EXPATS Starring: Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee, Tiana Gowen, Bodhi del Rosario, Ruby Ruiz, Amelyn Pardenilla, and Jack Huston Creator: Lulu Wang ADRIANO I've been waiting since 2019 for Lulu Wang's follow-up to her excellent feature debut, The Farewell , and I am delighted to say that her new Prime series Expats does not disappoint. Although it’s certainly slight in its approach to modern-day womanhood, Wang allows the performances and writing to breathe every step of the way. It's a nuanced show in all the right ways, and it leaves the viewers with a dark sense of realism in nearly every frame. Episode Five alone makes its slow-burn nature a worthwhile experience.

A THOUSAND BLOWS: SEASON ONE Starring: Malachi Kirby, Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty, Francis Lovehall, Ziggy Heath, Jason Tobin, Darci Shaw, James Nelson-Joyce, Nadia Albina, Jemma Carlton, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Morgan Hilaire, Tom Davis, Ella Lily Hyland, Robert Glenister, and Susan Lynch Creator: Steven Knight QUENTIN If you’re experiencing severe withdrawals from Peaky Blinders , ask your doctor about A Thousand Blows (at least until the Blinders movie, The Immortal Man , hits Netflix). With both series coming from Steven Knight, Blows could be the 1883 to Peaky Blinders ’ Yellowstone due to the shared production values, period-specific details, and above average performances (although, Blinders is stronger on the acting front). However, while it touches on still relevant themes of class, gender, and racial dynamics, the story is a poorly paced slog built around thinly written characters and boxing sequences that are bruising but not exciting. If you need a Blinders fix, it’ll do…but meh.

