The Roundup with Jeff Stockton (Season 36 Round 4)

 

Round 4 gave us erotic horror, comic-book insanity, muted prestige drama, and — because this season apparently refuses to stop doing this — more uneven box office math. Here's The Roundup....

GRAY

Sexy.

Shocking.

Hypnotic.

Yep — sounds like a Roy Horne movie.

Gray feels like exactly what you’d expect from an erotic horror reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray written by someone whose entire creative DNA seems engineered to make audiences simultaneously uncomfortable and weirdly fascinated. Luca Guadagnino clearly understood the assignment too, leaning fully into the seductive ugliness of the material rather than sanding off its edges to make it more commercial.

And honestly? Thank God for that.

This movie feels dangerous in a way prestige horror rarely does anymore. It’s provocative without feeling desperate for attention, stylish without collapsing under its own self-importance, and committed enough to its vibe that you either fully surrender to it or bounce off immediately. I surrendered. Not every swing like this lands — but when it does, it’s unforgettable.

LOBO

I genuinely had no idea what to expect from Vin Diesel’s first solo outing as Lobo.

And after seeing it?

…I still don’t entirely know what I watched.

Was it good? Maybe.

Was it bad? Also maybe.

Was it completely, gloriously entertaining? Absolutely.

Vin Diesel commits fully to the absurdity of the character, and the movie wisely realizes the only correct way to approach Lobo is to stop worrying about dignity and just go completely off the rails.

I’m not even sure this thing works in a traditional sense. But entertainingly bonkers counts for something. Sometimes audiences just want to watch chaos unfold.

MUST SEE FILMS

Quietly, this season is putting together a stronger critical résumé than people may realize.

Two films — Pirouette and now Gray — have already earned the coveted Metacritic “Must See” designation through just four rounds. That’s not nothing.

In fact, the last season to accomplish that this early was Season 33. Having multiple films crack into that tier this quickly at least suggests the ceiling of this season is very high.

The question becomes whether more films can join them.... or whether this turns into a season carried by just two standout achievements.

BOX OFFICE

And just when it looked like we were stabilizing....

Nope.

Right back to two of three films losing money.

At this point, the Season 36 box office story feels weirdly repetitive: one success, two disappointments, repeat cycle, everybody shrug, move on to the next round. Yes, Lobo made money. But Gray and The Quiet Between Us both underperforming means we’re back having the same conversation we’ve been having since Round 1.

This season desperately needs more middle-class hits. Not every movie has to become Boba Fett or Donkey Kong Country, but the slate can’t keep functioning like blockbuster welfare is propping everything else up.

THE QUIET BETWEEN US

Maybe this one just wasn’t for me.

But wow.... this movie tested my patience.

The title really tells you everything you need to know because The Quiet Between Us is, for better or worse, exactly what it promises: quiet. Muted. Restrained. Soft-spoken to the point where I occasionally wanted somebody — anybody — to inject a pulse into the proceedings.

Now, I understand what Derek Cianfrance was going for. Aging, grief, terminal illness, emotional deterioration — none of this should be loud or melodramatic. But there’s a fine line between subtle and emotionally inert, and for me, this crossed it a few too many times.

I respect the performances. I respect the intention. I just didn’t particularly enjoy the experience.

AWARDS CONTENDERS

Here’s the thing nagging at me right now:

Where are the Golden Reel heavyweights?

At this point last season, we’d already seen films like Tara’s Wrath, Man of God, Dust Saint, and Discovery enter the conversation — movies that practically screamed “future nominee” the second credits rolled. Season 35 had depth.

Season 36? I’m not seeing the same spread.

Yes, Pirouette and Gray feel very real contenders. Johnny Depp already feels locked into the supporting actor conversation, Monica Barbaro feels like a serious threat, and Gray has obvious screenplay and soundtrack potential (maybe acting as well). But outside those two? Things feel murkier.

Maybe the heavy hitters are still coming. Maybe I’m underrating what we’ve already seen. But four rounds in, Season 36 feels like a season with standout peaks rather than a deep awards bench.