Previous Next January 6, 2026 We're heading for The Upside Down one more time as Matt, Amarú, and Paige dive into all three parts of the final season of Stranger Things . Were we satisfied with the ending? Do we want more? Tune in for all our thoughts on Stranger Things: Season Five . Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel for all of our latest video content including our interviews, and be sure to give us a thumbs up and comment your thoughts!

Previous Next March 1, 2025 Welcome to A Bigger Bite, the podcast series where we take a deeper dive into some of our favourite films of the year (spoilers included). With the Oscars coming up, we've decided to launch with an episode for each film the Academy Awards have nominated for Best Picture, releasing an episode each day leading up to the big ceremony. Timothée is back, but this time, as Bob Dylan. Here's A Complete Unknown ! Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel for all of our latest video content including our interviews, and be sure to give us a thumbs up and comment your thoughts!

Previous December 31, 2024 Next A BITESIZE CHAT WITH DAVID ARQUETTE David Arquette (Scream, Never Been Kissed, Eight Legged Freaks ) joins us to talk about his documentary You Cannot Kill David Arquette and his return to the squared circle. BB: Hi, David, and thanks for sitting down with Bitesize Breakdown. I’d like to start by asking if this film was always going to be about your time in wrestling? Or was the initial intent to focus on your life and it just turned that way? DA: No, it was always supposed to be about wrestling. I did know that I wanted to be honest, vulnerable, open, and really allow people into my life. They really did it, and, you know, when you’re open, it’s hard… it’s hard for me to watch. I can’t watch some of the scenes. It's really difficult, and I did want to talk about stuff I’ve been going through. I think it's important to talk about things like that so that if anyone else is going through something like that, they feel and understand [that] they’re not alone. DA: It’s a really tricky world to be caught up in, and we’re all trying to figure out what we’re doing here and how to find happiness. It's an anxious world and a depressing world at times, so when you can find things that make you happy and feel content and not feel alone, I think that’s important. BB: The title of the documentary comes from The Black Math Experiment song of the same name, but it also fittingly describes your mindset over the last decade or so. Whether you’re auditioning or training for the ring, where do you draw your perseverance from in life to keep on pushing what you're doing? DA: I’m inspired by a lot of things. Nature is a big inspiration for me. Love is a big inspiration for me. I want to make my kids proud. I want to be happy, so I try to do things that I enjoy, that I have a love for. That’s sort of why I wanted to go back to wrestling ‘cause it's something I’ve always loved, and I was hated for my time there. DA: So, I really wanted to go back there and prove myself so that people just could understand that I didn’t mean to dishonor wrestling. Wrestling really is a lot about honor and respect, and the people who are involved in it have dedicated their lives to it. So I wanted to do something that was a love letter to wrestling. BB: In the film, you go through a pretty drastic physical transformation. What were some challenges and benefits that you found in getting so fit? DA: So I used DDPY, which is Diamond Dallas Page’s Yoga, but it's not really yoga; it’s yoga and strength training. That helped me get inspired to start my weight loss and get me prepared for taking bumps in the ring. After that, I worked with Rigan Machado doing Jiu-Jitsu, Ricky Quiles doing boxing, and Peter Avalon as a trainer. It was really great to get out there and do all that cardio; then you have to change your diet. DA: I went on a zero-carb diet for months and months. You reduce the size of your meals, you eat smaller meals throughout the day, and you don't eat a big meal for dinner ever. It's best if you don't have anything to eat three hours before you go to bed. It's just stuff like that. It was hard, but something, as an actor, you kind of learn how to do. You have to lose weight for parts or put on weight, which is always kind of harder in a weird way, because you have to take it off at some point. But, yeah, it taught me a lot about discipline. It taught me a lot about getting in the mindset of an athlete. BB: I want to ask about Ready to Rumble , which obviously was a big part of why you got into the WCW in the first place. As a wrestling fan yourself, what was the experience like making that movie? Do you have anything you wish you could have done differently with it? What were your general feelings on that film at the time and even now? DA: When I first read it, it was, like, page 8, and it said “Macho Man Randy Savage.” So, I called my agent, and I was, like, “Do they have Macho Man Randy Savage for this movie?” They [said], “Yeah, he signed up,” and I [said], “I’ll do it! I love, love the idea of it.” At the end of the movie, I become “The Law.” I’m a wrestler that goes out with the [other] wrestlers to become a wrestler, so I think that is sort of where part of the germ of the idea in bringing me into the WCW [came from]. DA: For whatever reason, they made me the champion. [Former WCW writer] Vince Russo says part of the idea came from him seeing me backstage, getting everyone’s autograph on a kid’s belt, and he was, like, “oh… this guy’s really a wrestling fan!” I think it kind of led to them wanting this angle where I somehow became the champion, and it just set up what Diamond Dallas Page and Jeff Jarrett were doing; but the audience really didn't appreciate that storyline. You know, it was sad. I thought Ready to Rumble was a fun movie, and it didn’t really do that well at the box office, so I wanted to also do this as kind of an unofficial sequel to Ready to Rumble . BB: Your experience in the WCW kind of branded you “the most hated man in wrestling.” Going into this film, you're setting yourself up for a bit of criticism by documenting it and exposing yourself in the movie. What was your biggest fear going into this experience and in making it a documentary? DA: Well, one of the crazy things is I don’t really let fear drive me at all. I’m not really afraid of many things. I don’t know… it's a little weird that way. I think it makes it a little more dangerous, to be honest with you. If you’re not fearful of certain things, you probably wouldn't put yourself in certain positions like I did. DA: I don't know, I just wanted to come back and prove myself. I wanted to do it for myself, for wrestling, to sort of write this love letter to wrestling. And, also, I was just sick of being bullied. You know, the thing about when people say mean things online, it really hurts if you believe it too. I was kind of telling myself the same things they were saying, and I had to learn through this process to stop beating myself up and really being, as corny as it sounds, being kinder to myself. BB: What do you think people who don't enjoy wrestling could get out of your movie? DA: I think people are really quick to write wrestling off as either for kids or it’s not real or whatever they want to say, but it takes a tremendous amount of athletic ability. You have to be tougher than anything than I can imagine. I mean, it is just such a painful sport. It really pushes you. It's really difficult to… you know, the way these guys travel all the time. I just have the utmost respect for them. DA: If anything, I would just love to see guys like Ric Flair or Stone Cold Steve Austin get, like, a regular job on a CBS drama or something. They’re just such funny, full of life characters, and it just really would be amazing to give them an opportunity to act. We had the great opportunity of working with Mick Foley on 12 Hour Shift , and he's a tremendous actor; really great character and I just think there's so much room for these guys to break into Hollywood. BB: You mentioned reading the script for Ready to Rumble and being sort of impressed that Macho Man was going to be in the movie. Growing up, who were your top three wrestling icons and why? DA: Growing up, I was always a Hulkamaniac. I just love Hulk Hogan, and his relationship with the fans is like nothing I’ve ever seen. I love Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka; he jumped off the top rope and that's why I jump off the top rope to the outside of the ring. I also love Junkyard Dog, [he] was one of my favorites. He's just so fun. DA: There's an amazing wrestler now named Willie Mack, who is just such an incredible wrestler. I hope he gets picked up by...one of the big places and shows up there ‘cause Willie Mack is just one of the greatest wrestlers that I was able to share a card with. BB: You’re pretty much your own action hero in this documentary. Is there any future for you in action movies or is there a superhero you'd like to play? DA: Well, interestingly, I was just offered an action movie. I was reading through some of the scenes, and… I dont know… it’s just guns and all this stuff. I don't know what I want to do, but I’m not sure I want to just do, like, gun toting and shooting. There just has to be more of a story involved or something. I like action movies, you know, somewhat, but I'm not really a big action movie guy. I mean, it'd be nice to be able to do that, but I just don’t know. It's so weird, such a weird time in the world. I don't know if I want to be running around with guns in this climate. BB: Finally, when will we be able to see you in the ring again? And what do you think your wrestling career will look like in the future? DA: I don’t know if I’ll get back in the ring again. I really love wrestling when I'm wrestling as a tag team with RJ City. We have a really fun dynamic, and it makes for a safer experience. Whenever I wrestle alone, I tend to get hurt. He kind of protects me in that way, but I don't know if I’ll be wrestling again anytime soon. I do love it, but I do feel like this movie kind of exists in its own world. I think it might be best if I let it live there. Make sure to check out You Cannot Kill David Arquette now on VOD. Interview conducted on August 19th, 2020 by Joseph Ruiz. Photo Credits: Banner - Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP; Photo 1 - Elevation Pictures; Photo 2 - Warner Bros.