Previous February 18, 2026 Next A BITESIZE CHAT WITH NIRVANNA THE BAND Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol talk about bringing Nirvanna the Band to the big screen, the editing process, and making a truly Canadian film. BB: So, this film is filled with tons of [Toronto] Easter Eggs. How do you go about creating a film that is so unabashedly Canadian, yet something that worldwide audiences are going to be able to embrace? MJ: We have good role models in that sense. In other Commonwealth countries like Australia and England, the BBC and ABC have a lot of super hyper-local content, whether it's The Office or Chris Lilley's Summer Heights High , where there are references to such bizarre local culture that you'd think it's completely unintelligible to outsiders. But these are some of my and Jay's favorite things ever made. So, I don't think that we thought about it as something that was going to repel audiences. We saw it as a feature. If we can do something in Canada in the same way that these other guys made shows about their particular cultures, then we'd be in good company. JM: Just working backwards too. Like, we don't put on any costume really, or we don't really venture out to try to manifest a set that we thought and we wrote. We're just using literally what's in front of us. So, we're able to do it because we really are what you see. This is where we live and this is what we know. It's all we know. BB: Let’s talk about the editing. You've really made the unbelievable so believable. What were the biggest challenges you faced in the editing phase of the film? And maybe tell us a bit about some of the struggles because it looked like a lot of work went into it. MJ: The real struggle is actually not what you'd think. And this is what's so fun about making movies in this format. The struggle with editing is when the editors get a better idea for what our scene should have been than we had. And, so, we'll shoot something... a great example would be, I'll use a very obvious one, okay? When we tried to sneak through security at the CN Tower and we on the production team were expecting to get stopped. We thought that they were going to say, “hey, you can't bring parachutes in here. You can't bring wire cutters in here” and stop us. So, when they let us through all of a sudden, we are, like, okay, so now what do we do? We send that footage back to the editors and we're, like, well, do we use this? Like, what can we do? And they confront us with the idea that they love this footage, so let's see where it goes. Now, you have to go and actually shoot what you said you were going to shoot. That is, I think, a big example, but every day we were hearing alternate versions of what we had shot from the editors as they said, “don't do that, do this instead.” That said, it means that we're really working for them. Like, we're trying to shoot as much content as we can, do as much crazy shit as we can, so that they have enough clay, so to speak, to really mold something interesting. But we trust them completely. Curt [Lobb] and Bobby [Upchurch] are more or less in charge of the movie. JM: It's very fun to be presented by them. We get to perform for each other. So, Matt and I, there's no script. We know kind of where we want to go, but we improvise a lot of stuff, and they play with those ingredients and concoct something and show it back to us. But, often, they're not just doing that to make it funny. They're trying to find some better writing, as well. And often, what happens is that we go back to shoot again because the editors have discovered a way to punch up the writing, make something make more sense, to help a storyline. So, we're constantly going back and forth between the people on the field and the people in editing. We're making it all together. BB: There’s a scene where you head back to your apartment in 2008 and you inadvertently interact with your younger selves. How did you plan out that scene? Because that footage you have in that scene, it's almost as if you filmed it back then perfectly to fit with what we get in this film. JM: Well, when we made the webseries, we were really figuring out things as we went. We didn't know how to shoot with a lot of intention. We would just improvise, and our camera guys would just shoot us trying a lot of different things. We eventually made a webseries and cut it all down, but we saved all the little mini-tapes in a drawer because we're, like, maybe one day this will come in handy. Years later, we found ourselves sort of still figuring out what we wanted to do with this movie, and we realized that enough time had gone by that we could string together this crazy idea of a time travel plot using the old footage. So, the real heroes of that sequence are our editors that went through all that footage and all the stuff that didn't get into the web series, which is so many hours of things, and found little pertinent moments that they could develop a little narrative to. Then we came in and were, basically, just being directed by them as to how to fit in how we were interacting with ourselves. Through a series of tricks, it all came together. BB: You guys really centered friendship as the emotional core of your story. Was there a moment you guys shared with each other while making this movie that really stands out to you? MJ: It's interesting because making movies is so difficult that it would be... believe it or not, the things that bonded Jay and I the most were when things were going wrong, but it wasn't our fault. JM: We had a common enemy and it wasn't each other. MJ: Yeah, it would be like when Matt Greyson, the producer, made a huge mistake or Ben Shane forgot our clothes. Then Jay and I could just sit in this boiling hot RV on Queen Street in rush hour traffic and laugh and be like, well, at least it wasn't our fault that this got screwed up. JM: We’d just laugh. It was a joyous time because we realized, okay, we are off the hook. But we are going to suffer. MJ: Filmmaking is, literally—it may seem like a joke—but it's constant suffering. It's like the joy comes when you're thinking of the idea and how good it will be and you're dreaming, “oh, wouldn't it be funny?” Like, we'll jump off the CN Tower, oh, it'll be hilarious. Then you actually have to do it and it's not fun at all. It's like your stomach is in a knot. You're worried you're going to get in so much trouble. It is literally not a good time. JM: I'm very bad with heights too. It's awful. No interest in getting up there. MJ: And you can apply that to almost every single section of the movie where it seemed like a good idea, then you actually have to do it and it's just pain. It's pain, but the friendship survives. The idea that in some ways, thematically, it's important that these characters go through such adversity only to realize that the most important thing to them is their connection to one another. Because I think that's how great friendships are formed. Like, at war or in school, in places where you have to do something extremely difficult. For some reason, you can't get rid of those people because you went through something hard. BB: Since the show has wrapped and, you know, there have been so many different movies and TV shows that have had big impacts and big moments, has anything come out in that time that you guys think, we could absolutely riff on this in the Nirvanna the Band universe? MJ: This is such a smart question. It's like asking Weird Al what songs have come out that he wishes he could do a version of. It's weird, I would say that the obvious answer would be like a kind of Barbenheimer, like Oppenheimer -style parody. But you never really know what's going to work and what's not going to work. I think that if we were ever going to do a more modern movie and do a straight one-to-one ripoff of it, the best would be Whiplash , because we have this kind of dynamic between us already and there's a musical element to it. I could see us doing an entire Whiplash episode of the show. But it's funny because we've never been asked that before, so I imagine that we could probably come up with a hundred. JM: It's usually what moves us and if we have a lot of gas in the tank to talk about it. If we end up… if we're just on our own as friends and with our whole crew, if we're talking a lot about something and we have a lot of ideas, that just means that there's something there that we can explore. MJ: I'll say the shows that we thought about making but never did... They're a little bit dated now, but we tried doing a Westworld episode of the show. And we also had another idea for a time-travel episode where we go back way, way, way far and it was kind of going to be like a Game of Thrones -style episode. Go to, like, not prehistoric, but a medieval time. BB: Well, hopefully there’s more to come, and I can’t wait for audiences to get to check this thing out. MJ: Thank you, Nick. JM: Thanks, Nick. Make sure to check out Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie now in theatres. Interview conducted on February 4th, 2026 by Nick van Dinther.

