The Quay Brothers’ Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass

Frankly, the level of care in this clinic is appallingly low, probably because most of the staff sleeps all through the day. Yet, in their defense, it should be conceded their patients never fully die. They exist in a kind of limbo, resulting from the localized time distortion. If that sounds confusing, just wait until you start watching Stephen & Timothy Quay’s Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass, "presented" by executive producer Christopher Nolan, which opens this Friday at Film Forum.

The Quay Brothers based this hybrid stop-motion-animated film on Bruno Shulz’s episodic novel, which also inspired Wojciech Jerzy Has’s surreal but more manageably titled The Hourglass Sanatorium. True to their reputation, Quays managed to make their take even trippier. Sadly, Sanatorium is one Shulz’s few surviving works, because the National Socialists destroyed most of his manuscripts, along with Shulz. Has alludes to the author’s tragic fate, whereas the Quays avoid any Jewish subtext.

The Quay Brothers also remain largely untethered from the constraints of narrative structure. In many ways, their new feature flows like Guy Maddin’s The Forbidden Room, which Sanatorium also resembles stylistically, especially the live-action framing sequences that share a dreamy look and atmosphere, very much akin to Maddin’s films. The Quays employ an antique crypto-projector to reveal visions of the main narrative thread, as well as several confusing off-shoots.

The main puppetry spine of the film follows Jozef as he travels to the Sanatorium Karpaty, to take charge of his late father’s body and effects. However, when he reaches the Sanatorium, creepy Dr. Gotard explains to Jozef that even though his father is dead in the outside world, he still technically lives (but mostly sleeps) in Karpaty, because patients are essentially caught in what we might consider a time-lag. That lag also induces sleepiness throughout the Sanatorium.

The Quay Brothers create some absolutely arresting darkly fantastical imagery. However, trying to impose logic onto their latest film will cause diamond-splitting headaches. They have made it intentionally hard to follow, which grows increasingly frustrating.

Nevertheless, their vision is evocative and immersive. At times, watching Sanatorium feels like getting dropped headfirst into a newly discovered Kafka novel, which rather makes sense, since Shulz helped translate Kafka into Polish. The twilight vibe is transfixing, but also anesthetizing.

Dragon Heart: Adventures Beyond This World

Admittedly, these two teens are about to die, but don’t think of it as a downer. This way, the lucky cousins will learn their purposes in life—short though they were. Yet, unlike Robin Williams in What Dreams May Come, they might be able to return to their interrupted earthly lives, so they apply their epiphanies with their memories intact—maybe, just maybe. Unfortunately, their journey of self-discovery entails more than just one trip to Hell. They must visit several in Isamu Imakake’s Happy Science-produced Dragon Heart, which opens this Friday in Los Angeles.

Blame the kappa, who lured Tomomi Sato and her visiting cousin, Ryusuke Tagawa into treacherous currents. Apparently, that was that, but Ameno Hiwashino Mikoto, the god of the local Shinto shrine invites them to explore the spirit realm. Much to their surprise, the tour quickly takes on Divine Comedy parallels.

First, they materialize in a violent gangster world, where the damned constantly murder each other. From there, they fall into a bizarre Lynchian hospital, which dispenses a distinctly sinister variety of care, very much in the surreal tradition of Inoperable or Fractured. It is a nightmarish place, yet it is also where they witness the redemption and rescue of a tormented soul. That plants a seed with Sato and Tagawa, giving them a notion this might be something they want to do.

However, it will take some doing before they can start saving souls. To get to that point, they must escape from a snake queen and find the hidden enclave of Shambhala to start their advanced spiritual training.

Dragon Heart is the latest anime feature based on the teachings of the Happy Science movement. In terms of the level of proselytization, this film falls somewhere between The Mystical Laws and The Laws of the Universe: The Age of Elohim. There are times when the spiritual content feels very heavy-handed. Yet, the uninitiated would be hard-pressed to explain the film’s foundational doctrines, beyond generalities like believe on God and recognize the soul is man’s true form rather than the body. Indeed, for pagans, the film seems to freely mix Shinto, Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian symbolism, cafeteria-style.

Regardless, the level of animation remains surprisingly high. Imakake worked on several major anime properties prior to helming Happy Science’s animated features (including Cowboy Bebop, Evangelion, and Lupin III), so the level of animation is always professional grade. In fact, many of fantastical landscapes are really quite visually striking.

Mononoke the Movie: Chap. II—The Ashes of Rage, on Netflix

It is a term rich with anime and folkloric significance. “Mononoke” are vengeful spirits, not unlike yokai. Miyazaki’s “Princess Mononoke” was not really a mononoke, but rather a human foundling who had a rapport with spirit creatures. The mononoke of the Mononoke anime and manga franchise are definitely mononoke. In fact, they are about as mononoke as they get. It is the “Medicine Seller’s” calling to exorcise them. Think of him as a medicine man, in that he holds shaman-like powers and peddles medicinal cures. He cuts an odd figure, but even the most secretive and powerful players in the Edo court will not turn him away when an enraged spirit terrorizes their Lord’s harem chambers in Kenji Nakamura & Kiyotaka Suzuki’s Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II—The Ashes of Rage, produced by Toei Animation, which premieres today on Netflix.

