The Wasteland List: 35th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival Day 10
How often do you sit there thinking about what to watch? You might have an endless watchlist that keeps piling up (I certainly have one myself). Sometimes you are just in the mood for a type of film or a certain filmmaker or actor and want to take yourself into a deep dive. As someone who watches so many movies, I have people asking me for recommendations all the time. One of the best feelings as a cinephile is recommending a film and that person loves it. Take this wealth of cinematic knowledge and experience and enjoy some recommendations on me. Genre. Subgenre. Filmmaker. Actor. Composer. Writer. Genre. Story. Trope. Cliché. Any other cinematic elements or them. Here is The Wasteland List:
35th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival Day 10
Bunker (2026)
Is having two of the sexiest and most talented actors working today anchoring your film enough? You will realize that it just might not be when exploring Florian Zeller’s new film Bunker. This psychological drama/thriller explores the deteriorating marriage between Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz’ characters. The film opens with a powerful scene displaying Bardem’s expression of their love story. This sets the tone of a loving relationship that begins to crumble. Bardem’s Miguel contemplates a job crafting a bunker for a wealthy man whose paranoia and xenophobia might be rubbing off on. Miguel gets in conflict with a neighbor (Stephen Graham) who is attempting to build a window into their lives. Cruz’ Sofia looks for clarity and connection elsewhere as her husband is overtaken. There are elements that work well including a sharply shot film with some dynamic visuals as well as an effective score. Bardem and Cruz are excellent, including one climactic argument that puts their acting skills on full display. The film tries to do too much and there are narrative elements that come into play that just feel like a bridge too far. A mixed bag of themes and mixed messaging muddies the effectiveness of Zeller’s latest film.
Joy Will Prevail (2026)
A rich family getting the chance to tell a story about themselves must go well, right? That is not the case with Max Korman’s new film Joy Will Prevail which relates directly to his family’s experience. Korman’s grandfather has their family home designed by renowned Philadelphian architect Louis Kahn. Joy Will Prevail explores the last three years of this skilled man’s life. From a filmmaking standpoint, there are some elements that look good, including some engaging cinematography as well as a score (that might be overpowering) which deliver plenty of emotion. Veteran performer Griffin Dunne portrays Kahn underneath plenty of prosthetics. His performance is specific and effective. The rest of the cast is either wasted (Alexis Bledel and Jennifer Beals) while some are just underwhelming (Ben Rosenfield whose turn as Korman is quite flat). The dialogue is clunky for sure, and some elements of the narrative add little (including all of Kahn romantic threads which distract from the main narrative). The overall experience is quite underwhelming and just doesn’t do justice to its subject.
Everytime (2026)
How far can a misguided third act ruin a great film? A case study can be written to explore this to great effect when discussing the new drama by writer/director Sandra Wollner, Everytime. First off, this is a visually striking and bold experience that is rich and tender. The cinematography by Gregory Oke is something to behold (but this shouldn’t be a surprise for anyone aware of his previous efforts). The film starts off so well with a story about a mother and her two daughters. At the 15-minute mark (or so) a tragedy strikes this teen daughter and gives up some of the most shocking moments in film all this year. The first two acts are a visually compelling and tender exploration of grief by this mother, young sister, and the boy who could have done something to avoid the tragedy. Contemplating and methodical, the film explores the pain and loss in an authentic and poignant way. The performances are grounded and engrossing as well. But the third act delivers a big, bold swing that is a challenging and frustrating shift that almost torpedoes the whole experience. What started as an enthralling and grounded affair turns into some mysterious and mythical affair which comes out of nowhere and does not land well. The pacing and thematic work drops like a lead balloon out of the sky. The visuals are still there and some metaphors are effective, but the film just spirals into a frustrating mess towards the end.
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