As noted in a previous newsletter, film lover hub Letterboxd is for sale. Since then, Netflix and A24 have shown interest, but I’m happy to report that the effort to keep the site in the hands of its users appears to have made it past the fundraising goal with a couple of days to spare! Congrats to Intrinsic Entertainment Collaborative for pulling it off. Can’t wait to see what comes next.
With The Odyssey still taking up most of the oxygen at local theaters, it’s an off week for major releases but a few niche-ier films are stepping up.
First, there’s the latest from Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn. Her Private Hell stars the tremendous Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets, Heretic) as a young actress in a futuristic city that’s under a heavy fog and the threat of a thrill killer. Charles Melton (Beef) co-stars. More than one early reaction has involved the word “batshit.”
Also new is Motor City, a 1970s-era revenge thriller in which small-screen Jack Reacher Alan Ritchson is a man framed for a drug crime and sent away to prison, leaving his fiancee (Shailene Woodley) to fall prey to the guy who set him up (Ben Foster). For a fresh gimmick, the tale is told with a minimum of dialogue. Hmm. I definitely see the appeal of this approach, but also the potential drawbacks.
For Scary Movie lovers, there’s also Haunted Heist. Get Out breakout Lil Rel Howery makes his debut as feature writer-director, also co-starring with Tiffany Haddish in the story of a recently paroled criminal who invites his friends to a “reunion” that’s actually an antique heist. With ghosts, natch.
Gateway has exclusive runs of Brunello: The Gracious Visionary, a stylish doc from Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore on ethically-minded designer Brunello Cucinelli, the man who first brought the world colored cashmere (editor’s note: 👏🙏); and Eran Riklis’ Reading Lolita in Tehran, an adaptation of the bestseller about an Iranian professor who gathers her best students for a secret—and forbidden—book club.
Theater lovers can watch the modern mythological retelling Hadestown: The Musical via a big-screen presentation of a show with the original Broadway cast.
The Wex’s Summer Abroad series keeps up this Thursday with Satyajit Ray’s Days and Nights in the Forest, featuring a video intro from Wes Anderson; then Saturday with Golden Eighties, a candy-colored 1986 musical from Jeanne Dielman filmmaker Chantal Akerman; followed Thursday the 30th with 2004’s anime cult hit Mind Game by Masaaki Yuasa.
Columbus Printed Arts Center has a new space at 705 Ann St. and a new name: Center for Print and Collaborative Arts. Saturday at 7 PM, it’s holding a free screening of films by Stefanie Schroeder. The German artist is in Columbus as part of an ongoing exchange through Greater Columbus Arts Council, which allows local artists to travel to our sister city of Dresden and vice-versa. The works will be followed by a chat between the filmmaker and Ohio State Department of Art Chair Roger Beebe.
It’s an interesting mix of repertory offerings this week. They include:
Freeway, Matthew Bright’s ultra-wild road movie with Reese Witherspoon as a resilient teen and Kiefer Sutherland as the serial killer she pissed off, Friday at Studio 35
A short re-release at select multiplexes of Luc Besson’s dazzlingly goofy space opera The Fifth Element
A 4K restoration of Cannibal Holocaust at Gateway all week, so you know the animal cruelty will be crystal clear
Clint Eastwood’s classic revisionist Western Unforgiven—released in 1992 but still relevant to an age of history rewrites & testosterone tests—Monday at the Drexel
And The Day the Earth Stood Still, the sci-fi take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest from 1956 that created the blueprint for things like Star Trek, screening Thursday the 30th at the Ohio Theatre
Way too much useful info to keep to yourself.
