In this week’s edition of Movie Reviews 2026 prepare yourself for monkey madness in new horror, Primate; sci-fi shenanigans in Chris Pratt’s A.I.-actioner, Mercy; and criminal capers in Netflix’s gritty Italian drama, The Big Fake. Plus, Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista team up for Prime Video’s The Wrecking Crew!
Oh, and if that wasn’t enough there’s a rundown of recent releases, Movie of the Week, and all the usual fun and frolics you’ve come to expect from your favourite weekly review roundup. This is your favourite weekly review roundup, right?
Great! Then without further ado, let’s get into it!
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Now streaming…
The Big Fake (2026)
First up this week it’s over to Netflix for the Italian crime drama, The Big Fake (aka Il Falsario). Directed by Stefano Lodovichi, and starring Pietro Castellito, the movie follows the story of a skilled artist who becomes a master forger.
In the movie it’s the 1970s and talented artist Toni arrives in Rome determined to make a name for himself in the art world. However, his ambition to become the next great painter quickly falls by the wayside as he moves into the criminal underworld, and into dodgy dealings that bring trouble to his door.
Slick, well-acted, and relatively interesting, The Big Fake is a decent crime picture about one man’s descent into the dark corners of the Italian crime scene. It begins with Toni agreeing to copy a few paintings, progresses with the forging of documents, and continues with Toni caught up in sticky situations that are almost impossible to get out of.
Of course, Toni would have found himself in these (or similar) situations even if he didn’t agree to copy the paintings, because the temptation to be rich and successful is too appealing. The movie makes it clear Toni isn’t completely innocent, to ensure this isn’t just a tale about a person choosing one bad decision, and this makes both his character and the story worth spending time on.
Not that you wouldn’t want to spend time on The Big Fake anyway, because as noted above it is relatively interesting and looks great. The only real problem is that it doesn’t offer anything particularly new to the crime genre.
But if you accept that you’ve seen this sort of thing before, and you have no issue with spending time in familiar territory, The Big Fake is an entertaining and engaging way to spend some time. It’s nothing outstanding, and the story probably would have made for a better television show, but it’s likeable for what it is.
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In cinemas…
Primate (2026)
Over to the big screen now for the creature-feature, Primate. Directed and co-written by Johannes Roberts, and starring Johnny Sequoyah, Troy Kotsur, and Jessica Alexander, Primate is a small budget horror which centres its short, and very simply tale around a crazed chimpanzee.
In the film, a family pet chimp named Ben is bitten by a rabid mongoose, catching rabies in the process. Ben then goes on a murderous rampage through a rather lovely family home (complete with swimming pool), bumping off teen fodder with careless abandon.
That’s the story in a monkey nut, and you’d be absolutely bananas to expect any more. However, if this already sounds like the sort of movie you could go ape shit for, then enjoy as you see fit.
In essence, Primate is a midnight movie where character development and plot go out of the window. It’s the sort of thing which you purposefully view late at night, when all you seek is a couple of scares.
The runtime is a bum-friendly 89-minutes; the score by Adrian Johnston is fab (and somewhat reminiscent of early John Carpenter); and the ‘kill’ sequences are fairly brutal. There’s a death within the first three minutes which is rather gruesome, and this is pretty much where the film operates moving forward.
Chimp unleashes primate pandemonium; youngsters run for their lives; and so on and so on. It’s certainly not the Citizen Kane of animal attack movies, but the story moves from Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z without any major problems.
OK, so Primate does lack substance, and it could be a stronger movie with more work, but it is fine for what it is. As long as you accept this is a paper-thin horror, where Bubbles… sorry, Ben, simply goes off his rocker, you’ll be alright with what’s on offer.
If Primate sounds like it is one for you, then it probably is, and if it doesn’t then it isn’t. That’s all there is to it.
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In cinemas…
Mercy (2026)
Sticking with the cinema for this next movie, which is the futuristic sci-fi action-thriller, Mercy. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, the story focuses on an LA police detective on trail for murder, with just 90 minutes to prove his innocence.
In the film, artificial intelligence oversees the courts. In this nightmarish reality, potential criminals are now presumed guilty of crimes, before being given a trial to prove they didn’t do it.
The latest criminal on trial is Detective Chris Raven. According to the AI judge, Chris is accused of killing his wife, and unless he can prove he didn’t do it he will be executed.
Given access to crime scene evidence, as well as any witnesses he requires, Chris sets out to find the real killer. But strapped to a courtroom chair with the clock ticking, the probability of Chris saving himself is getting rather slim.
With an intriguing premise, and a 90-minute countdown, Mercy has the foundations for something interesting. The idea of AI becoming judge, jury, and executioner is terrifying stuff, while the 90-minute countdown for Chris to prove his innocence adds a sense of urgency to the drama – especially as this is a 90-minute film.
