A Swedish author named Camilla Lackberg wrote five (thus far) novels about a mystery writer who solves crimes in the real world, similar to a Jessica Fletcher. All were made into telefilms in Sweden. This miniseries, “Camilla Lackberg’s Erica”, is a set of three of them, adapted for French TV. They play out like a slightly more adult version of our Hallmark Mystery Movies, as I will explain.
As the first opens, Erica (Julie De Bona), a successful crime novelist living in Paris, returns to her picturesque seaside hometown to settle up estate matters from her recently-departed parents. Her married sister Anna (Maud Baecker) still lives there with her hubby and two cute kids. Erica hasn’t been back much, or remained as close with sis as they had been. Upon arrival, Erica runs into a former bestie. They make plans for dinner at the friend’s house that evening. Erica arrives only to find the woman lying in a tub of bloody water, wrists slit in what looks like a suicide. That’s what the cops, especially lead detective Patrick (Gregory Fitoussi) insist, resenting her proffered facts that point towards a staged murder. Guess who’s gonna be right, and who’s gonna come around to appreciating whom?
That episode introduces an assortment of family and romance issues dangled, for the next. As both of those fronts ramp up, the second case revolves around the killing of a young tourist, which leads to a family with three generations of zealots claiming, to varying degrees, the ability to heal, though the results haven’t been there. In the third, a young girl is almost drowned and the Good Samaritan who tried to save her is beaten to death for his efforts. That leads to another set of dark complicated familial backstories. In these latter two, Erica has been accepted by the cops as a useful ally/resource. All the plots by Lackberg and three other credited writers, are reasonably suspenseful.
Now for the Hallmark reference. The fictional seaside town is idyllic, shot in Hossegor and the Landes region of southwestern France. The views we get show why it thrives on tourism. Erica has the earnest intelligence and charm of Hallmark heroines like Candace Cameron Bure’s Aurora Teagarden. She’s longer on curiosity than common sense, plunging foolishly into situations of danger. The series spends more running time on romantic and family sidebars, and miscellaneous warm fuzzies than on the principal crimes, including the inevitable rocky romance with Patrick. There’s one early scene with nudity, and a bit more action and depravity among the baddies than the typical Hallmark fare, but still pretty bloodless.
Each of the trio of mysteries is presented in two 45-minute episodes. See them in order, since those secondary story arcs are progressive. I was entertained enough to hope they adapt Lackberg’s other novels, as well.
2 1/2 Out Of 4 Stars
“Camilla Läckberg’s Erica” premieres in the U.S. and Canada on MHz Choice on January 20, 2026.
“Are we the good guys?” – Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon)
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been friends since they were in elementary school, and now they’re bringing that friendship to Netflix. The duo are reteaming for the new crime thriller The Rip, from writer-director Joe Carnahan (Narc, Smokin’ Aces, Copshop, Boss Level). Also coming along for the ride are Steven Yeun, Kyle Chandler, Teyana Taylor, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Sasha Calle; the film is produced by Artists Equity, the studio-led studio that Damon and Affleck founded in 2022.
If you think you’re going to walk in and figure this one out while watching, I must say, you probably aren’t. The story has more twists and turns than a Monaco race track, and you catch on pretty quick that nothing is as it seems. The pacing is smooth, the dialogue is tight and economical, the action does NOT disappoint either. It may be a Netflix movie, but it really could have killed at the box office. I like Carnahan’s movies, and this is amongst his best. The chemistry with Affleck and Damon has not diminished with time, and the supporting cast all pull their weight with them. It’s definitely the edge-of-your seat action one wants from a crime drama, and the settings all feel like they could stand up to much bigger budget movies.
Beware: spoilers ahead, so if you don’t want to know too much, save the below for later.
THE RIP follows Damon – Lieutenant Dane Dumars – and Affleck – Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne – as Miami cop partners who find themselves in a sticky situation after their team finds $24 million stashed away in a safehouse. Required by law to count the money before leaving the scene, the cops and their team must survive the night — and each other. Plus the team is already on edge — and under FBI investigation — after the murder of their captain, Jackie Velez (Lina Esco).
And they find the police informant in the house, Dumars and Byrne’s first instinct is soon proven correct: The money is from the cartel.
