A USEFUL GHOST -- Thoughtful, Funny Spectral Comedy Evolves to Incisive Capitalist Critique1/16/2026 Review by Daniel Lima  The distinction between clinging to a memory best left forgotten, and willful ignorance of what should be a lesson learned, isn’t always clear. Too often, it’s the ignorant who are too quick to leave their actions in the past, and those that need to let go that carry on the burden longer than they ought to. The Thai film A Useful Ghost is dry and dark examination of these two instincts, and while it never quite reconciles the two, it is never less than compelling, thoughtful, and often quite funny. A man discovers that his newly purchased vacuum cleaner is haunted by a ghost. When the repairman diagnoses the haunting, he launches into the story of another poltergeist, a woman who dies while working at the factory her husband’s wealthy family owns. As her specter reconciles with her husband, his family seeks to drive them apart, as more and more hauntings begin to plague the bourgeois. At first, it appears that the story is poised to settle for a simple dichotomy, conservatism vs. progressivism, but interrogating it further reveals fascinating nuances. The spirit of the wife at first inhabits an appliance, though only her husband can see her and not the thing she possesses, a blending of folkloric belief and modern convenience. The rekindled relationship between her and her husband could be interpreted as a kind of conservatism — even death will not keep the two apart — yet the family sees it as an abomination, resorting to traditional methods to end things that themselves are undermined by the two sides’ dueling interpretations of what is “traditional”. Which is not to say that staring lovingly at a vacuum cleaner is within the boundaries of societal norms. There is an obvious tension between the happiness that the couple share with each other, and the ridiculousness of watching a man make out with an appliance. Is he not relegating himself to a life that never changes? How can he grow past the death of his wife if her apparition is constantly with him? If she is only hanging onto the mortal plane due to her love of her husband, how full an existence can she actually “live”? Does any of this matter if they’re happy?  As multifaceted as this central conflict is, A Useful Ghost remains a comedy, albeit a very restrained one. As zany as the premise sounds, the film is deliberately paced, with minimal camera movement, compositions that emphasize empty space, performances that are quite affectless, and long takes that drag out a scene. This approach emphasizes the absurdity of the situation, particularly in how matter-of-fact the entire situation is treated. It’s high praise that the film made me think of the work of Aki Kaurismäki.
Through the first half of the movie, there is something of an elephant in the room. The factory is being haunted by a different ghost, a man who had collapsed while working. The wife had died of a respiratory illness herself. While attempting to reunite with her husband, she makes friends with an influential man, who is able to return the favor purely based on his own class status. The man’s older brother has a husband, which the family did not approve of until that husband introduced the to business opportunities abroad. Clearly, there is a pragmatic limit to adhering to tradition. You just have to make yourself useful. Where the first half of the film was mostly about one relationship that crossed the veil, probing the individual desire to never let go of what was, the second half supercedes those concerns with a neoliberal, capitalist critique. The ghosts evolve from a personal metaphor to a politically charged one, as all of the questions raised before are abandoned because the structural forces of the world today do not allow them to be asked. What was once pure but complicated becomes immediately co-opted by profit-driven machinations, and the question goes from, “When should we forget,” to, “Who should be forgetting?” Sometimes, the ghosts of the past tell stories that reveal something about our present, and should inform our future. It’s a fascinating change, but it’s also not a dramatically satisfying one. There is a discontinuity between the two halves of A Useful Ghost that is hard to shake, particularly since in spite of the subdued performances of leads Davika Hoorne and Wittsarut Himmarat, their easy chemistry makes the romance work even without the thematic underpinnings. As broader ideas take center stage, their relationship loses narrative focus, and somewhere along the line the story stops being a romantic comedy altogether. Thematically appropriate, sure, but without that emotional foundation, the film’s conclusion leans more intellectually stimulating than profoundly moving or hilarious, where at first it was all three. A Useful Ghost is now in theaters. Rating: 4/5
