https://www.firstshowing.net All movie reviews all the time from FirstShowing.net. https://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/FSLogoWebfeeds2.svg Sun, 14 Jun 2026 16:43:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/sound-off-steven-speilbergs-disclosure-day-what-did-you-think/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/sound-off-steven-speilbergs-disclosure-day-what-did-you-think/#disqus_thread Fri, 12 Jun 2026 17:28:37 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=793961 Now that you've seen it, what did you think? "Today? Why, it's Disclosure Day!" 👽 Do you believe? Now in theaters worldwide is Disclosure Day, the highly anticipated sci-fi movie from master filmmaker Steven Spielberg. With a script by his regular collaborator David Koepp & a story direct from Spielberg's mind that he crafted during the UFO/UAP craze a few years ago, comes a grand adventure about getting the truth out. Disclosure Day follows Josh O'Connor as Dr. Daniel Kellner, a whistleblower ready to reveal the truth about aliens to the world; and Emily Blunt as Margaret, a TV woman with a special connection to the aliens. What will happen next? Will they get the truth out or will the government stop them? Reviews for Spielberg's Disclosure Day are all over the place – good & bad. Ranging from it's his best movie in 20 years and a grand sci-fi masterpiece, to one of his worst movies ever made that is a complete disappointment. Or is it somewhere inbetween? Is it entertaining even if the ending doesn't pay off? Go watch it in theaters and then chime in below. Do you agree with the positive or negative reviews of this one? Does it live up to the hype? Once you've seen it, leave a comment below with your thoughts on alien truth thriller Disclosure Day. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/review-spielbergs-sci-fi-disclosure-day-really-is-afraid-of-the-truth/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/review-spielbergs-sci-fi-disclosure-day-really-is-afraid-of-the-truth/#disqus_thread Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:51:15 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=793407 The truth will set us free. But will it really? Or is this just another nice platitude we all like to hear? We live in a very strange, post-truth era now, where the actual truth doesn't seem to matter much, and many people are instead obsessed entirely with believing whatever "truths" they prefer all because objective truths are too scary now (e.g. vaccines, climate change, etc). I'm not sure if Steven Spielberg doesn't know this, doesn't understand this, or doesn't know what to say or how to address this, because his new sci-fi film Disclosure Day is obsessed with discovering and unveiling the truth (about aliens) to the world in a time where doing this makes no difference anymore. He seems so lost in his own conspiracy theories and his faith about aliens being here on Earth, that he forgets to actually tell an interesting story with a meaningful message. He also forgets to actually make a movie that's about aliens at all. And most importantly, he seems to have forgotten to have anything actually worthwhile to say within this movie. The ending is blatant avoidance and massive cinematic fumble, even if the rest of the movie before is quite thrilling. Sorry Mr. Spielberg, but this ain't it. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-favorites-10-best-discoveries-festival/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-favorites-10-best-discoveries-festival/#disqus_thread Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:54:04 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=792049 What are the best films out of this year's Cannes Film Festival? Which ones should you be taking an interest in? What films should be a priority for you to see? After diving into a fascinating selection of films across 12 days at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, and after watching a grand total of 46 films, it's time to present my 2026 list of Top 10 Favorites. This was my 16th year back to this prestigious festival in France, and I still love being in the middle of all the buzz and excitement, watching brand new features every single day. As I usually say - there's always more to discover, so always keep watching. These ten 2026 favorites listed below are the ones that connected with me emotionally or intellectually, and I hope you'll consider keeping an eye out for them whenever they play on the big screen near you. Each one has something unique to offer in its own riveting way. It might have been another low key year in Cannes overall, with many colleagues complaining about how lackluster it was, though I am always delighted to uncover some amazing films no matter what. This is my final recap of Cannes 2026 - don't skip a chance to watch any of these terrific films. