Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Movie Reviews 2026 – your air-bending guide to film.
This week, as the summer rolls on, Eli Roth’s horror movie, Ice Cream Man is doing the rounds. This small budget slasher is hoping to garner interest from those keen on blood, gore, and sprinkles, but is it a sweet treat or a sour mess?
Well, you can find out all about that one shortly. Meanwhile, other movies in the spotlight this week include sci-fi thriller, The Last House, and animated fantasy, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender.
Speaking of which…
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Now streaming…
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (2026)
First up this week it’s off to streaming for animated adventure fantasy, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender. Directed by Lauren Montgomery, and featuring the voice talents of Eric Nam, Dave Bautista, Jessica Matten, Román Zaragoza, Dionne Quan, and Steven Yeun, the movie is a continuation of the popular animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, which originally ran from 2005 to 2008.
Picking up the story over a decade after the events of the series, Aang and his friends have established a home for all nations. But without Air Nomads amongst the townsfolk, Aang feels incomplete.
However, Aang’s hope of finding people like him takes an interesting turn when he discovers the frozen body of an airbender. Could this lead Aang on a quest to fulfil his dreams or could this pave the way for trouble ahead?
If you grew up during the 2000s then you’ll be aware that alongside the likes of Teen Titans and Justice League: Unlimited, Avatar: The Last Airbender was one of the best animated shows of its era. Heck, many Avatar fans will tell you it was THE best animated show of its era – and I’m not here to argue with you on that one.
Anyway, since the show ended, Avatar has lived on in a number of ways, including sequel series, The Legend of Korra; a universally panned live-action reboot movie from M. Night Shyamalan; and a live-action Netflix show which is currently on its second season. There is also talk of a new animated show to continue the original series, which is a possibility for the future, but for now Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is here to plug the gap.
And if you’re an Avatar fan then you’ll be mostly happy with what’s on offer in this new movie. The animation is gorgeous, the action is high, and you’ll get to spend time in the company of old friends, who have been aged up since the original show ended.
OK, so the movie doesn’t reach the same heights as the series, and the script needs work, but there’s enough here to satisfy those who adore Avatar. Plus at just under 100 minutes it doesn’t wear out it’s welcome.
Of course, if you’re not an Avatar fan then Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is less appealing. Anyone attempting to jump into the franchise with this movie will find themselves a bit lost and confused.
For all the elements the movie gets right – the visuals being the biggest selling point of the entire picture – Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender feels very much a film for fans, and not really for anyone else. The story doesn’t have enough appeal to draw in swathes of newcomers, which is a shame when you consider the effort which has gone into the overall production.
That said, there’s enjoyment to be had, those who are already invested in this universe will come out happy, and it’s certainly entertaining. Should you wish to take a look, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is now streaming on Paramount+.
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In cinemas…
Ice Cream Man (2026)
Over to the cinema now for Eli Roth’s tongue-in-cheek summer slasher, Ice Cream Man. Starring Ari Millen as the titular treat seller, the movie focuses on a mysterious ice cream man who turns children into homicidal maniacs.
In the film, when an ice cream man rides his van into the small suburban town of Bayleen Bay, handing out an endless supply of ice cream, the local kids simply can’t get enough. But this freebie comes with a cost, and soon the children are under his spell as they begin dishing out violence to anyone in their path.
If you’re a fan of meaningful movies or so-called ‘elevated horror’ then Ice Cream Man certainly isn’t for you. The basic premise about an ice cream man turning kids into killers is pretty much the extent of what’s on offer here, meaning this is effectively a 90-minute excuse for gore, violence, and over the top deaths, but sadly not much else.
If you want character arcs, plot twists, or any depth, you simply ain’t getting it. However, if you want kids going wild with hacksaws and ice cream scoops you’ll get your wish.
Ice Cream Man is utter nonsense, there’s no escaping this, and for some this is fine. The film aims to be playful, it revels in the kills, and it never takes itself seriously, making it perfect for the B-movie crowd.
However, on the flip-side, it looks cheap, some of the acting is ropey, and it lacks substance. With little in the way of story the constant death scenes gets tiresome very quickly and the boredom and rot sets in.
Arguably the biggest stumbling block of Ice Cream Man is that it does very little with the title character. Every time Ari Millen appears on screen to hand out treats like a diabetes-inducing Pied Piper, you pray he’ll get something good to do, but alas, he never does.
It’s a wasted opportunity. There could be a fab horror icon here, with just a bit more sauce, but nope, he’s largely left to melt in the background as the focus is placed elsewhere.
Ice Cream Man has potential and it’s likely the film will become a cult picture in the future, but this isn’t a strong horror. It’s a midnight movie at best, which will work for the right crowd, but will leave most audiences cold.
