The Fabelmans: Spielberg and the movie of his life
The weekend offers a spotlight on Steven Spielberg’s most personal project, The Fabelmans, a film many viewers consider a window into the director’s own history. Across a frame that evokes 1950s and 1960s America, the movie centers on a boy who navigates family, fear, and the magic of cinema. In place of a traditional family dynamic, the cast features Michelle Williams and Paul Dano as surrogate parents, while Gabriel LaBelle portrays the young filmmaker whose cinematic curiosity becomes a lifeline. The story unfolds as a meditation on memory, trauma, and the way movies shape how we understand ourselves. This is not merely a biopic; it’s a reflective map of a life told through a lens that has always been cinema itself.
Spielberg, a name tied to enduring classics like Indiana Jones and E.T., uses his own recollections as the backbone of the narrative. The film gently probes childhood anxieties and invites viewers to see cinema as a tool for mastering fear, offering a candid look at how the director’s early experiences fed a legendary career. The result is a portrait that feels intimate yet expansive, anchored in the realities of a growing artist discovering the power of stories to heal and to confront what lies beneath the surface.
A scary communion girl
Víctor García returns to the screen with a feature that extends his exploration of horror through sequels such as the 2007 continuation of a haunted house tale and the 2011 revival of a familiar terror franchise. His first original feature, presented in Spanish as La hija de la comunión, dives into a chilling narrative of danger and possession. The movie crafts a mood of unease that shadows a community and a family facing forces beyond ordinary control. It’s a tale built on atmosphere, character, and a sense that the ordinary can harbor the extraordinary or the terrifying.
The setting is late 1980s Spain, in a Tarragona town that becomes the stage for a nightmare that begins one evening after a night out. Sara and her best friend Rebe attend a disco, experiment with drugs, and on the return trip encounter a doll dressed for a communion. What follows is a succession of unsettling events that pull the characters into a world where innocence collides with dread, leaving audiences to weigh the boundaries between superstition, belief, and the persistence of fear in a community.
Gerard Butler, pilot on a risky mission
On a perilous New Year’s Eve, pilot Brodie Torrance finds himself guiding a crowded passenger flight through the chaos of a lightning strike. A harrowing landing on a hostile island marks the start of a journey that quickly reveals itself to be far more than a single emergency. The story follows Torrance as he faces not just the technical challenge of a dangerous descent but the moral weight of responsibility under extreme circumstances. The film builds tense momentum as the action unfolds, inviting viewers to consider courage, improvisation, and the limits of leadership when every second counts.
Directed by Jean-François Richet, known for intense urban dramas, the project also features Mike Colter, who is widely recognized for portraying a principled superhero in recent popular cinema. The collaboration brings a blend of suspense and human resilience that keeps the tension high while allowing space for character-driven moments amid the catastrophe.
Faith Akın talks about rapper Xatar’s life in Pure Gold: Rheingold
Renowned Turkish-German filmmaker Fatih Akın, celebrated for works that traverse memory and identity, delivers a biographical drama about rapper Xatar, whose real name is Giwar Hajabi. In Pure Gold: Rheingold, Akın translates Xatar’s life—from a challenging childhood to the ascent of a provocative voice in music—into a cinematic journey that blends documentary clarity with his characteristic narrative depth. The film draws on Akın’s own autobiographical reflections, first published as a novel in 2015, and adapts them for the screen to illuminate a path through hardship, ambition, and the resilience of art.
The story tracks Xatar’s origins, tracing the immigrant experience that shaped his art and his outlook. It’s a portrait not only of a musician but of a generation negotiating complex identities and the power of creative expression to transcend early years of struggle. The film’s documentary-like texture invites audiences to see the real person behind the stage persona, while acknowledging that music can be a bridge between lived experience and cultural impact.
Forbidden love Joyland in Pakistan
Joyland, Saim Sadiq’s debut feature, recently earned the Jury Prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes. The drama chronicles a traditional Pakistani family whose order is disrupted when their youngest son pursues a hidden identity and enters a world of performance and self-expression in a nearby lap-dance venue. The narrative follows the family as it confronts shifts in desire, loyalty, and the definitions of belonging within a conservative society.
The film casts a sharp light on gender norms, patriarchy, and the complicated realities faced by LGBTQ+ communities. It surveys how social expectations intersect with personal longing, offering a compassionate, unflinching look at the consequences of love and self-actualization in a culture where tradition often clashes with change. The result is a provocative and timely drama that resonates beyond its contemporary setting.
My dear monster, a fantasy world
This vivid animated feature from director Jianming Huang unfolds in a realm called Kunlum, a landscape dominated by shadowy spirits and luminous landscapes. The story follows Hei Ling, a healer with a crucial mission: cure a terminal illness that threatens the vitality of the world. When a catastrophic error by Bai Zem, a healer, triggers a chain of consequences, the island is shattered and the healer is exiled. Seven years pass before Bai Zem returns, seeking redemption and a chance to restore what was broken.
The film blends mythic elements with emotional stakes, weaving a tale about responsibility, forgiveness, and the complicated path to salvation. Its artistic visuals and thoughtful pacing invite audiences to explore themes of loss, resilience, and the possibility of healing through courage and connection.
Anime supremacy, Japanese animation inside
Köhei Yoshino directs Anime Supremacy!, an adaptation of a novel by Mizuki Tsujimura published in 2014. The film provides a rare inside look at the Japanese animation industry, capturing the fervor of its fans and the pressures that come with creating beloved series. The story focuses on Hitomi Saito, who lands her first major opportunity to oversee a series. Yet as production begins, internal conflicts threaten to derail the project, highlighting the tensions between artistry, commerce, and teamwork in a world where every frame matters.
The movie offers a vivid portrait of the industry from the insider’s perspective, tracing the challenges and triumphs of bringing a long‑standing creative tradition to new audiences around the world. It’s a celebration of animation as a cultural force and a reminder that collaboration and vision must align to realize a shared dream.