Cannes Film Festival Archives

Review: ‘The President’s Cake,’ starring Baneen Ahmed Nayyef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheeda Thabet and Rahim AlHaj

February 16, 2026

by Carla Hay

Sajad Mohamad Qasem and Baneen Ahmed Nayyef in “The President’s Cake” (Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)

Directed by Hasan Hadi

Arabic with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in 1990, in Baghdad, the dramatic film “The President’s Cake” features an all-Middle Eastern cast of characters representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: A financially disadvantaged 9-year-old girl gets a classroom assignment to bring a cake to the next day’s class to celebrate President Saddam Hussein’s birthday, and she and a classmate embark on a sometimes-dangerous race against time on the streets of Baghdad to find a way to get a cake when they have limited resources.

Culture Audience: “The President’s Cake” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in well-acted dramas about a politically oppressed nation, as seen through the perspectives of children.

Pictured in front: Baneen Ahmed Nayyef and Waheeda Thabet in “The President’s Cake” (Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)

The riveting drama “The President’s Cake” takes an unforgettable journey through Baghdad in 1990. In a politically oppressed society, a 9-year-old girl is under deadline pressure to present a cake at her school to celebrate Saddam Hussein’s birthday. The movie is told from a child’s perspective, but she experiences many things along the way that take away her innocence and give her lessons on many of life’s harsh realities.

Written and directed by Hasan Hadi, “The President’s Cake” is Hadi’s feature-film directorial debut. The movie had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where the movie won the Golden Camera Award (for first-time feature-film directors) and the Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award. “The President’s Cake” subsequently made the rounds at several other film festivals in 2025, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival and AFI Fest.

“The President’s Cake” was filmed on location in Baghdad. The movie was Iraq’s official selection for Best International Feature Film for the 2026 Academy Awards. “The President’s Cake” made the shortlist for the category but didn’t get nominated. With or without an Oscar nomination, “The President’s Cake” is outstanding in depicting how everyday life is affected in a nation controlled by a dictator.

“The President’s Cake” (which has a total run time of 105 minutes) starts off with a slow pace, but the movie’s pace and the tension increase in the last half of the film. The story begins with a caption saying: “In 1990, Iraq faced strict U.N.-backed sanctions, leading to extreme poverty, food shortages and limited access to medicine. Despite this, Saddam Hussein required all Iraqis to celebrate his birthday.”

The movie, which takes place over three days, begins on April 26, 1990—two days before Hussein’s birthday that year. Lamia Ahmed Nayyef (played by Baneen Ahmed Nayyef), the 9-year-old girl who is the movie’s protagonist, is shown helping her grandmother Bibi (played by Waheeda Thabet, also known as Waheed Thabet Khreibat) carry gallons of water before they travel somewhere by gondola. The word “Bibi” is an Arabic term of endearment for a grandmother or a respected older woman. The grandmother’s real first name is not mentioned in the movie.

Lamia’s parents are apparently deceased. As Lamia and Bibi prepare for this journey, Lamia notices other people in their neighborhood are leaving the area too. Lamia asks Bibi why other people are leaving. Bibi doesn’t answer and wants Lamia to focus on finishing her schoolwork. What isn’t said out loud and what Bibi is probably afraid to tell Lamia is that they’ve lost their home due to poverty and/or threat of an imminent attack, and they have to move somewhere else.

Lamia’s closest companion is her pet rooster Hindi, whom she takes with her wherever Lami can take this rooster. Hindi has a distinct extroverted personality that makes him a memorable character in the movie. While docked on the boat, Lamia is approached by a classmate named Saeed Muhammed Qasim (played by Sajad Mohamad Qasem), who has a reputation for being irresponsible and someone who occasionally causes mischief. Saeed asks Lami if she’s doing her math homework. She says yes.

Saeed then asks, “Do you think the president eats all the cakes himself?” Lamia answers, “Shh. The walls have ears.” Saeed responds, “I wish I was president.” Lami asks, “Why?” Saeed says, “Then, I would eat all the cakes in the world.” Lamia comments, “I would drink all the cola in the world.”

Saeed mentions that his father is taking Saeed to the amusement park the next day to sell tickets. Later in the movie, it’s revealed that Saeed’s father is actually destitute and missing. It’s probable that Saeed’s father was locked up by police for being a vagrant, or Saeed’s father suffered an even worse fate.

Saeed tells lies to himself and other people about his father as a way of coping with a lot of the trauma that people are experiencing because of the oppressive government led by Hussein. Children and adults are often snatched off of the streets and arrested by the military-controlled police or other government officials for any reason or no reason at all. It’s under these circumstances that Saeed and Lamia will soon go on a frantic race against time to meet the deadline for a classroom assignment.

At their school, students are required to pledge allegiance to Hussein and frequently say chants of praise to Hussein, like members of a political cult. The classroom teacher Mr. Musa (played by Ahmad Qasem Saywan) is strict and doesn’t hestitate to insult his students. He also uses the threat of political punishment if he thinks anyone is being disrespectful.

It’s an annual requirement for the students to bring assigned items to celebrate Hussein’s upcoming birthday. Mr. Musa randomly chooses names that will be assigned to bring various items to the classroom. Saeed’s assignment to bring fruit. Lamia’s assignment is the most demanding: She has to make a birthday cake with specific ingredients for the cake’s flour, sugar and filling.

Mr. Musa repeatedly says that all the assigned items must be fit for a president. Students who don’t complete the assignment will be punished. Mr. Musa warns the students that they don’t want to end up like a student named Rasool and Rasool’s family, who were reported to authorities for political disobedience, which is a serious crime in Iraq. The punishment for this type of crime can result in imprisonment or death.

The problem is that Bibi can’t afford the ingredients to make the cake. It costs even more to buy a cake. Most of “The President’s Cake” is about Lamia on a quest on the streets of Baghdad, to find what she needs for this class assignment. Bibi tries to help when she and Lamia get a ride from a friendly mailman named Jasim (played by Rahim AlHaj) into the marketplace part of the city. Pet rooster Hindi is along for the ride and is carried by Lamia in a sling.

Bibi doesn’t seem to understand the urgency of Lamia’s assignment and doesn’t seem very worried when they can’t get the ingredients that Lamia needs for the cake. Lamia gets impatient and runs away to complete the task on her own, without telling Bibi where Lamia is going. Lamia eventually meets up with Saeed, who goes with Lamia to help get the cake ingredients and the fruit that he needs for his assignment.

Meanwhile, Bibi experiences a lot of stress in trying to find Lamia. When Bibi goes to a police station to report Lamia missing and to ask for help in finding Lamia, Bibi is treated with disrespect or indifference. Bibi eventually gets help in her search from Jasim, but things definitely don’t go smoothly.

Bibi has sheltered Lamia from many things, but Lamia proves to be resourceful and comes up with various ideas on how to get money. And even though Saeed is more street-smart than Lamia, both children are still naïve enough to fall victim to a swindler. Lamia is so determined to get what she needs for this cake, she doesn’t think about what Bibi might be going through in trying to find Lamia.

Some of the situations that the Lamia and Saeed experience are comical, such as when Lamia and Saeed end up rushing to a hospital in a car with a shop owner named Izzat (played by Mohammed Rheimeh) and a pregnant woman named Hiyam (played by Rokia Alwadi), who might or might not be Izzat’s wife and who is about to give birth. Other situations are harrowing, such as when a seemingly helpful butcher (played by Tayseer Ibrahim Radi) has predatory intentions targeting Lamia.

Throughout the movie, there are scenes showing that portraits (photos and illustrated) of Hussein are everywhere. It’s the movie’s way of showing how pervasive his controlling presence is and the type of massive ego this leader must have to demand pictures of himself displayed in as many places as possible. It’s also a silent reminder that at this point in time, there’s no escape from Hussein’s power in Iraq.

Even in this environment of tyranny and desperation, “The President’s Cake” never lets viewers forget that children find ways to still amuse or distract themselves. During anxious moments, Lamia and Saeed like to play a staring contest game, where they stare at each other without blinking. The person who blinks first loses the game.

Hadi’s impressive writing and directing for “The President’s Cake” make this movie an excellent feature-film debut. However, the movie would not have as much resonance if not for the impactful and realistic performance of Nayyef as Lamia, who is plucky, strong-willed and a little bit bratty, without losing her vulnerability as a child. Many movies with children as main characters often make the children talk like adults, but “The President’s Cake” resists having that gimmick.

“The President’s Cake” supporting cast members all give capable performances. However, the heart and soul of the story can be found in Nayyef’s noteworthy performance. Lamia represents the resilience of people who persist in the face of obstacles and an uncertain future.

Sony Pictures Classics released “The President’s Cake” in select U.S. cinemas on December 12, 2025, and re-released the movie in select U.S. cinemas February 6, 2026, with an expansion to more U.S. cinemas on February 27, 2026.