So, yeah, on paper it all sounds rather good. And to be fair, Mercy isn’t terrible, and is entertaining enough for a wet Sunday afternoon.
The problem is, it all feels rather cheap, with the majority of the action playing out as talking head shots between Pratt and Ferguson. While the poster for this film might depict Pratt taking to the streets with a firearm in hand, the reality is he spends the vast majority of the film sat on his ass looking directly at a camera.
There is some action in Mercy, but don’t expect huge scenes of spectacle. This is effectively a vocal police investigation, played out with Pratt and Ferguson going back and forth discussing clues against a greenscreen backdrop.
Sure, both actors hit the required emotional beats, and do their best to push the story along, but there is only so much they can do given the confines of a CGI courtroom. It’s also not entirely clear why actors of their profile are needed for this type of story, considering it’s quite a low concept kind of thing which could work just as well with up-and-coming actors.
But yeah, it’s alright.
Fine as a slice of sci-fi fluff, Mercy is OK, just nothing special. Why this film has gone to cinemas is anyone’s guess, as it has direct-to-Prime written all over it, but hey, those are the decisions made by the big wigs.
Either way, Mercy isn’t as awful as some might suggest, it’s just not great either. Had this been a 30-minute episode of a television show it would work far better, and I’m in no doubt it’ll be better received when it does eventually land on streaming.
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Now streaming…
The Wrecking Crew (2026)
And finally, new to Prime Video this week is the action comedy, The Wrecking Crew. Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, the movie stars Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista, and follows the story of two brothers forced to reunite when trouble comes calling.
In the movie, Jonny and James Hale are estranged half-brothers who haven’t seen eye-to-eye in years. But when their father dies in a supposed hit-and-run, and goons come to Jonny’s door, the pair have to put their differences to one side to uncover the truth about his death.
Jeez, is this a week for mid-level movies or what?! Despite some well-choreographed action sequences, a few good gags, and decent performances from Momoa and Bautista, The Wrecking Crewis another so-so film which isn’t awful, but it’s nothing worth shouting about either.
The film has the right ingredients for something special, and there is a welcome Lethal Weapon-style vibe throughout, but The Wrecking Crew fails to capitalise on its potential. This is largely because it’s too long, the pacing is all over the place, and the story is missing zest.
The pairing of Momoa and Bautista works well, and when the movie leans into scenes of spectacle there’s fun to be had, but there are sections which slow the story down to a crawl. As such, you can’t help but wish this was a little better.
If you’re a fan of Momoa and/or Bautista, or you’re after an OK action flick there’s some entertainment to be had, but it’s not one to rush to see. Take it as you find it.
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Also out…
Recent Releases
Not quite done yet? Want more movies? The above suggestions aren’t enough?! Well, here’s what’s also doing the rounds:
Return to Silent Hill (2026)
“The script is woeful, the acting is dire, and some of the leaps in logic are outstanding. Various parts of the film feel like cutscenes from a game, gaffer taped together, and the whole thing drags – which is impressive for a movie which is only 106 mins long.”
Cosmic Princess Kaguya! (2026)
“Boasting beautiful animation, adorable characters, and some cutesy tunes, Cosmic Princess Kaguya!is a likeable fantasy anime which is sure to be a hit with young Netflix audiences. The visuals are imaginative, the colour palette is luscious, and the story has teen appeal.”
The Rip (2026)
“The Rip is a captivating caper and one which is something of a triumph for Netflix. When it comes to crime-thrillers and action movies, the streaming service often struggles to get it right (and that’s being kind), but this time around it has hit the target and then some!”
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)
“Director Nia DaCosta picks up the baton from 28 Years Later director Danny Boyle and runs with it. The result is a movie which is equally as nerve wracking, equally as insightful, and equally as compelling.”
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Movie of the Week
Hmmm… it’s a tricky one this week, as none of this week’s big new releases really stand out (although The Big Fake is the best movie of the selection). So… I’m going to break from tradition and recommend that this week you go to the cinema and catch former Movie of the Week winner, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple… if you haven’t watched it already.
The film is fab, but simply isn’t doing the box office numbers it should, which is a huge shame and puts the future of the series in a precarious position. So yeah, this week it’s time to play catch-up, and go see The Bone Temple!
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Horror Preview
And that’s your lot for this week, but before you go, you may wish to check out 2026 In Horror – a preview of a few horror highlights coming to film and TV this year.
From Scream 7 to Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, there’s plenty of horror coming down the pipeline. If you want to prepare yourself, this is the preview for you!
Alex
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this edition of Movie Reviews 2026. For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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