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Don’t Move (2026): For Tonight’s Punishment… A Church Group Takes on a Giant Spider!

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Don’t Move” is directed by Maclain Nelson (Studio C, Show Offs) and stars Lyndsy Fonseca (The Young and the Restless, Kick-Ass), Russ (Trap, Little), Hunter King (Life in Pieces, The Young in the Restless), Joseph Lee Anderson (MacGruber, Young Rock), Tom Cavanagh (The Flash, Ed), and Rob Riggle (Holey Moley, The Hangover). This film is based on a book written by Darren Wearmouth and James Murray, also known as “Murr” from “Impractical Jokers.” In this movie, a church group has to fend off a giant spider while camping in the woods.

I do not watch a ton of television. Partially because I am so heavily invested in movies, but one of my major commitments on the small screen over the years has been “Impractical Jokers.” This show always gets a laugh out of me. Even the newer seasons without Joe have continued to deliver comedy goodness. One of the show’s stars, James Murray, on top of his success as a TV star, has found time to write books including “Awakened,” “You Better Watch Out,” and the one that inspired this movie, “Don’t Move.” When it comes to this movie, he is credited with writing and producing it.

For the record, while I own a copy of “Don’t Move,” I have yet to read it. But as someone who loves movies and is willing to support the world’s finest ferret look-a-like, I made it my duty to check out “Don’t Move” as soon as I possibly could.

Should you move as fast as you can to watch this movie? That’s… Complicated.

“Don’t Move” is not the greatest cinematic achievement of 2026, and I am pretty sure many, if not all the people working on the movie recognize this. No offense, but this ain’t “The Odyssey.” Although is it fun? Is it enjoyable? Sure.

“Don’t Move” is quite a departure from the material where a majority of James Murray’s fans know him. If you are looking for comedy, look elsewhere. There are not many laughs in “Don’t Move.” There may be one or two slight chuckles in the film, but this is a horror film first and foremost. If you like horror, this could be your jam. But then again, there are better horror movies released this year. Go watch “Obsession.” Go watch “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.” Go watch “Send Help.” This film is not bad, but it pales in comparison to those three.

“Don’t Move” is by no means the best movie of the year. Again, there are moments to appreciate, but I have seen better. Although the film does stand out in two particular ways. The beginning and the end. This works well in the film’s favor as it provides a brilliant hook for what’s to come and eventually ties everything up in an exciting bow.

The beginning is not completely perfect, but as a general concept, it sings. It also does a decent job when it comes to serving as compelling exposition. More than an hour later, the film brings forth an ending that is not only bone-chilling, but also jaw-dropping. I did not know this film was going to end the way it did. I was genuinely impressed with the final scene.

Going back to the beginning, this is where we meet the film’s star, Megan (Fonseca) who is dealing with the loss of her loved ones. The film does a great job at encapsulating the emotions of what she was going through following her inciting incident, and it is only supported by her solid performance. Fonseca does a good job as the lead.

Another thing I admired in the film is the sound mix. In horror, sound is almost more important than the visuals sometimes. There are a couple cliche sound effects you have heard in dozens of other horror projects that make their presence known here. But they are used rather effectively. One sound effect in particular left me shook. It was well-timed and utilized at an appropriate volume. Although I cannot say that was the case for every sound effect. This may be a personal annoyance I have with the film, but there is a repeated whistle sound effect that ends up being essential to the story. I have no problem with the sound effect itself, but every time I heard it up close it would hurt my ears. Granted, this may be more of a problem of having sensitive ears than anything else. Though if I were mixing the audio, I would pinch the whistle effect down just a hair.

Speaking of things I would change, the film does have a lot of problems. Yes, there are good things about it, but there are also a lot of bad things. It is a bit of a mishmash.

While the scenes either featuring or having to do with the spider are fun, part of me wishes we got a little more action with the spider. I think the moments featuring the spider makes for some of the better parts of the movie, and quite frankly, I am surprised it was not utilized more. I was somewhat underwhelmed with how little the creature was used.

This film focuses on a church group in the woods. For the record, I am not in a church group, so I cannot say I have much experience with the typical goings-on, but I am pretty sure that few church groups swear and take the Lord’s name in vain as often as these people. I understand that some of these instances are played out for comedic effect, but it threw me off seeing this group be such pottymouths. For the record, I have no problem with pottymouths. Bring on the filthy. But it was a little hard to buy this group given some of their vocabulary. Although I will say, one of the most hilarious things about this film is that one of the members of the group, Pastor Rizzo (Cavanaugh) at times comes off as a dead ringer of Ned Flanders from “The Simpsons.” He is so overly calm and almost unnecessarily welcoming regardless of the situation. He comes off as both a neighbor I would like to have but also maybe ask to back away if they get too close.

Another thing I did not like in this film is the visual effects. For instance, this movie has a ton of fire effects. Sometimes they look great, but at other times they look like they belong in the late 1990s. Another effect that threw me off was a giant waterfall. The water flow looked unnatural and too clean. It lacked an imperfect ruggedness. I can slightly forgive the film’s faults in terms of its visuals as it is made on the cheap compared to many others that came out this year, but the effects still looked odd at times.

