Month: September 2026

The Love Hypothesis

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Based on the novel by Ali Hazelwood, The Love Hypothesis follows Olive Smith (Lili Reinhart), a woman in STEM who is trying to find a cure for pancreatic cancer. Having dedicated most of her life to her passion, she has let other areas of her life go. Attempting to convince her best friend Anh (Rachel Marsh) that she has moved on from her long time crush on their mutual friend Jeremy (Nicholas Duvernay), Olive says that she is dating Dr. Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman). Hated by her peers for his standoffish behaviour and unusual teaching style, nobody understands why Olive and Adam are together. What starts off as a fake relationship that is mutually beneficial for them both turns into something neither one of them would have expected.

Essentially Star Wars fan fiction, Hazelwood’s novel blew up after its release in 2021. I did read the book, but I wasn’t a big fan. I’m quite fussy about my romances okay? What made me want to check out the film adaption was the casting choices. Not to mention the fact that it actually looked really cute. Maybe I could get on board now. Turns out I had such a fun time with it.

I was glad to have Reinhart on my screen again and in a romantic comedy lead no doubt. She was the perfect choice for Olive from the looks down to the mannerisms. As for Bateman, I find it amusing that he’s married to one half of the couple that this relationship is based on (Daisy Ridley). It seemed only fitting that he was casted as the male lead. The two were absolutely electric together. Their first few encounters were so awkward, it was actually hilarious. I couldn’t help but giggle. But as they got to know each other, the sparks really began to fly. That hotel scene in Boston was pure fire!

Unfortunately I cannot speak to how close the film was to the book as I simply do not remember all of the details. What I can say is that it was an enjoyable story that was easy to follow. Not only that, but I appreciated the way in which they dealt depicted Olive and her journey working in science. It is known that women are treated differently than men are in this field. The fact that this is still happening in 2026 is ridiculous so I am glad that it was touched on in an appropriate way.

We need more movies like The Love Hypothesis. It was simply a feel good time. The chemistry between the two leads might have been what made me want to watch it in the first place, but I ended up getting so much more out of the experience.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Bad Apples

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Maria Spencer (Saoirse Ronan) is a school teacher dedicated to inspiring her class of ten year olds. Well, all of her students except one. Danny (Eddie Waller) is constantly late, disruptive and doesn’t seem to take anything seriously. When an encounter goes wrong, Maria ends up taking Danny home and locking him in her basement. Although she desperately wants to do the right thing, Maria is torn because now her class is flourishing and she’s getting new opportunities. Maybe what she did wasn’t so bad after all.

Based on Rasmus Lindgren’s novel De Oonskade, Bad Apples sparked my interest from the moment I saw the trailer. The premise got me – when you’re presented with an impossible choice, which one do you choose? Do you do the morally correct thing that is expected by society? Or do you cross a line and as a result have your life altered forever?

I love a good morally grey character. You feel bad for it, but at the same time you can’t help but root for them. As the film went on, Maria got further into her web of complication. No matter how crazy it all got, I couldn’t fault her for the choices she made. I understood where she was coming from. This is an individual who had everything taken away from her, who felt she constantly needed to prove herself, and by doing what she did, she finally took matters into her own hands. Ronan depicted Maria perfectly. It was refreshing to see her in such a role and the efforts paid off.

Although the audience are never clued in as to why Danny is the way that he is, Waller did a great job portraying the troubled child. He annoyed me at the beginning which was exactly the point of his character, however, I also found myself sympathizing with him. It’s clear he came from a broken home and while his situation is less than ideal, it’s clear that he formed somewhat of a bond with his teacher throughout his time in her house. Nia Brown starred as Pauline, another student of Maria’s. Somewhat of a teacher’s pet, the story takes a delicious turn when she discovers the truth about Danny. Pauline uses this to her advantage and it is then that things really take off. As a result, Brown was really a standout.

The material is dark. It is also very funny. The script is whip smart with some great dialogue. The overall experience was quite uncomfortable because I just did not know where it was going. That didn’t stop me from wanting to see what was going to happen and from relishing in the outlandish predicaments these characters find themselves in. It was like there was an impending sense of doom hanging in the balance and let me tell you the pay off was totally worth it.

Bad Apples was a breath of fresh air. I loved how it wasn’t afraid to push boundaries and really go there. It was funny, compelling and thoroughly entertaining. At the end of the day, though, it was an interesting portrayal of characters who may behave in rotten ways, but who are not rotten inside. One of my favorites of the year.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Practical Magic 2

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Practical Magic was released in 1998, but it wasn’t until many years later that it became a true cult classic. This is a film that I revisit every single year on Halloween. It is one of my all time favorites and when I heard that they were adapting Alice Hoffman’s The Book of Magic, I was hesitant. While we had the source material already and it wasn’t just some random legacy sequel, I did not know what to expect going into it. So I just tried to buckle myself up for the ride.

After the death of her second husband, Sally Owens (Sandra Bullock) makes her sister Gillian (Nicole Kidman) promise that they will never tell Sally’s daughters the truth about who they really are. Fast forward a few years and now Kylie (Joey King) and Antonia (Maisie Williams) are living normal lives and doing their normal jobs. But when Kylie tells her boyfriend Gideon (Xolo Marideuna) that she loves him, it prompts the curse that has engulfed their family for centuries to threaten his life. Willing to do whatever it takes to save him, Kylie travels to England in search of the truth of her family and to find out how to finally end the curse once and for all.

Stepping back into this world was effortless. Seeing the house and Maria’s Island once more on the big screen was just such a treat. The original was intimate yet impactful and luckily the sequel managed to build upon those same sentiments. We got to learn more about the lore and be witness to another side of witchcraft which was delightfully creepy and depicted in such a cool way.

Having Bullock and Kidman reprise their iconic roles as the Owens sisters was a gift I didn’t know I needed. They effortlessly fell back into these characters, tapping into all those things that made them so lovable in the first place. Their chemistry, always at the forefront of the film, is as strong as ever. I could literally watch them onscreen together a million times over. Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest also returned as the aunts Franny and Jet and it was equally as lovely to see them again too. Taking over as Kylie and Antonia are King and Williams. I thought they were perfectly cast and King really helped carry the emotional weight of the film. Unfortunately Williams was severely underutilized to the point where I almost forgot she was there. They really couldn’t have found a way to include her into Kylie’s whole arc? I can’t forget to mention Lee Pace who was also along for the ride as a warlock named Ian Wright. Obviously introduced as a new love interest for Sally, I did enjoy getting to know his character and thought that he fit in well.

The film isn’t perfect. The script is clunky and often times quite cringy with its dialogue. But it was also very funny and it captured that same essence that I feel every time I watch the first one. The first film was also a bit off in tone, campy if you will, and I do think that this one just elevated that. The bond of sisterhood and the message of girl power is still very prominent and that is why it works.

Overall, I may have been unsure of Practical Magic 2, but it exceeded my expectations. I think fans of the original will enjoy it for all the nostalgic throwbacks (and there are plenty) as well as the dynamic duo that is Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. This truly has made me even more excited for the fall and for spooky season to begin.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5