Verity (2026) | A trashy mystery thriller that feels like a 90s STV guilty pleasure with a much bigger budget. And Anne Hathaway. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 5.8/10. I'll admit I've been a fan of Anne Hathaway ever since she was Agent 99 in Get Smart, so I was more than happy to see her tackling something a little darker. In Verity, Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson) is hired to ghostwrite for bestselling author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway), where she stumbles on some notes that freak her out because they indicate that things in the Crawford family aren’t exactly as they seem. What starts as a writing assignment quickly turns into a lethal conspiracy. Because working from home isn't dangerous enough.

We open with a lovely shot of a mansion overlooking a pond, followed by a collection of interior shots showing off just how luxurious Verity's home is. We then settle in for an interview with the author, where "It's a miracle built on villains" gets the full dramatic-music treatment before sending us to the title card. One year later, and Lowen is standing at a pedestrian crossing when she gets a face full of bloody pedestrian soup. Not exactly the sort of thing you expect before your morning coffee.

Enter Josh Hartnett (Josh Hartnett), who checks to see if she's okay. As coincidences go, this one's working overtime, because he's also the person interviewing her for the ghostwriting gig. Turns out he's Jeremy Crawford, Verity's husband, and his wife needs assistance following an accident. Lowen can move into their rather impressive home for a few weeks and get to know the author while working on the books. What could possibly go wrong?

Lowen arrives at the Crawford residence, swinging into the house like she's starring in Madame Web. Okay, just kidding. I had to get at least one jab in at Dakota for that flick, which I honestly didn't think was nearly as bad as everyone made out. Anyway, back to the mansion of bad judgment.

Of course, Lowen finds the USB that has Verity's autobiographical notes and proceeds to read them. Wow, that got dark. Real quick! Things only become more crazy from then on, and even though I thought I had a pretty good idea where this film would lead, they still tried to jam in a few twists. Whether they make any logical sense at all is another story. You'll need to suspend your disbelief a little to buy into the big reveal, particularly if you haven't already figured it out.

One thing I did struggle with was working out who the actual villain was. Not because the mystery was particularly difficult, but because just about everyone involved seems dodgy.

Director Michael Showalter does a solid job bringing Colleen Hoover's novel to the screen, with Nick Antosca's screenplay helping keep the ridiculous pieces together.

Verity (2026)

Ultimately, Verity is watchable in that shameless, old-fashioned, pulpy sort of way. Think those 90s erotic mystery thrillers that were constantly being pushed straight to video. This is today's version, just with a bigger budget and considerably better furniture. I'm sure Shannon Tweed would approve. LOL.

https://jackmeat.com/verity-2026/

Slaughter Night (2026) | Family camping is stressful enough without a masked psychopath joining in. A silly little gorefest that thankfully knows when to leave. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 2.7/10. A 71-minute horror movie called Slaughter Night? Well, that's either a promising sign of efficiency or a warning that even the filmmakers couldn't stomach another ten minutes. Naturally, I went in expecting an intricate plot, compelling characters and perhaps a little cinematic sophistication. Okay, who am I kidding? The title pretty much tells you what you're getting, and it certainly doesn't disappoint when it comes to the slaughter.

We open with an owl, a masked lunatic and a woman duct-taped to a table. Not much time wasted on introductions, although our masked friend seems to have all the time in the world when it comes to actually getting around to killing someone. Eventually, he gets there, and we're treated to our first helping of practical effects and bloody goodness before the opening credits. Straight to the point, at least.

Then we get a lovely little romantic stroll through the forest. Nothing says date night quite like walking your girlfriend into the middle of nowhere, leaving her there and heading back to the car alone. What could possibly go wrong? The answer is everything. It's almost impressive how quickly these characters make decisions that seem specifically designed to shorten their life expectancy.

Before long, we've got another couple of victims, more duct tape and our masked killer, who looks like he's dressed for an unpleasant black-tie dinner. Seriously, what's with the bow tie? Is there a dress code for torturing people these days?

Eventually, we meet the rest of our victims. A family on a getaway who, naturally, can't stand each other. Because being trapped with a sadistic psychopath isn't enough misery. We also need the usual family squabbling. One of the funniest moments comes when our killer carries away the dead bodies. You can clearly see the actors being slung over his shoulder, but when it comes time to dispose of them, a convenient camera cut allows him to toss them around like empty candy wrappers. Award-winning body disposal, right there.

Director Thomas Sahagun gives us a pretty silly little production that clearly puts practical gore ahead of just about everything else. And that's fine. The effects provide the main attraction, even if the movie never makes much effort to convince us that any of this is remotely realistic. Unlike Guinea Pig or August Underground, there's little attempt to create that uncomfortable sense of authenticity.