BABY REINDEER Starring: Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning, Nava Mau, Tom Goodman-Hill, and Nina Sosanya Creator: Richard Gadd QUENTIN Baby Reindeer wasn’t on my radar until it became the buzziest Netflix show since Tiger King . I’m so glad I jumped in blind, and even more glad that I listened to the internet because it’s a tremendously complex tale of obsession and how abuse can shape a person. Through a collection of contradictions — painful, yet funny; hard to watch, yet spellbinding; empathetic, yet prompting judgment — creator/writer/star Richard Gadd tells an autobiographical tale that is incredibly raw, honest, emotional, and intimate. Fair (trigger) warning for those who have experienced sexual assault, but Reindeer is a revelation and one of the year’s best series. Sent from my iPhone. KATIE Baby Reindeer is an impressive mix of disturbing, heartbreaking, darkly comedic, thought-provoking, and always deeply compelling. It’s one of the most original TV shows I’ve seen. I was constantly shocked by the decisions of the characters, having no idea which direction each episode would take. Our central characters are multi-faceted and morally complex, and it delves deep into the unpredictable impact of internalising trauma and experiencing abuse. It’s unbelievable the show is not only based on true events, but an autobiographical account of star and creator Richard Gadd’s experiences. It's likely one of my favourite shows of the year. CALEB I went into Baby Reindeer expecting more of the usual true-crime, docu-drama shlock that Netflix churns out on the regular, but damn was I mistaken. This disturbing autobiographical story hooked me from the very first episode and refused to let go. Creator/star/writer Richard Gadd provides an incredibly intimate, fearless portrayal of himself, but it’s Jessica Gunning who steals the show as his obsessive stalker, Martha. She delivers a powerhouse showing that’s demented, hilarious, sympathetic, and utterly terrifying all at once. With amazing performances, clever editing, creative cinematography, and fantastic writing, Baby Reindeer is a must-watch.

THE CONSULTANT: SEASON ONE Starring: Christoph Waltz, Nat Wolff, Brittany O’Grady, and Aimee Carrero Creator: Tony Basgallop QUENTIN Despite an unnervingly menacing performance from Christoph Waltz, The Consultant will give you narrative blue balls. The first episode is excellent, setting the stage for a mystery about who (or what) Waltz’s Regus Patoff is. With each passing episode, further questions are asked that excellently build the tension and mystery. It’s all very absorbing. However, the series doesn’t answer a single goddamn question posed, providing absolutely zero closure. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this angry and frustrated by an ending, and as the final credits rolled, the first thing out of my mouth was “fuck that damn show.” I stand by it.

Previous Next October 5, 2024 WRITTEN BY: QUENTIN Although Halloween candy and pumpkin paraphernalia have been taking up shelf space in stores since August, October has only just begun — meaning the spooky season is ramping up in earnest. It’s the special time of year when people ponder their most clever costume ideas while catching up on their favorite scary movies. As I get older, I have taken a step back from such things, but it’s still wildly popular for most (younger) people. Incidentally, that general notion could describe my thoughts on horror as a genre. Look, I love good horror, but the operative word is “good.” So many recent horror movies are cheap schlock churned out by studios like Blumhouse because they know horror-heads are perhaps the least discerning movie fans on the planet. I mean, how else can you explain Imaginary , which was roundly criticized, making a 283 percent return on its budget? On one hand, I get it. It’s just smart business. Grab a low-cost cast, throw some lazy jump scares at them, and maybe you can stumble into a franchise, à la M3GAN . Several relative hits like that can make up for one big flop. On the other hand…man, those lowest-common-denominator movies suck. Imaginary , The Strangers: Part One , and Night Swim were all box office hits in 2024 despite being widely panned. Now, that’s not to say all recent horror is terrible. We’ve also seen Longlegs , Oddity , The Substance , and Strange Darling released this year, and they are *chef’s kiss*. Honestly, with just those four movies alone, 2024 has proven to be uncharacteristically strong on horror — for me, anyway. That’s how bad it’s gotten in my eyes. As such, since I’ve become less and less enamored with most horror movies, I started thinking about my best experiences with the genre, and the movies that gave me a true visceral reaction. Whether it was a tangible response to a jump scare or just a palpable feeling of uneasiness, the movies below are the ones that put the “scare” in “scary movie.” Again…for me . Or at least they did when I first watched them, which brings up another consideration. Fear is so damn subjective. When it comes to horror movies, there are so many outside factors contributing to whether they work. Everything from age to the physical location in which you’re having the experience matter. Personal phobias, relatability, and one’s mental state also play a role. For example, a lot of people consider The Exorcist the scariest movie of all time, but I was 20 years old when I first saw it, and I watched it on a brightly lit Saturday afternoon in a communal dayroom, so very hard meh. That said, I readily admit that by my late teens, most of the internal fears that a movie might be able to tap into had long been burned out of me. That’s what happens when your parents let you watch whatever you want when you are eight years old, with the only guidance being, “if you have nightmares, that’s your problem to deal with. You chose this.” So, with that in mind, you’ll notice this list comes almost exclusively from the 1980s. What can I say? Things were scarier when I was an impressionable kid. Also, just to clarify, this isn’t a list of “best” horror movies, so there is no It Follows , Get Out, or Psycho — horror movies that have almost no flaws other than not being scary in the traditional sense. There also aren’t any of the critical darling horror movies that people rave about while I defiantly tell anyone who will listen that they are wack (looking at you, Hereditary and The Witch ). Truthfully, I’m not even sure “favorite” fully applies because I’m a huge fan of The Others , The Descent , and Frailty , but they didn’t elicit scares out of me in the ways the films below did. No, these are the movies and specific images that generally come to mind when people ask, “what is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen?” JAWS (1975) Fun fact about me: I can barely swim and I’m terrified of large bodies of water, and I’m sure that is in no small part due to watching Jaws when I was maybe six years old (there is also a story about me nearly drowning in a kiddie pool when I was a young toddler, but I digress…). This Steven Spielberg-classic is pure unadulterated terror, made all the more frightening by the reality that nature is often scarier than anything we can imagine. I mean, imagine seeing a movie nearly 40 years ago, and memories of it still feed a subconscious fear to not do something as innocuous as “go in the water.” It’s like Family Guy said, “Damn, Nature! You scary!!” POLTERGEIST (1982) & POLTERGEIST III (1988) This is a two-fer. Actual plot points aside, Poltergeist broadly revolves around a young girl trapped inside a television by evil spirits. Do you know how scary that was for me, a similarly aged child who spent all his time watching TV? My childhood brain conjured all the scenarios in which that could eventually happen to me. That doesn’t even get into the clown doll, skeleton-filled coffins popping out of the ground, or Zelda Rubinstein, who, for whatever reason, creeped me out as a child. Speaking of people creeping me out… Nathan Davis in Poltergeist III as the evil Rev. Henry Kane gave me nightmares for weeks. He was (is?) one of the most fright-inducing people I had ever seen in my life, and his unsettling singing of “God is in his holy temple” gave me the heebie-jeebies. For the record, Poltergeist II is no slouch, either. