Operation Hadal / 蛟龍行動 - Movie Review

The Movie: Operation Hadal / 蛟龍行動

The Director: Dante Lam

The Cast: Huang Xuan, Yu Shi, Zhang Hanyu, Duan Yihong, Wang Junkai, Du Jiang, Li Chen

The Story: The offshore platform Deep Blue 3 in Chinese territorial water has been occupied by mercenaries. The Chinese Navy sets sail to repel invaders.

The Furious - Movie Review

The Movie: The Furious

The Director: Kenji Tanigaki

The Cast: Xie Miao, Joe Taslim, Yang Enyou, Brian Le, Joey Iwanaga

The Story: A father fights fiercely against ruthless kidnappers to save his abducted daughter.

Disclosure Day - Movie Review

The Movie: Disclosure Day

The Director: Steven Spielberg

The Cast: Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Ferth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo

The Story: If you found out we weren't alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you?

Masters of the Universe (2026) - Movie Review

The Movie: Masters of the Universe

The Director: Travis Knight

The Cast: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin,

Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Charlotte Riley, Featuring Kristen Wiig, Jared Leto, Idris Elba

The Story: A young man on Earth discovers a fabulous secret legacy as the prince of an alien planet, and must recover a magic sword and return home to protect his kingdom.

Obsession - Movie Review

The Movie: Obsession

The Director: Curry Barker

The Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter

The Story: After breaking the mysterious "One Wish Willow" to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.

The Monkey - Movie Review

The Movie: The Monkey

The Director: Osgood Perkins

The Cast: Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, Colin O'Brien, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy, Adam Scott, Elijah Wood

The Story: When twin brothers Bill and Hal find their father's old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths start. The siblings decide to throw the toy away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years.

It Was Just An Accident - Movie Review

The Movie: It Was Just An Accident

The Director: Jafar Panahi

The Cast: Vahid Mobasseri, Maryam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi

The Story: A small mishap triggers a chain reaction of ever-growing problems.

War Machine - Movie Review

The Movie: War Machine

The Director: Patrick Hughes

The Cast: Alan Ritchson, Dennis Quaid, Stephan James, Jai Courtney, Esai Morales, Keiynan Lonsdale, Daniel Webber

The Story: During the final stage of US Army Ranger selection, an elite team’s training exercise turns into a fight for survival against an unimaginable threat.

25 Cats from Qatar - Documentary Review

The Documentary: 25 Cats from Qatar

The Director: Mye Hoang

The Story: The nation of Qatar has a street cat population equal to the population of the entire country. Disease is rampant, and local adoption is rare. A Midwestern cafe owner decides to bring 25 cats to Wisconsin.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu - Movie Review

The Movie: Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

The Director: Jon Favreau

The Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder, Sigourney Weaver

The Story: I'm still not entirely sure. Lots of things happen, little of it makes any sense.

Case 137 / Dossier 137 - 2026 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: Case 137 / Dossier 137

Capsule Review:

An outstanding performance from Léa Drucker is the centerpiece of this award winning movie from director Dominik Moll. The focus is on an investigation into an instance of police violence during the 2018 protests and demonstrations in France. Highly entertaining and a reminder of the accountability and humanity needed during times of conflict.

To keep track of all my SIFF reviews and festival coverage please go to: TheTwoOhSix at SIFF 2026. Also, visit the official SIFF How to Fest web page for detailed info on how to make the most of your festival experience.

The Furious - 2026 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: The Furious

Capsule Review:

A lot of movies are advertised as non-stop action although this is one of the few that actually lives up to the billing and maybe even surpasses it. The fight choreography is endlessly creative, brutal, and entertaining in ways that had the audience cheering, gasping, and sometimes in joyous disbelief of what was constantly unfolding on screen. Easily and by far my favorite movie of this year's Seattle International Film Festival.

To keep track of all my SIFF reviews and festival coverage please go to: TheTwoOhSix at SIFF 2026. Also, visit the official SIFF How to Fest web page for detailed info on how to make the most of your festival experience.

Balandrau, Where the Fierce Wind Blew - 2026 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: Balandrau, Where the Fierce Wind Blew

Capsule Review:

Beautifully filmed and somberly told, this tragic tale appropriately honors those that were lost while celebrating the valiant efforts of the men and women who did everything they could to rescue and/or recover as many people as they could. If you want to learn more, producer Guille Cascante directed a documentary including input from survivors of the storm.

To keep track of all my SIFF reviews and festival coverage please go to: TheTwoOhSix at SIFF 2026. Also, visit the official SIFF How to Fest web page for detailed info on how to make the most of your festival experience.

