Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of Movie Reviews 2026. Valentine’s Day is done and dusted and as we move further into February there are a number of big screen releases hoping to tempt audiences into cinemas, including a few covered this week!
Speaking of which, on the agenda in this edition, Liam Neeson and Joe Keery star in sci-fi horror-comedy, Cold Storage; while there are supernatural shenanigans in new horror movie, Whistle. Plus Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die.
No, it’s not a mantra for 2026, it’s director Gore Verbinski’s brand new sci-fi adventure comedy. The film lands in UK cinemas this week and aims to bring some whacky fun and adventure to the screen.
And if all this isn’t enough, over on disc there’s political scandal in classic ‘70s movie, All the President’s Men. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman take on the roles of journalists, Woodward and Bernstein for this slick thriller.
—
In cinemas…
Cold Storage (2026)
OK, so first up this week is the sci-fi horror-comedy, Cold Storage. Directed by Jonny Campbell, the film stars Liam Neeson, Joe Keery, Georgina Campbell, Lesley Manville, Richard Brake, and Vanessa Redgrave, and focuses on a killer fungus which could spell disaster for the human race.
In the 1970s NASA launch a fungus into space as part of a scientific experiment. The fungus later returns to Earth inside an oxygen tank, landing in Western Australia, where it becomes part of a makeshift museum created by a local farmer.
Fast forward to 2005 and the highly infectious fungus has grown and escaped the confines of the tank. However, a team of US operatives manage to contain it, and seal it inside an underground storage facility in Kansas.
As the years pass, the US government close off the facility and rent the land to a self-storage company. In 2026, the fungus starts to escape, prompting bioterror specialists Robert Quinn and Trini Romano to jump into action.
With a B-movie premise, some strong names amongst the cast (Neeson, Manville, Redgrave, etc), and a relatively swift running time (99-minutes), Cold Storage has many of the right ingredients for a whacky sci-fi horror romp. The concept of an expanding killer substance has shades of The Blob about it, while the involvement of US operatives gives off plenty of Men in Black or Evolution vibes.
Heck, once various humans and animals become infected by the fungus, it could also be said there’s a slight touch of The Return of the Living Dead about proceedings. So, without doubt, the sci-fi and horror influences on Cold Storage are fairly visible, and in all honesty this is perfectly fine.
But unfortunately, while Cold Storage does share the DNA of various movies of the past, it doesn’t quite live up to expectations. The comedy is somewhat lacking; the horror doesn’t dig deep enough (or gross enough); and some of the cast are wasted.
Neeson is fine, and gets plenty to do, but Lesley Manville is under utilised, and the inclusion of Vanessa Redgrave just seems pointless. One minute she’s on screen, the next minute she’s not, and then it’s as if someone suddenly remembered to bring her back before the credits roll.
As for the pacing, it’s pretty slow going for a fairly short film. Things start off promising, during the initial introduction of the fungus, but once the opening sequence is out of the way it takes forever to get going and in this time things begin to drag.
So much deadwood could be cut from the film. Trimming plot points, characters, and lengthy scenes of exposition would improve things greatly, because the potential is here, it’s simply a case of things getting lost in the execution.
If you’re a fan of B-movies you might find something appealing in Cold Storage. It certainly tries, and there are a couple of moments when you hope it will succeed, but this could and should be much better.
If you cast Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville as the last line of defence against the destruction of all life on the planet, you really need to make it count. Cold Storage falls short.
Anyway, should you wish to take a look, Cold Storage is now playing in UK and US cinemas.
—
In cinemas…
Whistle (2025)
Sticking with horror for this next movie, the supernatural flick, Whistle. Directed by Corin Hardy and starring Dafne Keen, Sophie Nélisse, Sky Yang, Percy Hynes White, and Nick Frost, the film centres its story around a group of students who come into the possession of a spooky whistle.