Thanks to the Medicine Seller, the Lord Tenshi’s concubines already survived one incredibly put-out mononoke in the previous film (which was a continuation from the 2007 anime series). Unfortunately, just when you thought it was safe to go back to harem’s super-restricted Ooku, another mononoke strikes. Obviously, the Medicine Seller needs to investigate, but his all-access pass is no longer valid, because it was issued by the former Ooku manager—now deceased.

Tensions were rising in the Ooku, even before the new mononoke peril emerged. The unseen Tenshi’s favorite, Fuki Tokita is showing signs of pregnancy, which should be a good thing, because an heir is needed. However, Tokita hails from “common stock,” even though we would probably consider her family middle to upper-middle class, from out contemporary perspective. Regardless, the prospect of debasing the Imperial lineage with common stock and allowing a less than pristinely noble family that kind of influence has the elite power-brokers alarmed.

Botan Otomo is perfectly placed to take action. She was selected to serve as the new Ooku manager because of her family’s power and prestige. As Tokita’s longtime rival, she openly resents Fuki’s inappropriately close relationship with Tenshi. However, she also feels loyalty to her Imperial lord and his prospective heir, whoever it might be. Instead, it is the angry mononoke of a wronged concubine who terrorizes the Ooku halls. Yet, before the Medicine Seller can dispel it, he must learn the reason for its grudge—much like Christian exorcists need a demon’s name to take dominion over it.

Without question, Nakamura’s Mononoke films represent an energizing respite from overly slick (and consequently soulless) 3D computer generated animation. While digital techniques were employed, the Mononoke features have an eye-popping, mind-blowing baroque style that resemble a fusion of Edo-era ukiyo-e woodcuts with Peter Max headshop posters. Each frame is an absolute explosion of color. Frankly, it is a good thing Ashes of Rage is a relative shorty, because extended exposure to the utterly distinctive animation could induce sensory overload. Yet, it is always wildly cool to behold.

Fantasia ’25: I am Frankelda

Forget all the Freudian baloney. Nightmares don’t come from the dreamer’s subconscious. They are written in a parallel dream realm. Communication between the two dimensions should only flow one way, from the nightmare world into our dreams. However, a young prince from the dark fantastical kingdom finds himself compulsively drawn towards an extraordinarily creative orphan mortal in Arturo & Roy Ambriz’s I am Frankelda, the first Mexican-produced stop-motion animated film, which had its North American premiere at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival.

If you were curious about the backstories of Frankelda and her flying book in HBO Max’s Frankelda’s Book of Spooks then wonder no more. Eventually, Frankelda became the Mary Shelly of 19^th Century Mexico, only much more prolific. This is her origin story, flashing back to her sorrowful youth. As a recent orphan, Francesca Imelda’s only solace came from crafting frightful yarns. They were so eerie, they attracted the attention of Prince Herneval, the dream world’s heir apparent.

Frankly, they need her stories. The nightmare dimension is stuck in a deep malaise, unable to generate the kind of healthy fright-based energy they need from the human world’s response to the nightmares they send through the membrane-like transmission system. When Herneval ushers Francesca-not-yet-Frankelda into his world, his ailing royal parents extend her a warm welcome. However, the royal nightmare-writer Procustes immediately sees her a potential threat. He also recognizes the quality of her stories, so he schemes to steal them, to fuel his palace coup.

Fantasia ’25: Juliet & the King

Instead of Anna & the King, they would be “Julie & the Shah.” He was part of the Qajar dynasty rather than the supposedly “notorious” Pahlavi dynasty. Yet, if truth be told, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was more of a reformer than Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, but at least the late 19^th Century Shah tried to open Iran up to the outside world. It is through his travels that he discovers Shakespeare. Frankly, he does not care much for the play, but the young woman playing Juliet catches his eye. Unfortunately, that often puts plucky young Julie in jeopardy during director-screenwriter Ashkan Rahgozar’s Persian animated film, Juliet & the King, which had its international premiere at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival.

Both Julie and her Iranian expat mentor, aspiring playwright Jamal, are scuffling for Parisian theater gigs, but the Shah’s state visit could be their big break. Jamal’s services will be needed as a translator, but his request to cast Jule in the command performance of Romeo & Juliet is contemptuously declined. However, she still gets the part through the machinations of the disinterested Sarah Bernhardt-esque star. Frankly, Shakespeare seems like an odd choice for the French theatrical establishment, but the Shah probably would have found Racine even duller.

Unfortunately, boring is the only word that would not describe Julie’s performance, which takes a disastrous turn when she sees Shakespeare’s ghost in the audience. Yet, the Shah finds her charming in spite of it all, so he “invites” Julie and Jamal back to Iran to stage a production for his court. Of course, they need to punch up the downer ending, which would be a challenge, but the spectral Shakespeare reluctantly agrees to help.