Quince / Fifteen - 2026 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: Quince / Fifteen

Capsule Review:

As much as being a teenager can be its own horror story, Quince takes things a big step further as a bloody body horror, coming of age comedy. Directors Jack Zagha and Yossy Zagha find a great balance of emotional impact, blood and guts action, and genuine comedy to make for a really fun and endearing watch.

To keep track of all my SIFF reviews and festival coverage please go to: TheTwoOhSix at SIFF 2026. Also, visit the official SIFF How to Fest web page for detailed info on how to make the most of your festival experience.

Rising Through the Fray - 2026 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: Rising Through the Fray

Capsule Review:

Growing up, I knew roller derby events as overly dramatic, good versus evil battles that rivaled professional wrestling and now, thanks to this documentary, I can see that it has become more of a legitimized sport with a true sense of community. Director Courtney Montour (Kanien'kehá:ka) does a great job of delving into the struggles and triumphs of the Indigenous Rising team as they fight for legitimacy and acceptance within the world of the sport they love.

To keep track of all my SIFF reviews and festival coverage please go to: TheTwoOhSix at SIFF 2026. Also, visit the official SIFF How to Fest web page for detailed info on how to make the most of your festival experience.

Again Again - 2026 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: Again Again

Capsule Review:

There's been so many movies about characters stuck in a time loop but none, at least that I'm aware of, that explore what happens after the loop ends. Local director Mia Moore puts in a solid effort exploring this topic in a very meaningful way and right here in our own backyard of Aberdeen, Washington. Also of note, Lilly Wachowski is listed as a producer which is pretty darn cool.

To keep track of all my SIFF reviews and festival coverage please go to: TheTwoOhSix at SIFF 2026. Also, visit the official SIFF How to Fest web page for detailed info on how to make the most of your festival experience.

Mārama - 2026 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: Mārama

Capsule Review:

Taratoa Stappard's feature film debut is a dark and downright scary trip through the effects of colonization in the mid 1800's from the perspective of Mārama, a Maori woman forced to come to terms with and reconcile her heritage. This is true gothic horror with a little bit of revenge porn mixed in for good meaure.

To keep track of all my SIFF reviews and festival coverage please go to: TheTwoOhSix at SIFF 2026. Also, visit the official SIFF How to Fest web page for detailed info on how to make the most of your festival experience.

Another World / 世外 - 2026 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: Another World / 世外

The Director: Tommy Ng Kai Chung

The Cast: Chung Suet Yin, Choi Hiu Tung, Louis Cheung

Capsule Review:

Beautifully animated movie that dives deep into the ideas of whether or not people are inherently good or evil. There's a lot to like here although there's a lot of history and lore and cultural references that I'm sure I missed out on but overall, still a solid experience.

To keep track of all my SIFF reviews and festival coverage please go to: TheTwoOhSix at SIFF 2026. Also, visit the official SIFF How to Fest web page for detailed info on how to make the most of your festival experience.

Becoming Human / Chiet Chea Manusa - 2026 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: Becoming Human / Chiet Chea Manusa

Capsule Review:

A very slow and contemplative journey through death, life, family, relationships, and reincarnation. Polen Ly's award winning debut feature film is absolutely worth the effort and is filled with two very strong performances from Piseth Chhun and Savorn Serak who also makes her debut in the film.

To keep track of all my SIFF reviews and festival coverage please go to: TheTwoOhSix at SIFF 2026. Also, visit the official SIFF How to Fest web page for detailed info on how to make the most of your festival experience.

Mortal Kombat II - Movie Review

The Movie: Mortal Kombat II

The Director: Simon McQuoid

The Cast: Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada

The Story: The fan favorite champions -- now joined by Johnny Cage himself -- are pitted against one another in the ultimate battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.

Exit 8 - Movie Review

The Movie: Exit 8

The Director: Genki Kawamura

The Cast: Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kôchi, Kotone Hanase, Naru Asanuma, Nana Komatsu

The Story: A man becomes increasingly desperate when he realizes he is trapped in a subway station, needing to complete a mission to get out.

undertone - Movie Review

The Movie: undertone

The Director: Ian Tuason

The Cast: Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Michèle Duquet

The Story: The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.

Project Hail Mary - Movie Review

The Movie: Project Hail Mary

The Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

The Cast: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, Priya Kansara

The Story: Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a spaceship, light-years from Earth. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing the sun, and save Earth. An unexpected friendship may be the key.

Hoppers - Movie Review

The Movie: Hoppers

The Director: Daniel Chong

The Cast: Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Meryl Streep, Dave Franco, Kathy Najimy, Eduardo Franco, Melissa Villaseñor, Ego Nwodim, Vanessa Bayer, Sam Richardson, Aparna Nancherla, Nichole Sakura, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Steve Purcell, Karen Huie, Tom Law

The Story: A 19-year-old animal lover uses technology that places her consciousness into a robotic beaver to uncover mysteries within the animal world beyond her imagination.