Cube Critics Jacob Aloi and Max Sparber discuss a gay dating show from Japan and a horror film about the trans experience.

The following are capsule reviews edited from the audio heard using the player above.

“The Boyfriend” on Netflix offers a delightful slice of queer joy through its reality TV format, featuring queer, gay and bisexual Japanese men operating a coffee truck while living together in a shared house.

“The Boyfriend” shows us the day-to-day dynamics of friendship and romance among its cast, interspersed with commentary from a panel that includes serious critics, quirky observers and a drag queen.

However, viewers might find the dubbed version less appealing due to its limited voiceover cast. The original Japanese version with subtitles is recommended.

— Jacob Aloi

“I Saw the TV Glow” is a hauntingly introspective horror film from filmmaker Jans Schoenbrun — if you’re looking for queer joy, this ain’t it.

Instead, we are given eerie experiences of two 1990s teenagers obsessed with an oddball TV show reminiscent of cult classics like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “The Adventures of Pete and Pete” — including cameos from both Pete and Pete. The story explores how the show eerily begins to influence their reality in inexplicable ways.

Processed to emulate the look of a vintage television show, the film boasts a strange neon beauty. Director Jans Schoenbrun, who is trans and nonbinary, addresses themes central to the trans experience, particularly the concept of “cracking the egg” — a term used within the trans community to describe the pivotal realization of one’s gender identity.

Ostensibly a horror film, “I Saw the TV Glow” doesn’t offer traditional frights, instead offering a pervasive sense of the uncanny. It explores the terror of feeling out of place and the chilling consequences of inaction.

— Max Sparber

Cube Critics Jacob Aloi and Regina Medina discuss a comic book movie that is by fans for fans and super insider and a noir-ish mystery comedy.

The following are capsule reviews edited from the audio heard using the player above.

“Deadpool and Wolverine” marks a notable entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, being both the third installment in the Deadpool series and also its debut within the MCU following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.

This brings Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), into a broader cinematic context alongside Hugh Jackman’s iconic Wolverine.

Here, the duo traverses the multiverse in a quest to save Deadpool’s timeline, a plot rich with the trademark humor and fourth-wall-breaking antics expected from the “Merc with a Mouth.” The film pays homage to the ‘90s and early 2000s Marvel movies like the original “Daredevil” and the “X-Men” series.

It’s a must-watch for fans of the comic books and those who hold a special place for the superhero films of the early 2000s.

— Jacob Aloi

“Sunny,” starring Rashida Jones, is a compelling new series on Apple TV+ that belies its cheerful title with a plunge into darker, more complex themes. Set against a backdrop that combines the neon-lit aesthetic of “Blade Runner” with the gritty underworld dynamics of “The Sopranos,” the show delivers a richly textured narrative.

Jones portrays Suzie, an American woman navigating life in Kyoto after the deaths of her Japanese husband and son. Suzie receives a robot named Sunny, designed by her late husband's company.

Together with Mixxy, a bartender, Susie looks into a mystery surrounding her husband’s secretive past. The series offers suspenseful detective work as well as a thoughtful exploration of Japanese cultural practices related to mourning and honor.

— Regina Medina

Cube Critics Jacob Aloi and Mandy Thalhuber discuss a historical fiction that was confusing and a movie about weather-obsessed individuals doing anything they possibly could to die.

The following are capsule reviews edited from the audio heard using the player above.

“Fly Me to the Moon,” a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of the Apollo 11 mission, stars Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum as a NASA public relations specialist and a scientist.

The film attempts to weave historical fiction with romance by introducing a subplot where characters prepare to fake the moon landing should the real mission fail. '

Unfortunately, Johansson and Tatum lack the chemistry needed to make their on-screen relationship believable, a shortfall accentuated by revelations that Chris Evans was initially slated for the scientist role — a casting choice that might have offered more credibility.

Directed with an eye toward blending significant historical events with lighthearted romance, the film struggles to strike the right balance, landing in a realm of mediocrity without taking any notable risks.

— Jacob Aloi

“Twisters” offers a refreshing take on the storm-chasing genre. As a meteorologist, I appreciated the film’s accurate use of meteorological terms, a detail that often goes amiss in similar movies.

The plot centers around a grad student specializing in cloud microphysics who, after a traumatic experience, finds herself drawn back into the world of storm chasing.

The movie features Glen Powell as a charismatic yet over-the-top internet star storm chaser, adding a blend of charm and intensity to the narrative.

However, the film falters in depicting safety during tornadoes, notably a scene suggesting that overpasses are a safe shelter — a dangerous misconception. Additionally, the portrayal of tornado warnings is overly dramatized, with storms appearing suddenly following flashes of lightning, which detracts from the authenticity.

— Mandy Thalhuber