New (At Home) Flix: Obsession (2026)

The hype.  
It lives up to it.

This might just be your next...

A man named Bear is in a friend group of coworkers including his buddy, Sarah and Nikki.

He's been longing after Nikki for years, it seems.

He goes to buy her a gift at a Store that sells stuff like trinkets, 'magic' stones and the like.

He sees a novelty item that will apparently grant you a wish.

He wishes that Nikki loved him more than anything else in the World.

It works...too well?

She can't stand being away from him.
She loves him so much.

It seems great at first, but then she starts to act really weird.

Her behavior gets crazier and he shrinks more into his own shell.

When she has a big freakout (to say the least) around others, he will have to act...right?

Things go way too far and he has to make a decision.
He has to act!

Can he find a way out?
Is there one?

To find out, stream this now!

Damn.  Double damn!

This Film came with tons of hype, as a pair of Indy Films (alongside Backrooms) that just amazed people.  A24 vs. Blumhouse!

It's that good.
It's that freaky.
It's that intense.

It's Stars both do so well and they do so in very different ways.
Johnson- as Bear- does so much by doing nothing.  The way he shrinks into a bed/chair and can't say what he needs to say is amazing.  You could look lazy, but he's not that.

Navarette- as Nikki- obviously has lots more to do.  She goes from a normal girl to an absolute psycho.
She can do it abruptly or just build up dramatically.  You never quite know if she's going to jump scare yell or just simmer until she boils over.

She deserves all of the chances- especially considering that she was apparently paid $20,000 for this!

This Film is great, just make sure you're ready for sudden scares, freak-outs and genuine emotion.

A Film that did so much with a simple premise and mostly unknown Actors.  I'm so happy to say that this one is great! 

Immediate Response: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

Alright- it's Spider-Man Day!

Let's do this!

The Good

* The Plot is a fresh one, involving Damage Control, a mysterious menace and Peter's struggle to make peace with himself.
* The Film looks great, with fun visuals for him swinging and great CGI.

* With Crestin as Director, the Action looks more dynamic and his experience with Shang-Chi shows.
* Bringing The Hulk back (no SPOILER to anyone who's seen any Trailer) was so worth it.

* Bernthal as Punisher is a nice foil for Spider-Man.

The Bad

* You have to be familiar with the events of the Spider-Man 'Home' Trilogy to get the most out of this.
* The melodrama can be a bit heavy-handed at times.

* As fun as the Easter Eggs are, I just want more Boomerang, Tarantula and others.
* If you're not a fan of the Comic Retcons to give Peter his organic web shooters and the like, it is more of that.  Blame James Cameron- the Organic Web shooters were created for his unused Script from the '90s.

Bottom line- this is a fun, creative Marvel Film.  It's great to see more Spider-Man and done in such a great way.

Immediate Response: Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey (2026)

 Before I see the big Tom Holland Film this Summer, I needed to see...the big Tom Holland Film of the Summer.

Look- I just went to see...

The Good

* The Film is epic is scope and absolutely delivers on what you expect from 'Christopher Nolan does The Odyssey.'  Clearly, they cut NO corners.

* The Acting is really good across the board, from the Leads like Damon and Holland to people in smaller, but integral roles like Page and Nyong'o.

* All of the moments you expect to see are here (in some form or another). 
The Cyclops is a real standout, from the FX to the overall execution.

* Everyone gets a moment to shine here, which is great to see in a Film like this.
* The Score deserves a mention here.  Big, booming and a big highlight.

The Bad

* The Film has some really violent moments in it.  Just a warning for anyone who, you know, doesn't know the Story.

* I don't necessarily know if this one needed to be told somewhat out of order (not to the extent of Oppenheimer).  It's not a huge deal, but the framing is notable.

* This is probably just a 'me' thing, but they built up finally showing us Agamemnon for so long that when we see him, I was expecting some big surprise Star.  Not a knock on the guy, but I was expecting someone else.

* It's a shame that things like them changing how the Gods are represented to who they cast in certain roles.  

Honestly, don't let it keep you from seeing this!

Please don't judge the Film on the many Fake AI Image Generated Trailers either. 
Like...why is this a thing?

Nolan does Nolan stuff with a big Budget and a retelling of a literal Epic.

Shudder Day: Exit 8 (2025/6)

Liminal Horror.
Do you need to Google what that means?

When you're done, check out the one that is NOT Backrooms.

This, instead, is...

An unnamed man rides the Tokyo Subway, ignoring bad behavior by those along the way.

He goes to meet his Girlfriend at the Hospital and just needs to take Exit 8.

A simple task.

One long hallway.
A Corner.
Exit...1?

As he soon figures out, he's stuck in a Loop known as Exit 8.

He has to go back if there are anomalies (like a sign changed) or keep going if things are normal.

Easier said than done though.

