CRIME 101 (2026) - MGM

Crime 101
MGM

Original Release Date February 13th, 2026
Written by Bart Layton, based on a novella by Don Winslow
Directed by Bart Layton
Starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Halle Berry, Nick Nolte, Monica Barbaro
Language English

Purchase your copy from Orbit HERE 

by "Doc" Hunter Bush
MovieJawn Staff Writer & Podcast Director, cohost of the Hate Watch/Great Watch Podcast

Overview:

Crime 101 comes to 4k from MGM. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Bart Layton, the film is a worthwhile entry into the west coast crime genre. MGM's release of Crime 101 features an excellent video transfer and audio package, but lacks additional features to sweeten the deal.

The Movie Itself: 3.5 stars

I know what you're thinking: if I haven't seen the first 100 Crime movies, will I understand what's going on? Don't worry. Crime 101 doesn't reinvent the wheel or anything when it comes to the west coast crime genre, but it does a very satisfying job of fitting right into that niche. The characters are interesting and given room to breathe, the performances are solid, and the world constructed around everyone is appropriately oppressive. Even the American accents are ...pretty decent.

Crime 101 is adapted from a novella from author Don Winslow, who is known for his crime fiction. The film feels like it's an adaptation, too. These characters feel more nuanced and have more interiority than many similar characters created specifically for film or television (it's a crowded field and you know it). Chris Hemsworth, abandoning both his regular accent and much of his natural gruffness, plays Davis, a crook who is great at planning heists that net him large sums of money, give him an easy escape route and, importantly, harm no one aside from insurance firms. He's smart, and has managed to avoid anyone even realizing his crimes are connected until Lou (Mark Ruffalo), a police detective with an intuition about these things, begins to drill down on them.

Luckily for Davis, Lou's superiors would rather the various robberies get solved whether they arrest the right people or not, and Lou's dedication to doing things the right way hasn't made him a lot of friends on the force. There's also Sharon (the great Halle Berry) who works for exactly the kind of insurance firm that Davis targets. She's great at her job, but has been overlooked for promotion again and again, and now that her history seems to be repeating itself: here comes Davis to woo her and get her to feed him valuable (no pun intended) information.

I love the way Hemsworth plays Davis when Davis is on a grift verses when he's being genuine. For instance, he begins an actual relationship with Maya (Monica Barbaro) and in all of their interactions, you can feel Davis actively TRYING to be as open and relaxed as he APPEARS when he's at similar dinners with Sharon. But in those instances, he's playing someone else, someone for whom money isn't a concern; the person he ultimately wants to become. Davis is much more comfortable being anyone but who he really is inside.

The film has a few other plot lines and threads involving Davis' frequent underworld sponsor (an amazing, growling Nick Nolte) and the rival crook he brings in (a truly despicable Barry Keoghan) which just continues to spiral into more and more unhinged, dangerous action. Ultimately, everything coalesces into a satisfying finale that should [mild SPOILERS] end up as the backdoor pilot for a new Columbo series starring Mark Ruffalo.

The Packaging: 3.5 stars

This is, as we say, perfectly cromulent packaging. It's your standard black 4k case, with a cardboard sleeve. This is the first physical release for Crime 101, so both the sleeve and the interior cover just reproduce the most common poster imagery for the film: a mildly stylized image of L.A.'s 101 freeway seen from the ground. In the negative space created by its shadow are the faces of the main cast: Hemsworth, Berry, Keoghan, and Ruffalo. In the foreground, a man in a ski-mask stands next to a muscle car. Beyond the innate neo-noir appeal of that image, nothing about the packaging is unusually aesthetically unique. It's a by-the-book first run release, but not of poor quality.

The Video: 4 stars

Not to repeat myself too much, but Crime 101 doesn't exactly change the game visually, though it is doing its thing really well. Obviously, all west coast crime films will inevitably owe something to Michael Mann one way or another. Between Thief (1981) and Heat (1995), Mann almost single-handedly locked-in the look of crime in L.A. (though a hat must also be tipped to 1985's To Live and Die in L.A., directed by William Friedkin). Crime 101 synthesized Mann's influence, utilizing both the wet streets and twinkling city lights of Thief, and the concrete blue shadows of Heat at varying times.

All of which looks excellent. Cinematographer Erik Wilson (who was director of photography on ALL THREE Paddington films!) unsurprisingly (he did all three!) handles the look of Crime 101 and makes it look easy. The film premiered earlier this year, so this isn't a restoration situation, but the transfer is solid. The shadows are deep, the city has texture, and the colors are sharp, (but not as saturated as in To Live and Die) and overall, this is just a slick looking thriller. 

The Audio: 4 stars

The sound here is, similar to above, very solid and the mix and balance are well-considered. I have a three-channel soundbar and never had any real issues. Sonically, this is a Set It and Forget It film, and that's a good thing. Nothing pulls me out of a movie like having to adjust the volume over and over to the point that I end up anticipating upcoming volume spikes. Despite the film having about as much casual volume dialogue as it does revving engines and gunfire, I never had to ride the volume knob. 

The soundtrack music and score never unintentionally drowns out the ambient sounds in a given scene either. Ormon (Keoghan), for instance, is introduced riding a motorcycle through downtown L.A. to an aggressive track from Run the Jewels, and the sound of the bike's engine under the track makes the sequence feel incredibly energizing. Later, Davis and Maya dance in his apartment to the radio. The song that plays is a live Bruce Springsteen track and even all the additional noise of an audience cheering doesn't muddy the sonic waters; you can still hear their conversation perfectly clearly.

The Supplements: 0 stars

So. This is where snagging a brand new, first run release tends to stumble. The disc has no additional materials at all. No preproduction or making of documentaries, no commentary tracks, no promotional featurettes, not even a trailer. Zip. Zilch. Nada. It's a bit of a double-edged sword in my opinion: it's a release purely for folks who dig the movie enough to own it. But by that same token, doesn't someone who loves the movie enough to snag the initial release deserve access to the deeper well of insight that bonus features provide?

Final Thoughts: Worth a Look 

I have repeatedly used the word 'solid' in this write-up, and I am about to do so for what I hope is the final time: As a film, Crime 101 is solid. If you caught it earlier in the year and want to have a copy on-hand, or you've simply heard good things, this release won't disappoint. If, however, you really like the flick and want to learn about the making of it, how difficult it may have been adapting it from page to screen, or what it was like working with Nick Nolte, you will be left wanting more.