Review: ‘Pillion’ (2025), starring Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling

February 3, 2026

by Carla Hay

Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling in “Pillion” (Photo courtesy of A24)

“Pillion” (2025)

Directed by Harry Lighton

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed city in England, the comedy/drama film “Pillion” (based on the 1975 novel “Box Hill”) features a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few black people) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: A socially awkward loner gets involved in a volatile BDSM relationship as a submissive partner to the dominant and mysterious leader of a motorcycle group.

Culture Audience: “Pillion” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners and are interested in watching well-acted and skillfully written movies about BDSM relationships from the perspectives of gay men.

Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård in “Pillion” (Photo by Chris Harris/A24)

The well-acted comedy/drama “Pillion” is more than a movie about a submissive man involved with a mysterious dominant lover in a BDSM relationship. It’s a bittersweet story about emotional vulnerabilities when giving and receiving love. The movie treats the non-traditional aspects of this relationship without judgment and with adult maturity. (A pillion is the passenger seat for a motorcycle.)

Written and directed by Harry Lighton, “Pillion” is Lighton’s feature-film directorial debut. The movie had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and subsequently screened at several other film festivals in 2025, including the Telluride Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival. “Pillion” is based on Adam Mars-Jones’ 1975 novel “Box Hill,” with intriguing changes in the movie.

Both the movie and the book take place in a suburban England (the movie does not name the city), but “Box Hill” takes place in the 1970s over a period of several years, whereas “Pillion” takes place in the mid-2020s over a period of several months. Another big change from the book to the movie: A major character dies in the book, but this person does not die in the movie.

Lighton gives a superb cinematic adaptation of the book by adding unique elements that are realistic, with the right balance of heartbreaking and heartwarming. A movie with this type of sexual content could easily be exploitative, but Lighton gives “Pillion” a matter-of-fact and non-judgmental tone when showing a gay BDSM lifestyle, which is rarely the focus of mainstream movies. “Pillion” has an attitude of: “This is how some people live. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to watch it.”

“Pillion” is told from the perspective of protagonist Colin Smith (played by Harry Melling), a socially awkward gay man in his mid-30s. Colin is openly gay, and he is very inexperienced when it comes to dating. Colin, who works as parking meter enforcer, lives with his parents Pete (played by Douglas Hodge) and Peggy (played by Lesley Sharp), who are completely accepting of Colin being gay. Peggy is so accepting, she tries to set up Colin on blind dates.

In the beginning of the movie, it’s the Christmas holiday season, and Colin is doing something that he loves to do: He sings in a barbershop quartet, which is performing in a cafe pub at the moment. During this performance, Colin notices a tall and handsome stranger dressed in motorcycle biker gear. This stranger, who is about 10 to 15 years older than Colin, is sitting by himself.

Colin is immediately attracted to him. After the performance, Colin extends his hands to greet the customers, but the stranger makes a point of ignoring Colin. The stranger doesn’t seem interested in talking to anyone. Colin is still intrigued, but he’s too shy to start a conversation with him. The stranger seems to be aware that Colin is staring at him.

Colin sees the stranger again by chance one night, when Colin is walking his family’s Dachshund near a business district street. The stranger is walking a Rottweiler. Colin will eventually find out that the stranger’s name is Ray (played by Alexander Skarsgård), who is also gay or queer. Ray is not from the U.K., and he has a hard-to-place accent that could be American, Canadian, or the accent of a Western European who speaks English very well.

Colin tries to nonchalantly follow Ray, but Ray notices that Colin is following him. The power dynamics in their relationship begin immediately. Ray orders Colin to follow him into a dark alley. Colin willingly obliges. Ray takes off his shirt and reveals that he’s wearing bondage gear. Ray asks Colin, “What am I going to do with you?” Colin replies, “Whatever you want, really.”

Ray then zips down his pants and demands that Colin give him oral sex. Colin willingly obliges, but he almost chokes during the act and makes profuse apologies. It’s the beginning of their BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism) relationship. It’s also the first time that Colin has ever had this type of relationship. It isn’t long before Colin moves into Ray’s home, a non-descript, middle-class house that is less than a half-hour drive from where Colin’s parents live.

“Pillion” has some comedic moments about Colin’s awkwardness in navigating this relationship, but the movie doesn’t do it in a mean-spirited way. Colin and Ray have an “opposites attract” relationship that, on the surface, works well for the BDSM dynamic. Colin enjoys being a complete submissive at all times to Ray, who enjoys his role as the dominant partner.

From the start of the relationship, Ray sets boundaries that would be deal breakers for most people, but not for Colin: Ray refuses to show signs of affection to Colin, such as kissing, hugging, cuddling or holding hands. Ray also won’t tell Colin what Ray does for money. Ray never mentions having a job, and it’s unknown what Ray’s source of income is.

In the beginning of their relationship, Ray also won’t share a bed with Colin when they sleep. Ray expects Colin to sleep on the floor, sometimes on the couch, or on a bed in another room. And it’s not unusual for Ray to treat Colin like the family dog.

Ray says that Colin should not expect Ray to be monogamous. Colin also cannot be possessive or curious about what Ray does when Ray spends time apart from Colin. Colin cannot snoop into other areas of Ray’s life, such as who his family members are and what Ray’s personal background is. Needless to say, Ray also doesn’t want Colin to describe Ray as a “boyfriend” or to say the word “love” about their relationship.

Ray is the leader of a BDSM gay biker group of motorcylists. He’s considered an “alpha male leather daddy,” not just with this group but also with other gay biker groups who know about Ray. (Jake Shears, also known as the lead singer of Scissor Sisters, has a cameo role as a submissive biker named Kevin.)

Colin feels insecure because he knows that Ray is considered much better-looking and more of a “catch” than Colin. And so, Colin does whatever it takes to please Ray. In order to fit in better with this biker group of dominants and submissives, Colin ends up shaving off all of his hair and wearing a padlock on a chain necklace, which is what most of the group’s other submissives have done too.

Ray tests the levels of humiliation that Colin might tolerate to see how “loyal” Colin is to Ray. Colin seems to be okay with acts of degradation that are done to Colin in private and are part of their sex play. But there comes a time when Ray does something in public to humiliate Colin. And it’s a turning point in their relationship.

After a while, Colin wants more than Ray might be willing to give. Colin, who has fallen in love with Ray, wants some indication that Ray loves Colin. If Ray wants to push the boundaries of humiliating Colin, then Colin wants something in return by pushing the boundaries of what makes Ray uncomfortable: showing emotional vulnerability, especially when it comes to love and romance.

From the outside looking in, the complicated issues of power, control and sex in a BDSM relationship might be too confusing to those not in the relationship. Colin’s parents, especially his mother Peggy, see obvious indications that Ray is bossy and rude to Colin. And she doesn’t like it one bit, because she thinks it’s non-consensual and abusive.

A darkly comedic scene in the movie takes place when Ray has dinner with Colin and Colin’s parents for the first time at the Smith family home because Peggy insisted on it. It’s a battle of two strong personalities (Ray and Peggy) that not only has a lot to do with Peggy being protective of her “mama’s boy” son Colin but also about Peggy’s fear of losing Colin to a partner whom she sees as possibly abusive. Ray is very uncomfortable with being part of family dinners, so it’s a major compromise in his relationship with Colin that he agreed to be at this dinner.

Melling gives a terrifically nuanced performance as Colin, who is caught up in the thrills and the agony of Colin’s relationship with Ray. Skarsgård gives a more difficult performance as the inscrutable and often-unlikable Ray, who tries not to let his true feelings show, but those true feelings occasionally reveal themselves in subtle ways in body language and tone of voice. Sharp is absolutely wonderful in her role as outspoken Peggy, who has her own personal issues to deal with because Peggy is in recovery from cancer.

“Pillion” will undoubtedly make most viewers root for Colin to have his love reciprocated by Ray. However, the movie has a lot to say about relationship expectations: Can you love someone for who that person is, or is the love about who you want that person to be? During his relationship with Ray, Colin discovers that he wants to be a submissive in a BDSM relationship. The movie ultimately shows Colin finding out that being in this type of relationship doesn’t mean that Colin has to lose himself and suppress what he wants that will make himself happy.

A24 will release “Pillion” in select U.S. cinemas on February 6, 2026. The movie was released in U.K. cinemas on November 28, 2025.

Review: ‘The Plague’ (2025), starring Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin, Kenny Rasmussen and Joel Edgerton

February 1, 2026

by Carla Hay

Kenny Rasmussen and Everett Blunck in “The Plague” (Photo courtesy of Independent Film Company)

“The Plague” (2025)

Directed by Charlie Pollinger

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed U.S. city in 2003, the dramatic film “The Plague” features a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few black people and one Latin person) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: At an all-boys water polo camp, a 12-year-old insecure newcomer gets caught up in the team’s bullying tactic of saying that a shunned person on the team has an infectious disease that the team calls The Plague.

Culture Audience: “The Plague” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in watching intense and memorable dramas about adolescent bullying.

