MEXICANAMERICAN (2026) Tribeca 2026

Filmmaker Eddie Sanchez tries to connect his life now to the one he had while growing up by using interviews with his parents and the VHS tapes that they shot where they recorded their migration to the US.  Sanchez seeks to work out how the family with connection to Mexico changed and resulted in children who are less connected to their parents, the country of the origin and the old ways, and instead speaking English and more American.

I think this film is absolutely brilliant.Sanchez has made a magnificent film that really hits home. Filled with moments that reveal how people see each other (Sanchez points this out). It’s a film that makes us see how the act of moving to a new country changes us on all sorts of levels. What makes the film so telling is that Sanchez knows what moments to use to illustrate his points. Rarely has any film so perfectly nailed each and every point.

And while I will happily die on the hill that MEXICANAMERICAN is one of the best films at Tribeca and possibly the year,  I will also say that the film didn’t fully emotionally connect to me. It is not that there is anything bad with the film, but rather that the film just ticked the grey cells but didn’t play the heart strings. It’s nothing bad, just a mention that this is more a film for my head then heart.

A must see at Tribeca, especially if you want to understand how changing countries can change who we are,

American Zoo (2026) Tribeca 2026

A look at the now closed and once legendary Catskill Game Farm  which was operated by the Lindermann  family from 1933 until 2006. It was place where people could get up close to the animals. It was also a place where there were odd experiments being attempted to bring back extinct animals and stuff.

AMERICAN ZOO was high on my must see list for this year's Tribeca. When I finally saw it I was rather disappointed since the film was less interested in the history of the zoo, then in the questionable science that was being done by the man running the zoo who was named Heck and he came out of Germany in the 1930's. This wasn't what was promised in the write up. 

The problem is that the experiments are kind of the least interesting part of the story. I was more interested in the running of the farm more since the experiements were only part of the story of the zoo. Additionally other than connecting to Nazi Germany they weren't as ominous as we are lead to believe. I mean nothing bad was really ever said about the place. interesting up to a point but are not as ominous as the write up for the film suggests.

Is the film bad? No,  but it's nt as compelling as it thinks it is.

(The grounds are currently open to tourists and is being turned into a resort with themes tied to the game farm)

AI: PROBABLY NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT (2026) Tribeca 2026

Geoffrey Hinton -AI is all his fault

The history of Artificial Intelligence and  in particular Geoffrey Hinton and Demis Hassabis.

This is going to be more a pointer than a review. I'm doing that not because the film is bad, but more because after attending the last 17 Tribeca film festivals I feel as though I've seen a variation on the subject every year since I started attending. Of course the truth it's been pretty much for at least the last half decade there has been at least one AI film in the mix. Indeed Hassabis was the subject of his own film in 2024, a bubbly celebration about how AI can do nothing bad called THE THINKING GAME.

But I digress.

AI PROBABLY NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT is this year's Tribeca ticky box film on the subject and it's perfectly fine if you haven't seen any of the other versions of the story. Taking it on its own terms it's not bad, even if it's pacing makes the film feel over long.

Despite my snarkiness I don't hate the film, as I said it's fine. What I object to is that this is much too similar to the film last year, and the year before. 

Give it a shot.

Virunga is playing Tribeca 2026 as a free screening

Documentary looking at the problems in Congo affecting the Virunga National Park. The park is the home to some the last remaining mountain gorillas and its also recently been discovered to be the possible location of oil.  The film follows the events that transpire as the British company Soco comes into the country and attempts to exploit the rsources and the various rebel forces attempt to make a play in order to take the government and thus the resources for themselves.

I will not argue that this may very well be the most beautiful film at this years Tribeca. The images are stunning and the images of the gorillas iin the wild are sure to win them a great deal of support...

...unfortunately the rest of the film is a very big mess thanks in large part to the six or seven listed editors. How can any film have so many people editing it? How could it not turn out to be utterly unfocused?  The mind boggles.

The film begins with a history lesson regarding to the Congo. Its a lesson that is over much too quick and leaves out a great deal of history. Its an attempt at context that never really materializes.

After that the film takes several different tracks as we follow a young French journalist, a park ranger who cares for orphan gorillas, the head of the park and a few other characters. We watch as they try to deal with Soco trying to buy their way into the reserve and the rebels trying to take over the country. There are videos of clandestine meetings, trips into the bush, battle scenes and lessons on the past deals of Soco. The problem is that the film bounces between them somewhat randomly. Worse it never completely links them up the way they should. Who is doing what and how are they all connected is never fully explained.

For me this was a long haul and I had trouble remaining upright and awake. There is a scribble in my notebook that this is constitutes the longest 90 minutes of the festival.

