Some major notable releases are coming out as we head into Spooky Season, so get ready. This set of write-ups includes a dramatic sequel of sorts, an ambitious satire, an erotic thriller, a couple of action-survival thrillers, an offbeat comedy, and a horror film. The following features reviews for The Social Reckoning, Digger, Verity, The Beast, The Weight, The Musical, and Never After Dark.
The Social Reckoning: 7 out of 10
The Setup: Facebook engineer Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) and The Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White) blow the whistle on the social network’s most guarded secrets as billionaire CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong) prepares to testify before Congress.
Review: I’ve been fascinated by the idea of not only seeing Aaron Sorkin write a follow-up to 2010’s modern classic, The Social Network, but also taking it from an angle that flips the former film’s protagonist into the story’s villain. My curiosity was quelled a bit when various changes were announced – such as the lack of David Fincher returning as director, Jesse Eisenberg not being willing to return, and replacing composers Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor with Alexandre Desplat. Now, the last two are easy to accept, as Strong makes for a solid modern-day representation of Zucks, and Desplat is no slouch. However, it is Sorkin’s perfunctory direction that holds back what could otherwise be a fairly engaging and insightful film commenting on not just what the growth of Facebook has led to, but the notion of how misinformation spread online has led to the radicalization of a significant portion of the population, the way in which billionaires escape harm, discrepancies regarding unfair employee treatment, and more. All that said, The Social Reckoning still entertains far more than the ads suggest.
Key to this is the cast, who are all game to lock in on Sorkin’s dialogue and deliver it with the rhythms one hopes for when engaging with any of his material. Sure, it would be nice to see such a specific auteur use this screenplay as a strong foundation for something more visually engaging as well (much like ‘Network’ or Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs), but I can’t look past how well these performers are utilized. With so much brooding found in his roles, White is having some of the most fun I’ve seen him have here as tech-ignorant journalist Jeff Horwitz. Madison is back from her post-Anora sabbatical to continue to show how adept she is at nailing the voice of complex characters (even if I still wish she were a little better defined). The film also features smaller performances from reliable character actors like Betty Gilpin, along with the fun casting of Bill Burr as a member of Zuckerberg’s legal counsel who dares to challenge the powerful robot man. Taken as a whole, the feature feels like a strong return compared to Sorkin’s past couple of attempts behind the director’s chair. Sure, the film has trouble ending because the writer can’t resist getting too sanctimonious when trying to wrap everything up. However, I was happy to “Like” this film, and would easily re-share it.
Where To Watch: Opening in theaters October 9, 2026
Digger: 7 out of 10
The Setup: After unleashing a disaster that threatens to destroy everything, the most powerful man in the world (Tom Cruise) embarks on a frantic mission to prove he’s humanity’s savior.
Review: What a world we live in. On the precipice of seeing a major movie studio get absorbed by another, their last act is to essentially release a $150+ arthouse satire that has very little appeal to a mainstream audience, all so an acclaimed auteur and one of the biggest movie stars in the world could tell a story about how displeased we should be that corruption has essentially won out. There’s nothing we can really do about it, aside from reflect on our inability to stop corruption’s catastrophic effects. In other words – it’s a big swing, and while I can appreciate what director Alejandro G. Iñárritu is aiming for with this hugely ambitious project, that choice to almost go against being appealing kept me at arm’s length from the film on a few levels, including entertainment value.
Nonetheless, I’m much happier that a film like this exists, rather than seeing the same level of talent combine to make something with far less value. True to form, armed with a large budget, Iñárritu delivers a film full of layers (most not even hinted at in the trailers) that extend to the impressive production and sound design. We get a full-on Cruise performance that is both huge and broad, with moments that remind us how good he can be at simply playing human. Plenty of other supporting characters also shine where they can, most notably Riz Ahmed as a scientist who grows increasingly fed up with Digger.
Naturally, a big swing like this is designed to be provocative, and it’s invested enough in its own theories to provoke discontent in some. I get it, as one not fully on board with what the film has to offer, my frustrations generally lie in the attempts to guide a story along that has so many different messages concerning reality that it wants to weave a narrative through, along with the fact that I never really laughed during this so-called “comedy.” Sure, some bits amused me more than others, and at least one monologue could be considered best-of-the-year acting material, but between the film’s pacing and its broad way of presenting everything, Cruise and co. didn’t exactly dig me out of the hole this film left me in, even though I’m willing to bet it will be discussed in social settings and even in some classes for various reasons down the line.
Where To Watch: Now playing in theaters and IMAX.
Verity: 3 out of 10
The Setup: Hired to be a ghostwriter for renowned author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway), Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson) finds her assignment takes a dark turn when she discovers chilling autobiographical notes. As she wrestles with disturbing and twisted confessions about Verity’s husband (Josh Harnett), she soon finds it hard to separate fiction from reality, manipulation from attraction, and opportunity from obsession.
Review: I have to wonder whether those very familiar with Colleen Hoover’s work have strong opinions about her writing and whether her novels do more than provide a specific story for those looking for a silly melodrama. I can’t say I’m a fair judge of her work, as I haven’t read any of her novels, but here’s a case where it feels like the stars, the writer, the screenwriter adapting this work, and director Michael Showalter are all on different pages when it comes to assembling an erotic thriller.
While I’ve more or less tolerated romance dramas turned into features, even if I wouldn’t necessarily recommend any of them, this is truly dreadful work that doesn’t even have the trashy fun you’d expect from this kind of story. It’s especially upsetting given how much fodder there is for an over-the-top mess of a film that at least gives way to random jolts of humor to make up for the laughably bad dialogue, story turns, editing choices, etc. Instead, the camp value is left at a minimum. There’s no real momentum to what’s taking place, leaving me with a stagnant piece of work that’s hardly aided by Johnson’s typical deadpan deliveries (she works best with filmmakers that truly get her screen energy) or a more than game Hathaway who is largely stuck adding more to every scene she gets yet not being rewarded with filmmaking that capitalizes on her efforts. Perhaps a bestseller, but far from being a fun watch.