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Review by Steve Barton II  With the recent murders of Renee Good, George Floyd and so many others at the hands of police (and masked vigilantes playing cops), a movie like Night Patrol can be traumatic, but also powerful. Night Patrol follows a Los Angeles gang member (RJ Cyler, Power Rangers) who has a run-in with a police taskforce, where he quickly realizes they are more than just thirsty for violence. The movie also follows a cop duo in the LAPD, one of them being a former gang member (Jermaine Fowler, The Blackening) and his partner (Justin Long, Jeepers Creepers) who gets brought into the Night Patrol to pick up where his father left off. One thing you can’t deny about Night Patrol is that it has a style that is gonna turn many people off immediately. It has the feeling and look of a 70’s grindhouse action/horror movie mixed with blaxploitation. The elements that create that tone are the hip-hop score, hilarious characters like conspiracy theorists and voodoo worshipers, realistic Los Angeles setting, and brutal shootouts that rival a few war films. There are a few scenes of brutal police violence that are done so well that it will certainly invoke anger and sadness in the most stoic viewer. The fight choreography and the way those sequences were shot left a lot to be desired, but otherwise the cinematographer accomplishes some unique shots that capture that music video feel. There is a montage with the cops working together, responding to emergency calls and the way it’s shot, edited and acted reminded me immediately of David Ayer’s cop drama, End of Watch. While it will inevitably be compared to last year’s critical darling Sinners with it being a social commentary on racism using vampires, the similarities end there. Sinners used its large budget to its advantage creating massive sets and prohibition era costuming, where Night Patrol purely relies on the star power from its cast! Justin Long will sell a few tickets on his name alone, but the additions of hip-hop stars Freddie Gibbs & YG as well as Phil Brooks (a.k.a. CM Punk from WWE) bring their own built in audiences to this carnival of chaos.  When it comes to special effects in Night Patrol, a few of the scenes seemed to have more priority and budget than others and it is very noticeable. A few scenes with the vampires looked great and had its own unique look, but others were on par with a Twilight fan film. The addition of the voodoo magic powers and the goofy Green Lantern ring almost made the situation a bit too cartoonish and possibly into offensive territory with how the practice of voodoo is portrayed. The movie would’ve definitely benefited from pulling the reins back on a few ideas, but it seems like all four writers got to keep their favorite ideas, even if it makes no sense to the overall plot.
Night Patrol comes at a very interesting time with police violence and racism being at the top of everyone’s minds and social media feeds. It tackles these important ideas from a new-ish perspective, but the main appeal is the cast of conspiracy-fueled rappers and CM Punk’s best performance outside of a squared circle! If films like From Dusk til Dawn or Attack the Block are ever playing at a drive-in theater and needed an opening film to set the mood, look no further than the weird, but fun little movie called Night Patrol! Night Patrol is in theaters starting January 16th! Rating: 3/5 Review by Chadd Clubine  Was 18 years too long for a follow-up to 28 Weeks Later? Good thing you don’t have to wait too long for 2025’s follow-up to 28 Years Later. Shot back-to-back, the sequel in this new trilogy comes out only seven months after the latest installment. The latest film premiered early last month, and fans have claimed it as one of the best in the series. It gave the studio the confidence to start work on the third entry in this trilogy, and it makes sense why. While the film’s pacing or structure isn’t as strong, it’s still filled with powerhouse performances, effective scares, and meaningful themes. Continuing from where the last one ended, this one wastes no time getting you right into the story. Nia DaCosta, known for her work on Candyman (2021) and The Marvels, takes over as director and establishes her own vision, while honoring Danny Boyle's work. Writer Alex Garland returns with new thematic material that deepens the world established in last year’s entry. Where Jack O’Connell’s villainous performance leans into the darkness of this new world, Ralph Fiennes’ character offers a counterpoint with hope. This thematic balance will give viewers something to connect with and something they can think about long after the credits roll. The film balances these two stories from O’Connell’s & Fiennes’ perspectives, leading into an unpredictable third act that comes together nicely; however, the buildup to it feels conflicting. While both stories are great in their own right, the way the film cuts between them can disrupt the momentum. Just as one story gets going, the film suddenly cuts to the other, making the first half's structure confusing and unclear about where the story is going. On top of that, the pacing is much slower than in the latest installment. While many may call this film slow-burning, its approach makes its themes stand out more.  Once the stories connect, the film really stands out. The film’s themes clash, offering a rich exploration of how two completely different ways of living could work in such a broken world. Ralph Fiennes is given a lot more to do here, which makes his introduction in the last film necessary. Jack O’Connell is terrific as the antagonistic lead. The two leads deliver some of the year's most memorable performances so far. Where Alfie Williams doesn’t have as much to do compared to the last film, the film’s conclusion not only makes you excited for what’s to come, but also pieces together how this trilogy can stick the landing. It may feel like the studio got too excited about this and released it too early. As successful as the last one was, it was also released during the summer. It will be interesting to see how this one performs at the box office. Fans will, no doubt, be excited for what’s going to come, but could also be disappointed if the next one never comes to light. Nonetheless, Nia DaCosta still offers a new perspective on this franchise that works across performances, story, and visuals, and manages to stand out on its own. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is in theaters January 16. Rating: 4/5