Why couldn't this have been reported by someone like John Pilger who could have made it all make sense?

I know that one woman was sobbing at the end of the press screening and several others were moved. I'm not arguing against what the film is saying is bad or wrong only that they film makes its point very badly. I do not agree with the one young woman who was comparing this to the film Black Fish about killer whales at Sea World. This film isn't even close.

I'm guessing that this film is preaching to the choir and if you feel strongly on the subject my negativity about the films functionality as a film is irrelevant. On the other hand if you want a film that actually makes sense and wins its points you should look elsewhere.

I would like to take umbrage with the film in putting Soco's response to the film at the very very end of the film several seconds after the end credits have rolled. Why include the response there when 99.99% of people seeing the film will never see it. Why feel like you're being fair if you're effectively not showing the response at all.

Labrador — Autopsy of Silence (2026) Tribeca 2026

Indigenous crew man on a freighter becomes a murder suspect when the cook, and his lover is murdered on the ship.

This is a glacially paced thriller/character study is set in the frozen north of Canada. It’s a film that is very much part of the slow film movement.

It kills me that I didn’t like this film, because the film looks great, is far from Hollywood in its story and is beautifully acted. It’s a film that at least on paper has all the bells and whistles as being something that I would absolutely fall madly in love with. The trouble is the pacing is deliberate and a great deal isn’t said. Yes there are clues in the silences but not always and I constantly wanted to know more.

While not for me, this is very much a film for the arthouse crowd. (Then again I liked the film enough that I will give the film a shot away from Tribeca where I can truly focus on one film and not worry about the five others playing around it)

WHAT IS TO COME (2026) TRIBECA 2026

A woman’s life is turned upside down by the death of her husband. Go off on a trip to she takes stock of the life that was and considers what is next.

A very heavy and well-done drama, WHAT IS TO COME is the perfect film for anyone who doesn’t want fluffy Hollywood fodder. It is an intense drama about a woman and the people around her during a time of crisis. It’s a beautifully acted by a cast, none of whom seem familiar to me, so all of them disappear even more deeply into their roles.

This is a film that haunts you and doesn’t leave you even after hours and days pass after the end credits roll. In many ways this is a film that should not be seen at a festival because if you are seeing this as part of a day of screenings everything that follows it will be affected.  You will not be able to go on to something else when all of these characters are still living in your brain.

A magnificent achievement.

One of the best films at Tribeca.

Tribeca repost:Ariela Rubin on Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass (2026) from 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. 

That Friend (2026) Tribeca 2026

THAT FRIEND is that sort of movie.

Henry and his girlfriend go to Palm Springs for a romantic weekend but find things turned upside down when Paul, Henry's obnoxious party animal friend tags along and causes endless trouble.

How you react to this film is going to be determined by how you react to some one loud and obnoxious bulldozing his weaker friend. Its the Abbott and Costello formula on steroids and illicit substances. We've been here before  any number of times and this is simply another  go at one friend wrecking the life of his bestie.

The problem for me with the whole thing is Paul is less a character and force of nature. Yes people behave like he does, but at a certain point he stops getting invited to the parties and people just throw him out. Paul stands out like an adult in a bunch of kidendergartners. He is not like anyone else in the film. Why is he there? I understand that he is friends with Henry, largely because he is the only one who will put up with him, but at the same time why does Henry's girlfriend allow him to be around? The dynamic never rings true. Yea, it's a classic comedy trope, but it never is remotely real because Paul is just so out there. I tired of him early  and stopped caring.

The problem is that because I stopped caring about Paul, I stopped caring about Henry and his girlfriend and everyone on screen. Since the one thing that the filmmakers are holding out as central is not worth looking at the rest of the film withered and died.

An uninvolving miss

Summer of Three (2026) Tribeca 2026

This is an interesting coming of age tale that score points for not being like most other films. I'm not sure it all works but it was really nice not to go down the expected paths yet again.

The plot of the film has a young man returning to Puerto Rico after 15 years. He had moved to the US after his father died, and is now back for the death of his grandfather. While there he meets and falls in with a couple who upset the order of his life.

One part drama and one part comedy, SUMMER OF THREE takes a familiar tale and turns it side ways. Things don't always go as expected but more importantly the film gives us characters to care about. These aren't wholly stock characters, but ones with different coloring and shading that make them stand out. Kudos to the cast and script for making this something that truly stands on its own two feet.

While the film occassional missteps, say in some cliche bits such as an over reaction to a chicken in a bedroom, there is enough good here to make us care and want to see how it all comes out.

Worth a look.

