy and confidence, as he pursues dreams that themselves dare not dream. Maybe it is that impossible dream, or the surprising encouragement Marty gives to other people that everyone else overlooks or dismisses that they too can dream big, and they come along and be part of his adventure.
This is a drama is likely to divide audience opinions, as it has critics, about whether Marty’s willingness to dream big, and commit to a dream others find preposterous, is compelling enough to justify or overcome his willingness to step on other people on his way up, no matter how much he charms those he steps on, in pursuit of that wild dream. Again, that makes this film more suited to grown-ups than the younger audiences who might not be quite ready to grapple with this ethical battle.
Still, MARTY SUPREME is a showcase for Timothee Chalamet, as well as an excellently made wild ride of a most unusual adventure.
MARTY SUPREME opens Thursday, Dec. 25, in theaters.
So who’s up for some great tunes on this big holiday…, at the multiplex? No, we’re not talking about any Christmas carols (you’re probably hearing those jingle bells in your sleep by now). We’re talking a full-fledged musical movie, though it’s not another bold brassy big-screen version of a stage musical in the wake of WICKED: FOR GOOD (though it’s really an expanding of its second act). This new release may be more in that subgenre of the “jukebox musical” as it focuses on the pop songs of an iconic star, although it’s not a biopic of him (much like ELVIS or ROCKETMAN). You see, this is a true life dramatic love story about a “tribute band” of that singing superstar. Sounds confusing? It’ll all be clear with the first few notes (and scenes) of SONG SUNG BLUE.
That title tune is heard in the opening scene, in which Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman) serenades his AA support group after he has hit a big sobriety milestone in late 1980s Milwaukee. From there he’s off to his sweet “side gig” as part of a “tributes” show at the state fair. Mike walks out after the organizer insists that he take on the songs of Don Ho (“Tiny Bubbles”). No, Mike wants to perform the works of his idol, Neil Diamond. As he exits, Mike stops to catch the fetching Patsy Cline (“Walkin’ After Midnight”) songstress Claire Stingl (Kate Hudson). He strikes up a conversation with her later that night, leading to a date for the two divorced parents (Mike’s teenage daughter visits once a month or so). He tries to bond with Claire’s energetic pre-teen son Dayna (Hudson Hensley) and her somewhat surly teenage daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson). After a quick “jam session” Mike asks Claire if she would consider partnering with him for his “dream Diamond tribute review” that he dubs “Thunder and Lightning” (the latter being his stage persona while she’d be the former). Claire is thrilled and seals their partnership with a kiss. They assemble a back-up band and begin performing in bars, wedding halls, and eateries in the Wisconsin/Illinois area. Through it all, the two become much more than a singing duo, eventually tying the knot. Their reputation is on the rise, leading to an “opening act” slot at a Pearl Jam concert. The sky seems to be the limit, but the joyful music is almost silenced as fate hits several “sour notes” to challenge their sweet harmonies.
I’ll just get this out of the way: Jackman and Hudson are superb singers. Yeah, that’s not a big revelation, since Hugh has a couple of Tonys on his mantle and Kate cut an album (they still call them that) last year. But that skill is certainly essential in these roles in order to “sell” them as a vocal duet. As for the other aspects of their performances, Jackman may have a bit more to do, as Mike is the “entry point” to this true tale. The “movie mutant” has swagger to spare, as he pushes past the goofy hairstyle and the flashy fashions to give us a man who overtakes the inner demons from his past by reinventing himself. His furrowed brow hints at Mike’s PTSD from serving in Nam, while he still has a vulnerability with the knowledge that his body is failing him and his “time clock” may halt at any time. The bubbly Hudson brings out the best in him. Beneath that beaming smile, Claire has had lots of heartbreak in his own past, and decides to bask in the high she gets from singing. In the story’s second act, we see that life tries to snuff out that spark, until family and friends re-ignite it. It’s no wonder Hudson was the “queen of rom-coms” as she conveys Claire’s joy in getting another chance at love. The film’s other great standout is Anderson as Claire’s teen daughter, Rachel. Sure, she starts as a clichéd snarky “eye-roller”, but she shows how the love of Mike for her mom warms that cynical heart, even making her an ally of his when things get tough, and as she faces her own big life-changing decision. Oh, and there are a couple of 1980s movie stalwarts on hand for support. Fisher Stevens is solid as Mike’s dentist-backer, and Jim Belushi goes all “cheese-head” (right outta’ FARGO) as the tour bus-drivin’ manager. The 90s are repped by Michael Imperioli from “The Sopranos” as the tributes show boss (and resident Buddy Holly) who plays back-up guitar for the revue.
