Matthew Liedke on Film

REVIEW: Find an excuse to skip this ‘Invite’

Four characters, two couples, one apartment, and a whole lot of nothing else to really write home about.

However, I’m a film critic, so I have to write about this anyways. “The invite” is the latest film from director Olivia Wilde, who previously helmed 2022’s “Don’t Worry Darling.” Wilde also stars in the film as Angela, the wife of Joe (Seth Rogan), a man who doesn’t feel entirely fulfilled in his life where he works a job as a music teacher at a less than reputable school.

That unhappiness comes out in the marriage, as Joe and Angela are regularly bickering, and that only picks up at the movie’s onset, as the matriarch informs her husband she’s hosting a dinner party. She’s invited her neighbors Piña (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton), a more free spirited couple. As the small gathering begins, things quickly unravel.

REVIEW: ‘Autumn Summer’ is an admirable but meandering flick

Sometimes directors making their first feature knock it out of the park. Other times it can be a miss. Rookie Jared Isaac lands somewhere in between, with a fair but not quite fulfilling project.

His first movie, which he also wrote, is “An Autumn Summer.” Starring Mark McKenna as Kevin, the film takes place in northern Michigan and is set during the summer right after his high school graduation.

Kevin is spending the summer at his parents’ lake cabin, and he’s joined by his friends Steven (Tony Horton) and Jared (Jun Yu), along with his girlfriend Cody (Lukita Maxwell). During their time there, the four friends spend their days in a lackadaisical fashion, enjoying the nearby lake and scenery. However, they also know their days are fleeting before going separate ways for college.

REVIEW: ‘Supergirl’ is astonishingly underwhelming

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s another DC cinematic universe going off track!

Sadly, that’s seems to be the case with this follow-up to last year’s movie depicting the Man of Steel. This time around, the focus is on the titular Supergirl, or Kara Zor-El, portrayed by Milly Alcock. The movie picks up with Supergirl traveling around space to celebrate her birthday by partying it up in intergalactic dive bars.

Though it should be a time of celebration, Supergirl doesn’t appear too happy, as she still hasn’t quite settled in to a life on Earth or wandering in space. However, she finds some purpose when approached by a girl, Ruthye (Eve Ridley), who’s seeking someone to help her get vengeance on the man who killed her family.

REVIEW: ‘Couture’ contains moving, but disjointed character arcs

Following up her fantastic period piece work in 2024’s “Maria,” Angelina Jolie does more dramatic acting in this film set in modern times.

In “Couture,” Jolie stars as Maxine, an American indie film director who’s been hired by a French fashion company to helm the intro video for their latest show. It’s a great gig, but while her professional career is taking off, her personal life is facing difficulties. That’s only compounded when she receives a cancer diagnosis from her doctor.

Meanwhile, the audience is also introduced to other women associated with the show. One is Ada (Anyier Anei), a woman from Kenya who was recruited to model for the show and has to adjust to her new life. Another, Angele (Ella Rumpf), is a makeup artist working with the fashion company who’s also writing on her first novel.

REVIEW: ‘Leviticus’ is an intriguing, compelling horror entry

“Leviticus,” AKA that part of the bible referenced by President Jed Bartlet when verbally taking down a homophobic radio host in “The West Wing.”

It’s also a 2026 horror flick written and directed by Adrian Chiarella. Set in rural Australia, the movie centers on Naim (Joe Bird), who relocates to a small factory town with his mother (Mia Wasikowska) after the death of the family patriarch. There he meets and starts a relationship with another boy in town, Ryan (Stacy Clausen).

However, when their relationship is uncovered by the rather religious community, both are sent to meet with a priest known for conducting rituals as a sort of conversion therapy. The results are frightening, as both begin encountering a dangerous entity hell bent on destroying each of them.

REVIEW: Fantastic fights mostly carry ‘The Furious’

Kenji Tanigaki already proved he knows action to me because of his stunt choreography work on “Blade II” back in 2002. More than 20 years later, he proves it again.

In the case of “The Furious,” Tanigaki sat in the director’s chair, helming a picture centered on two angry men on a mission. Xie Miao stars as Wang Wei, a mute tradesman who sets off on a mission to rescue his daughter who’s been kidnapped. Though he appears as just an ordinary blue-collar worker, he soon shows he is highly skilled in martial arts.

Navin (Joe Taslim), meanwhile, is a journalist whose wife, another reporter, went missing investigating reports of child trafficking. He’s now following up on what she found, and meets up with Wang. Together, they embark on a mission to stop the syndicate and rescue their loved ones.

REVIEW: There’s plenty to like about ‘Girls Like Girls’

I can’t say the song-to-book-to-movie pipeline is a robust one, but that’s the type of production we have in this coming-of-age feature.

Hayley Kiyoko first made the song “Girls Like Girls” in 2015, before writing a novel inspired by the tune in 2023. The next step on her path was filmmaking, as she directed this adaptation of her book. The film centers on the character Coley (Maya da Costa), a teenager who’s moved from San Diego to rural Oregon just before her senior year.

She doesn’t view the move as a good one, though, as she’s now having to live with her estranged dad (Zach Braff) after her mother’s passing. Things start to brighten, though, when she develops a connection with another girl, Sonya (Myra Molloy), and their bond brings them closer. However, difficulties emerge as they navigate their feelings.

REVIEW: Aside from Jackman, final tale of ‘Robin Hood’ is mostly mixed

This is far from the first big screen showing of Robin Hood, and it certainly won’t be the last. However, there’s no doubt this one stands apart in its subject matter.

Directed by Michael Sarnoski, Hugh Jackman stars in this film as the legendary outlaw, now in his later years. The film picks up with him living a directionless life, no longer interested in prior adventures, and under threat from old enemies. However, he takes up a new task to help protect the family of Little John (Bill Skarsgard), but is gravely injured in the process.

Badly hurt, Robin Hood finds himself waking up in a monastery where he’s nursed back to health by a nun, Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer). He begins to recover and even finds some peace, but the past still rears its head often.

REVIEW: Fifth film proves ‘Toy Story’ series still has the magic

When a film series gets to this many sequels, it’s not uncommon for quality to decline. “Toy Story,” though, just keeps beating the odds.

The latest film in Pixar’s longest running series, both by date and movie count, takes place a couple years after the events of the fourth picture. Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) is a bit older now, but still plays with the usual group of toys, sans Woody (Tom Hanks). That is until she is gifted a tablet by her parents, and enters the digital age.

The impact is immediate, as all of Bonnie’s attention is taken up by the frog themed Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee. Now neglected, the toys, led by Jessie (Joan Cusack), begin an effort to be played with again. In the process, Jessie is connected with aspects of her past, while coming to understand how toys might still be relevant in the future.

REVIEW: ‘Disclosure Day’ is a major disappointment from Spielberg

Steven Spielberg is no doubt a fantastic filmmaker with a spectacular career. But when it comes to his recent filmography, things have been rough. Sadly, that trend continues.

The latest movie from the notable director stars Emily Blunt as Margaret Fairchild, a Kansas City-based meteorologist at a local station who, after a strange encounter, acquires the ability to speak several languages, as well as some telepathic power. Meanwhile, cybersecurity expert Daniel (Josh O’Connor) is on the run from a nefarious company.

The group, led by Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth) is chasing Danile and his girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson), because he’s carrying evidence of the government covering up alien life. As the film goes on, the paths of Daniel and Margaret are on a collision course, as the former knows something needs to be revealed, and the latter realizes she has to bring something to light.