DEVIL IN DISGUISE: JOHN WAYNE GACY Starring: Michael Chernus, Gabriel Luna, James Badge Dale, Michael Angarano, Chris Sullivan, Marin Ireland, Augustus Prew, Brandon McEwan, Cricket Brown, and Thom Nyhuus Creator: Patrick Macmanus QUENTIN In the current glut of miniseries about famous serial killers, Devil in Disguise separates itself by bringing a fresh approach to the table. Instead of the typically exploitive path of sensationalizing John Wayne Gacy’s (a terrific Michael Chernus) gruesomeness and depravity on screen, Devil quietly explores the monster’s psychopathy without caricature. It’s a powerfully grounded endeavor, especially because — in a rarity — it truly honors the victims, giving life to those who were taken too soon and the people they left behind. For once, genre fans are reminded that their entertainment is derived from actual tragedy and not faceless MacGuffins. Ryan Murphy’s Monster should take notes. NICK Considering victim neglect (and homophobia) played a large part in the number of murders John Wayne Gacy (Michael Chernus) committed, it's nice to see Patrick McManus' main focus of Devil in Disguise is the victims. It's also the thing that sets this above other true crime dramas. Gacy isn't sensationalized here (as is often the case), but it makes him no less compelling or frightening. This should be the new blueprint for telling these kinds of stories. Had the authorities handled this case with as much care as McManus, some of those boys would still be alive today.

Previous Next July 9, 2025 WRITTEN BY: ADRIANO On a purely technical basis, an IMAX camera can truly enhance the way a movie is filmed, utilizing formats and sound systems that aren't available on a regular screen. In less technical terms, nothing compares to seeing a movie on that large IMAX display. Some of my favourite film memories were filmed in IMAX, and I try my best to see any movie I can on one of their screens. I’m so dedicated that I even saw Madame Web in an IMAX theater. In recent years, I've noticed an uptick in acknowledgement for the format beyond just being a bigger screen, and many high-profile filmmakers embracing IMAX film to show its true capabilities. Notable recent examples include Jordan Peele's Nope and Denis Villeneuve's Dune films. But what's telling is just how much attention non-action/sci-fi films have gotten for their use of the projection, namely Christopher Nolan's biographical drama Oppenheimer, Brady Corbet’s historical epic The Brutalist , and just a few months ago, Ryan Coogler’s period horror Sinners . These aren't films you'd typically associate with IMAX as the larger format is often taken up by blockbuster genre spectacle, and yet a good chunk of those films’ revenue came from IMAX. Since the resurgence of the format’s benefits and use, a solid amount of older films have been restored for IMAX and re-released. These re-releases are by no means a new phenomenon, but this year alone, we've gotten restorations of Parasite , Seven , and Princess Mononoke . If this trend is to continue, I want to pitch some films, or groups of films, I'd love to see on an IMAX screen. I will specify that I'm only pitching films that have never had a release on IMAX, so as much as I'd love a chance to see La La Land , 2001: A Space Odyssey , or Uncut Gems on that glorious screen, I won’t be discussing those. Instead, here are the films I hope to screen once Ontario’s Cinesphere, one of the largest IMAX screens on Earth, finishes the (necessary) renovations they’ve been undergoing since 2022. Its reopening can't come soon enough! THE DOLLARS TRILOGY The IMAX format shouldn’t only belong to car chases and alien invasions. With all its spectacle and atmosphere, it’s just an inherently good idea to give the western genre its time in IMAX theaters. It can bring extra life to a vast horizon or give extra weight to the drama, and while a western is no stranger to shootouts or train robberies, it doesn't mean a simple standoff can't feel as pulse-pounding as any action sequence. I explored a few options to best give the genre a shot at the large screens, but in the end, I cheated a little and decided on the Dollars Trilogy ( A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More , and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly ). This western/action trilogy is a great candidate to show audiences the sprawling world of spaghetti westerns on the best screens on Earth. The Sergio Leone directed trilogy is a landmark in the genre, with A Fistful of Dollars popularizing spaghetti westerns in North America. So, a three-film marathon or one movie a week release in IMAX would be perfect. The western spectacle has its trademark chases and shootouts, but it’s the iconic final duels that would make any audience's jaw drop. Imagine experiencing the beautiful landscapes on those massive screens, Ennio Morricone's masterful score on those pulse-shaking speakers, and the mere gruff of Clint Eastwood's 'The Man with No Name' staring down our souls, ready to make his mark. You can release it in the original Italian too. In either language, I'd be there for all three. THE ORIGINAL STAR WARS TRILOGY With everything that has been re-released and reformatted for IMAX, I was genuinely surprised to find that the original Star Wars trilogy has never had such a release. I mean, just from a financial standpoint, that's easy money, no? Regular Star Wars re-releases tend to do good business; just look at the $55 million Revenge of the Sith just racked up. Imagine how profitable a large-format re-release of one of history's most influential trilogies would be. My personal love for Star Wars is admittedly running dry, but I'd still take the first opportunity I could to watch A New Hope alone in IMAX. The original three films are arguably the most iconic big-scale genre films ever, with so much of the science-fiction we see nowadays coming directly from them, so it's only right we get to experience this franchise's roots on the best screen possible. Plain and simple, it would be very cool. BACK TO THE FUTURE Given that it's about to reach its 40-year anniversary, I wouldn't be too shocked if this is something that is already in development, just not yet announced, especially with the recent screening at the TCM Classic Film Festival. Back to the Future is one of the most iconic films ever made, with endlessly quotable scenes, and some of the most recognizable props, memorabilia, and wardrobe in the cinematic zeitgeist. It would be an event to behold to watch this pillar of movie history in IMAX. Now, despite the fact that it's a science-fiction film, Back to the Future isn't necessarily known for its large scope. Not that the DeLorean sequence and the clock tower scene wouldn't be amazing on a giant enhanced screen, but this re-release would work mostly because of the light, but adventurous comedic tone that director Robert Zemeckis perfected, and being enveloped in that wonder while travelling back to the 1950s would just feel different in the immersive IMAX format. The rest of the trilogy would also make for excellent IMAX viewings, but I wanted to single out the original because its popularity and filmmaking makes the smaller scale feel bigger than it actually is, and in IMAX, that would be quite engrossing. WALL-E Now, let's bring in a little love for animated films. Animation has no limits, so these films can show things that aren't a theoretical possibility in live-action, and there’s no better way to showcase that endless potential than in IMAX. I considered many options, but if we're talking about pure visual and emotional splendour, I can't help but think that Wall-E in IMAX would be the most extraordinary. One of Pixar's many masterpieces, Wall-E flourishes with physical world-building, and for the first 30 minutes or so, you're watching a lone robot silently roaming a stunningly animated desolate Earth. Those visuals combined with Thomas Newman's score would be enough to buy an IMAX ticket, but then you get the added bonus of Buster Keaton-esque humour and a beautiful love story. I can honestly say the first half alone would be a sight to behold in IMAX. But then we go to space. The moments outside of Earth give us some of the most gorgeous sequences in animation history, and at the risk of sounding cliché, some of those scenes are absolutely transportive. We have a technical marvel to gawk at, AND there's an engaging story to go along with it. Honestly, this might be the best candidate I've talked about so far. Heartwarming and stunning, pulse-pounding and sweet, Wall-E is the kind of movie IMAX was made for. MULTIPLE NETFLIX RELEASES I've been very lucky to see many of the movies I'm about to talk about in theatres. But to my knowledge, Netflix has never embraced IMAX despite the incredible filmmakers that I'm sure would love to show their films in the format. To be clear, there is a lot of garbage that I don't need to ever make its way to an IMAX screen (apologies to all you The Gray Man fans). There are, however, some acclaimed, large-scale, stunning, and even Oscar nominated films that I’d trip over myself in a millisecond to experience in IMAX. The list is sprawling. You have the chaotic genre-frenzy of Noah Baumbach's White Noise , the emotional weight and raw portrayal of decade spanning organized crime in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman , and the adventurous wonder of Bong Joon-ho's Okja . How about the jaw-dropping cinematography of Alfonso Cuaron's Roma , the escalating calculated mayhem of Rian Johnson's Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , and the whimsical stop-motion world of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio ? Or the badass western thrills of Jeymes Samuels' The Harder They Fall , and the more subdued, yet grander scope of Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog . Some aren't a fan of The Power of the Dog , but I would still love to see the way that film's grit and take on the American West are portrayed on IMAX. Netflix has a long way to go when it comes to showing films in theatres, but if they did an IMAX series similar to what A24 has been doing, that would be a great start.

THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON: SEASON ONE Starring: Norman Reedus, Clémence Poésy, Louis Puech Scigliuzzi, Anne Charrier, Adam Nagaitis, Laïka Blanc-Francard, and Romain Levi Creator: David Zabel NICK If AMC wants to continue doing The Walking Dead spin-offs, they need to find ways to stand alone. Daryl Dixon does that. It looks different, it sounds different (half of the series is in French, and the English features a realistic amount of swearing for a zombie apocalypse), and it finally expands on the idea of the variant walkers introduced in World Beyond . I was skeptical of Norman Reedus’ Daryl Dixon as a series lead, but this endeavor actually provides some of the best work Reedus has done as the character in quite some time. Bring on The Book of Carol.

WANDAVISION Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, Josh Stamberg & Kat Dennings Creator: Jac Schaeffer QUENTIN Although slow to start, WandaVision is an ambitiously weird exploration of grief and trauma done in the distinctive style of the MCU. The sitcom setup, referencing everything from Bewitched to Modern Family , is perfect for Disney+'s first Marvel series, as it eases viewers into the drop-off from film budget to TV budget. That's not to say it feels cheap or that it features subpar writing or acting; those things are superb, but the effects aren't always up to film standards. That minor quibble aside, WandaVision is full of emotion, action, mystery, and several surprises - a bold start to Phase 4.