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-jim-queen-is-a-super-fun-animated-parisian-adventure/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-jim-queen-is-a-super-fun-animated-parisian-adventure/#disqus_thread Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:00:29 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=791971 It's so much fun to see a film push back against the macho man culture taking over the world again now. The delightfully amusing film Jim Queen is one of the handful of prestigious animated premieres at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The fest programmed it as a Midnight screening premiere – which is the perfect place for it. It's destined to become a cult classic, though with the right push and some good buzz it might end up becoming a full-on animated hit in theaters. Jim Queen is the epitome of an "adult" animated movie – one that is designed for adults and is definitely not a cartoon meant for kids; no way, not by a long shot. But it's also about a very adult topic which should stir up discussions anyway. The story follows a closeted gay twink in Paris named Lucien, who just so happens to be the son of a major French politician. When his favorite super popular gay influencer, Jim Queen, loses his status because a mysterious illness is taking over the entire city, Lucien emerges to find him and save him and set the world straight again – er rather, gay, again. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-the-misaligned-politics-of-cristian-mungius-fjord-film/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-the-misaligned-politics-of-cristian-mungius-fjord-film/#disqus_thread Thu, 28 May 2026 20:30:27 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=791606 When Jury President Park Chan-wook rose to announce the Palme d'Or winner at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival awards, he spoke of a competition selection defined by its disparate themes — and of the one work that supposedly unified them: Cristian Mungiu's social drama, Fjord. Accepting the honour, the Romanian auteur proclaimed a predictably somber diagnosis of a fractured, radicalized society. "This film is a pledge against any kind of fundamentalism," he remarked. "It's a pledge for the things we quote very, very often, like tolerance and inclusion and empathy... These are lovely words, but we need to apply them more often." With this victory, Mungiu was canonized as only the 10 director in history to secure a second Palme win, presenting a film functioning as a clinically precise, if characteristically detached, dissection of radicalism. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-everytime-is-a-boldly-cinematic-unique-take-on-grief/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-everytime-is-a-boldly-cinematic-unique-take-on-grief/#disqus_thread Wed, 27 May 2026 12:48:53 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=791221 A fresh new vision of cinema unfolds in front of our eyes. Emerging from the cinema, you will never see the world the same way again. Wow. This here is real, profound, bold cinema. It left me totally shaken, boasting a handful of entirely unforgettable shots (you'll notice them as soon as they arrive). Everytime is the latest feature from acclaimed Austrian filmmaker Sandra Wollner, a remarkably vibrant new take on grief and how it shatters the world around us. Everytime won the main award in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, standing out for so many reasons. It deserves this prize and plenty others. I'm also not the only one saying this film should've been in the festival's Main Competition, it's really that good. Then more people would've been able to watch it and start talking about it and discussing everything in the second half because WHOA. This is a serious conversation-starter film – in a good way. Everyone will have something to say about it, some questions to ask, some ideas to consider. What does it all mean?! Which is what truly great cinema can achieve when it's enchanting and emotionally profound and superbly cinematic. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-a-girl-unknown-is-a-heartbreaking-masterful-debut/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-a-girl-unknown-is-a-heartbreaking-masterful-debut/#disqus_thread Tue, 26 May 2026 20:38:59 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=791186 One of the standout debuts hidden within the 2026 Cannes Film Festival emerged from the Critics' Week (Semaine de la Critique) sidebar: Chinese director Zou Jing's film titled A Girl Unknown. It chronicles the life of Wang Juan (starring Cao Ruofan), tracing her journey from a rural childhood to city adulthood as she is shuffled through three different foster families. In her masterful debut, Zou tackles the profoundly painful legacy of China's demographic policies—a policy that left deep intergenerational scars. The narrative takes place throughout the 1980s and '90s, right at the peak of the so-called one-child policy. Women were subjected to compulsory sterilizations and forced abortions, often late in their pregnancies. Families daring to violate the rule faced crushing fines, job terminations, and the stripping of social benefits. It wasn't until 2015 that the Chinese government officially abolished the policy. Her ordeal begins at age 6 following the death of her loving father. Her mother uproots her from their rural home into the big city, leaving her in the care of a grieving friend who hopes the young girl might be a replacement for her own deceased daughter. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-james-grays-low-key-nyc-crime-thriller-paper-tiger/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-james-grays-low-key-nyc-crime-thriller-paper-tiger/#disqus_thread Tue, 26 May 2026 11:08:01 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=791038 This is the story of two brothers in the big city, and their undoing thanks to their ambition to make some extra money on top. James Gray's latest film is a New York City crime thriller titled Paper Tiger, which just premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in the Main Competition vying for the Palme d'Or. It didn't take home a single award at the end of the festival, though that doesn't really mean it isn't a worthwhile film anyway. It's a low key thriller that never reaches a boil, bordering on being pure drama throughout, though it's bolstered by an undercurrent of tension simmering beneath the entire narrative. It's a solid film overall that is enhanced by Adam Driver's terrific performance as the knows-everyone-businessman brother Gary. And it's worth watching just for Driver alone to get a glimpse at how complex & composed his character is. Though far from being a truly terrific new feature, James Gray continues to show that he's best at telling low key, refined, focused stories about multifaceted individuals caught up in sticky situations they can't control. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-na-hong-jins-hope-is-the-best-and-worst-of-sci-fi/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-na-hong-jins-hope-is-the-best-and-worst-of-sci-fi/#disqus_thread Sun, 24 May 2026 18:05:34 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=790847 File this one under "WTF did I just watch?!" One of the most completely bonkers films to ever premiere at the Cannes Film Festival dropped midway through the 2026 edition. Cannes decided to premiere Hope, the latest by acclaimed Korean genre filmmaker Na Hong-jin, his fourth film so far, in the Main Competition at the prestigious festival (where it was competing for the Palme d'Or but it didn't win anything). The issue is that the movie is a full-on, hard sci-fi, totally wacky, extra fun, exceptionally strange, beguiling mess. This evening press screening at the Debussy Theatre at Cannes is one of those nights I'll never forget. An entirely packed house with a completely riled up audience went wild went it started. And then things got weird... By the end there was such a loud mix of booing and cheering it was hard to tell which one was more prominent. One thing is for sure – there is both love and hate for this movie. And it deserves both condemnation and praise. It's the best and worst of modern sci-fi packed into a massive 2 hour & 40 minute epic adventure. I'm stuck somewhere in the middle. The more I think about it, there's no way I can hate it. But I am also just as disappointed as many of my colleagues. It's building up to something spectacular then crashes into a ravine. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-fatherland-is-a-mirror-to-our-own-morally-bankrupt-era/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-fatherland-is-a-mirror-to-our-own-morally-bankrupt-era/#disqus_thread Fri, 22 May 2026 23:55:24 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=790742 After a 7-year hiatus, Paweł Pawlikowski — one of the most prominent Polish filmmakers working today — returns to the Cannes Film Festival with a concise drama that elegantly caps off his unofficial black-and-white trilogy. He began this thematic journey with Ida (2013), a haunting exploration of a young Polish nun unearthing her family's Holocaust tragedy; then continued with Cold War (2018 - also at the Cannes Film Festival), charting a doomed romance across the fractured landscape of post-war Poland. Now, Pawlikowski steps back into the ashes of mid-century Europe with Fatherland, concluding a study of historical trauma with a wonderfully restrained, politically charged narrative. Set in 1949 against the backdrop of the newly partitioned Germany, the film follows Nobel laureate Thomas Mann (played by Hanns Zischler) as he is invited to receive the Goethe Prize: first in American-occupied Frankfurt, then in Soviet-controlled Weimar. Accompanying him as his personal assistant is his daughter, Erika (Sandra Hüller). Having fled the Nazi regime for the US in 1933, the trip marks the author's long-awaited return to his homeland after 16 years. