Last week I did something I rarely do: I walked out of a movie theater before a film was finished. The movie wasn’t bad. I wasn’t physically ill. But I’d maybe hit my gore quotient. The film in question? Obsession. Written and directed by Curry Baker, it’s all about a nice guy who uses a wish to make his crush fall in love with him. The wish works. Too well. Gore and hijinks ensue. I was locked in. But before the final scene, I’d had my fill. Enough jump scares. Enough gore. Actually, more than enough gore.

Inde Navarrette was pitch-perfect as a twisted lover lacking control of her own emotions. In fact, she was the best part. And right before the final scene, I knew I’d gotten everything from this movie I needed. And I didn’t want to see blood anymore. I was also done with my burger and beer.

But don’t hold my walkout against me, and don’t get discouraged about this summer’s crop of films. As I discussed this week with Katey Rich of The Ankler’s Prestige Junkie podcast, Summer 2026 is poised to be full of great movies! The Odyssey is already sucking all of the air out of the room, but there are a handful of smaller films hitting screens in the next few months that deserve our attention.

Here are a few:

Is God Is (Out now): This one is in theaters now. And it’s so good, I’ve already seen it twice. Think For Colored Girls meets Quentin Tarantino. It’s a revenge-filled take on the spaghetti western, but extra, extra Black. Vivica Fox stars as a disabled and deformed matriarch who sends her twin daughters on a mission to avenge their mother (whom they call God) by killing their own father, played by Sterling K. Brown. Aren’t you already obsessed?

I Love Boosters (May 22nd): Boots Riley is back, and not a moment too soon. His work always tackles the insidious nature of the late-stage capitalism we live under, and this one is no different. Big colors. Big stars, like Keke Palmer and Demi Moore. Big fun.

Scary Movie 6 (June 5th): Listeners and watchers will know that I am a big fan of everything the Wayans family does. I think In Living Color fundamentally changed America’s pop culture landscape, and that the entertainment world we live in today would be something entirely different (and worse) without the Wayans. Thankfully, they’re back. You don’t need me to tell you about the Scary Movie franchise. But just know, if we’re in the same theater to see this one when it comes out, you aren’t allowed to ridicule me for how loud I’m laughing.

Power Ballad (June 5th): A comedy drama in which Nick Jonas plays a washed-up former boy band singer who bonds with a wedding singer played by Paul Rudd. One of them steals a song from the other. You can probably guess which one. This trailer fully hooked me, and the director and co-writer John Carney has a great track record–he’s the guy who made the mega-hit movie and Broadway play Once.

The Invite (June 26th): I’ve been wary of Olivia Wilde’s directing since Don’t Worry Darling (even though I actually loved Booksmart). The Invite might win me back. This one is a remake of a Spanish film called The People Upstairs. It’s all about two couples living in the same building who go from friendship to maybe something more. Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton star. Edward and Penelélope can always get me into a theater, and I personally feel that everything Seth Rogen touches right now (The Muppet Show, The Studio) turns to gold. So I’m hopeful that this one will impress.

Jackass: Best and Last (June 26th): I’m of a very particular millennial age. Which means that I’ve watched more episodes of Jackass than you could ever imagine. Anything Johnny Knoxville does, I’m there. This is no different.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (August 7th): Horror is my favorite genre. And movies that try to turn that genre on its head always impress me. This one doesn’t just do that — it completely decapitates the genre and creates something strange and new. It’s a mediataion on queer love and desire, and how fear is always tied to lust. It’s a send-up of Hollywood’s current obsession with IP and reboots. And, it’s a most surprising love story between Hannah Einbeinder and Gillian Anderson. Everything about this movie is a big, big swing. I’m loving it.

Alright, what’s on your list for this summer? You can check out my chat with Katey Rich to see what films I am NOT excited about over the next few months.

And if you’re so inclined, there’s another convo in the feed this week with pop culture critic MJ Corey. She’s been studying the Kardashians, critically, for years, and now she’s out with a book all about them. I’m always blown away by MJ’s analysis, and this time is no different. She tells us what the Kardsahians say about the culture, and really all of us, whether we like it or not.

I recommend that chat as well, and also her book! It’s called Dekonstructing The Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto. It’s out now.

Till next week, happy moviegoing!

-Sam

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