The Second Life of Freddie Nole (2026) Tribeca 2026

Portrait of Freddie Nole who served  49 years in prison because I man died of an aneurism during a robbery when he was 17. Because his co-defendants were underage the judge threw the book at him. He was only released because it was argued that giving a 17 year old life without parole for this kind of crime was wrong. When he got out of prison he started a program to help men who are getting out of prison find their way. Where 66% of people who come out of prison end up back in, almost everyone in Nole‘s program stays out.

Glorious portrait of a man, his wife and their program to help ex-cons. This is a lovely portrait of how one man who cares truly can change lives and society. This is one of the great finds of this year’s Tribeca and a must see.

White Belt (2026) Tribeca 2026

Monika "Jac" Jagaciak, a former super model, shifts gears and participates in a Brazilian JuJitsu  tournament.

This sweet little sorts doc shows us how our course in life isn't always what is expected. One woulfd never expect a super model to change gears and take up martial arts.That is pureky blindness on our parts since we slot people based on our prejudices and not who they are.

This is a super little film.

KRAKEN (2026)

One of the joys of this year, KRAKEN is a film to see and lose yourself in.

The plot of the film has the giant sea beast appearing in the deepest fjord, which is the home of fish farm that had gotten into trouble with the government.  The fish are suddenly behaving strangely and no one knows why. The government sends the woman who originally blew the whistle on the farm and as she begins to investigate The beast begins to feed.

A solid cast who don't stop selling the seriousness of the situation turn what could have and should have been a silly film into a suspenseful tale. Sure it follows every cliche, but it does so in such away that you just go with it. Who are we to spoil the fun when really cool things are happening.

In point of fact, short of lying and saying the film sucked, this film is review proof. Its a glorious popcorn film that does what it needs to, which is help you eat a bowl of popcorn.

Highly recommended, this is a monster must see.

Haunting of Pennhurst (2026) Tribeca 2026

Pennhurst was once a hospital where "feeble" minded people were parked away from polite society. Anyone with any disability was shipped off to the hospital. It gained a reputation for being horror show place where the patients were abused and neglected. It was eeventually shut down.  Now, many years later the place is being being used as the location of a haunted house put on by many of the people who decades earlier would have been the inmates.

This was one of my my see films of the festival. Growing up doing hauunted houses in my basement and being a monster kid all my life this seemed like it was going to be up my alley. I was un happy because in the weeks before Tribeca it looked like I would not be able to see the film, but fate stepped in and I was able to view it.

To be honest THE HAUNTING OF PENNHURST disappointed me. It's not that what here is bad, so much as the film is trying to do too much in too little time. In its way its three different films and juggling the three threads makes it so none of them feel fully formed.

The first film would be the history of Penhurst itself. The film gives us a cooks tour of the hospital and its history. We get a brief over view of the hospital and its horrors, but there is a sense that we could have known a bit more. 

The second film is the story of the haunted house. We watch as the the crew puts the monsteer show together and trains.  This is good but by the numbers. It reminded me of a number of other haunted attraction films but slightly shorter (there are other things going on). It does show us about how the event comes together (and also the ghost hunting tours) but at the same time there is a distance between the filmakers and what we are seeing.

Lastly there is the story of the cast and crew. The film follows the crew as they are trained for the event and put things together. We do get a sense of who some of them are, but at the same time the filmmakers keep us kind of tied to their being at Pennhurst so we don't really see them in connection to life outside. I wanted to see more. I think I wanted to see more because the filmmakers never seemed to get people when they weren't on. Everyuone is aware of the cameras and they play to them.

While none of the sections are bad, I still wanted more from all of them. I wanted to know more about everything in a larger context and not just  see the it in the context of Pennhurst. And thats the problem, we are largely just at the old hospital and there is no outside world.

I don't dislike the film, I do like what it's trying to do, but I wanted more from all the bits and more in the way of context.

(And I'm not sure why this is in the Escape From Tribeca section since it's not really a fringe subject)

Eden Miller on Dior and I Tribeca 2026 Free Screening

In a strange way, Frédéric Tcheng's documentary, Dior and I, about the iconic fashion house, reminded me most of your classic sports movie. You know the type -- a young, untested coach struggles, faces successes and setbacks, until he and his team emerge triumphant at the end.

Following the creation of designer Raf Simons' first couture collection for Dior in a scant eight-week period, the documentary has drama already built in. Will a collection from a designer mostly known for menswear be a hit? Will he be able to make his deadline? These elements are a lot of fun and clearly drive the movie's storyline.

As far as lead figures go, Simons himself is a bit too reserved to end up being the focus. While we glimpse insights into his creative process as he studies previous designs, gathers material, makes suggestions, he remains a bit odd and unknowable throughout. Even when he visits Christian Dior's house, he reveals little about himself, other than he stopped reading Dior's book because he related too much to it.