Everett Blunck and Joel Edgerton in “The Plague” (Photo courtesy of Independent Film Company)

Even though “The Plague” takes place at a water polo camp for boys, this tension-filled drama is not a sports movie. It’s a well-acted and stylishly unsettling story about the troubling effects of bullying and negative peer pressure. “The Plague” has been described by some people as a horror movie, but this film doesn’t quite have any of the elements that a horror movie should have.

“The Plague” has no real jump scares, no killer villain on the loose, or no one physically trapped and trying to survive in a deadly place. Instead, what might be the most terrifying thing about this movie to some viewers is how the adolescent cruelty shown in “The Plague” is, has been, and will continue to be part of growing up for countless numbers of people. There are a few “gross-out” scenes involving skin rashes and self-harming, but the most repulsive thing shown in the movie isn’t the physical harm but the emotional damage/abuse inflicted on others.

Written and directed by Charlie Polinger, “The Plague” is his feature-film directorial debut. “The Plague” had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The movie received three nominations for the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards: Best Feature, Best Lead Performance (for Everett Blunck) and Best Breakthrough Performance (for Kayo Martin).

“The Plague” begins with a visually striking scene that is featured on the movie’s poster art: Several boys jump into a clear blue swimming pool and wade, but the boys are only seen from their waists downward. It’s soon revealed that the story takes place in an unnamed U.S. city at the Tom Lerner Water Polo Camp in the summer of 2003.

The camp’s first session already took place, and the camp is currently in its second session. It’s an all-male camp whose students are 12 or 13 years old. The purpose of the camp is to train the students on how to skillfully play water polo and to learn how to successfully work in a team.

The movie’s protagonist is a 12-year-old name Ben (played by Blunck), who is a newcomer to the camp. Ben, who has recently moved to the area from Boston, is somewhat introverted but eager to make friends. Ben later reveals to someone in the story that Ben moved to the area with his divorced mother, who left Ben’s father for another man. This divorce has negatively affected Ben’s self-esteem and his ability to trust adults.

The other boys in this small team of water polo players are chief bully Jake (played by Martin), Jake’s main enabler Logan (played by Lucas Adler), bleach blonde Matt (played by Caden Burris), British immigrant Tic Tac (played by Elliott Heffernan), long-haired Julian (played by Lennox Espy), dorky Corbin (played by Colton Lee), generic kid Charlie (played by Nicolas Rașovan) and outcast Eli (played by Kenny Rasmussen).

This water polo team’s head coach is named Daddy Wags (played by Joel Edgerton, who is also one of the producers of “The Plague”), which obviously isn’t the character’s real name. The movie never reveals the coach’s real name. He’s the movie’s only adult character who is shown significantly interacting with this team of often-bratty kids.

The first indication in the movie that the boys like to play naughty pranks is a scene where Daddy Wags gathers the boys for a meeting and asks them what they think water polo is about. Daddy Wags is clearly looking for answers that aren’t about athletic skills but are about teamwork, respect and facing challenges. When Daddy Wags calls on Ben to answer the question, Ben hesitantly answers, “It’s working together as one family, or whatever.”

The rest of the boys (except for Eli) laugh at Ben’s answer. It’s in this scene that Daddy Wags first sees that Ben is more intelligent and more sensitive than the other boys in the group. At the end of this meeting, Daddy Wags notices that the whiteboard he had been using has a drawing of a penis, and the drawing was made with a permanent marker. The boys laugh when Daddy Wags tries to erase this drawing. Daddy Wags is slightly annoyed but doesn’t want to punish anyone for this prank.

After this meeting, Daddy Wags sees Ben in a hallway and starts a conversation with Ben. Daddy Wags tells Ben that he’s available for Ben if Ben ever needs to talk about anything. Much later in the movie, Ben takes up this offer and confides in Daddy Wags about some of his inner turmoil. Daddy Wags also opens up to Ben about being bullied when he was an adolescent and some of his struggles as an adult.

It doesn’t take long for Ben to notice that Eli is treated like a pariah by the other boys when they are not in training sessions and are not in the presence of adults. Eli spends most of his free time by himself. When he walks close to the other boys, the other boys move away, as if he has some type of contagious disease. If Eli accidentally has any physical contact with the boys, such as when they take group showers, the boys immediately react by intensely washing themselves in the area where Eli made physical contact with them.

On one of his first days at the camp, Ben is in the cafeteria for lunch and decides to sit down at the same table as the other boys. Ben asks why they move away from Eli whenever Eli is near them. Jake says it’s because Eli has a contagious disease called The Plague, which can be spread through touching. According to what Jake says, The Plague causes rashes and boils on the skin and later leads to loss of motor skills and speech skills.

“It turns your brain into baby food … It’s like herpes. There’s no cure for him,” Jake comments to Ben about The Plague and Eli. Ben asks Jake if Eli ever got medical help for this disease, and Jake says yes. Jake claims that’s why Jake knows it’s an incurable disease. But this claim is questionable at best. A kid like Jake would not have access to Eli’s medical records.

Jake is the ringleader of the bullying that takes place in the story, but he has willing accomplices with the other boys. Jake is smirking and manipulative. He is very skilled at reading people and being able to quickly figure out what their insecurities might be and using those insecurities to degrade people or make people do what he wants. Jake comes from an affluent family and is the type of person who is probably a sociopath.

Eli has noticeable rashes and boils on his face. Eli is almost never seen shirtless, even when he’s swimming or in the shower. Privately, Ben is skeptical that whatever skin condition that Eli has is contagious. Ben also doubts that whatever Eli has can be described as The Plague. Publicly, Ben goes along with what the other boys say about Eli because Ben wants to fit in with the group.

Ben tries to make small talk with Eli when they are alone together. The first time that Ben talks to Eli, he sees Eli in the sauna room and reminds Eli that sauna room can only be used for 15 minutes at a time. Ben says it in a way not to make Eli feel bad but in a way that lets Eli know that staying in the sauna room for too long can be dangerous.

During another moment where Ben and Eli are alone together, it’s in the locker room. Eli is holding a pair of scissors. Ben is horrified when it looks like Eli has cut off one of his own index fingers. But it’s really a prank. Eli had made a fake finger and fake blood.

Eli says in a weird voice: “Had a boo boo. Now all better.” Ben laughs and responds “Holy shit. How’d you do that?” Eli replies in a mock commanding voice: “Though shalt never know, mortal.” Ben takes the prank in good stride and sees that there’s more to Eli than being a quiet loner.

It’s obvious (even though no one says it out loud) that Eli is somewhere on the autism spectrum. Autism was not as openly discussed in 2003 as it is now. But even if Eli’s peers at this water polo camp knew he had autism, Eli probably still would’ve been bullied for being “different.”

Ben and Eli have more conversations when they are alone together. They both find out that they’re fanboys of “The Lord of the Rings” movies and can recite dialogue by “Lord of the Rings” villain Gollum by heart. They also both find out that they secretly self-harm in small ways. Eli cuts the skin on the palms of his hands. Ben digs into his own skin with his fingernails until it draws blood. Ben tells Eli that he shouldn’t cut himself.

There are times when Eli is not treated like a complete outcast by the bullies in the group. For example, there’s a scene where all of the boys sneak out of their military-styled group dorm room and go to an abandoned area that is littered with broken-down furniture and other discarded items. They light a fire and start breaking the furniture. During this “bonfire party,” they also break a water pipe that’s on an outside wall of a nearby building.

Eli finds a life-sized cardboard cutout of a Betty Boop-type character and starts energetically dancing and twirling with this cardboard cutout. Ben becomes annoyed because he thinks Eli shouldn’t be doing anything that will make Eli the target of more ridicule. And so, Ben (in a misguided effort to look “cool”) pushes Eli to the ground.

The other boys immediately act as if Ben has been infected with The Plague because he touched Eli. Ben then rushes over to the broken water pipe and starts washing himself, as if he wants to get rid of “The Plague.” It’s the first time that Eli sees that Ben is willing to betray and hurt Eli, in order to be accepted by the other boys in the group.

This scene exemplifies the mixed feelings that Ben struggles with throughout the entire story. On the one hand, Ben genuinely likes Eli and wants to be his friend. On the other hand, Ben desperately wants to be accepted by the other boys in the group, and he knows that this acceptance won’t happen if he openly befriends Eli.

And then, there’s the matter of The Plague. Is it real? Ben starts to notice that he’s getting the same rashes as Eli, but he tries to keep it a secret from everyone as long as possible. The only person in the group who confesses to Ben that he doubts the Plague is real is Tic Tac, but he is too afraid to admit this doubt to anyone else except Ben.

A turning point in the story comes when Ben and Eli are in the locker room, and Ben see Eli with Eli’s shirt off. Eli’s entire back is covered in rashes. Eli is putting a prescribed skin care cream on Eli’s rashes. Jake notices that Eli is having trouble applying the skin cream to Eli’s back. Jake makes a decision on whether or not he will help Eli apply the skin cream.

“The Plague” shows a lot more to the story that won’t be revealed in this review. However, it’s enough to say that the bullying escalates, and Eli isn’t the only one who becomes the target of the bullying. The movie shows whether or not Ben reaches out to his mother for any help or support.