There is also the business of Julie appearing on stage, which as the nasty queen mum keeps reminding the Shah, simply is not allowed in Iran. She definitely has it in for Julie, as do Naser al-Din’s harem of wives. However, the jester and the royal cat are on her side.

Visually, Juliet & the King is a rich feast, capturing the opulence of the Persian court and the sophistication of fin de siècle Paris. He also incorporates different styles to render dreams, visions, and interstitial exposition. Fans of the medium will be absolutely charmed. Indeed, Rahgozar surpasses the animation of his previous film, the more “serious” The Last Fiction (which remains noteworthy for its powerful for its depiction of resistance to oppression).

Fantasia ’25: Redman (short)

What happens when a Power Ranger-like tokusatsu hero retires? They must readjust to normal life. However, they have a lot of history out there that could come back to haunt them. The shocking murder of his former teammate precipitates an existential crisis for Akagi, a.k.a. “Red” in director-screenwriter Kim Sung-jae’s animated short, Redman, which had its Canadian premiere at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival.

In the high-jumping, butt-kicking Mega Five, Akagi wore the red costume. Now he is a workaday salaryman, but he still dons his red mask, because, presumably, it remains an indelible part of his identity. With his glory days long gone, Akagi is clearly mired in a deep malaise. Then he receives the shocking news his Mega Five comrade was murdered by a member of their former foe’s death cult remnant.

So, what does it all mean? Is it time to get heroic again, or rather to finally accept their mortality and the limits that implies? Even though he remains masked, Akagi is clearly wrestling with some heavy burdens.

The Fleischer Superman

He can “leap tall buildings in a single bound,” because the flying business was not yet fully established in the comic books when Fleischer Studios first animated Superman. Some of his greatest enemies are absent for the same reason. However, animation allowed them to depict the Man of Steel battling more powerful foes than the early 1950s TV series could ever hope to realize. Consequently, the Fleischer shorts (Produced by Max and directed by Dave) greatly shaped the development of the Superman franchise in ways that remain evident today. The Fleischer Superman shorts might even be the best Superman films screening this week in theaters when a selection of five shorts starts playing tomorrow at the Museum of the Moving Image and the entire restored Fleischer run screens Sunday at the Culver Theater.

In the Oscar-nominated Superman, we learn Clark Kent grew up in an orphanage rather than with Jonathan and Martha, so what alternate Earth does that make this? Regardless, the eponymously titled film quickly establishes the recurring theme of technology running amuck when a mad scientist tries to extort Metropolis with his electrothansia ray. Of course, Los Lane blunders into his lair first, so Superman must rescue her while saving the city. For the time, this was eye-popping stuff, rendered in exotic color. The art deco design continues to influence the look of the franchise, especially Superman: The Animated Series.

Mad scientists continue to conduct themselves in a dangerous and anti-social manner in The Mechanical Monsters. This time, an evil genius dispatches his platoon of robots on a crime spree throughout Metropolis. By contemporary standards, the 9 to 10 minutes Fleischer shorts tell relatively simple stories, but it is hard to get much more satisfying than watching Superman smash an army of robots.

It is fortunate Superman is “more powerful than a locomotive,” because he must corral a runaway train in Billion Dollar Limited. The train in question is a gold bullion shipment to the U.S. Mint. Although Superman’s adversaries are entirely human, he must perform feats of strength that would not be possible for George Reeves.

The Arctic Giant is an absolute Superman classic. It is also a kaiju movie that predates the original Japanese Godzilla by twelve years. Through negligence and Lois lane’s distraction, a dinosaur frozen in ice thaws out, allowing it to rampage through Metropolis. Frankly, the dino-kaiju is kind of cute, but that is part of the film’s charm, Regardless, even the Salkind films could not have credibly created this kind of spectacle.

DC League of Super-Pets, at Look Cinemas

It might be the “Summer of Superman,” but Krypto has been the biggest winner from the trailer release. If you think he is cute there, check out Krypto All In #1. Every panel fully capitalizes on his adorableness, while still telling a dramatic story. Hopefully, Ryan North and Mike Norton can sustain that high quality. At this point, most viewers probably still know Krypto best from this animated film. He is a bigger Krypto, but he probably had to be, since he is voiced by The Rock in Jared Stern & Sam J. Levine’s DC League of Super-Pets, which has a special family screening this Tuesday at Look Cinemas.

Originally in the comics, Krypto landed on Earth after Superman. In League of Super Pets, he jumped into the escape-craft with Kal-El (in far and away the cutest scene of the film). Of course, they grow up to be Superman and Krypto, inseparable superhero buddies, protecting Metropolis from villains like Lex Luthor. However, Krypto feels like Lois Lane is on the verge of breaking up the band, like an animated Yoko Ono.