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS (1987) Of the famed ‘80s slasher franchises, Elm Street was the one I experienced last, and it was easily the scariest. Even as a kid, I was never really scared by Jason Voorhees because I knew, logically, I could just leave Crystal Lake and I’d be fine. With Freddy Krueger, however, I couldn’t not sleep. In fact, I’d get in trouble if I didn’t go to bed on time. That meant there was no escape. Dream Warriors was my entry into the Elm Street series, and between Freddy’s burnt visage, the razor glove, gruesome death sequences (one of which also involves a television set, incidentally), and the memorable “One, Two, Freddy’s coming for you,” it quite literally made me wet the bed at seven years old. Special shoutout to Dokken for the kickass title track. PET SEMATARY (1989) Maaaan…this movie messed me up when I was a kid, and it did so with a multi-pronged approach. Victor Pascow (Brad Greenquist), the ghost of a jogger who died after being hit by a truck, so his brain is just hanging out for all to see? Horrifying. The fog-filled atmosphere of the titular cemetery? Creepy. Angry zombie cat? I had a cat, so this wasn’t helpful. A young, reanimated Gage (Miko Hughes) taking people down with a scalpel, most notably by slicing through an Achilles tendon in one instance? Just no, hard nope all around on that one. I mean, even just the look of Fred Gwynne’s big head and his booming southern drawl…unsettling, to say the least. All that is to say, overall, given the context in which I saw this movie around 1990, it might be the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. FINAL DESTINATION (2000) & FINAL DESTINATION 2 (2003) Like Poltergeist , this is another two-fer. This thing is… this is more about the events that occurred after I saw Final Destination than the movie itself because, let’s face it, it’s not all that scary. However, after watching 98-minutes of various chain reactions kill a bunch of people in increasingly gnarly ways, it rightfully put me on edge. Every randomly loud noise was magnified, from a dog barking to a kid dropping his soda in the lobby, even more so because it was about 2:00am in the relatively quiet neighborhood of Pacific Grove, California. As I’m walking to my car, out of nowhere, there was a jarringly loud car accident about half a block away. No one was hurt, thankfully, but it nearly made me poop my pants as I stood in the street waiting for whatever knock-on effect was going to result in “death finding a way” on me. I drove home in silence, probably as the most attentive driver I had ever been in my entire life. Then, a few years later, Final Destination 2 comes out. While I don’t remember much about it, I remember the opening sequence. And more than 20 years later, I still refuse to drive behind logging trucks. Anything that has stuck with me for that long warrants a mention here.

Previous Next March 15, 2024 WRITTEN BY: AMARÚ In 2023, Guillermo del Toro (affectionately known as GdT) made a brilliant and much needed statement after Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (which, by the way…can we just acknowledge how legendary it is that none of us batted an eye when GdT put his name at the front of that title) won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. He vehemently went to bat for an often-overlooked cinematic medium, stating, “Animation is cinema.” He continued, “Animation is not a genre. Animation is ready to be taken to the next step. We are all ready for it. Keep animation in the conversation.” If you know me, you know animation is always in the conversation when discussing my best movies of the year. I’ve been ready for animation to be taken much more seriously for decades now. Year after year, I feel there are animated features that are just as good, if not better, than many of the Oscars’ Best Picture nominees. Still, like GdT intimated, animation does not get the respect it rightfully deserves, with only three animated movies being nominated for the top prize in the Oscars’ 96 years, and the most recent being 2010’s Toy Story 3. So, here I am, yet again, striving to keep the conversation going. Listed below are five* films from my lifetime that deserved much more appreciation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Quick note, though… There are, of course, plenty of animated films I haven’t seen, most notably those from Studio Ghibli. While I respect the few I have seen, including a current Best Animated Feature nominee that I don’t personally consider to be one of the top seven animated films of 2023, I have never been able to truly connect with them. Please don’t come at me for the lack of films outside the popular zeitgeist, but instead let me know what animated films you believe should have been nominated for Best Picture. Educate me. Without further ado, and since I already mentioned it, let’s begin with… GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO Release Year: 2022 Best Picture Nominees: Everything Everywhere All at Once , All Quiet on the Western Front , Avatar: The Way of Water , The Banshees of Inisherin , Elvis , The Fabelmans , Tar , Top Gun: Maverick , Triangle of Sadness , Women Talking Best Picture Nominee(s) that Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio should have replaced: Elvis , Tar Yea, sure, both Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett went hard in their respective titular roles, but Elvis is overindulgent, and Tar is under…entertaining. Is that a thing? Look, it’s boring as hell. GdT’s Pinocchio , on the other hand, is a film that stays with you for hours, days, weeks, or much, much longer because of its incredibly harrowing and hopeful themes. Add in the impeccable detail that the animators put into the character and production design, the absolutely moving score, and the pitch-perfect voice cast, and you have one of the most deeply felt movies of 2022. Pinocchio , in general, is a horrifying and dreadful tale, but GdT somehow is able to diffuse that brutality with a piercingly bright light of charm and beauty. This final sentiment I could probably attach to every one of the following films, but I truly believe if this exact movie was presented in live action, it would have been a strong contender for Best Picture, Best Director, and Adapted Screenplay. INSIDE OUT Release Year : 2015 Best Picture Nominees: Spotlight , The Big Short , Bridge of Spies , Brooklyn , Mad Max: Fury Road , The Martian , The Revenant , Room Best Picture Nominee(s) that Inside Out should have replaced: None, but they left two slots open. I’ll apologize now for basically repeating this statement a little later on, but if the first ten minutes of Up convinced the Academy to use all ten of its Best Picture nominee slots to give it a nomination in 2009 (2010 ceremony), then how in the world do you leave two slots open in 2015 when Inside Out is miles better than Up ’s remaining 90ish minutes? The creativity, humor, wonderful writing (it was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, dammit), and beautiful score from Michael Giacchino makes Inside Out more than deserving of a nomination. Phyllis Smith’s vocal performance as Sadness absolutely shines amongst a stacked cast, and I can’t imagine anyone in the world being unable to connect with the idea of trying to figure out how to human. It’s so hard to human! Especially as a child going through major changes in life (oh boy, I can’t wait for the hormones in Inside Out 2 ). No matter who you are or where you come from, there is something in this film that connects to you on a spiritual level, and if the Academy felt obliged to reward the well-deserved tears resulting from Ellie and Carl’s connection in Up , I have two words for you: Bing. Bong. THE LION KING Release Year: 1994 Best Picture Nominees: Forrest Gump , Four