In the film, a troubled teen finds a mysterious whistle which can summon a deathly apparition. The whistle then gets passed around, people start dying, and various horror clichés, as well as nods to other genre classics are chucked at the screen.
The whistle in question is a creepily designed Aztec Death Whistle; while the troubled teen is Chrys Willet – a sort-of emo final girl played by Dafne Keen. As for the movie, well, it’s watchable stuff, but it does ultimately run out of steam, so keep this in mind.
There are some neat visual flourishes in Whistle which demonstrate something promising, and the general idea of the Aztec whistle is interesting in itself, but the story isn’t quite strong enough. Whistlealso fails to be scary, which is a little frustrating.
For a horror movie with a decent central concept, it could do with some work. A few tweaks here and there, and it would be a much better offering.
However, it works fine for those happy to just switch off and engage with what’s on offer. So if you accept this isn’t the next Final Destination, you should be alright.
—
On disc…
All the President’s Men (1976)
Over to disc now for the UHD 4K release of director Alan J. Pakula’s biographical political thriller, All the President’s Men. Originally released in 1976, and starring Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Warden, Jason Robards, and Martin Balsam, the film follows the story of two journalists who investigate the Watergate Scandal, which in turn brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon.
The story begins in 1972 with an attempted burglary at the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. Following the break in, Bob Woodward, a fairly green reporter for The Washington Post, is assigned to cover the story, which is generally considered to be of low importance.
However, when Woodward learns the burglars carried electronic bugging equipment, and have high-profile legal representation, the whole incident seems highly suspicious. Keen to get to the bottom of the crime, Woodward begins to investigate, and quickly discovers a connection to Richard Nixon – the 37th President of the United States.
As Woodward investigates further, he is teamed up with seasoned reporter, Carl Bernstein. Together the pair leave no stone unturned until they connect the dots and expose a huge political scandal, which ultimately ended in 1974 when Nixon resigned from his position.
Based on the book of the same name by Woodward and Bernstein, All the President’s Men is an engrossing and insightful picture which demonstrates the need for good journalism, and a free press. This was something of upmost importance back in the 1970s, and it’s certainly true with today’s battle against AI twaddle and ‘fake news’.
Leading the film are the marvellous duo of Redford and Hoffman, who are excellent as Woodward and Bernstein respectively. Meanwhile, the supporting cast of Warden, Robards, and Balsam give this movie the gravitas it deserves, and the direction from Pakula is tight.
It’s not surprising this film was nominated for eight Academy Awards upon release, because it’s rather good. Perhaps the most surprising thing is that it only went on to win four awards (Best Screenplay, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, and Best Supporting Actor for Jason Robards), after losing Best Picture to Rocky.
But hey, you don’t need to win all the awards to be a stellar movie. You just need to do things well – which All the President’s Men does, and then some.
Should you wish to grab a copy of All the President’s Men on disc, the movie is available on 4K for the first time via two releases. The first is a standard 4K edition priced at £25, while the second is a limited edition steelbook priced at £35.
Special features include a collection of featurettes including All the President’s Men: The Film and Its Influence; Woodward and Bernstein: Lighting the Fire; Telling the Truth About Lies; Jason Robards on Dinah!, and Out of the Shadows: The Man Who Was Deep Throat.
—
In cinemas…
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (2026)
And finally, back to the big screen for the sci-fi adventure film, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. Directed by Gore Verbinski, the film stars Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Asim Chaudhry, and Juno Temple, and follows the story of a time traveller committed to saving the world from a terrible future.
In the film, an unknown man dressed in strange clothing arrives at a diner at 10:10pm, claiming to be from the future. According to the man, this is the 117th time he has journeyed back to the past, because all previous journeys have ended in failure.
He comes from a disastrous time in which technology and AI has destroyed half the population. He believes he knows how to prevent his future from becoming a reality, but it requires the right combination of people to succeed.
In the diner there are 47 people. Each time he travels back in time he recruits different combinations of people to join him on his mission, because he is convinced one of the combinations will work.
