BREEDER (2026) Tribeca 2026

A college student who is trying to save the bees but can't get the funding is given the oppurtunity to have his dreams made but a crazy dog breeder. There is of course a catch...

This is an uncomfortable black comedy/horror film that does what it does well but never truly finds its own way. We've been here before so we largely know what is coming.  A bigger problem is that there is a point about the half way mark where some twists and turns start dropping and they feel more for effected, either to make us laugh or to come out of left field to make us surprised.

I didn't hate this, rather I was more frustrated that this wasn't better or at least had a character I liked.

RECLUSE (2026) Tribeca 2026

 

A young woman is called home to care for her ailing father. 

One of the better genre films to play Tribeca, RECLUSE takes the old war horse plot of a family member returning home to find nothing is as it seems and turns it into something compelling. The film keeps us off balance and does it in a manner that is rather fair.  We are pushed through doors and revelations in such a manner that things feel organic.

Expertly told with moody images and an interesting sound design, generates real tension.

I'm not going to say more since the plot is twisty and I don't want to spile the fun.

The Keeper of the Camphor Tree (2026) Tribeca 2026

A toung man is gotten out of trouble by his estranged aunt who want him to become the keeper of the shrine of the camphor tree. The tree has magical properties and can make wishes come true.

That isn't wholly true, but the tree has special powers....

Based on a novel, this cinematic tale feels like they got all of the plot on screen but left out the internal monologs and shadings. While there is enough here to follow the plot all of the details that make us connect with the characters is gone. For the most part there is no depth to anyone on screen. Yes we know who they are but we don't feel for them. By the half way point I felt like I had missed two chapters of explanation.

While not bad, the  film is good enough that you realize that with a better script this would have been a great film. 

Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial VS That’s the Weight of the World)(2026) Tribeca 2026

Portrait of Maurice White and Earth Wind and Fire.

This was the opening night film at this year's Tribeca Festival which also featured a concert by the band. I didn't catch the film at the festival and instead saw it on HBO. In weird way I'm kind of glad I didn't see it on the big screen since it's less about the music and more about the man.

This is an unexpected film. A warts and all look at the man who gave us some of the great songs from the last 50 years. This is a film that is not all rainbows and bunnies. The truth is that it presents a White as bothe a genius and a guy you'd like to punch in the face. He hurt a lot of people and they explain their feelings. 

I loved that... and at the same time it makes me want to reconsider the music. That's a good thing because it means the film does more than just wash over you.

See this film.

OPERATION HADAL (2025) hits VOD tomorrow

A foreign power is making going to use a new super secret submarine to attack Chinese cities, the Chinese special forces and navy spring into action

Almost 18 months after it was released in China, this sequel to OPERATION RED SEA (itself a sequel to OPERATION MEKONG) is being released to home video in the US. The film is a pure action film... which is both a blessing and a curse.

The reason this film took so long to come to the US is that the film is a pure action film. This film never stops moving. It makes for some killer action sequences but the truth is that's all there is, action. Its great to watch but there isn't anything else.

The problem here is that the film has no real characters. Yea, there are characters,but there are so many of them that you never get a handle on any of them. Granted the fact that everyone is in uniforms, but normally a film like this can make it work. Actually the script is so basic it never really sets anything up so there isn't anything approaching a plot unless you count cliches.

Adding to the disconnect is the fact that on a technical level this isn't very good. The CGI is just bad and unreal. Things could have been done Hanna Barberra and looked just as real. Any suspense in the film, especially in the actiion sequences done via the editting and the overly intrusive score.

I really liked the previous two entries in the series. I enjoyed the hell out of watching them in packed theaters in Times Square. There was something special about the the mix of characters and motion that made you willing to go along with what was essentially recruiting films for the Chinese Military.

At this point I should mention that if you are going to watch the film be prepared for heavy doses of Chinese propaganda and anti American sentiment. Sure the bad guys are not specifically American, but the truth is that's who the baddies are. I have nothing against it as such, but it's so over the top as to be silly.

