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The first weekend in February brought some viewing options, but not all of them were winners. Below is my take on the new movies I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Dracula (Theaters)
Starring: Caleb Landry Jones and Christoph Waltz
Synopsis: Since Bram Stoker’s novel was released in 1897, people have been fascinated by the story of Dracula. And we’ve seen that story told countless times on the big screen since the 1920s. Some of those versions have been transcendent, while others have been regrettable. We got the former in 2024 with Robert Eggers dark vision in Nosferatu. Now, we’re getting the latter version with the latest film from Luc Besson. It’s Dracula and subtitled A Love Story. That title proves more ironic the longer you watch the film, but that’s only the beginning of my issues with the film. We begin in 1480 in Eastern Europe. We’re introduced to Vlad (Jones) and his bride, Elisabeta (Zoe Bleu). They are madly in love, bordering on obsession. But war comes calling, and as the Prince and the best warrior, Vlad is called to the front of a Holy War. His one request of the priest is a prayer that his bride be sparred. Vlad wages war, slaughtering countless invaders. But God doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain—at least according to Vlad. Elisabeta is killed, and her husband doesn’t take it well. He defiles the alter, kills the priest, and challenges God. Things go downhill from there. Flash-forward 400 years, and a Priest (Waltz) is called in by a doctor (Guillaume de Tonquédec) in Paris because he’s come across a strangely afflicted woman (Matilda De Angelis). The Priest recognizes her as a vampire and is able to coax out enough information to know that her master is on his way. Turns out Vlad, also known as Count Dracula, is still hanging around. He’s been on a search for the innocent soul of his wife, now reborn, and he’s closing in on her quickly. Besson is problematic as a filmmaker. He’s got a dubious past that is filled with many unsettling accusations and some questionable content decisions. He’s crafted some films—Leon and The Fifth Element—that still have fans, but recent work has been spottier. Those problematic issues have continued into the content here. This is a unique take on the Dracula story. He wants it to be a tragic love story, but there’s not much about the film itself that suggests it understands love. The tone is also all over the place. There are times, particularly when Waltz shows up, that it feels more like a comedy. If it had steered into that it wouldn’t have been good but might have worked better. But this film is far too earnest in its third act for that to work. It also purports to be about faith, redemption, and salvation, particularly in the closing sequence. That, too, appears to be something Besson knows nothing about. Those sequences are confusing and hit with a thud, especially in a film that seems to go out of its way to be blasphemous for a good deal of its run. The film also falls into the classic trap of modern horror films in trying to provide context and justification for its monster. In this case, it paints Dracula as a man done wrong because of his lost love. It also paints him as generally a good guy—you know if you set aside his mass slaughter, his challenging God, and centuries of drinking blood, which apparently, he doesn’t want to do. Dracula isn’t a villain, he’s just a misunderstood widower… yeah, that was my reaction too. Look, it’s not all bad. I actually enjoyed Waltz, who seems to have tried to will himself into a different kind of film. He was, by far, my favorite part of the film. While the character is over-the-top, I also thought Jones gave a nice performance in some moments. But it’s hard to get past a messy story that just doesn’t work and runs way too long. If you’re a hardcore Dracula completist, this might be a film you feel a need to see. Otherwise, this is a disastrous take, a disastrous film, and the worst wide release of the year so far. In short, you can skip this one.
Rating: Rated R for violence, some gore and sexuality.