While the previous 116 attempts have failed, he’s ever hopeful the 117th will succeed. After selecting a team of seven, he sets out to save the world.
You know, there are a number of great time travel movies in existence, from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, to 12 Monkeys, and Looper; and Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die fits neatly alongside this collection. And if you’re a fan of any of these, you’re sure to be a fan of this one too.
Not only does Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die arrive as a fully formed classic of the genre, but it’s an absolute hoot too. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is smart, creative, often funny, and it is loaded with social commentary.
From the perils of AI, to the addictive nature of social media, and the loss of human interaction, compassion, and empathy, this film casts a keen eye over the various ways the human race could be creating its own downfall. It seems fairly clear we are going to mess it all up for ourselves (come on, you know we will) and Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die suggests we might already be on the path towards the end.
Oh and speaking of the end, it’s worth noting that Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die sticks the landing. This isn’t a sci-fi story which fizzles out during the back-half of the film, it’s one which has a strong climax that leaves room for much thought and contemplation after the credits have begun to play.
Sam Rockwell takes on the role of the unnamed time traveller in Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, and as is always the case with Rockwell he delivers a standout performance. He’s accompanied by a fab ensemble (Richardson, Peña, et al) who make up his ‘team’, and who are given their own chance to shine.
Similar to last year’s horror hit, Weapons, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die features multiple story segments devoted to key characters, which help expand the narrative and fill in the blanks. These story segments provide valuable information about the main players, which in turn suggests it is entirely possible this 117th attempt to save the world might work.
Of course, you’ll have to watch the movie yourself to find out if it does. But you should watch Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die because it’s top-notch entertainment.
All-in-all Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is marvellous, sci-fi adventure fun which is whacky while being worryingly prescient. As with all good dystopian sci-fi tales, the film’s prediction of the future isn’t too far removed from where we are now, and this ensures that at all times it has something worthwhile to say.
Should we listen? Almost certainly.
Anyway, if you’re after blockbuster entertainment this February, then here you are. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is now playing in UK and US cinemas.
—
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:
Wuthering Heights (2026)
“Wuthering Heights is an expertly crafted picture, which manages to take a centuries old novel and find a way to bring it to a new audience in a slick and stylish way. And (filmmaker Emerald) Fennell does so with complete conviction, ensuring this film hits hard in the story department, as well as costumes, sound, and set design.”
Goat (2026)
“The core audience for this film (i.e. young movie fans) will find Goat more than meets their needs, which is fair enough. There are plenty of gags in the film, some cool tunes, and a number of contemporary references, which should make it relatable for those interested in giving it a whirl.”
We Bury the Dead (2026)
“If you’re after hardcore horror, you won’t find it here, but if you want an unsettling drama with strong performances as well as an emotional core, We Bury the Dead delivers.”
Send Help (2026)
“If you have a fondness for (director Sam Raimi), and the whacky situations he puts his characters through, you’ll enjoy what’s on offer here. There’s much to like, plus the island backdrop is certainly a beauty to behold, and McAdams and O’Brien are on top form.”
—
Movie of the Week
Onto Movie of the Week and this week the top pick is going to Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. If you’re craving some sci-fi fun this month, then point yourself in the direction of this film.
And if you like Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, then you might also like:
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) – Good Luck director Gore Verbinski helms this huge action and adventure hit from 2003.
- Moon (2009) – Sam Rockwell leads this well-received sci-fi drama about a man nearing the end of a three-year solo stint in space.
- Looper (2012) – Rian Johnson’s sci-fi action thriller about contract killers whose targets are sent back through time.
—
Forthcoming attractions
And that’s your lot for yet another week, but coming soon The Bride, War Machine, and Hoppers. Plus Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox face off against Ghostface in Scream 7; Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton team up for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come; and Ryan Gosling blasts off into space with Project Hail Mary.
Alex
__
__
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.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a comment