Despite wildly variable results so far, Sony is committing to its Spider-Man Villain Universe with Madame Web, which is centered around the not particularly well-known title character, in addition to several others who’ve used the ‘Spider-Woman’ moniker at various points over the years. Spider-Verse hits aside, these Sony movies can’t seem to catch a break, with even the “successes” (the Venom movies) becoming magnets for a wide variety of reads. These films’ canonical connection to the Marvel-produced Spider-Man films starring Tom Holland remains ambiguous (in a non-intriguing, legally mandated kind of way), but the presence here of Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney and Tahar Rahim seems like enough to justify two hours in the dark. Jim has decided to just go with it: “I’m surprisingly all in for how Sony has decided to go completely bonkers in how they’re handling the Spider-Man alternate universe.” Gio, on the other hand, portentously warns that it “might be the closest thing we get as a spiritual successor to ’04’s Catwoman.” Now in theaters.

It’s a tenuous time for theatrical exhibition, when the major studios have all but abandoned once-thriving subgenres like big-budget horror and Yuppies In Peril movies, and are shy on committing to more mid-budget crime comedies. But one type of movie endures: the music biopic. As Milly writes of Bob Marley: One Love, “Sit me in front of any music biopic and I’m having a good time.” With One Night In Miami… star (and Barbie supporting Ken) Kingsley Ben-Adir as the iconic reggae unifier, the film smashed the Valentine’s Day box office even if, as Alysson laments, “for such a rebellious and revolutionary artist, this is a pretty tame biopic.” Jake says it is elevated by “an insanely good performance by Ben-Adir,” while Tim perceives “a nobility in how much this attempts to eschew traditional biopic beats… the extent to which it didn’t feel like another Bohemian Rhapsody/​Rocketman felt admirable.” Here are the cast’s four favorites from the LA premiere. For a deeper Bob dive, Kevin Macdonald’s definitive 2012 documentary, also endorsed by the Marley family, tells the musician’s story well. Now in theaters.

Diving headlong into the challenge of making the recording of a podcast cinematically compelling is Monolith, an Aussie sci-fi thriller about a journalist-turned-podcaster who believes she has uncovered an alien conspiracy. Lily Sullivan, who impressed in the recent Evil Dead Rise, is the only actor seen for the entire movie, with all the other performances rendered in audio only. Lee confirms that Sullivan “carries the entire movie on her shoulders,” while Andrew is impressed by “how much mood is derived from a powerful location and effective sound design.” “If you like podcasts, true crime, YouTube docs, etc. you’ll love this,” writes Jessica, recommending Monolith “for fans of: The Fog (1980), The Gift (2015).” Fans of podcaster and journalist David Farrier might like to know he gave it the full five stars: “Morgellons writ large. Loved this film’s vibe.” Now in select US theaters and on VOD.

Gomorrah director Matteo Garrone’s new film Io Capitano follows two young Senegalese cousins, Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Falland), as they attempt to get to Europe by any means necessary. Nominated for Best International Feature at this year’s Oscars, Io Capitano premiered to great acclaim at Venice, where Sarr won Best Young Actor and Garrone received the Silver Lion (Best Director) Award. It’s “a wonderful and moving saga,” says André, one that Sky describes as “a humanistic story which deliberately lambasts the anti-immigrant rhetoric flourishing in the country these Senegalese teens arrive at.” Walid cautions that the film is “tough and heartbreaking… but it’s okay everybody must really watch this.” In select US theaters February 23.

Following two-and-a-half decades of fruitful collaborations, filmmaking brothers Joel and Ethan Coen went their separate (creative) ways following 2018’s glorious anthology, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Joel’s first solo directorial effort, The Tragedy of Macbeth, came in 2021 and now we have older brother Ethan’s first narrative feature (after 2022 doc Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind). Drive-Away Dolls is a caper comedy that, if it wasn’t directed by a Coen brother, would no doubt be accused of chasing a Coen Bros vibe. Scorching up-and-comers Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan play two friends on a road-trip who find themselves in possession of some highly sought-after contraband via that reliable trope of the mysterious suitcase. With a starry supporting cast (Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo and Miley Cyrus), this promises many a bumbling criminal. In US, Australian and New Zealand theaters February 23, with other territories in the coming weeks.

Diminutive comedian Esther Povitsky, a staple of the Los Angeles improv scene and a reliable scene-stealer in shows such as Love, Dollface and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, steps up to take the lead in Drugstore June, which the trailer suggests may land somewhere between Where the Heart Is and The Kid Detective. Povitsky plays a useless layabout who decides to investigate when her local pharmacy is robbed. From what little we’ve seen, the film comes across as an appropriate vehicle for the actress’s uniquely pointed comedic persona, which checks out, since she co-wrote it. In US theaters February 23.

A title like Stopmotion was always going to grab the attention of your humble (and stop-motion animation-enamored) Call Sheet editor. It turns out that while this British movie does feature the delightfully tactile and increasingly imperiled animation technique, it is actually a horror about the making of a stop-motion film, which only intrigues me more. The live-action narrative feature of freaky-animated-shorts director Robert Morgan, Stopmotion concerns an animator (played by The Nightingale’s Aisling Franciosi) who may or may not be losing her mind. Considering the patience and discipline required to animate via stop-motion, it’s amazing this idea hasn’t come about sooner. Plus, I can’t imagine a more appropriate technique to portray someone’s crumbling sanity. “Shockingly beautiful, and devastating at the same time,” raves Omayra. “Unsettling and compelling in all the best ways. Stop-motion animation has never made me so uncomfortable,” writes Jacob, adding: “It’s like Berberian Sound Studio meets Mad God,” further ensuring I will see this movie at my earliest opportunity. In select US theaters and on VOD February 23.

It’s time for Dom’s Pick! Every fortnight, your humble Call Sheet editor closes with a recommendation for your watchlists. This edition: Last Embrace (1979). This somewhat forgotten gem starts off like a Three Days of the Condor derivative but goes to some rather unexpected places. A tightly wound Roy Scheider is a spooked CIA operative who can’t work out who’s trying to kill him, and an inordinately radiant Janet Margolin is the doctoral student caught up in the fray.

Director Jonathan Demme, still a fresh graduate of the Roger Corman school of filmmaking, borrows liberally from both Hitchcock and the French New Wave here, utilizing a variety of techniques to create a wonderful sense of escalating unease. Plus there are heaps of fantastic locations (the church-tower shoot-out is an all-timer), culminating with a remarkable Niagara Falls climax. Available to stream on Tubi.