Ironically, it is not Luthor who renders Superman and Krypto powerless. It will be his literal guinea pig, Lulu, whom Krypto rescued from Luthor’s lab. However, Lulu did not want to be rescued, because she absorbed Luthor’s villainous persona. Consequently, she works on her evil scheme to refine Orange Kryptonite from the animal shelter, where she is imprisoned with Ace the Boxer, Merton the turtle, PB the potbellied pig, and Chip, the squirrel, who really shouldn’t be in a domestic adoption shelter, but whatever. Together, they all gain superpowers as a result of Lulu’s Kryptonite super-charge.

Krypto got off on the wrong paw with Ace and his pals, because he is not good with other pets. However, they all start to grow on each other. Krypto also promises to hook them up with nice farm homes in Smallville. Unfortunately, Lulu acclimates to super-villainy much quicker than the Super Pets adjust to super-heroism.

League of Super-Pets is undeniably kid-friendly and amusing, but sometimes maybe in ways that are a little too silly for fans of the DC Animated Universe, which this film is not a part of. Arguably, the talking animal business drives the film rather than their roles within the DC Universe. Obviously, Krypto has an honored place in the Universe and Ace is also an established member of the Bat-Family. Chip and Merton have precedent but they are very loosely based on their namesakes, while PB and Lulu are entirely original.

The best moments capture the human-animal bond shared by Superman and Krypto, who are nicely voiced by John Krasinski and The Rock. Conversely, Kevin Hart is a lot as Ace—sometimes too much. Natasha Lyonne and Vanessa Bayer are almost as much as Merton and PB. However, there are some standout guest voices, notably including Keanu Reeves as Batman (that one makes a lot of sense, right?), Alfred Molina as Jor-El, and Keith David as Dog-El, Krypto’s father, whose hologram provides some of the best jokes for hardcore DC fans.

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, on HBO

In Batman Ninja, the time-traveling Dark Knight had to channel Toshiro Mifune in a Chanbara adventure. This time, he must find his inner Takeshi Kitano or Ken Takakura. Batman and the extended “Bat family” are back in their proper Bat-time, but history has changed. Japan is now a land of Yakuza clans, much like the planet of Chicago gangsters in Star Trek’s “A Piece of the Action” episode. Unfortunately, the alternate Justice League has also gone full Yakuza in Junpei Mizusaki & Shinji Takagi ‘s animated Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, which premieres today on HBO or Max, or whatever.

Batman and Robin (his son, Damien) returned to the right world, but Japan no longer exists. Instead, an alternate Japan was created in a sort of liminal zone that only the Bat family (also including the former Robins, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin) can see, because they traveled through the previous time vortex, or something like that. This Japan is entirely governed by Yakuza, with the Hagane Clan on top, thanks to their super-powered enforcers.

Sarcastically dubbed the “Yakuza League” by Robin, they consist of Bari, Ahsa, Zeshika, and Karaku, the evil Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Superman, as you might surmise from their Katakana-rendered names. However, Daiana Amazone is still good and just, thanks to the power of this Japan’s analog to Paradise Island.

Even allied with Daiana, Batman might look outmatched, considering the League’s powers remain the same. However, he believes he holds certain advantages. For one thing, this League has never fought anyone with remotely equivalent powers, so they aren’t used to slugging it out in a real fight. Batman has also had long-standing contingencies to take down his fellow JLA teammates, “just in case” the need arose. That revelation does not completely shock his son. Not at all, really.

The first act plays out somewhat hectically and rushed, but Mizusaki, Takagi, and screenwriter Kazuki Nakashima really settle down and deliver a darned good Batman story thereafter. Arguably, they show the value of guile and “family,” which turn out to be superior to superior to brute force. For genre fans, there are also a lot of knowingly hip Yakuza details.

Appleseed Alpha, on Tubi

In this film, the two heroic protagonists of Masamune Shirow’s Appleseed franchise sort of get the DC treatment. They are the same characters fans know and love, but they now have a new narrative continuity—familiar, but slightly different. It is also sort of a prequel, but Briareos is already a cyborg—and partly on the fritz. Unfortunately, the world is also still mostly destroyed, especially the post-apocalyptic New York City, or perhaps it is just post-Mamdani. Regardless, hope is in short supply, until Briareos and his comrade-life partner Deunan decide to go out and find some in Shinji Aramaki’s anime feature, Appleseed Alpha, which starts streaming today on Tubi.

WWIII bombed out Times Square, yet the jumbotron remains, broadcasting old, pointless propaganda. Some people still call the City home, including the cyborg gangster, Two Horns (because of his Viking-like headpiece). Unfortunately, Deunan owes Two Horns money, so she and Briareos must complete dangerous assignments, like that of the opening prologue, to pay off the debt.

Rather ominously, the two former soldiers suspect Two Horns has been setting them up for failure. Yet, they have little choice, because Two Horns’s maintenance guy is pretty much the only game in the post-apocalyptic town. Without power, Briareos cannot do much, so they accept the next crummy gig: neutralizing and scavenging a pack of rogue soldier-bots outside of town.

