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Movie of the Week 

MOVIE OF THE WEEK October 30, 2026: GENTLE MONSTER

Jennifer Merin , , , , , , , ,

When you love someone, it’s hard to escape the powerful urge to excuse or rationalize the things they do that cross the line of social acceptance — like telling an off-color joke or making an inappropriate comment. But what happens when that line isn’t just crossed, but absolutely obliterated? That’s what happens to pianist Lucy (Léa Seydoux) when the police come calling for her husband in writer/director Marie Kreutzer’s intense drama Gentle Monster.

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Lists Weekly Releases 

OPENING Oct 26 to Nov 1, 2026 – Margaret Barton-Fumo reports

Margaret Barton-Fumo , ,

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists highlights movies made by and about women. With a vigilant eye toward current releases, we maintain an interactive record of films that are pertinent to our interests. Be they female-made or female-centric productions, they are films that represent a wide range of women’s stories and present complex female characters. As such, they are movies that will most likely be reviewed on AWFJ.org and will qualify for consideration for our annual EDA Awards, celebrating exceptional women working in film behind and in front of the camera.

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Reviews 

QUEEN AT SEA – Review by April Neale

April Neale , , , , , ,

Watching an elder loved one’s decline is life’s cruelest inevitability. What happens when someone we love can no longer tell us what they need, what they want, or whether they understand the choices being made for them? And who gets to decide when they can no longer speak for themselves? In Queen at Sea, filmmaker Lance Hammer confronts these agonizing questions in a deeply unsettling drama that refuses to offer easy answers. Actor Juliette Binoche delivers an astonishing performance as a daughter thrust into caretaker mode when she suspects her mother is enduring marital rape against her will, or at the very least unknowingly.

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News 

WEEK IN WOMEN: Nina Jacobson receives Polly Platt Award for Producing at Austin Film Fest – Brandy McDonnell reports

Brandy McDonnell , , , , ,

Renowned film and television producer Nina Jacobson will receive the Polly Platt Award for Producing during the 33rd Annual Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference in Texas. The Austin Film Festival, which hosts the world’s largest screenwriters conference and leads in championing the art and craft of storytelling for more than three decades, is set for Oct. 29-Nov. 5 at venues throughout downtown Austin and the surrounding area. A renowned film and television producer, Jacobson will be honored with the Polly Platt Award during the event’s 2026 Awards Luncheon on Oct. 31. The Austin Film Festival, which hosts the world’s largest screenwriters conference and leads in championing the art and craft of storytelling for more than three decades, is set for Oct. 29-Nov. 5 at venues throughout downtown Austin and the surrounding area. A renowned film and television producer, Jacobson will be honored with the Polly Platt Award during the event’s 2026 Awards Luncheon on Oct. 31.

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Reviews 

KLARA AND THE SUN – REVIEW BY T.J. CALLAHAN

T. J. Callahan , , , , , , ,

Cloning is so 20th century. When a distant and controlling grieving mother (Amy Adams), who’s already lost one daughter to illness, agrees to buy her surviving younger daughter an artificial friend to keep her company, you know there has to be an ulterior motive. Writer/Director Taika Waititi adapted the screenplay for Klara and the Sun from the bestselling novel of the same name written by Nobel Prize winner Kazuro Ishiguro. I have not read the book, but the dystopian sci-fi drama that focused on the morality of mortality while tackling hot button AI issues seems to have gotten the “Hallmark” treatment from Waititi.

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Commentaries 

Horror Movies and Kids: A Scary Combination — Betsy Bozdech, with Brandy McDonnell, Jennifer Merin, Nell Minow and Liz Whittemore

Betsy Bozdech , , , , , ,

As Halloween, the holiday for spooky movies approaches, concers arise about how much horror kids can handle without trauma. Back In 2019, a survey conducted for the streaming service Tubi revealed that the average age at which people see their first horror movie is 10 years old. While that doesn’t necessarily mean that all kids are in the same boat, we’ve all noticed members of the PG crowd at decidedly R-rated movies. What’s the level of fear they experience during these movies, and how do onscreen blood and gore influence their social expectations? Our members weigh in.

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Reviews 

AMERICAN HOSTAGE – Review by Susan Granger

Susan Granger , , , , , ,

Gus Van Sant made the 2025 movie Dead Man’s Wire, while Shawn Ryan & Eileen Myers created American Hostage, an eight-part mini-series. Both emanated from a real-life drama in which a trusted legendary radio newsman was contacted by a kidnapper, demanding to be interviewed on his show. On February 8, 1977, in Indianapolis, Indiana, used car salesman Tony Kiritsis (Giovanni Ribisi) took Meridian Mortgage broker Dick Hall (Kristoffer Polaha) hostage

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Festivals 

Middleburg Film Festival Recap (MFF 2026) – Leslie Combemale reports

Leslie Combemale , , , , , , , , ,

The 14th year of the Middleburg Film Festival is in everyone’s rearview mirror, and it’s clear Sheila Johnson and all the fest organizers have committed longterm to a very clear vision, and that vision is gratefully very femme-forward. It is also very supportive of artisans below the line, something often lacking at other fests worldwide. One of the things that has made MFF notable from the beginning is the fact that it happens in early to mid October, right as films aspiring to awards buzz or Oscar recognition are being rolled out. As a result, and because Sheila Johnson still haS ample juice in any and every professional quarter including Hollywood, there are always highly anticipated movies being screened at the festival. 2026 is no exception.

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Festivals Reviews 

BEHEMOTH! (Middleburg FF 2026) – Review by Leslie Combemale

Leslie Combemale , , , , , , ,

Ok, for those of you who can never get enough of Pedro Pascal, or who love him when he’s at the top of his game, let me start out by saying Behemoth! is Pedro at his very most charismatic. Have you picked up your keys and headed for the theater yet, because that should be enough right there to get you to writer/director Tony Gilroy’s latest feature, but let me give you a few other reasons why it should be at the top of your viewing list.

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Festivals Reviews 

I PLAY ROCKY (Middleburg FF 2026) – Review by Leslie Combemale

Leslie Combemale , , , , , ,

As a female film critic, and more, as a female film fan, for me 1976’s Rocky always seemed decidedly male-centric. The character of Rocky Balboa, as much as I remember the maybe one or two times I watched the movie, was not a guy whose corner I particularly chose, whether in a fight or in life. He’s steeped in traditional, masculine tropes. The entire world of the film revolves around male ego, a celebration of patriarchy, and the importance of male dominance. With that in mind, I found I Play Rocky, the story of how the film got to the screen and the challenges of one man’s attempt to break through in Hollywood and overcome his limitations, to be much more approachable.

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