Just in time for America’s 250th birthday, here’s a look at George Washington and other new features. The write-ups here include a historical drama, two Zoey Deutch rom-coms, a period mystery, a raunchy comedy, a music documentary, and a couple of psychological horror films. The following features reviews for Young Washington, Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, Enola Holmes 3, Little Brother, Voicemails For Isabelle, Earth, Wind and Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World), Strung, and Stepfather.
Young Washington: 5 out of 10
The Setup: Before he became the first president of the United States, young George Washington (William Franklyn-Miller) tests his honor, loyalty, and courage by fighting in the Revolutionary War. As alliances crumble and the frontier erupts into battle, he must confront not only his enemies but the man he’s becoming.
Review: In the realm of family-friendly historical war dramas used as an excuse to get everyone together for something agreeable enough, I suppose Young Washington is fine. As long as you’re not using it as source material for an exam, the Jon Erwin-directed film hits a lot of broad strokes in a non-messy way and fulfills its obligation to tell a story specifically about a younger George Washington before things get more complicated. Sure, there are some deliberate changes to simplify the goals, but at least it has a point of view that tells a moderately compelling story about America’s first President.
If anything, I had a tough time getting past the lack of much interiority concerning Washington himself. Played well enough by William Franklyn-Miller, it’s clear what he’s after when he’s after it, but there are sparse moments in the film that actually single out what this guy really thinks. We understand he is educated, a born leader, and other basic facts, but what else? Granted, the film avoids the trickier parts of his life that would be harder to justify beyond “it’s how things were back then,” but there still seems to be a refusal to actually look closer at this young Washington character. That said, Ben Kingley, Andy Serkis, Kelsey Grammer, and Mary-Louise Parker all put in what’s needed to keep things just above serving as a stodgy-looking drama with some admittedly solid war scenes.
Where To Watch: Opening in theaters on July 3, 2026
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass: 7 out of 10
The Setup: When her fiancé uses their “celebrity pass” agreement, Midwest bride Gail Daughtry (Zoey Deutch) travels to Hollywood seeking revenge by pursuing her own celebrity encounter.
Review: Coming from the David Wain school of comedy, there are a lot of great gags, bits of dialogue, and comedic set pieces scattered throughout this very silly comedy that are sure to elicit laughs from those who get the basic jokes being presented. While not on the level of Role Models, They Came Together, or Wet Hot American Summer, this is a film that is similarly packed with humor throughout and glued together by a knowingly silly story. While not exactly a parody like They Came Together, this is the sort of comedy happy to call attention to its various riffs and double back on itself for the sake of making it clear that this film understands the conventions it’s leaning into.
What’s also fun is coming to understand how much the film is indebted to The Wizard of Oz. Locking into that element certainly allowed me to take on further appreciation for what it was up to, not to mention the expansive cast all willing to play along. Deutch is happy letting her goofier side help her lead this film, but the rest of the cast is nearly entirely made up of any actor who’s ever been in a Wain comedy or TV show. Obviously, that means seeing all the veterans of MTV’s The State – Ken Marino, Michel Ian Black, Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Joe Lo Truglio, but there’s also John Slattery, Richard Kind, Toby Huss, Henry Winkler, and Fred Melamed, to name some. Even the key cameos feel perfectly executed when it comes to what a Wain comedy can get up to for the sake of a good gag. Really, this is a very silly film, but it’s a lot of fun.
Where To Watch: Opening in theaters on July 10, 2026.
Enola Holmes 3: 6 out of 10
The Setup: Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) prepares for her impending wedding to Lord Tewkesbury, which is complicated when her brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill) is kidnapped.
Review: I feel like there’s only so much to say about a streaming movie series that has managed to be remarkably consistent. This entry is perhaps a bit of a comedown compared to the last two Enola Holmes features, but not in any real significant way. There’s a charm here, embodied by the spirit Brown brings out as the film’s titular character. Granted, it is perhaps something about her getting older that takes away some of the novelty of what’s offered. Going from a plucky teenager to a young woman on the verge of marriage who is also solving crimes is somewhat less interesting. Even the fourth wall breaks seem like less fun at this point.
However, it’s not like this isn’t enjoyable. As stated, this is a pretty consistent series, which speaks to the effort put into these productions, the solid supporting cast, which once again features an effective Cavill as Sherlock, and the various twists and turns that propel this mystery forward. Director Philip Barantini takes over this time around and continues to find the right balance between adventure, comedy, and drama. Even the way this series handles classic Sherlock Holmes lore offers a clever change-up. With more room to grow, as long as the work is done, this series has shown it still has enough to investigate.
Where To Watch: Now streaming on Netflix.
Little Brother: 4 out of 10
The Setup: The orderly life of a realtor (John Cena) is disrupted by an eccentric man (Eric André) who participated in the same “Big Brother-Little Brother” program many years ago.
Review: This feels like a rejected Farrelly Brothers premise, which is impressive, given that Ricky Stanicky and Balls Up were still produced. With that in mind, I’m not inherently against the concept here. What if a kid from the “Big Brother” program grew up and reconnected with his “Big?” That has a lot of comedic ground to potentially cover, and Cena and André certainly give it a shot. The problem is that I never really locked in on André’s antics in this formulaic comedy world. When it comes to seeing him interact with real people in public, with no shame as to how far he can take things, I both admire and laugh at the results. In this film, while there are moments, André and Cena can only take what’s being offered so far. And as much as I admire seeing Michelle Monaghan in these sorts of things, pushing her into the sort of shenanigans she’s forced to put up with doesn’t do the film too many favors. I guess I can try to praise the attempts at sweetness ultimately at the core of the film, but again, this isn’t even up to the standards of a lesser Farrelly movie, which can usually pull that sort of thing off.