Instead, the true stars of Dior and I are all the women (and a few men) who interpret Simons' designs and sketches into fully-realized garments. And this is also where the sports metaphor comes in -- if Simons is the coach, this is his team. These people love their work, even though the hours are often thankless and the tasks are often overwhelming. It's delightful to see them roll their eyes and spend hours picking out beading as well as find inventive ways to to do the impossible. Simons may have designed these dresses, but these are the people who make them real.

It's hard not to feel a bit apprehensive once the runway show approaches. Will something go wrong in Simons' flower-soaked vision? Will the star-studded audience appreciate his collection? It's not the same drama as the final of a basketball game, no, but Tcheng gives it the weight it deserves. The giddy reactions of the workshop crew as they watch the dresses they create go down the runway feels like a victory. Simons' collection doesn't need to be a hit as long as they're happy.

The one misstep the movie makes is trying to conflate Simons' journey with that of Christian Dior's. The early voiceovers reading from Dior's own words over archival footage work, but the motif seems to be dropped pretty quickly. I liked the historical context and I would like a separate documentary about Dior, but other than that, I don't feel like those elements really added too much to the documentary as a whole. It felt like Tcheng started making one movie and ended up with another.

Dior and I is a beautiful, high-fashion confection. It's not deep but it's delightful. Getting to see the joy that the Dior crew brings to their work is wonderful and it's worth watching for that alone. Any additional insights into fashion are just bonuses.

THIS ORDINARY THING (2025) hits VOD Friday

The story of 45 people who helped to keep Jewish people safe during the Second World War

I do not have a lot to say, largely because everything that needs to be said is said on screen. While the film is a rehash of the story of the Holocaust, the film rises above it by simply being a record of what the people who helped the Jews did. Told in a simple, almost matter of fact style, the film reveals how simply basic humanity saved humanity. Time and time again we hear the  simple refrain that they helped because that was the thing to do. No one was trying to save everyone, they were just trying to help who they could. In a world where people refuse to help or even to acknowledge that anyone not isn’t someone they know is human, it speaks volumes.

I was moved.

By the time this slightly longer than a hour long film had ended I was wiping away tears.

A truly great film.

 Recommended.

Ephemera (2026) Tribeca 2026

An actress heading to the US impulsively asks her dance instructor on a date on her last night in Shanghai.

We’ve seen this sort of tale before (the director admits the jumping off spot is the Before films), but it really doesn’t matter when it’s told as wonderfully as this.

Easily one of my favorite films of Tribeca EPHEMERA delights the soul thanks to two wonderful lead performances, and script that gets out of the way and just lets the ladies work. This if a case of not so much telling a story but opening a door on two lovely people and letting us watch them interact for a while.

Nothing happens and everything does.

Its glorious.

Highly recommended.

One of the best of 2026.

Finnegan's Foursome(2026) Tribeca

Life as a round of golf, only less compelling.

When the family patriarch, an insane golf fanatic, dies, his two sons and their children travel to Ireland to scatter his ashes and play the annual family golf tournamnet.

I honestly don't  know how to write this film up. It's an amusing, if over long, story of people playing golf and hanging out while scattering ashes.  It's genuinely not bad. But at the same time I'm not certain I know who this film is for or who would want to watch it more than once.

Far from cathartic, this is just watching a bunch of people wander the Irish country side and play golf while cracking wise. While there is some familial discussions, and a genuinely moving song in a pub, nothing really dramatic happens. Its people wandering around golf courses and talking about...nothing. There are some laughs. Its good time with good people, but to what end? Nothing happens. When it ended I simply wondered why this runs 121 minutes.

Watching the film I was struck by the notion that this film existed purely to allow the cast and crew to have a paid golf holiday. I mean the vast majority of this film is simply the foresome wandering the courses.(Which seem to be completely deserted other than them). Yea there are a couple of interactions, with people at the hotel, on a beach and the old family farm, but the sequences are brief and go nowhere and add nothing.

I like the film (I mean they are good people), but at the same time I never need to see it again because nothing really happens to engage us. Its a kind of observational drama, where there is no real drama (outside of who wind the games), just golf.

Who was this made for?

Unless you are a golfer, odds are you'll watch, smile for a bit and then never think of it again.

Summer War (2026) Tribeca 2026

Set in 1989, the film tells the story of a wargame champion in Chile and his girfriend who are summering at a hotel and getting involved with a missing person and a mysterious couple.