Weddings and a Funeral , Pulp Fiction , Quiz Show , The Shawshank Redemption Best Picture Nominee(s) that The Lion King should have replaced: Four Weddings and a Funeral Man, I admit, 1994 was pretty damn stacked. I almost decided not to include this absolute classic when I saw what was nominated, but then I remembered that I had, in fact, seen Four Weddings and a Funeral . Then, I subsequently remembered that I remember damn near nothing about it. The Lion King is the film of an entire generation’s childhood. It is supremely voice-acted, has an Oscar-winning score, Oscar- and Grammy-winning original songs, and simultaneously traumatized and put back together every millennial you’ve ever met with its moving story of learning, loss, love, and leadership. It’s much more than the catchy songs we all love. It has charming characters, a top-tier villain with top-tier henchman, an iconic father figure, protagonists you want to root for, and a compelling story. I’d bet everything I just mentioned is something that you pictured in your head immediately. You remember where you were when you first saw Scar toss Mufasa off that cliff. You can hear every meme of Rafiki lifting a young Simba in the air (think about it…yes, that does make sense). Beauty & the Beast may be the Disney Renaissance film that was nominated for Best Picture, but The Lion King is the one that deserved it. A true snub. COCO Release Year: 2017 Best Picture Nominees: The Shape of Water , Call Me by Your Name , Darkest Hour , Dunkirk , Get Out , Lady Bird , Phantom Thread , The Post , Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Picture Nominee(s) that Coco should have replaced: Honestly, probably about half of them, but yet again, THERE IS AN OPEN SLOT! THE ACADEMY USED ALL TEN SLOTS TO GIVE THE FURNACE SCENE IN TOY STORY 3 A NOMINATION IN A YEAR AS STACKED AS 2010, BUT THEY COULDN’T GIVE THE FINAL SLOT IN 2017 TO COCO , A FILM WHOSE ENTIRE RUNTIME IS AS IMPORTANT, HEARTFELT, AND TEAR-JERKING AS THAT DAMN FURNACE??? Look, I’m not saying that the furnace is the only great scene in Toy Story 3 (it very much deserved that nomination), but I AM saying that Inception, The Social Network, True Grit, Black Swan, and The Fighter would have beaten eight of nine nominees listed above (two guesses which one I think stacks up). Coco is a banger of an emotional thrill ride. Banger music, banger characters, banger visual effects & production design, banger cast, and, my goodness, that last banger rendition of Academy Award-winning song “Remember Me.” How a movie that is comparably as amazing as Toy Story 3 can’t crack a list filled with Best Picture nominees that don’t hold a candle to most of the films Toy Story 3 went up against just doesn’t make sense to me. The math ain’t mathin’. SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE & SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE Release Years: 2018 & 2023 Best Picture Nominees, 2018 : Green Book , Black Panther , Blackkklansman , Bohemian Rhapsody , The Favourite , Roma , A Star is Born , Vice Best Picture Nominee(s) that Into the Spider-Verse should have replaced: The FILM THAT WON IT ( Green Book since you, like everyone, most likely forgot), Bohemian Rhapsody Best Picture Nominees, 2023: American Fiction , Anatomy of a Fall , Barbie , The Holdovers , Killers of the Flower Moon , Maestro , Oppenheimer , Past Lives , Poor Things , The Zone of Interest Best Picture Nominee(s) that Across the Spider-Verse should have replaced: The Zone of Interest Y’all might have been wondering why I had that asterisk in the intro when I said five films, and if you know me, then y’all also were wondering after Coco how there could only be one movie left. And if you REALLY know me, you already knew this was coming. The Miles Morales-centered Spider-Verse films have the potential to surpass The Lord of the Rings as the greatest cinematic trilogy of all time. They not only innovated what animation can look like, already setting a new trend that subsequent animated films have strived to emulate, but they also set themselves apart as the best Spider-Man films to grace the silver screen, delivering more heart, action, spectacle, and thrills than any of the live-action versions. Yet, amongst all the grandeur, this soon-to-be trilogy’s true heart comes in the films’ introspective themes of identity. Into the Spider-Verse ’s intricate and entertaining story about growing into your own identity is far more moving and authentic than the two papier-mâché true stories nominated in 2018. Then, Across the Spider-Verse took that authenticity and expanded it to tell two equally compelling, parallel tales about the identities we want to share with loved ones but are too scared to reveal, all while naturally interweaving easter eggs, cameos, references, different animation styles, and an epically snubbed score from Daniel Pemberton with intimate detail. And I don’t want to hear anything along the lines of “it’s only half a movie” when The Two Towers is deservedly sitting right there in 2002’s Best Picture lineup. I mean, look, I just watched a whole-ass, two-hour Holocaust movie from 2023’s Best Picture lineup, and I didn’t give two shits about anything it presented to me. I couldn’t tell you one thing about that movie. Sure, MAYBE that’s on me. But you're telling me the Academy has felt that same way about EVERY animated movie released in the past almost 100 YEARS(!), save for THREE?! Only THREE were Best Picture-worthy?! If so, then GdT was right; the Academy needs to have some different conversations when it comes to animation. Photo Credits: Photo 1 - Netflix; Photo 2, 3, 4 - Walt Disney Studios; Photo 5 - Sony Pictures Releasing

DISCLAIMER Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Leila George, Louis Partridge, and Lesley Manville Creator: Alfonso Cuarón QUENTIN Despite top-notch direction from Alfonso Cuarón, typically great performances from Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline (maybe less typically for Kline), and the bones of an intriguing mystery, Disclaimer* falters in its characterizations. The characters are mostly underdeveloped and empty pawns used to get from one sometimes confusing plot point to the next, so even as you’re eager to see the story through to the end, you’re never truly invested in any of the players. My experience probably was undermined by binge-watching too, as revelations come so quickly that they hardly resonate. Granted, there is still a lot to like here, but the total package underwhelms.

STERLING POINT: SEASON ONE Starring: Ella Rubin, Amélie Hoeferle, Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie, Bo Bragason, Keen Ruffalo, Daniel Quinn-Toye, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mabel Strachan, and Jay Duplass Creator: Megan Park PAIGE While Sterling Point falls into some YA tropes, it at least does so with rich and witty storytelling. Creator Megan Park once again proves that her authentic voice knows how to elevate the coming-of-age genre. This series about self-discovery and grief feels like a return to form for teen dramas, with strong performances and compelling character arcs that audiences can genuinely connect to. Unlike most YA shows today that are cheesy or over-the-top, Sterling Point has real emotional weight to it. It’s an authentic series with a lot of heart, and though it may not reinvent the wheel, it's the rare YA show that feels sincere and is genuinely great. BODE The teen drama never really went away, but it’s seen a bit of an explosion lately, with the likes of The Summer I Turned Pretty and Off Campus being bonafide hits. Sterling Point arrives amidst that explosion, and it’s a real triumph. Creator Megan Park proves herself capable of articulating the complexities of youth with rich authenticity, and even as the show leans into expected tropes, it transcends them with plenty of wit, genuine emotional weight, and some refreshing doses of Canadiana. Its strong performances only elevate the material even more, and helps its case for being the strongest YA offering to hit the small screen in years.

