Release Date: 09/05/25 [Cinemas] Genre: Comedy. Drama. MPAA: Not Rated. Distributor: Utopia. The Verdict: A Must-See Pools , the debut feature from writer/director Sam Hayes, is the kind of sun-baked, booze-soaked, nostalgic summer movie that sneaks up on you. It’s part arthouse daydream, part John Hughes throwback — The Breakfast Club meets Lost in Translation meets Garden State — and though it’s a little silly, kinda trippy, and more than a little horny, there’s a scrap

Release Date: 09/05/25 [Cinemas] Genre: Horror. Mystery. Thriller. MPAA: Rated R. Distributor: Warner Bros. The Verdict: A Must-See When the original The Conjuring came out all the way back in 2013, I was just getting out of High School and at that time I wasn’t heading out to the cinema very often - especially not for a horror film. Oh, how the times have changed and The Conjuring, as well as The Conjuring 2 became a mainstay in my horror favorites. Now sitting at ten films

Release Date: 09/05/25 [Cinemas] Genre: Comedy. Drama. MPAA: Rated R. Distributor: Roadside Attractions. The Verdict: A Must-See Twinless is a toned down twist on Saltburn meets Netflix’s Dead To Me . It explores the practice of boundary crowing through the shared experience of immense guilt.    Directed by and starring James Sweeney as Dennis, he is somehow chaotic good, bad, and neutral all in the same runtime. He meets Rocky (Dylan O’Brian) at a support group for peopl

Release Date: 09/05/25 [Cinemas] Genre: Comedy. Drama. Romance. MPAA: Rated R. Distributor: Vertical Entertainment. The Verdict: A Must-See “Some stories you tell, and some you don't.” That’s what an older Ted Mosby says in the third episode of the third season of How I Met Your Mother . Fittingly titled “The Third Wheel,” it follows the character as he recalls having a potential threesome with two women. Now, spoiler alert if you’ve never seen the show (or this particular e

Release Date: 09/05/25 [Cinemas] Genre: Comedy. Drama. Romance. MPAA: Rated R. Distributor: IFC Films. Seen for SXSW 2025. The Verdict: A Must-See The Baltimorons opens with an uncomfortably silent, unsettling scene featuring Cliff (Michael Strassner) drunkenly stumbling into his attic on his way to an unsuccessful suicide attempt in the aftermath of a botched improvised comedy show. Luckily, Cliff’s makeshift noose snaps before it can take his life, to which Cliff later jo

Release Date: --/--/-- [Festival Run] Genre: Drama. MPAA: Not Rated. Distributor: Visage Entertainment. The Verdict: A Must-See “The thing about memory is, it’s a pit.” That’s the opening line of Brim , a gripping new indie feature that wrestles with memory, trauma, and the unrelenting grip of racism across three generations of a Black family in the rural South.  ​ Directed, shot, and edited by Keenan Dailey in his feature debut – with Cinefied contributor Kevin Lau among

Release Date: 11/26/63 [Cinemas] Genre: Crime. Drama. Mystery. Thriller. MPAA: Not Rated. Distributor: Continental Distributing. The Verdict: A Must-See In the midst of a major business deal, shoemaker mogul Mr. Gondo faces the dilemma of paying the ransom of the kidnapping of his driver’s son, or keeping the money for the business deal. For some, the choice would be obvious on what the right thing to do is, however, legendary director Akira Kurosawa wants to contemplate on

Season Two. Aired On: Netflix. Release Date: 09/03/25. Genre: Comedy. Crime. Fantasy. Mystery.  The Verdict: A Must-See Returning with notorious cello solos, leftover questions unanswered, new members of the Nevermore staff and more of the Addams Family than before, Wednesday is back for yet another morbid Nancy Drew mystery.    If there’s a safe thing to pull from the experience of season 2, it’s that this isn’t purely a Wednesday series any longer and allows the family to

Release Date: 08/29/25 [Cinemas] Genre: Comedy. MPAA: Rated R. Distributor: Searchlight Pictures. The Verdict: A Mistake We almost certainly know whenever we meet somebody who's perfect for us. Somebody to complete our sentences; somebody who can read our minds. For Theo and Ivy Rose, they have the whole package; they are crazy for each other, but they also drive each other completely insane. In Jay Roach's readaptation of Warren Adler's The War of the Roses , he and writer

Release Date: 08/29/25 [Cinemas] Genre: Action. Comedy. Crime. Thriller. MPAA: Rated R. Distributor: Sony Pictures. The Verdict: A Must-See Perhaps a mostly unlikely candidate in the Darren Aronofsky oeuvre, Caught Stealing is a scrappy, loud neo-noir crime flick that although may not be a home run, is good enough to reach third on a wild pitch.    Adapted from the Charlie Huston book of the same name (Huston delivers the screenplay, too), Austin Butler adds to his growing

