REVIEW: The Bride! (2026 Film) - Starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale

Review by Jon Donnis

Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! is not a quiet reinterpretation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein myth. It is loud, strange, ambitious and often chaotic, a Gothic romance that jumps between horror, crime drama, social satire and something closer to dreamlike fantasy. Inspired by the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein and Shelley's original novel, the film pushes the story into unexpected territory. It opens with Mary Shelley herself speaking from the afterlife, determined to tell a story she never managed to write while alive. From there the narrative leaps into 1936 Chicago, where possession, mob violence and scientific resurrection quickly collide.

The plot centres on Ida, a woman murdered by the henchmen of mob boss Lupino, only to be dug up and revived through experimental reanimation by scientist Dr. Cornelia Euphronius at the request of Frankenstein's monster. The monster, who soon earns the nickname Frank, hopes she will become his companion. Ida awakens with no memory of her life, though flashes of knowledge spill out in strange bursts. Frank convinces her that she is his lost bride. What follows is a bizarre road story across America, as the pair drift from Chicago to New York, leaving bodies behind them while discovering an awkward kind of companionship.

Jessie Buckley dominates the film from the moment she appears. Her performance is huge, fearless and completely committed, shifting between Ida, the reborn Bride and the ghostly presence of Mary Shelley herself. Buckley devours every scene with a kind of theatrical intensity that suits the film's strange tone. Christian Bale matches her with a surprisingly tender take on the monster, playing Frank less as a creature of rage and more as a lonely figure desperate for connection. Their chemistry is unusual but compelling, and it anchors a film that often threatens to spin off in several directions at once.

Gyllenhaal's direction leans heavily into visual spectacle. The film is packed with striking imagery, bold costume design and elaborate set pieces that blur the line between Gothic horror and surreal fantasy. Some sequences, such as the nightclub dance that spirals into a trance like frenzy, are mesmerising to watch. The film constantly shifts genre and mood, mixing gangster storylines with monster movie mythology and moments of dark humour. At its best, this wild mashup of influences gives The Bride! a distinctive energy that feels refreshingly unpredictable.

That same ambition also creates problems. The film tries to juggle so many ideas that it occasionally loses its footing. The pacing becomes uneven, jumping from one concept to another without always giving them room to breathe. Certain stylistic choices feel excessive, particularly the heavy use of handheld camerawork which can become visually exhausting. The tone also drifts in and out of focus, with scenes of Gothic romance sitting awkwardly beside sudden bursts of violence or social commentary.

The running time of two hours and six minutes does not help matters. While the performances remain strong throughout, the story begins to feel overstuffed as it moves toward its conclusion. By the final stretch the narrative pushes toward an ending that feels forced, as if the film struggles to tie together the many threads it introduced earlier. It is not disastrous, but it does underline the sense that the film is reaching beyond what it can comfortably hold.

Even with its flaws, The Bride! remains an intriguing piece of work. Beneath the madness sits a clear theme of empowerment and identity, reframing the Frankenstein myth through a different lens. Gyllenhaal's film is chaotic, bold and defiantly strange. It does not always succeed, yet it is rarely dull, and the performances from Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale alone make the journey worthwhile.

The Bride! is ultimately an imperfect but fascinating film. It reaches high, sometimes stumbles, yet more often than not it lands on something memorable. For all its tonal chaos and structural issues, the film hits more than it misses.

Score: 7 out of 10.

Out Now in Cinemas

Many Watch "Rounders" (1998 Film) and Understand Only Half of It: Learn Casino Culture First

Rounders is not hard to follow, but it is easy to half-hear. You can track who wants what, who owes who, and who is taking a risk. The part that slips by is the way poker culture carries meaning in short bursts. Poker scenes are built on shared habits. Players use tight language, they speak in sequence, and they keep a steady face because the table is always watching. In a film, that becomes a story. Even when a movie does not contain specific languages, it may still be hard to follow because of the rapid pace of dialogue. But in the case of scripts like Rounders, things may get complicated even more.

Learn the language before you judge the action

If you want a foundation for understanding any poker scene, start with the terms. In a poker game, players cannot stop to explain motives, and they cannot reveal what they hold. So the game depends on shared labels. Those labels are the basic tools for following the action, and they are also the basic tools for thinking clearly while you play.

That is why poker terms for beginners to learn and remember matter more than people expect. They are not trivia. They are the structure of the game. When someone says “check,” “call,” “raise,” or “fold,” the word is not just a sound. It is a decision with a price, made in public, in a strict order. Once you know the order, you can watch Rounders and instantly see who is pushing, who is waiting, and who is trying to keep the pot small.

Poker terms are also unique because many of them borrow normal words and give them a narrow meaning. “Call” does not mean “contact me later.” It means “I match your bet.” “Blind” is not about vision. It is a forced bet that sets the hand in motion. “Position” sounds like a seat, but it really means timing, and timing is power. This is where poker language can feel confusing at first, even when the words seem familiar. The same word can carry everyday meaning in life and a precise meaning at the table.