Desi (Sasha Calle), the home’s owner, is an unwitting pawn in the organization’s game. The cartel paid Desi to place buckets of cash in the attic of her new home, inherited from her recently deceased grandmother. With plenty of funeral and medical expenses to pay, it was an offer the young woman couldn’t refuse. Partner turns on partner, bullets start flying, and the cartel is on the prowl. When threatening phone calls start coming through and the house is hit with a barrage of bullets, the team naturally blames the cartel. But a nighttime chase quickly resolves that question. Byrne finds common cause with the cartel lookout who was communicating through the porch light. He even helps him run off the real culprits and coordinates a phone conversation with his cartel chief (Sal Lopez), who convinces Byrne and Dumars that the cartel didn’t fire a shot.
“The Rip came out of a deeply personal experience that my friend went through, both as a father and as head of tactical narcotics for the Miami Dade police department,” Carnahan explains. “It’s inspired in part by his life and then, by my enduring love for those classic ‘70’s cop thrillers that really valued the character and interpersonal relationships and became touchstones of that era — films like Serpico and Prince of The City and more recently, Michael Mann’s Heat.”
The viewer will discover that there are details in the movie drawn directly from officer Chris Casiano’s true story that inspired the film. The final piece of tension emerges from a procedural detail: will the rip’s final total match the count performed by the Tactical Narcotics Team? It does, to the dime: $20,650,480.
Dumars says goodbye to Desi, and reveals the truth behind his tattoos. They’re not a somber reminder of his duty, necessarily. They’re a memorial to his son. “Are we the good guys?” was the last thing his son said to him; “We are and always will be” was the last thing he said to his son.
Shot masterfully by cinematographer Juanmi Azpiroz, the film is filled with gunfights, car chases, and rooftop shootouts. This is The Rip. You won’t want to miss it.
Dacre Montgomery as Richard and Bill Skarsgard as Tony, in Gus Van Sant’s DEAD MAN’S WIRE. Courtesy of Row K Entertainment
It has been seven years since we saw a film from Gus Van Sant but the director comes back strong with DEAD MAN’S WIRE, an impressive crime thriller/drama based on a bizarre real hostage incident in late 1970s Indianapolis. In 1977, an aspiring businessman, Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgard), who felt cheated by his mortgage lender, took the company’s manager hostage, by attaching a shotgun to his neck with a looped wire, while the gun’s trigger was wired to the kidnapper’s body, so that if a sniper killed the kidnapper, the hostage would die too. The method has since called a dead man’s wire. Gus Van Sant uses this real event to craft a tense, thriller film, laced with a dark humor that built on the absurdity of the situation, but also human drama that touches on issues of despair and desperation, economic unfairness, and shady business dealings. DEAD MAN’S WIRE is a technically impressive film as well as working as both a gripping entertainment thriller and commentary on slanted economic system.
Much of this crazy real event was captured on film by news camera, which was shot continuously during the 63 hour standoff with the kidnapper. The engrossing historic thriller is given an authenticity by director Gus Van Sant who captures the feel of 1977, by carefully reproducing the 1970s styles and visual aesthetics of the time period, and most strikingly by recreating the look of TV news and shows of the era, in this film. The visuals so closely match the actual archival footage of the real event, snippets of which Van Sant inserts into his film. The event took place during a transitional moment in how news is covered, and the event is still taught in schools of journalism as an example of news reporting crossing a line to escalate a situation. It adds an eerie level to this already atmospheric, darkly comic thriller/drama.
The film does not condone the kidnapper’s actions but Bill Skarsgard’s masterful performance gives us insights on someone driven to the edge, after being taken advantage of by his unscrupulous, wealthy lender. Austin Kolodney’s script speaks to “Everyman” issues of economic inequality and an unfair system skewed to favor the already rich, a topic that particularly resonates today. There are echoes of DOG DAY AFTERNOON in this film, as well as other “little guy” against the system tales, of someone driven over the edge by circumstances. While DEAD MAN’S WIRE is based on a true story, the drama/thriller goes in unexpected directions, and leans into its dark, absurdist humor at times.
