Mexico 86 (2026) Review

I love Football and it has been great watching this World Cup and seeing the sport really thrive. I saw that there was a new football film coming to Netflix, so eventually I decided to watch the Spanish film Mexico 86 and here is my review for the film. The premise of the film shows how one man masterminded his way to get Mexico the World Cup in 1986. 

Main Character

The great Diego Luna plays Martin De La Torre and he is great. It is nice seeing him speak in his native tongue and really seem energised in the role. He is clearly passionate about playing this character and he gives it his all to give a pretty memorable main character. 

Supporting Characters

Karla Souza plays Susana and I thought she was good. She had good chemistry with Luna and their scenes together really added a lot to the film and some of the more impactful scenes. 

Daniel Gimenez Cacho plays Emilio Azcarraga who is basically De La Torre's boss throughout the film. He was pretty good and fit into the role well. He is a pretty generic character but I did like his character and the way he is used here. 

There aren't really any other characters who have prominent roles which is a shame, and I wish we could have seen some more characters developed but the film rushes through to avoid all of that. 

Story

The story is easily the weakest part of the film. I have no doubt that this could be an interesting story and I am sure the real story had its twists and turns. But the film rushes through everything and it doesn't allow anything to linger. When you start to get slightly interested in something, the film moves onto another aspect and it just doesn't give it the time it needs. 

Script

There is some decent dialogue here both from a comedic and dramatic effect. Obviously, it is a bit different when you are reading subtitles but I think again due to the pace of the film it led to things missing the mark and not quite delivering. 

Style

The style of the film at times does feel very slick, it has good direction to it and is pretty nice on the eye from a visual point of view. But as I have mentioned, its pacing is really poor. It rushes through so much and I really do feel like this could have been a Mini Series to fit in all of the interesting content. 

Overall

Overall, Mexico 86 is an Average Movie. It has a really good lead actor but other then that it doesn't offer to much. Even if you are a big Football fan like me, it isn't really worth your time. 

Rating - 5/10

The Invite (2026) Review

Wasn't sure what really to see at the Cinema this week, so I remembered that I saw the trailer for The Invite and was quite intrigued so I found the time to watch the film today and here is my review. The premise of the film sees a struggling couple have their neighbours over for dinner where things take some interesting turns. 

Main Character

Seth Rogan & Olivia Wilde play Joe & Angela and they are both really good. 

Starting with Rogan, he kind of plays the same role that he always does but it really works here. He gives charm and anger to his role and it just felt like a really human performance. Credit to Rogan for somewhat stepping out of his comfort zone for this role. 

Wilde not only stars but does a great job at directing the film. She is really struggling in the film and you can just tell that she is frustrated with her lot in life. She conveys it incredibly well and this is a great comeback for her. 

Supporting Characters

Penelope Cruz & Edward Norton play Pina & Hawk and they are excellent. 

They work so well in tandem here and the film does a great job in making them seem really interesting and making you question their characters and motivations. This is the best work that either performer has done in years and it is great to see them work. 

There is literally nobody else in the film and credit to the 4 actors for their excellent performances that really carry the film. 

Story

The story is interesting. It is intense throughout and keeps you on your toes. It has twists and turns and this is really driven by the excellent acting. However, by the end of the film it feels pretty low stakes and though I liked the ending it definitely made me question parts of the film. 

Script

With a film that has very few actors in one location it heavily relies on the writing and this film excels at it. It is so well written and has a great mix of humour and drama, the biggest credit I can give is that it feels very real and just like people would talk in real life. 

Style

The style of the film is pretty fascinating. It is really well directed and I really liked how the film flowed as a whole and took this interesting concept and run with it. But it does have a slight pacing with it, I mean it barely goes above 90 mins but it still lulls at times. 

Overall

Overall, The Invite is a Great Film that really forces you to focus. It has great acting and writing and if you have patience then it is really worth a watch. 

Rating - 8/10

Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 (2026) Review

After watching the first season of the show for preparation, I have now watched the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender and here is my review. The premise of the season sees Aang continue to learn to bend the different elements, when he must try to find a new Earthbending teacher. 

Main Character

Gordon Cormier is back as Aang and he is a lot older here. It actually took me a minute to get used to an older Avatar but it really worked and I felt like this as a more mature version of the character. He feels more human this season and as he grows up he makes mistakes and realises what is important. 

Supporting Characters

Kiawentiio is back as Katara and she is a good character. She has a story arc that involves her trying to step us and being more of a hero. It continues her arc from the first season and I think she does a pretty good job with it. 

Ian Ousley reprises his role as Sokka and he is a fun part of the show. He is kind of given a story arc but it isn't really in depth and it feels like he is slightly moved to more comic relief. I like him in the role and think he is clearly having fun. 

A real show stealer is Miyako as Toph and she was such a fun addition to the cast. She has great lines and a great character and I think this show really needed her. She adds so much and she really owns every scene that she is in. 

Dallas Liu is back as Zucko and they decide to take the character in an interesting direction. Liu does his best and does a good job in the role and I thought like they added some depth to the character. 

The rest of the cast are all also great and the acting and characters are the real strength of the show. 

Story

The story has some okay character arcs, mainly for Aang, Katara and Toph. They are developed and given enough time to make you care about their progression. But some of the character arcs aren't handled so well, mainly Zucko's. The ending of his arc was just confusing and I didn't like it at all. The story feels like its just build-up for another season and I thought the ending was incredibly rushed and forced. 

Script

The script is okay, it is more serious this season and has quite a bit of seriousness to it that is handled well. The humour is a mixed bag and okay at times, but it is the inconsistency of those character arcs that left me frustrated with the writing. 

Style

The show has clearly got a bigger budget this season and it looks amazing. The action scenes are so much better then the first season and way more creative. It was great seeing more action and different powers being used. However, the season has awful pacing. The first few episodes move at a breakneck pace, but then it really slows down and then the last episode rushes towards its conclusion. 

Overall

Overall, Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 is another good season of television. It hasn't really improved from the first season which is a shame. But it is still an enjoyable watch and a fun time. 

Rating - 7/10