This week, we feature a low-key romance that grows between two young people and a classic rom-com led by an extraordinary cast.
New Release
‘Step Back, Doors Closing’
Julisa (Carmen Berkeley) randomly crosses paths with Ryan (Reilly Walters) during a chance encounter in Washington D.C.’s transit system. What could have been a brief exchange stretches into a full day spent roaming the city. The two hang out longer than either planned, without any real agenda.
I liked how this rom-com keeps things small and personal. It’s just two people seeing a city the way normal humans do, half curious and half lost. The leads do a fine job conveying young romantics who gradually grow closer, leaving the film on a hopeful note.
Comedy | Drama | Romance
Release Date: Feb. 13, 2026 (Limited)
Director: Carter Ward
Starring: Carmen Berkeley, Reilly Walters, Michelle Macedo
Running Time: 1 hour, 38 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Where to Watch: Theaters
Rated: 3 1/2 stars out of 5
Family Pick
‘The Sea Beast’
Famed monster-hunter Jacob Holland (Karl Urban) sails under Capt. Crow (Jared Harris) until young stowaway Maisie (Zaris-Angel Hator) crashes the mission after losing her parents, hunters themselves, to a sea monster. Together, they rip across chartless waters, chased by a leviathan, with Maisie refusing to stay on the sidelines.
This movie looks gorgeous and moves with real energy on screen, though some dialogue feels clunky. There’s real peril out on those waves, so parents should know there are scary moments that could spook younger children.
Adventure | Comedy | Family
Release Date: July 8, 2022
Director: Chris Williams
Starring: Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris
Running time: 1 hour, 55 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Where to Watch: Netflix
Rated: 3 stars out of 5
Old Villains Wake Up, Teen Mutants Clock In
‘X-Men: Apocalypse’
En Sabah Nur (Oscar Isaac) shows up with terrifying strength and starts pulling in mutants like Magneto (Michael Fassbender) to remake things his way. In response, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) and Professor X (James McAvoy) scramble to gather the next generation of X-Men.
The younger cast members have some decent chemistry together, but Jennifer Lawrence is so-so as a leader. This isn’t going to win any prizes over the earlier ‘X-Men” films, yet it’s still worth a look if you want to see some cool fight scenes.
Superhero | Action | Adventure
Release Date: May 27, 2016
Directors: Bryan Singer
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence
Running time: 2 hours, 24 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Where to Watch: Amazon, Plex, YouTube
Rated: 3 stars out of 5
Champagne Romance With a Side of Pratfalls
‘Indiscreet’
Stage legend Anna Kalman (Ingrid Bergman) travels back to her home in London, gets nudged by friends into attending a banquet, then becomes involved with visiting financier Philip Adams (Cary Grant).
Cary Grant and Bergman have a natural rhythm that carries a pretty thin plot, even if things take a bit to actually get moving. It’s a breezy watch with some surprisingly funny slapstick.
Comedy | Romance
Release Date: July 26, 1958
Director: Stanley Donen
Starring: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Cecil Parker
Running Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Not Rated
Where to Watch: YouTube, Amazon, Disney+
Rated: 3 1/2 stars out of 5
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