Don't come looking for sophisticated storytelling, convincing performances or characters worth getting attached to. That's not what this movie is selling. It's here to shock, splatter and hopefully make you squirm. Personally, I've seen FAR worse, and I'm willing to bet plenty of you have too.

The cops who eventually turn up are laughable, and their appearance conveniently sets things up for another installment.

Oh, please, please give us more. Because clearly, one night of this wasn't quite enough.

Slaughter Night (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/slaughter-night-2026/

The Daughters of the Domino (2025) | An average but enjoyable indie thriller where the family tree has more skeletons than branches. I'd skip the reunion. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 5.2/10. Being the daughter of a notorious serial killer can't be easy. Being the daughter who actually arrested him must make family gatherings a little awkward. Welcome to The Daughters of the Domino, an indie mystery thriller where family baggage, missing relatives and a copycat killer come together for what turns out to be a reasonably entertaining, if occasionally ridiculous, reunion.

Detective Nina Rose (Miranda Moffat), or Nine-A as she's apparently known, became something of a celebrity after bringing her serial-killer father, The Domino, to justice. Unfortunately, fame doesn't fix broken family relationships, and her relationship with sister Laura (Lucie Gillespie) has remained in the dumpster. Years later, a new killer appears to be following in Dad's footsteps, while Laura's daughter Jules (Ashley Poulin) goes missing. Naturally, this is the perfect opportunity for the sisters to put their differences aside and revisit some deeply buried family secrets. Nothing brings relatives together quite like murder.

We kick things off with some ominous music and Nina inspecting what she identifies as her father's burnt remains. A wonderfully cheerful opening. Really. Then, in a rather abrupt change of mood, she's dancing around her apartment to Spence Hood - The Bloodhound of the Blue Heron. I guess surviving a serial-killer father comes with an eclectic morning playlist.

Jules' birthday provides an opportunity for Aunt Nina to hand out show tickets, and the conversations between Jules and her friend Frankie (Asia Hicks) are refreshingly natural. They actually sound like teenagers talking to each other rather than actors desperately trying to convince us they're teenagers. Unfortunately, the celebrations are interrupted by another apparent Domino-inspired murder. Nina gets called to the scene, while the girls decide the show must go on. Their evening doesn't exactly end as planned, though, and neither does their journey home.

The underlying mystery is actually quite well constructed, with the family connections providing plenty of material to work with. The police response, however, requires a fairly generous suspension of disbelief. Let's just say some of the procedures and decisions aren't going to win any awards for realism. The investigation also wraps up a little too quickly, and the eventual twist isn't particularly difficult to spot. Still, it's competently put together and manages to keep things interesting.

Director Jesse McAnally deserves credit for making this look considerably more polished than its indie credentials might suggest. The cinematography is crisp, the shots are nicely composed, and the editing keeps everything moving. The cast also does a decent job selling the material, although Chief Keaton (Grover McCants) never quite clicked. Whether that's down to the performance or the writing, his scenes just don't land quite as well as the others.

There's also a nice little touch of uncertainty towards the end that gives the story one last reason to keep you thinking.

Overall, The Daughters of the Domino is an average indie mystery with a decent story and a likeable cast. There is enough family dysfunction to keep a therapist employed for years. The resolution could have been more fleshed out, but I still found it worthwhile. It felt more like the pilot episode of a television series than a standalone movie, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was the intention. There's certainly room for more Nine-A and her complicated family tree. Just keep Dad out of the next family reunion.

The Daughters of the Domino (2025)

Thanks to Richard over at Fosca Features for sending this one over.

https://jackmeat.com/the-daughters-of-the-domino-2025/

Melaleuca (2026) | A couple heads to a remote cabin for some quality time, only to discover the apocalypse has terrible timing. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 4.4/10. A couple heads off to a remote cabin during a pandemic, hoping for some peace, quiet, and perhaps a little marital rehabilitation. Unfortunately, a new "guest" has other ideas. The world starts falling apart, and their romantic getaway turns into a fight for survival. This determined survivalist has no intention of sharing the apocalypse with anyone. Melaleuca sounds promising, right? Well, I was expecting a little more bang for my end-of-the-world buck.

Things kick off with Misha (Jess Salgueiro) delivering a rather serious monologue, the central message of which is, "You are not lost." Salgueiro was easily one of the highlights of the Frasier reboot, so I was happy to see her here. We then get introduced to Arnold (Tom Keenan) and Patrick (Adam Hurtig), with the latter duct-taped to a chair while Arnold casually moves their checkers pieces around. Even hostage situations need a little recreational activity.

The movie uses illustrated doodle sequences to jump between the past and present, introducing us to the characters and giving us a broad overview of what's happening. We get "Before," followed by "The Happy Couple," which had me expecting a healthy dose of sarcasm. Surprisingly, these two actually seem relatively happy. They just need a getaway, and the family cabin seems like the perfect place to reconnect. Famous last words.