To be fair this isn't  a bad film. The action does carry the film, but where the first two films are ones that grab me from the start and drag me to the end every time I see them, OPERATION HADAL was a film I stopped repeatedly and came back hours or days later. I didn't watch it in one go.

I wanted more.

Ariela Rubin on NEVER CHANGE! (2026) Tribeca 2026

I loved the premise of Never Change! The class of 2008 missed two weeks of school due to a tornado and never officially received their diplomas. Now, in their mid 30s, they have to go back to school for the two weeks they missed to take their finals, go to prom, and complete the school play.

This movie wound up not being for me. It was just too silly. While there were a few funny lines here and there, I didn't find it funny overall. I think it simply wasn't my kind of humor. According to Letterboxd however, I seem to be in the minority.

I did however love the music in this film.

Ariela Rubin on ICONOCLAST (2026) and Gabriel Basso on the red carpet Tribeca 2026

I love Gabriel Basso in the Night Agent (one of my favorite shows), so I was really excited when I saw he wrote a movie, which he also directed and starred in and was premiering at Tribeca. It was one of my most anticipated movies.

Basso plays Connor, a mentally ill man who’s obsessed with a woman on the internet. His daily life consists of lifting weights, going to his dead end job where there are no customers, and coming home to watch livestreams of said woman.

Connor imagines that the woman is with him- in his apartment, at work, in his car, wherever he is. He talks to her and believes she’s his girlfriend. The film shows him taking medicine (although he stops when the internet woman said she doesn’t believe in pills) so I assume he’s schizophrenic.

One day, the niece of his boss comes in and says she’s starting to work there. She’s definitely on the quirky side. You start to feel hopeful as Connor seems to start living in reality and connecting with her, but things quickly go off the deep end, and the ending comes out of nowhere. The synopsis says “an ending you don’t see coming” and that’s definitely true. 

I was lost. I overheard the people to the right of me talking about how confused they were afterward. I asked the people to the left of me if they understood it, and they said they sort of did, and explained it as best as they understood it to be about.

For a thriller, I found this film very slow, long and quite monotonous. The end was shocking and even though I understood it better after speaking with the guys, the movie was definitely a miss for me. 

Ariela Rubin on Rain Reign (2026) Tribeca 2026

Rain Reign is a movie about Rose, who’s a 12 year old neurodivergent girl who loves homonyms(words that sound the same but have different meanings), prime numbers, and following the rules. She lives with her single dad who tries his best to take care of her, with some help from his brother. 

Her dad comes home one night with a dog he found and tells her it’s a gift for her. She names the dog Rain. 

One day Rain goes missing after a storm, and Rose is desperately determined to find her.

I loved the relationship between Rose and her uncle (Paul Rudd). Her father (Jeremy Sisto) wasn’t very likable, but he was going through a lot. (Losing his wife, struggling with his job, plus the challenges of raising a kid who is neurodivergent)

This film made me cry during multiple scenes. It was quite a moving movie and one of my favorites of the festival. I don’t have much familiarity with neurodivergent people, so I can’t say if this film shows an accurate portrayal. I’m curious to find out what other people think. 

Ariela Rubin on LUCY SCHULMAN (2026) Tribeca 2026

Lucy Schulman is a movie set in New York City, that many women will be able to relate to. It’s a very human story about a young woman who falls head over heels for the guys she’s dating, neglects her friends and other responsibilities, only to get her heart broken, and then run back to the people she left behind. It’s definitely a story I could relate to, although more so on the side of the neglected friends.  

Every time Lucy goes through a break up, she moves back in with her dad (played by David Cross). He’s a single dad and the two are very close; helping each other respond to dating messages, and taking fitness classes together. I absolutely loved their relationship and scenes they shared. Those were my favorite parts in the movie.

