How I Spent My Summer Vacation (2025) arrives on Tubi February 5

 

The latest film from Kenneth Frank is a home run. It's a heartfelt and very human story of a 12 year old girl trying to navigate her summer vacation and her family. 

I'be been following the work of Ken and his cohorts at In The Garage Productions for several years now. Over that time I've been enjoying their films and watching them grow as filmmakers.

The last two films from Ken were comedies and I had mentioned in reviews that he should step away from the comedy and just focus on the drama, which has always been his strength.. In December Ken emailed me to say he made a drama and asked me if I wanted to see it.

Yes, yes I did. And yes yes you do.

The film is a beautifully acted, wonderfully told tale that gives us some very real moments in the life of a family that are going to echo moments in your life. Nothing feels false. Everything is dead on target. And while the time frame  feels slightly wonky, nothing that happens in the film feels wrong or off. Nothing feels added for dramatic effect. Events play out as they do in real life. There are no big screaming adult moments, only what Grace would see. There is no effort to wedge in false emotional moments.

The cast is first rate. The reason that the film works is because of them. Raquel Sciacca as Grace gives a starmaking performance and Dawson her real life brother turns in a magnificent physival performance that makes you want to go up and give him a hug.

After the screening Hubert Vigilla and I were discussing he film and comparing it to Annie Baker's JANET PLANET. Everything that Baker's film does wrong, this film does right. Here we have a lead character who is a real person and not a cliche or just an audience surrogate. She exits because she it genuinely the focus of the film.

WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION is a genuine coming of age film about real people dealing with real issues. We are getting a real story and not a lecture by a filmmaker to their younger self.

This film is a genuine gem. Its filled with life and love and the confusion that life causes. It is a film full of genuine wisdom including a show stopping moment when Grace's Mom reveals the secret of of life. It's a moment so on target in it's perfection it hits like a bolt of lightning.

This film is glorious. 

I am in love with this film.

Search out this film.

Francophone Shorts One- Animation First 2026

These are  most of the films playing in the FRANCOPHONE SHORTS ONE collection at Animation First.  The collection also include BREAD WILL WALK and HYPERSENSITIVE. I had originally reviewed those films when the premiered last year. I reposted those reviews earlier.

SIGNAL
A musical tale of a scientist looking for life in the universe and finding she isn't connected to the world. An odd mix of reality and musical numbers that  works best in pieces rather than as a whole.

Balconada
On a hot day we watch life in and a round the terraces of several buildings. 
This is a sweet little distraction about people being people.

La mort du poisson (Death of a Fish) (see picture above)
Music and dance combine in the story of a young girl and her mother who has become sad at the death of a fish.
 This is a visually impressive film that contains some glorious moments. I'm not sure it all hangs together but I plan on revisiting this again to see some of the images.

Pantagruel
Wild and crazy film inspired by the first page of a French classic.
Honestly I had to look up what this was all about because I have no idea about Pantagruel. That said this two minute film is a visual trip.

TO THE WOODS
A boy and a girl go into the woods at night.
A lovely film about a sister and her brother

Allah Is Not Obliged (2025)plays Animation First 2026 Saturday night

This is the story of Birahima a child soldier in Africa who gets caught up in the various armed conflicts in Liberia. Told from his point of view, it follows him from just before the death of his mother, to his being sent to live with his aunt, a trip that goes sideways and his induction into the ranks of the factions at war with each other and the government.

ALLAH IS NOT OBLIGATED is the reason that animation exists. I mean this not for the bright colors and the hints of the fantastic but because the use of the medium forces us to rethink what we are seeing. Seeing the very serious, very adult tale looking like what many people would consider a kid’s film requires that we really look at what we are seeing. The juxtaposition of adult themes with friendly images hit us harder because these images are not supposed to have frank dialog and violent bloodshed.

I can’t stress how good this film is.  Not only is this one of the best depictions of a child soldier I’ve seen over the last few years, but the film also manages to get all the small moments dead on perfect. The sequences of  Birahima with his mother moved me. The sequences between a son and his sick mother rocked me. Additionally, the sequence where his mother dies crushed me so badly that I had to stop the film and walk away.  The emotion of the sequence took me back to the death of my mother almost twenty years ago and put me back into that moment.  Repeatedly director Zavan Najjar pulled me into the film via the moments that I a human being living an ocean away could connect to.

This is brilliant filmmaking and glorious story telling.

