Perhaps this would've been a more profound doc if Kittredge were to ask more provocative questions rather than playing it safe or if he were to delve more into Boorman's life beyond his struggles as a filmmaker. It's ultimately just as mediocre and forgettable as another documentary about a bold flop with a very messy production, Megadoc. At a lengthy running time of 1 hour and 52 minutes, Boorman and the Devil opens at Quad Cinema via Yellow Veil Pictures.
At a running time of 1 hour and 35 minutes, Buddy, by writer/director Caspe Kelly and co-writer Jamie King, is a bold and gory, but tedious, unimaginative and unfunny horror comedy about Buddy the Unicorn (Keegan-Michael Key), the host of a children's TV show who goes on a killing spree and terrorizes both adults and children including Freddy (Delaney Quinn) and Josh (Luke Speakman), Oliver (Tristan Borders) and Timothy (Seamus Flynn). Meanwhile, Grace (Cristin Milioti), believes that she's missing a child and her husband, Ben (Topher Grace), believes that she's crazy. Soon enough, she ends up sucked into the TV and into the show hosted by Buddy the Unicorn. Buddy tries hard to be outrageously funny, darkly comedic and bonkers horror comedy, but it doesn't quite stick the landing. Perhaps it would've worked better as a short. As a feature length film, though, it stretches its premise too thinly and overstays its welcome. It opens nationwide via Roadside Attractions and Saban Films.
Number of times I checked my watch: 4
Kevin (Will Forte), a lawyer with a financially struggling law firm, agrees to represent Wile E. Coyote who's suing Acme for selling defective products in Coyote vs. Acme. Lana Condor plays Paige, Kevin's legal assistant, and John Cena plays Acme's lawyer. Director Dave Green and screenwriter Samy Birch have made a delightful, witty and funny comedy with a warm, beating heart. The David vs. Goliath plot has a few surprises that make it more compelling and complex while also adding some emotional depth, particularly regarding the relationship between Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner. There's plenty of slapstick humor, zaniness and goofiness, but also some razor-sharp wit. Case in point: the signs that Wile E. Coyote uses to communicate, and how he tries to express himself without the use of the signs. Moreover, the courtroom scene has absurdly funny moments that almost reach the hilarity of the classic courtroom scenes My Cousin Vinny, Liar Liar or the underrated Trial and Error. Luis Guzmán has a lot of fun in his supporting role as the judge, and the same can be said for everyone else on screen.
Like the recent The Sheep Detectives, Coyote vs. Acme succeeds with flying colors when it comes to entertaining adults and children simultaneously which is no easy task. If you're looking for an uplifting, fun and heartfelt experience loaded with laughs for all ages, Coyote vs. Acme will leave you very satisfied. It's perfect entertainment for the whole family, and deserves to become a cult classic. At a running time of 1 hour and 43 minutes, Coyote vs. Acme opens nationwide via Ketchup Entertainment.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
The Cycle of Love is a genuinely heartwarming, tender and well-edited documentary about PK Mahanandia, a Delhi street artist who traveled 6,000 miles from India to Sweden via bicycle to reunite with his Swedish lover, Lotta back in 1977 when he was 23-years-old. Director Orlando von Einsiedel amalgamates contemporary interviews with PK and Lotta as well archival footage and dramatic reenactments to tell the story of how they first met in Delhi when he drew her portrait, how they communicated through letters, and how he managed to travel 6,000 miles by bike to reach her when she didn't visit him. Chirag Benedict Lobo and Mina Dale portray the younger versions of PK and Lotta. The reenactments make the film feel more cinematic, less dry and conventional instead of just bombarding the audience with talking heads and archival footage. They wouldn't have been as effective without being well-integrated thanks to the terrific editing which never derails the film's narrative momentum.
It's equally heartfelt and uplifting to watch a documentary about two decent human beings who truly love each other despite their cultural and class differences. The anecdotal details of PK's journey are fascinating and help the audience to grasp his compassion, determination and courage. Ultimately, The Cycle of Love is about the enduring and resilient power of love. You'll enjoy this doc even more if you see it with your significant other because it's a great date movie. At a running time of 1 hour and 38 minutes, The Cycle of Love opens Angelika Film Center via Variance Films.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
Isabel (Jorrybell Agoto), a 17-year-old girl, gets more than she bargained for when she moves near Manila to work at a luxurious country club where she befriends the mysterious country club president, Dr. Palanca (Teroy Guzman), in Filipiñana. Writer/director Rafael Manuel has made a well-shot and lyrical, but sluggishly paced, pretentious, lethargic and tedious drama that's emotionally hollow. There are shades of Carlos Reygadas and a sprinkle of Wes Anderson in terms of how Manuel uses nature and cinematography to provide visual style. Beyond that, though, Filipiñana has nothing else to engage the audience including its few attempts at generating laughs through dry comic relief and dark humor.
Why leave the audience at such a cold distance from the characters? Why have so little narrative momentum and barely any character development? Something shocking finally happens at the very end that's somewhat reminiscent of Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels, but by then, it's too little, too late. There are far better films that look at colonialism head-on with just as much visual poetry such as John Boorman's spellbinding The Emerald Forest. Manuel trusts the audience's patience too much, but even if you're patient, this isn't the kind of film that will be rewarding. At a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, which feels more like 3 hours, Filipiñana opens at Film Forum via Kino Lorber.