RADIOLAND MURDERS (1994) - Kino Lorber

Radioland Murders
Kino Lorber

Original Release Date Oct. 21st, 1994
Written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz, Jeff Reno, Ron Osborn, story by George Lucas
Directed by Mel Smith
Starring Brian Benben, Mary Stuart Masterson, Ned Beatty, Michael McKean, Larry Miller
Language English

Purchase your copy HERE from Kino Lorber

by "Doc" Hunter Bush
MovieJawn Podcast Director & Staff Writer, cohost of the Hate Watch / Great Watch Podcast

The Movie: Good

Radioland Murders is an interesting beast. Half relationship on the rocks drama, and half classic Hollywood whodunnit romp complete with mile-a-minute repartee, pithy rejoinders, and wacky shenanigans. Allegedly the original version of the script was balanced more on the relationship side with the radio station storyline as the backdrop, before overcorrecting the other way and finally ending up somewhere in the middle. But along the way, we're given a whirlwind look at what putting on an old school variety radio show might have looked like under some very specific circumstances.

It's the night of the maiden broadcast of upstart radio station WBN in Chicago and everything is in a madcap state of chaos, and that's before the murders begin. When the station's number one sponsor demands last-minute script changes, assistant director Penny (Mary Stuart Masterson) has to wrangle her soon-to-be ex-husband Roger (Brian Benben) and the rest of the writers to rework a whole night's worth of entertainment! As every department makes their last minute preparations and the show's broadcast time creeps steadily closer, no one is expecting that a murderer may be in their midst, but shortly after the curtain rises, the bodies begin to fall.

I love murder mysteries and whodunnits, but this isn't really much of one. Even setting aside the sheer number of theoretical suspects, I don't think there's ever really any clues set out for the audience to follow, yet the movie spends a lot of its run time following that thread, to the detriment of the relationship story between Penny and Roger. We never really get a great idea what their issues were, they just seem vaguely exasperated by each other. While that is very much in keeping with the film's inspiration, and is very cute, it really just means that the main obstacle keeping them apart is that Roger pretty quickly becomes the police lieutenant (Michael Lerner)'s prime suspect. This leads to perhaps the film's strongest facet: the screwball comedy of it all. There are outlandish costume changes, police chases through the hallways, even some gunplay for comedic effect! Roger even ends up climbing the enormous letters on the exterior of the building and later holds off the cops with a firehose! It is genuinely quite zany.

Competing with these plots is the radio broadcast itself. We keep cutting away from the film's dueling focal points (the murder and the romance) to the booth, to the writers' room, to the foley dept., to the various bands and orchestras performing on the stage, to backstage as folks quickly change sets on the enormous rotating turntable preparing for the next number. Maybe it's just me, but I was almost more interested with those, perfectly ordinary, comings and goings than I was with the more bombastic storylines.

Like I said, an interesting beast. I don't think there's really a "bad" aspect to the film. All the performances are fun and memorable and attention-grabbing, the murders are creative and varied enough to keep your interest, and Masterson and Benben have a real livewire chemistry that makes their relationship fun to track. But at some point it becomes impossible to keep caring equally about ALL these disparate elements. About halfway through, the film narrows its focus more to follow the wrongfully accused Roger as he tries to prove his innocence, but it still doesn't ever give you room to breathe. As good as it is, I found it hard to stay engaged as things went on.

The Packaging: Good

This is your typical slim, blue plastic Blu-ray case with a cover image that feels like a throwback to the posters of yesteryear: Penny and Roger peeking around the stage curtain at someone collapsed, presumably dead, in the spotlight onstage. All this is lacking from those old Hollywood posters are the inset illustrations of other notable stars and, usually, quite a lot of text. This cover is recreated on the cardboard sleeve as well. It's nothing remarkable, but it is quietly very appealing.

The Audio + Video: Excellent

This looks and sounds fantastic, but isn't showy about it. The film as a whole is very, not dark exactly, but muted. The overall color scheme of the film is composed of deep, velvety blue tones, and peachy ambers, with pops of a cherry red dress here, or the purple curtain behind Claudette Katsenback (Anita Morris), the station' "Va Va Voom Girl". The lighting is very soft in a lot of the film, like the bounce lighting in the booth, and instead of looking dim, everything feels really warm, intimate and comforting.

Likewise, the sound mix isn't showy, but is just really solid. I mentioned the mile-a-minute dialogue up above, and underneath that, there's always a lot going on sonically. People backstage are always yelling or talking over each other, there is frequently music coming from the stage, or a performance, and the folks in the booth are using the headset mics to communicate to certain characters almost constantly. But you're always perfectly able to clearly hear all the dialogue and appreciate how witty it is.

Special Features: Average

The bonus features here are a little thin, though I will say I really enjoyed the Brian Benben interview, which is where I got that tidbit about the script's original focus that I mentioned above. He also states that apparently this film, which was the brainchild of George Lucas, is in a shared universe with American Graffiti (1973), with the parents of Richard Dreyfuss' character in that film also being named Penny and Roger Henderson. Georgie boy was really all about that cinematic universe business right from the jump, hunh?

Be forewarned: for some reason, the trailer for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is incredibly loud. Why?

• Audio commentary by entertainment journalists / authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
• Brian Benben's Radioland Murders Memories: Interview (17:32)
• TRAILERS
• Radioland Murders (1994) (2:05)
• The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) (1:28)
• Brain Donors (1992) (1:30)
• Cry-Baby (1990) (1:58)
• Kingpin (1996) ( (1:28)
• MouseHunt (1997) (2:05)

In Summary: Snag it at a yard sale

Radioland Murders isn't bad by any means, but it can't commit to being any one of the things it's paying homage to, which makes it just okay across several genres. While I think all the individual pieces are very well done from the writing, to the performances, to the look, the tone, and the gags; somehow it fails to cohere into a unified-feeling whole. It just feels very scattered. However, if you're big into the style of old Hollywood films, or whip crack back-and-forth dialogue I would definitely recommend checking it out.

There's one last aspect of Radioland Murders worth mentioning: the incredible cast. George Burns, Michael McKean, Stephen Tobolowski, Christopher Lloyd, Corbin Bernsen, Rosemary Clooney, Bobcat Goldthwait, Dylan Baker, Billy Barty, Harvey Korman, Joey Lawrence; Radioland Murders is worth a watch for the murderer's row (no pun intended) of supporting cast members alone, and maybe you'll find the rest of it hooks you as well. At the very least, you'll be much better at Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

HOUSE PARTY (1990) - Criterion

House Party
Criterion

Original Release Date March 9th, 1990
Written by Reginald Hudlin
Directed by Reginald Hudlin
Starring Christopher Reid, Christopher Martin, Robin Harris, Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell
Language English (subtitles available)

Purchase your copy from Criterion HERE

by "Doc" Hunter Bush
MovieJawn Podcast Director & Staff Writer, cohost of the Hate Watch / Great Watch Podcast

The Movie: Excellent

Kid (Christopher Reid) just wants to go to the titular House Party at his friend Play (Christopher Martin)'s house, but he's got a few problems: it's a school night, there are bullies on the lookout for him, and his dad (Robin Harris) just received notice from Kid's school that he was involved in an altercation with the bullies earlier that day. Is that going to stop him? Nah. But once at the party, he's got new troubles: Will anybody dance with him? Can he get with one of the girls he likes? Can he even pick one? And, will he get to perform for everybody?