Bill Skarsgard gives a striking performance as the odd, even unbalanced Tony Kiritsis, a would-be real estate entrepreneur who relishes the spotlight, which is part of why this film is so involving.
Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgard) has reached a desperate state with a mortgage he took out from local lender Meridian Mortgage. The mortgage was not for a home, but a business investment in real estate, property Tony Kiritsis hopes to develop as the location for a shopping mall. Tony had lined up plenty of would-be business tenants but he is puzzled as they fade away and he has trouble securing businesses to lease space. Without those funds, he falls behind on payments, and Tony has grown increasingly frustrated in trying to deal with his lender. When Meridian Mortage’s owner M. L. Hall (Al Pacino) offers to buy the property – for far less than Tony paid – Tony begins to suspect it is his own lender who is re-directing would-be leasers to other sites, sabotaging Tony’s business plan.
Tony’s anger and desperation leads to his plan with the dead man’s wire. The original target was Meridian’s M. L. Hall but instead, Tony ends up taking Hall’s son Richard, who also works for Meridian, hostage. Since this is based on a real event, that is not much of a spoiler, as the real big question is what happens next.
The police are alerted and are almost immediately on the scene, but there is little they can do, with Tony’s “dead man’s wire” shotgun apparatus pointed at Richard Hall’s head and the trigger wired to be pulled if Tony falls. Shooting Tony means killing his hostage too. Hence, Tony is able to take Richard to his apartment unimpeded, where he holds him for several days.
Meanwhile, ambitious young Black TV journalist Linda Page (Myha’la), who happens upon the scene, recruits her cameraman and starts filming the events, despite her boss’ efforts to hand off the assignment to a more experienced (and white, male) reporter. Events unfold that also involve at popular radio DJ, Fred Temple (Colman Domingo) known for his philosophical, Everyman musings on the radio. Tony Kiritsis is a fan, and the police try to use the DJ as a way to reach the kidnapper. Cary Elwes plays plainclothes detective Mike Grable, who was first on the scene, and who tries to be a calming figure to establish rapport with the kidnapper.
This bizarre crime and ensuing police standoff takes on a media circus-like air out in the Midwestern city streets, but the film also spends a lot of time inside Tony’s apartment, with just Tony and Richard, who goes by Dick. Holed up in Tony’s apartment, we get to know both oddball Tony and buttoned-down Richard. Dick is very much under the thumb of his wealthy father. M.L. knew Tony was on the edge, yet M. L. deliberately leaves his son to deal with the loaded situation, while M. L. heads out of town, becoming unavailable for any face-to-face. In truth, Richard is as much exploited by his father M. L. as his client Tony is.
As the hostage situation goes on, a kind of cat-and-mouse relationship evolves between the two men, with the more outgoing Tony even becoming rather friendly towards Richard, in a bit of reverse Stockholm Syndrome. But whether that does Richard any good is another matter. Eventually, Tony issues his demands, which include an apology from M. L. Hall personally.
Skarsgard’s outstanding performance is supported well by the rest of the cast, including particularly Dacre Montgomery, who plays the kidnapped banker Richard Hall. All the cast are good, with Colman Domingo another strong character as the DJ drawn into the situation. The wealthy M.L. Hall is played as distracted and distant by Al Pacino, in a strong performance, and there also is a little parallel to the real-life kidnapping of millionaire J. P. Getty’s grandson here, as negotiations begin.
That shotgun wired to hostage Richard’s neck ensures tensions are constantly high, but the quirkiness of the people involved, the unpredictability of both their nature, and the situation, make this a film where you never know what will happen next. None of this goes like the typical movie hostage situation. No character feels that strangeness more keenly that Coleman Domingo’s radio DJ, recruited as a sort of hostage negotiator, a role he’d rather not play. The ambitions of the young reporter, the determination of the cops, led by Cary Elwes’ Mike Grable, to find a way out, and the pressure on everyone of being on camera and in the public eye constantly adds fuel to the incendiary situation. And remember these are real people and real events, something that Van Sant reminds the audience about by inserting actual footage of the real events.