Based on a noverl by Roberto Bolano called Third Reich, the game around which the plot revolves, the film is a look at memory, history, fascism and some other things. Its a film with a great deal on its mind.

Unfortunately I'm not sure if the film really works. The lead character is a bit of a nebish and too disconnected from reality to really care about. I don't think the film really nails the tone which occassionally has a humous edge  that doesn't really work.  On top of it all the direction keeps us distanced thanks to various tricks like split screen which instead of intensifying everything made me notice the trick.

While the film has some solid things going on inside the story, the presentation works against it.

I'm Not Home (2026) Tribeca 2026

Yes, this film has Robert DeNiro's son Julian in it, but thirty seconds into the film you'll have forgotten that and be lost in the film.

Genuinely one one of the best films at Tribeca concerns two young men with a past who spend an afternoon together talking, smoking and listening to a box of old cassette tapes of answering machine messages. 

I have no notes. Elena Parasco has made a hell of a calling card. Filled with emotion that most of the 50 previous films I've seen for Tribeca have not had this is a short film that is a full meal. These few minutes say more about the human condition than most features. I was floored. Parasco needs to be turned loose on a feature.

And how is the younger DeNiro? Excellent. He is his own man and as I said at the top you'll forget his famous parentage.

Highly recommended.

Stand Clear ' the Closing Doors (2026) Tribeca 2026

 

A small moment on a subway as  new arrival has to deal with a passenger taking too much space.

Anyone who has ridden the NYC subway will relate to this story of rudeness and sucking it up for the brief ride to the next stop.

For me the reason to see the film is to see writer, director and star Stacey Sargent in action. Even in this brief seven minutes she shows she is a force to be reckoned with, perfectly putting us on the train with everyone else. What makes her shine  is that she gives personalities to everyone on screen as well as giving us a sense of what its like to be in a crowded car. I want to see what she does next.

Memorizu(2026) Tribeca 2026

Yuta goes to help his father-in-law in his photography studio while the father-in-law is healing from a broken leg. He communicates with his wife and daughter by sending photos.

A film for how we live today, this is a film about how we communicate our lives to others and remember the past. Its a film that is about life as it is being lived right now.

I was staggered by this film. There is so much going on in this film even though not a lot seems to happen that I know I am going to be visiting this film for decades to come.

So often now filmmakers will compose their shots like paintings and photgraphs just to show off but here director Miiku Sakanishi composes the shots like photographs because Yuta is composing his images to share with his family. Sakanishi uses the conciet of the film in order to further the tale and the emotional resonances he is creating. There are so many levels here that by the end you will have had several ah ha moments.

What amazes me is that not a hell of a lot happens. Life goes on but there is no false drama. Nothing happens to drive the plot in any sort of artifiical way. Rather things play out as they would in life. But Sakanishi is so masterful you'll probably be like me, and almost an hour in before you realize that there has been nothing like a conventional plot happening. Honestly I would never have noticed it but something happened and I noticed the time.

What is this film doing at Tribeca? I ask that not as question about quality, but rather this is the sort of film that usually starts at Berlin or Cannes and then moved to the NYFF. This is the sort of high brow but accessible film those fests try to program but rarey do. Perhaps the film is to accessible and they wouldn't run it. What ever the reason it's their loss.

What isn't a loss is that the film has just played Tribec, which means that you need to go out and buy a ticket and see this wonderful film.

One of the best films at Tribeca and probably 2026 as well.

Lost Touch (2026) Tribeca 2026

An astronaut on a wrecked space ship desperately needs to find a way home however the ship is too heavy and what she needs to get rid of is the thing she can't let go of.

A film about love and loss takes a bit to reveal what its really about, but when it does it punches you in the face. This is a materful tale about loss and moving on so we don't die. Its a gem of a film that you need to see.

Truthfuly this film should play with two recent films SPACE CADET, a animated film about a robot and its human child, or  PROJECT HAIL MARY. 

One to see when the film plays Tribeca.

Verse (2026) Tribeca 2026

A young man decides to meet his on-line girlfriend but the divide between real life and the one line world cause problems.

This is a good take on the scifi trope of real vs computer worlds. We've been here any number of times over the years, but this is the first time that I've run across it since we've moved on to VR headsets.

Well made and well acted, the film largely does what it has to do  in its alotted run time. For me the only real flaw is that brief run time is much too short. I want to see where this goes after the end credits roll. I say that because the film doesn't fully do what you expect and I want to see where the filmmakers would go if they were given the chance to keep going.

This is a solid film and worth a look.

Holo (2026) Tribeca 2026

Claire, an abuse survivor, contacts Looking Glass, a company specializing in artificial encounters by means of an actor and computer technology to confront her dead abuser.