A huge part of the appeal of this film is the cast. Kid 'n Play are a blast, and Robin Harris is a charming curmudgeon as Kid's dad. Tisha Campbell and A.J. Johnson as Sidney and Sharane are just impeccably cool girls who give Kid 'n Play a run for their money on the dance floor; the assortment of buddies are all fun, including Daryl Mitchell and Martin Lawrence; even the bullies played by Paul Anthony, Bowlegged Lou, and B-Fine (all members of the hip hop / R&B group Full Force) are heightened, silly brutes. In one of the bonus features, a cast reunion, they recall how open writer / director Reginald Hudlin was to letting them rewrite their characters and make them unique. It shows, as does the genuine love they all still have for each other, and both pay off hugely for the film.

House Party started as Reginald Hudlin's college thesis short film (which is included in the bonus features of the disc) and eventually drew the attention of New Line Cinema, who had noticed that a large portion of their horror film audiences were black youths, and decided: why not market something specifically for that audience? The resulting film is surprisingly gentle, whimsical, and largely good-hearted, while not ignoring the concerns of black teens (and larger issues overall). Kid and Play, as well as the extended cast, are incredibly likeable and harken back to the teen films that inspired Hudlin in the first place.

Like those films, there's a certain lightness to House Party. Robin Harris plays Kid's dad as stern, but not abusive. The bullies beat on Kid at school, but he dusts himself off and has no lingering signs of the fight. Even the patrol cops who repeatedly bust Kid (and others) for offenses as wide-ranging as crashing a garden party (DJed by George Clinton!) to walking while black are dealt with as pests and not symptoms of crushing systemic racism. It doesn't ignore any of these things, it just chooses to address them with its finger on the scale to preserve the tone. House Party also contains, I think, my favorite dance-off in all of cinema? It just comes up so organically and is so thoroughly entertaining that it never fails to put a smile on my face.

Beyond just being a very fun watch and filled with energy, creativity, and whimsy, House Party takes the teen comedies of the 1980s and filters them through the rise of hip-hop into an unquestionable facet of popular culture at large. Obviously, teen comedies persisted, but very few since have managed to capture the innocence of that '80s heyday. Similarly hip-hop would shift focus to gangsta rap with, again, less examples of more lighthearted "party rap" breaking into the public consciousness in the same way. House Party truly captures this brief but important cultural turning point, while also functioning as a farewell to the teen films it was based on. A true time capsule that deserves to be experienced, perhaps for the first time.

The Packaging: Excellent

This is such a solidly designed release! From the color palette, to the slight reworking of the original House Party logo, The Criterion packaging perfectly captures the fun that runs throughout the film.  There was a trend of really brightly colored clothing that came from the late '80s and ran through the early '90s that's occasionally misidentified as "Hypercolor" (which was actually a line of color changing clothing that reacted to heat, but I digress) and the palette of vibrant yellow, plastic red, powder blue and a deep, soft violet calls back to that while avoiding becoming a neon eyesore. There's a vitality to it that's just eye-catching.

The cover art, a recreation of Kid 'n Play doing their Kickstep dance during the dance-of sequence, painted by Gabe Tiberino is recognizable but impressionistic enough to stay visually interesting to look at. My personal favorite detail is that the booklet, which includes a fantastic essay by Michael Harriot, even unfolds in the accordion style of audio cassette inserts of the era.

The Audio + Video: Excellent

This is a fantastic transfer. The most impressive thing for me was the color balance. There are a lot of very vibrant colors in this movie, and in the clothes from this era, and managing to make them all pop without any specific one dominating is really impressive. The film grain is still present, but it's barely noticeable, let alone distracting, even in the exterior night shots. I love the look and the feel of film grain. There is a tangible quality that really appeals to me, especially when the film is from or set in an earlier era. I know folks get knocked quite a bit for talking about the "warmth" of vinyl records or cassette tapes, but there is just something to the added texture that mild tape hiss adds that completely changes the energy of a piece of music. Film grain is like that.

One last quick visual aside: While I was watching one of the early scenes, I noticed that Kid has two white-furred monster or werewolf masks on the top of his bookshelf and now I’m obsessed with that detail. If it wasn’t for this visual upgrade, I might not have even noticed! 

But speaking of music; the audio mix here was excellent overall. I have a three-channel soundbar and overall I had no issues. I'm usually most critical of having to ride the volume knob for a film; the act of seesawing from quiet dialogue to loud sound effects or score is not only a repeat frustration, but fully takes me out of the film. Because of the way the film is structured, I did have to make a few adjustments. The dialogue in the early scenes at Kid's house was just a hair too quiet after the opening dream sequence which is all sound effects and score. But after a few minor adjustments, I pretty quickly found a perfect balance.

Special Features: Excellent

For a relatively short list of bonus features, these are incredibly informative! The Actor's Reunion feature, which I mentioned above, is really heartwarming, showcasing the genuine affection they all have for each other even after all this time. I was genuinely amazed at just how much of the feature film's DNA was included in the original short film, from scenes and story beats down to specific lines of dialogue. The trailer itself is actually great because, though it's advertising a movie called House Party, it really doesn't reveal too much of the party! It also was a nice contrast by which to appreciate the restoration. You can really see how faded the film looks in an unrestored state.

But my favorite feature is the interview between film professor Racquel Gates, writer / director Reginald Hudlin and his co-producer brother Warrington. It's insightful not only into the genesis of the idea, and into how the short film led to the feature, but it also addresses the film's one stumbling point for me. There are some instances of casual homophobia thrown around, which, as with the same thing in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), I always forget is in there. And listen, I understand that it was a different time, but it's still, in both cases, a blemish on an otherwise wonderfully bright and lighthearted film. Here, Reginald Hudlin explains that the inclusion of these terms was purely from mild ignorance, and not intended to be hurtful in any way. It is, to be fair, how kids talked then, as well as now unfortunately, but it's still encouraging to see a filmmaker asked directly and to respond with conviction and empathy.

• "House Party": Storytelling from the Inside Out (31:53)
• Actors Reunion (37:57)
• Reginald Hudlin's Student Film (20:48)
• Trailer (1:27)

In Summary: Must Own

I have a fondness for House Party that I wasn't consciously aware of beyond the vague concept of it being a movie I love, which when you've watched as many films as I have, is a pretty broad category. But upon rewatching it for this review, I was hit with the most powerful nostalgia. This is what the early '90s was, for me. Not the high school drama, parties, bullies, and girls; that was a few years off yet, but the style, the music, and the vibe of it. It's also, divorced from that nostalgic filter, just a very delightful movie. 

It's not perfect ("who among us", y'know?) but it comes very close, and does so with a sense of genuine fun that's hard to top. I know that reviewers who use "fun" as a positive often get quite a bit of flack, but I challenge you to NOT have fun watching House Party. Yes, it has deeper cultural relevance, and addresses important aspects of black culture, but it is also unmistakably just plain fun. And fun is good, I recommend you try to have as much of it as you can. Criterion's House Party release is a great starting point.

