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Tin Soldier: An Ambitious but Uneven Journey Into Trauma and Redemption

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Director Brad Furman returns with Tin Soldier, an action-thriller that tackles the weighty subject of PTSD through the lens of a cult infiltration story. While the film boasts an impressive ensemble cast and noble intentions, it struggles to balance its ambitious themes with the demands of its chosen genre.

The story centers on Nash Cavanaugh (Scott Eastwood), a military veteran haunted by PTSD who becomes entangled with The Program, an alternative treatment facility led by the enigmatic Bokushi (Jamie Foxx). When an FBI raid on the compound goes catastrophically wrong, Nash finds himself recruited by Special Agent Emmanuel Ashburn (Robert De Niro) for a second attempt to bring down the organization and its charismatic leader.

Furman, who previously demonstrated his skill with character-driven narratives in The Lincoln Lawyer and explored morally complex territory in City of Lies, attempts to weave together multiple threads: a tense infiltration thriller, a meditation on trauma recovery, and a personal journey of redemption. The director’s experience with ensemble pieces serves him well here, as he manages to give each member of his talented cast meaningful moments to shine.

Jamie Foxx delivers a particularly compelling performance as the cult leader Bokushi, managing to convey both magnetic charisma and underlying menace. His screen presence anchors the film’s more philosophical moments, making every scene he appears in feel charged with significance. Scott Eastwood brings a vulnerable intensity to Nash, effectively portraying a man caught between his desperate search for his wife Evoli (Nora Amezeder) and his own psychological wounds.

The supporting cast, including John Leguizamo as strike team leader Luke Dunn, adds depth to what could have been a straightforward action premise. De Niro, while working with familiar territory, brings gravitas to his role as an FBI agent whose motivations may not be entirely pure.

Where The Tin Soldier struggles most is in its tonal consistency. The film makes bold choices in its sound design, attempting to use audio to replicate the disorienting effects of PTSD—an innovative approach that doesn’t always land successfully. More problematically, the breakneck pace rarely allows viewers to fully invest in the emotional stakes of Nash’s journey or the gravity of the themes being explored.

The film’s climactic confrontation between Nash and Bokushi escalates into an elaborate visual spectacle that, while technically impressive, feels oddly disconnected from the grounded psychological drama that preceded it. This tonal shift exemplifies the movie’s central challenge: its identity crisis between being a thoughtful examination of trauma and a high-octane action thriller.

Furman’s script contains the bones of a powerful story about veterans seeking help and the predators who exploit their vulnerability. The exploration of alternative treatment programs and the desperation that drives people to seek them feels particularly relevant. However, the film’s ultimate commitment to action-movie conventions undermines the very message it’s trying to convey about the importance of proper mental health treatment.

The Tin Soldier represents a valiant effort to address serious issues within the framework of mainstream entertainment. While it doesn’t fully succeed in marrying its weighty themes with its genre elements, there’s enough compelling material here to make it worth watching for fans of the cast or those interested in unconventional approaches to familiar subjects.

The film opens in theaters today, September 12th, with a digital release scheduled for September 30th. Despite its flaws, The Tin Soldier stands as an interesting, if uneven, entry in Furman’s filmography—one that reaches for something meaningful even when it doesn’t quite grasp it.

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Movie Reviews

Into the Unknown: Reviewing ‘From the Beyond: High Strangeness in the Bennington Triangle’

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In this video, we take a deep dive into the mysterious and unsettling documentary ‘From the Beyond: High Strangeness in the Bennington Triangle’.

Exploring one of America’s most infamous paranormal hotspots, this film examines eerie disappearances, strange sightings, and the chilling folklore surrounding Vermont’s Bennington Triangle. We break down the documentary’s storytelling, evidence, interviews, and overall atmosphere—does it truly uncover something unexplainable, or does it leave more questions than answers?

If you’re into unsolved mysteries, paranormal phenomena, and high strangeness, this one’s for you.