My thought when this film ended was "Oh my"

That's a rave. 

This was a film that takes an "expected" framework and uses it to build an emotional tale that punches you in the face.  It's a film that is is so good in building emotion and suspense that a single line draws a gasp.

This is as good as filmmaking on any level gets.

This is an absolute must see

Imprint (2026) Tribeca 2026

 In the furture it is possible to transfer knowledge from one person to another. Immigrants are wiling to trade their knowledge for citizenship.  A mother desperate to get her daughter into the right academy has knowledge impanted into her daughter only to find there are side effects.

This is a short and sweet little thriller concerning the thing people will do to get ahead. It doesn't break any new ground, (we've seen how many versions of this story over the years?) but it does entertain.

Worth a look

Only What We Carry (2026) Tribeca 2026

Sofia Boutella, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Lizzy McAlpine, Quentin Tarantino, Simon Pegg, and Liam Hellmann took a mostly improvised script and over six days chewed scenery and made a film that was liess about the plot then the real people on the screen.

I loved this film. 

Seriously, I really loved this film. I have no real clue what the plot was, but god damn this cast kicked ass to the far side of the unioverse and back. I mean everyone in the cast decided that they were going to bring their A game and rock the house. This isn't so much a film but a bunch of funny and human people interacting for 90 minutes. This film plays like life as we kind of wish it waslived.

I am in awe of the film, so much so that I broke my hard and fast rule regarding Tribeca and I am posting it shortly after the embargo drops and not where the 75th film I saw for the festival should go, a week later.

How good is the cast? I loved Quentin Tarantino. I mean, when did he becomes an actor that is on the level of Sofia Boutella and Charlotte Gainsbourg? This isn't a tossed off role but something much more.

To be honest I went into the film not expecting anything. Every year Tribeca gets a couple of films with great casts that aren't very good. They are usually perefectly watchable but you will forget them right after you see it. You are left wondering what drew the cast to the project. And if you asked for interviews you hope you have enough questions to fake an interview.

That isn't the case here. Here we know why the cast was here and we know that they were bringing their joy and A games. I mean you can see the cast having fun, being in the moment and not phoning it in. Yes, I know I said the plot which has two exes coming to back together isn't anything special, but the characters are. I may not remember the plot but I remember the emotion and people on screen.

If I get an interview I will have a great deal to discuss.

Every year Tribeca throws up one film that is out of left field tha totally blows my mind. ONLY WHAT WE CARRY is it.

Go buy tickets and go.

Violet and Marlowe Rob a Bank(2026) Tribeca 2026

 

Out of carrots two rabbits decide to rob a carrot bank.

Moving like the wind, this three minute film is a send up and homage to every action film ever made. There are guns and rabbits and witty lines and carrots and way more smiles than is a lowed by law.

The film is a stunner- and that’s all I can say because the film is so short I don’t want to ruin it. Seriously it took me five times the run time to put even these few words together.

Buy a ticket and go see this.

ROAR (2026) Tribeca 2026

A mother and his neurdivergent daughter travel around San Francisco.

This is a four minute animated joy bomb that is driven by diector Jesse Weglein's song. Its a staggering achievement that will have you wanting more. The film plays like the opening moments of a longer feature that I hope is coming.

Easily one of the best films playing Tribeca, and maybe of the year. How do I know? I've had it on repeat for the better part of the last hour.

Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe!,(2026) Tribeca 2026

Visually glorious tale of mythical creatures in the sky and their children playing games, until a game goes too far and one falls to earth.

What begins as a visual overload becomes a moving tale of childish games that go sidewise. They may be gods in the sky but there is emotion in the audience as the meanness of kids hits home. Director Andrea Szelesová knocks it out of the park with a moving tale that you will want to see on a big screen.

Recommended

Cotton Fever (2026) Tribeca 2026

Several interconnected tales focusing on addiction and efforts to get better.

Discovering films like this is why I go to festivals like Tribeca and just jump in.  This would never have been on my radar if someone like the programmers at Tribeca didn't choose it. 

Beautifully acted by a cast of largely un known faces, COTTON FEVER shines because we are not pulled out of the tale by famous faces. The cast sells their stories and we are moved by each of them.

Credit writer and director Daniel Blake Schwartz for turning his tales of addiction and recovery into a fist to the face film. Gloriously free of Hollywood bullshit the film is full of characters and situations that very well may echo the stories of the people you know and love. There doesn't seem to be a false note anywhere in the film.

If I was to quibble I would say that the run time is too brief, I'd have liked a bit more time with some of the characters. On the other hand the 89 minute run time keeps this lazer focused.

This is one of the winners of this year's Tribeca and is recommended.