Number of times I checked my watch: 5
Mark (Dave Franco) and Davis (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) get more than they bargained for when they're hired to drive Sheridan (Mason Thames), a troubled teenager, to rehab in Idiots. Writer/director Macon Blair has made a stoner comedy that's wild, bonkers and irreverent, but mean-spirited, witless and unfunny. The lazy screenplay opts for gross-out humor involving poop and plenty of dark humor with people getting hurt or killed. It also abandons logic which would've been fine if it were to compensate for that with abundance of imagination. Unfortunately, imagination isn't among its strengths, and the characters are more annoying, silly and cartoonish than funny. The attempts at humor often fall flat and feel repetitive, e.g. when Sheridan bites people as though he were a vampire.
Perhaps if he were to actually turn into a vampire, Idiots wouldn't be such an uninspired and underwhelming road trip/stoner comedy. The actors are fine, but no one gets a chance to shine, including Peter Dinklage who plays one of the villains who shows up later in the second act. Ultimately, Idiots isn't as hilarious as The Wrong Girls or even the mediocre Driver's Ed. At a running time of 1 hour and 38 minutes, Idiots opens in select theaters nationwide via Independent Film Company.
Number of times I checked my watch: 3
Erik a.k.a. The White Dragon (Jason David Frank) battles his nemesis, Jai a.k.a. Dragon Prime (Aaron Schoenke), while trying to clear his name after being wrongfully accused of killing people and destroying parts of the city during a battle in Legend of the White Dragon. Co-writer/director Aaron Schoenke, co-director Sean Schoenke and co-writer Alex Kellerman have made an uninspired, clunky and lackluster superhero action thriller. Of course, there's a MacGuffin: a crystal that gives Erik the superpowers needed to transform him into The White Dragon. He has half of the crystal while Jai has the other half, so he needs to steal it from him to regain his superpowers. The action sequences aren't very exciting, the characters are underdeveloped, the world-building and exposition are both weak, the performances are bland, and the dialogue is mediocre at best with no wit or much-needed comic relief. Moreover, the villain, Dragon Prime remains underwritten and forgettable much like the villains in the recent Supergirl and Masters of the Universe.
The visual effects, though, look impressive for a low budget superhero movie, but that's not enough to keep the audience entertained. The filmmakers should be commended for keeping the running time under two hours because if it were longer, it would be exhausting. Ultimately, Legend of the White Dragon underwhelms even as a B-movie without leaving the audience hungry for a sequel. At a thankfully brief running time 1 hour and 38 minutes, Legend of the White Dragon opens in select theaters nationwide via Well Go USA.
Number of times I checked my watch: 4
After hitting a rough patch with her boyfriend, Jack (Jake Johnson), Wendy (Dakota Fanning) reluctantly agrees to take time off their relationship to see other people in The Sun Never Sets. Soon enough, she reunites with her ex-boyfriend, Chuck (Cory Michael Smith). Writer/director Joe Swanberg has made an often vapid, monotonous and contrived romantic drama. The film has a number of systemic issues all of which derive from the screenplay.
First of all, why would Wendy cave into Jack's coercion to see other people? How would either of them believe that that's the solution to save their dysfunctional relationship? Does she really think that he'd change if and when they get married? They're both emotionally immature, but the screenplay doesn't quite acknowledge that. Then there's an issue with perspective because it sometimes changes to Jack's perspective which means that when Wendy learns that he's been having sex with another woman without telling her, the audience already knows that, so they're not on the same page as her and it's no surprise. Sara (Karley Sciortino), the woman who Jack sleeps with, seems like the most emotionally mature character when she shows indignance when he tells her very late during their date that Wendy is his girlfriend and that he has no interest in continuing their date. She's absolutely right when she bluntly says to him that he should've told her that much earlier. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like he nor Wendy have much in terms of introspection or, if they do, the screenplay doesn't design enough of a window into their heart, mind and soul to show signs of that much-needed tool in life and relationships. It's hard to root for either of them when they're both consistently immature, toxic and unpleasant. Moreover, there's not nearly enough comic relief or any other forms of levity, and the ending feels rushed without anyone having a believable character arc.
Dakota Fanning gives a raw and heartfelt performance that breathes much-needed life into her role, but that's not enough to compensate for the shallow screenplay. The Sun Never Sets has nothing insightful to say about love, self worth or relationships. There are far better movies about couples stuck in a rut who consider opening their relationship, namely, the recent romcom The Invite, a much more perceptive, funny and poignant than this disappointing misfire. At a running time of 1 hour and 44 minutes, The Sun Never Sets opens in Chicago before expanding nationwide on September 4th, 2026 via Independent Film Company.
Number of times I checked my watch: 3
Top of the World, co-directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West, is a slicky edited and occasionally moving, but undercooked and conventional documentary about the history of Windows of the World, the iconic restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center. It also briefly sheds light on how it got destroyed in 9/11 and the many employees who died on that tragic day. What about delving into the plan to rebuild the restaurant which was scrapped in 2011? Top of the World is a decent reader's digest glimpse of Windows of the World from its inception to its demise, but doesn't manage to transcend beyond that. At a running time of just 40 minutes, Top of the World opens at DCTV's Firehouse Cinema via CNN Films.
Number of times I checked my watch: 3