Cut back on the kills, develop the mythology, and make things tighter and there’s something here. But as it stands, like two scoops of wasabi ice cream, it’s an acquired taste.
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Now streaming…
The Last House (2026)
And finally, back to streaming now for the sci-fi thriller, The Last House. Directed by Louis Leterrier, and starring Greta Lee and Wagner Moura, the film focuses on a family who become trapped in their own home in the run up to Christmas.
In the movie, as Riley, Jason, and their two children attempt to leave their house for the day, they discover a significant problem: No matter how hard they try, they can’t get out. Doors can’t be kicked in, glass can’t be smashed, and even the phone lines and internet are down.
After glancing out of the window, the family discover this isn’t an isolated problem. All of the neighbours appear trapped and no one seems to know why.
As the days tick on, plans are put in place to ration food and water. But unless anyone can figure out how to resolve this enforced lockdown, things are going to get uncomfortable very quickly.
Cast your mind back six years. Do you remember the pandemic lockdown? Of course you do. How could anyone forget?
Well, The Last House is essentially a reworking of that, only without the virus and with a lot more sitting around the house. There are no cheeky trips to the local shop to buy toilet roll and bags of dried pasta, just four people trying to keep it together while food supplies dwindle and the best form of entertainment is Annie on DVD.
And of course, if that wasn’t enough to put your own head in the oven, there’s the pesky problem of what would you actually do if you managed to get outside? Everyone else is locked in their own homes, and presumably all the shops are shut up tight too, so there’s not much happening out there either.
The good thing about The Last House is that it actually looks at the more interesting dilemmas of being locked down indefinitely. The frustration when the food runs out; the heart-breaking situation when the dog’s medication comes to an end; and the resourcefulness which comes into play during the darkest hours.
Rather than just introduce the lockdown premise, and then do little with it, The Last House digs its heels in, to highlight the many sides of the situation. From the good days to the bad, as well as the exhaustion of an inescapable prison, and the inevitable angst that comes from the kids as they grow up and desperately want to leave.
The main focus of the picture is the domestic drama mixed in with a survivor storyline, but a bit of creepy monster fun is added in too to add some additional spectacle. Not enough to detract from what is a compelling scenario, but just the right amount to add something a bit sinister during the final act.
That said, it might have been more interesting to ditch the monster stuff completely and instead maintain the lockdown drama to take the film towards its inevitable end. The fact we don’t see the family utterly turn on each other and chow down on the weakest member seems like a missed opportunity.
Ah, well.
All-in-all, The Last House is a fairly solid picture, which is backed by a great cast and strong direction from Leterrier. The climax is a bit anticlimactic, but the journey is enjoyable and for a streaming title these days, it’s worth a watch.
Should you wish to take a look, The Last House is now streaming on Netflix.
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Recent Releases
Not quite done yet? Want more movies? The above suggestions aren’t enough?! Well, here’s what’s also doing the rounds:
Soulm8te (2026)
“Soulm8te is reminiscent of the sort of films you’d rent from the video shop (back in the day), where all you want is something enjoyable for a couple of hours. It is perfectly fine for a bit of late night viewing, and delivers on its premise.”
Affection (2025)
“With a twisted narrative, and a strong performance from Jessica Rothe as Ellie/Sarah, Affection is a quirky, mind bending horror story which for the most part works rather well. The initial premise creates a great deal of intrigue, while a key revelation later on introduces elements of body horror and unsettling imagery.”
The Devil’s Mouth (2026)
“The biggest problem with The Devil’s Mouth is that it could and should be better. Keep this in mind, and you may enjoy what it does get right.”
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Movie of the Week
Onto Movie of the Week, which this week goes to The Last House. The movie manages to turn the lockdown concept into something interesting, and maintains momentum for the majority of its runtime.
And if you like The Last House, you might also like:
- Await Further Instructions (2018) – Johnny Kevorkian directs this sci-fi horror about a British family locked in their home on Christmas Day.
- Buried (2012) – Ryan Reynolds stars in this tense thriller about a truck driver who wakes up to find himself trapped in a coffin and buried under ground.
- Cube (1997) – Sci-fi thriller about a group of strangers who suddenly find themselves trapped inside a series of seemingly inescapable rooms.
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Forthcoming attractions
And that’s it for this week, but coming soon the summer blockbuster season continues with Insidious: Out of the Further, Spa Weekend, and Coyote vs. Acme. Plus, Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan and Adam Scott star in The Whisper Man, and The X-Files are re-opened via The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Vrach Frankenshteyn, a new director’s cut of the 2008 movie.
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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