Verdict: One star out of five

Scarlet (Theaters)
Starring: Mana Ashida and Masake Okada
Synopsis: Animated films, at their best, allow you to enter a world of imagination. They take you to places that you can’t find in life and can often illustrate stories in a different way. We’ve seen a variety of different types of stories for different types of audiences. Scarlet, which got a limited release in 2025, is getting a wider release Friday. This includes a big push on IMAX, which will showcase the epic scope of the style and storytelling in the film. But is this one worth checking out? Let’s dive in. The film focuses on Scarlet (Ashida), who is a princess reeling after the death of her father. He was killed by her uncle, and she has sworn revenge. But before she’s able to get that revenge, she herself is killed, plunging into the afterlife. While that might seem to be the end of her quest, for Scarlet it turns out to be just the beginning of a new quest. Everyone comes together in the afterlife, and it affords her a chance to complete the vow she made in life. Discovering her uncle is there, and where he’s located, she decides to move forward and make good on her promise. Along the way, she unites with a newly deceased paramedic from the modern era, Hijiri (Okada), who has a different perspective on life and healing. As they make their way toward her uncle, Scarlet begins to rethink her mission and how she wants to spend her afterlife. This is a fascinating film with an epic scope. It’s an animated film, but it’s not aimed at younger viewers. This is a film that will play better with adults, and likely those who are fans of this style of story and animation. The film is a bright, colorful, and epic adventure story. Director Mamoru Hosoda does a nice job of bringing the story to life and helping craft big action sequences, many of which will play well on the largest of screens.  Scarlet missed out on an Academy Award nomination but should do well with a specific audience. It’s a bit long, and likely won’t appeal as much to a wide audience. But for fans of adventure stories like this, especially told in this style of animation, this will be a welcome addition to the early 2026 cinematic landscape.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for strong violence/bloody images.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

Solo Mio (Theaters)
Starring: Kevin James
Synopsis: It’s the season of love, so naturally we’re getting some romance films. This first one, an Angel Studios release, centers on a man (James) who is having a hard time. As we meet Matt he is engaged to Heather (Julie Ann Emery) and preparing for a destination wedding in Italy. But she doesn’t show up to the ceremony. Matt tries to find her to win her back, but eventually settles into going on the honeymoon package he booked and can’t get refunded. Along the way, he makes some friends (Kim Coates, Alyson Hannigan, Jonathan Roumie, and Julee Cerda) who help push him to get back out there. When he meets a charming Italian coffee shop owner, Gia (Nicole Grimaudo), sparks fly. Kevin James is a gifted comedian with a certain style. While this allows him to be funny, it also showcases some of his earnestness and range. We all want to find that special someone, but sometimes the path to get there is rough. It was for Matt, but in the end, he found right where he was meant to be. This is a fun film that has a few good twists and doesn’t wear out its run time. I enjoyed the cast and, mostly, I enjoyed this story of a second chance at romance. We’re into the season of love and this makes for a perfect date night option out at the theater. It’s one of my favorites of the new year so far.
Rating:  Rated PG for some suggestive material, brief language, violence and smoking.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Whistle (Theaters)
Starring: Dafne Keen and Sophie Nelisse
Synopsis: It’s a common trope in films, the main characters finding a rare, mysterious, and dangerous looking object. I’ve never come across one of these objects in my life, but I’d like to think if I did, I’d know to get rid of it without a second thought. Fortunately for us, the characters in Whistle, a new IFC/Shudder horror film opening in theaters Friday, didn’t do the same. Instead, they followed the rabbit hole we see these characters go down so often. They play with it, then have to try and walk back that action before it claims their lives. In the case of Whistle, the object is, in fact, an ancient looking whistle. It’s an object with origins among the Aztecs that has an ominous phrase translated by the finders as “Summon the dead.” It was found in the locker of Chrys (Keen), a new student with a dubious past. She doesn’t know what it is, but she’s drawn to it. Turns out the boy that had the locker before died in a horrific accident in the school showers. But as the audience already knows, it was no accident. When Chrys shares her find in detention, there is a lot of mystery about it. Mr. Craven (Nick Frost) claims the item for himself, sending the students on the way. It isn’t long before he tries to sell it online but must test it first. Predictably, that is a mistake. He also leaves the item behind, where it’s again snatched by one of the students—Chrys’ cousin Rel (Sky Yang). He brings it to a party with Chrys and the rest of the detention gang. They, too, can’t help themselves when it comes to trying it out. And mayhem ensues. The set up here feels familiar. A group of people find a dark and mysterious object, and despite their best instincts, they decide to give a whirl. They don’t understand what it does or what it is capable of doing, and soon find themselves in mortal peril. Can they find a loophole before it’s too late? The film comes from director Corin Hardy (The Nun). He knows his way around a spooky story and creates some chilling images and sequences. The film also has plenty of violent and striking death scenes. It adds to the tension of the story in a good way. The cast is solid, too. Keen, best known as X23 from Logan and Deadpool & Wolverine, does a nice job in the lead role. The supporting cast is mostly a set of caricatures, but I did enjoy Nelisse, who plays Ellie and is Chrys’ best support in the group. We also get a fun supporting sequence from Frost, and a fun supporting role from Michelle Fairley. Those help add to the intrigue of the film. Overall, the plot here is nothing special. The film also runs a touch long, dragging some things out before getting where we know it’s going. But Hardy does a nice job on the direction and the sequences are solid enough to keep your attention. That makes for a solid enough horror release to kickstart February.
Rating: Rated R for strong violent content, gore, drug content and language.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five