Director Jeremy Guenette takes a slow-burn approach, gradually connecting the cabin getaway with the increasingly uncomfortable hostage situation. Arnold eventually receives a panicked phone call from his mother, giving us some insight into the chaos unfolding beyond their little hideaway. Naturally, he decides that sharing this rather important information with his wife can wait. Nothing says healthy communication quite like withholding news of a global catastrophe.

Meanwhile, Misha is struggling with a writing deadline, and watching her hunt-and-peck typing technique makes me wonder how she's managed to get this far professionally. Perhaps the apocalypse will finally give her enough time to learn where the keys are. With everything going sideways, somebody also decides that taking acid is a perfectly reasonable next step. Honestly, at this point, who am I to judge?

Eventually, the various timelines catch up, and we discover exactly how Patrick ended up decorating that chair with duct tape. The "Now Where Were We" doodle helpfully brings us back around. Unfortunately, not everything lands. There's a particular "I just got shot" performance that had me questioning whether the actor had actually been informed what was happening in the scene.

Melaleuca is an extremely self-contained indie thriller that centers around three main characters. Salgueiro is a shining star in it all, making sense of all the bouncing back and forth between marriage crisis, apocalyptic antics, and panic at the prospect of a pandemic situation.

I liked the concept and appreciated the unusual storytelling approach, but the payoff never quite matches the setup. A decent little indie effort, just one that left me wishing there was a bit more going on beyond the doodles and duct tape.

Melaleuca (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/melaleuca-2026/

Blue Beetle (2023) | D.C. takes its stab at introducing a lesser-known hero from its comics with a varied degree of success. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 6.1/10. Blue Beetle is another superhero origin story, but this time we're trading billionaire playboys and radioactive accidents for a recent college graduate who gets his hands on an alien scarab. Because getting a job after school wasn't going to be difficult enough.

Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) returns home full of hope and plans for the future, only to find himself bonded to an extraterrestrial piece of technology that has rather different ideas about his career. Before he knows it, he's transformed into the latest addition to the superhero club, complete with an armored suit, an impressive collection of weapons, and absolutely no idea what he's doing.

The film has a decent amount going for it. Maridueña makes for a likeable and relatable Jaime, and his family keeps the story ticking along. There's a nice emphasis on family here, which helps Blue Beetle stand apart from some of the more generic superhero outings. Unfortunately, the film doesn't always know what to do with its central character once the Scarab enters the picture.

Jaime's powers are a bit of a moving target. One minute he's doing something impressive, the next you're left wondering what exactly the suit can and can't do. The special effects are similarly inconsistent. Some of the action sequences look fantastic, while others have moments that wouldn't look out of place in an ambitious Saturday morning cartoon. It's not exactly a deal-breaker, but a little more consistency wouldn't have hurt.

The humor is another mixed bag. There are some funny moments, but the jokes don't always land, and the film sometimes struggles to find the right balance between superhero action, family drama and comedy.

Thankfully, Nana is here to save the day. Played by Adriana Barraza, she's easily one of the film's biggest highlights. As I was thinking, when the credits hit, Nana is really something else. Her character brings plenty of personality, some unexpected laughs, and a few of the most memorable moments in the entire film. Honestly, I could have done with more Nana and considerably less time worrying about the Scarab's ever-changing instruction manual.

George Lopez also provides some welcome comic relief. His performance adds more humor to the family dynamic, although, much like the film's other attempts at comedy, not every joke hits its target. Still, when it works, it works.

Ultimately, Blue Beetle is an entertaining enough superhero movie with a likeable lead, an amusing family unit, and a few standout performances. It doesn't reinvent the superhero genre, and its uneven effects and inconsistent handling of Jaime's powers hold it back from being more memorable.

That said, there's enough potential here for the character to become an interesting addition to the ever-expanding DC universe. Jaime Reyes deserves another crack at the superhero business, preferably with a little more consistency and a healthy dose of Nana.

Blue Beetle (2023)

It's not going to knock the likes of Batman or Superman off their pedestals, but it's a perfectly watchable origin story. And I'll be honest, Nana nearly steals the whole bloody show.

https://jackmeat.com/blue-beetle-2023/

Godzilla Minus Zero (2026) | Not quite as good as Minus One, but still a spectacular Godzilla adventure. Less crying, more stomping, and we'd have a winner. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 7.8/10. Finally, a trip to the cinema to check out Godzilla Minus Zero! I used to do this all the time, but somewhere along the way, I developed a rather ridiculous reason for avoiding theaters. I can't multitask while watching a movie. No pausing, no checking things, no wandering off to do something else. Just sitting there watching a movie like some sort of normal person. Lame, huh? Anyway, a nice change of pace, and this time I had my bro-in-law and his son Dom along for the ride.