Fantasia International Film Festival 2026 - Week Two

FANTASIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2026
Week Two

by "Doc" Hunter Bush
MovieJawn Staff Writer and Podcast Director, and cohost of the Hate Watch/Great Watch Podcast

Fantasia International Film Festival runs until Aug 2nd in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Get your tickets HERE.

Good things take time. We've all heard that adage, but is it true? On one hand, Phil Tippett's Mad God and Richard Williams' The Thief and the Cobbler each took about thirty years to make and they're both marvels (even if Thief and the Cobbler is an imperfect version of the director's vision, but I digress). On the other hand, the Fantasia International Film Festival has also been around for thirty years, and while their 2026 line-up of films and events is great, in truth Fantasia has been going strong for a while now, as a showcase for international genre films, with an emphasis on Asian offerings. So I guess the jury is still ultimately out on the universality of that particular proverb.

Fantasia 2026 rolls along and I've just been trying to hold on! It's been a wild ride, with whimsical tales from the sea, explosive cat and mouse mind games, dangerous dancing, mysterious murders, and so much more! Below I've cobbled together a few titles that I think are worth seeking out when you get the chance. This won't run until the festival has wrapped up, but I intend to spend the days between then and now viewing as many films on offer as I reasonably can. Until next year, Long Live the Movies!

THE PERIL AT PINCER POINT
Written by Jake Kuhn, Noah Stratton-Twine
Directed by Jake Kuhn, Noah Stratton-Twine
Starring Jack Redmayne, Alyth Ross, Michael Mackenzie, Os Leanse

When a sound designer is sent to the titular location to hunt down the perfect sounds for a famous director's next project, he unknowingly wanders into the supernatural mystery that plagues a small town. The Peril at Pincer Point has been compared to the works of Ryland Brickson, Cole Tews and Mike Cheslik (The Lake Michigan Monster, Hundreds of Beavers) presumably because of its hand-made, low-fi aesthetic, gorgeous black and white cinematography, and absurdist tone. While that is a fair comparison, The Peril at Pincer Point also has a fair amount of campfire ghost story in it. Not as cartoonish as the works of Tews & Cheslik (which I love, don't get me wrong), The Peril at Pincer Point is a delight that's as much Twin Peaks or classic Doctor Who as it is John Carpenter's The Fog.

SUZUKE=BAKUDAN
Written by Masahiro Yamaura, Hiroyuki Yatsu, based on a novel by Katsuhiro Go
Directed by Akira Nagai
Starring Jirō Satō, Kan'ichirô Satô, Atsurō Watabe, Yuki Yamada, Sairi Itô

Suzuke=Bakudan (a.k.a. Bakudan) is a really fascinating version of the police procedural. When a man named Suzuke (Jirō Satō) is arrested for vandalizing a vending machine, he offers to assist the police in preventing a series of upcoming disasters using his innate psychic abilities. If you're wondering what kind of disasters, you may want to know that "bakudan" translates to "bomb". As his predictions come true, he becomes the prime suspect, and a complicated net of lies, wrongdoings, and abuse of police power is unearthed. The narrative repeatedly shifts focus from the police interrogation room to the city at large, and from the present to the past, all while Suzuke plays mind games with the detectives interrogating him, offering clues if they're able to decipher his rambling, tangled stories. I love a good criminal mastermind tale and Suzuke=Bakudan kept me in rapt attention the whole time.

BREAK FREE
Written by Yu Nakamoto
Directed by Yu Nakamoto
Starring Akito Fujii, Mai Fukagawa, Ui Mihara, Shogo Iwaya, Atomi Mizuishi

One of two yakuza dance movies at Fantasia 2026 ( * ) so once again, warm up the Doofenshmirtz meme, Break Free is just a complete delight. When a crackdown on criminal activities leads to a confrontation between Kunio (Akito Fujii) and an emboldened citizen streamed live, Kunio decides to intimidate the man via dance rather than violence! The dance goes viral and the clan begins to lean on Kunio's videos as their main moneymaking scheme, all while tensions build with a rival clan and Kunio's desires to be taken seriously as a dancer grow simultaneously. Despite featuring instances of violence and one character's tragic backstory, the tone of Break Free is masterfully maintained by writer/director Yu Nakamoto, making it a must watch for any film and/or dance lover. Plus, Kunio's sweater game is On. Point.

( * ) The other yakuza dance film is called The Specials and as of the time of this writing, I haven't gotten a chance to watch it, but I hope to do so before Fantasia 2026 concludes.

THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER
Written by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, based on a novel by Honobu Yonezawa
Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Starring Masaki Suda, Masahiro Motoki

An interesting companion piece to Suzuke=Bakudan, The Samurai and the Prisoner takes place in 1578, and is a fascinating bit of work: a film about opposing warlords that is almost completely unconcerned with combat. Written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Pulse) The Samurai and the Prisoner is set largely within the grounds of Arioka Castle, examining a series of strange deaths for signs of either political betrayal or supernatural intervention. It's a film as much about honor and strategy as it is about the historical, sociopolitical mystery at its center. I'm not inherently familiar with the persons involved in this story, and The Samurai and the Prisoner made the somewhat complicated allegiances, and the political and military maneuvering very easy to follow and understand, leaving me free to focus on the film's more introspective concerns. A slow burn, but an incredible bit of filmmaking, with gorgeous cinematography by Yasuyuki Sasaki.

STUDIO Q
Written by Marcela Fernández Violante, based on a novel by Vicente Leñero
Directed by Marcela Fernández Violante
Starring Juan Ferrara, Helena Rojo, Armando Silvestre, Víctor Junco, Jorge Dizan

One more wonderful aspect of Fantasia is their selection of "retro" offerings; screenings of (frequently) remastered older films before they become widely available as physical media through boutique labels. Studio Q (a.k.a. Misterio) is a Spanish language meta-thriller originally released in 1980, that has been restored by Severin Films. Telenovela actor Alex (Juan Ferrara) finds his day-to-day on the set of his latest job blending with his real life: his character is also named Alex, and is married to a character with the same name as Alex's wife; the plot revolves around a telenovela actor trying to film a new project amid constant distractions from salacious costars, hordes of fans, and a quietly megalomaniacal director. But am I talking about the film itself or the project the film is about? The answer is: YES. I loved the playful ways this just kept twisting in and around on itself, constantly moving the audience further and further from a clear idea of what was really going on.

Fun fact: writer / director Marcela Fernández Violante was, when the film was made, only the third female feature film director in the Mexican film industry!

