By John Corrado

New releases for the week of May 26th, 2023.

(L-R): Halle Bailey as Ariel and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric in Disney’s live-action THE LITTLE MERMAID. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Theatrical Releases:

The Little Mermaid (Wide Release): Disney’s live action remake of their 1989 animated classic is the biggest of this week’s new releases. As I wrote in my review, “it coasts by on enough nostalgia for the original that it will work for some, and it is enjoyable to watch in places, but I mostly found it overlong and uneven.” It’s not the worst of Disney’s live action remakes, Halle Bailey does make the role of Ariel her own, but the animated film still reigns supreme. (Full Review)

Mission Kandahar (Wide Release): Gerard Butler stars as a covert CIA operative who is forced to escape through Afghanistan with his translator (Navid Negahban) in Mission Kandahar. But, as I wrote in my review, the film “never quite decides if it wants to be just another B-grade Gerard Butler action movie, or a deeper statement on US involvement in foreign conflicts, and the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban.” It’s somewhat effective in places, and there are some interesting themes, but too many of them go unexplored, with several characters and story strands that feel underdeveloped. (Full Review)

You Hurt My Feelings (Limited Release): This latest dramedy from writer-director Nicole Holofcener stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Beth, a writer who is sent into a tailspin of self-doubt when she accidentally overhears her husband (Tobias Menzies) giving his honest opinion on her new book. Louis-Dreyfus is near or at the peak of her career in the leading role, as Holofcener uses this premise to explore pretty much universally relatable topics, once again proving herself to be an excellent observer of human nature and character interactions. (Full Review)

More Releases: All About My Father (Wide), The Machine (Wide), L’immensità (Limited), It Ain’t Over (Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema)

Streaming Releases:

American Born Chinese: Season 1 (Disney+), FUBAR (Netflix), Bystanders (VOD/Digital)