As we head into April, here are a variety of ways to celebrate different forms of life. This set of write-ups includes a couple of young female-driven thrillers, a mystery drama, a modern fantasy comedy, and a romance drama. The following features reviews for Forbidden Fruits, Miroirs No. 3, Mermaid, Something Casual, Fantasy Life, and Pretty Lethal.
Forbidden Fruits: 7 out of 10
The Setup: Free Eden employee Apple (Lili Reinhart) secretly runs a witchy femme cult in the basement of a mall store after hours. When a new hire challenges their performative sisterhood, the women are forced to face their own poisons or succumb to a bloody fate.
Review: I love being surprised by a film. No, despite going in completely blind on this one, it’s not that I was taken by the very notion of a female-led horror comedy being good (it’s 2026 and I’m far from being that ignorant). It’s because this film, based on the play “Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die,” by Lily Houghton, not only uses its low budget means to its advantage, but the story also doesn’t pull its punches. This is a very inexpensive production set, almost entirely inside a Dallas mall (shot in Canada). Still, it has an incredibly strong cast (which also includes Victoria Pedretti, Lola Tung, and Alexandra Shipp) and sharp writing.
Best of all, this has cult appeal written all over it. Whether its theatrical take and eventual streaming reputation will guide this film toward becoming something on the level of Mean Girls or Heathers remains to be seen. However, it’s at least as good as one of those, and functions as a breezy-enough thriller-lite comedy focused on how a specific facet of society and clique-based friendships have evolved. And again, I did appreciate how well this film sticks the landing by committing to a certain tone. Yes, some gorier elements occur quite rapidly, but they only add to the way the film’s pitch naturally develops over time. Not quite sure if a mid-credit stinger really adds much, but Forbidden Fruits is far from rotten for me to care.
Where To Watch: Now playing in theaters.
Miroirs No. 3: 6 out of 10
The Setup: On a weekend trip, the piano player, Laura (Paul Beer), survives a car crash. Unhurt but shaken, Laura is taken in by a country woman, Betty (Barbara Auer), who witnessed the accident and cares for her because she resembles her dead daughter.
Review: Not that their work together hasn’t been heralded (Transit, Undine, and Afire are all at varying levels of great), but I love seeing director Christian Petzold and Beer as one of our low-key strongest director-performer pairings in the modern era. By comparison, Miroirs No. 3 may not be as strong (it’s a bit too aloof for me), but there’s still plenty to appreciate about this working relationship.
While I can’t say I felt terribly concerned about the stakes or where things were headed, it doesn’t take away from how much I can acknowledge about Beer’s presence and what she’s able to give based on her abilities and Petzold’s direction. As it stands, this film plays like a very subtle Hitchcockian thriller, with a central mystery that will eventually be revealed, allowing characters to respond accordingly before and after its revelation. Nothing is really out of place, and there’s clearly effort going into the production. Still, I couldn’t help but feel a bit at arm’s length this time around. Not unworth checking out for the film’s positive qualities, but just a bit lower on the Petzold scale.
Where To Watch: Now playing in select theaters.
Mermaid: 6 out of 10
The Setup: Doug (Johnny Pemberton), a troubled Florida man struggling with addiction and personal setbacks, discovers an injured mermaid and takes her home to nurse her back to health. As rumors about the creature spread, he becomes increasingly determined to protect her from those seeking to exploit or harm her.
Review: Perhaps fitting for our times, this is like the anti-Splash. Where that film was a fantastical romantic comedy about a manic pixie fish girl, this is a much darker comedy about how Florida residents interact with something magical. Obviously, that results in some humorous scenarios, but the film is also quite violent, stacked with oddball performances, and almost deliberately unappealing in the way it is shot, let alone the design of the mermaid.
I didn’t exactly expect a neo-noir, but even with the surreal nature of it all, the genre-bending story made for an interesting way to take in the broad notion of what gives rise to the infamous “Florida Man.” Because of that offbeat style, it means seeing a pretty solid, sincere performance from Pemberton and a variety of absurd turns from character actors, including Robert Patrick and Kevin Dunn. As for the Mermaid, it’s a neat mix of effects and performance that allows for maybe a bit more of intended looniness than we actually get. Still, director Tyler Cornack’s film has more going for it than it doesn’t, making for a solid enough bit of weirdness to take in.