Previous Next February 21, 2024 WRITTEN BY: THE BITESIZE CREW It’s Oscar season! Typically, around this time of year, the conversation is centered around what movie or performer got snubbed. For example, how many articles have you read about Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie in the past few weeks? However, what you rarely see from critics like us is a discussion…or in this case, a light head-to-head debate…about the movies and performances that were nominated. Not so much in a negative, “that movie sucks” way, but from a “uhh…why? I really don’t understand the love for that nominee” perspective. Having said that, in an effort to not be entirely negative, we wanted to give equal time to show our respect too. We aren't looking to be disrespectful or take away from someone’s career achievement. So, for each writer who picked a nominee they “didn’t get,” we allowed a separate writer to come to the defense of that nominee. This way, you get the good and the bad, and the information to make your own decisions. Sounds like a good plan, right? It was almost perfect... until Annette Bening. Several writers didn’t understand why Bening was nominated for Best Actress in Nyad , which led to a bit of a competition to write “against” her. As well, no one was ready and willing to defend Bening's nomination, which complicated things because we didn’t want a writer to defend a performance they weren't passionate about. None of this is to say anything negative about Bening, by the way, who is about as close to Hollywood royalty as one can get without being named Meryl Streep, but…hey, it is what it is. Points for honesty? In any case, let’s get to our near-perfect plan, and talk about a few certain Oscar nominees that are on trial. What’s your verdict? ON TRIAL: JONATHAN GLAZER - BEST DIRECTOR Prosecution: Paige The adoration for Jonathan Glazer's work on The Zone of Interest is beyond me. Don’t get me wrong, from a technical perspective, the movie is excellently made; however, it lacks depth and substance entirely. The role of a director is to tell an audience a tale that they can either… A. connect with, or B. find entertaining. This movie falls short on both counts. I especially found it difficult to relate to any of the characters or the plot, and I felt cold and emotionally cut off from its outcome. That's because Glazer's direction (and his script, for that matter) failed to pique my interest in the film’s subject matter. There is just no weight to this Nazi drama, which leaves me baffled that it got Glazer a Best Director nomination. Defence: Adriano I truly believe that once the decade is over, The Zone of Interest will be widely considered amongst the decade's absolute best films. Director Jonathan Glazer's work here truly is remarkable, not just as a writer, as he flawlessly crafts an invisible script that follows these people's lives, but the directorial tricks he pulls off are something I can't recall ever having seen before. This film is an analysis of evil and our desire to build perfect lives for ourselves in the face of said evil, which often results in us putting up walls to separate us from the horrible atrocities of humanity. Glazer explores that conflict by focusing on a Nazi family in an uncomfortably familiar way. Zone also is more colourful than your typical Holocaust drama, and the way Glazer sets the cameras up to give us an observational perspective is pretty jarring. There's no way to sugarcoat it: Jonathan Glazer’s work is masterful on this film. ON TRIAL: AMERICA FERRERA - BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Prosecution: Caleb Barbie was a summer highlight for me, but this particular nomination is a bit of a head-scratcher. America Ferrera’s performance is serviceable, but I’d hardly call it Oscar-worthy. Sure, her monologue in the third act is noteworthy, but it’s actually one of the only muddled moments in an otherwise tight script. If she was up against some lighter competition, then maybe I could understand, but you’re telling me she deserved that nom over THE Julianne Moore for May December ? That’s insane. It’s equally insane that we live in a world where America Ferrera got an Oscar nod for Barbie , but Margot Robbie didn’t. Ferrera’s nomination reminds me of Jamie Lee Curtis’ from last year - it may be a decent performance for what it is, but she’s wildly out of place amongst the other nominees. Defender: Nick As good as America Ferrera's noted monologue is, this performance is far more than just a single scene. Ferrera is the heart of Barbie and the bridge between the world of toys and reality. Where Margot Robbie's reaction to the real world provides many cute and funny moments, it's the realism and authenticity Ferrera provides as the only "adult" woman that makes the film work. She is a working-class woman, a mother, and the link that makes Barbie relatable to women of all ages, which she does with determination and poise. Much like the straight man in a comedy duo, she's not flashy, but she's just as important as her counterparts. ON TRIAL - BRADLEY COOPER - BEST ACTOR Prosecution: Adriano Much has been said about Bradley Cooper's seemingly desperate desire for an Oscar, but not enough has been said about how it truly does bleed into Maestro and his performance…not in a good way, either. There is nothing easy about a biographical performance, but when done right, it can truly transport us into the mind of a historical figure. However, when done wrong, it can come off as a cheap impression. As Leonard Bernstein, Cooper sadly leans towards the latter. He isn't bad, but much of his performance relies on the impressive makeup, and in terms of actually acting, Cooper's performance feels like a put-upon performance instead of a real human being. There is more to a performance than just how loud you are. The best performances can convey emotion with merely a look, something Cooper's fellow nominees and even his costar, Carey Mulligan, pull off, but it seems like Cooper was more interested in the in-your-face aspects of Bernstein than authenticity. Defence: Quentin Way back in September at Venice Film Festival, I witnessed the glory of Maestro , a film I called “exquisite.” What did I mean by “exquisite?” Well, for starters, it has since been nominated for seven Oscars, and none of its nominees are more important to the film’s success than Bradley Cooper’s lead turn as Leonard Bernstein. Hell, even in September, I called Cooper’s performance Best of the Fest. Why? Because this Best Picture contender simply doesn’t work if Cooper can’t sell you on his portrayal of Bernstein. Truth be told, I had no connection or personal interest in the real-life composer or his love life, but Cooper’s performance made me care. He disappears so fully into the role that I often forgot I was even watching Cooper, one of the most handsome and recognizable actors in Hollywood. Do you realize how hard that is? If rendering yourself unrecognizable, giving yourself fully to a character, and driving an uncaring viewer to become wholly invested in the story being told isn’t the stuff Best Actor performances are made of, what are we even doing here? ON TRIAL: THE BOY AND THE HERON - BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Prosecution: Preston If the only criteria for “Best Animated Feature” are fantastic animation and a decent (but forgettable) score, then I would agree with The Boy and the Heron ’s inclusion in this year’s nominees. The issue is, however, that the story itself is completely disjointed, which leads to extreme pacing issues…and then sleepy eyes. Most problematic though, is that our traumatized boy is portrayed as an almost non-reactive, robotic puppet whose actions only work to move the story along and completely undermine the audience’s desire to care. His intuitions regarding the Heron are inexplicable, and the main inflection points injected through his mother and father are abandoned; what we are left with is a barely sensical narrative that tries too hard to be artsy for its own sake. Studio Ghibli and director Hayao Miyazaki’s accomplishments are renowned, and this movie in no way takes away from either’s legacy, but it simply falls short of the mark (that they, themselves, have set). Defence: Caleb Alright, I know I wasn’t that hot on The Boy and the Heron either, but it’s not exactly up against stiff competition. Hayao Miyazaki is a titan in this industry, and if his new anime epic didn’t grab a nomination, then what would have? Wish ? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem ? The Super Mario Bros. Movie ? Heron is a little messy, sure, but I’d still rather see an ambitious, hand-drawn, original fantasy story make it in over another American IP film. That aside, Studio Ghibli’s latest is drop-dead gorgeous, and while it admittedly stumbles at points, it’s at least attempting to tackle some thought-provoking themes. If I had to give any of these nominees the boot, I’d set my sights on Nimona or Elemental sooner than I’d go after Heron . I’m not saying it’s a masterpiece, but considering this could very well be Miyazaki’s last outing, I’m alright with it getting some love. ON TRIAL: LILY GLADSTONE - BEST ACTRESS Prosecution: Nick I'm not here to make the claim Lily Gladstone is just ailing throughout Killers of the Flower Moon (although it is a fairly stationary performance), and I'm not here to make the claim that Lily Gladstone should've been nominated for Supporting Actress instead (although it's a case I'd listen to). I'm certainly not here to say it's a bad performance, either. But... A performance some are calling the best of the year, even going as far as to say it's an all-time showing? I just don't get that. In a film with an admittedly stacked cast giving varying levels of terrific performances, Gladstone is never able to match or outdo them. Even when she does get her big moments, they're solid, yet fleeting. What she supplies is a good, one-note performance that works for what is needed within the film. That’s it. Culturally, I understand the significance, and the progression towards more diversity in film is necessary; however, when you line it up against the other contenders, it's not the "Best" anything. As a matter of fact, I think Cara Jade Meyers is the female performance in Killers of the Flower Moon worthy of accolades. Defence: Amarú I keep hearing that Lily Gladstone is “outdone” or “outshone” or “overshadowed” by the very talented cast surrounding her, including the underrated Cara Jade Meyers, but I would agree only with the first half of each of those words. Everyone else in the film is going “over (the top)” and “out(ward)” with their acting choices, leaving Gladstone’s subtlety standing out in this extravagant crowd. She emotes more in her eyes than the rest of the cast does in more than three hours of showy (yet amazing) dialogue. You can be drawn to the bigger performances if that’s your thing, but Lily Gladstone’s marvelous turn proves the old adage, “it’s the quiet ones you need to look out for.” ON TRIAL - PAST LIVES - BEST PICTURE Prosecution: Quentin Touching. Beautiful. Romantic. These are words that have been used to describe Past Lives . However, I struggle to reconcile those labels with the movie I saw, mostly because the story paints the main character, Nora (Greta Lee), as a sympathetic figure when she is, in fact, extremely selfish. For 12 years, Nora has been happily married to and in love with a husband that openly admits he feels insecure in their relationship. Soooo, why is she spending a week galavanting around New York with her first love - a first love who has lingered in her mind for 24 years and who flew across the world specifically to see her - while the husband (mostly) sits at home? That’s not touching, beautiful, or romantic from the husband’s perspective despite the movie hinting towards him maybe being okay with it. When a movie is a complete gaslight job like this, I can’t begin to consider it one of the year’s ten best, even when, all things considered, it’s not actually a bad movie. Defence: Katie The central point of Quentin’s criticism is that the film paints Nora (Greta Lee) as a sympathetic character, one we are called to identify with and relate to; however, I don’t think the film paints Nora, or anyone, as a sympathetic figure. The film is simply gentle in its approach, in every aspect, and doesn’t impose moralistic judgments on any of its characters. The question of “why is Nora spending a week with her first love whilst her husband stands by?” is one that the film acknowledges but does not wrestle with. Instead, the film is concerned with exploring metaphysical themes of fate, identity, memory, and nostalgia. Past Lives is as far from a typical love triangle situation as you can get, and Nora’s husband is not suffering from anything as shallow as run-of-the-mill jealousy, but the more nuanced notion that he cannot relate to or understand his wife as much as someone who shares her past. It’s almost unfathomable that this is writer-director Celine Song’s feature debut because the masterful camera work, magical music, and bittersweet story, combined with understated yet deeply moving performances, make this the most worthy nomination for Best Picture. ON TRIAL - CAREY MULLIGAN - BEST ACTRESS Prosecution: Katie Maestro is this year’s most predictable contender for many awards, and Carey Mulligan’s nomination for Best Actress is at least the film’s most deserving among them, especially when juxtaposed with Bradley Cooper’s imitative performance. However, I don’t believe Mulligan is the most deserving choice for a nomination when looking at the scope of exceptional performances this past year, much less a win. Don’t get me wrong, Mulligan’s performance was not bad in any respect, but it's a good example of the Academy favouring big and cliché acting to genuinely unique, accomplished performances. Whilst Mulligan brings pathos, I was overtly aware I was watching a performance contrived to elicit pity rather than feeling a genuine emotional connection with her character. Instead of cliché Oscar bait of the most obvious variety, I would have much preferred to have seen nominations go to Greta Lee for Past Lives , Natalie Portman for May December , or Cailee Spaeny for Priscilla , all leading performances that bring nuance, complex emotion, and subtlety. Defence: Preston When I am asked to conjure my overall thoughts on Maestro , two things explicitly overwhelm my memory: First, Carey Mulligan’s performance; Second, incidentally, Bradley Cooper’s makeup and vocal affect. Maestro ’s stylized cinematography and the unique (and choppy) directorial framework highlight just how much Mulligan’s portrayal of Felicia Montealegre deeply enriches and, frankly, outshines all aspects of a film that is nominated for seven Oscars. Her approach as Leonard Bernstein’s wife is the exact opposite of the cliché, in-your-face performances that more often reflect simply the available leading roles within a clever film rather than how a talented actor is able to single-handedly enhance the work of art we are experiencing. Her show-stealing success lies directly in the nuance, complexity, and subtlety she brings. She is both stoic and delicate, formidable and forgiving, serving as a firmly grounded lightning rod amidst the storm. It is precisely because she shines within this frenetic environment that she sets herself apart from the competition. ON TRIAL: RYAN GOSLING - BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Prosecution: Amarú Y’all really thought Ryan Gosling was funny? Or unique? Or something we haven’t seen before in a film going satirically at the patriarchy? Because to me, there was nothing in Gosling’s performance that stood out as outstanding or particularly award-worthy. While the man can certainly act, and he did a fine (really, truly, just ok) job as Ken, when the man said “mojo dojo casa house,” I stared in awe wondering why everybody around me was laughing. Half the time, I felt like his role would have fit perfectly in Not Another Teen Movie , and I’m pretty sure director Greta Gerwig wasn’t trying to go that far with her satire. In all honesty, I’m very happy that the Academy is more open to nominating comedies and comedic performances, but maybe, just maybe, nominate a role that was actually funny next time. Defence: Paige The part of Ken was destined for Ryan Gosling. Looks aside, the man has the acting chops and “Kenergy” to take on any role, and he sure as hell proved it in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie . Sure, he has done comedies before, but none of them have quite compared to his portrayal of Ken, undoubtedly one of his best performances to date. This character could have easily been a silly sidekick, but Gosling brings genuine depth. The most remarkable aspect of his portrayal, though, is that he practically steals the movie in every scene he’s in. Not only do I think he delivered the best performance in the movie, I think he delivered the best male performance of the year!