Review by Steve Barton II  Director Brett Haley has made some charming movies in the past with Hearts Beat Loud and The Hero. Each of those movies cover life and the complicated relationships made over that sprawling period called life. With the newest Netflix rom-com, People We Meet on Vacation, his lifeblood continues down a similar vein. The film stars Emily Bader (Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, Fresh Kills) as free-spirit Poppy who travels the world, with very few commitments or roots in any one place. On the way home from college, she meets Alex (Tom Blyth, Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) who is the antithesis of Poppy in every way. An unlikely friendship blossoms, where they go on vacations and bring out the best in one another. For the first act, the characters' cute banter that they have back and forth has promise. The chemistry between Bader and Blyth works quite well, where they genuinely seem charmed by one another’s quirks. Blyth has a natural stoic presence that works perfectly for this high-strung dude who has to plan out everything in his life, down to the second. Bader’s so damn charming and natural in her delivery, that bigger and brighter projects are destined for her future. By the middle of the story, the characters feel arrested in their development until about 15 minutes left in the movie. Most people can relate to feeling lonely in this big world and wanting to escape the “small town” trap, but Poppy’s decision to change her life completely just felt way too sudden and convenient. The time span from Poppy dumping any future with Alex to immediately planning her small town life with him happens quicker than the blink of an eye. We’re dealing with an adaptation here, but the story would’ve been much stronger if it didn’t fall into predictable cliches that this genre built its foundation on.  If they trimmed down the middle a bit with the “remember when this happened” cheesy dialogue and then the overdrawn flashback. One of the three screenwriters could’ve made one of the scenes a quick story in a conversation and had the same impact. The classic filmmaking rule of “show, don’t tell” is abused to its own demise. The stronger story would be to put more into Poppy and Alex’s personal developments that bring them to their natural place by the final act. With it being an adaptation from a book, the story has a roadmap to follow but diverting expectations could’ve spiced it up and made it stand out from the many other projects occupying the genre. The author of the source material, Emily Henry is an executive producer and has an on-screen cameo, so fans can be at ease knowing her blessing.
With the first full week of 2026 coming to a close, the world is usually dumped with Hollywood’s stinkiest trash, but not this one. People We Meet on Vacation is still an entertaining, yet bloated romantic comedy that a partner could turn on for date night and both have some laughs while looking at some beautiful faces. People We Meet on Vacation is available now on Netflix. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Adam Donato  It wouldn’t be January without some schlocky horror movie leading the way. Primate does the honors in 2026. From the director of the 47 Meters Down duology comes another animal based horror flick about a chimp who goes crazy after contracting rabies. The cast is mostly just a bunch of newbies, except for Oscar winner Troy Kotsur. The box office doesn’t have any heavy hitter horror movies as it’s been over a month since Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and We Bury the Dead was dead on arrival last week. Cinephiles have been referring to Primate as the Gordy from Nope solo film. Can this B movie have enough fun and good scares to get horror fans into the cinemas at the start of this new year? Primate delivers on its promise. The chimp is an absolute monster. Unlike the Anaconda remake, it follows in the footsteps of the original Anaconda by having its creature be practical as often as possible. Being able to see that the creature was captured in camera goes a long way in the character’s effectiveness and believability. Ben the chimp is a monkey possessed, not unlike a terminator. It’s been a minute since we’ve had such a fun and original horror creature. The majority of the cast is monkey fodder, but the clear standout is Troy Kotsur. It’s crazy that he hasn’t done many movies since CODA. He’s oozing in personality and is easily likable. This movie thrives when either the monkey is going crazy or Troy Kotsur is on screen. Here’s to hoping he shows up more often.  Now it’s not Shakespeare. It’s a silly, dumb, and fun horror movie. All the characters are unbelievably stupid. At one point there’s clearly broken glass all over the floor and every single character is determined to walk through it barefoot. Audiences are sure to be yelling at the screen because of the foolishness of the characters, but that’s because they’re into it. The situation that this group of friends find themselves in is hysterically absurd and dangerous. There is a crazy amount of gore here as well. There’s no holding back with this one. Primate swings for the fences and delivers a damn good ride.
While some may not have the stomach for Primate, horror fans should be able to have a fun time with the movie. At times it’s laugh out loud funny. No, you shouldn’t take the crazy monkey movie too seriously. Good schlock like this is incredibly fun. The audience at the test screening was frequently audibly reacting at how outrageous this movie had the balls to be. 2026 is gonna be a great year at the movies and Primate is keeping things off to a good start. Primate is in theaters January 9. Rating: 4/5 |