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The Weekly Overview

• Box Office Report

• What’s Streaming

• Feature Focus

• Inside the IP

• Cue the Spotlight

• Reinventing the Reel

Box Office Report

Planning a fun night out? Here are the top movies hitting theaters this weekend!

Novocaine

A man meets the love of his life—just as she’s kidnapped. Determined to save her, he takes matters into his own hands. This action-comedy might sound familiar, but here’s the twist: he can’t feel pain. Novocaine stars Jack Quaid as our hopeless, unfeeling romantic. He’s on fire this year, with this being his second big-screen release. He may even unseat Robert Pattinson in Mickey 17 for the #1 box office spot.

Black Bag

Black Bag offers a fresh take on the spy-vs-spy genre, delivering a more serious tone than Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Michael Fassbender stars as George Woodhouse, a man forced to confront if he’s willing to do anything for his wife, Kathryn St. Jean, played by Cate Blanchett. Critics have spoken, and this film is certified fresh with a 96% score. Will it hold up to the audiences standard?

Opus

Opus is a the newest A24 film to hit the big screen. It follows Ariel Ecton (played by Ayo Edebiri) a journalist invited to the secluded compound of a long-vanished musician as he prepares to unveil his newest work. Regarded as a horror thriller, this one is sure to make us uncomfortable… I just hope it's in the way the filmmakers intended.

The Day The Earth Blew Up

Yes! Looney Tunes is back! Follow Daffy Duck and Porky Pig as this unlikely duo teams up to save the world from an alien invasion. With their classic humor and wild antics, they’ll have to outsmart the extraterrestrial threat before Earth becomes the ultimate cosmic playground!

What’s Streaming

MOVIES

Staying in this weekend? No problem! Here are a few of this week’s TOP streaming movies you can watch from the comfort of home.

TV SHOWS

Miss the thrill of having THAT show to look forward to each week? Good news—weekly episodes are back! Here are some of the top shows dropping new episodes each week on streaming.

Feature Focus

The Mummy (1999) was an absolutely ICONIC film! Action, adventure, comedy, romance—and Brendan Fraser! What more could you ask for?

Inspired by the 1932 Universal monster movie of the same name, this 90s classic takes full advantage of the era’s technology and writing to deliver one of the best films of its time. The story follows Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) as they search for the Book of Amun-Ra in Hamunaptra, the city of the dead. But in their pursuit, they accidentally awaken Imhotep, an ancient priest who will stop at nothing to resurrect his lost love, Anck-su-namun.

When I sat down to rewatch this, I was a little apprehensive—was it only good for its time? Would it still hold up? Maybe I’ve just become hypercritical after watching so many movies over the years. Nope! The Mummy is still SO worth the rewatch! The humor lands, the action is exciting, and the dialogue is just as sharp as ever. Even the CGI—while obviously dated—still manages to be effective. (That scarab scene still makes my skin crawl—you know the one.)

If you’re craving a nostalgic adventure, The Mummy is the way to go! You can stream it now on Hulu or Disney+. For an even deeper dive, check out this podcast episode from Raider’s of the Lost Podcast, available on Spotify.

Inside the IP

Mickey 17 is currently dominating the box office, pulling in $19 million during its opening weekend. The film follows Mickey Barnes—specifically, Mickey 17—an "expendable" assigned to help colonize the icy planet Niflheim.

If you enjoyed the movie, the novel it's based on, Mickey7 by Edward Ashton, is a must-read! While both share the same core premise, the book unfolds in a future where Earth is long gone and takes the story in a different direction—especially when it comes to the ending. In my opinion, the film falls short of what the book achieves.

Cue the Spotlight

WWJD? is a hilarious short film that follows three girls as they scramble to decide what to do with a body after accidentally hitting a man with their car.

Directed by Dempsey Bryk and written by Dempsey Bryk and Ben Snider-McGrath, the film cleverly explores modern ethics and the tension between doing what’s right and self-preservation.

Reinventing the Reel

Renfield (2023) is an action-comedy that follows Dracula’s overworked and underappreciated servant, Renfield. After unintentionally opening up in a support group, he decides to break free from his toxic relationship with the legendary vampire.

Despite its all-star cast—Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, and Nicolas Cage—Renfield falls flat. Most of the humor was already in the trailers, leaving little new to enjoy. The film suffers from an overcrowded plot, particularly with Awkwafina’s character, Rebecca, who has her own revenge-driven storyline against the Lobo crime family.

While the two plots eventually converge, the film would have benefited from a simpler approach. Removing the crime family subplot could have allowed more focus on Renfield’s journey to freedom, his comedic missteps in independence, and a deeper dynamic with Rebecca—perhaps even a romantic one. With such a strong cast, less would have been more, giving them the space to truly shine.

If you have an idea for Reinventing the Reel, send it in! Your idea just might be featured in an upcoming weekly.

That’s a wrap!

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