While some may see the film as anti-capitalist, that is not quite an accurate description, as the “common man” at its center is also a businessman, even if he is not too successful. Instead, DEAD MAN’S WIRE, in part, is more commentary on the warping of the American Dream and the old American free enterprise system, an aspirational ideal in a post-WWII world marked by the Marshall Plan, but which came to a crashing end in the “greed is good” 1980s. The old free enterprise system promised a level playing field for even small businesses to compete fairly, and succeed through hard work and good ideas, rather than through a “thumb on the scale” and unscrupulous, deceitful practices. Kiritsis’ his lack of success is not due, per se, to lack of skill in business, but by the tilted playing field upon which he treads, ironically being skewed by his own lender, who in a more ethical world be his ally. Instead, his banker is concealing that his thumb is on the scale, and has plans to turn his client’s misery to his advantage. The film’s themes are less anti-capitalist than anti-unscrupulous, a condemnation of predatory business practices, contrasting human dealings versus dehumanized practices, the latter style one which Al Pacino’s morality-free character represents well.
Gus Van Sant’s DEAD MAN’S WIRE is highly entertaining as a crime thriller, as well as a technically impressive film, and enhanced by first rate performances particularly by Bill Skarsgard in what may be a career best, as well as working as historical drama and commentary on a slanted economic system.
DEAD MAN’S WIRE opens in theaters on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.
In 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. Within 24 hours, Iraq’s military occupied its southern neighbor and controlled nearly 30% of the world’s oil supply. Iraq’s brutal dictator then set his eyes on Saudi Arabia. President George H.W. Bush recognized Saudi Arabia’s important role in the region and launched Operation Desert Shield. As the deployment of American combat forces in Saudi Arabia grew, President Bush issued a mandate to Hussein stating that all Iraqi troops must leave Kuwait by January 15, 1991. The deadline passed with Kuwait still occupied by Iraqi forces. On January 17, 1991, the United States led an international coalition against Iraqi forces, a campaign known as Operation Desert Storm. President Bush declared a ceasefire on February 28, 1991, and proclaimed the successful liberation of Kuwait..
Roughly 600,000 American troops were deployed in support of both Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm; 375 died.
Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm were remarkable examples of American leadership, values, and sacrifice in the pursuit of freedom and at long last a National Desert Storm Memorial is being built to honor our military heroes.
The Memorial will fall within the shadow of both the Lincoln and Vietnam Veterans Memorials, abutting the National Mall. The Memorial’s site is at the southwest corner of Constitution Avenue and 23rd Street Northwest, Washington, D.C.
The National Desert Storm Memorial Association’s Dedication Ceremony will be open to the public and the ceremony will be Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. EDT.
Nighttime rendering showing how the memorial will appear when illuminated at night.Courtesy: The National Desert Storm Memorial Association
Artist working under the direction of sculptor Emily Bedard. In the image, he is working on one of more than 50 panels that make up the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial. The panel visible represents only a small portion of the overall work. The completed memorial will include depictions of ships, aircraft, tanks, and other vehicles. As with all commemorative works, this is an artistic representation rather than a literal, uniform-by-uniform depiction. Women military service members will also be represented on the memorial. Courtesy: The National Desert Storm Memorial Association
Scott C. Stump, President/CEO of the National Desert Storm Memorial Association, said, “It has now been more than 15 years since I first conceptualized and began the work of making the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial a reality. As we enter the homestretch in 2026, I am deeply gratified to know that this vision will soon be realized on the National Mall. I am profoundly thankful to those who embraced and supported this initiative through the years, and who stood with us throughout this arduous journey.”
Saturday marks the 35th anniversary, January 17, 1991, and to honor these heroes’ sacrifice, here’s a list of movies dedicated to their bravery.
Courtesy: The National Desert Storm Memorial Association
THE HEROES OF DESERT STORM
The Heroes of Desert Storm is a 1991 American television docudrama that chronicles the events of the Persian Gulf War’s Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. The film focuses on the human stories of servicemen and women. The movie features an ensemble cast portraying real soldiers and personnel, including Angela Bassett as Lieutenant Phoebe Jeter and Daniel Baldwin as Sergeant Ben Pennington. The cast also includes Michael Champion, Ken Foree, Gary Hershberger, Laura Leigh Hughes, and Kris Kamm portraying other real individuals involved in the conflict.
