Movie Reviews from HMC
Read about films reviewed by HMC’s Station Operator, Will Hopper.
New reviews are published every Friday on our weekly newsletter.
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Latest Review:
You Can See Everything
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Now playing in theaters
Directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim
[Rated R] 2hr 54min
Documentary
★★★★★
October 16th, 2026
Read Review | Watch Trailer
Watch the trailer below:
New Theatrical Releases:
Digger
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu
[Rated R] 2hr 9min
Dark comedy, Satire
★★★★½
October 2nd, 2026
Read Review | Watch Trailer
Primetime
Directed by Lance Oppenheim
[Rated R] 1hr 50min
Biographical, Crime, Thriller
★★★★
September 25th, 2026
Read Review | Watch Trailer
Resident Evil
Directed by Zach Cregger
[Rated R] 1hr 35min
Horror, Comedy
★★★★
September 18th, 2026
Read Review | Watch Trailer
All movie reviews sorted alphabetically.
Reviews for movies released in theaters in 2026.
Reviews for movies released in previous years.
Reviews for movies available on streaming services.
Read the latest Streaming Spotlight reviews below:
- Will’s Watchlist (10/23/26)
Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
Directed by Michael Dougherty
[Rated R] 1hr 22min
Horror, Dark Comedy
★★★★★
“You know, there are rules, you should be more careful. You might upset someone.”
On Halloween night, several separate but connected stories unravel as each of the characters encounter situations in which they must follow the rules of Halloween or face the consequences of breaking them.
This is the ultimate Halloween movie as it perfectly captures the essence of the season and explores many of its traditions throughout the film’s various storylines. Where most Halloween-themed movies only cover certain aspects of the holiday, this film utilizes its interconnected narratives to effectively portray the overall atmosphere to its fullest extent while also employing its own unique elements as well. In addition, the special effects are absolutely incredible, and they really show off all of the film’s creative concepts and enhance the brutal moments that make it stand out.
I highly recommend Trick ‘r Treat to anyone looking to watch a fantastic Halloween-themed horror film that offers a little bit of everything involved with the holiday. It’s such a fun film that uses dark comedy elements to lean into and subvert many of the typical tropes found in horror movies, so it provides an immensely entertaining Halloween experience that’s perfect for this time of year.
Trick ‘r Treat is currently available to stream on HBO Max. Click here to watch the Official Trailer.
– Review by Will Hopper
- Will’s Watchlist (10/16/26)
Pulse (2001)
Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
[Rated R] 1hr 59min
Horror, Mystery
★★★★½
“Death was… eternal loneliness.”
When a college student doesn’t show up for work after a week, one of his colleagues goes looking for him and encounters some very strange events that seem to stem from a computer disk he was working on. At the same time, another student tries installing a new internet provider on his computer, but a disturbing website keeps appearing on his monitor every so often, so he attempts to find out what’s going on by enlisting the help from grad students. As these individuals continue to investigate the mysterious events happening around them, they only put themselves in greater danger by getting closer to the truth.
This is one of the eeriest and most unsettling movies I’ve ever seen. It brilliantly creates an ominous, haunting atmosphere from the very beginning, and it persists throughout the film even as more information is revealed. This is effectively achieved through a combination of the excellent cinematography, editing, and score that all work together to elicit this strong feeling of dread, which is further enhanced by the methodical pacing of the narrative. It also has some incredibly terrifying scenes and imagery that still lurks in the back of my mind long after the movie had ended. In addition, the overall concept of the story is truly frightening as it explores certain ideas about the human experience that can never be fully explained, so the film’s mysteries can reflect various aspects of reality as well.
I highly recommend Pulse to anyone looking for a genuinely creepy movie to watch this time of year that also contains timeless, poignant themes. As the story takes place in the early years of the internet, it examines the potential effects it can have on society, and these concerns have proven to be valid since our lives in the internet age have now become drastically altered in some of the exact ways that are discussed in this film.
Pulse is currently available to stream on Pluto TV and Philo for free and on The Criterion Channel. Click here to watch the original trailer.
– Review by Will Hopper
- Will’s Watchlist (9/18/26)
The Hunger Games (2012)
Directed by Gary Ross
[Rated PG-13] 2hr 22min
Sci-fi, Action/Adventure
★★★½
“Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear.”
In a dystopian future, the country of Panem, which was built from the remnants of America, requires each of its 12 districts to provide two children each year for an annual tournament where the tributes fight each other to the death in order to discourage the poor districts from rebelling against the wealthy Capitol. When Katniss Everdeen becomes one of the tributes for District 12, she must learn to balance her natural skills with effective gameplay strategies so that she can have even the slightest chance of winning the game so she can return home to her family.
As the years have gone by since the release of this film and its original novel, America has only gotten closer to resembling the fascist country of Panem, making this story more relevant than ever now. The overall concept and narrative is incredible in how it exposes the horrors that those in power are willing to commit in order to remain in their high-ranking positions, and it perfectly showcases just how effective propaganda can be on a population when they’re given a tiny amount of controlled hope that redirects their attention away from organizing actual change. However, despite its powerful narrative, the technical aspects of the film can be a little rough at times, particularly with the editing and cinematography. The editing is a bit sloppy on occasion with numerous cuts that feel awkward, while the shaky cinematography is overbearing and often seems out of place. Both of these elements are still able to convey the story well enough to not hinder the narrative itself, but they also don’t do anything to enhance it either. On the other hand, the acting is generally pretty great, and Jennifer Lawrence’s performance is a major standout as she perfectly captures the wide range of emotions that Katniss feels throughout the story.
I recommend The Hunger Games to anyone interested in dystopian films that criticize fascist governments and the politics of power through the lens of regular people trying to survive in a broken world. It’s incredibly effective at highlighting contemporary political issues by extrapolating them to extreme proportions, which is especially compelling given the similar direction that America is currently heading in. With the prequel film The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping releasing in theaters in two months, now is a great time to revisit this timely story.
The Hunger Games is currently available to stream on Netflix. Click here to watch the Official Theatrical Trailer.
– Review by Will Hopper