Where To Watch: Now playing in theaters.
The Beast: 6 out of 10
The Setup: The most secure presidential vehicle ever built becomes the center of a fight for America. When unidentified hostiles coordinate a coup against the United States, the president (Samuel L. Jackson) uncovers the extent of The Beast’s highly classified offensive capabilities. Separated from his wife, the president must learn to control The Beast–and the monster inside himself–to save his life, a wounded Secret Service agent (Joel Kinnaman) riding with him, and the country.
Review: Renny Harlin has been a busy director as of late. While he may not be delivering huge-scale blockbusters like he was in the 90s, he hasn’t stopped working. This year alone has featured three different theatrical releases, including the finale to his Strangers trilogy, a plane crash/shark attack movie, and now The Beast, a high-concept action thriller that is my favorite thing Harlin has delivered since perhaps 2009’s 12 Rounds. Not for a lack of effort, but this is the sort of compelling action flick that understands what kind of movie it is, doesn’t push itself too far beyond the realm of disbelief, and feels constructed in a way that wants to take advantage of the limitations placed on it by the screenplay, let alone the budget. On top of that, rather than sitting in a supporting role, this film lets Samuel L. Jackson shine as a lead.
As an action film that has to keep itself contained, it still packs in a fairly impressive amount of theatrics. We get a lot of looks at what’s going on outside, and while it all feels quite heightened, sometimes bordering on what I’d be watching in a Call of Duty game, it doesn’t feel out of place with the over-the-top drama going on inside this armored limo. Throwing us right into the action helps, since it’s less about the politics (though you could argue it’s in there) and more about what we can take away from the two people we need to care about in this story. Because of this approach, a decent enough action-movie screenplay, and Harlin’s work to keep it visually interesting, this is a cool little thriller I’m happy to elect.
Where To Watch: Opening in theaters October 9, 2026.
The Weight: 9 out of 10
The Setup: Imprisoned in a labor camp run by an unscrupulous overseer (Russell Crowe), a man (Ethan Hawke) becomes entangled in a perilous gold smuggling scheme in his pursuit to regain custody of his daughter.
Review: Now this is crackling entertainment. Straightforward genre filmmaking at its finest, and in the vein of Wages of Fear/Sorcerer, no less. You have a historical setting, well-acted characters, a riveting story that keeps the viewer in the moment, understandable stakes, and no fat on the bone. Even when some characters take a little time to pontificate, it doesn’t come without reason or meaningful interactions that pay off down the line. On top of all of this, director Padraic McKinley shows just how sure-footed he is in bringing this story to life.
Shot on a reasonable budget, the movie offers plenty of period detail and clever ways to expand the production design that lend the right kind of authenticity. Given how intelligent Hawke’s character is supposed to be, we get several scenes that turn expectations on their head, while still allowing for thrills based on the circumstances these men are in. All of this makes for a film that is continually exciting to watch, backed by actors who know how to commit, and it shows that much of the film’s strength comes from how compelling the narrative can be when it balances entertainment with vulnerability.
Where To Watch: Now playing in select theaters.
The Musical: 4 out of 10
The Setup: When a frustrated playwright/middle school theater (Will Brill) teacher finds out his ex-girlfriend (Gillian Jacobs) has started dating his nemesis, the school’s principal (Rob Lowe), he decides to ruin the principal’s chances of winning the Blue Ribbon of Academic Excellence by switching the school play from West Side Story to something much more taboo.
Review: I really like the premise of this film, which makes it all the more unfortunate that I didn’t find the movie particularly funny until the end. When we finally see the play that this scheming teacher has written for his students to perform, it’s a bit of comic gold, definitely fit for those who enjoy dark comedy. Otherwise, however, I just wasn’t laughing during this movie.
The performances are all delivering what they need to. Brill is the straight man, trying to lean into that person enough for us to feel sorry for them, no matter the outcome. He and Jacobs have some chemistry, but it’s not strong enough for me to feel as concerned as I should, given the stakes in this movie’s plot. Lowe tries hard not only to roll back into his jackass sensibilities, but to do so with a bit of an accent. The result feels like an actor trying too hard, even though the movie does want to work as a silly comedy as well. I’d be all for that, but I was never brought onto the same plane as everyone involved to really get a kick out of the build-up to the ultimate upending of expectations.
Where To Watch: Now playing in select theaters.
Never After Dark: 7 out of 10
The Setup: Summoned to exorcise a spirit from an isolated country house, a wandering medium (Moeka Hoshi) comes face-to-face with a grotesque apparition with powers that defy her experience. As she digs deeper into the home’s past, she soon finds herself hunted by a far more unpredictable force.
Review: While not entirely the same, I took away some similar feelings I had when watching Hokum earlier this year. Both contain spooky imagery and ways to frighten the viewer, but they are also fun movies. These films aren’t winking at anyone, but they let the characters be dryly funny and insist on things in a way that suggests a sarcastic sense of humor, which helps punctuate the serious air around them. As a result, this is a neat ghost story that gets away with a lot thanks to a solid setup, a clear establishment of how things work, and great use of the main location for geographic recognition as well as horror set pieces. With ways to subvert expectations, a fun lead performance, and a unique story to tell, Never After Dark is a good watch, especially in the dark.
Where To Watch: Now playing in select theaters and available on PVOD.