Why this film has not gotten more notice is surprising since it is a film is so full of emotion and passion on a level that few films (of any sort not just animation) manage to convey.

This is an absolute must see at Animation First.  I seriously think that if you go see it you may come out saying it is one of the first great films you see in 2026.

Kokuho (2025) opens Friday

 

Kukho is one of the best films of 2025. It is an overpowering work of cinematic story telling the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades. I mean that very seriously since the film echoes back to the grand cinematic epics that that Hollywood turned out in the 50’s 60’s and 70’s.

Based on a novel the film is about a young man who is the son of a yakuza boss. The young man has a love for Kabuki theater. When his father is killed, in one of the greatest sequences you will see all year, he decides to pursue his passion and become a kabuki actor.

I honestly have no notes; this is as perfect a film as I have seen all year. A technically perfect film it uses every trick to move us emotionally and we never see it coming. I have not seen a film do this as grandly in years.

I don’t know what to say

I will say that you shouldn’t worry about if you don’t know Kabuki because the film makes every effort to clue us into what the plays are about.

This is stunning film making and an absolute must see

A brief reminder that The Santa Barbara Film Festival Starts this week

Santa Barbara Film Festival starts this week and if you are near by, go.

The festival is full of a lot of great films - Among them:

ABRIL
CUBA AND ALASKA
AT ETERNITY'S GATE
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
GAS STATION ATTENDENT
IF THESE WALLS COULD ROCK
SAVING ETTING STREET
STEAL THIS STORY PLEASE
THERE ARE NO WORDS
TOW
THE BADDEST SPEECHWRITER OF ALL (this is my early vote for best film of 2026)

And many more.

There will be lots of reviews coming so keep an eye on Unseen and our Twitter and Blue Sky feeds.

Tickets and more information can be had here.

Hypersensitive (2025) plays Animation First 2026 in Francophone Shorts 1 on Wednesday

This is a stunningly beautiful journey inside the mind of a person on a road trip who is hypersensitive. It’s all visuals and sounds and absolutely hypnotic. You so need to see this on a big screen where the images can cover whelm you.

I watched this  a couple of times in a row just so I could get lost in the experience.

Highly recommended

BREAD WILL WALK (2025) plays Animation First 2026 in Francophone Shorts 1 On Wednesay

One of a kind and deeply disturbing in the the best possible way, this film is a zombie film send up about people who eat a synthetic bread turning into nonviolent shambling loafs of bread.

Looking like a the work of someone like Ralph Steadman on acid (on more acid)  this film nails every zombie cliché perfectly it’s a wicked little film that almost every horror movie lover is going to go crazy for.

Artistically I’ve never quite seen an animated film like this. Yes the art looks similar to other films but at the same time I’ve never seen them move like this.

This film is a blast. Its funny and yet nightmarish at the same time.

A must see.

Highly recommended

Dandelion's Odyessy (aka Planetes) (2025) Opens Animation First 2026 Tuesday

When the world is destroyed in an atomic war some of the fuzzy danelion seeds are blown into space, through a black hole and to a new planet where the fuzzies try to find a place to grow.

Wordless animated science fiction tale looks spectacular. There are some really wonderful images in this film. Its a film I would love to see on a truly huge screen so I can really look at the things hidden in the images.

As great as the film looks, and as good as the animators are at giving the fuzzies life, this film kind of runs out of steam  about 20 minutes in. Yes, we are curious about where this is going, and yes the images impress, but at a certain point there isn't enough going on to keep us fully engaged. Yes I stayed to the end, but at the same time some of it seemed like some of the sequences were there to just show off what the animators can do.

And I know that makes it sound like I don't like the film, but I do. I like so much of the film that I wish it was a little tighter so that we had a perfect viewing experience.

Worth a look for the curious- especially on the big screen.

Conrad & Crab - Idiotic Gems (2026) Rotterdam 2026

Are you a police officer or a tourist? A shopkeeper to one of the cops-a statement that explains the whole vibe of the film

Two detectives, Conrad and Crab, are transfered to a small town called Saint-Marie-aux-Mines. When a  ring is stolen, the pair investigate.

I am going to tell you right at the start you have to go with this film for a while before it clicks. While nominally a mystery, the film is less interested in the mystery then the interactions of everyone the cops meet. In some ways they missing ring is not what the filmmakers were interested in. I was about halfway into the film before it clicked. That was when I finally stopped caring about anything other than the people on the screen.

