The summer movies preview: A quick look-see at upcoming cinematic offerings
It’s almost summer—so let the parade of blockbuster-movie wannabes begin! The following is but a smattering of the films coming your way over the next…
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Societal collapse: The new ‘Lord of the Flies’ miniseries is a masterpiece, offering deeper looks at the main characters
The 1963 film adaptation of William Golding’s literary classic (and middle-school English-class staple) Lord of the Flies, by director Peter Brook, is a masterpiece. It’s one…
“Espejos: Clean” holds a mirror up to two souls struggling with their pasts and presents, with hopes for the future
Ocean waves, clinking margarita glasses, and dance music are the soundtrack for guests at a private Cancún resort. The mostly Caucasian visitors feel like they are having an authentic cultural experience behind high stone walls that…
Malcolm’s back! ‘Life’s Still Unfair’ captures some, but not all, of the original’s greatness
If I need to turn my brain off and decompress, streaming old episodes of Malcolm in the Middle is a great option. (Another great option is sticking…
Bad building: Zazie Beetz proves she’s great at bloody action in ‘They Will Kill You’
Zazie Beetz (Atlanta and Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die) gets to go full-on Uma/The Bride in They Will Kill You, the English-language debut of Russian director Kirill…
Bad pasts: Robert Pattinson and Zendaya are a fantastic onscreen couple—who will make you very uncomfortable in ‘The Drama’
Wedding-week jitters of the worst and most nuclear kind are at the center of The Drama, a darkly funny and unhappy movie in which Zendaya and…
More bad behavior: ‘Beef: Season 2’ doesn’t reach the highs of the first season—but it’s still very good
Steven Yeun and Ali Wong don’t return for Netflix’s Beef: Season 2, with creator and sometimes-director Lee Sung Jin opting for a completely new storyline and…
Where are the sharks? ‘Deep Water’ looks and sounds cheap—and the acting is bad, too
Director Renny Harlin, maker of the camp-classic shark thriller Deep Blue Sea, goes back to the well for another serving of shark mayhem with Deep Water. In…
Sacramento upcycling studio seeks to turn trash into treasure
EcoPress hopes to clean up the Sacramento area one piece of litter at a time At 9 a.m. on a recent Saturday, Sam Mejia moved…
Pink Bandit Music Fest bridges Sacramento and Davis with multi-weekend festival
Pink Band Music Fest returns for a third year in May, spreading the music across two weekends to bookend the month. The festival is organized…
Sacra-METAL: Facebook group turned grassroots record label
About 10 years ago, Kevin Dunn moved from Reno to Sacramento and felt that the local metal scene was missing something. There were venues. There…
A true cinema event: ‘Project Hail Mary’ is the epic sci-fi-charmer movie theaters needed
All hail Project Hail Mary, a rousingly wonderful, beautifully strange sci-fi epic with Ryan Gosling and an enchanting pile of rocks at its center. Directors Phil…
Bloody good: Bob Odenkirk kicks yet more ass as a small-town sheriff in ‘Normal’
Bob Odenkirk continues his later-career transformation into an unorthodox action hero with Normal, a bloody small-town action thriller that gives him plenty of asses to…
Your new therapist: Chatty, leaky, and hardly human
Darius Tahir and Oona Zenda Illustration by Oona Zenda April 17, 2026 If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis,…
‘MJ The Musical’ brings to life the King of Pop
First comes the glittering jacket, then the single white sequined glove, followed by the tilted black fedora. By then, the enthusiastic audience knows what’s coming…
4 Gigs: Latino stories, jazzy rhythms and a 100-year German tradition
Spring is here, and Sacramento is ready to turn up the volume with music, art and community celebrations that will fill your calendar — from…
Spring brings a bounty of classic stories to the stage this April
Murder, manipulation, miracles, musicals – all of these are taking to Sacramento area stages this April as theater companies bring classic tales to life. For…