In Case You Missed It: Hidden Gems from 2026’s First Half

by Eurocheese

THE INVITE

Taking a break from the summer heat in an air-conditioned theater or relaxing at home while catching the year’s cinematic highlights sounds divine, doesn’t it? While the first half of the year’s output in theaters wasn’t overly awards-friendly, here are a few treats you’ll be happy you sampled. Let’s avoid the obvious callouts for box office smashes and focus on the hidden gems. Let's start with two in theaters...

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Review: 'Don't Worry Darling'

By Glenn Dunks

To quote Lady Gaga: That’s gossip!

To ignore the gossip cycle that has become the press tour of Don’t Worry Darling can be difficult in the macro, but when the movie started it slipped away quite easily. For whatever may have been said about Olivia Wilde’s second directorial feature in the lead up to its release, that friction hasn’t quite come through on screen.

It’s not a good movie in the sense that it is coherent and fully grapples with the ideas it appears to be putting forward. It isn't and it doesn't. But it also is not a bad movie in that it is badly made or devoid of imagination or one where you can tell everybody on set hated everyone else. Which, after everything that’s happened, feels like more of a win in the moment than it oughta be...

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Venice Diary #6 - Banshees of Inisherin, Don't Worry Darling, and Tilda Swinton (twice)

by Elisa Giudici

Are Hollywood stars saving Venice as we enter the home stretch? The answer is yes, but not always willingly. Traditionally the back half of the Venice Film Festival is less glamorous, less exciting, and sometimes even a little dull. Toronto starts, a good portion of the international press leaves, and the most hideous filler of the competition fills the daily program. Not this year, though! Suddenly there's a movie that's even better than The Whale, so don’t worry darlings, today we have some real treats and gallons of drama...

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The hot mess of the 'Don't Worry Darling' press tour and other stories...

• Vanity Fair Alfre Woodard takes the Proust Questionnaire
• LA Times on the incredible writing of Manuel Muñoz. If the name sounds familiar that's because you either have very good taste in writers (seriously his work is brilliant) or you've been reading TFE for awhile. Manuel has been on the Smackdown a couple of times and we've also discussed his Psycho-related novel "What You See in the Dark"
• Out After lots of rumors about Kat's diminished role on Euphoria in season 2 and offscreen disputes, actress Barbie Ferraira will not be returning for season 3

That crazy Don't Worry Darling press tour, some Oscar hopefuls in animated short, Elton John twice, Lt Uhura's ashes, and more after the jump...

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Don't Worry Darlings, It's just another link roundup!

Dont Worry Darling © Warner Bros Pictures

• AV Club Don't Worry Darling has released its first promo still (above). The film stars Harry Styles and Florence Pugh is said to be inspired by alternate reality mind-benders like Inception and The Truman Show 
• Vanity Fair Olivia Wilde was served with custody papers from Jason Sudeikis onstage at CinemaCon of all pages while previewing it. Wild.

After the jump Dorothy Gale's dress, Penelope Cruz's best films, Bad Bunny's foray into movies, Kate Hudson's foray into music and more... 

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