Though no stranger to movies with music, this film is an interesting detour for director/ screenwriter (adapting the same-titled documentary by Greg Kohs) Craig Brewer, after making his 2005 breakout hit, the hip-hop-flavored HUSTLE AND FLOW followed by the 2011 remake of FOOTLOOSE. He takes us past the high camp (exploited in 2001’s SAVING SILVERMAN) of Diamond’s 70s heyday, though we get some Elvis-style kitsch, to get us into the minds and hearts of Mike and Claire. This lulls us into thinking that their love story will always prevail. The huge chaotic challenges make for an abrupt shift (though it seems too extreme, it’s all true), one that may be too much for some viewers, Brewer never veers too much into the melodramatic while keeping the story firmly planted in its frigid northern US roots. Brewer also keeps the pacing smooth, breaking up the dialogue with a burst of song, and not overdoing the big rehearsing and performing montages. Aside from those great hairstyles and fashions, the music selection is pretty terrific, touching on all the big Diamond hits while introducing some often neglected tunes (I now know a whole lot about “Soolaimon”). Hey, there’s even a couple of Patsy Cline and Buddy Holly classics. And the set decorators really capture the tone of the early 1990s. Some of the more jaded filmgoers may think that this is merely a sweet little flick to see with your older relatives, but they may be surprised by the endearing look at the performers that don’t fill arenas, the bus-travelin’ workin’ stiff weekend warriors. That and the chemistry of Hudson and Jackman really blend for a nearly pitch-perfect romance in SONG SUNG BLUE.
3 Out of 4
SONG SUNG BLUE opens in theatres everywhere on Christmas Day, 2025
A scene from the French/Belgian TV miniseries “Good People.” Courtesy of MHz Choice
“Good People” (“Des Gens Bien”) is a French/Belgian miniseries that plays out as a droll dramedy arising from a scam. The title denotes the fact that good people can do uncharacteristically bad things with what seem like good intentions. They can also rope in other good people who mean well.
We start with watching Tom (Lucas Meister) stage an auto accident in which he barely survives, though his wife, Linda (Berangere McNeese), is burned to death. We soon learn why he did it – extreme financial hardship. Then about halfway through the six episodes, we learn how. The motive is to cash in on a big life insurance policy but events, as they must, soon spin out of control.
One cop, Philippe (Michael Abiteboul), smells a rat, suspecting the accident wasn’t what it seemed. But his boss, Roger (veteran character actor Dominique Pinon), who knows Tom very well, refuses to let him investigate. Roger had lost his wife in a similar crash around that same stretch of roadway, and is completely closed to any other explanation. There’s also an obstacle of cross-border jurisdiction limiting Philippe’s efforts.
Linda and Tom owned a tanning parlor that was failing. They were on the verge of losing that, plus their home and cars, having exhausted the limits of their credit. The members of a local church kicked in a lot of money its members could little afford to help them stay afloat by updating the equipment but it wasn’t going to be enough. Thus was the plot hatched… with the best of intentions.
Among the things that go wrong, Philippe won’t give up his probing. Linda’s cousin Serge (Peter Van den Begin), a hulking thug recently paroled from prison, tumbles onto the plan and forces his way in for the payoff. Tom’s highly devout sister (Gwen Berrou), who’d convinced the churchgoers to help him and Linda, sees something she shouldn’t, and a high-profile person accidentally involved in the intrigue brings far more attention to the case than anyone could have expected.
The tenor set by the series’ trio of writers can best be described as a darkly comic, slowly unfolding farce. The cast is excellent all around, especially shining as the plan unravels and actions become more desperate. The plot includes a few surprises in what happens to whom. Van den Begin really dominates in his scenes presenting Serge’s stupidity and conscience-free brutality. Pinon, who has been such an asset as a regular in the recently-reviewed cop series “Cassandre, gets too little screen time in this one. There’s also a brief role for Corinne Masiero, who headlined one of my favorite light crime series from ANY country, “Captain Marleau.”
My frequent complaint about series that run longer than needed is mercifully NOT applicable to this one. The half-dozen 50-minute episodes befit the material. The series ends without major cliffhangers but does leave a few open questions. One source indicates they meant it to run three seasons, which may not occur, since this one aired in 2022. I’d welcome more if that happens, but am quite satisfied with where they ended this production.
“Good People” (originally “Des Gens Bien”), in French with English subtitles, begins streaming MHz Choice on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.
A scene from the French/Belgian TV miniseries “Good People.” Courtesy of MHz Choice
