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 It was a packed weekend at theaters with three big theatrical releases as well as a new action film on Netflix. Below is my take on the new releases I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Apex (Netflix)
Starring: Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton
Synopsis: This new action film from director Baltasar Kormakur focuses on a woman (Theron) who suffered a terrible mountain climbing accident. That accident forms the opening sequence of the film. Now, sometime later, she’s trying to recover and rediscover her love for exploration rafting in Australia. The natives aren’t exactly friendly, but she comes across one man, Ben (Egerton) who seems to be trying to help. When it turns out he might be the biggest threat of them all, it pits the two against each other in a battle for survival. This one has some big action sequences and is mostly a two-hander pitting Theron against Egerton in a battle of wills and a battle for survival. On paper, that sounds like something exciting and engaging. In practice, it doesn’t really work. The action sequences are OK, but the plot feels stale and predictable. In addition, the characters aren’t well developed and despite the fact it’s only 95 minutes, it feels long and drags in sections. Everyone involved is capable of better. This is skippable.
Rating: Rated R for some strong violence, grisly images, nudity, and language.
Verdict: One and a half stars out of five

I Swear (Theaters)
Starring: Robert Aramayo and Maxine Peake
Synopsis: It can be tough when you’re different, especially when those differences force you to stand out. It’s even worse when you can’t hide those differences. That was the case for John Davidson, who as a teenager had his life radically changed. The new film I Swear, which launched in 2025 in the U.K. and earned recognition at the BAFTA awards, tells his story. It comes from writer/director Kirk Jones and features a strong performance from Robert Aramayo. It also exposes audiences to the truth surrounding life with Tourette’s syndrome. We kick off with Davidson as a 15-year-old boy. He’s living a normal life as a high school student and trying to connect with his family. But soon, he starts developing tics and having outbursts. Something weird is happening, and it puts a lot of pressure on him. His father walks out and his mother (Shirley Henderson) is struggling to cope with it all. It turns out, Davidson isn’t just acting out. He has Tourette’s syndrome. It’s a difficult and public disease for which there is no cure and little control. Flash-forward years later and Davidson (Aramayo) is struggling to live his life despite outbursts that most people can’t understand. When he connects with Dottie (Maxine Peake), the mother of a close friend, he finds the support and understanding he’s been looking for to move forward. Armed with some new confidence and some new help, he connects with Tommy (Peter Mullan) and lands a job. That provides him the structure and focus he needs to manage his life, and soon he’s able to channel energy into reaching out to others who are afflicted and into educating the community and the country about how to support those suffering from Tourette’s syndrome. This is an interesting and inspiring story. While it had a big 2025 overseas, many here are likely familiar with it because of Aramayo’s win at the BAFTA awards. It’s finally releasing wide here in America, giving domestic audiences a chance to hear more about Davidson’s story. Jones does a nice job of crafting the story and laying it all out. The early sections, which show the difficulty of being diagnosed as a teenager, set the stage. But it’s the core of the story featuring Aramayo that really makes it all work. He has a good feel for the story and for building out this world. It helps to have Aramayo in the lead. The way he’s able to capture Davidson’s tics and struggles and create an engaging drama brings you all into this world. I appreciated the supporting cast, too, especially Mullan and Peake. It moves at a good pace and helps to shed more light on a syndrome many have heard but likely few truly understand. You can see why the film drew rave reviews from critics and audiences, and why Aramayo was recognized at the BAFTA awards. I Swear is a unique journey through Davidson’s life and his work. It’s an engaging story that will do well with audiences.
Rating: Rated R for language throughout and some violence.
Verdict: Three and a half stars out of five

Michael (Theaters)
Starring: Jaafar Jackson, Coleman Domingo, and Juilano Valdi
Synopsis: Can we separate the artist from the man? That’s a question we grapple with a lot in movies, music, sports, and more. Most people have difficult things in their story. This film doesn’t really touch the depth and breadth of Jackson’s life or complexity. The film follows the story of Michael Jackson (Valdi, Jackson) from 1966 through his epic London concert in 1988. It’s a formative time in which he developed from a child star and part of a family group to the biggest and most iconic figure in music. It covers some of his greatest hits, putting a big focus on the creation of the legendary Thriller album. It also looks at his difficult and complex relationship with his family, especially his father Joe (Domingo). Jackson gives his all, and there is some magic in those performances. As someone who grew up in the 1980s and loved Jackson the performer in that era, this was for me. I was hooked and entertained. This, as a piece of art, worked for me. I thought the concert sequences were stunning and captivating, a credit to director Antione Fuqua. It’s not a perfect film, and it’s certainly fair to be critical of how little of the whole of Michael Jackson’s story it covers. But the section that it does depict is thrilling and engaging, powered by some great performances and some incredible musical recreations. It’s one of the best films of 2026 so far.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for some thematic material, language, and smoking.
Verdict: Four stars out of five

Mother Mary (Theaters)
Starring: Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel
Synopsis: Do you ever have a movie that surprises you? You go in with a set of expectations, and it just blows your sox off? That’s the experience I had with Mother Mary. It comes from writer/director David Lowery, with whom I have an interesting history. I’ve long appreciated the craft he brings to projects like The Green Knight. They are wildly creative but haven’t resonated with me. I expected Mother Mary would be the same. I was wrong. The film focuses on a huge pop star, Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway), who is going through a bit of a crisis as she’s set for a major performance. So, she flees her team and heads to London to connect with Sam (Michaela Coel), a talented designer who created her initial look. The pair were very close, but thanks to a falling out haven’t seen each other in some time. But Mother Mary heads to Sam under the guise of seeking a new dress. But it’s really a chance for the two to reconnect and make amends. While going through the creative process, they discuss their life, their falling out, and what’s happened to them since. It turns out they might have a new, supernatural connection, that requires them coming together to overcome if they’re going to move forward. This is billed as a different kind of ghost story, and it certainly is that in the back half of the film. In the middle of the second act, we get a switch that carries through to the conclusion. But that’s just part of what makes this such a fascinating and gripping cinematic experience. Lowery is an excellent visual storyteller. He applies that talent to this film in many way, with it offering some incredibly unique visuals and styles all in the same production. It has some epic concert sequences that rival anything in a top-end musical biopic. It has some unique, metaphysical sets that take you into a complex world of the mind. And, for much of it, Mother Mary feels like an intimate two-hander that could have been done on a theatrical stage. It’s a gift to move between these set ups seamlessly, and this film pulls it off. The costumes and the visuals are stunning. The choreography and the epic music sequences, needed to sell the persona of Mother Mary, are exquisite. The music comes from Charli XCX and Jack Antonoff, with some production from FKA Twiggs, who provides a unique supporting role on screen in the film, too. The songs suck you in and hold your attention, filling in the space. And the dialogue is crisp, while the script moves at a good pace. Finally, the film sings because of the work of the leads. Hathaway is devastating in the more intimate emotional moments yet carries off these elaborate stage productions in an incredible fashion. Coel, meanwhile, is captivating whenever she’s on screen. You can’t look away as she commands the screen, and it’s magic when these two play off each other. I loved Mother Mary. I was taken with the look and the craft, which is among the best in any film I’ve seen this year and hooked by the story and performances. It’s a film that’s worth seeing on the big screen to be enveloped in this masterful production.
Rating: Rated R for some violent content and language.
Verdict: Four stars out of five