Pollinger’s sharp direction and incisive screenplay for “The Plague” make the movie an impressive feature-film debut for him. It’s a very atmospheric movie with excellent sound design and immersive cinematography that enhance the fear and anxiety throughout the film. The conversations in “The Plague” are very authentic.

The performances by Blunck, Rasmussen, Edgerton and Martin stand out as the most emotionally impactful. Blunck is very talented at showing the angst of an adolescent who is conflicted about what kind of person he is when faced with moral dilemmas. Rasmussen gives a memorable performance as misunderstood Eli. Edgerton shows the right balance of portraying Daddy Wags as a concerned authority figure and as an adult who personally knows about the emotional scars caused by bullying.

Martin has excellent timing in how he delivers his lines of dialogue because his performance makes Jake look more sinister than being just a spoiled brat. Jake has a taunting coldness and lack of empathy behind his personality mask of being a joking, charismatic rebel. It’s the most complex performance in the movie because Jake is the type of person who can easily fool other people, including some of this movie’s viewers who are likely to make excuses for Jake’s bullying because he’s still a child.

“The Plague” also does a credible job of showing how insular this group of boys can be and the ego posturing they do in the name of masculinity. At night, when the boys are in in their shared group bedroom, they talk about girls and sexual thoughts, as if they’re experienced in dating. In reality, when the boys actually see girls their age or a little older—the only females shown at the camp are the synchronized swim team, their coaches, and a few other adult supervisors—the boys get tongue-tied and a little awestruck. Eli has a reaction to the girls that is turned into a humiliating experience for him.

Most horror movies are about people in extraordinary circumstances where people’s lives are usually at stake. That’s why “The Plague,” even though it has some disturbing scenes, isn’t really a horror movie. The most unsettling aspects of “The Plague” are how common this type of bullying happens in plain sight and can be experienced by untold numbers of people. The presence of any adults cannot always guarantee protection from children bullying each other. By the end of the film, it’s clear that even though there are some scenes in “The Plague” that show bloody injuries, the real long-term damage to the characters is psychological and emotional.

Independent Film Company released “The Plague” in U.S. cinemas on December 24, 2025. The movie will be released on digital and VOD on February 3, 2026.

Review: ‘Arco’ (2025), a dazzling animated sci-fi adventure story about time traveling and a quest to go back home

January 28, 2026

by Carla Hay

Arco and Iris in “Arco” (Image courtesy of Neon)

“Arco” (2025)

Directed by Ugo Bienvenu

Available in the original French version (with English subtitles) or in a dubbed English-language version.

Culture Representation: Taking place on Earth in the year 2075 (and briefly in 2932), the animated film “Arco” features a predominately human cast of characters (with some robot characters) that are from Earth.

Culture Clash: A boy from the year 2932 crashes into another time dimension, where he befriends a 10 year-old girl in 2075, and they are hunted by three alien-chasing brothers, as the boy tries to get back to his home in the future.

Culture Audience: “Arco” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in entertaining and family-friendly animated films that are about human compassion and respecting beings and lifestyles that are different.

Equally inspired by European art films and Japanese anime, Arco is a dazzling sci-fi adventure film about time traveling and finding a way back home. There are a few story influences from 1982’s “E.T.” film, but “Arco” has enough originality to charm. “Arco” also weaves in a meaningful story about environmental issues without being too preachy.

Directed by Ugo Bienvenu (who co-wrote the “Arco” screenplay with Félix de Givry), “Arco” had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. It also made the rounds at other film festivals, including the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where it won the prize for Best Feature Film) and the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. “Arco” has also been nominated for Best Animated Film for the 2026 Academy Awards.

“Arco” (which takes place in unnamed parts of Earth) begins by showing the movie’s title character named Arco Durell, who is a boy about 10 or 11 years old, in the year 2932. Arco lives with his unnamed parents and his older sister Ada. It’s a stable and loving family.

Arco’s parents are explorers. In this futuristic society, people fly in the air and can teleport themselves into the past. They wear hooded outfits with rainbow cloaks for this type of traveling. Each flying outfit comes equipped with a magical diamond that allows this teleporting to different time periods.

When they teleport or travel in the air, they look like they’re flying on rainbows. The law is that people have to be at least 12 years old for this type of traveling. Arco is a curious and adventurous child, so he’s naturally impatient to get a chance to fly.

In the beginning of the movie, Arco’s parents and Ada have come back from a trip back to the dinosaur age. Ada says they were too afraid to pet the dinosaurs. Arco is eager to go on this type of time-traveling trip, but he is strictly forbidden by his parents.

One night, when Ada is asleep, Arco steals her flying outfit and flies outside on his own. He has trouble adjusting to learning how to fly. And it isn’t long before he finds himself teleported to the year 2075. He crashes in a wooded area.

Meanwhile, a friendly 10-year-old girl named Iris lives a lonely life because her parents are frequently working away from home. She is taken care of by a robot named Mikki, who also looks after Iris’ baby brother Peter. Mikki is intelligent, resourceful and very loyal. Robots are part of everyday life and are seen doing various jobs that humans can also do. For example, there are scenes in the movie showing robots as yard workers, garbage collectors and restaurant servers.

It just so happens that Iris is by herself in the woods when she sees Arco crash in a rainbow flash and collapse on the ground. It isn’t long before three eccentric brothers in their 30s show up because they saw the rainbow too. These three brothers are fanatical about chasing any alien life form that they think comes from outer space.

The names of these brothers are Stewie, Dougie and Frankie. The brothers, who frequently bicker with each other, have a unusual way of dressing: They all dress in monochromatic clothes and wear sunglasses. Stewie wears all blue. Dougie wears all red. Frankie wears all yellow.

It’s mentioned much later in the movie, that about 20 years ago, when the brothers were children, they saw rainbow flashes that they were convinced were aliens from outer space. The brothers’ parents and other people didn’t believe them. The brothers were often laughed at when they told people what they saw, and the brothers became society outcasts.

However, Stewie, Dougie and Frankie never lost their obsession over the rainbow flashes and finding what types of aliens caused these flashes. When the brothers show up in the woods, they ask Iris if they saw any strange creatures crash in the woods. She says yes but deliberately misleads the brothers in the opposite direction of where she knows Arco has collapsed.

Iris then takes Arco, puts him on the back of her scooter, and brings him home. Mikki dutifully helps Arco recover from his slight injuries. Iris eventually introduces Arco to her outspoken friend Clifford.

But there’s a big problem for Arco to go back home. The diamond that powers Arco’s teleportation suit has been lost in the woods. Arco and Iris go back to the woods and can’t find the diamond. That’s because the alien-chasing brothers found the diamond before Arco and Iris could.

The rest of “Arco” is about the quest to find the diamond and for Arco to go back home. Arco, Iris, Clifford and Mikki are involved in this quest and predictably come across all sorts of obstacles. These challenges are well-crafted scenes and are suspensefully filmed.

The voices of “Arco” characters are portrayed by different cast members, depending on the version of the movie. The original French version (with English subtitles) has Oscar Tresanini as Arco, Margot Ringard Olha as Iris, Nathanaël Perrot as Clifford, Alma Jodorowsky, as Swann Arlaud as Mikki, Louis Garrel as Stewie, Vincent Macaigne as Dougie, William Lebghil as Frankie, Sophie Mas and Frédérique Cantrel as Arco’s mother, Oxmo Puccino as Arco’s father, Joséphine Mancini as Ada, Alma Jodorowsky as Iris’ mother and Swann Arlaud as Iris’ father. There’s also a U.S. version, with the dialogue dubbed in English, that has Juliano Valdi as Arco, Romy Fay as Iris, Wyatt Danieluk as Clifford, Natalie Portman (who is one of the movie’s producers) and Mark Ruffalo as Mikki, Andy Samberg as Stewie, Will Ferrell as Dougie, Flea as Frankie, America Ferrera as Arco’s mother, Roeg Sutherland as Arco’s father, Zoya Bogomolova as Ada, Portman as Iris’ mother and Ruffalo as Iris’ father.

Unlike many other animated films that are about adventures, “Arco” isn’t overstuffed with characters. The plot is easy to follow, and the story remains engaging throughout. It has some touches of comedy (mostly because of the buffoonish brothers), but most of the movie has a serious tone. The voice performances are serviceable. Where “Arco” really shines are in the memorable story and the vibrant visuals that make this the type of movie that will inspire repeat viewings.

Neon released “Arco” in select U.S. cinemas on November 14, 2025. The movie was re-released in select U.S. cinemas on January 23, 2026, with an expansion to more U.S. cinemas on January 30, 2026. “Arco” was released in France on October 22, 2025. The movie will be released on digital and VOD on February 24, 2026.