This would be easier work if Briareos were in better shape. Regardless, things get interesting when a group of mech-mercs drive into the drone zone with their abductees, Olson, an enhanced but not full cybernetic former soldier, and Iris, the young girl he was protecting. It turns out they are from the rumored sanctuary of Olympus, which will mean a lot more to longstanding franchise fans. They are also on a mission that Briareos and Deunan will join and ultimately embrace. Meanwhile, the shadowy cabal trying to capture Iris follows their trail back to Two Horns, bringing him into the fray as an unstable wild card.

Essentially, Alpha arranges things differently on the timeline, but it closely hews to the heart and spirit of the previous anime films. Briareos and Deunan are a compelling beauty-and-the-beast couple, who have terrific battlefield chemistry together. That last part is important, because Aramaki unleashes wall-to-wall action. This kind of light-mecha combat really plays to his animation strengths.

The computer-generated motion-capture (but not full rotoscope) animation looks better here than it did in Aramaki’s later film, Starship Trooper: Traitor of Mars. Perhaps the distinctive, practically robotic look of Briareos (who reportedly influenced the design of Blomkamp’s Chappie—you can see it in the ears) and Two Horns helped focus the efforts at humanization on Deunan, Olson, and Iris.

Into the Wonderwoods, from Vincent Paronnaud

It is another environmental fairy tale for kids, but this time, it is like Gru and the Minions are trying to burn down Fern Gully. Obviously, the evil alien calling himself “Ultra” is a lot meaner than Gru—and he originally sounded much more French. He has been razing the forest in search of the fabled springs of immortality. Litle lost Angelo could use some of those waters too, for his beloved ailing grandmother in Vincent Paronnaud & Alexis Ducord’s Into the Wonderwoods, adapted from Paronnaud’s graphic novel (written under his Winshluss pen-name), which releases tomorrow on VOD.

Angelo is also a lot like the Home Alone kid, because his family never notices when they leave him behind at a rest stop. In their defense, they are concerned about Grandma—and his father is also busy quarreling with the GPS AI. (It should be further stipulated, his jazz-listening dad deserves credit for his better taste in music). Angelo always imagines himself a brave explorer, in heroic 2D animated interludes, so this is his chance to prove his resourcefulness. He will simply cut straight through the forest to reach grandmother’s house.

Frankly, he barely survives the ants. Nevertheless, he starts to meet various forest dwellers who are willing to stand up to Ultra’s terror and destruction. Angelo might be the catalyst the “Resistance” needs. That is why Ultra takes an unwelcome interest in him.

Arguably, Into the Wonderwoods represents a cornucopia of borrowed genre elements, even including the character of Goouh, a hulking embodiment of vegetation, who is sort of like “The Green” in Swamp Thing comics, but more anthropomorphic. (In fact, the “Goo” character design work is rather cool). Regardless, the overall fusion is sufficiently weird to keep animation fans tuned in.

Great artists steal, right? And Paronnaud has made several great films, especially Persepolis, in collaboration with Marjane Satrapi. Along with Ducord (who co-helmed Zombillenium), Paronnaud creates an offbeat fantastical world, beneath the forest’s natural surface level. Indeed, zigging in a science fiction direction instead of zagging towards fantasy represents a shrewd strategy.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

When Batman criticizes you for being a violently unstable masked vigilante, maybe you should reconsider some of your life choices. Instead, the Phantasm keeps killing gangsters. Ordinarily, that would not break the Dark Knight’s dark heart, but he gets the blame thanks to their vague resemblance in Eric Radomski & Bruce Timm’s Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, which screens tonight at the Mahoning Drive-In.

According to the novelization, Robin was away at college during the events of Phantasm. Regardless, Batman is always comfortable operating as a lone wolf. That is the Phantasm’s style as well. After it kills two mob bosses in the first act (technically the Phantasm merely “drove” one of them to his death), the emphysemic Salvatore “The Wheezer” Valestra reluctantly to turns to an old colleague for protection. Of course, involving the Joker only further destabilizes the chaotic situation.

Unfortunately, sleazy city councilman Arthur Reeves capitalizes on the spurious accusations to turn the Gotham PD (except Commissioner Gordon) against Batman. It turns out Reeves is also his rival for the affections of Andrea Beaumont, Bruce Wayne’s college girlfriend, who recently returned from abroad.

Originally conceived as a special within the world of Batman: The Animated Series, Phantasm was scaled up for theatrical release. Despite sharing similar character designs with the series, it proved DC comics could draw an audience for feature-length animation, paving the way for the DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU), which is definitely a thing.

In fact, Phantasm is quite visually striking in a film noir kind of way. There are some incredibly cinematic backdrops like the Joker’s lair amid the abandoned installations of the Gotham World’s Fair, which were clearly modeled on the 1939 New York Exposition.

For many fans, Phantasm is the film that firmly established Kevin Conroy as their favorite Batman voice. Similarly, it also represents Mark Hamill’s peak Joker voice-over performance, arguably surpassing his work on the animated series. Regardless, the Joker arguably represents Hamill’s greatest legacy outside Star Wars.

