Vanyaland

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) 41% - -

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) 73% - -

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) 53% - -

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) 78% - -

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) 90% - -

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) 77% - -

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) 43% - -

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 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) 79% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Sep 8, 2026 Yet, the main problem is that Wingard seems to perceive Onslaught as pastiche in a way that he didn’t with his other films and bad pastiche fails both the present-day viewer and the works the film is supposedly paying homage to. Go to Full Review Onslaught (2026) 60% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Aug 28, 2026 Saddled with a poor script by Mark L. Smith that is, for what’s worth, well-performed by a strong cast, it’s a terrible adaptation of Heller’s novel and a chore to sit through, filmed with a listlessness that I thought Scott had shaken off after Exodus. Go to Full Review The Dog Stars (2026) 41% - -

Nick Johnston Vanyaland Aug 18, 2026 So, yeah, this is a legit motion picture, surprisingly enough, though Johnson’s not going up to dethrone Mottola any time soon as the modern king of this type of picture. Go to Full Review Tony (2026) 93% - -