Review: ‘The Chronology of Water,’ starring Imogen Poots, Thora Birch, Susannah Flood, Tom Sturridge, Kim Gordon, Michael Epp, Earl Cave, Esme Creed Miles and Jim Belushi

January 14, 2026

by Carla Hay

“The Chronology of Water”

Directed by Kristen Stewart

Culture Representation: Taking place in various parts of the United States, from 1969 to 2016, the dramatic film “The Chronology of Water” (based on writer Lidia Yuknavitch’s 2011 memoir of the same name) features a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few Asians) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: Lidia Yuknavitch experiences a troubled life of substance addiction, self-harm and trauma from childhood sexual abuse in her journey to becoming a celebrated writer.

Culture Audience: “The Chronology of Water” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of Yuknavitch, filmmaker Kristen Stewart, the movie’s headliners, and well-acted biographical movies about talented but tortured artists.

Thora Birch and Imogen Poots in “The Chronology of Water” (Photo courtesy of The Forge)

Bold and intentionally chaotic, the biographical drama “The Chronology of Water” takes viewers into the troubled mind of writer Lidia Yuknavitch, with a tour-de-force performance from Imogen Poots. It’s an unsettling but memorable film. Some viewers won’t like the stream-of-consciousness format of the film, while others will appreciate that the movie is like a puzzle telling the story of Yuknavitch’s life, with not all the puzzle pieces being found at the end. “The Chronology of Water” has a lot of quick-cut editing, to reflect the fragmented memories depicted in the movie.

Written and directed by Kristen Stewart, “The Chronology of Water” is Stewart’s feature-film directorial debut. Stewart is also one of the producers of the film. “The Chronology of Water” had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The movie is based on Yuknavitch’s 2011 memoir of the same name. “The Chronology of Water” (whose timeline is from 1969 to 2016) takes place in various parts of the United States. The movie was actually filmed in Malta.

Poots portrays Yuknavitch (who was born in San Francisco on June 18, 1963) from her teenage years until her early 50s. She also does voiceover narration that often sounds like poetry readings. The movie chronicles Yuknavitch’s journey from surviving sexual abuse from her father; going from being a swimming star at her high school to a failed attempt at becoming an Olympic swimmer because of substance addiction; and her eventual discovery of her talent as a writer. Yuknavitch’s bisexuality, three marriages and her experiences with pregnancy are also depicted in the movie.

For the purposes of this review, the real people will be referred to be their last names. The movie characters will be referred to by their first names. “The Chronology of Water,” which is told in five chapters, has occasional flashbacks to Lidia’s childhood to show the abuse that she suffered from her cruel father Mike (played by Michael Epp), who had a Jekyll and Hyde personality. The abuse is not shown in explicit details, but there are sound effects of the beatings and rapes that leave no doubt about what is happening.

In real life, Yuknavitch’s birth surname was Yukman. She changed her surname to Yuknavitch as an adult. In order to avoid confusion, the movie makes Lidia have the surname Yuknavitch during her childhood and teen years. To the outside world, her family seems to be a typical middle-class family in Gainesville, Florida. But behind closed doors, the family was very dysfunctional and hiding years of horrific abuse.

Lidia at 6 or 7 years old (played by Anna Wittowsky) is seen as someone who was very close to and almost worshipful of her sister Claudia (played by Marlena Sniega), who is about seven or eight years older than Lidia. Claudia experiences abuse from their father too, but since the movie is told from Lidia’s perspective, Claudia’s pain is hinted at but not fully explored. Claudia tries to protect Lidia, but since they both live in fear of their father and because Claudia is also a child, there’s a limit on what Claudia can do to stop the abuse. The sisters’ mother Dorothy (played by Susannah Flood) has alcoholism and is often too drunk to notice or care that her daughters are being abused.

As a teenager, Lidia excels as a swimming athlete, but even her accomplishments are fraught with experiences that damage her self-esteem. An unnamed and unseen male coach does weigh-ins of the female swimmers on the school’s team and gives them a hard spank on the rear end for each pound of extra weight that he thinks the swimmer should lose. And when Lidia gets only partial (not full) swimming scholarship offers from colleges and universities, her father is furious and treats her as if she’s a loser.

Just like many kids abused by a parent, Lidia has hatred of the abusive parent but still loves the parent and wants the parent’s approval. Mike has criticisms of almost everything that Lidia does. If she doesn’t wear feminine clothes, he snarls at her, “Are you trying to look like a man?” He tries to control everything that she does and plays mind games with Lidia about how he feels about her.

A scene that shows Mike’s bizarre moodiness takes place in the garage of the family’s house. Lidia, who is in her late teens and close to graduating from high school, wants to run away from home. Her father sees her in the garage and tells her in a gentle voice, “I want you to know that I love you,” before his face fills with rage and he snaps, “You fucking whore!” It’s implied that Mike has an undiagnosed mental illness, but that’s still no excuse for his disgusting abuse.

It should come as no surprise that when Lidia moves away from her family to go to college in Texas, she tries to submerge her trauma by abusing alcohol and drugs. One day, when she’s hanging out on a college campus lawn, she sees a mild-mannered student named Phillip (played by Earl Cave), who’s by himself as he sings and strums an acoustic guitar. Lidia can sense that Phillip—who is sensitive, kind, and loving—is the opposite of her father. Lidia sets out to seduce Phillip and succeeds.

But the relationship of Lidia and Phillip is off-kilter from the start because Lidia has so much self-hatred that she’s not in a place in her life where she can truly have a healthy and loving relationship. Phillip’s qualities that initially attracted Lidia to him end up being repulsive to her. She complains to Phillip that he’s passive and “too nice” for her. She purposely instigates mean-spirited arguments with him, almost as if she wants Phillip to break up with her.

Phillip doesn’t mistreat her and he doesn’t want to break up with her, but you know things will not end well for this couple. After the first time that Lidia goes in rehab, Phillip arrives to pick her up in a car when she completes the program and tells her that he’s proud of her. Lidia, who is in a sour mood, then begins to insult him. But by the end of the conversation, she proposes marriage to him, and he says yes. This is her first doomed marriage. Years later, in hindsight, Lidia expresses remorse for how badly she treated Phillip during their relationship.

As adults, sisters Lidia and Claudia (played by Thora Birch) are in and out of each other’s lives, mostly because their lives go in completely different directions. Claudia’s adult life is relatively stable with her husband (who is never seen in the movie), while Lidia’s life is very messy. Claudia remains steadfastly loyal to Lidia whenever Lidia needs her. Their parents show up for milestone events in Lidia’s life, but as an adult, Lidia seems to purposely avoid her parents as much as possible.

Lidia’s talent for writing is noticed by certain people, including her close friend Claire (played by Esme Creed Miles), who later becomes Lidia’s lover. Claire encourages a reluctant Lidia to join a University of Oregon graduate-school program taught by writer/counterculture celebrity Ken Kesey (played by Jim Belushi), whose claim to fame is the 1962 novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and for being a founder of the psychedelic artistic group the Merry Pranksters. In the movie, Ken is portrayed as an eccentric, friendly, drug-taking burnout, who encourages his students to be their best and is haunted by the death of his son. From 1987 to 1988, Lidia is part of this student group that collaborates with Ken on the group-authored book “Caverns.” She eventually gets her Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Oregon.

Lidia’s second marriage is to an avant-garde performance artist named Devin (played by Tom Sturridge), and it’s a different type of failure from her first marriage. Devin also has alcoholism, so their marriage plays out in the movie like fractured memories of someone who had too many drunken blackouts during the relationship. Lidia’s arrest for driving while intoxicated is one of her “rock bottom” moments, but “The Chronology of Water” doesn’t have any details about whether or not Lidia ever had years of sobriety from alcohol and drugs after admitting to having these addictions.

Lidia’s third marriage is to filmmaker Andy Mingo (played by Charlie Carrick), whom she meets in her 40s, when he is a student in her writing class, and she is a semi-famous writer who can’t afford to have a car. Andy is compassionate and patient, but he’s no pushover, like her first husband Phillip. It’s during this part of Lidia’s life that she’s not the self-destructive train wreck that she once was. And although she doesn’t expect to fall in love with Andy, she does.

Poots has done some great acting in movies over the years, but she is usually overlooked for major awards. She is a marvel to watch as Lidia in “The Chronology of Water,” as she embodies every type of emotion in this gutsy and compelling performance. Birch also gives a fantastic performance as the more low-key Claudia, who may not be as outwardly angry as Lidia, but the ways Birch expresses Claudia’s inner agony and turmoil through her eyes and body language are just as credible and impactful.

The movie has an interesting casting choice with Belushi, who is known mostly for his comedic roles. Ken is the closest thing that the movie has for comic relief, but the comedy is bittersweet. Ken is someone who is way past his prime, and he knows it, but he still has a certain zest for life that inspires his students. Kim Gordon (former bass guitarist for the rock band Sonic Youth) is another unexpected casting choice: She has a cameo (about five minutes of screen time) as an unnamed photographer who gives dominatrix service to Lidia.

As a filmmaker, Stewart shows unique artistic vision in “The Chronology of Water,” which purposely avoids pandering to mainstream predictability. And it’s the same reason why some viewers might feel alienated by how this story is presented: There are no trite or easy answers to Lidia’s problems. Some people might think the narrative style of “The Chronology of Water” is too rambling and pretentious. Others will think it’s refreshing and challenging because it will make viewers curious about where the story is headed next. The movie has sharp observations about the beauty, ugliness, joy, despair and everything in between about Lidia’s life.