How to reboot HIGHLANDER

There Can Be More Than One:
Hunter’s Guide to a Proper HIGHLANDER Reboot

by "Doc" Hunter Bush,
MovieJawn Podcast Director & Staff Writer, cohost of the Hate Watch/Great Watch Podcast 

Highlander (1986) was the little film that could. Released in March 1986, the film underperformed, grossing only $13 million against a $19 million budget, before eventually finding a second life via the home video market. Its cult popularity led to a franchise including multiple sequel films, TV and web series, novelizations, action figures, and of course the phrase "There can be only one" becoming a part of the cultural lexicon. As of the time of writing this, it seems that plans for a franchise reboot from Lionsgate Films, starring Henry Cavill (The Witcher, Mission: Impossible - Fallout) and directed by Chad Stahelski (the John Wick series) are moving forward. So I figured: why not offer my expertise as an appreciator of fine cinema, a fan of Highlander, and a script doctor for hire?

Highlander has always felt special to me. It's an inherently violent film that (SPOILERS from here on, I'd say) ends with the revelation that the much sought-after "Prize" was not the typical ultimate power cliché, but a connection, a oneness, with all life on Earth that leaves our hero wanting to help mankind; to be a guiding force in bringing us into a more perfect future. I would hate to see that altruism sullied a second time by wasting a potential fresh restart. To that end, I've compiled a list of eight suggestions on how to do a Highlander Reboot correctly. Your mileage, as they say, may vary.

On the surface, and thus to new fans, Highlander runs the risk of seeming like just another sword and/or sorcery franchise attempt--think Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, and the numerous films and series that have failed to take the monocultural baton from them--but it actually has the potential to be something much more interesting and unique. From the jump the Highlander franchise was compromised--the first film has a firm ending that made it difficult for the screenwriters of the 1990s to build upon--leading to an overall fairly confusing lore that must ultimately, largely be jettisoned for a reboot in favor of following through on the spirit of the original with this new potential franchise.

In the lore of the Highlander films, there exists a species of Immortals. They look and behave just like humans, and do not intrinsically know they are anything but human, until they suffer a wound that would kill a normal person. This essentially activates them, connecting them to a larger life force shared by all living things but also turning them into something akin to a beacon for other Immortals. Now they can be tracked, which is dangerous because inside nearly every Immortal is a biological imperative that tells them There Can Be Only One. There also exists a prophecy among Immortals that there will come a contest called The Gathering, where all Immortals will compete in gladiatorial combat until only one remains to claim The Prize (an unknown ultimate final power). Immortals can only be killed via beheading, and if that beheading is committed by another Immortal, he or she collects the residual life energy formerly held by their fallen foe in a transference event known as The Quickening.

So, to summarize: if you're an Immortal, and you kill another Immortal, you become stronger and, probably, a more noticeable target. And your ultimate goal is to be the last living Immortal to claim your Prize. Makes sense, right?

Below, I've compiled a relatively short, but well reasoned, list of lessons that can be taken from the previous Highlander franchise, beginning with key lessons to be taken from the original, and most successful film, and then focusing on lessons that can be learned from its sequels.

Part I : Lessons from HIGHLANDER (1986)

First - Swords and Other Weapons:

Then: In the original Highlander, a man who we will come to know as Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert), attends a professional wrestling match in New York's Madison Square Garden, but leaves mid-way through to have a sword fight in a the parking garage that ends with him beheading his opponent and being infused with magical energies. This establishes that at any time, dozens of normal, and not so normal-looking people are traveling major cities with enormous, cumbersome concealed bladed weapons upon them. And that's a good thing for a movie! It’s fun! So why not lean into it?

Now: Let's get this one out of the way. When I think "Highlander", I think swordplay! Battle-hardened titans clashing steel in exotic locations, whipping each other's magical energies into a froth, summoning storm clouds, calling down lightning, and shaking the earth! But. What we need is variety. Yes, there are numerous different styles of what could swords; the Scottish claymore, Indonesia golok machetes, Egyptian shamshir; a full armory's worth of other variations, but there are so many other bladed weapons. After we've seen nu-Connor (or our Connor equivalent main character) dispatch a few swordsman goons, just when we think we know what's coming, have some obvious baddies reach behind a pillar and produce a 10-foot pike! And have them be good with it; have it be a genuine challenge for Connor. Maybe someone unassuming, like a paperboy, produces a pair of sickles out of his newspaper bag! The attacks could come from anywhere, from anyone, using any style of weapon in an attempt to remove Connor's head from his body! A metal whip, a bladed flail, etc. Shake things up!

Second - Blindness to Ethnicity:

Then: The titular Highlander of the franchise is the Scotsman Connor MacLoad--”Highlander” being a term for someone from the Scottish Highlands--who is played by the French-American actor Christopher Lambert who was raised in Geneva giving him a very unique accent, especially when he attempts a Scottish one on top of it. His mentor character is one Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez, who despite his Spanish-sounding name is actually Egyptian and is played by noted real-life Scot Sean Connery who never even attempts to wrangle his native burr. And even though it's the black sheep of the franchise--which I will get in the second half of this piece--the villain of Highlander 2 is an actual space alien played by Canadian genre legend Michael Ironside, who is named after a Japanese sword: Katana.

Now: Whereas in the past, actors have gotten flack for poorly attempting accents (Kevin Costner in 1991's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), or even faced backlash for ethnic miscasting, this approach is part of the off-kilter charm of the Highlander films for me. It's a feature, not a bug, as they say. The cognitive dissonance of an actor's real world ethnicity clashing with that of their character gives a tangible quality to their backstories. They've existed for so long, and traveled so far from their points of origin that, like an Army brat, their accents are a melange of influences gathered over time. I'm sure that's not how it was intended, but that's how I've always read it. So cast Flula Borg as an Irishman with a battle axe, Rosie Perez as a fencer from the Netherlands, Luis Guzmán as a Australian mercenary wielding a sabre.

Third - Artful Scene Transitions:

Then: I will be the first to admit that the original Highlander is a bit of a mess. The entire franchise is beset by creative interference and alternate edits of the films, but one thing that shines through in the first film especially is the scene transitions. Panning up from a parking garage in 1985 to emerge in the Scottish Highlands in 1536; pulling back from a dying Connor MacLeod in the 16th century through the pupil of his eye as he remembers his death from the 20th century; A truck shrieking past the screen in modern New York, transitioning to a drunk in the Renaissance with a graveyard of teeth leering into the lens; they're all incredibly pulpy and capture a sort of EC Comics genre feel like few other films. Russell Mulcahy (director of the first two Highlander films) establishes the giddy energy of the franchise, which is a huge part of what has made it an enduring hub in the pop cultural landscape.

Now: With Chad Stahelski helming the reboot, I at least have faith that the combat will have chutzpah, but one thing I do not associate with Stahelski is whimsy. Highlander demands whimsy, if for no other reason than to differentiate itself from the proliferation of deadly self-serious sword-swinging IPs out there, but it would also be nice if something in the modern era--aside from the excellent Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)--truly embraced the flamboyance and swashbuckling fun that is possible within this subgenre.

