Another week, another round of new releases, and I get to dig into some childhood nostalgia to kick it all off. Beyond that, we have not one but TWO new spoof movies, including the restoration of a creative originator to their original IP. Plus, I have a Bonnie and Clyde-style con drama featuring two of my favorite current actors, and Chloe finally entered the Backrooms!
First up is Masters Of The Universe, a big and beautiful adaptation of the Mattel icon He-Man and his adventures, that finally arrives after a long gestation period that lasted decades. Built to dazzle us kids of the eighties, the film does a pretty solid job of bringing back that Saturday morning cartoon feel, but with a bit of a modern attitude to it. Lots of unsavoury types are calling this “Woke He-Man,” but I contend that there is reasoning for that.
Next is Scary Movie, the return to the franchise for the originators, Marlon and Shawn Wayans, their first time back in the cockpit since the second film, released in 2001. After twenty-five years and three bad sequels without the brothers, is the return really worth it? I’d say there’s a lot of punching at different demographics, and a good portion is punching downwards. There are laughs, but at what cost?
Switching gears entirely, I get to put some focus on a small southern indie drama that features two current must-see stars, Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner. A love story between two lost souls, the focus here is on character, which makes the urgency of their situation work so well. Also, if you’re looking for burning hot chemistry, look no further than this film, which may go down as one of the year’s underrated best.
Then we dig back into the VIFF 2025 bag for another little indie gem just getting its release now, Our Hero, Balthazar. This is a dark comedy that offers a chilling look into the teenage mind on either side of the gun violence in America conversation. With two fantastic performances from both Jaeden Martell and Asa Butterfield, this is a film definitely deserving of a wider audience. As a parent, it made me more than a little edgy.
Finally, we finish up the new releases with a film that smashes the reality hit of RuPaul’s Drag Race into the spoof of Airplane! but on a train. Now, if I told you that RuPaul and their queens completely outdid the Wayans in their return, you would probably call me crazy. The reality is, yes, Scary Movie was dwarfed by this hilarious and vibrant film, and the comparison isn’t even close!
Chloe gives her initial thoughts on Kane Parson’s big screen realization of a series that she is already neck deep in the lore for and has been since the beginning. Did it match up with Steve’s hyperbole from last week? Chloe gives a taste of another weird little horror flick, the inventive and insane feature Buffet Infinity. An escalating war between two restaurants is depicted through competing late-night commercials. How could this possibly end?
Coming up next week:
Disclosure Day
Leviticus
The Furious
Over Your Dead Body
I Am Frankelda
…and more.
New episodes of What The Hell Should I Watch? drop every Friday at 9 a.m. Pacific.
Steve Stebbing 