THANKS OF A GRATEFUL NATION
Explores the medical aftermath and long-term effects of the war on service members. The film dramatizes the plight of several soldiers, including Chris Small (Matt Keeslar) and Jared Gallimore (Steven Weber), who experience debilitating health issues after returning home. They face skepticism and denial from the U.S. government regarding the cause of their illnesses. The story follows Jim Tuite (Ted Danson), a retired Secret Service agent and Vietnam veteran, who teams up with Senator Donald Riegle (Brian Dennehy) to lead an official investigation into the mysterious health problems and potential cover-ups by the Department of Defense.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
Directed by Paul Greengrass, the 1996 film The One That Got Away, starring Paul McGann, is set during Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield, specifically depicting the mission of an SAS patrol behind enemy lines in January 1991, just as the conflict began.
COURAGE UNDER FIRE
A soldier discovers how elusive the truth can be in this first major film about America’s role in the Gulf War. Lt. Col. Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) was the commander of a unit during Operation Desert Storm who mistakenly ordered the destruction of what he believed to be an enemy tank, only to discover that it actually held U.S. soldiers, including a close friend. Since then, Serling has been an emotional wreck, drinking heavily and allowing his marriage to teeter on the brink of collapse. As a means of redeeming himself, Serling is given a new assignment by his superior, Gen. Hershberg (Michael Moriarty). Capt. Karen Walden (Meg Ryan) was a helicopter pilot who died in battle during the Iraqi conflict, and the White House has proposed that Walden be posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Serling is asked to investigate Walden’s actions on the field of battle, but he quickly discovers that no two stories about her are quite the same; Ilario (Matt Damon) says Walden acted heroically and sacrificed herself to save the others in her company, while Monfriez (Lou Diamond Phillps) claims she was a coward who was attempting to surrender to enemy troops. Meanwhile, reporter Tony Gartner (Scott Glenn) is hounding Serling, trying to get the inside story on Walden and on Serling’s own difficulties.
JARHEAD
Directed by Sam Mendes, JARHEAD is set during the Gulf War, specifically covering the period of Operation Desert Shield (when Marines were deployed to Saudi Arabia) and the beginning of Operation Desert Storm, focusing on a U.S. Marine sniper’s experiences with boredom, training, and anticipation of combat, rather than extensive fighting, as depicted in Anthony Swofford’s memoir.
Oscar winner Jamie Foxx stars with Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal in this unconventional war story that follows a soldier from boot camp to active duty in the deserts of the Middle East.
THE FINEST HOUR
While training to become elite Navy soldiers, Lawrence Hammer (Rob Lowe) and Dean Mazzoli (Gale Hansen) form a close friendship. When Hammer starts dating the beautiful Barbara (Tracy Griffith), Mazzoli also has a connection with her, but doesn’t act on it. Hammer ends up marrying Barbara, and Mazzoli gets stationed far away from the couple. However, Mazzoli still cares for Barbara, and he gets to see her again before he joins Hammer on a dangerous mission to Iraq, renewing their attraction.
BRAVO TWO ZERO
Bravo Two Zero’ is set during the 1991 Gulf War, specifically during the Operation Desert Storm phase, as the British SAS patrol was inserted into Iraq in January 1991 to find and destroy Scud missiles just as the air campaign began to neutralize Saddam Hussein’s threats. An eight-man SAS team was deployed deep behind Iraqi lines to locate and destroy mobile Scud launchers threatening coalition forces.
Whew, now that is a really quick turnaround for a sequel (they way it sprinted to theatres in just a little over six months, you’d think that it had contracted the “rage”). Usually there’s at least a year between franchise entries, even if they were shot at the same time as the WICKED flicks or even more, like the last two “impossible missions” (who knows if or when we’ll have to endure the conclusion to FAST X). Then, this isn’t your usual “tent pole”, since the original sprinted out in 2002, its first sequel in 2007, then the follow-up last June. That installment was both a box office and critical hit, so a different director and much of the same cast are hoping that audiences will be eager to get out of the January chills and warm themselves by the fiery furnaces of 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE.