A brief review of Micronations (2026) Tribeca 2026

We are not weirdos we just like to wear tiarias

This is a look at various micronations that esit around the world. You knw what most people would consider made up countries around the world. Some are little more than someones home that they declare is now a soverign nation.

Amusing and kitchy. This is a look at people trying to define themselves and their worlds in their own way. While many of them know that it's game, they still manage to sell the nonsense, and in some cases make a few bucks at it.

I was amused.

Is this film high art? No. However it is entertaining and distracting in the best possible way.

Recommended

Mother Future Self (2026) Tribeca 2026

Two women with a past are brought together again when one arrives at a dance workshop where the other works.

To be honest, I have no idea what this film is about. Its largely either a lot of people sitting around talking or long sequences of classes during the workshop. What we are supposed to get out of this really didn't seem to be on the minds of the filmmakers, who seem to have had a long short script or short feature one and then filled it out.

This is actually a good film with some amusing characters and exchanges, but there is no real drama with the early dramatic scenes getting swallowed by workshop ones.  Worse everyone is largely even keeled and any emotion played for laughs

High art? No. But it is surprisingly entertaining.

You Tryna Say You Love Me? (2026) Tribeca 2026

One of the best films of Tribeca and of 2026 is this magnificent tale of the meeting of a young man in college and his crush in a diner.

A perfect encapsulation of a moment in time (one that I would love to see expanded) this film is way more than just a simple romance. Exploring numerous subjects in it's brief run time the film largely is exploration about how do we express ourselves when we were never given the tools to do so? In this case how do you say I love you when no one ever said it to you.

I was crushed. I connected to this film in 14 different ways and then some. I saw and felt every emotion in this film and when it was done I emailed the great love of my life to say thank you for giving me the words and teaching me how to express myself.

I can not tell you how great this film is. 

And  do not disengage from the film when the end credits start to roll because what we see under them is a perfect continuation of the action- there is emotion there if you pay attention.

As of this writing this is one of the top five films of 2026 for me.

See this film.

General Admission (2026) Tribeca 2026

Arriving late to a support group, a woman is hoping for a fresh start, only she ends up over sharing.

I don't know what to say about this film. It's not that the film is bad, rather that the whole film hangs on the ending. How you react to the film is how you react to the ending.  Its a solid and very funny ride, but everything hangs at the ending, it the point where you either love it or like it.

I liked it.

Either way this is a funny film.

Definitely worth a look. 

Stealing Magic (2026) Tribeca 2026

Some one is taking the secrets behind various magic tricks and illusions and selling them. . A team of investigators go after them.

This is a nifty little doc. Its a wonderful little mystery that grabs us from the first moment and then drags us along the trail of the trick thieves. It's a twisty and turny ride that constantly makes you wonder what the next twist is going to be.

While the film is a probably a a little too much by the numbers in construction the quest to find out who is stealing the secrets over comes any reservations and keeps us watching.

This is an absolute delight that I can't wait to see again.

Found&Lost (2024) Tribeca 2026

Reza Rasouli is one of the great directors working today. I say this not just on the basis of this film, but also his more recent film NIGHT OF PASSAGE. (I saw that film by accident when I was sen it instead of this one). Rasouli has his finger on the pulse of being a migrant and he needs to be turned loose on a bigger canvas sooner than later.

The plot of this film has a Syrian man living in Vienna getting into trouble by being helpful and doing what he feels is right even if it isn't what the rules say he should do. He gets into trouble trying to fix the electric in his apartment building and he gets further into trouble  when a wallet goes missing in the night club where he works as a janitor.

This film will move you. Beautifully acted and perfectly told, this is the story of a man who despite his best efforts seems to be out of sync with the world. I genuinely have no notes.

This is a film to see at Tribeca because you will see the early work of a director who is going to do great things.

Tik Tok Never Dies (2026) Tribeca 2026

 

This is a good look at the life and times of Tik Tok and the efforts by the US government to keep the people safe, and this being America under the Trump administration, get the money maker in the hands of someone other than the Chinese government. It’s a film that is everything you wanted to know about the platform and more.

To be honest I have no real contact with tik tok other than when I see reposted videos. I am amazed that people are making large fortunes doing short videos. I have been intrigued by the legal wrangling concerning the platform which is why this film was of interest. It’s a kind of one stop shop that gives you everything you wanted to know about the platform. It gave me information and it entertained me.

Did it make me want to go on the platform? No. I really can’t be bothered. I’m to busy doing things that interest me instead making things that faceless strangers will like.

On the other hand I had a good enough time with this fil that I will happily watch it again as soon as I get a chance to do so away from the Tribeca crush.