This film is helmed by Maclain Nelson, who has directing experience, but not with feature films. Having seen this film, it is somewhat easy to tell that it is from a director who lacks such feature filmmaking experience. In fact, the film somewhat looks like a television show. If anything, the look of the film reminds me of, perhaps coincidentally, “Impractical Jokers: The Movie.” Although I thought that the film’s look worked as it was, for the most part, based in reality. I will not deny that there are times where “Don’t Move” has a cinematic touch. The opening scene at the carnival in particular looks great. But there are a couple scenes in the woods that look a little too real. Not necessarily cinematic if that makes any sense.

On a sidenote, “Don’t Move” packs in some Easter Eggs for “Impractical Jokers” fans. These barely affect my opinion of the film as a whole, but it was nice to see this film show some nods. For instance, James Murray is in this film as a carnival worker. As a bonus, his nametag reads “D. Chiggins,” which if you have watched “Impractical Jokers,” you would be familiar with that name. Brian Quinn is in this film too. I will not say more, I will let you see for yourself. There are more Easter Eggs, but it is not like the film has one every other minute like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” As far as I am concerned, that may as well be a positive.

In the end, “Don’t Move” is all right. It is a competently made creature feature, but in some ways, it could have been longer. Some of it felt surface level and lacking in personality. This is, thankfully, not the case with the entire film. Again, the ending is surprisingly amazing. I like the main character of the film, I think Lyndsy Fonseca does a good job portraying Megan. She was very much the film’s heart and soul. The film is by all means entertaining and makes for a fun hour and a half, but it does not do a whole ton to provide an oomph. Overall, this is not a bad time. I am going to give “Don’t Move” a 6/10.

“Don’t Move” will be available on VOD starting October 13th.

Thanks for reading this review! THIS MONDAY ON SCENE BEFORE, get for the 11th episode of Movie Requests, featuring special guest Rosario Dawson! Movie Requests is the Scene Before original series that sees yours truly taking film suggestions from celebrities. What do you think Dawson suggested? Well, she gives a hint in a brand new promo, which you can watch by clicking the video above! If you want to see the episode, you can follow Flicknerd.com or subscribe to my YouTube channel!

My next reviews are going to be for “The Uprising” and “Forgotten Island!” Stay tuned for those! If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Don’t Move?” What did you think about it? Or, did you read the “Don’t Move” book? How does this movie compare to that? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Call Jane (2022): Elizabeth Banks Delivers a Stellar Performance in This Progressive-Centric Story

Posted on by Jack Drees

DISCLAIMER: Before we go any further in this review, I want to make an announcement. In all of my content that I have done on Scene Before, I have often tried to stray away from politics, especially in recent years. But “Call Jane” is a film that requires me to talk about certain issues that some would deem “political.” This is a movie about abortion after all, which can be defined as a human issue. But given the current climate, it is also political, not to mention religious. Therefore, if you decide to read on, you will hear certain thoughts I have on such an issue. I try to keep politics and entertainment separate, even during my yearly awards shows, but this is a case where I have little to no choice in this matter. With that said, enjoy my review of “Call Jane.”

“Call Jane” is directed by Phyllis Nagy, who also wrote “Carol,” in addition to scribing and directing a 2005 HBO film titled “Mrs. Harris.” This film stars Elizabeth Banks (The LEGO Movie, Pitch Perfect), Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Ghostbusters), Chris Messina (Birds of Prey, The Mindy Project), Kate Mara (Fantastic Four, The Martian), Wunmi Mosaku (Lovecraft Country, Loki), Cory Michael Smith (Camp X-Ray, Gotham), Grace Edwards (Schooled, Modern Love), and John Magaro (Orange Is the New Black, The Good Wife). This film follows a housewife in the 1960s who becomes pregnant and finds out said pregnancy could threaten her life. With few options available, she finds herself amongst the Janes, who despite certain laws being in place, perform abortion procedures. After finding out more about their efforts, she joins the Janes in their mission.

I did not hear much about this movie until a week or two before it came out. Although I was sold immediately upon seeing Elizabeth Banks’s name attached. She is easily one of my favorite actors, no, people working in Hollywood. She is easily the best game show host on television with her run on ABC’s “Press Your Luck.” I love her voiceover work in both of the “LEGO Movies.” Some of her physical roles like “Slither,” “Zack and Miri,” or even her supporting character in “Brightburn” stand out to me. The last movie I reviewed, specifically “Black Adam,” is no stranger to star power with box office behemoth Dwayne Johnson at the top of the cast. While Johnson may be a star, Banks is a thespian. Her talent knows no bounds. Even though I was not fan of her directorial effort in 2019’s “Charlie’s Angels,” I still have respect for her. In fact, she is directing another film set to come out soon, “Cocaine Bear,” a movie with a concept that is awesome as it sounds.

As for the film itself, this did not look like my type of movie, and to be frank, if I were not reviewing movies, I would have probably waited to watch this film when it came out for home viewing. That said, I went to go see this film in the theater a couple weekends ago. Was it worth the impromptu trip?