When we last saw the preteen loner Spike (Alfie Williams), he was saved from a rage-infected pack by a group of track-suit wearing, platinum-haired young men and women. But as we see in the opening sequence, Spike might have gone from the “frying pan into the fire”, as he must face off against an older young man as his “initiation” into the group called “the Jimmies”. Watching over the duel is their leader, Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell), in his thirties, making him a veteran of the “plague” world. He “fancies” himself to be the son of “ole’ Nick” AKA Satan. Somehow, Spike triumphs, is dubbed the newest “Jimmy”, and is forced to join them in deadly attacks on human survivors on the mainland, encounters that end with Sir Jimmy orchestrating acts of barbaric cruelty. Meanwhile, Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) is still tending to the title “Bone Temple”, or “memento mori” dedicated to the dead, the bone towers flanking a massive spire of human skulls. Kelson’s daily routine is broken up by visits (more like roaring attacks) from the hulking “alpha” of the infected, whom he dubs “Samson” (Chi Lewis-Parry). Those encounters turn into a game as Kelson waits until the giant is nearly upon him before using a long tube to blow a dart full of his special sedative, that renders Samson docile. The doctor soon comes to the conclusion that Samson actually welcomes the “rest” and often joins him for a brief “nap”. Kelson then begins to experiment on Samson and somehow is able to counteract the “rage”. However, his research may soon be disrupted when he and his sanctuary are discovered by the Jimmies. What happens when the worlds of these survivors clash? Who will claim the land, Sir Jimmy, Dr. Kelson, or perhaps Samson?
Probably the greatest performance from the last entry was from the gifted Fiennes as the somewhat still sane medical man, somehow learning to adapt to the hellscape of the plague -ridden countryside. Here he actually builds on that work (last time we didn’t meet him until well past the halfway mark), adding some new “layers” to this lonely soul. He shows us that Kelson is yearning for a real human connection, even if it’s with a “zonked out” behemoth. Plus, we get to see a bit of his eccentric side, as his main joy comes from his love of his 80s pop records. Fiennes captures our attention in every one of his scenes (he’s got a long overdue date with Oscar). His character’s “inverse” may be the charismatic O’Connell as the cunning, cruel, and still a bit charming Sir Jimmy. He may be the “wildest card” in the twisted pack of Jimmies, who has a teen idol’s swagger while putting a Manson-like spell on his faithful followers. After his splendid work last year as the “boss vamp” in SINNERS, O’Connell is quite the engaging movie monster. Williams commands our interests and elicits our sympathies as Spike, still a boy, as he tries to survive this world and his still painful family loss. Luckily, he’s got a caring surrogate “big sis” in the enigmatic Erin Kellyman as “Jimmy Ink”, the gang’s “enforcer” who has freed herself from the “cult” of Sir Jimmy. Kudos also to the compelling physical presence of Lewis-Parry who gives some unexpected vulnerability, showing us that like the Frankenstein monster, he could have his cloudy savagery cleansed by a bit of kindness.
Earlier I mentioned that this installment boasts a different director. Taking the reins from Danny Boyle is the versatile, visually elegant Nia DaCosta (after last year’s “chamber drama” HEDDA). She clues us in, with the searing brutality of “Spike’s test” that this second act of a planned final trilogy, won’t dance around its violent, visceral origins. In other words, the blood does flow, like a red storm over the gorgeous green English countryside. The screenwriter of last June’s entry, Alex Garland, does return with a tale that echoes several horror survival themes, showing us how the uninfected humans can be more deadly than the screaming charging hordes. We’re even given an “origin story” set at the beginning s of the “rage”, reminding us that these mindless monsters were exactly like us. What really surprised me this time was the unexpected bursts of very dark, nearly pitch black, humor, especially in the final showdown. Ah, but it’s not really “final” as an epilogue promises another glorious glimpse into this altered Earth. Let’s hope our next visit, probably not a quick seven months wait, will be as well produced and as full of conflict and compassion as 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE.
3.5 Out of 4
28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE opens in theaters everywhere on Thursday, January 15, 2026
In the near future, a detective (Chris Pratt) stands on trial accused of murdering his wife. He has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to the advanced A.I. Judge (Rebecca Ferguson) he once championed, before it determines his fate.
Directed byTimur Bekmambetov, see MERCY in theaters January 23.