Finally, poker terms help you read the social side of the table without guessing. Words like “value,” “bluff,” and “tell” point to the main truth of poker culture: people are always managing what others believe. That is the real engine of Rounders. The characters are not only playing cards. They are using a shared language to shape the story of each hand, because we are talking about a mental game, which is is at the core of poker philosophy, as the one of the social media posts has illustrated:

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Pace changes culture, and it changes what you notice on screen

One reason poker films can feel hard to “hear” is that poker has more than one natural speed now. Online play moves faster, and the faster it moves, the more the culture leans on short cues instead of long talk. The same basic terms still apply, but their feel changes with tempo.

Recent strategy writing about live versus online play puts real numbers on that difference. A 2026 report explains that poker can move at very different speeds:

    • Online poker usually plays about 60 to 75 hands per hour at one table.

    • Fast-fold poker can jump up to around 200 to 250 hands per hour.

    • Live games in a casino are much slower, often only 20 to 30 hands per hour.

The movie’s tables have room for silence, needling, and long looks, because the pace supports it. In faster environments, the same meaning gets packed into fewer seconds. Players still use table language, but they rely more on timing, sizing, and quick patterns than on extended chatter.

So if you have learned poker mostly through quick online sessions, Rounders can seem unusually talky. If you have learned through slow tables, online poker can seem unusually clipped. Either way, the fix is the same: connect the words to the tempo. Once you do, you start to see how pace shapes culture, and culture shapes what a movie chooses to show.

Rounders treats the casino setting like a character, not a backdrop

Rounders works well because the story is written to fit the rooms where the poker games happen. The important scenes aren’t just “people playing cards.” 

The script pays attention to small details: who talks first, who stays quiet, when a pause says more than a sentence, and how speaking in a calm voice can be its own kind of move. Because of this, the room isn’t just a background. It actually changes the feeling of the story, the speed of the scenes, and how much pressure the characters feel.

John Dahl’s directing angle matches that idea. In a 25th anniversary interview, he described thinking of it like a sports movie, where you are brought inside a professional world and the “specificity of the language” matters, even if viewers do not catch every term the first time. He also pushed back on the idea that everything needed to be explained, because the intention of a moment can still land while the audience is learning the code.

Lighting, language, and why the world still feels real

Visually, the film supports the same goal. An article in American Cinematographer explains that the movie uses warm, soft lighting at the tables. This makes the poker scenes feel close and easy to follow, so you can clearly see people’s faces, their hands, and the small changes in who is in control, without it feeling like a boring lesson.

The writers also treated the movie like a story about “inside language.”

Brian Koppelman has said they worked hard to use a way of talking and a set of words that people didn’t hear much in movies before. That made the script harder to sell at the beginning, but it also made it stand out. Because of that choice, Rounders still feels like it truly belongs to its world (poker rooms and their culture), not just to the basic plot.

PREVIEW: 1978 (2026 Film) - Directed by Luciano Onetti and Nicolás Onetti

Preview by Jon Donnis

From Black Mandala Films comes the horror feature 1978, directed by Luciano Onetti and Nicolás Onetti, the filmmakers behind ABRAKADABRA and WHAT THE WATERS LEFT BEHIND. The film combines political terror with occult horror and is set against one of the darkest periods in Argentine history.

1978 held its world premiere at the Sitges Catalonian International Film Festival, an event widely regarded as the most important festival dedicated to fantasy and horror cinema. The film quickly attracted attention there for its uncompromising tone and its shocking narrative turns.

After its festival debut, the film went on to receive theatrical releases across several international territories. It later became one of the most watched genre titles on HBO Latin America, demonstrating strong interest from horror audiences as well as mainstream viewers.

The story takes place during the 1978 World Cup final between Argentina and Holland, during the height of the country's military dictatorship. A group of torturers violently raid a house and abduct several young people, taking them to a clandestine detention centre.

What begins as a brutal and inhumane interrogation soon becomes something far worse. The captors have made a fatal mistake. Their victims are not who they appear to be, and they belong to a sinister cult guided by an unknown supernatural force.

As the situation escalates, reality begins to fracture and violence increases. The detention centre becomes a nightmare where the torturers soon find themselves becoming the tortured.

With its raw performances, suffocating atmosphere, and a bold combination of historical horror and the occult, 1978 presents a disturbing experience within the genre.

1978 is now available on major digital streaming platforms in North America, and has also been released on DVD and Blu ray, bringing the film to audiences interested in modern Latin American horror cinema.

Apple TV - https://apple.co/4sg5cjU

REVIEW: Shelter (2026 film) - Starring Jason Statham

Review by Jon Donnis

Ric Roman Waugh's Shelter arrives with a premise that feels immediately recognisable. A former assassin in hiding, a shadowy agency that refuses to let him disappear, and a young innocent caught in the middle. It is territory that action cinema has explored many times before. What keeps Shelter engaging is not the originality of the idea, but the confidence of the execution and the presence of Jason Statham at the centre of it all.