The movie gets its title from the fact that water is a constant theme in Lidia’s life, whether it is the escape she feels from swimming, or when she is in a shower after cutting herself and blood is seen going down the drain, or she finds comfort from taking a bath in a bathtub. Lidia also experiences some life-altering moments near a beach. “The Chronology of Water” is not supposed to be an easy film to watch. But for people open-minded enough to experience the movie, it offers a clear and hopeful message that recovery from trauma and self-sabotage is difficult but can be possible and is an ongoing process.

The Forge released “The Chronology of Water” in select U.S. cinemas on December 5, 2025, with wider expansion to more U.S. cinemas on January 9, 2026.

Review: ‘My Father’s Shadow’ (2025), starring Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Godwin Egbo, Chibuike Marvelous Egbo and Efòn Wini

January 11, 2026

by Carla Hay

Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Chibuike Marvelous Egbo and Godwin Egbo in “My Father’s Shadow” (Photo courtesy of MUBI)

“My Father’s Shadow” (2025)

Directed by Akinola Davies Jr.

Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin (Naija) and English with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in Nigeria, in 1993, the dramatic film “My Father’s Shadow” features an African cast of characters representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: A father and his two pre-teen sons experience various challenges and emotional bonding when he takes them to Lagos for a short visit during political unrest.

Culture Audience: “My Father’s Shadow” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in watching a drama that shows the intersections between government turmoil and family relationships.

Chibuike Marvelous Egbo, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù and Godwin Egbo in “My Father’s Shadow” (Photo courtesy of MUBI)

“My Father’s Shadow” makes an emotional impact not from melodrama but from showing the quiet steadiness of a father’s guidance and love as he spends time with his two sons. The ending of the movie is jarring and unforgettable. “My Father’s Shadow” is an example of how time with loved ones can be precious and should not be taken for granted.

Directed by Akinola Davies Jr., “My Father’s Shadow” was written by Akinola Davies and his brother Wale Davies. The movie is Akinola Davies’ feature-film directorial debut. “My Father’s Shadow” had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, and then made the rounds at several other film festivals in 2025, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival and AFI Fest. The movie is the United Kingdom’s official selection for Best International Feature Film for the 2026 Academy Awards, but the movie didn’t make the shortlist to be nominated in this category.

“My Father’s Shadow” takes place in Nigeria in 1993. The movie was filmed in the Nigerian cities of Ibadan, Nigeria. Most of the movie takes place over a two-day period when the father and his sons make a short trip to Lagos. This trip takes place before, during, and immediately after Nigeria’s presidential election on June 12, 1993. There were widespread protests after military dictator General Ibrahim Babangida annulled the victory of Chief MKO Abiola.

“My Father’s Shadow” begins in an unnamed Nigerian city, where a man named Folari (played by Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) has returned home after spending many weeks away because he has a job in Lagos. Folari is dismayed to see that his wife Bola (played by Efòn Wini) is not at home to look after their two sons: 11-year-old Remi (played by Chibuike Marvelous Egbo) and 8-year-old Aki (played by Godwin Egbo, Chibuike’s real-life younger brother), who say that Bola has made a short trip into “the village.”

Folari is there for a brief stay and then has to go back to Lagos. Instead of waiting for his wife to come home, Folari invites his sons to go with him. Remi is more excited than Bola to take this trip. Folari leaves a note for Bola to let her know that their sons are with him.

Folari (who has some type of factory job) has not been paid for the past six months. He’s been promised that he will get the salary that’s owed to him after the presidential election. Part of the movie shows the frustrating experience that Folari has when trying to get paid. But the political unrest is simmering like a powder keg ready to burst.

The trip has several unexpected tension-filled occurrences, as well some lovely moments of family bonding, especially when Folari and his sons take a spontaneous trip to a beach. At the beach, Folari reveals something from traumatic from his past that deeply affects him. It also affects Folari’s perspective as a father who doesn’t have the privilege to see his sons every day. “I have missed you boys growing up,” Folari says. “You are growing up so fast.”

Dìrísù gives a wholly credible performance as a father trying to do the best for his family while facing an uncertain future during this tumultuous time in Nigerian history. Real-life brothers Chibuike Marvelous Egbo and Godwin Egbo also do well in their roles. Most of the movie revolves around these three actors. “My Father’s Shadow” is a movie that has a way of catching viewers off guard. Just when you think the movie might end a certain way, something is revealed that packs an emotional wallop that will change viewers’ perceptions about many of the things that happened before in the movie.

MUBI will release “My Father’s Shadow” in select U.S. cinemas on February 13, 2026. The movie was released in Nigeria on September 19, 2025.

Review: ‘A Private Life’ (2025), starring Jodie Foster, Daniel Auteuil, Virginie Efira, Mathieu Amalric, Vincent Lacoste and Luana Bajrami

January 7, 2026

by Carla Hay

Daniel Auteuil and Jodie Foster in “A Private Life” (Photo by Jérôme Prébois/Sony Pictures Classics)

“A Private Life” (2025)

Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski

French with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in France, the comedy/drama film “A Private Life” features an all-white cast of characters representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: A psychiatrist plays amateur detective with her ex-husband when she suspects that a former client died by murder instead of suicide.

Culture Audience: “A Private Life” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners and well-acted movies that combine dark comedy with psychological drama.

Jodie Foster and Virginie Efira in “A Private Life” (Photo by Jérôme Prébois/Sony Pictures Classics)

“A Private Life” is an occasionally uneven dark comedy about a psychiatrist who teams up with her ex-husband when she suspects a former client was murdered. Jodie Foster’s appealing performance keeps the movie interesting. To its credit, “A Private Life” doesn’t get too convoluted when it comes to the investigation for this suspected murder.

Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, “A Private Life” was written by Zlotowski, Anne Berest
and Gaëlle Macé. The movie had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and made the rounds at other film festivals in 2025, including the Telluride Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. “A Private Life” takes place primarily in Paris and was filmed on location in Paris and in Normandy, France.

In “A Private Life,” Foster is protagonist Lillian Steiner, a psychiatrist who leads an orderly life. Lilian, who lives alone and who works from her home office, has been divorced from her ex-husband Gabriel “Gaby” Haddad (played by Daniel Auteuil) for at least 20 years. Lillian and Gaby have one child together: a adult son named Julien Haddad-Park (played by Vincent Lacoste), who has recently become a first-time father to an infant son named Joseph. Lillian adores her grandson but is slightly uncomfortable with the reality that she is now a grandmother.

Near the beginning of the movie, Lillian is concerned that her client Paula Cohen-Solal (played by Virginie Efira) has skipped their past three sessions. Paula has been Lillian’s client for the past nine years. Paula is a cellist in a classical music orchestra. Paula’s husband Simon Cohen-Solal (played by Mathieu Amalric), who is domineering and arrogant, is the orchestra’s conductor.

Meanwhile, another client named Pierre Hallam (played by Noam Morgensztern) tells Lillian during a session that it will be his last session with her. Pierre had been trying to quit smoking, and he says he recently underwent hypnotism, which he believes has “cured” him of the desire to smoke. Therefore, Pierre tells Lillian, he no longer needs Lillian as a therapist, and this will be their last session together.

Soon after Lillian loses Pierre as a client, Lillian gets even worse news: Paula has died. Lillian finds out when Paula’s young adult daughter Valérie Cohen-Solal (played by Luàna Bajrami) tells Lillian about Paula’s death, which has officially been ruled as a suicide. Valérie asks Lillian if Lillian knows why Paula would want to kill herself, but Lillian says she can’t reveal that information because of patient/therapist confidentiality.

Valérie invites Lillian to the shiva wake for Paula. At the shiva wake, Simon verbally lashes out at Lillian, whom he blames for Paula’s death. Simon orders Lillian to leave. Lillian knew that Paula was unhappily married to Simon. Simon’s hostile reaction to Lillian makes her wonder if Paula was murdered.

The rest of “A Private Life” shows Lillian’s suspicions increasing as she finds out other things that indicate Paula could have been murdered, especially when she discovers that Simon had a mistress named Perle Friedman (played by Aurore Clément). Lillian tells Gaby about her suspicions, and they decide to become amateur sleuths. Along the way, the former spouses also confront past resentments and unresolved issues about the demise of their marriage. Gaby was the one who wanted the divorce because he felt that Lillian didn’t love him anymore.

“A Private Life” features a few quirks to the story. Lillian has a vivid dream that she was a male musician colleague of Paula’s in the same orchestra, and Paula was having a secret affair with this colleague. Lillian begins to wonder if she has psychic abilities. Lillian’s eyes also keep watering for unknown reasons.

During the investigation, Lillian discovers more about Paula and more about herself. Foster and Auteuil’s scenes together are entertaining to watch, as Lillian and Gaby feel rekindled sparks of attraction to each other and have to decide whether or not to act on this attraction. Despite a few areas of the movie that drag, “A Private Life” is a relatively brisk psychological mystery that has engaging performances and should satisfy most viewers who are inclined to be interested in this genre.