Where To Watch: Opening in select theaters on April 8, 2026.
Something Casual: 7 out of 10
The Setup: Alex (Nico Greetham), a first-generation artist, and Frankie (Piper Curda), a professional dancer, navigate the soulless casual hookup culture of Los Angeles. A series of misunderstandings leaves these two star-crossed lovers oscillating between confusion and obsession.
Review: This is one of those romantic dramas where many of the issues could be resolved if either side would sit down and listen to the other explain things for two minutes. It’s not something I necessarily see as a problem, as this is the sort of complaint you lodge when you don’t want a movie but instead want some perfect result quickly. However, I like to look at this issue and judge it against how a filmmaker can get around a genre’s tropes. Writer/director Brandon Buczek gets a lot of mileage out of the film presented, thanks to the strength of these performers, as well as a choice to keep the story feeling set in a modern world.
On that second point, it largely comes down to the art displays used by both leads to express themselves, along with some very frank moments that reflect the attitudes of the supporting performers around them. Whether it’s casual mentions of areas deemed politically tricky to navigate in regular conversation, or the aversion to having to deal with others coming on to someone, it’s clear Something Casual doesn’t just want to sit in some near-timeless space. Adding to that is a maturity evident in the work of Greetham and Curda as people who are nowhere near perfect but certainly aspire to do better, which is ideally reflected in how these two connect, regardless of the difficulties that come with it. This movie, as a whole, was something worthwhile.
Where To Watch: Available to stream on The Lone Screen starting May 7, 2026.
Fantasy Life: 6 out of 10
The Setup: A law school dropout (writer/director Matthew Shear) becomes a babysitter for his psychiatrist’s three granddaughters. He soon falls for their mother (Amanda Peet), a once-promising actress who’s stuck in a rocky marriage.
Review: I’m curious how many are clued in to Amanda Peet’s abilities. She’s been in the business long enough to have starred in comedies and dramas, both in the form of movies and TV, let alone independent and more mainstream work, to certainly be recognizable. However, not having been an awards darling, I do wonder whether her consistently strong work is taken advantage of. Fantasy Life is a decent enough indie comedy with a lead I’m only okay with. However, it’s Peet who delivers what’s required here, be it her comedic instincts or interactions with any number of supporting players.
This cast also includes Alessandro Nivola, Judd Hirsch, Bob Balaban, Andrea Martin, Jessica Harper, and Zosia Mamet, among others. That’s the sort of stacked lineup required for indie films to meet SEO requirements for being noticed these days, but that doesn’t mean the goods from these talented individuals aren’t utilized. The premise is nothing amazing, but the character work is solid, the balance of comedy and drama works, and, again, Peet is here to do effortless cleanup work, making it look easy.
Where To Watch: Now playing in select theaters.
Pretty Lethal: 5 out of 10
The Setup: Five ballerinas (Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, and Maddie Ziegler), on their way to a prestigious dance competition, are barely on speaking terms when their bus breaks down in a remote forest. With no other options, they reluctantly seek shelter at an unsettling roadside inn run by Devora Kasimer (Uma Thurman), a reclusive former ballet prodigy. From the moment they arrive, something feels wrong—and their worst instincts prove right. As the situation turns deadly, the fractured team must set aside rivalries and weaponize years of brutal training, turning grace, discipline, and even pointe shoes into tools for survival.
Review: Not for nothing, but it’s great to see that a schlocky genre film like this is happy to include a talented actress like Simmonds, who may be deaf, but is happy to go along with this sort of nonsense, presumably because it sounded like a fun challenge. Director Vicky Jewson makes the most of this premise, and while it’s short enough not to wear thin, it’s still a movie with only so much going for it beyond the novelty of seeing ballerinas take trouble into their own hands.
Given that this is an 87North Production, at least the stunt work is enjoyable. Yes, it’s handled in a way that is almost becoming generic in terms of the kinds of shots we see, what’s involved, and the attempts at subversion. However, because we are watching fairly small women rely on ballet skills to find success in their fights, I couldn’t help but find joy in the mayhem. Still, even while I’m not fully concerned with how successful the dramatic weight put on these various friendships holds, the hook doesn’t do enough to make this more than a one-time performance to observe.
Where To Watch: Now streaming on Prime Video