I guess you can say so.

If I have noticed anything about filmmakers and stars over the years, it is that they do projects that often align to certain values. Paul Feig, who once wrote an article suggesting “Why Men Aren’t Funny,” went on to direct a woman-centered “Ghostbusters” remake. Seth MacFarlane, who has often been vocal about his liberal opinions, has done a series of “Family Guy” episodes making fun of famous conservatives like Rush Limbaugh or Donald Trump. Regardless of whether how often people do projects aligning with what they think, I would say Elizabeth Banks, who happens to be the chair for the Center for Reproductive Rights Creative Council, was a solid choice to play the main character. Her experience with such matters in real life seem to translate with how effectively she plays Joy. To my lack of surprise, she is the highlight of the film.

While “Call Jane” does not have my favorite cast of the year, it does come with some great actors including the legendary Sigourney Weaver, Kate Mara, and Wunmi Mosaku. All of whom play their part very well. Each one feels representative of the time, and the dialogue occasionally did them favors.

Phyllis Nagy does not have a lot of directorial credits on her resume. Her only other one is a straight to premium cable film, therefore this is her first theatrically released directorial feature. “Call Jane” has one of my favorite early shots of any 2022 feature. I always enjoy when movies have extended takes and this movie is no stranger to that. It does such a thing beautifully. There are better directorial visions that came out this year, but this one stands out to me.

Unlike other films coming out this time of year, this movie is not going to win any notable awards. Partially because of its lack of marketing and the fact that there are supposedly better movies coming. That said, “Call Jane” is a movie that if it had a bigger budget and played in more cinemas, it would probably be in a larger conversation for Oscar contention. It is also a movie that makes its message clear, and knowing the Hollywood stereotype, there is often a tendency for the progressive voices to be heard or recognized when it comes to Hollywood filmmaking. Why do you think some of the more notable jokes during the Oscars in recent years were about Donald Trump or his colleagues?

“We don’t make films like ‘Call Me by Your Name’ for money. We make them to upset Mike Pence.” -Jimmy Kimmel (The Oscars, 2018)

There is a saying that not every movie is for everyone. That statement is often used to describe personal tastes. Even though I hated Tom Tykwer’s “Run Lola Run” because of its ridiculously fast-paced editing, I can see why people like it. Maybe that style appeals to people. My mom and I often have different tastes in movies. She often likes disposable comedies, I am more of an action junkie. Not everyone is going to like the same things. With “Call Jane,” this movie’s biggest weakness is that its viewers may automatically be turned off by its concept. I will iterate, I am pro choice, therefore I watched this movie with no opposition to some of the things happening on screen. But if you are pro life, there is a good chance that you might turn this movie off 20 minutes into it, possibly even before that.

Although at the same time, given the current political climate and the way things are, I think that this is a relevant story that was perfect to release this year, coincidental or not. “Call Jane” is a movie that I assume is going to resonate with individuals who have some sort of experience with unwanted pregnancy or abortion. But I do not know how many people this could convince to become more open-minded towards abortion whether it is for religious reasons, political reasons, or something else. This is a movie that to me, does not feel like propaganda, but could easily be interpreted as such depending on who you talk to. As for whether this movie does something to sway people in one direction or another in regards to abortion, that could take years to be answered. But unless this film becomes a big hit on streaming for some reason, the message of this film will likely not have as big of an impact some of its crew would probably want to achieve.

In the end, “Call Jane” is a difficult movie to judge because I think it ultimately depends on where one stands on abortion. That said, as a story, this was compelling and engaging. Therefore, I liked it. Elizabeth Banks is great as the lead, the supporting cast also shows their talent, including Chris Messina. He and Banks have one particular scene towards the end of the film that has not left my mind. This is a film that I would recommend, but only to certain people. This is the kind of movie that if you hear the concept, you might know right away whether or not it is worth your time. For me, it was. Maybe it will be for you, maybe it will not. We shall see. Despite my mixed recommendation, I do want to see what would happen if someone who is pro life watches this to the end. It could make for a fun experiment. Will the viewer see it as propaganda? Will they see it as just plain wrong? Could it change minds? Great movies have the power to offer new perspectives that people take with them and change who they are. I simply do not know if “Call Jane” is able to do that despite being a decent story. Given its decency, I am going to give “Call Jane” a 7/10.

“Call Jane” is seemingly finishing up its theatrical run. It is available for preorder on streaming platforms like Vudu.

Thanks for reading this review! My next review is going to be for the highly anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe installment “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” While this may not be the movie I am not putting at the top of my hype list this year, it is the one releasing this year that I am mostly curious as to how it could possibly be pulled off. Between Chadwick Boseman’s death, rewriting the future of a cinematic universe, and the return of Ryan Coogler in the director’s chair, this could be something special. I will unveil my official verdict soon. I am seeing the movie tonight in IMAX 3D. If you want to see this and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Call Jane?” What did you think about it? Or, what is your favorite Elizabeth Banks movie? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!