Picking up two years after the events of Godzilla Minus One, Japan is still struggling to recover. War brought the country to zero, and Godzilla took it into the negatives. Just as humanity begins to reclaim some semblance of normality, another enormous problem decides to ruin everyone's day. Apparently, rebuilding a country wasn't difficult enough. There is no third time. Everything ends here.

That opening scene with Ghidorah was absolutely fantastic. Loud, spectacular, and exactly the sort of introduction you want when two giant monsters are about to make everyone's insurance premiums irrelevant. The monster effects are exceptional, and the transformation throughout the film is particularly impressive. Takashi Yamazaki clearly hasn't lost his touch.

The action is where this movie really earns its keep. There aren't a huge number of fight sequences, but the ones we get are phenomenal. The aerial battle around the halfway point is a particular highlight, and the final confrontation delivers some wonderfully destructive entertainment. Visually, this is another impressive achievement, and the sound design deserves just as much credit. This is absolutely one to experience in a theater. Your speakers at home might forgive you, but your neighbors probably won't.

Unfortunately, the human drama doesn't fare quite as well. I understand the emotional weight of what these characters have experienced, and there's certainly a place for the melodrama. However, some scenes drag on considerably longer than necessary. That adorable little girl spends so much time crying that I genuinely started wondering whether she had more screen time roaring than Godzilla and Ghidorah combined. I swear, I heard her more often than either monster. Thankfully, her final scene is genuinely touching, so I'll give her a pass.

The R rating might also scare off a few potential viewers, but honestly, it's a fairly soft R. There's some brutal fantasy violence, particularly during the final battle, but nothing that should put off most monster-movie fans.

Oscar nominations wouldn't surprise me at all. The technical work is outstanding, and Yamazaki delivers another exceptional Godzilla outing. That said, I still maintain that Godzilla Minus One is the best overall Godzilla movie made. Minus Zero is a slight step down, mainly thanks to the overextended human drama, but it's still bloody good monster entertainment.

A spectacular big-screen experience, even if I could have done with about twenty minutes less crying and twenty minutes more monster mayhem.

Godzilla Minus Zero (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/godzilla-minus-zero-2026/

The Canvas (2026) | One decent opening scare doesn't make a good horror movie. The Canvas spends the rest of its running time proving that point. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 2.8/10. The Canvas or La toile, if you really want to bore yourself to death and find this for your viewing displeasure, opens with a woman absolutely mesmerized by a painting hanging on the wall. The creepy voices provide an immediate clue that this isn't your average museum visit, and it's actually a pretty kewl and effective little opening. A genuine scare, some decent atmosphere, and a promising start. Shame about everything that follows.

From there, we're off to the woods, where Robert (John Real) and his son Daniel (Francesco Marzagalli) arrive at a cabin. In the woods. Because apparently nobody in horror movies has ever heard of Airbnb reviews or basic survival instincts.

It doesn't take long for the kid to start hearing voices, eventually leading him to a wrapped-up painting with a very clear DO NOT OPEN warning. Naturally, he opens it. What could possibly go wrong? The painting should look familiar from our opening scene, and after Dad hangs the thing up, the nightmares begin. Interior decorating is now a potentially life-threatening activity.

The premise has some potential. An isolated father and son discover a painting that seems disturbingly alive, with their darkest nightmares bleeding into reality and a sinister presence emerging from the canvas, feeding on buried trauma and forgotten memories (thanks IMDB). Robert eventually meets Annie (Nicolette McKeown) in town and recruits her and her father Nick (Angus Macfadyen), to help understand and possibly defeat the curse.

Unfortunately, a potentially interesting premise doesn't automatically make an interesting movie. The story is weak, underdeveloped, and about as engaging as watching paint dry. Which, given the subject matter, feels like a particularly unfortunate achievement.

There are a few things worth mentioning. The creepy woman actually looks pretty damn unsettling, and the effects used to bring her to life are surprisingly solid. Unfortunately, that quality doesn't extend to everything. There's a rather strange contrast between the effective creature work and some truly awful animated fire. It's almost as if two completely different production teams were working on the same movie, with one receiving a budget and the other being handed a copy of Microsoft Paint.

That opening scene remains the highlight by far. Beyond that, we're left with a whole lot of whispering, spooky noises and very little actual excitement. If you're absolutely terrified of a woman's voice whispering, you might get something out of this. The rest of us will probably be checking the runtime.

I genuinely feel bad for anyone who got tricked into seeing this during its limited USA theatrical release on October 30th, expecting a decent #Shocktober flick. Sorry, folks. This wasn't it.

The Canvas (2026)

At least the poster is great. Shame the movie couldn't paint a similarly impressive picture.

https://jackmeat.com/the-canvas-2026/