Sony Pictures Classics released “A Private Life” in select U.S. cinemas on December 5, 2025, with an expansion to more U.S. cinemas on January 16, 2026. The movie was released in France on November 26, 2025.

Review: ‘Resurrection’ (2025), starring Jackson Yee, Shu Qi, Mark Chao, Li Gengxi, Huang Jue and Chen Yongzhong

January 4, 2026

by Carla Hay

Jackson Yee in “Resurrection” (Photo courtesy of Janus Films)

“Resurrection” (2025)

Directed by Bi Gan

Mandarin with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place from the 1920s to the 1990s, across various places in China, the fantasy drama film “Resurrection” features a predominantly Asian cast of characters (with a few white people) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: In a world where beings who can dream are called Deliriants and are in the minority, a Deliriant experiences various dreams as a cinematic transformations where the Deliriant experiences being different people in different decades.

Culture Audience: “Resurrection” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners, filmmaker Bi Gan, and deeply layered artistic films about reincarnations.

Shu Qi in “Resurrection” (Photo courtesy of Janus Films)

The fantasy drama “Resurrection” has the ability to either transfix or bore viewers, depending on whether or not viewers are willing to go on an unusual journey about a being’s transformations across time and space. At 156 minutes long, “Resurrection” can be an endurance test if viewers don’t feel curious about what will happen next. It’s not always an easy film to understand at all times, but it’s an artistically unique movie that is a marvel to behold.

Written and directed by Bi Gan, “Resurrection” had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won a special jury award. “Resurrection” also screened at several other film festivals in 2025, including the New York Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival. The movie takes place from the 1920s to the 1990s, across various places in China. “Resurrection” was filmed in China and in Denmark.

The beginning of “Resurrection” takes place in a movie theater in the 1920s and is filmed as if inspired by German expressionism cinema. People inside the movie theater scatter. “Resurrection” is stunning-looking movie whose production design and cinematography are among the film’s strongest assets.

It’s explained later in the movie that “Resurrection” takes place in a world where the majority of people (called the Other Ones) have given up their ability to dream in order to have longevity. Those who have kept their ability to dream are called Deliriants, who are either envied or treated like threatening monsters. Deliriants are rare, and what happens to a Deliriant who is discovered by an Other One.

An on-screen caption then explains, “There is one Deliriant, whose true form is unknown because he has been hiding in an ancient, forgotten past. That is film! Those who can see through illusions are the Big Others. To bring these Deliriants back to reality, they can mutate into the gentlest forms the Deliriants love the most. Could this Deliriant be hiding in an opium den?”

“Resurrection then shows a labyrinth-like opium den, where shadowy giant figures above and the occasional giant hand that reaches in the opium den suggest Big Others are hovering around this opium den, which has the size of a miniature dollhouse to the Big Others. A Big Other named Miss Shu (played by Shu Qi) finds a Deliriant (played by Jackson Yee), which looks like an hunched-over ogre, inside the basement of the opium den.

Miss Shu doesn’t want the Deliriant to hurt her. The Deliriant gives her flowers, as Miss Shu lets the Deliriant see his reflection in her eyes. The Deliriant falls on the ground, eats the flowers, and exclaims: “I don’t want to live in that fake world! Kill me now!”

Instead of killing him, Miss Shu allows the Deliriant to live out his dreams as if they were movies. The rest of Resurrection is told in five chapters, with each chapter showing the Deliriant being reincarnated as a new character in a new decade. It’s fascinating concept that “Resurrection” could have done a better job of explaining in the beginning of the film.

Because the Deliriant becomes several different people during the course of the story, actor Yee plays several different characters from the 1950s to the 1990s. In addition to the Deliriant, Yee has the roles of Qui, a man accused of murder; a thief named Mongrel; a con artist named Jia Shengjung; and a thug named Apollo. Yee gives skillful portrayals of each character by immersing himself into each role.

Other characters in “Resurrection” include Mark Chao as a police commander who is leading a murder investigation; Li Gengxi as Tai Zhaomeix, a mysterious singer; Huang Jue as Mr. Luo, the owner of the karaoke bar where Zhaomeix works; Chen Yongzhong as the Spirit of Bitterness; and Guo Mucheng as a girl who befriends Shengjun and becomes involved in Shengjun’s con games. All of these supporting cast members perform well in their roles, but there’s nothing particularly outstanding about their acting.

“Resurrection” has several suspenseful scenes, while other scenes move along at a leisurely pace. It’s a valid argument to say that “Resurrection” will be considered too long for an average movie viewer. Ultimately, “Resurrection” is worth watching for a unique cinematic experience that tells several anthology-styled stories within one memorable and beautifully filmed movie.

Janus Films released “Resurrection” in select U.S. cinemas on December 12, 2025. The movie was released in China on November 22, 2025.

Review: ‘The Secret Agent’ (2025), starring Wagner Moura, Alice Carvalho, Gabriel Leone, Maria Fernanda Candido, Isabél Zuaa, Tânia Maria and Udo Kier

November 26, 2025

by Carla Hay

Wagner Mauro in “The Secret Agent” (Photo courtesy of Neon)

“The Secret Agent” (2025)

Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho

Portuguese with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in Brazil, primarily in 1977, the dramatic film “The Secret Agent” features a predominantly Latin cast of characters (with some white people and black people) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash: A widower father, who has worked as an academic scientist/technology researcher, changes his identity and moves to another city because he fears his life is in danger for his political activities against the authoritarian Brazilian government that is ruled by the Brazilian military.

Culture Audience: “The Secret Agent” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners, filmmaker in Kleber Mendonça Filho, and artistically made movies about people living in political turmoil.

Italo Martins, Roberius Diogenes, Wagner Moura and Igor de Araújo in “The Secret Agent” (Photo courtesy of Neon)

“The Secret Agent” is a sprawling and absorbing drama about a man trying to escape his past while living in resistance of an oppressive Brazilian government in 1977. The movie is gritty and unpredictable, with a few unexplained bizarre moments. The biggest drawback to “The Secret Agent” is the movie’s uneven pacing, because it takes a while (at least 30 minutes) before this 160-minute movie really gets to the heart of the matter and delivers considerable suspense. Viewers with patience will be rewarded by an impactful turn of events, with a poignant epilogue.

Written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, “The Secret Agent” had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prizes for Best Director, Best Actor (for Wagner Moura), and the FIRPRESCI Prize, an award from film critics. “The Secret Agent” also screened at other festivals in 2025, including the Telluride Film Festival and New York Film Festival. The movie, which is told in three chapters, takes place in various cities in Brazil, was filmed in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. “The Secret Agent” is Brazil’s official entry for Best International Feature for the 2026 Academy Awards.

“The Secret Agent” begins by showing a 43-year-old man named Marcelo Alves (played by Moura) driving in a rural area to a gas station in his yellow Volkswagen Beetle. The first thing that Marcelo notices is that there’s dead man (played by Italo Barbosa) on the ground near the gas station pumps. The man’s body has been covered over with some fabric, but the decomposed nature of the body indicates that this man has been dead for at least a few days. Flies surround the body, and feral dogs come out of the bushes to try to get to the body.

The gas station attendant who’s on duty (played by Joálisson Cunha) casually tells Marcelo that the dead man was caught trying to steal gasoline and “the bastard got what he deserved.” The attendant says that the body has been there since Sunday, and police told him that they’re too busy to collect the body because of Carnival, but they will pick up the body on Ash Wednesday. The attendant also mentions that he can’t leave the gas station unattended, or else he’ll lose his job.

Marcelo is at the gas station when two highway patrol officers drive up and inspect Marcelo’s car and asks if he’s carrying guns or drugs. Marcelo says no. One of the cops tells Marcelo that he has a balding tire, but Marcelo says the tire in in good-enough condition to use.

The way that the cops are lingering around Marcelo makes it obvious to him that they’re looking for any reason to arrest or detain him, unless he can give them a bribe to go away. Marcelo doesn’t have enough cash, since he already spent what he had on gas, so he offers one of the cops a pack of cigarettes instead. This bribe does the trick, and the cops drive away.

All of this happens within the first 15 minutes of “The Secret Agent,” which reveals from the start that this Brazilian government and law enforcement are corrupt. It’s revealed much later in the story that Marcelo (who is a widower) isn’t this man’s real name. His real name is Armando Solimões, and he desperately wants to leave Brazil with his son.

“The Secret Agent” goes back and forth between telling what life was like for Armando before and after he changed his name to Marcelo Alves. When he was living as Armando, he was an academic scientist/technology researcher, who developed a patent for lithium battery technology. A corrupt political minister named Henrique Ghirotti (played by Luciano Chirolli) tried to steal this patent for a private company, so that Henrique could personally profit. Armando resisted this corruption and refused to willingly give up this patent.