Synopsis: Since the mid twentieth century, a mysterious section of land in rural Vermont has been the home of untold strangeness. Rumors of UFOs, ghosts, phantom lights and mysterious creatures can all be found there in abundance, while verified reports of odd disappearances – many still unsolved – cast a shadow over Glastenbury Mountain. From the Beyond: High Strangeness in the Bennington Triangle goes beyond the rumors and campfire stories, while daring to ask what may be the most frightening question of all – why is Glastenbury Mountain so inexplicable, and what happened to those who have gone missing?

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Movie Reviews

THE SHITHEADS aka IDIOTS – Sticky, Icky, and Out of Control

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The Shitheads, now renamed Idiots, was showcased during the 2026 SXSW festival and is scheduled for a theatrical release in August of this year. The film is directed by Macon Blair which he co-wrote with Alex Orr, starring Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Mason Thames. The plot is driven by a couple of underachievers taking on what should be an effortless task of transporting an affluent teen to a rehab center, but this intellectually predatory teen throws them off course.

It didn’t quite reach the heights it aimed for. I was anticipating this dark comedy to be an exciting adventure, bursting with laughs, but it was frustrating like your car getting a flat tire. The characters are defined by basic emotions-anger and confusion-but nothing beyond that. The movie never explores them, so it’s difficult to empathize. When faced with several misfortunes, they lack impact because the audience has no emotional connection.  The weak characters are just along for the ride, dictated by the script rather than the narrative cohesion, making that “road to nowhere” feel long and exhausting. It spends a lot of time lingering on repulsive comedy scenes that not even a jumbo roll of toilet paper could wipe up this mess. It can get sticky, icky and out of control.

Mason Thames, however, made chicken salad out of… well, you know. He impressed me with his performance, a revelation role of a charismatic irritant-sociopathic, spoiled, privileged brat. Thames could have elevated his character to higher levels and carry the film to the finish line. While critically acclaimed renowned actor Peter Dinklage had a brief cameo, it served as a tantalizing preview of the chemistry he might share with Mason Thames for a future team-up.

There is a much better movie buried somewhere inside the pile of Idiots. The underlying premise has potential, but the film eventually stalls under the coherent thematic arc and inconsistent pacing. It’s not a disaster by any means, but it is a disappointing work of inspired fragments rather than a cohesive narrative that falls short of being essential cinema.

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Movie Reviews

THE SEEING EYE DOG WHO SAW TOO MUCH – A Fun Hidden Short Mystery Gem

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A 1975 film by Enrico Januzzi The Seeing Eye Dog Who Saw Too Much has been exhumed by Eric Jackowitz who wrote, directed and stars as the Dog Scientist that brings a quirky invention to extract clues from the memory of the victim’s seeing eye dog to solve the mystery of the black-gloved killer at the Rome Symphony. The dog’s facial expression says it all… what the heck is happening here! It’s a short film that gives a fun experience to keep you guessing through the laughs and exaggerated slashing to the whodunit murder mystery.

Jackowitz used the limited time effectively giving it a similar resemblance to a grownup version of a Scooby Doo episode, but with classic cinematic style that blends sharp comedy with serious, dark themes, focusing on eccentric characters. This haunting film is all character driven with the intriguing, unusual suspects and victims compiling the pieces of the puzzle for the grand ruh-roh reveal.

The Seeing Eye Dog Who Saw Too Much had its world premiere at the 2026 SXSW Festival, and to no surprise it won the Audience Award. The small ensemble includes Ethan Edenburg (Maestro), Anna Garcia (Daria), Colton Eschief Mastro (Stelvio), Gabrielle Montes de Oca (Anne), Melissa Villaseñor (Cesar Salad Lady) and Tom Mcgovern (Angelo). Each actor was empowered to explore their roles freely, allowing them to immerse themselves in the joy of character creation making this an outrageously entertaining short film that I consider a fun hidden short mystery gem.

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