Tribeca ’25: Dog of God

He calls himself a werewolf, but he is really more of a holy fool and an immortal wanderer. However, as a portent of trouble, he is even more ominous than a plague of locusts. Frankly, things have been bad in the village of Zaube since forever. It has been mismanaged by both Church, represented by Priest Buckholz, and the state, in the person of inattentive Baron Klodt. Frankly, only tavern keeper and natural healer Neze reliably delivers services to villagers, but she stands accused of witchcraft in Lauris & Raitis Abele’s animated feature Dog of God, which premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival.

Life is hard for Kilbis, thanks to his physical body and the cruelty of his master, Buckholz. At least, the pervy priest periodically orders Kilbis to flog him, but the poor altar boy understands it is just to reinforce his hatred. Nevertheless, the priest has plenty lusty peeping to atone for. Instead, he blames Neze for supposedly supplying the temptation. Hence, his accusations of witchcraft.

However, the Dog of God rather unsettles everyone when he crashes Neze’s trial. Nobody really knows what to make of him, but his spooky talk is definitely bad for business, so he winds up in the stocks next to her. Of course, you cannot keep a supernatural drifter tied down for long.

These are heady days for Latvian animation. Unfortunately for fans of the medium, Dog of God has none of the charm of the Oscar-winning Flow. Indeed, all the cruelty and scatological gross-outs have a bludgeoning effect on the audience. Frankly, when it finally ends, you might need an aspirin and warm shower—and maybe even your security blanket.

Predator: Killer of Killers, on Hulu

Vikings were mean and unruly. Samurai were the greatest swordsmen. And nobody could outfly U.S. Naval aviators. Unfortunately, the Predators aliens believe that to be the best, they must hunt the best. That means they will stalk all the aforementioned throughout human history in Dan Trachtenberg’s animated anthology, Predator: Killer of Killers, “co-directed” by Joshua Wassung, which premieres today on Hulu.

As viewers know from Trachtenberg’s Prey, Predators have been coming to Earth for a long time. They have an advantage in each of the Earthbound historical stories, because the Vikings, Samurai, and WWII fighter pilots are busy fighting each other, while the Predators watch and wait.

Arguably, the opening Samurai story is the weakest of the three, but the brutality of Ursa’s combat, both against her Viking enemies and the Predator, are impressive by any standard. Lindsay LaVanchy also sounds appropriately fierce as the Viking clan leader. Nevertheless, this somewhat revisits the themes and beats of Prey.

Visually, the Samurai story might be the most dynamic. Trachtenberg and Wassung also create some incredible animated martial arts and swordplay. The battle between brothers turned sworn-rivals resonates on archetypal level. Yet, the way they combine forces against the Predator holds great importance later. Although Louis Ozawa is credited as both samurai voices, this is a quiet, largely non-verbal segment, which suits its stealthy ninja vibe and elegant Jidaigeki setting.

Book of Joshua: Walls of Jericho

It was produced by entirely different creative team, but this film could be considered a sequel to The Prince of Egypt. In that film, the Red Sea was parted. This time around, the Jordan River receives similar divine intervention. As the Israelites follow Moses to the Promised Land, they constantly offer peace to the Amorites, who prefer to wage war instead. Yet, the Israelites are much harder to kill than their enemies expect in Tony Goss’s animated Biblical epic, Book of Joshua: Walls of Jericho, which releases tomorrow on VOD.

Considerable time has passed since the Red Sea, but the Israelites still feed on the manna from Heaven. They must soon face “King” Sihon, but they are well-prepared for his forces, despite their dramatically smaller numbers. Obviously, Moses has access to the ultimate intelligence source. Plus, Rahab has her own insights on the cruel king Sihon.

Forced to watch Sihon torturing the Israelite emissaries, Rahab tried to intercede on their behalf and carried the survivor back to the Israeli encampment. Ironically, the faith they displayed under extreme duress inspires Rahab to open her heart to the Israelites’ God. Consequently, she will be there to help when Moses and Joshua, his designated successor, approach the hostile walled city of Jericho, where she lives.

Frankly, there are more ancient battle scenes in Goss’s Book of Joshua than Braveheart and Gladiator combined. King Sihon, King Og, and the King of Jericho all look at the Israelites and see a band of weak former Egyptian slaves. How little they know—and how little things change.

Admittedly, the character animation is only a few steps above 1970s Saturday morning cartoons. However, the background art team also create some impressively cinematic Jericho visuals. Yet, the film’s greatest strengths come from the way Doss and screenwriter-producer Amir Kovacs establish the personas of Rahab and her family. In fact, they build a great deal of suspense regarding their safety in the wicked city of Jericho.

Constantine: City of Demons—The Movie

In the DC Universes, nobody inspires more confidence than Superman, but magic represents his second greatest weakness after Kryptonite. Occult detective John Constantine is far less reliable or trustworthy, but he is still your better bet to exorcize a demonic possession. Unfortunately, his oldest long-suffering friend Chas Chandler must ask his help for exactly that reason in Doug Murphy’s DCanimated feature, Constantine: City of Demons—The Movie, which would make appropriate viewing today, even though it feels a little awkward to celebrate Constantine’s birthday if you know the sad circumstances of his birth.