KAYA (2026) Tribeca 2026

Isabel Lamers write, directs, stars,and produces the tale of young oman who wants to join a professional martial arts team in the Philippines. With a month to go she asks one of the men on the team to train her.

This is a look at what it means to Filipino and yourself via martial arts. Its a good little film that will have echoes in your life. Its a film that scores by not following your typical path.

At the same time as good as the film is  the film feels more like a proof of concept then a complete film. Yes, we have have the thread of the battle to learn martial arts, but at the same time the film  there is so much to say about being Filipino. Yes, I know the the film is rooted in the Filipino experience, but at the same time there is a sense there is more to say. I want to know more about the relationship between the characters, between Nia and her mother, and something more on the man who trains her. 

That is not a knock on the film, rather it states that the film is good enough that I want to see more.

Take a look.

Vultures (2026) Tribeca 2026

Answering a a call for a car accident, a tow truck driver had to deal with looter, drunk accident victims, a complicated incident site and a boss who is threatening.

This is a bleak and uncomfortable tale showing humanity at its worst. Everyone is working an angle and everyone is trying to dave their own skin. This is a look at humanity at it's most base. No one, not even the nominal hero, is seen to be be a nice guy.

This film will break you faith in humanity.

The truth is as bleak as the film is, it's also a small gem of a film. I'd love to see it either expanded or the filmmakers do something similarly dark... on the other hand that might be too black to sit through. Still I want to see what that would be.

Recommended.

A pointer toward Sad Girlz (2026)Tribeca 2026

If you want to be a film writer of any real quality you have to be aware of your own tastes and the tastes of the filmmaker. You can not always assume that every film you see is a film you are capable of reviewing. You need to know that some films are not going to be for you because you are the wrong audience.  You need to be able to step away and say, "this was never intended for me."

SAD GIRLZ is a film that was never intended for me, and while I will say a couple of quick things about it, I'm going to leave it for you to discover.

Nominally the plot of the film has two girls who are on the swim team together going to a party where something happens. The write up from Tribeca will make the film sound like it is a heavy drama and thriller because of what happens in the aftermath. However, the film is a serious coming of age film that looks at the relationship at the girls and ponders life and friendship.

The film is well made and well acted, and is such that it is telling a tale that is going to play best with young women several decades younger than myself. It's afilm that is exploring a life and experience that was alien to me and made me wonder how this woulf have played if I was 18 and female. That isn't to suggest the film is bad, instead it is simply to recognize that I did not connect to this film on any emotional level and so I don't feel qualified to speak about it being truly good ot bad - even if I can appreciate the quality of the filmmaking.

Tribeca 2026: The Best of Tribeca Shorts Free Screening Titles: QUEEN OF BASKETBALL, RIPE, JANE AUSTEN'S PERIOD DRAMA

Tribeca is running three great shorts as part of their free film series:

QUEEN OF BASKETBALL

 Luscia "Lucy" Harris one of the greatest basketball players, men or women, whoever played the game. She was so good that she was drafted by the NBA.

Magnificent biography of Ms Harris as told by the lady herself. To be certain there is more to the story but quite frankly this is so good that I'm guessing some one will make a feature version of her story. Though I doubt it will be as deeply moving as this film (unless it steals the score)

I loved this film completely. I loved it because you can't help but fall in love with the women at the center. She is an absolute charmer. And I loved it because it's a great story. 

I can't recommend this film enough.

Destined for the Oscars  and award glory. Hopefully it will make Lucy more well known.

RIPE

When her boyfriend misses his plane and makes excuses, a young woman vacationing in Spain finds herself attracted to the woman whose arm she broke.

Sweet little romance that will make you smile. The film is the perfect combination of tight writing, pitch perfect performances and the perfect stylistic filmmaking to make it all work. It's the perfect combination to win over a grumpy viewer who thought this was going to be run of the mill.

Yes, I was grumbling at the start, however by the end I had a big smile on my face  and cheered out loud at the end.

This is the the best of film- one that upends your expectations and gives you something light years beyond what you thought you were getting.

An absolute joy.

Highly recommended.

JANE AUSTEN'S PERIOD DRAMA

While getting a much desired marriage proposal Miss Estrogenia ends up having her period. Her suitor is unaware of periods and rushes her off to get medical treatment.

A smile  producing film about a less enlightened time when some things were never discussed, especially in polite company.  It is a delightful modern day comedy in a period setting.

Recommended

Rob Arthur and Peter Frampton at the World Premiere of FRAMPTON at Tribeca 2026

 I will write stuff when I get a minute but for right now some quick photos

Rob Arthur to the right

And I was a long way away for the Q&A