Fourth - A Concept Record Soundtrack:

Then: Queen was approached to do a song for the original film's soundtrack--having written the fantastic theme for 1980’s Flash Gordon adaptation--and were given 20 minutes of footage from the film to work off of. Although only asked to create one song, they ended up writing the better part of an entire album, which would become A Kind of Magic (also released in 1986). Songs like “One Year of Love”, “Gimme the Prize (Kurgan’s Theme)”, and of course "Princes of the Universe" are all tremendous, but I honestly don't think there's a better song on that soundtrack than "Who Wants to Live Forever"?

Now: There are rumors that Queen's music will be used in the reboot, and while that's fine to a degree, I think merely reusing the original (or juicing it with other hits from Queen's catalogue) is a misstep. What the reboot needs is its own version of the Queen approach. Find a band or artist with whom the material will resonate, who can expand those concepts and feelings into a full suite of songs. I'm not as plugged into current music as I once was certainly, but off the top of my head Lady Gaga would probably do a tremendous job, or perhaps this could be a surprise release from the long-rumored-to-reunite My Chemical Romance. Or hey, why not both? Or a dark horse choice: The Mars Volta. Whomever you go with, have them record a cover of "Who Wants to Live Forever?" for good measure.

In the first half of this piece, I mentioned that the 1986 fantasy film Highlander, underperformed at the box office and was designed with a closed ending; there was to be no sequel. But as home video rentals and television broadcasts increased its cult fandom, inevitably sequels were made. Per the original, a race called Immortals has always existed alongside humanity, unseen, following their own pursuits. Specifically, winnowing down their numbers until only one final member would exist, surviving what they called The Gathering (or The Great Game) to claim The Prize, which was undiluted access to the life force shared by all living things, but to which Immortals had a greater connection.

The many sequels add to this lore as sequels have a want to do, and even putting aside Highlander 2 (1991)--which I will talk about shortly--the expanded lore becomes both confusing and generically bland. By the end of the fifth film, it is revealed that the famous franchise mantra "There Can Be Only One" ties into the ancient Source of the Immortals’ power and represents a good-vs-evil dichotomy reminiscent of  the TV show LOST, which is an idea that could be interesting if done well, or could end up feeling like a watered down version of Star Wars' Light Side of The Force / Dark Side of The Force conflict.

Christian mythology, secret techno-cults within the Immortals, out-and-out illusion magic, progenitor demigods, and more '90s and 2000s -era genre silliness were folded into the lore over time in an attempt to ground and expand the world of the franchise, but only succeeded in making it feel less uniquely mystical and elemental. The second and fifth installments--subtitled The Quickening (1991) and The Source (2007), respectively--also try too hard to explain things (and further confuse audiences by roping in dystopian futures for some reason) muddying the waters to the degree that The Quickening was wholly ignored by the films that followed and The Source effectively killed the franchise.

So, to paraphrase Queen's "Princes of the Universe", here we are. There hasn't been a Highlander film in 18 years, there's never been a firm lore, and if we must update the series for modern audiences, we should have the sense to learn from the past. For those who do not do so, as the famous adage goes, are doomed to repeat it.

Part II: Lessons from the HIGHLANDER Sequels

Fifth - Absolutely No Aliens:

Then: Ok, let's address it quickly. Since Highlander ended with Connor MacLeod as the last surviving Immortal, when it came time to plan a sequel, the trio of credited writers--Brian Clemens, William N. Panzer (story), and Peter Bellwood (screenplay)--chose to retcon the vague but mystical-feeling backstory of the Immortal race to make them have secretly been aliens from a planet called Zeist all along. Weirdly and confusingly, not all the peoples of Zeist are Immortals (so they're still a biological oddity with no explanation) but the ones who come to Earth do so as a punishment, and the Great Game was to see which one would be allowed to return to Zeist. This is inarguably ambitious, and maybe even--if I'm feeling generous--could have been cool but is wildly mishandled in the film, coming off as unnecessarily confusing. Worse, it fully conflicts with the overall feel of the origin film. Just imagine if Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) opened with Linda Hamilton saying "An unknown future rolls towards us. I've been studying the Necronomicon in prison to learn a magic powerful enough to stop it!". It's a tonal clash and a bucket of cold water to the face.

Now: It's so simple, baby. Embrace the magic! There's something very specific about the feeling of the magics of the original Highlander. It's more spiritual and elemental--implying an innate connection with nature--than out-and-out, Harry Potter-style magical, which is why the emphasis on hard magical rules and especially the prevalence of illusory magic in Highlander 3 (1994) feels so out-of-harmony with the rest of it. We've long understood that science fiction has different aspects, hence the terms hard sci-fi and soft sci-fi, so why not learn to embrace different approaches to the magical component(s) within fantasy? But I digress.

Sixth - Careful Lore and World Building:

Then: Highlander established a certain lore: Immortals, a race not dissimilar from humans, existed parallel to us, largely unseen, living lives and battling to become the last surviving Immortal. It ends with Connor MacLeod achieving that goal and experiencing an existential oneness with all life on Earth. This implicitly mystical backstory is then changed to a science fictional one in Highlander 2--see above--and quickly changed back in Highlander 3 which doubles down on magic but leans too heavily on sorcery over the more elemental and ethereal magical vibes established in the original. It's honestly a bit of a mess; tonal discord.

Now: My educated guess for all the wild swings--which I admire, even if they don't work--is that, since the original Highlander ends so firmly, with the eternal struggle of the Immortals now finished, that it seemed there was nowhere to take the story. My pitch? Any human could be an Immortal without knowing it, until this secret bloodline is activated by their near death (which, to be clear, would kill a normal person), at which time they gain access to the sort of central world-mind at the heart of the Quickening energies. Thus, any time there is a war, a whole new crop of Immortals appear, syphoning off their share of that energy, and tacitly alerting the previous Immortals to their existence. Seems obvious, doesn’t it?

Seventh - Gore and Practical Effects:

Then: Many of the Highlander films have suffered from producorial meddling, sometimes resulting in differing releases--there was a "roughly 8 minute" difference in the original film’s run times between the U.S. and U.K. releases; the third film is known by two different names depending on which version you watch, and so on--and much of it has to do with the violence depicted. You can actually spot practical effects heads that never pop (or whatever they were designed to do) in at least two of the films. For a franchise built around the concept of severing an enemy's head with a weapon, as a franchise, Highlander sure is a bit gun shy when it comes to depicting the act.

Now: I think we can all agree that, while I'm sure they are easier on some metric, CGI blood effects never look great. I'm not saying we should abandon them entirely, but an emphasis on, and a showcase of, practical effects would go a long way with fans. It would also embrace the aforementioned genre history while simultaneously balancing the implicit silliness of the concept I mentioned at the top. In the original Highlander, villain The Kurgan (Clancy Brown) gets his throat cut in the past, but survives, leaving him with a nasty scar. Imagine a Rob Bottin / The Thing (1982) level of practical effects showing an almost fully severed head re-connecting to the shoulders (which you can achieve by recording it coming apart, then playing the footage in reverse). Make the audience squirm a little! Show 'em something unique. You can even futz with it digitally if you feel like you need to, but I think the weight that practical effects bring to the screen would go a long way towards making the danger feel tangible, and thus grounded and real.