Indeed, Constantine endured his share of trauma, which made him the miserable sod fans know and love. Having survived his tragic family life, Constantine embraced his magical lineage, but his first foray into dark magic ended in disaster. As a result, he was admitted to Ravenscar Mental Hospital, where loyal Chandler still regularly visited him.

Eventually Constantine’s swagger returned and his mastery of the occult arts grew. Consequently, Chandler understands his old friend will be more help than modern medicine when his daughter Trish falls into a supernaturally induced coma. Given their shared history, Constantine cannot deny him. Unfortunately, that is exactly what the responsible demon was counting on, as he explains when he lures Constantine to Los Angeles.

City of Demons might be the goriest DC movie ever (and it is hard to think of anything from Marvel that comes remotely close). Regardless, if you enjoy demonic horror, this film delivers. At least it is a film now. City of Demons was compiled and expanded from an original CW Seed series, but it never feels episodic.

Dalia and the Red Book, an Argentinian Animated Sleeper

They are sort of like animated versions of Pirandello’s six characters in search of an author, but their Argentinian author, Adolfo is gone. They do not really want someone to write their ending for them anyway. They would prefer it if someone would simply take their dictation. That someone would be their author’s daughter, Dalia. However, her favorite character encourages her to write her own story in screenwriter-director David Bisbano’s Dalia and the Red Book, which releases tomorrow on VOD.

Dalia keeps insisting to her mother she does not want to be a writer. However, her mom can recognize talent. After all, she was Adolfo’s editor. Unfortunately, it was not full-time work, because her dad took his sweet time with every short story he released and he never finished what would have been his first novel.

That is where Dalia comes in. When she discovers the notebook in which Adolfo wrote his unfinished narrative, it reawakens the fictional, but very real otherworld. Wolf and her accomplices want an ending, wherein they emerge triumphant. However, Goat arrives just in time to rescue her. He happened to be the character Dalia created, but he has taken on new traits over time, like his aviator goggles.

The now stylish Goat must escort her back to her world before time runs out on Adolfo’s old pocket watch. It would be helpful towards that goal if she could finally write an ending, but Dalia has always struggled to conclude her stories.

It is odd that this film largely flew under the festival radar, because the hybrid 3D/2D/stop-motion animation is impressively immersive and the story celebrates the power of creativity in ways that should resonate with animation fans. There are also several revelations that hold a good deal of psychological and archetypal meaning, so they seem fitting and appropriate in the context of the film.

Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing, from GKIDS

In the Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage “rhythm game,” virtual singers are sort of like the literary characters who come alive in Twilight Zone episodes, except it is a relatively common phenomenon. Supposedly, if real-life singers perform with enough emotion, they can bring their virtual collaborators to life and even join them in “Sekai,” special dedicated rooms in the dimension between the IRL and virtual worlds. Weirdly, several bands and their virtual “Mikus” encounter a mysterious new Miku who cannot connect musically in Hiroyuki Hata’s anime feature, Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing, produced by animation house P.A. House and released by GKIDS, which starts a limited 4-day theatrical release today.

Move over Minecraft, because Hata and screenwriter Yoko Yonaiyama managed to adapt a game not unlike Guitar Hero or old-fashioned karaoke. However, there was a large cast of pre-existing characters whom Yonaiyama assumed the audience would already know. There is a bit of catching up to do, but astute viewers will hopefully pick things up as they go.

Several bands have connected with the own virtual collaborators in their specific Sekai. For Ichika Hoshino that would be Hatsume Miku, who is about the purest incarnation of a j-pop idol as you could envision. One day, she also encounters a new Miku, who looks somewhat similar, but is much less self-assured. She seems to travel through digital screens, producing static and distortions. Ironically, the frustration caused by her service disruptions makes new Miku’s challenge to connect on an emotional level even more difficult.

Nevertheless, the four bands she reaches out to do their best to help, but they cannot coordinate their efforts, because the alternate Miku communicates with them on different wavelengths, or something like that. They feel for her and the creators she is supposed to be attuned with. Unfortunately, the real-life people hardwired to her Sekai cannot reach it, because they are all mired in states of creative and emotional crisis. In fact, their aggregated depression could drag the new Miku down as well.

It bears repeating, the rules of the Colorful Stage world are a tad confusing for newcomers, but that is the general idea. Regardless, it is pretty impressive how Hata and Yonaiyama built a full feature length narrative out of a smart-phone game that previously spawned a dozen or so ultra-mini anime webisodes.

While there are some thematic similarities with Mamoru Hosoda’s Belle, Colorful Stage! The Movie serves up some interesting world-building. In fact, it would nicely fit with Belle, Summer Wars, The Matrix, Tron, and World on a Wire in film series exploring the porous border between the physical and digital worlds.