Armando’s life and the life of his family (his wife and underage son) came under threat, when he was put under surveillance and began getting menacing messages. Armando’s wife Fátima Nascimento (played by Alice Carvalho) died of pneumonia. Armando made the difficult decision to change his identity and make enough money to leave Brazil with his son Fernando (played by Enzo Nunes), who’s about 5 or 6 years old when the main story takes place.

In the meantime, Fernando has been living in Recife with Fátima parents: Alexandre Nascimento (played by Carlos Francisco) and Lenira Nascimento (played by Aline Marta, also known as Aline Marta Maia), who are loving and protective. Armando/Marcelo visits them in secret when he can. Alexandre is a projectionist at a movie theater named Cinema São Luiza, which plays a pivotal role in the story. A mysterious woman named Elza (played by Maria Fernanda Candido) is recommended to Armando/Marcelo as someone who can provide him with fake immigration documents for him and his son Fernando

During the course of the movie, Armando/Marcelo crosses paths with several other people who have a role in what happens to him. Some of them know his true identity, while others don’t but they might find out. He meets other people who are in the resistance movement or are political refugees, including some who live in the apartment where he is hiding out. These allies include Dona Sebastiana (played by Tânia Maria), who acts like matriarch; a married couple named Antonio Vitória (played by Licínio Januário) and Tereza Vitória (played by Isabél Zuaa), who are Angolan immigrants; a middle-age woman named Claudia (played by Hermila Guedes); and a young man named Haroldo (played by João Vitor Silva).

Other characters in “The Secret Agent” include a police chief named Euclides Oliveira Valvacandi (played by Roberius Diogenes) and his two co-worker sons Arlindo (played by Italo Martins) and Sergio (played by Igor de Araújo); resistance political activists; a gangster named Augusto Burobu (played by Roney Villela) and his partner-in-crime stepson Bobbi (played by Gabriel Leone); and an assassin named Vilmar (played by Kaiony Venâncio). Udo Kier has a small role as a German-speaking immigrant named Hans, who is harassed by Euclides because Euclides mistakenly assumes that Hans used to be a former Nazi. Hans is actually a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust.

The movie takes a few strange detours in showing what happened to the dismembered body of an unidentified man, whose body parts were found in a dead shark. Euclides, Arlindo and Sergio become involved in investigating this man’s death. One of the man’s legs ends up in a university’s scientific lab. And in a very surrealistic scene, the leg is shown going on killing rampage at night in a park where several men are having sexual hookups.

Although “The Secret Agent” shows some indications that Armando/Marcelo has post-traumatic stress disorder (he has difficulty sleeping, and his dreams are often nightmares), the movie is more of a political thriller than a psychological thriller. Amid the explicit violence and undercover schemes, “The Secret Agent” shows with disturbing clarity how a society can rot with complacency when an oppressive government is accepted as too powerful to stop.

Moura’s acting is top-tier talented in “The Secret Agent,” where he has to play three roles: Armando, Marcelo and (in the movie’s last few scenes) an adult Fernando. “The Secret Agent” can be recommended for anyone who wants an insightful look at how an authoritarian government can affect everyday people. Although “The Secret Agent” is a fictional movie set mostly in 1977 Brazil, this searing story tells many unfortunate truths about what life has been and is currently like for untold numbers of people in many countries.

Neon released “The Secret Agent” in select U.S. cinemas on November 26, 2025. The movie was released in Brazil on November 6, 2025.

Review: ‘Die My Love,’ starring Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, LaKeith Stanfield, Nick Nolte and Sissy Spacek

November 12, 2025

by Carla Hay

“Die My Love”

Directed by Lynne Ramsay

Culture Representation: Taking place in Montana, the dramatic film “Die My Love” (based on the novel of the same name) features a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few African Americans) representing the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: A homemaker’s struggles with mental illness get worse after she experiences post-partum depression, while the father of her child and his family members feel helpless and unsure of how to cope.

Culture Audience: “Die My Love” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners, filmmaker Lynn Ramsay and intense psychological dramas.

Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson in “Die My Love” (Photo by Seamus McGarvey/MUBI)

Don’t expect a crime drama when watching “Die My Love.” It’s a patchwork collection of memories and experiences about a troubled woman whose mental illness gets worse during her post-partum depression. Her co-dependent family members don’t know how to cope with it all. The acting is better than the story. Because of the difficult subject matter and because of the way it’s presented as a fever dream, “Die My Love” isn’t a movie for everyone. In fact, many viewers will dislike how “Die My Love” doesn’t have a conclusion that cleanly resolves the many problems of the main character.

Directed by Lynne Ramsay (who co-wrote the “Die My Love” screenplay with Alice Birch), “Die My Love” is based on the Ariana Harwicz’s 2012 “Die, My Love” novel. The movie changes the location of the story from rural France (the location in the book) to rural Montana, in an unnamed city. “Die My Love” had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Ramsay is known for making movies about people who have mental health issues. It’s not her best movie, but it’s certainly memorable for its disturbing but realistic depiction of how mental illness that isn’t treated consistently can wreck people’s lives.

“Die My Love” begins by showing a montage of an unmarried couple in their 30s who have relocated from New York to rural Montana. Grace (played by Jennifer Lawrence) is an aspiring writer. Jackson (played by Robert Pattinson) talks enthusiastically about playing drums, but he’s not a professional drummer. Instead, the only job that he’s depicted as having is an unnamed blue-collar job where he has to travel away from home and works three days a week.

Grace and Jackson have moved into a shabby house that used to be owned by Jackson’s uncle Frank, who is deceased. When Grace asks Jackson how Frank died, Jackson hesitates and then mumbles that he doesn’t know. Grace later finds out from Jackson’s mother Pam (played by Sissy Spacek) that Frank died by shooting himself. Frank shot himself in a body part that typically isn’t the place where most people commit suicide by gun violence. This information both fascinates and repulses Grace.

The opening montage goes from Grace and Jackson moving into this house, having sex, and Grace being pregnant. Grace gives birth to a baby boy, whose name (Harry) isn’t revealed until later in the movie. Harry is also the name of Jackson’s father (played by Nick Nolte), who had dementia and was alive when Grace was pregnant. Sometime before or after baby Harry was born, elder Harry died. Frank was elder Harry’s brother.

Grace has no siblings. Her parents died in a plane crash when she was a child. And if she has any living family members, they are not seen or mentioned in this story. The only family members that Grace has in this story are baby Henry, Jackson, and the biological relatives of Jackson. Grace not having any adult biological relatives whom she can turn to for emotional support seems to cause her to feel even more isolated and resentful of the fact that the only family members she has are because of Jackson.

“Die My Love” (which has a non-chronological narrative) is a series of scenes that show the unraveling of Grace, especially after she has post-partum depression. She loses interest in writing and neglects basic housekeeping responsibilities. She is an attentive parent to Harry when she’s in the right state of mind, but her mental illness causes her to do very unhealthy things to herself, which hinders her ability to give stable parenting to Harry.

Most of the movie is about Grace’s first year as a mother of baby Harry, but there are also several flashback scenes of that take place before Grace gave birth. Grace has hallucinations and dreams that are filmed in blue-gray lighting. Her hallucinations include having a secret affair with a neighbor named Karl (played by LaKeith Stanfield), who has a real-life non-sexual encounter with her that is very different from her fantasies about him. In real life, Karl is a married father who doesn’t know Grace very well.

Before the birth of baby Harry, the relationship between Grace and Jackson had some communication problems, but the couple showed a lot of loving and playful affection with each other. Their sexual intimacy had a primal, animalistic vibe, such as the way that Grace and Jackson liked to horse around and wrestle each other as foreplay. And for whatever reason, when Grace feels frisky, she has a habit of slowly crawling on all fours and acting like a feline who’s stalking prey. (She does this multiple times in the movie.)

After the birth of baby Harry, Grace’s becomes irritable and hard to please—restless in some moments, lethargic in other moments. Jackson doesn’t know how to deal with Grace’s mood swings and unpredictability. Jackson is portrayed as an unsophisticated guy who has simple needs and isn’t knowledgeable about topics that are too cerebral for him, such as psychology. Jackson loves Grace but he understandably gets frustrated when she verbally lashes out at him and eventually becomes a danger to herself.

For example, Grace accuses Jackson of infidelity when she has no proof. She calls him derogatory names when he doesn’t give her sex when she demands it. And she self-harms in ways that are very disturbing, such as throwing herself out of a glass door at the house. In another incident, Grace bashes her head against a mirror on the night that she had Jackson get married. (Jackson and Grace get married about six months after baby Harry is born.)

Pam offers to help as much as she can, but Pam is deeply in denial about what type of help Grace really needs. Pam thinks that all Grace needs is more rest. “Die My Love” is not an easy film to watch if viewers are expecting a certain predictable story arc. Lawrence and Pattinson give impactful performances that fall short of being extraordinary because of the movie’s repetitive nature. However, “Die My Love” succeeds in its depiction of what it’s like to be trapped in a self-destructive psyche.

MUBI released “Die My Love” in U.S. cinemas on November 7, 2025.