NINE BODIES IN A MEXICAN MORGUE Starring: Eric McCormack, David Ajala, Lydia Wilson, Jan Le, Adam Long, Siobhán McSweeney, Peter Gadiot, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Ángel López-Silva, and Sebastián Capitán Viveros Creator: Anthony Horowitz QUENTIN Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None is one of my favorite books, so anytime there is a movie or series that is even remotely similar, I’m in from the jump. Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue , while not perfect, captures enough of the classic story’s tension, mystery, and intrigue to keep viewers on the hook as they unravel what is happening. Plus, at only six episodes, people die quickly, resulting in a narrative that never feels like it’s spinning its wheels. It’s a little slight, especially given the lack of star power and a jungle set that looks stage-y, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Previous August 1, 2024 Next A BITESIZE CHAT WITH ZACH KORNFELD Director Zach Kornfeld (The Try Guys) joins Nick to talk about the importance of telling this story and his future beyond The Try Guys. Make sure to check out Ouch! and all the other great offerings from Fantasia International Film Festival. Interview conducted on July 24th, 2024 by Nick van Dinther.

HIS & HERS Starring: Jon Bernthal, Tessa Thompson, Pablo Schreiber, Sunita Mani, Marin Ireland, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Mike Pniewski, and Crystal Fox Creators: Bill Dubuque, Dee Johnson, and William Oldroyd AMARÚ For most of its six-episode run, His & Hers is a run-of-the-mill, whodunit revenge story carried by its two charismatic leads, Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal. With their performances leading the way, you easily fall in lockstep with the messy, melodramatic, soap opera-like tropes reminiscent of ABC’s Revenge and every other popcorn-worthy crime thriller with juicy twists and turns. Most of these types of series go for so long, or add so many intertwining surprises, that they back themselves into an unwinnably tangled corner. Luckily, this guilty pleasure lands their plane better than most, and gets a massive binge-worthy recommendation because of it. PAIGE His & Hers is a juicy mystery thriller that’s, unfortunately, filled with plot holes. Don’t get me wrong, on the surface, it’s a captivating and entertaining watch; however, it ultimately lacks the substance needed for audiences to fully get behind its truly shocking twists. While the show’s pacing helps maintain momentum and keeps you on your toes from episode to episode, its gaps also begin to become more noticeable, leaving its twists to not feel fully earned. That said, our leads, Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal, deliver solid performances that will keep you around and invested through it all.

THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH: SEASON ONE Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Naomie Harris, Annelle Olaleye, Clarke Peters, Bill Nighy, Jimmi Simpson, Kate Mulgrew, Sonya Cassidy, Joana Ribeiro, and Rob Delaney Creators: Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman QUENTIN Despite an interesting premise and some excellent performances (Chiwetel Ejiofor, especially), each passing episode of The Man Who Fell to Earth loses its grip on the elements that made for the series’ strong start. After the fish-out-of-water angle exhausts itself, the story begins to move at a snail’s pace as the show seems determined to slow-roll its mystery in an effort to play up its tone of ethereal solemness. Considering all the good things it has going for it (score, special effects, overall vibe, etc.), it’s the type of sci-fi series I want to like, but I just don’t have the patience for it.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Aisha Dee, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, and Ashley Zukerman. Creator: Samantha Strauss PAIGE What Apple Cider Vinegar excels at in this true-ish story of deception is not merely recounting Belle Gibson's (Kaitlyn Dever) scam, but serving as a window into a society that is all too ready to trust influencers. This limited series is one of those dramas that’s hard to watch but impossible to look away from. It is told in a disjointed, time-skipping manner, which unfortunately loses the momentum for each character's development, but at least has a number of other ingredients that add flavor to its story, primarily its strong ensemble led by Dever, who I must say nailed her Australian accent. KATIE Apple Cider Vinegar is a thoroughly entertaining, if slightly disjointed, series that focuses on the life and fraudulent career of Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever), an Australian wellness blogger who deceived countless people. It presents a compelling look at how easily early social media influencers could amass followers and lie to their naïve audiences, while empathetically exploring what drives people to seek attention and validation online. The overlapping timelines hurt the pacing and were slightly confusing, but the gripping story and witty framing device kept me engaged. Plus, Dever’s performance is incredible, her accent is spot-on, and she is exceptional at portraying Gibson’s deluded determination.