This film cares so litle about about the mystery, that it gets lost as another mystery and a romance are picked up and the film digresses into the lives of the various characters. This is a film about the people. It's also a film with an absolutely absurd sense of reality as you will see in a late in the game chase. 

Is this high art? No. Is it entertaining? Ultimately yes. Assuming you can go with the fact that the film is going to wander all over the place, you'll have a good time.

Recommended.

Ariela Rubin on I Want Your Sex (2026) Sundance 2026

 

Young twenty something dorky Elliot gets a job working for artist Erika. She very quickly talks Elliot into having sex with her, and the two begin a sub/dom sexual relationship. Unsurprisingly, considering this is a boss/employee dynamic, and one in which Elliot is completely infatuated with Erika (I can’t blame him, Olivia Wilde is hypnotizing in the role), things spiral quickly.

This film is completely absurd, ridiculous and chaotic, but it’s also so much fun. I laughed a lot, and it’s also very colorful/vibrant which I enjoyed. I loved Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Daveed Diggs, Chase Sui Wonders, and Mason Gooding. All their characters were so much fun to watch. 

Everyone at Sundance seemed obsessed with director, Gregg Araki. I’ll admit, I wasn’t familiar with him, but am now curious to check out his other films.

While, I wouldn’t say I loved this movie, I definitely had a lot of fun watching it. 

Ariel Rubin on Nuisance Bear (2026) Sundance 2026

 

Nuisance Bear is a documentary set in Churchill, Manitoba—known as the Polar Bear Capital of the World.

The film explores the destruction of the natural environment, how polar bears impact the town, as well as the ways Indigenous lives are forced to change as the town becomes gentrified. 

As climate change delays the freezing of the ice, polar bears are left without access to food, and so they venture into town in search of food, which brings them into constant conflict with humans.

The documentary is narrated by Mike, an Inuit, who speaks about how the presence of polar bears has disrupted daily life. He also expresses frustration over hunting restrictions, explaining that polar bears can now only be hunted a limited number of times per year. (I was surprised and upset to learn that polar bear hunting is still legal.)

The film follows the polar bear patrol, showing the measures they take to keep bears out of town: setting off fireworks, using traps, and, in one case, tranquilizing a bear, putting a tracker in him, putting dye on his fur, and relocating him via helicopter farther away. These scenes show how tense the coexistence between humans and bears has become.

What I found interesting was the audience reaction. At my screening, people seemed to be rooting for the polar bears. (People cheered at one point when a polar bear outsmarted humans) Yet the film itself felt more focused on the Inuit perspective, and how the bears are “nuisances”. In fact while the world says the polar bear population is decreasing, Mike says that isn’t the case. I’m not sure which direction the director was hoping people to go in, or if they were simply showing both sides without judgement.(Although the movie is called “Nuisance Bear” after all)

Visually, the documentary is stunning. The close up shots of the polar bears, as well as the videos taken from above (perhaps via drone) are beautiful. They really showed the beauty of the animals. However, it was hard for me to really love a documentary that seemed to showcase the burden polar bears are causing.

Animation First starts Tuesday at The L'Alliance New York

Animation First at L'Alliance New York is awesome

I have been enraptured with the festival since the first year back in 2018. The festival brings some of the best animated films in the world to New York and opens our eyes to the wonders that are being created outside of Hollywood. More importantly it always gives me at least one film that ends up on my best of the year list. This year there are two - HEART OF DARKNESS and ALLAH IS NO OBLIGED and they are amazing.

The festival not only screens features and shorts but has a lot of in person events. There are jams with filmmakers, Q&As appreciations and parties. (Details here). There is something for everyone.

As this posts, I've seen all of the features and most of the shorts (I've not seen the Annecy collection of the films about snow). I've written up everything I've seen. Based on what I've seen you should pick some programs and buy some tickets...AND IF YOU ARE SHORT OF CASH there are several events which are FREE!  (Details here)

If you love great films or great animation you need to go.

What should you see? Let me recommend a few things:

HEART OF DARKNESS is a retelling of the Conrad novella in  future Brazil. It will make you think of a lot of things and remeber it was something before Coppola sent it to Vietnam

ALLAH IS NOT OBLIGED is a look at a boy soldier in Africa and it will make you see the genre in a new way as it kicks you in the chest.