(Alphabetical by venue; info is accurate as of post date & subject to change)
Next scheduled screening August 22
July 23–24: Roman Holiday
July 25–26: Some Like it Hot
July 29: Shall We Dance
July 30: Forbidden Planet
Ends July 23:
The Invite
Supergirl
New/holding as of July 24:
Disclosure Day
Evil Dead Burn
Minions & Monsters
Moana
Motor City
Obsession
The Odyssey
Toy Story 5
Young Washington
July 24–29 only: Hadestown: The Musical
July 27 only: AMC Screen Unseen
July 27 & 29 only: The Bad Guys 2
Opens July 30:
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Through Sept. 20: Greater Columbus: The 2026 Visual Arts Fellowship Exhibition, featuring In a Barrel, ButYouDontWannaDie by Yusef Ferguson and Requiem by Malcolm Cochran
July 25 only: Stefanie Schroeder film screening
On view in the Planetarium through Sept. 7:
Messengers of Time and Space
Dinosaurs: A Story of Survival
On view in the Giant Screen Theater:
Cosmic Dawn: The Untold Story of the James Webb Space Telescope
Ending July 23:
Bad Counselors
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
Jackass: Best and Last
Oh Sukumari
Supergirl
New/holding as of July 24:
Chennai Love Story
Disclosure Day
Evil Dead Burn
Her Private Hell
Jana Nayagan
Jana Nayakudu
Minions & Monsters
Moana
Motor City
Obsession
The Odyssey (select screenings in DLX)
Pinocchio: Unstrung
Toy Story 5
Young Washington
July 23 & 26–27 only: Bad Counselors
July 24–29 only: Hadestown: The Musical
July 26 only: Evangelion 30th Movie Fest: The End of Evangelion; Sia: Nostalgic for the Present
July 26–27 only: The Fifth Element
July 26–30 only: Curious George
July 27 only: Marcus Mystery Movie
July 28 only: Wham! 10 Days in China
Opens July 23:
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
(Open Thu–Mon only)
Ends July 23:
Minions & Monsters
New/holding as of July 24:
Her Private Hell
The Invite
The Odyssey
July 25 only: Eccentric Cinema: To Live and Die in L.A.
July 27 only: A Case of the Mondays: Unforgiven
Ends July 23:
Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition
Bad Counselors
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
Jackass: Best and Last
Lenin
Oh Sukumari
New/holding as of July 24:
Chennai Love Story
Disclosure Day
Evil Dead Burn
Her Private Hell
The Invite
Jana Nayagan
Minions & Monsters
Moana
Motor City
Obsession
The Odyssey
Pinocchio Unstrung
Supergirl
Toy Story 5
Vadhala
Young Washington
July 23–27 only: Bad Counselors
July 24–29 only: Hadestown: The Musical
July 26 only: Sia: Nostalgic for the Present
July 26–28 only: The Fifth Element
July 27 only: AMC Screen Unseen
July 27 & 29 only: The Bad Guys 2
July 28 only: Wham! 10 Days in China
July 29 only: Above and Below
Opens July 30:
I Want Your Sex
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Ends July 23:
Dhamaal 4
Lenin
Summer Tour
New/holding as of July 24:
Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition
Chennai Love Story
The Devil Wears Prada 2
Disclosure Day
Evil Dead Burn
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
Haunted Heist
Her Private Hell
The Invite
Jackass: Best and Last
Jana Nayagan
Masters of the Universe
Michael
Minions & Monsters
Moana (sensory-friendly screening July 25)
Motor City
Obsession
The Odyssey (select screenings in IMAX)
Pinocchio Unstrung
Scary Movie
Supergirl
Toy Story 5
Young Washington
July 23–27 only: Bad Counselors
July 24–29 only: Hadestown: The Musical
July 26–28 only: The Fifth Element
July 27 & 29 only: The Bad Guys 2
July 28 only: Wham! 10 Days in China
July 29 only: Above and Below
Opens July 30:
I Want Your Sex
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (Opening Night Fan Event July 30)
July 23:
The Angry Birds Movie at the Lawn at High Water Alley
Love & Basketball at Columbus Commons
Sing 2 at East Market
July 24:
How to Train Your Dragon (2025) at Zoombezi Bay
July 25:
A Christmas Story & Ready Player One at Dublin’s Riverside Crossing Park
July 29:
The Santa Clause in Grove City’s Town Center Park
Ends July 23:
Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition
Evil Dead Burn
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
Leviticus
Obsession
Romería
New/holding as of July 24:
Brunello: The Gracious Visionary
Cult 101: Cannibal Holocaust 4K Restoration