THE FOUR SEASONS: SEASON TWO Starring: Tina Fey, Colman Domingo, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marco Calvani, and Erika Henningsen Creators: Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield AMARÚ Before the end of last season, I was content to have one stint with the charming cast of The Four Seasons . Then came the last episode, and I worried that continuing the group’s story was a reach. Well, I was wrong. Marriage is a forever evolving journey, and revisiting the three “couples’” lives over another year is all too real and all too hilarious. The stars are great, the chemistry is wonderful, the conflict is authentic, and the short episodes keep the fast-paced humor and realistic issues balanced. Let’s meet up again this time next year. NICK Without the source material to go off of, and the absence of Steve Carell’s Nick, I wasn’t sure how another edition of The Four Seasons would work. In saying that, I forgot to factor one major thing: the tremendous chemistry of its lead cast. In its second season, the series still manages to find heart, laughs, and obstacles for its characters, while they each experience their own levels of growth. Their actions aren’t always likeable, but they are inherently human and relatable, which is what makes The Four Seasons stand out amongst its contemporaries. I will gladly take another vacation with this crew. Check out our reviews for Season One HERE .

Previous Next January 15, 2026 WRITTEN BY: THE BITESIZE CREW As we enter the new year, almost all movie- and television-related content is focused on looking back at 2025. The best of this, the worst of that, awards predictions, box office tallies, and so on. We’re no different, as we have a few features revolving around 2025 still to come, including The Bitesize Awards. With that understanding, like we do every year, it’s time to look ahead. What are the big titles coming in 2026 that we are most excited for, be it purely for fun escapist entertainment or an early awards frontrunner? As you can see below, we all have our certain tastes… from known IP tentpoles to director-driven original stories, from sci-fi to action to horror. We even included television shows. We run the gamut. The rules are the same as last year. We’re only focusing on the first half of 2026, so to be eligible, the entry must have a confirmed release date between January 1st and June 30th, 2026. The reason for this is that there are several films and series expected to release in the coming year, but as we’ve seen in the past, we can never really know when something will actually drop. Having this rule makes for more accurate selections while also avoiding repetitive lists in the future. Also, let’s face it, October is far away. You aren’t likely to remember a recommendation for a movie coming out in 10 months, so we’ll wait and do a “Most Anticipated 2026 Films (Second Half)” in July. So, here is what we are looking forward to over the next six months, in order of release date. Are any of these on your list? What are you excited about? …and if you were wondering: Yes, this intro is almost identical to the intro for our last few Most Anticipated articles. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE (January 16) I loved 28 Years Later, but I had uncomplicated feelings about the final sequence , finding it tonally jarring after the emotional events beforehand. Still, it left me unbearably curious about what insanity could be waiting in Nia DaCosta’s sequel, The Bone Temple . We’re given a glimpse into young Jimmy’s (Rocco Haynes) traumatic childhood in 28 Years Later ’s prologue , and the film’s final sequence gives a taste of the unhinged ways in which it has shaped his life during the zombie apocalypse (portrayed by Jack O’Connell as an adult). I’m looking forward to how this is realized, as well as learning more about the tracksuit-clad, wig-wearing, acrobatic group of Jimmys that seemingly befriends Spike (Alphie Williams). I’m also interested in how DeCosta will communicate the cultural reality of the time, frozen in the 2000s memory. Plus, more of the brilliant Ralph Fiennes' compelling character, Dr Kelson, who was a highlight for me. — Katie SHRINKING : SEASON THREE (January 28) One of my favourite shows in recent memory has been Apple TV's Shrinking . It's the perfect spiritual successor to Ted Lasso , and, in my eyes, has been just as good. In a world where mental health services aren’t as accessible as they should be, this is my therapy. This season is particularly special for me as it marks Michael J. Fox’s return to acting. My two favourite actors have long been Fox and Harrison Ford, so to see them share the screen will be like watching a show that was made especially for me. Beyond that, I’m looking forward to continued character development, continued story advancements, and continued laughter. — Nick SEND HELP (January 30) Is January still the worst time of year to release a horror film? Some bad ones have managed to come around, for sure, but over the last decade or so, the month has seen enough good ones to counter that argument. Case in point, I have hope that filmmaker Sam Raimi, a maestro of the genre, will add another January success story with Send Help . It’s exciting enough that this survival thriller, which pits an employee and her boss against each other on a deserted island, is his first original feature in 17 years; however, on-screen talents like Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, plus a long-awaited reunion with cinematographer Bill Pope ( Darkman , Spider-Man 2 , Spider-Man 3 ) add even more intrigue to the proceedings. — Bode GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE (February 13) If you know anything about “Director’s Jail,” you’ll know that Gore Verbinski — whose wide-ranging career includes The Ring , the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and Rango — has been part of that club for a long while. Though he hit a dry spell with 2013’s The Lone Ranger and 2016’s A Cure for Wellness , both of which were massive box office flops, there were moments in those films that reminded me of the kinetic filmmaker he can be. That’s why it’s exciting to see him finally return to the big screen with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die , a sci-fi action comedy about a man from the future (played by Sam Rockwell) who gets sent back in time to stop an AI uprising. Early reviews from last year’s Fantastic Fest called it a return to form, and I’m hoping that it lives up to that hype. — Bode SCRUBS : SEASON TEN (February 25) Maybe you were introduced to famed television creator Bill Lawrence through Spin City , or more likely, you became familiar after the wildly successful run of Ted Lasso . But for people of a certain age who grew up on sitcoms in the 2000s, Scrubs was your fix. The heartfeltness of ER mixed with the workplace comedy environment of Cheers , the doctors at Sacred Heart filled our homes with truth about friends, relationships, and the general disdain and sometimes appreciation for our jobs. It concluded after eight glorious seasons (and one very mediocre one), but finally, the reboot talk is not just lip service as its return is imminent. With the braintrust as fully back as it can be, expectations are soaring as high as an eagle! — Robert THE BRIDE! (March 6) I love modern re-imaginings of classic stories, so I’m excited to see Maggie Gyllenhaal's take on Frankenstein and the inspiration she draws from James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein. I really enjoyed Gyllenhaal's feature directorial debut, The Lost Daughter, so I have high hopes for what she can do with this story and the approach to the central character. I’m intrigued by the unique, punk-romance aesthetic seen in the trailer, which, if pulled off, has the potential to be very fun. The Bride! boasts leading performances from Jesse Buckley, playing Frankenstein's bride, and Christian Bale as Frankenstein's monster, and I can't wait to see how they bring their characters’ relationship to life. — Katie THE BREADWINNER (March 13) Once comedians conquer the stand-up circuit, they tend to try their hands at writing/producing (and sometimes directing) their own feature-length films. Sometimes, the results are gangbusters ( The Big Sick ); other times, not so much ( Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star ). This spring, Nate Bargatze, the highest grossing stand-up comedian of 2024 and 2025, is bringing us The Breadwinner , about a husband (Bargatze) who must adapt to being the stay-at-home dad after his wife (Mandy Moore) strikes a deal on Shark Tank (quite a last few months for the investor show with this and Marty Supreme ). With Eric Appel, the director of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story helming the movie, I expect uproarious laughter, self-deprecation to the max, and hopefully a crazy pool scene with Dr. Demento…but that third thing is