Statham plays Michael Mason, a former operative of an elite government kill team known as the Black Kites. Having turned his back on the agency, Mason now lives alone on a small island off the coast of Scotland, (apparently filmed in Ireland) keeping his distance from the world and from the violent life he once led. His quiet routine is broken when Jessie, a young girl grieving the death of her mother, becomes stranded on the island during a storm. When Mason ventures to the mainland to buy supplies for her, his presence is noticed by his former handler Manafort, who quickly sets events in motion that drag Mason back into a conflict he had hoped to escape.

The Scottish (really Ireland) setting gives the film a welcome sense of atmosphere. Windswept coastlines, isolated farms and dimly lit rural roads create a backdrop that suits the film's tone of quiet tension. Waugh uses these locations well, giving the story a grounded feel that contrasts nicely with the bursts of violence that erupt throughout the film.

As expected, the action is where Shelter finds most of its energy. The film delivers several intense driving sequences and some particularly brutal hand to hand fights that allow Statham to do what he does best. The confrontations feel physical and immediate, with punches landing heavily and fights unfolding in tight spaces that heighten the sense of danger. Fans of Statham's particular brand of action will recognise the rhythm straight away. The film hits the familiar marks but does so with enough confidence to remain entertaining.

Much of the film's emotional weight comes from the relationship between Mason and Jessie. Bodhi Rae Breathnach gives a strong performance as the young girl who slowly breaks through Mason's guarded exterior. Their scenes together give the story a bit of warmth and prevent the film from becoming a simple sequence of chases and fights. Statham, often cast as the silent professional, finds a convincing balance between hardened killer and reluctant protector. The chemistry between the two works surprisingly well and becomes one of the film's stronger elements.

The supporting cast also contributes solid performances. Bill Nighy brings a quiet menace to Manafort, Mason's former handler who refuses to let his rogue operative disappear. Daniel Mays adds some welcome personality as Mason's friend Arthur Booth, while Naomi Ackie's Roberta provides a glimpse into the cold bureaucracy behind the operation. None of these characters are particularly complex, but the actors give them enough presence to keep the story moving.

Despite its strengths, Shelter never fully escapes the feeling that it is following a well worn path. The central concept is very familiar and the plot developments rarely surprise. Many of the twists can be seen coming well in advance, which removes some of the tension from the story. Viewers who have seen a few films in this genre will likely recognise the structure long before the final act arrives.

The opening half hour also moves at a slightly slower pace than it needs to. The early scenes of Mason's isolated life establish the character and the setting, but they linger a little too long before the main conflict begins. Once the action properly starts the film finds its rhythm, though the initial stretch may test the patience of some viewers.

Fortunately, Shelter keeps its running time to a sensible one hour and forty five minutes. The film moves briskly once the chase begins and avoids overstaying its welcome. By the time Mason confronts the people who want him eliminated, the story has built enough momentum to carry it through to a satisfying conclusion.

Shelter does not attempt to reinvent the action thriller, and in truth it never really tries to. Instead it focuses on delivering a solid, straightforward piece of entertainment built around a dependable action star, a striking Scottish backdrop and a handful of well staged set pieces. The result is a film that may be predictable, but is rarely dull.

In the end, Shelter stands as a perfectly decent action film. The story may feel familiar and the early pacing is a little slow, but the performances and the action keep it consistently watchable. Jason Statham once again proves why he remains one of the most reliable leads in this genre.

I enjoyed it, and I would happily watch it again. Shelter earns a strong 8.5 out of 10.

Out Now on Apple TV - https://apple.co/4l4ehtK

PREVIEW: The Plague (2026 Film) - Starring Joel Edgerton

Preview by Jon Donnis

Vertigo Releasing has confirmed the upcoming digital release of the thriller The Plague, a tense coming of age drama that explores the darker side of childhood group dynamics. The film stars Joel Edgerton, known for Train Dreams and The Gift, who also serves as a producer on the project. Alongside him are newcomers Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin and Kenny Rasmussen, all taking on key roles in the unsettling story.

The Plague first drew attention during its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received an extraordinary reception. The screening ended with an eleven minute standing ovation and the film also picked up the Best Sound Creation Award, highlighting the strength of its atmospheric and immersive design.

Set during the summer of 2003, the story unfolds at an all boys summer water polo camp where twelve year old Ben struggles to find his place. Socially anxious and eager to belong, he finds himself navigating a brutal and unspoken hierarchy among the other boys. When Ben befriends Eli, an isolated camper who is shunned by others because they believe he carries a contagious "plague", he becomes drawn into a disturbing culture of scapegoating and intimidation.

What begins as teasing slowly shifts into something far more unsettling. As the boys push the limits of what they consider a game, Ben starts to realise how easily cruelty can hide behind laughter and peer pressure. The experience forces him to confront his own role in what is happening and the frightening price that can come with trying to fit in.

The film is written and directed by Charlie Polinger, marking his feature film debut. Through a mix of tension and dark humour, The Plague examines ideas around masculinity, belonging and the way group behaviour can spiral into something deeply harmful.

The Plague will be available to watch digitally from 20 April 2025 on Amazon, Apple TV, Sky Store, YouTube Movies, EE TV and Rakuten.

Apple TV - https://apple.co/4aPv7Yt