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-maika-monroes-victorian-psycho-is-wicked-horror-fun/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-maika-monroes-victorian-psycho-is-wicked-horror-fun/#disqus_thread Fri, 22 May 2026 13:48:08 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=790628 "I'm the most sane person I know." Well, time to find out if that's true! Because even though she may indeed be insane, pretty much everyone else is even more insane than she is. There's a new horror film premiering at the Cannes Film Festival this year and it's an underrated little genre creation from the UK (produced by Anton based in the UK). Victorian Psycho is a dark comedy ensemble feature written by Spanish writer Virginia Feito, based on her own novel of the same name, inspired by 19th-century mysteries and gothic literature. This Victorian Era dark horror comedy is kind of a historic twist on the classic serial killer thriller American Psycho, hence the title being the similar Victorian Psycho. Maika Monroe plays a governess who shows up at a manor to start working a new job but suddenly people start turning up dead – and she might have something to do with it. The twisted film is a very creative, clever horror feature that wraps up within a brisk 90 minutes as it takes us on a whimsical, bloody romp through the depraved corridors of Ensor House. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-lukas-dhonts-coward-is-a-riveting-wwi-love-story/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-lukas-dhonts-coward-is-a-riveting-wwi-love-story/#disqus_thread Fri, 22 May 2026 01:27:02 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=790546 "Love not war." Who are the real cowards of war? Is it the soldiers? Is it the men who get too scared to fight and run away because they want to live? Or is it the generals and the captains and all the warlords dictating orders from a safe distance? Or is it the politicians sending their citizens to death? It doesn't matter who is labeled a "coward" and why – these soldiers don't deserve to go off to war and die. They deserve to live. And we should always be fighting for love not war – no matter the situation, no matter the battle being fought. I am pleased to report that the new film made by Belgian director Lukas Dhont is sensational. Coward is his third feature film so far and it's magnificent, showing us how love matters more than anything else on this planet. The film is Dhont's most ambitious creation yet, taking us into the trenches of World War I to tell a tender, heartfelt love story between two Belgian soldiers. Another enchanting film by Dhont featuring all of his earmarks – stunning cinematography, a wonderful score, and such majestic performances from the entire cast. Gay cinema reigns! I fell for this film and got swept away by its 2 hour journey into hell & back. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-minotaur-is-a-brilliant-look-at-modern-world-moral-rot/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-minotaur-is-a-brilliant-look-at-modern-world-moral-rot/#disqus_thread Wed, 20 May 2026 01:13:10 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=790305 Whether you like it or not, we live in perilous times. But it still seems hard to talk about this, to talk about what's broken, what's happening to humanity, what's going on all over the world, how rotten it has become. The easiest way to exist peacefully is to shut up, conform to the new rules, do what you're told, don't cause any trouble, and just stay in line. And this is what leads us even deeper into the depths of Hell. One of the best films at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival dares to tell an unflinching story about this pervasive moral rot and challenges us to observe how easy it is to lose all your humanity in order to hold on to money & power. Minotaur is the sixth feature film by acclaimed Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev and it might be his best yet. This hit me hard and I haven't stop analyzing it, making sense of it, processing its immensity in the hours since emerging from my screening. Extraordinarily powerful, stomach churning, of-the-moment cinema featuring Tarkovsky-inspired visual intricacy in every shot. Minotaur is a brilliant film about what's happening Russia – while also a story of what's happening everywhere around the world if you look closely. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-superb-adele-exarchopoulos-in-alcoholism-film-garance/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-superb-adele-exarchopoulos-in-alcoholism-film-garance/#disqus_thread Tue, 19 May 2026 11:35:49 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=790155 There's nothing wrong a good film offering an uncomplicated narrative look at how someone can get better from being unhealthy or being addicted to something harmful. Not every film needs to be overly complex and nuanced, sometimes a good story with some cliche scenes can actually have an impact. Some viewers need this. Maybe not you or I, but that doesn't matter, because I can appreciate the film and how it works as a beneficial story anyway. That's the case with