Filmed for IMAX®. Experience it in 3D.
The St. Louis screening is on Wednesday, January 21, at 7pm at Ronnies in IMAX 3D.
One of the profound memories of my childhood is of my parents picking my sister and I up from summer sleepaway camp in August of 1977. My mother was crying. Not because she was happy to see us after 2 weeks, but because she had just heard on the car radio that Elvis Presley had died. Elvis meant so much to so many people – not only the baby-boom generation (my parents), but also their kids, the Gen-Xers. Even if you didn’t know all of Elvis’s catalog of songs, you knew who he was and why he was dubbed “The King.”
In EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT, director Baz Luhrmann takes us back, to remind us why Elvis was and is rock and roll royalty and the ultimate pop-culture touchstone.
From director Baz Luhrmann:
During the making of Elvis (2022), we went on a search for rumored unseen footage from the iconic1970s concert films Elvis: That’s the Way It Is and Elvis on Tour that had reportedly been lost.
Throughout this incredibly detailed process, one of the great finds has been unheard recordings of Elvis talking about his life and his music: from the 1970 Vegas show, on tour in 1972 and even precious moments of the 1957 “goldjacket” performance in Hawaii. I knew that we could not pass up this opportunity. It was these discoveries that gave the inspiration for the new film.
What if, instead of reduxing the previous works, we made a film that wasn’t a documentary and wasn’t a concert film? What if Elvis came to you in a dreamscape, almost like a cinematic poem, and sang to you and told you his story in a way in which you haven’t experienced before?
We asked the what ifs and answered them in what we are about to present at Toronto International Film Festivals’s 50th Edition- EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, Elvis sings and tells his story like never before. Elvis takes the audience through the journey of his life, through both classic and contemporary musical prisms, weaving unseen footage with iconic performances that have never been presented in this.
EPiC Elvis takes the audience through the journey of his life, through both classic and contemporary musical prisms, weaving unseen footage with iconic performances that have never been presented in this way. EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is a leap of the musical imagination and a tribute to one of the greatest performers of all time.
EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT plays one week IMAX EXCLUSIVE Starting February 20 and in cinemas worldwide February 27.
Today, Apple TV released a new teaser for the highly anticipated second season of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” its global hit Monsterverse series starring Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Joe Tippett and Anders Holm.The 10-episode second season of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” will premiere globally on Friday, February 27, 2026, with the first episode, followed by one episode every Friday until May 1, 2026.
In addition to Kong, season two will feature Godzilla and introduce a new Titan: the enigmatic Titan X, now officially on the loose. Titan X isn’t just another monster; it’s a living cataclysm. When its massive bioluminescent form breaks the surface of the ocean, the world seems to hold its breath. In “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” season two, Titan X stands at the centre of the mystery – an ancient force emerging from the deep, its purpose uncertain, its power unmatched, its awe and terror in equal measure. Additional season two guest stars include Takehiro Hira, Amber Midthunder, Curtiss Cook, Cliff Curtis, Dominique Tipper and Camilo Jiménez Varón.
Season one of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” tracks two siblings looking to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch. Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows.
Season two will pick up with the fate of Monarch – and the world – hanging in the balance. The dramatic saga reveals buried secrets that reunite our heroes (and villains) on Kong’s Skull Island, and a new, mysterious village where a mythical Titan rises from the sea. The ripple effects of the past make waves in the present day, blurring the bonds between family, friend and foe – all with the threat of a titan event on the horizon.
Hailing from Legendary Television, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” is executive produced by Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell from Safehouse Pictures, alongside Chris Black, Jen Roskind, Matt Shakman, Andrew Colville and Lawrence Trilling, who also directs four episodes, as well as Andrew Colville, who writes two episodes and serves as executive producer. Black serves as showrunner on season two. Hiro Matsuoka and Takemasa Arita executive produce on behalf of Toho Co., Ltd., the owner of the Godzilla character. Toho licensed the rights to Legendary for “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” as a natural byproduct of their long-term relationship with the film franchise. Apple TV has a multi-series deal with Legendary Entertainment, which includes the second season of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” and multiple spinoff series based on the franchise.
Catch up on the first season of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” now streaming globally on Apple TV.