negotiable. — Robert PROJECT HAIL MARY (March 20) I’ve long said that Hollywood should make more movies about contemporary astronauts (firefighters, too, but I digress…). With Project Hail Mary , it seems someone overheard my cloud-ranting because they managed to put together quite the package. Based on the multi-award-winning novel of the same name by Andy Weir, who also wrote The Martian , Ryan Gosling portrays Ryland Grace, an astronaut trying to save Earth while alone in outer space. If you haven’t seen the trailers, Project Hail Mary has the vibe of Armageddon mixed with The Martian (obviously) and Spaceman . As if the presence of Baby Goose on screen wasn’t enough, you’ve also got directing duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller behind the camera, directing a script from Drew Goddard. So, a premise I want more of, coming from a team that has proven themselves more than capable? Sign me up for launch, even if, admittedly, those trailers I mentioned might have given too much away already. Maybe just avoid them and take my word for it on this one… — Quentin EUPHORIA : SEASON THREE (April 12) It has been four years since the last season of Euphoria , so the fact that we’re finally getting a third season has me seriously pumped. On top of that, Hans Zimmer is joining Labrinth to co-score this season, and that alone has brought my level of excitement to the next level. With a five-year time jump, creator Sam Levinson has already hinted at where the characters will be in their lives, which only furthers my intrigue. Since the series’ first two seasons, the cast’s careers have absolutely skyrocketed, so seeing them return to the show that launched them is something I’m looking forward to. Sure, Euphoria is messy, but that’s how life is; I can’t wait to catch up with Rue (Zendaya) and the rest of the gang in what could be their final outing. — Paige MICHAEL (April 24) Music biopics have not been anything other than standard fare over the past two years, so I am hoping that director Antoine Fuqua’s look at the best artist of all time will give a jolt of life to the genre. I’ve never seen a Fuqua film that didn’t have energy, and looking at the trailer, I am pretty excited to see how Jaafar Jackson portrays his uncle, The King of Pop. In the quick glimpses we’ve seen, there looks to be enough Mike in there to believe the portrayal, but not so much that you lose the young star’s own essence. At least that is what I felt in the very intriguing interaction he has with Quincy Jones (Kendrick Sampson) in the preview. Add in Colman Domingo as “Papa” Joe Jackson, as well as Black Cinema royalty — young and old — in Nia Long, Larenz Tate, Derek Luke, and Laura Harrier, and there’s no way you’re not getting at least one meaty performance out of this. With this director, this cast, and this story, I’m mostly anticipating (aka hoping) for a realistic and entertaining dive into a mega-complicated and mega-talented figure. — Amarú MOTHER MARY (April 24) Truth be told, I thought Mother Mary was coming out in 2024, but better late than never, I suppose. In any case, I’ve been a big fan of director David Lowery for a while. Between a couple of mid-Disney remakes ( Pete’s Dragon and Peter Pan & Wendy ), Lowery has been responsible for three excellent films in A Ghost Story , The Old Man & the Gun , and The Green Knight . He tends to play with several genres, putting fairly esoteric spins on them, and with Mother Mary , he seems to be tapping into some form of psychological horror, with the titular pop star (Anne Hathaway) engaging in a psychosexual affair with her costume designer (Michaela Coel). The trailer looks strange, to say the least, and I can’t make heads or tails of where it might be headed. But the intrigue is high for me, not just as a fan of Lowery, but as someone who likes to be freaked out with a weird vision. — Adriano MORTAL KOMBAT II (May 8) I remember being a sweet little six-year old on my birthday in 1994, just leaving the movie theater with my father and brother, when my dad said, “ Street Fighter was so bad, maybe we shouldn’t see Mortal Kombat next year.” My brother and I begged and pleaded otherwise, eventually getting him to take us against his better judgment. That is, until we all left the theater eight months later, hella geeked because the 1995 movie was and still is awesome (no matter what you haters say)! Fast forward to my birthday last year, leaving the sweet young age of 36, watching the new Street Fighter trailer. All I could think was, “maybe, just maybe, the back-to-back movie releases of two of the best fighting games ever created will now have two awesome adaptations.” That theory will be tested out when Karl Urban takes over as the main character, Johnny Cage, for the second Mortal Kombat , making us all hope that the unnecessary lead of the first, Cole Young, dies early (sorry, Lewis Tan) so we can finally get to this cool-ass looking tournament! Ok, I wasn’t as down on Cole as everyone else, and I was much higher on the first film after a second watch, so I can’t wait for this campy, bloody, downright badass time to kick off what my six-year-old self dreamed of 32 years ago. — Amarú OBSESSION (May 15) One of my favourite things about attending film festivals is when a title comes out of nowhere to instantly catch people's attention. At TIFF 2025, that was Obsession . Praise was heaped upon director Curry Barker and star Inde Navarette in this disturbing indie horror. The film follows a man (Michael Johnston) who uses a supernatural toy to make his crush (Navarette) fall in love with him. But this ain't no rom-com. Originally inspired by The Simpsons episode where Bart gets a monkey paw (“Treehouse of Horror II”), I fully expect insanity to ensue. Unfortunately, I was unable to snag a ticket at the festival, but I'm very excited to finally see this one on the big screen when it comes out in May. — Nick I LOVE BOOSTERS (May 22) It’s fittingly absurd just how much director Boots Riley has had a chokehold on me after just one movie. Sorry to Bother You , Riley’s electric debut feature in 2018, instantly became one of my all-time favourite films. In that one film, he was able to showcase a crazy sense of humour and imagination, and I’ve waited way too long for the next time I get to witness his bizarre sensibilities on the big screen (I also loved his Prime series, I’m A Virgo , but I want to see him in theatres, dammit). The wait is almost over because his sophomore feature, I Love Boosters , is coming out in May. It’s being described as a sci-fi comedy (fitting for Riley, at this rate) about a group of shoplifters. That’s genuinely all I know. However, pair Riley’s brain with a cast that includes clears throat Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, LaKeith Stanfield, Demi Moore, Eiza González, Don Cheadle, and Will Poulter… and I may have to do some shoplifting myself just to afford a ticket for its SXSW premiere. — Adriano MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (June 5) If I’m being completely honest, “anticipated” isn’t the right word for my feelings on Masters of the Universe . “Curious” is far more appropriate. As an 80s kid, I grew up on He-Man. One of my mom’s favorite stories was about how, in 1984, He-Man toys were the hot gift item that no one could find, except that her and my grandmother luckily and randomly found the key action figures for my third birthday (He-Man & Battle Cat and Skeletor & Panthor, for those that don’t know). She said it was maybe the happiest she’d ever seen me to that point, and so very worth how much they cost. So, the movie, which features a mix of proven favorites (Idris Elba as Man-at-Arms, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn), unproven up-and-comers (Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, Camila Mendes as Teela), and questionable eye-rollers (Jared Leto as Skeletor, Kristin Wiig as Roboto) — all from a decent, but not exactly hitmaking, director (Travis Knight) — piques my curiosity given my nostalgic ties, but not necessarily my anticipation. If it does nothing more than make me smile as I think of my mother, that’d probably be enough. But, by the power of Grayskull, I hope it’s more than that. — Quentin DISCLOSURE DAY (June 12) Whenever there is a new Steven Spielberg movie coming out, obviously it’s on my radar, but Disclosure Day , specifically, has me beyond hyped. As someone whose favorite Spielberg films are E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind , his return to the alien genre feels like a homecoming and a major reason why this is one of my most anticipated movies of 2026. This film has so much mystique behind it, even with the teaser trailer that dropped in December. There is just so much to ponder as it leaves you questioning what you might do if you learned aliens are real. With Spielberg at the helm, it’s certainly a movie I won’t be missing when it invades theaters this summer. — Paige