RECENT VIEWINGS Spring 2026

 

I must have been experiencing an unusual burst of energy because I actually ventured out into the world and saw two movies in the theater in the same week. Could this be a trend? Probably not. After sitting through all of the previews of coming attractions which took around thirty minutes before the actual films, I remain largely uninspired by the state of contemporary cinema. One film that I am looking forward to, however, is BACKROOMS, an A24 production that looks absolutely fascinating. I'm mildly interested in seeing PROJECT HAIL MARY, all 156 minutes of it. We'll see how that works out. In the meantime, here are some comments about the two films I saw on the big screen.

UNDERTONE (2025)  This is a Canadian film, the directorial debut of Ian Tuason. It's a psychological horror film that involves paranormal activity, paranoia and large helpings of Catholic angst. A young woman, Evy (Nina Kiri), lives in a two-story house with her mother, who is comatose and near death. Evy gives her full time care. Evy also operates an online podcast called The Undertone with her friend Justin (Adam DiMarco). They discuss alleged paranormal activity, with Justin taking the position that the activities are real, while Evy acts as skeptic. When they begin listening to audio files sent to Justin by one of their listeners, files which appear to indicate demonic possession, Evy begins to experience strange things happening in the house. Objects are being moved, water is mysteriously left running, lights are on when they shouldn't be, and her mother is sometimes where she shouldn't be. The happenings in the audio files seem to be connected to events and memories from Evy's past, and her paranoia and fear steadily increase. The film is very well made and well-acted by Nina Kiri. She is in every scene of the picture and is the only character actually seen, apart from her mother who has no dialogue. Justin only appears as a voice on the computer, the same as the audio files. The believability of the story depends on Kiri, and she underplays perfectly. There isn't very much action in the movie, but an atmosphere of darkness and tension grows with each scene. UNDERTONE belongs to a class of films I like to call Lapsed Catholic Fever Dreams, where filmmakers appear to be dealing with their experiences and guilt brought on by their Catholic upbringing and the abandonment of same. In this story, the mother is a devout Catholic and the daughter has fallen away, so the film is filled with typical religious imagery: crucifixes, icons. and a statue of the Blessed Virgin which keeps moving around, all of which are repeatedly shown in close-up as the atmosphere in the house gets weirder. This has all been done before and is no longer terribly interesting or surprising. Still, the film is worth seeing. And there is no violence, always a plus in my book.

THE DRAMA (2026) Directed by Kristoffer Borgli, this film stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as Emma and Charlie, a young couple about to be married. While having drinks with another couple, a challenge comes up where each person must reveal the worst thing they ever did. Emma is the last to confess, and her confession is so awful that Charlie and the two friends are stunned and begin to wonder if they ever knew this woman at all. (The confession is too crucial to the story, so I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen the movie. Let's just say that violence is involved.) As the wedding is only a week away, Charlie goes into panic mode, wondering if he can actually go through with it. The "drama" of the title builds steadily as other associates of the now tenuously linked couple are drawn into their situation. Everything comes to a head at their wedding, which definitely reaches black comedic status. The irony of the film is that Charlie's obsession with Emma suddenly exhibiting psychotic behavior causes him to behave like a psychotic. Not a bad film. It held my attention right up to the inconclusive ending.

The following three films were viewed at home in the movie room.

THE SURFER (2024) I picked this up as sort of blind buy, having read some intriguing things about it in a couple of reviews. Nicholas Cage excels in the title roll, a man with no identity other than The Surfer. Other characters are similarly known only as The Kid, The Cop, The Bum, etc. A few have actual names. The Surfer has returned to a remote beach in Australia where he spent his youth before relocation to America. His dream is to buy the house once owned by his father and bring his wife and son to live there. He also dreams of taking his son surfing on the beach. However, he encounters opposition and threats from a group of male surfers, led by a charismatic toxic male named Scally (Julian McMahon), who tell him he isn't allowed to surf on their beach. As The Surfer fights desperately to close the deal on the house and overcome the threats and rejection coming from Scally and his cult-like gang, his life and mental state begin to unravel. The film turns into a journey into isolation, paranoia and alienation as The Surfer becomes completely disconnected from the life he once lived. Director Lorcan Finnegan has created a masterful, unforgettable psychological thriller filled with twists and turns I didn't see coming. This might be Nicholas Cage's best work. He is perfectly matched by Julian McMahon, an actor who was completely new to me. Unfortunately, this very talented man died at the age of 56 in 2025, not long after this film was released. I would like to search out more of his work.

KNOX GOES AWAY (2023) Another semi-blind buy on Blu-ray, this very complicated crime story was directed by Michael Keaton, who also stars as the titular character, and was written by Gregory Poirier. John Knox is a contract killer who is alienated from his wife and family. He finds out that he is suffering from a fast-developing form of dementia which is affecting his work and interactions with people. While making plans to get his life in some kind of order, his estranged son, Miles (James Marsden) comes to him for help. Miles has killed a man who raped and impregnated his teenage daughter. John agrees to help him cover up the murder, turning to his friend, Xavier Crane (Al Pacino), a former thief, for help in constructing and carrying out a very detailed plan to make sure Miles isn't found guilty of the murder. I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie, but it turned out to be a fascinating combination of intricate crime thriller and human drama. Keaton does an amazing job as both actor and director. Excellent support from Marsden and Pacino. Also featured are Marcia Gay Harden as Knox's wife, Suzy Nakamura and John Hoogenakker as the police detectives who are hot on Knox's trail, but not quite able to catch up, and Ray McKinnon and Joanna Kulig as Knox's partner and girlfriend, respectively. Definitely worth checking out. This is a film I'll have to rewatch so I can catch all of the details.

THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS (1954) This glossy, colorful MGM production is loosely based on the short story Babylon Revisited, written in 1930 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I haven't read the story, so I have no idea how loose the adaptation is. While the film is graced by MGM star power, headed by Elizabeth Taylor and Van Johnson, I found it to be somewhat of a misfire. Johnson is badly miscast as Charles Wills, an American journalist working in Paris after the end of World War II. He gets involved with an American family headed by James Ellswirth (Walter Pidgeon) who lives with his adult daughters Helen (Taylor) and Marion (Donna Reed). Charles marries Helen, they have a daughter (Sandy Descher) and live the high life of Paris while Charles attempts to become a writer of novels, experiencing a succession of rejections. Eventually, wealth comes to the family through oil wells James owned in America which he gave to Charles as a dowry. The infusion of money doesn't bring happiness or fulfillment to Charles and Helen, as their hedonistic lifestyles combined with Charles' continued failure as a writer lead to dissipation and estrangement. The story has possibilities but quickly becomes overwrought with emotional melodrama that becomes difficult to believe, especially when Van Johnson is involved. The biggest flaw in the film was casting Johnson as a romantic leading man opposite the impossibly beautiful Miss Taylor. You could easily say that her image in close-up is the most important aspect of the film, perhaps the main reason the film was made to begin with. When she is onscreen, the film works, in spite of the convoluted story or any other flawed factor. The other rewarding aspect of the film is the lovely title song, composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II for the 1941 MGM film LADY BE GOOD, and winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Song. In this 1954 film, the song is heard incessantly, with full orchestra, on the piano and in vocal performances. It's one of those songs that is impossible to hear too many times, including in this 117-minute laborious movie. Also featured are the very decorative Eva Gabor, George Dolenz, Kurt Kasznar, and a very young, handsome Roger Moore in his American film debut, managing to stand out as a gigolo in hot pursuit of Helen. Directed by Richard Brooks. The film made money, so what the hell do I know?