The King of Kings, from Angel Studios

For millions of families, reading A Christmas Carol is a holiday tradition. For Charles Dickens’ family, it was reading The Life of Our Lord, which he also wrote (obviously based on Biblical sources). However, the rest of the world would not be able to read it until 1934, after the death of his four children. It was a major literary event at the time, but the novella has sadly fallen out of fashion. Yet, the story is timeless and Dickens remains perennially popular. Animator Seong-ho Jang adapts Dickens’ adapted story and depicts its first telling in The King of Kings, released by Angel Studios, which opens this Friday in theaters.

If you do not know the basic events of the life of Christ by now, either your Sunday School teacher should be ashamed, or you are just a heathen. Dickens and Jang give us all the highlights: the manger, the fish and loaves, the moneychangers, and indeed the Last Supper (which is currently having its movie moment). However, it is all seen through the eyes of Dickens, his son Walter, and their fat cat, Willa.

Initially, the naughty Walter disrupted his father’s staged reading of A Christmas Carol with his King Arthur make-believe games. However, at the behest of his eternally patient wife Catherine, Dickens tells him the story of a far greater king, who eventually inspired the legend of King Arthur—even though he was not really a king in the traditional sense.

Some of the business with Walter and Willa gets a little too silly, but the episodes of Jesus’s life are handled quite nicely. Jang and English-language co-writer Rob Edwards (who co-wrote Disney’s Treasure Planet and The Princess and the Frog) fully explore the drama of each memorable story, but always in a respectful way. The film is undeniably reverent, but it never feels stilted or sermon-like. Arguably, Jang’s film is more successful than its 1961 namesake at realizing Biblical stories as big-screen entertainment.

Unfortunately, the character design is a little clunky. Apparently, people had honking big noses back during the days of antiquity. However, there are several visually arresting sequences that appropriately invoke awe and “mystery,” as the term is understood in a Biblical context. Indeed, these include every big crucial scene, such as the crucifixion.

The all-star voice cast is also quite a surprise, starting with Kenneth Branagh, who probably covers the greatest range, from comedy as Dickens, the exasperated father, to hushed devotion, as Dickens, the faithful Christian. Uma Thurman also brings warmth to the somewhat slap-sticky prelude as kind-hearted Catherine.

Without question, the voice of Jesus represented a tricky bit of casting, but Oscar Isaac turned out to be a wise choice. He definitely sounds like an “important voice,” but he is not instantly recognizable. Likewise, Forest Whitaker has the right modestly devout tone for Peter. Sir Ben Kingsley and Pierce Brosnan lend their commanding vocal talents as High Priest Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate, respectively, while prolific voice-over artist Fred Tatasciore (whose credits include The Day the Earth Blew Up and JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time) can be heard as Pharisee Eleazar.

Wonder Woman: Bloodlines

Wonder Woman has always been a particularly military-friendly superhero, thanks to her close relationship with Captain Steve Trevor. Sadly, Trevor was killed in the Wonder Woman All In comic book series. Diana Prince was busy caring for their newborn child, so the killer was brought to justice in issue #16 by Detective Chimp, who is exactly what he sounds like. (Please, please Sam Liu and DC Animated, give the world a Detective Chimp movie.) This is a different timeline, but Prince and Trevor are still immediately interested in each other when he literally drops into Themyscira in Sam Liu & Justin Copeland’s Wonder Woman: Bloodlines, which deserves a re-watch today, the day Prince was originally molded out of clay. (That must have been high quality clay.)

Some kind of kaiju attack Trevor’s air squadron, but Princess Diana (the original one, who didn’t live off UK tax revenue) saves his life. Her mother Hippolyta intends to keep him imprisoned, because she fears “Man’s World.” Yet, ironically, it will be a rogue’s gallery of female supervillains who eventually threaten the hidden Amazonian civilization of Themyscira.

This is indeed a female-dominated story, except for Trevor, but he is definitely a manly kind of guy. Recognizing his sense of duty, Diana helps Trevor escape, so she can help him fight the invading monsters. Presumably, they are successful, since that subplot mysteriously vanishes.

To prepare herself for her career as a superheroine and member of the Justice League (who are mentioned in passing but never seen) Trevor places her with archaeologist Julia Kapatelis, who will teach her about our world and to learn about her civilization. Unfortunately, Kapatelis’s teen daughter feels like Diana steadily steals her mother’s affections—to an extent that creates super-villains.

Indeed, Dr. Poison and Dr. Cyber exploit her rage, mutating her into the Silver Swan. Of course, the transformation process will eventually kill her, but they do not care. They just want to use her as a pawn to find Themyscira and plunder its advanced tech.

Adapted from the Down to Earth comic story arc, Bloodlines works best when it focuses on Princess Diana’s slow-building relationship with Trevor. They really represent one of the great comic book romances. On the other hand, it is a little off-putting to hear Trevor’s intelligence colleague Etta Candy explicitly lusting after Amazons (this is a film kids will watch, after all). In contrast, the old school William Marston-esque scene of a hog-tied super-villainess come across like a knowing wink to Wonder Woman’s history.

Regardless, Rosario Dawson and Jeffrey Donovan nicely express the personas of Wonder Woman and Trevor. It is also cool to hear Michael Dorn as the fan-favorite character, Ferdinand the Minotaur.