This week, we feature a suspenseful new film about two world leaders deciding the fate of humanity and a comedy fantasy on finding good in the worst of situations.
New Release
‘The Brink of War’
U.S. President Ronald Reagan (Jeff Daniels) and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (Jared Harris) meet in Iceland to negotiate while thousands of nuclear weapons hang over the Cold War. An extraordinary proposal soon puts Reagan in a position where a few decisions at a conference table could change the course of history.
Daniels and Harris capture the essence of the world leaders. Watching them probe, bargain, and refuse to blink stays engaging even when most of the movie consists of two men trying to verbally outmaneuver each other.
History | Thriller | War
Release Date: Aug. 14, 2026
Director: Michael Russell Gunn
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Jared Harris, J.K. Simmons
Running Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Where to Watch: Theaters
Rated: 4 stars out of 5
Family Pick
‘Luck’
Sam Greenfield (Eva Noblezada) has spent her life stumbling from one mishap to the next. A lucky penny and Bob (Simon Pegg), the talking black cat who lost it, draw her into the realm that sends good fortune to Earth, but can Sam bring some home for someone she loves?
Rabbits in hazmat suits, a fussy Scottish cat, and runaway bad-luck dust give younger kids plenty to laugh at. The plot spends a little too long explaining its machinery, but there’s a good lesson waiting at the end about finding the silver lining during rotten days.
Comedy | Family | Fantasy
Release Date: Aug. 5, 2022
Directors: Javier Abad, Peggy Holmes
Starring: Eva Noblezada, Simon Pegg, Jane Fonda
Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Where to Watch: Apple TV, Apple TV Amazon
Rated: 3 1/2 stars out of 5
Waiting for Fate to Circle Back
‘Serendipity’
Jonathan Trager (John Cusack) falls for Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale) after a shopping mix-up turns into dessert and ice skating in New York. Their evening ends with an unusual bargain that lets fate judge their future, and, years later, both start searching for each other.
Beckinsale and Cusack drive this engaging cosmic journey fueled by lots of absurd coincidences and quirky side characters. This fluffy, feel-good tale suggests that unusual detours may lead the right people back to each other.
Comedy | Romance
Release Date: Oct. 5, 2001
Director: Peter Chelsom
Starring: John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Jeremy Piven
Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Where to Watch: Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube
Rated: 3 1/2 stars out of 5
Deception Across the Atlantic
‘Yellow Canary’
Branded a traitor, Sally Maitland (Anna Neagle) travels to Canada, as British agent Jimmy Garrick (Richard Greene) and Polish aristocrat Jan Orlock (Albert Lieven) pursue her for different reasons.
Neagle shines brightly in this unpredictable World War II double-agent thriller, backed by flawless direction from Herbert Wilcox and a stellar supporting cast that keeps the suspense high.
Drama | Thriller
Release Date: April 13, 1944
Director: Herbert Wilcox
Starring: Anna Neagle, Richard Greene, Nova Pilbeam
Running Time: 1 hour, 24 minutes
Not Rated
Where to Watch: YouTube
Rated: 4 stars out of 5
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