Where To Watch: Now streaming on Netflix.
Voicemails For Isabelle: 6 out of 10
The Setup: After losing her baby sister, Jill (Zoey Deutch), a young pastry chef, can’t stop leaving the long, rambling voicemails she always left, unaware the number now belongs to Wes (Nick Robinson), a stranger across the country who slowly falls for her one message at a time ~ and begins waiting for the next, only to eventually attempt to pursue her.
Review: The annoying thing about finding the flaws in this film is assessing whether or not there’s a double standard when it comes to the way I approach certain genres. However, I do tend to believe I’m as fair as I can possible be when it comes to assessing rom-coms compared to something like an action movie. I mention this because there is, of course, a nice movie overall that uses a high concept to tell a sweet story about two characters with plenty of chemistry, but I still found many frustrating aspects that didn’t just fall away. Does the same thing apply when I sit down for a martial arts movie? It depends. Regardless, the general concept at play creates an emotional pull that Deutch can bring home to audiences. Robinson is a nice enough presence, whom I wish would let his goofy side out more. Here’s the thing, though – the entire film has a goofier side that makes the tone feel a bit off.
In addition to the romance, Deutch’s character has a whole subplot involving her working for a celebrity chef played by Nick Offerman. The character is wildly over-the-top, and the antics in this section may elicit laughs but feel like they really strain what was otherwise working in the rest of the story. There’s also a whole thing about food trucks. My head can’t stop nagging me about it, because much of its success rests on this idea that a modern woman wouldn’t use any form of social media to get the word out about her new business. But sure, that’s a bit pettier. As it stands, I like the emotional core of this movie enough to know I didn’t waste my time, even if Deutch has a much better film already mentioned in this post to work with.
Where To Watch: Now streaming on Netflix.
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World): 8 out of 10
The Setup: A look at the career of the R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire, with exclusive access to the band’s archives of visual, audio, and written material, as well as the support of the estate of Maurice White and the band members.
Review: I’m so happy that Questlove, drummer for the legendary Roots crew, has a side hustle as an Oscar-winning documentarian. After Summer of Soul and Sly Lives!, if he just wants to spend all his free time making documentaries that explore the lives and careers of incredibly talented Black artists from the 60s and 70s, I’m all for it. Earth, Wind & Fire to deliver the goods once again. And it did. Within two hours, we learn just about everything we need to know about the popularity of Earth, Wind & Fire, the complications its founder, Maurice White, faced, and what it is about the band that made them influential to people. Not hurting is Questlove using his clout to pull off certain flexes, such as having former U.S. President Barack Obama appear on screen as the first person you see as we watch this story unfold. Between the information presented, the editing choices that help us understand the band’s impact, and all the music, this is just a real delight to sit with.
Where To Watch: Now streaming on HBO.
Strung: 4 out of 10
The Setup: A talented violinist (Chloe Bailey) takes a prestigious job as a music tutor to the gifted daughter (Romy Woods) of an influential, enigmatic family. As she becomes entangled in their opulent world, unsettling secrets begin to surface, forcing her to question her safety, her dreams, and even her sanity.
Review: Looking back at what I saw here, it’s not exactly wasted potential but more like an overabundance of what could have worked. Even if this were just a trashy thriller, I could have enjoyed an 85-minute movie about a poor woman hired by a family with secrets. However, this movie runs nearly two hours and has no reason to stick around that long. We’ve seen variations of this story plenty of times, which is not really an issue. However, even with committed performances, there’s only so much entertainment before one starts realizing how much effort is being put into delaying the inevitable. Still, as it stands, Bailey does work quite well as an innocent having a tough time processing the rise in craziness around her. Others never do much to hide how twisted the situation is, but I was at least pleased with Anna Diop’s work as the pregnant mother jealous of the younger housemaid, and seeing how the film attempts to turn that on its head. I’ve seen director Malcolm D. Lee put together much stronger work, so I hope this push into thriller territory is merely a mild deviation. Otherwise, he’ll need to work on his instruments to get a lot better at this.
Where To Watch: Now streaming on Peacock.
Stepfather: 5 out of 10
The Setup: A desperate man (Taye Diggs) hunts for the perfect family, but when his new wife (Tamar Braxton) and daughters (Jessica Jarrell, Kalani Jules) fear he may be deranged, escaping him will have deadly consequences.
Review: The obvious fun that comes from watching the latest remake of The Stepfather comes from seeing Diggs get progressively more unleashed as the film goes on. We go from some subtle wordplay to full-on mocking of the supposed perfect family he seeks, and it’s a lot to take in, but never boring. Given that this take on the story from director Christopher Stokes is debuting on Tubi yet feels like a hardcore Lifetime event film, it’s not like one has to set the bar high to find whatever delights are being offered. And so it’s with that in mind that I was able to go along with the nonsense and appreciate the kind of effort being put in here.
Not hurting was how much this felt like the Black take on Stepfather. While wildly over the top and full of foolishness, there’s still an authenticity that comes from the choices made by the actors, the dialogue, the reactions, and the filmmaking that all speak to a team of artists who know what feel they are going for to pull this off for not only a new generation, but one with a specificity in mind, rather than keep it all in some bland space that offers no extra detail.
Where To Watch: Now streaming on Tubi.