The Magician of Ostend: The films of Raoul Servais is glorious. A deep collection of the work of an animator who changed cinema (people have been borrowing from him for decades). The chance to see all of these films on a big screen is something every animation fan should make an effort to attend.

Animating the Surreal: A Conversation with Lavis and Szczerbowski is another once in a lifetime event with the chance to see their films (including current Oscar Nominee THE GIRL WHO CRIED PEARLS) and to talk with them during a Q&A

Of course there are more, but these four should get you started.

I can't say enough good about the festival and suggest you buy some tickets now.

For tickets and more information go here.

ADDENDUM: They have just added a French Language screening of ARCO with the Director in attendance. If you can go do so since the French version is supposed to be light years better than the English one (Details here)

Back To The Past (2026)

Based on the 2001 television series, A Step into the Past, which was based on Wong Yee's novel, The Chronicles of Searching Qin BACK TO THE PAST is a continuation of the story that has Ken getting out of prison and traveling back in time with a squad of armed men in order to become the Qin Emperor. However there are complications including Louis Koo.

I never saw the original series, not have I read the source novel and I know it worked against my fully enjoying the film. I say this because so much of the film references earlier events and complications...for example Koo and the rightful Emperor have a very complex relationship that made me wonder why they put up with each other. I know this would have made more sense if I had seen what went before.

At the same time the film kind of suffers from a slight dumbing down of events. What was once a complex soap opera has been simplified to action fodder minimalism. Characters a sketched. Everything is aimed toward moving us into a series of action set pieces.  This would be fine if the action was top of the line, but the truth is it all seems like it's a half step too slow and sublimented by just okay CGI.

Don't get me wrong it's entertaining in a popcorn on a Sunday afternoon sort of way, but it doesn't find a place deep in our hearts.

I should mention  that while the film runs 107 minutes, the film ends 90 minutes and then gives us an alternate time line ending. I found it amusing, but I like the original better.

If you are a fan of the original series or want a good, but mindless action film give BACK TO THE PAST a look.

Special Unit The First Murder (2025) Rotterdam

I know he's an idiot but maybe he's right

This is based on the story of the founding of what would be the Danish version of the FBI.  A special unit was set up to deal with arson, and it was to be funded by the insurance companies. The unit is sent to a seaside to help with a fire in the mayor's lodge in the woods. However, what should have been a simple arson investigation, the locals have caught the man they feel is responsible, suddenly becomes complicated when a body is discovered in the wreckage of the house. Called home because murder is not technically under their jurisdiction, they talk their way into continuing so they can show that they are really like the FBI

While the film has some pacing problems in the middle, this is a solid little thriller that hopefully is going to spawn a series. 

That the film works so well is due to the cast, who sell the story, and the twisty nature of things. I did not expect the full denouncement of what was going on, even if I was aware of at least one person who was involved. It's a film that held my attention for its entire running time, which is saying a great deal since a great many recent films made me want to wander off and grab a nosh just because I was tired of waiting for something to happen. While the film's pacing wobbles about a third of the way in (blame the filling in of the detective's back story), the film quickly pulls things tight and it's an exciting ride to the end.

Honestly, I truly loved this film a great deal, and when it ended, I wanted to see it again just so I could spend more time with the characters. I liked them enough that I want to see a sequel. Frankly I can honestly say that this was the first great film I saw in 2026 because I saw it on New Year's Day.

Highly recommended

Ariela Rubin on THE WEIGHT(2026) at Sundance 2026

The Weight is a new movie starring Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe that takes place in Oregon in 1933. Samuel (Hawke) is trying to make ends meet, taking odd jobs here and there, but comes home one day to find an eviction notice and all his things in the hallway. While searching for a new place to live, he gets into a fight with some guys who turn out to be cops, and is arrested. He's taken away from his daughter (the cutest girl!), but not before promising her that he will come back for her. He is then sent to work in a work camp in the middle of nowhere.  Clancy (Crowe) is the boss at the work camp, and he notices that Samuel is smart and hardworking. He offers him a deal- help smuggle gold out of a mine before the government gets to it, and in return, Clancy will write him a letter for early release, giving Samuel the chance to reunite with his daughter before she's up for adoption. Easy peasy, right?

Samuel has to choose three fellow prisoners to go with him, and they are escorted by two men with guns to make sure they stay on track, and with orders to kill them if any gold goes missing. Off they set out through the unknown wilderness. What could go wrong?