I liked this movie, but think I expected to love it more. I would have preferred fewer scenes with Lucy and the guys (although the first dates scene was very fun), and more scenes centered on her relationship with her father.

At its core, this is a coming of age story about a young woman trying to figure out her life.

The film was written, directed, and starred in by Ellie Sachs, whose performance I really enjoyed.

Ariela Rubin on The Accompanist (2026) Tribeca 2026

 

The Accompanist is a heartbreaking film about a 9 year old girl who lives with her grandfather, who suffers from memory loss. One day she is abruptly removed from her home by a child welfare agent. She is placed with Sylvia, a very quirky older woman. 

I absolutely adored the young girl, played by Everly Carganilla. I hope we see her in more films in the future. Sylvia is played by Susan Sarandon, who was tremendous in her role.

This is a movie about grief, connection, and trauma. I cried and I laughed. While this was quite the heavy movie, it was also very moving and had some good humor. I definitely recommend it. 

Wendy Fienberg's pictures of Rob Arthur and Peter Frampton from the FRAMPTON World Premiere at Tribeca 2026

 

Director Rob Arthur

Wendy Feinberg's picture of THE LORRAINE; Director Sam Pollard, moderator and Writer, Executive Producer Alvin Hall Tribeca 2026

 

COUTURE TO THE MAX (2026) Tribeca 2026

Portrait of eight year old fashion designer Max Alexander, who has been designing since he was four.

I went into the film thinking this was a joke, but it isn't. Max is an actual fashion designer with a large following, including Sharon Stone who appears in the film.

This is cute, if over long film, about a seemingly cute kid who loves to sew and recycle old materials so there is less waste. It's a 35 minute puff piece

My question, and one that the film can't answer, is what is going to happen down the road? What happens when he isn't a fresh faced kid who gets by on his age and looks but actually has to run a fashion house as an adult? Only time will tell.

Guggi (2026) Tribeca 2026

One of the most delightful films at this year’s Tribeca, Guggi is a must see.

The film is a portrait of Irish artist Guggi (---) who sits and holds court talking about his life and friends (Bono). Less like a formal documentary and more like hanging out with one of the best raconteurs in the world. Halfway   into the film I wanted to do an interview, not so much to talk to him but just listen to him talk about his life and how her creates.

And I love his talk about how he creates. I may write, but everything he said about the visual arts really hit home. I especially loved his talking about his getting in trouble because he wasn’t paying attention to what was written on the board but instead the designs left by the erased chalk. That was something I did in fact and in related ways.

I don’t have a great deal to say other than I love the film and I want to hold it close to my heart. This is good times with great people and a must see.

SKATEBOARDING IS NOT FOR GIRLS (2026)

 

A drama about a woman and who daughters and what happens when her husband, who is away working, finds a girlfriend in another country.

This is not a skatboarding movie. Why the film is titled as it is, since its only a minor plot thread, is beyond me. I say that because everyone coming out of the P&I screening was confused about the title. The truth is the film is really about the mom trying to get money to pay her bills and survive. Her solution is sell her daughter to a rich family... but that really doesn't generate much suspense since this film flounders around a great deal.

While not bad, its not really compelling because the film doesn't fill us in on a lot of details There is a sense of life off the screen but it isn't connected to what we are seeing. Details are not there. the film focuses on one daughter as if she is important, but its more the other daughter and mom who everything happens to. There is no sense of time. Things just are so there is no sense of urgency.

Worse the film doesn't end, it stops with every plot thread still hanging.

This is a head scratcher because it almost kind of is a compelling film.

A pointer toward Matinino (2026) Tribeca 2026

A group of women get together to tell the story about a flight to the titled land, a place with no men.

I am not reviewing this film because I am the wrong audience. More a cinematic theater piece/polemic on feminist issues this film was absolutely not intended for me. This is a film where fantasy and reality merge in a fantastical tale of women over coming the crushing boot of men. It's a film that has a point of view and if you don't share it you are going to feel lost.

I felt lost.