Things get creepier as time goes on.

The Film also sometimes switches focus to the other people we sometimes see like The Walking Man.

As things get worse and quite strange, can the Unknown Man learn more about himself and why he ended up in this place.

With a kid in peril, can he rise to the occasion?

Can he regain his future?

To find out, stream it now.

A Film that has a thin premise and tries to make the most of it.

If you don't know and didn't Google it first, Liminal Horror is about people being trapped in spaces with no end, usually in the form of a loop.

This one is shiny and not yellow, which is a plus.

The early parts of the Film are going to be what hopefully hook you.  As things go on, the sense of familiarity works with and against the Film.

There are occasional glimpses of other locations- for reasons I won't SPOIL- so they clearly knew that this was a potential issue.

If you stick with the middle parts, the Ending will definitely hook you and feel satisfying.
Just be on the lookout for moments that make you react like this...

A Film with a great premise that is, admittedly, difficult to adapt into a Film.  I think that it mostly succeeds and will live on in my memory for a while.

Shudder Day: Faces of Death (2026)

Well, I've already covered the original and its most famous rip-off.

Now let's check out the Meta Sequel that was 4 Decades in the making.

This is...

A woman named Margot works as a Content Moderator at a Streaming Platform a la Tik Tok (or Tic Tac if you're Trump).

She sees a video that looks real and has odd narration.

She approves it, but it soon troubled by another one appearing the next day.

As it turns out, they are real!

A weirdo is obsessed with Internet Violence Culture and is reenacting Scenes with real people.

He targets an influencer next...

Margot investigates the videos via Reddit and is told about Faces of Death.

Luckily, her weirdo roommate has a copy of it on VHS and she soon recognizes the original versions of his reenactments.

Before you ask, I don't own the Film on VHS.

The killer takes on more victims and does his own version of yet another Faces of Death Scene.

I guess that this is a World without CNN, because there's no way that this guy showing up in a 'murder video' is not news.

Margot goes deeper and deeper.

Nobody will believe her without more evidence, so she finds some.

Unfortunately, that gets the killer looking at her!

As it turns out, Margot herself was involved in this same culture.  

She had an attempt at a viral video go horribly wrong.

So, if she wants to stop the killer, it's all on her!

To find out how that goes, stream it now.

A surprisingly good META Horror Sequel.  I know- I wasn't expecting it either.

A Film like this can either be really good or really bad.  There's almost never an in-between.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare- good.
Human Centipede 2- bad!

How you feel about this one will also be informed by how you feel about Post-Modern Slasher Films.  This is close to one, albeit not one with a mystery reveal of the killer.

A Film like this could get really preachy, but they walk that line pretty well.  The Film itself has much to say, but is pretty good about not pointing a finger too much.

Seeing the promotion and trailers for this left me cold, but curious.
The final product, however, was better than I'd hoped and didn't upset me as much as I expected.

A Film that is honestly kind of good and has stuff to say.  Marketing this was never going to be easy, but, boy, did they botch it.

Streaming Standard: X-Men '97- Season 2's Premiere Episodes

 We're back in the '90s!

The Show is back for another Season after a long delay.  Fittingly, this delay led to 3 Episodes about Time Travel coming out first!

I'll keep this as SPOILER-free as possible, but I do have to reference the Ending of Season 1.

Let's get out first taste of...

This Season's Villain is Apocalypse!

Hey, it's the tease of Wolverine and The X-Men finally paying off after over a Decade!

The Team is split up in Time and Space by a mysterious force.

In Episode 1, we see the group in the far Future as they see the now-adolescent Cable and try to guide him towards his destiny.

Episode 2 takes us back to the Present (of the Show) and follows those left behind.

Sunspot and Jubilee are recruited by Cable as part of his new X-Force.

They discover that a different team is also acting in the X-Men's absence...

X-Factor!

Last seen in Cold Comfort, the Team is working to capture all of the Mutants that they can find and rounding them up for 'their safety.'

I thought I could trust you, Strong Guy!

In the final Episode of the release, we see the team that was sent back to the Past.

They are teamed up with a pre-evil (well, mostly) Apocalypse as Magneto tries to rewrite history by getting him on their side.

Sadly, the slew of Star Trek: TNG Voice Actors are in the way!

To find out how it goes, Stream the Episodes now (before Episode 4 drops)!

A strong batch of Episode that makes up for all of the wait!

Obviously, many things happened behind the Scenes that likely delayed things.  Even so, we have good content to enjoy.

Episode 1 is a fun reintroduction to everyone and gives off real Terminator vibes.

Episode 2 is a good example of a Side Story and let us see many, many Cameos.  Just Google it and you'll see.

Episode 3 is the first of a 2-Parter, so don't expect everything to be settled.  It's still a great use of the Characters.

