Nick Johnston

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Nov 4, 2026 What’s really strange is how bland everything is compared to Minus One. The characters and setting are no longer novel, and Yamazaki seems paralyzed by the idea of letting them grow or face consequences. Go to Full Review Godzilla Minus Zero (2026) 90% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Oct 30, 2026 It’s impressive how well the differing tones gel, that the audience stays with Harries and Watkins as they shift from armrest-gripping discomfort to peals of well-earned laughter over the course of 100-odd minutes. Go to Full Review Clayface (2026) 78% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Oct 19, 2026 It’s just boring after a certain point, with the primary influence seeming to be the intro cinematic to Cyberpunk 2077 rather than, say, the Capcom games themselves. Go to Full Review Street Fighter (2026) 42% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Oct 16, 2026 Abrams and Brolin are exceptionally well-cast, especially the former, whose wide-eyed terror pulls us into the emotional reality of his ordeal, and Duffield directs these scenes well. Go to Full Review Whalefall (2026) 74% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Oct 2, 2026 Digger tries to have it all and winds up tapped-out, dry as hell, finger guns shooting blanks, unable to shovel itself out... Go to Full Review Digger (2026) 52% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 29, 2026 Oppenheim, on the other hand, uses Primetime to indict its historical moment, recasting the mid-aughts as a time not dissimilar to our own, with the perspective granted to him by temporal distance. Go to Full Review Primetime (2026) 86% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 25, 2026 It’s an interesting turn for Herzog, who’s made a kind of realist nihilism into a personal trademark, in that he imagines a kind of heaven that people like Lynch could inhabit, amidst all of the bizarre wonders of the world... Go to Full Review Bucking Fastard (2026) 69% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 24, 2026 So, yeah, it’s kind of a heavy watch, but one that’s worth seeing through. Go to Full Review A Long Winter (2026) 80% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 23, 2026 Mona’s perspective on the magic of that initial experience and the wonder she feels on her first day might echo a powerful memory for Eisenberg, and that heart is what makes The Debut hit harder than any of his other films. Go to Full Review The Debut (2026) 91% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 23, 2026 I imagine it’d be a pretty big compliment for him to know that Vintage Violence is about as good as Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, and for many of the same reasons – the man has gone toe-to-toe with Miike and stayed on his feet until the final bell. Go to Full Review Vintage Violence (2026) 86% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 21, 2026 So, yeah, this is a delight, and I look forward to the Zellners alienating the hell out of me with whatever they do next. Go to Full Review Alpha Gang (2026) 74% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 21, 2026 The issue is explored with such sensitivity and warmth that it’s hard not to get swept up in it. Go to Full Review Babies (2026) 88% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 21, 2026 Miike, in full First Love mode, understands Tokyo like few other modern directors able to cross over with a Western crowd, and his depiction of Shinjuku feels appropriately lived-in and accurate. Go to Full Review Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo (2026) 41% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 18, 2026 The problem is that Boyle gets lost in the sauce, empathizing too much with his characters as abstract ideals rather than very real people: Go to Full Review Ink (2026) 72% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 17, 2026 Joshua Giuliano’s River is a solid, creepy slasher with some decent kills, a few swell performances, and a vibe that feels pretty far removed from the world of sequels, riffs and remakes. Go to Full Review River (2026) 94% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 17, 2026 It lacks weight, too emotionally stilted to have a visceral impact, with intensely aestheticized archetypal characters about as deep as puddles and barely recognizable as human. Go to Full Review The Unknown (2026) 69% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 15, 2026 The Surgeon will be a metaphorical defibrillator for those in need of a good shock. Go to Full Review The Surgeon (2026) 100% - -

Nick Johnston Boston Phoenix Sep 14, 2026 Rockwell has good, exasperated chemistry with Malkovich, Buscemi is well-placed as a petulant little creep, and di Girolamo is excellent in her intrigue and suspicion to his odd entreaties to her. She is the heart of the film, if there is one. Go to Full Review Wild Horse Nine (2026) 94% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 14, 2026 The first man gives the people what they want, and he succeeds at all of his goals. Go to Full Review Club Kid (2026) 100% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 11, 2026 Hope is one of the strongest action releases of the year. Go to Full Review Hope (2026) 80% - -