Director: Mike Figgis. Runtime: 107 Minutes. The Verdict: A Maybe The 2024 film Megalopolis was a cultural behemoth. A massive passion project from one of the most acclaimed cinematic directors, this film became an event unto itself. Was it boldness? Was it madness? This film, with its all-star, zany cast and convoluted story became a present-day myth. A modern legend that turned into a parable of self-indulgence and pride. However, was Megalopolis , as bonkers as it was, r

Release Date: 08/29/25 [Cinemas] Genre: Action. Comedy. Horror. SciFi. MPAA: Unrated. Distributor: Cineverse Entertainment. The Verdict: A Must-See A bit of backstory with my Troma knowledge going into the bloodbath that is The Toxic Avenger (2025). I didn’t grow up on Troma, in fact the only run-in I had with the brand was Cannibal! The Musical and that was solely for the involvement of Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Neither did I get introduced to Toxie or his accompaniment

Release Date: 08/29/25 [Cinemas] Genre: Comedy. Drama. MPAA: Not Rated. Distributor: Vertical Entertainment. Seen for Tribeca 2024. The Verdict: A Maybe For most teens, summer is everything: a break from school, a time to catch up on sleep and an excuse to make endless memories with friends. But Griffin Nafly isn’t like most teens. While he does have friends and enjoys spending time with them, nothing matters more to him than his plays. Summer provides him with all the time

w/ Director Anu Valia and Kirby Howell-Baptiste. We Strangers is the latest satire to brilliantly explore race and class in America.    Directed by Anu Valia ( Never Have I Ever ), The film follows a young cleaner (played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste ) who becomes so bored with catering to two upper class families that she lies about being a clairvoyant. What originally starts off as a bit to keep herself entertained and earn extra money, quickly turns into a regular service. On

Release Date: 08/28/25 [Netflix] Genre: Comedy. Crime. Mystery. Thriller. MPAA: Rated PG13. Distributor: Netflix. The Verdict: A Maybe Based on the New York Times bestselling book, Chris Columbus’ The Thursday Murder Club is a charming and enjoyable ensemble mystery that lets its actors do most of the legwork as the case itself may be set on easy difficulty for many.    Helen Mirren ( RED ), Pierce Brosnan ( Mamma Mia! ), Ben Kingsley ( Iron Man 3 ) and Celia Imrie ( The Be

Director: Steven Leckart. Runtime: 102 Minutes. The Verdict: A Maybe There used to be a time where “Stan” was just an abbreviation of the name Stanley. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, today the name can be used as both a noun and a verb associated with being an overzealous or obsessive fan of a celebrity. The origin of the more modern meaning stems from Eminem’s iconic song of the same name. A song which, despite being released 25 years ago, has remained prescien

w/ Director Carlson Young. SYNOPSIS A Hollywood actress hides in a remote cabin after a scandal, only to find herself betrayed and fighting for survival against someone she once trusted.   Cinefied's Peter Gray  had the opportunity to speak with Director Carlson Young  about the Sophie Turner led R-rated thriller, Trust … READ Our Trust  Review HERE

Release Date: 08/22/25 [Cinemas] Genre: Action. Drama. Thriller. MPAA: Rated R. Distributor: Bleecker Street. The Verdict: A Maybe I randomly saw a trailer for this movie while perusing YouTube . When I was offered a chance to review the film, I was excited for the Grindhouse retro-style feel based on this trailer. Watching the actual film, I quickly came to the realization that this was not a Grindhouse-like vibe. Relay is grounded and takes its time early on establishing i

Release Date: 08/22/25 [Hulu] Genre: Action. Comedy. Drama. Thriller. MPAA: Rated R. Distributor: 20th Century Studios. The Verdict: A Must-See Upon first sight, Eenie Meanie could be considered a Baby Driver adjacent thriller set against the backdrop of dystopian Cleveland - fueled by its fantastic chase sequences and the high-octane performance at the wheel. Functioning as writer/director Shawn Simmons’ directorial debut, this is a grand starting point, assisted by the pr

Release Date: 08/22/25 [Cinemas] Genre: Adventure. Drama. History. Thriller. MPAA: Rated R. Distributor: Vertical Entertainment. The Verdict: A Maybe Ron Howard’s tenure as a filmmaker has had its share of peaks and valleys. Eden, his latest feature, boasts an all-star cast with some of the biggest names working today. The story of Eden is steeped in historical truth and likely, broad fiction. It’s a story of survival against austere conditions and freedom from the status qu