There was never a dull moment, especially during the intense scene of them throwing gold across and crossing a rickety bridge, or when two of the characters get trapped in the water. I was expecting a bit more suspense and tension, but I still found the film engaging and very enjoyable. While it isn’t my usual type of movie, I was glued to the screen throughout. I thought Ethan Hawke did an amazing job in this one.

I also really liked the soundtrack!

Ariela Rubin on HOLD ON TO ME (2026) Sundance 2026

Hold Onto Me is the first movie I’ve seen that was filmed in Cyprus. The film is spoken in Greek, and tells the story of an 11 year old named Iris, who sees her father for the first time in 7 years. He’s back for his own father’s funeral. 

She is instantly curious and drawn to him. Wanting to get to know him, she keeps popping up wherever he is. At first, he is annoyed, but slowly he allows her to join him on his adventures.

The father spends time selling his own father’s belongings, and uses Iris to help him. There are also men he appears to owe money to, suggesting he is either in trouble or involved in something illegal, though this subplot is never fully clarified.

Iris is mesmerized by her father. You can see the way she looks at him. She completely adores him, even though he hasn’t been in the picture for 7 years. This absence is never addressed in conversation, she never asks about it, and it is unfortunately never explained. 

While I really enjoyed the film, I wish we had learned more about what was going on in the father’s mind. I would have liked that to be explored further. I was also surprised when the movie ended. It felt abrupt. I wanted more.

Unfortunately, I had to run to another movie right after, or I would have loved to have been able to stay for the Q&A to learn more about this film. 

2DIE4(2025)

2DIE4 is the story of what happened when racing legend Felipe Nasr took a car to the 24 Hours of LeMans. Shot by the Abdalah Brothers the film is being released into IMAX theaters because of the truly stunning images, particularly the ones of the race.

If you are going to see 2DIE4 see it on a big screen. The images are spectacular. The shots of the cars racing are spectacular. In the huge screen format this is probably as close to most people will ever get to being on the track, in the cars or in the pit. I absolutely loved the images in this film.

The problem is that outside of the images the film does have much going on. Yes it’s Nasr at the race but there isn’t enough information given to us that we feel any real excitement. Worse the pacing is off, and this one hour film is a long haul. Then again the film isn’t really a true hour. The film ends and then we get some images of the race in Daytona during the credits….and then the credits end and we get several minutes of images of how the film was shot. The film feels like this should have either been re-edited to include Daytona or have just lost 20 minutes and been a long short.

It’s not bad, but it you aren’t seeing this with a big picture and big sound and it’s a chore to get through.

In Brief: Atom Age Vampire (1960)

Perpetual drive-in/grind house film has a mad doctor trying to help a disfigured stripper by using the glands of a women murdered when he is in monstrous form.

Its a wild and crazy tale that isn't bad on its own terms but which makes you wonder what drugs audiences were on since they kept this playing off and on double and triple bills into the late 1970s.

While the uncut version is slightly better , there is a  longer and tad more risque verssion out there, the film is enjoyable in either version.

Ariela Rubin on Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass (2026) Sundance 2026

If there’s a movie with Zoey Deutch, you know I’m going to see it(love her!!), so I was excited to find out she was in a new one premiering at Sundance.

What is a “celebrity sex pass” one might ask? It’s when you’re in a relationship, but get to pick one celebrity you’d want to sleep with if you ever had the chance. In this movie, Gail’s fiancé takes this literally and actually uses his “celebrity pass.” Gail then sets off to LA with her friend to get revenge and use her own sex pass.

This movie was just so much fun!! I loved all the different friends Gail makes along the way. While some parts were a little too ridiculous, I laughed a lot and think I was smiling the whole time.

Don’t look up the cast beforehand! There are so many unexpected cameos.

With so many heavy movies and heavy things going on in the world, this movie was needed. 

Ariela Rubin on UNION COUNTY (2026) Sundance 2026

Union County is a slow, quiet movie about Cody, played by William Coulter, and his brother Jack, who are in a drug recovery program mandated by the courts in Ohio.

The film follows Cody’s daily life, the ups and downs, and the battle of staying sober.

While the movie was slow paced, I never felt bored. It also has a runtime of 97 minutes, which is perfect.

The story might not be that unique, but what sets the film apart is that they used the real people from the drug recovery program, and their lines were unscripted. They also used the real counselor, Annette, who was amazing! and the real judge. That made the film feel more authentic. 

Overall, it was a moving movie and definitely worth a watch.