this Cannes Competition premiere titled Garance, a French drama from filmmaker Jeanne Herry following the story of an alcoholic woman living in Paris who refuses to accept that she must stop drinking. The English title for it is Another Day – a more thematic reference. Whereas the original French title Garance is also the name of the main character so it doesn't even need to be translated anyway. What I enjoy the most about Garance is the upbeat, energetic flow to the film, zipping from scene to scene like a dancer full of energy giving her most passionate performance. There's some great music and an electro score to it that also keep it moving at a fast pace, which is important because it covers years of time in Garance's life as she finally comes to understand her love of alcohol is a dangerous problem. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-la-perra-is-a-chilean-dog-movie-distracted-by-grief/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-la-perra-is-a-chilean-dog-movie-distracted-by-grief/#disqus_thread Tue, 19 May 2026 10:15:06 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=790120 I'm always on the lookout for dog movies. I will watch each and every one of them. But that also means they better not do anything off-putting or annoying or upsetting. If a dog character is important to the plot in a film, the filmmakers better handle this story (and the dog/all the dogs) with care and concern. Or it will ruin the film. On one hand, this Chilean film is quite beautiful and entrancing. On the other, it's bogged down by an annoying subplot about grief that overwhelms the film and sends it to a frustrating finale. La Perra is the latest feature from Chilean filmmaker Dominga Sotomayor – it's premiering at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors' Fortnight sidebar at the fest. It's a ravishing cinematic experience – the powerful sound design and astonishing cinematography make it worthwhile to watch on the big screen, which is the proper way to view it. However, the narrative gets bogged down by choices related to this grief theme in the story, and it waters down the otherwise beautiful tale of a woman bonding with a dog on an island. I enjoyed most of, but not the ending... Though I still think it's worth recommending to other adventurous cinephiles. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-flesh-and-fuel-this-gay-trucker-romance-is-a-delight/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-flesh-and-fuel-this-gay-trucker-romance-is-a-delight/#disqus_thread Sun, 17 May 2026 13:42:15 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=789207 Who would've thought that a truck drivers gay romance film would end up being one of my favorites at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival? You never know which films will be any good until see them and they win you over. At last year's Cannes, Norwegian director Joachim Trier (director of Sentimental Value) proclaimed that "tenderness is the new punk." This slogan took off big time and cinema lovers the world over have been repeating it as a reminder that being tender and earnest and vulnerable and loving is actually a (really) good thing. And we need more cinema that is tender and embraces tenderness instead of all the ugliness out there right now. Flesh and Fuel is a beautiful new film that continues this "tenderness" trend and carries that humble belief into 2026 in the best of ways. Made by French filmmaker Pierre Le Gall, it's the story of two middle-aged truck drivers who fall in love on the road but struggle to keep their romance going as they drive around Europe far away from each other. So sweet and adorable and heartfelt – feel good cinema at its best. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-jordan-firstmans-club-kid-film-is-a-delightful-surprise/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-jordan-firstmans-club-kid-film-is-a-delightful-surprise/#disqus_thread Sat, 16 May 2026 11:34:07 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=789978 DJ Night Shift is taking the world by storm! One of the many surprises at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival is this delightful discovery playing in the Un Certain Regard section. Club Kid is the feature directorial debut of actor / filmmaker Jordan Firstman, and it's such a fantastic story of growing up in the big city. It plays a bit like Mike Mills' C'mon C'mon (a highly underrated film) but with way more cocaine & clubbing. I don't want that comparison to be awkward, because both films are amazing and both are about these shaggy guys spending time connecting with a young kid and learning from him. Club Kid really hit the sweet spot. It's a totally adorable and funny and uplifting tale of growing up. Infused with an authenticity and honesty that few films ever capture so effortlessly. Firstman wrote and directed and stars in this and, whether or not it's his own personal story doesn't matter, it's just a damn good film that is moving in its earnestness. It left me feeling so emotionally happy because not only is the film itself terrific but it's once again a potent reminder that as flawed as we all are, we're all capable of loving & being loved. And love really can move mountains. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-hamaguchis-all-of-a-sudden-is-a-soulful-masterpiece/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-hamaguchis-all-of-a-sudden-is-a-soulful-masterpiece/#disqus_thread Sat, 16 May 2026 00:34:11 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=789889 Is anyone truly normal? Aren't we all flawed? How do we evolve humanity knowing this truth? Can a bit of compassion save us? These are a few of the philosophical questions introduced in this phenomenal film. Walking out of my afternoon screening of this sublime film at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, I couldn't stop talking about it. Shaking with energy and excitement, I just blurted out sentence after sentence, word after word, about why it's so utterly masterful and beautiful and soulful and enchanting. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi's new film All of a Sudden is a bona fide Masterpiece. Filmed mostly in Paris, it's Hamaguchi stepping out of his usual Japanese setting to tell his most masterful story yet – a profound look at humanity and how we must grow & how art can help us evolve. It's one of the most deeply soulful, philosophically mesmerizing, profoundly humanistic, exceptionally heartfelt films I have EVER seen. It's not only one of my favorite films of the year, it's instantly one of my personal favorites films of all-time. Hyperbolic as it may be to say that just after emerging from a screening, the film itself reminded me to always trust my heart, to express myself fully and clearly, and to be honest if I encounter any kind of art that is truly this moving and this impactful. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-teenage-sex-death-at-camp-miasma-horny-horror/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/cannes-2026-teenage-sex-death-at-camp-miasma-horny-horror/#disqus_thread Thu, 14 May 2026 10:11:02 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=789702 "There is a hole at the bottom of the lake where the movies come from." Wait, for real? Sex and horror go together like peanut butter and jelly. This has been the case since the origins of the horror genre. This film isn't so much about horror, it's much more about someone obsessed with horror, and also a little bit about how this has screwed with their mind. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is the third feature film from acclaimed trans filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun so far, after their breakout hit I Saw the TV Glow. For me, it's their best film yet, better than their previous two with more originality on display. But I'm still not the biggest fan of their filmmaking. While many people are able to connect with these stories and how they're presented, they continue to be way too self indulgent. All 3 films play too obviously as therapy-as-filmmaking rather than actually worthy storytelling. Camp Miasma is bloody fun cinema with some unique creative choices, but not as clever or as deep as it thinks it is. Vibes are there, but the storytelling still lacks. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0 https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/review-lord-millers-project-hail-mary-is-modern-sci-fi-perfection/ https://www.firstshowing.net/2026/review-lord-millers-project-hail-mary-is-modern-sci-fi-perfection/#disqus_thread Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:40:34 +0000 https://www.firstshowing.net/?p=782271 "Grace Rocky Save Stars!!" It's finally here. Rocky and Ryland, space buddies, in a story about saving our worlds. Project Hail Mary is a cinematic adaptation of the bestselling book written by Andy Weir. A full 11 years after we got to experience The Martian with Matt Damon, another Andy Weir adaptation, his words are back on the big screen in this interstellar story about using science and ingenuity and creativity to solve existential problems. Acclaimed directors Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, best known as just "Lord & Miller", are the directors behind this big screen adaptation and they've knocked it out of the park. Project Hail Mary is an intellectual space movie with built-in levity that is design to be more of a character study about what it takes to solve great problems. It's a sci-fi spectacle, for sure, but it's not an epic space action movie. Most of it takes place inside a spaceship, a set they built for real on sound stages, with limited green screen. And the best part about it is Rocky, an alien friend he meets on his mission, who is brought to life by puppetry as a practical character performed for real on set and not something created with CGI later on. I couldn't be happier with Project Hail Mary - it's everything anyone could want from a space movie & more. // Continue Reading ›]]> 0