Her Private Hell
The Invite
Maddie’s Secret
Motor City
The Odyssey (select screenings in 70mm)
Reading Lolita in Tehran
July 25–26 only: From Book to Film: Labyrinth
Opens July 23:
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
New/holding as of July 24:
The Invite
The Odyssey
Opens July 30:
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
July 24 only: The Blues Brothers
Ends July 23:
Jackass: Best and Last
New/holding as of July 24:
Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition
Disclosure Day
Evil Dead Burn
The Invite
Minions & Monsters
Moana (sensory-friendly screening July 25)
Motor City
Obsession
The Odyssey (select screenings in IMAX)
Pinocchio Unstrung
Supergirl
Toy Story 5
Young Washington
July 23–27 only: Bad Counselors
July 24–29 only: Hadestown: The Musical
July 27 only: AMC Screen Unseen
July 27 & 29 only: The Bad Guys 2
Opens July 30:
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Ends July 23:
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
The NeverEnding Story
Pressure
New/holding as of July 24:
Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition
Chennai Love Story
Disclosure Day
Evil Dead Burn
Her Private Hell
The Invite
Jackass: Best and Last
Jana Nayagan
Masters of the Universe
Minions & Monsters
Moana
Motor City
Obsession
The Odyssey (select screenings in IMAX)
The Sheep Detectives
Supergirl
Toy Story 5
Tremors
Young Washington
July 23–27 only: Bad Counselors
July 26–27 only: The Fifth Element
Opens July 30:
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
July 30 only: 10 Things I Hate About You
Ends July 23:
Dhamaal 4
New/holding as of July 24:
Disclosure Day
Evil Dead Burn
Gauthali
Haunted Heist
Minions & Monsters
Moana
Motor City
Obsession
The Odyssey
Pinocchio: Unstrung
Scary Movie
Supergirl
Toy Story 5
Young Washington
July 24–29 only: Hadestown: The Musical
July 26 only: Sia: Nostalgic for the Present
July 26–30 only: Curious George
July 26–27 only: The Fifth Element; Bad Counselors
July 27 only: Marcus Mystery Movie
Opens July 30:
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Ends July 23:
Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition
Jackass: Best and Last
Oh Sukumari
Supergirl
New/holding as of July 24:
Chennai Love Story
Disclosure Day
Evil Dead Burn
Gauthali
The Invite
Jana Nayagan
Jana Nayakudu
Minions & Monsters
Moana
Motor City
Obsession
The Odyssey (select screenings in XD)
Toy Story 5
Young Washington
July 24–29 only: Hadestown: The Musical
July 26 only: 2026 &Team Concert Tour - Blaze the Way in Japan: Live Viewing; Sia: Nostalgic for the Present
July 26–27 only: The Fifth Element
July 27 only: Secret Movie Series
July 27 & 29 only: Summer Movie Clubhouse: The Bad Guys 2
July 28 only: Wham! 10 Days in China
Opens July 30:
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Tentative double features June 23–29 (could not be confirmed at publish time):
Moana & Toy Story 5
The Odyssey & Obsession
Ends July 23:
Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition
Masters of the Universe
Michael
Sakr W Kanaria
New/holding as of July 24:
Disclosure Day
Evil Dead Burn
Gauthali
The Invite
Jana Nayagan
Minions & Monsters
Moana
Obsession
The Odyssey
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu
Supergirl
Toy Story 5
Young Washington
July 24–29 only: Hadestown: The Musical
July 27–30 only: Summer Movie Clubhouse: The Bad Guys 2
July 26–27 only: The Fifth Element
July 27 only: Secret Movie Series
Opens July 30:
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
New/holding as of July 24:
Her Private Hell (ends July 29)
The Invite (ends July 29)
The Odyssey
July 24 only: Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
July 25 only: Freeway
July 28–29 only: Summer Kids Movie Series: Shrek 2
Opens July 30:
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Through Aug. 15: Homing: Site Reflections by Katherine G. Moore & Kathryn Nusa Logan
Installations held over through July 26:
Naeem Mohaiemen: Corinthians
Vitória Cribb: echoes of a wet finger—cinematic version
A Summer Abroad: International Film Classics
July 23: Days and Nights in the Forest
July 25: Golden Eighties
July 30: Mind Game
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