Eighth - Fan Service and Elbow Nudges:

Then: Fan service doesn't really become much of a thing for the Highlander franchise until you start getting into the various TV series and spin-off materials, which almost always tie themselves into the original film via some connection to the MacLeod bloodline. Highlander: The Series (1996-1998) had Lambert show up as Connor to ease the audience into the story of main character Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul), a clansman of Connor who had, up to that point, remained hidden by choice. But that kind of fan service isn't really my concern in adding this bullet-point.

Now: You know what I'm worried about. I don't want or need any heavy-handed, Eric Idle-level elbow nudging to give fans a brief burst of recognitory serotonin and make them feel, briefly, pleased. You can acknowledge what came before without having it go over like a lead balloon. Obviously the phrase "There Can Be Only One" will reoccur, and that’s great! It's the mantra for the franchise--although quite ironic for a franchise I think you’d agree. I do not think we should have things like CGI de-aged Christopher Lambert, or a "posthumous performance" from Ramírez, like Ash in Alien Romulus or Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One. Sorry gang, that shit is ghoulish. Instead, let's approach these with intelligence. Give Lambert a small cameo as an unimportant character who, and I cannot state this clearly enough, doesn't say anything winky and then just walks away. None of that "I used to be quite good with a sword..." stuff. No "Oh, you're from the Scottish Highlands? Get outta town! Me too!". None of it! Consider having Lambert and Clancy Brown record some dialogue heard during a quickening, maybe as two of many voices inside The Prize, explaining that it is both power and harmony. With fan service: Less is more.

As I said at the opening of this endeavor, I am available as a script doctor for hire. So, Lionsgate, Chad Stahelski, Henry Cavill, whomever: get at me. I have an odd affinity for this franchise and would love to be paid to help make a masterpiece that will stand the test of time. To be sure, there are more suggestions--the main villain’s name should start with a K, as is tradition--but these are the make-or-break guidelines that seem most imperative to me.

If that somehow doesn't come to pass, I hope at least that this list has piqued the interest of some folks reading it. Highlander (1986) is truly a unique beast and should not be judged by the overall mediocre sequels, ambitious though they may be, that followed. It's imperfect, but like a punk record or a Turkish rug, the imperfections only enhance the charm and beauty for me, and grow my affinity. Check it out, maybe you'll feel the same.

Above all: Chase your passions. I didn't set out to write several thousand words of unsolicited advice about a film released during my toddlerdom, but I've found considering these points to be a very rewarding experience. I hope you've enjoyed reading them. Until next time, Long Live the Movies!

Fantasia International Film Festival 2026 - Week One

FANTASIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2026
Week One

by "Doc" Hunter Bush
MovieJawn Staff Writer & Podcast Director, cohost of the Hate Watch/Great Watch Podcast

Fantasia International Film Festival runs until Aug 2nd in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Get your tickets HERE.

For three decades, something has been happening, and you probably didn’t even notice. Right under your nose, something has been growing. Well actually, it's happening in Canada, so if you're a U.S. resident like I am, it's right above your nose. Regardless, from the great snowy north, the Fantasia International Film Festival is once again upon us!

Fantasia 2026 has kicked off, for me, with a bang. I've been sorting through their generous list of available titles that check off so many different boxes: martial arts / combat films, psychological dramas, unconventional love stories, elegant monster movies, animation, faux documentaries, and so much more! Below I've highlighted just a few stand-out viewing experiences that I think you should keep your eye on:

NO REST FOR THE WICKED
Written by Rasmus Birch, Kasper Kalle, Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (short story)
Directed by Kasper Kalle
Starring Egor Venned, Pilou Asbæk, Sofia Nolsøe, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Kjartan Hansen

No Rest For the Wicked was high on my list (and mentioned in my Fantasia 2026 preview) and it still managed to completely blow me away. A queer romance with a supernatural angle, set in a fishing village on a pastoral island, you can bet this one has its fair share of seamen. I kid, but the romance is genuinely handled incredibly sensually and delicately. It also features one of the most unique takes on the concept of the "vampire" that I've seen in recent years. But what really truly took my breath away was the cinematography by Jacob Møller, which captures the cold light of the Faroe Islands and makes it as vital and beautiful as the love story at the film's center. 

YOU ARE THE FILM
Written by Makoto Ueda
Directed by Makoto Ueda
Starring Marika Ito, Kai Inowaki, Riko Fujitani, Takafumi Imai, Gôta Ishida

Another film that I was highly anticipating was You Are the Film, the directorial debut of Makoto Ueda, who is more traditionally a screenwriter known for his high concept "tiny loop" films. Here he plays with space rather than time, where two young people, each in the middle of some personal strife, find that they are each the star in a movie that the other is watching. Ueda wastes no time in exploring these concepts, and finding unique ways to twist expectations and the film is just genuinely delightful. I am a big fan of his work overall and hope more people will seek it out. You Are the Film makes a solid starting point.

DANCE FREAK
Written by Robby Rackleff, Alan Resnick
Directed by Alan Resnick, Robby Rackleff
Starring Robby Rackleff, Megan Koester, Stavros Halkias, Sheila Mears, Conner O'Malley

2026 has been a big year for filmmakers previously known for their YouTube offerings making more officially recognized movies, like Kane Parsons or Curry Barker, so I was very excited to see what Robby Rackleff and Alan Resnick had on offer, having previously worked together on shorts like Unedited Footage of a Bear (2014) and This House Has People In It (2016). While Dance Freak isn't as polished or digestible as Backrooms or Obsession, it is a huge step forward in Rackleff and Resnick’s creative output. With fantastical, mostly black and white imagery and cartoonish characters inhabiting an extremely heightened world, Dance Freak will make a perfect midnight movie for those who are so inclined, but don't be mistaken: the film has a strong emotional core that comes through as much on intuition as dedicated dialogue.

CORPUS
Written by Lily Cowles, Corrin Evans
Directed by Corrin Evans
Starring Jeff Wahlberg, Brodie Townsend, Michael Vlamis, Lily Cowles, Nuha Jes Izman

Warm up the Doofenshmirtz meme, because Corpus is another film with unbelievably beautiful cinematography (by Charlie Cole) and a queer love story that has supernatural elements at its center. There are parallels that can be drawn to other horror films, but what sets Corpus apart is its serene pacing. Three friends attempt to navigate the internal tensions of their relationships long enough to go to a very exclusive high society party and once they're there, the heat rises like the proverbial frog in the pot of water and before you know exactly how bad things have gotten, it's far too late. Great, sensuous performances and dreamlike visuals only add to the appeal.