The pairings have mostly paid off quite well, from Rogue and Nightcrawler bonding to Jubilee butting heads with Cable.
We don't see any of the sort-of flirting with Morph and Wolverine here, but there's time (if it is continuing).

This Season really has a nice chance to breathe with this setup and I'm hopeful that it continues that way.

As always, people love to make Fake AI Trailer Images.  This one is from November!

We'll see if any of it comes true.

I'll likely cover the remaining Episodes in batches, but time will tell.  For now, enjoy the '90s!

Immediate Response: Supergirl (2026)

 I had a busy week (or so) and couldn't get to this one until today.

It's time to watch...

The Good

* The Film has a very unique vibe, taking predominantly in Outer Space and involving lots of various Alien Races. 
It's like the Lobby Scene in every Men in Black Film, but many times in 1 Film.
* This Supergirl feels unique.  She has experienced trauma and is escaping it until fate makes her act.

* The Brigands are good enemies, with their Ravager-like attire and being easily hated.  Their Leader is just a mean, mean dude.
* The way we learn Supergirl's background and how it plays out is well done.

* Lobo is a fun distraction and does add lots to the Story.
* The Character Arcs across the board are well done.

The Bad

* Because the extent of her Origin is revealed later, early response to Supergirl and her antics might be taken the wrong way.
* I would have loved to see her in the suit before the Finale.

* Hopefully more of these cosmic adventures can include some form of the Green Lantern Corps.  I'd settle for just G'Nort.
* Some people are calling some of Supergirl's actions as 'controversial.'  I don't see it, but that's just me.

Nothing is bad as this picture I found on Google though.

A Film that manages to do its own thing- whether it works for you or not.  Here's to more creativity and more of Milly as Supergirl.

Immediate Response: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

 I had to see this in a Theater.
This is the Way!

The Good

* The Film looks great.  All of the visuals are top notch, from the shiny beskar to the Hutt Base that looks like a rotting pumpkin.

* The Plot gives you the action you'd expect, the settings you like and a nice turn or two in the middle.

* Grogu is a delight. 
His little friends are great too.

* Now that we got Sigourney Weaver in Star Wars, is Predator next?

* The Hutts have never looked weirder and more gross.  Is this actually a bad thing?
* We finally get to see Zeb again, if only for a bit.

The Bad

* A simple mention of Carl Weathers' Greef Karga would have been nice.
* Likewise, there seems to have been an attempt to make this not feature/mention other Characters- like Bo-Katan or other Mandalorian fighters.
* Just looking at the Hutt Planet makes me feel like a need a tetanus shot.

All in all, a Film that feels like a bigger scale/Budget Story from the Show.  
If you're expecting something different, then, well, it's not for you.

Fans of the Show and Star Wars in general should certainly check this out for the loud, big screen experience.

Screener Flix: Killer Whale (2026)

 Aquatic Creatures can be beautiful...and deadly.

Given that 'Killer' is in this creature's name, it can't be good.

To see how you can do both more and less with this concept, read on...

A Cold Open sets up the Character Arc of our Final Girl.

It involves a gun, a Diner and a boyfriend.

A year later, her friend convinces her to go on vacation with her.  She really wants to make things up for her...for some reason.

They visit an aquatic park with a Killer Whale...and then things take a turn.

The next day, they go out on a trip to a private atoll with the guy they met earlier.

It looks beautiful.
It looks...enclosed.

Our Heroine wants to just take in the sun, while her friend and the guy drive around in a jetski.

However, as you'd guess from the Title, they are not alone...

The duo end up trapped on a rock to stay safe from the creature.

The other problem, of course, is that they have no food and water on this random rock they fled to.

How will they survive?
Can they?
Will they escape?

To find out, stream it now.

A Movie that manages to do more than I was expecting...but also less.

The Plot is pretty simple, with a dramatic beginning to set up later events (which I won't SPOIL).  They get to the Atoll pretty quickly, since the focus is on them being trapped.

I am at least glad that we didn't get this one done in the 'arty way' (showing them on the rock and then showing flashbacks to how they got there).

I liked the Acting from both ladies here.  They felt very natural and they certainly make me want to see them in more.

In older Films, there would usually be a(n often) flimsy pretense for more people to either show up or be there. 
Link, for instance, has 3 guys from earlier go to the House to up the body count.  
That or you get Films (like Piranha 3-D) that make it a larger group of people that are often cliches.

This one is stronger in terms of story for not doing it, but weaker in terms of action and scares for not doing it.
And yes, this is similar in certain ways to a tale of a lady hiding on a rock from a shark.

And also yes, the green/blue screen work here is not always great.  I did like the Whale though.

In summary, Killer Whale is a strong Film for Story, but just know that it is more about that than it is a Creature Feature.

A Film that may not please people looking for the usual Killer Animal Film.  That said, it has many high points and nails the Story.