Disclaimer: The publicist for The Italians contacted the Unsung Cinematics team and asked them to review this film. They received no compensation in return for their review, and their opinions are their own.

In this family, everything is on the table! For their new full length episode, Stewart, Rastislav and Ken review The Italians, a 2025 release from All In Pictures. It played at several film festivals and has been available on VOD since April 2025. The screenplay is by Lisa Phillips Visca, and Michelle Danner is the director and lead actress in the role of Angelina.

The story follows Angelina and Vincenzo, a California-based couple whose marriage definitely has its share of ups and downs. The newest shake-up arrives when their son Nico brings his new girlfriend Lily to a family dinner; she is a vegetarian atheist, which of course conflicts with Angelina and Vincenzo’s old school values. Vincenzo sees Nico’s affection for her and is more welcoming, but friction between Angelina and Lily soon becomes evident. Unfortunately, this won’t be the only trial for Angelina; a health challenge, a secret held by Vincenzo and a reunion with her estranged mother will need to be faced. With enough humour and heart, this dysfunctional family can hopefully get back to bonding at the dinner table.

Stewart, Rastislav and Ken all agree that the cast elevated the material; their line deliveries were very clear, which was appreciated in light of how dialogue can be hard to distinguish in some modern films. There was some feeling that Visca’s experience with stage plays needs further adaptation to the craft of screenwriting. There are some story stumbles early on, but more of a groove is found as the film progresses. They felt that Danner (who is also an acting coach) was effective in her portrayal, likely informed by her family experiences.

Written by Lisa Phillips Visca, and directed by Michelle Danner. Starring Danner as Angelina, Rob Estes as Vincenzo, Matthew Daddario as Nico, Abigail Breslin as Lily, Perrey Reeves as Min, Luca Riemma as Father Joe, and Lainie Kazan as Lucia. Unrated, but has some coarse language and suggestive content.

Welcome to the second Off the Record of 2026! This time, Stewart, Rastislav and Ken have an assortment of films and shows with timely topics.

Stewart brings us his feature review of 2025’s Oscar nominee Bugonia, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. He was pleasantly surprised by this film’s conspiracy angle, involving aliens and the mass death of bees. Emma Stone as a “suit” is victimized by Jesse Plemons and Aiden Delbis, playing brothers who raise bees off the grid and believe that Stone’s company is bringing aliens to earth and consequently poisoning their bees.

Ken follows with a look at 2009’s US immigration drama Crossing Over, directed by Wayne Kramer. Harrison Ford, Cliff Curtis, Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta are some of the actors. Ken felt there were some story problems, but one sequence in a convenience store and a thoughtful examination of the immigration process help counter this.

Rasto then leads us to The Path, a 2016 Hulu series created by Jessica Goldberg. Aaron Paul, Michelle Monaghan and Hugh Dancy are the leads in this cult-themed drama; Rasto found Dancy’s performance worthy of particular praise. He enjoyed the examination of how different cults or sects operate and attract followers.

Starting into the lesser picks, Stewart shines (moon)light on 2020’s The Wolf of Snow Hollow, written and directed by its star Jim Cummings. Robert Forster, Riki Lindhome and Chloe East also star. Stewart doesn’t think this werewolf-themed comedy/drama is worth howling over, but appreciated the practical effects and unexpected creation of suspense during the daytime.

Ken’s lesser pick is another Oscar nominee and also immigration-themed, 2025’s One Battle After Another directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, Chase Infiniti and Sean Penn. Ken felt that Anderson’s quirky style didn’t mesh well with the examination of immigration and white supremacists; however he did enjoy the action and some of the performances.

Rastislav second cult-themed entry is unfortunately disappointing; the 2025 Netflix miniseries Wayward, created by Mae Martin and starring Martin alongside Toni Collette. Rastislav didn’t feel this Toronto-area set drama was as substantive in its examination of cult activity as The Path was, choosing instead to focus on topics that have already been looked at in better films.

SPOILER WARNING: This film has a pretty major twist in the third act and we couldn’t help talking about it early in our podcast. You may wish to watch Old Henry before listening to our review!

He may seem like a mild old sodbuster, but think twice before you slap leather against Old Henry. Stewart, Rastislav and Ken are back to review this western that has a few tricks up its sleeve. While not a box office success (perhaps due to its theatrical release during the recent pandemic), Old Henry has nonetheless garnered solid reviews, a growing fanbase, and notice from major Hollywood studios for its writer/director Potsy Ponciroli. His new project The Rescue (starring Brandon Sklenar) is due in theatres from Paramount Pictures in January 2027.

The story begins in 1906 Oklahoma; widower Henry McCarty is a world-weary farmer who works his acreage and tends his hogs alongside his son Wyatt and occasionally his brother-in-law Al. Their life is arduous but Henry wants Wyatt to learn the value of hard work. Wyatt doesn’t always agree with this mindset; Al advises him that he will have plenty of time in the future to see the world but for now, it’s best he stays on the farm. Things change when Henry discovers the unconscious sheriff Curry on his property; Curry has with him a satchel of money that he had to protect, and against his hesitation Henry brings Curry back to the farm so that he and Wyatt can bring him back to relative health. Curry eventually tells them he was set upon by Ketchum, Stillwell and Dugan, a trio of outlaws posing as lawmen. Ketchum and company pay an initial “visit” to Henry and leave, with the intent to get information from Al, who they’ve figured out is Henry’s brother-in-law. Curry slowly improves, and Wyatt snoops around and finds the money and hints about his father’s past. Henry is forced to kill Dugan, who is surveilling their farm. Curry tells them more about Ketchum’s doings, and eventually Ketchum, having hired several more guns, returns to the farm with Al as his captive. When Ketchum tries to use Al to force Henry to turn over Curry and the money, the final reckoning begins. Henry shows Ketchum and his men his true skillset and Wyatt is forced to become his father’s son sooner than he expected...

Stewart, Rastislav and Ken all agree that this is an enjoyable film that belies its $1.5 million budget through the dedication and creativity of its director, actors and crew. The cinematography is expansive, and the music enhances the story without overpowering it. The actors do great work in realizing Ponciroli’s well-researched and plotted story. Listeners are encouraged to join this film’s growing posse of fans.

Written and directed by Potsy Ponciroli. Starring Tim Blake Nelson as Henry, Gavin Lewis as Wyatt, Scott Haze as Curry, Stephen Dorff as Ketchum, and Trace Adkins as Al. Unrated, but equivalent to an R for violence and language.