ATTACK ON PARADISE
Written by Saïd Boumazoughe, Sven Huybrechts, Salahdine Ibnou Kacemi
Directed by Bob Colaers
Starring Saïd Boumazoughe, Clara Cleymans, Achmed Akkabi, Soroush Helali, Fatima Khanfour

This Belgian action film will rightfully be compared to The Raid: Redemption (2011), and those are big shoes to fill. Both are physical combat-heavy gauntlets where the gimmick is watching the characters fight and claw their way, floor by floor, to the top of an apartment block and while Attack on Paradise doesn't come close to the gonzo creativity and energy of The Raid, it has a lot more character development without sacrificing much momentum. I think there's enough room in cinema for more than one single location action film, even if The Raid does whip all varieties of ass. Dredd (2012) for example does the same basic thing and it rules, so don't let those comparisons dissuade you from checking out an enjoyable flick.

ROUNDING (2025) - Music Box Selects

Rounding
Music Box Selects

Original Release Date Feb. 14th, 2025
Written by Alex Thompson, Christopher Thompson
Directed by Alex Thompson
Starring Namir Smallwood, Sidney Flanigan, Michael Potts, Rebecca Spence, Bradley Grant Smith
Language English

Get your copy HERE from Diabolik, or HERE from Orbit

by "Doc" Hunter Bush
MovieJawn Staff Writer & Podcast Director, cohost of the Hate Watch/Great Watch Podcast

Overview:

Rounding comes to Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome partner label Music Box Selects. Director Alex Thompson, and his co-writer brother Christopher draw on the family business to bring a medical thriller that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. Music Box Selects' release of Rounding features a respectable video transfer and audio package with a somewhat middling selection of bonus features.

The Movie Itself: Good

After the death of a patient shocks him into a breakdown, young doctor James Hayman (Namir Smallwood) transfers to a more rural hospital, hoping to start over somewhere that he could reset, do some good, and hopefully make some strides in his career. But he may not be as ready to return as he'd like to think. When a young girl with a perplexing diagnosis comes to his notice, James begins to see something sinister happening under the surface of this idyllic new situation.

Rounding is a moody, cold, alienating experience that is nonetheless a pretty fascinating watch. A character study with a really engrossing lead performance, its biggest problem is that it keeps trying to distract the audience from what the real story is, which does it a disservice. As James becomes obsessed with "solving" Helen (Sidney Flanigan)'s case, he begins to put his personal life, health, and sanity on the line in ways that feel visceral to the audience and impressively visualized.

I want to like Rounding more than I ultimately did. The trailer, which is included as a bonus feature, obviously leads you to presume something more unique is happening at the story’s core, and that subterfuge being a red herring takes away from the emotional core of the story. Without the visions of floating girls or beasts lurking in the hospital’s dark corridors, the movie is essentially an episode of House M.D. (it even has its obsessed medical professional limping through the film’s back half!) and there’s really nothing wrong with that. House was on TV for eight seasons, so obviously there is an audience for this kind of medical mystery-solving, without necessarily needing to include a Scooby-Doo style ruse.

None of this is to say that the film is bad. Every other facet, aside from that story contrivance, is actually quite good. The writing itself, the acting, the look and sound of the flick are all very polished and professional, which even for a sophomore effort is quite impressive.

The Packaging: Average

This is another solid but unremarkable physical release, from a design perspective. The case here is the usual, slightly wider, sturdier clear plastic Blu-ray case. The cover is an excellent, evocative image of James with some surreal touches alluding to his growing obsession over Helen's case. The interior image is James staring out from a black void. Nothing incredible, but it does have one of the more eye-catching covers.

The Video: Good

Rounding looks great. Cinematographer Nate Hurtsellers has a very varied list of previous works, including music videos, which I always say speaks to a great versatility and creativity. Without spoiling anything, there are some supernatural visuals in Rounding that are incredibly competently handled for such a low budget film. Golden or amber lights, cool greens and blues, and deep shadows run throughout much of the film, and all look very appealing, even as they add to the increasingly spooky tone.

A reoccurring event in James' life is that he goes running early in the morning every day before his shifts, no matter the weather. There's a very tangible cold dampness that's most noticeable in these scenes, but persists throughout much of the film. This inhospitable feeling helps to put you in James' mindset as he increasingly feels he is the only one truly committed to Helen's care.

The Audio: Average

I noticed no issues with Rounding. There's one sequence where a code is called and rather than wait for the elevator, James runs up several flights of stairs. It turns out this code was called in error, and an exhausted James then throws up in a nearby trashcan. For some reason, this moment is underscored by a kind of goofy clarinet movement? Other than that though, the score is very non-invasive and overall pleasant and fitting for whatever is happening onscreen. 

The sound mix is perfect for what it is. My three channel soundbar had no issues with the mix, so no buzzing or anything like that, and I had no issues with the volume, so I wasn't constantly adjusting up and down to hear dialogue. That's always my biggest gripe (aside from maybe muddy audio in general), and Rounding was a real "set it and forget it" situation.

The Supplements: Average

The bonus features here are decent, but nothing to write home about. My favorite bit was the Interview with Michael Potts who plays James' attending, Dr. Harrison. It's clear that Potts put a lot of thought into who this man was when he wasn't on screen, including some backstory and a personal obsession, none of which are important (or even mentioned) in the film, which leads me to believe these were the actor's choices. And I applaud them.

I couldn't let this one thing go, however. The BTS feature is made up of cast and crew interviews and while they do feature some interesting observations and context (like what it was like for them making the film during COVID, etc.) but then the following Interview features are just the same footage. There's a little extra meat on each of the bones, but not enough where it feels like it warranted a multiple separate entries, and if it was that interesting, just fold it all into the main BTS feature. It almost feels like it was done to artificially inflate the bonus feature count? A weird choice.

• Commentary with director Alex Thompson and editor Mike Smith
• Behind the Scenes of "Rounding" (15:38) (HD)
• Interview with director Alex Thompson (5:14) (HD)
• Interview with co-writer Christopher Thompson (4:20) (HD)
• Interview with Namir Smallwood (3:43) (HD)
• Interview with Sidney Flanigan (2:27) (HD)
• Interview with Michael Potts (2:50) (HD)
• Deleted Scenes (4:47) (HD)
• Outtakes (6:13) (HD) (Unmixed audio)
• Trailer (1:34) (HD)

Final Thoughts: Worth a Look

Rounding is a very well-made film that tries to obfuscate its concerns with too much misdirection, which ends up robbing the third act of some of its impact. The supernatural imagery, even though I liked it, quickly becomes such an obvious misdirect that I could feel myself not fully engaging with the film's stranger scenes because I presumed they would just end up being revealed to be another dream sequence or the like. But the story at Rounding's core is very interesting and ultimately tragic.

There is a way to just tell this story without as many unnecessary complications and allow it to be a story about obsession, dedication, and self sacrifice (to a fault), and I feel like that version of Rounding would have me recommending it with my whole chest. As it stands, I feel this is definitely worth seeing, for the excellent cinematography and lead performance, but will only earn a place on specific folks' shelves.