Possessing some great sequences and burning desire to be not so much out of the box but off of the planet, the film is a unique viewing experience and I love that. However  anything beyond that, its insistence that all men are bad, was lost on me.

If you think you might connect to it and it's point of view give it a try.

take me home (2026) Tribeca 2026

A 38 year old woman with cognative issues has to try and care for her older and declining parents.

This award winning film didn't work for me. Its a film designed and executed to to win awards from the art house crowd. Yes, the performances are fine, but the script isn't since it leans into silences and cliches. You know how this is going to go because everything is telegraphed. It feels nothing like life with every image arranged perfectly and  everything set up to happen at the right time.

This isn't life, but an art house condtruct.

If that's your cup of tea give it a shot.

HANGING BY A WIRE (2026) Tribeca 2026

 

Visually impressive (see this on a big screen if you can) about the efforts to rescue 8 people who were trapped 900 feet above the floor of a valley when two of three cables holding it up snapped.

Using a mix of actual footage and recreations this film is visually amazing. Seeing it big impressed the hell out of me. If you hate heights you might get vertigo. It's a hell of a story and the visuals impress the danger on you.

The trouble is the telling is unfocused and bland. There is no point of view. The film is everyone's story all at the same time so we get no sense of urgency. We follow the fathers, a reporter, several of the rescuers amd eventually the boys. Everyone is given equal weight and equal coverage. But there is no suspense. The biggest question is who is going to save the boys the rich guy or the poor guy.

As great as the story, its poorly told. Yes, we are hooked, but largely because we just want to see what happens, not because what happens is excitingly told.

Oh to have this told by a great action director.

Is it worth seeing?

Yes, but not at festival prices. Despite the visuals making this a big screen film, the telling makes me think this is going best playing on TV.

ARRU (2026) Tribeca 2026

 

A family of reindeer herders take on a mining company and occasionaly burst into song and dance numbers.

This is one of the more "what were they thinking?" films of 2026. I had forgotten it lists as a musical so when the songs started I was confused. Having seen the film I still am. Give the cast and crew points for trying to enliven a kind of dull art house film with music but take it away since it doesn't really work. Partly because the musical numbers are very uneven, but mostly because it breaks the sense of reality in ways it shouldn't be broken.

Yes, its an interesting film for those who collect interesting films but most people are not going to care.

TURN IT UP! (2026) Tribeca 2026

A band discovers a rift that opens up the gates of hell and causes people to hear it to explode.

One of the most disappointing films of 2026 has a great premise, a good cast and some of the absolute best moments in any horror film in the last few years, yet some how manages to be a film that resulted in multiple walk outs at the Tribeca Festival press screening.

This film is a mess and it's all the fault of the director who has created a film that doesn't know what it wants to be. Is it a comedy? Is it a gore film? Is it a horror film? Your guess is as good as mine. Moments of horror are destroyed by a joke. Its frustrating since you can't get a handle on what the film wants to be (and while the animation overlays are cool they distract big time)

Damning things further is the script that doesn't have holes but the biggest black holes in the universe. Things happen... because. Later things happen that don't connect to what went before... but that's okay. Things happen that make no sense. They show up at a venue and no one is there. No one, not the owner, not staff, no one. What does the band do? they set up and play. Why? Just because.  It is something that no one would do. The plot  is like the character who turns knobs marked "do not touch" to adjust the sound but no one is playing so what is he adjusting? The narrative keeps being adjusted to account for things that aren't happening.

NOTHING MAKES SENSE.

And everything happens in a vacuum. We only see the characters the film has actors for. I mean there is no one else, no on on the streets when they are driving, in their concert venues, no where. Its as if they had no money to even steal background shots of people waking down a random street or a car or two driving on a road.

What a waste.

Yes I love the images of the other dimensions and the moments of terror they don't fuck up, but mostly this film is nothing.

Only recommended for filmmakers who want to see the bits that work so they can steal them.