In addition to “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” Apple TV recently announced plans for multiple series set within the Monsterverse featuring both new and fan-favourite Titans. The first spin-off is a thrilling, new untitled Young Lee Shaw prequel with Wyatt Russell reprising his role as Colonel Lee Shaw, as well as executive producing, and showrun and executive produced by Emmy Award-nominee Joby Harold. The expansion of Legendary’s entire Monsterverse franchise on Apple TV will be overseen by Harold under a newly announced overall deal with Legendary.
Legendary’s Monsterverse is an expansive cross-platform story universe focussing around humanity’s battle to survive in a world facing a catastrophic new reality – the monsters of our myths and legends are real. Beginning with the Godzilla film in 2014 and continuing through 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, and most recently the record-breaking Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, the franchise’s highest-grossing instalment and the highest-grossing Godzilla film of all time, along with the eagerly anticipated sequel Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, which is set to release in 2027. The Monsterverse has accumulated over $2.5B at the global box office and expanded into the highly successful event series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” for Apple TV. Including an interconnected world of video games, graphic novels, toys and live experiences, the Monsterverse represents epic entertainment on the largest possible scale.
The French trio of procedural dramas, “Sophie Cross” (a/k/a “Crossroads”) starts with a tragedy. The 6-year-old son of a lovely couple, Sophie (Alexia Barlier) and Thomas (Thomas Jouannet) vanishes from their beachfront backyard. She’s a lawyer; he’s a police commissioner. Their frantic search is fruitless, and she can’t emotionally continue to handle her career.
Cut to three years later. Still no sign of the child, and Sophie has just finished training to become a police detective. Obviously, much of her motivation was to continue the search, despite the shrinking likelihood of ever finding him… or his body. Relationships with her new squad start off rocky. She’s not used to being a team player, and oversteps her rookie status – including ignoring direct orders to back off. But she’s really smart and intuitive, so over the course of the episodes, she earns her stripes.
The first case starts with a murdered doctor, followed by the identical slaying of a drug dealer. Are they connected? The second begins with a teacher killed in the school parking lot. He’s got an ex-wife and daughter who are bitter from his leaving them to shack up with one of his teenaged students. The student’s dad is far from thrilled about it, too, landing him in the suspect pool, with plenty of company. The third starts with a private eye fatally shot with the same gun that was used in a diamond robbery five years before. That casts doubt on whether the guy convicted of the earlier crime was really the perp. He was a known bad guy, but was he nailed on the right charge?
All three principal stories are satisfyingly complex and twisty for any murder mystery buff, with solid casting across the board. As usual, not a lot of shoot-em-up action, though there are a handful of intense moments. Each is presented in two 45-minute segments. The search for their son runs as a continuing secondary plot thread. It’s not necessary to binge, but the three stories should be viewed for the progressions to make sense. The episodes are helmed by directors Frank van Mechelen (Salamander) and Adeline Darraux (Tom & Lola).
I’ve mentioned that most of the European TV series I’ve covered feature more realistic levels of attractiveness than our domestic prime-time producers typically serve up. This one’s a bit of an exception. Barlier resembles Claire Danes, and Jouannet can hold his own against most of our series’ leading men. The mysteries are all solved, but some personal subplots are left open, leading to a fervent hope for a Season 2.
“Sophie Cross”, in French with subtitles, streams on MHz Choice on January 13, 2026.
Hot off the record-setting resurrection of EVIL DEAD RISE, writer/director Lee Cronin turns to one of the most iconic horror stories of all time with an audacious and twisted retelling: LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY.
The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace—eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.
The film stars Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, with Veronica Falcón. The film is written and directed by Cronin, and produced by James Wan, Jason Blum and John Keville. The executive producers are Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Macdara Kelleher and Lee Cronin.
Cronin is supported behind the camera by a team of sterling film artisans, including director of photography Dave Garbett, production designer Nick Bassett, editor Bryan Shaw, costume designer Joanna Eatwell, music by Stephen McKeon and casting by Terri Taylor and Sarah Domeier Lindo.
New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster and Blumhouse Present, A Wicked/Good Production, A Lee Cronin Film: LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, only in theaters and IMAX in North America on April 17, 2026.
