That Shelf

Movies that hinge on ‘inspired by a true story’ should always be approached with wary skepticism. It’s an unwritten rule: there will be embellishments and dramatization, and often the final story barely resembles the original, real-life inspiration. By Any Means, though, stretches the truth so much that it begins to feel like a piece of Laffy Taffy. But does that mean the overall film doesn’t land? Well, it does, and it doesn’t.

Coyote vs. ACME turns Wile E. Coyote’s endless battle with ACME into a surprisingly heartfelt legal comedy, following the cartoon underdog as he takes the company to court after one too many failed schemes. Blending animation and live action, the film embraces the absurdity of its Looney Tunes world while weaving in a story about corporate power, perseverance, and standing up for yourself.

After 12 years of playing in other people’s I.P. sandboxes, Adam Wingard returns to his original filmmaking. It’s a welcome homecoming for a writer/director with the proven acumen for combining action, horror, and thrills in equal measure. As much fun as his Godzilla entries were, it’s safe to say that You’re Next or The Guest rank higher on people’s watchlists.

Amazon Prime’s The Runner is set up as a brisk, hectic thriller where a loving mother and analytical lawyer, Maia (a wooden Gal Gadot), literally races across London to save her son (Rory Wilmot) from an anonymous kidnapper (Damian Lewis). The film’s story hinges on momentum and fast-paced action. Yet, in a sad irony, the tension feels, well, absent. The film aspires to be as intriguing and visually witty as Run Lola Run.

Mayday is the latest from the writer/director team of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, who previously brought us the surprise hits Game Night and Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Set in 1987 against the backdrop of the Cold War, it follows Troy Kelly (played by Ryan Reynolds), a US Navy pilot who crash-lands in Soviet Russia after a black-op mission goes awry.

There is something simultaneously disquieting and calming about The Salt Path, Marianne Elliott’s contemplative feature filmmaking debut. Even amid the considerable anguish faced by its central couple, Elliott finds stillness in the vastness of the landscapes and, just as effectively, in the faces of the people moving through them.

It’s supremely hard to get a series made these days. So many things have to align to get it into production, not to mention the luck and talent needed to make it a successful series. Then there’s the hurdle of getting renewed for another kick at the can – probably the point where most, even lauded shows, fall. But Glen Powell and Michael Waldron’s Chad Powers beat the odds on all fronts.

After years of waiting, The Who is seeing a slew of audiophile releases celebrating some of their most exceptional recordings. The biggest news are the UHQR Tommy and Who’s Next releases that use the Classic Records plates from the ’90s pressed using newer technologies including superior pressing plants and better vinyl composition.

Every so often a film comes around that stops me dead in my tracks. It is not necessarily the best film of the year, or the one with the biggest budget, or the most esoteric one. Rather, these are films with such original concepts and immersive world building that they cannot be ignored. For both 2025 and 2026, that film is It Ends. It Ends started playing film festivals over 18 months ago, and had a production journey of nearly five years.

There’s been no shortage of magnificent Joni Mitchell releases over the last several years, but it’s always a good time to celebrate when music fans are able to secure some particularly excellent copies without breaking the bank. Blue, Joni’s 1971 record that got pigeonholed into the “confessional folk” rubric, remains as indelible decades on as when it was first released.