Weekend Theater Watchlist: The Fantastic Four First Steps, Twisted Romance & Coming-of-Age Chaos

Hollywood is back with a weekend triple threat that’s got something for every kind of moviegoer: a long-awaited superhero reboot, a sexy rom-com with a twist, and a beautifully chaotic coming-of-age story from Italy. Let’s break it down. 

🛸 The Fantastic Four: First Steps

In Theaters Now

Marvel Studios kicks off Phase Six of the MCU with a bold reimagining of The Fantastic Four, and let’s just say—it’s more than a soft reboot. Director Matt Shakman leans into retro-futurism with style, giving us a 1961 Manhattan that looks ripped straight out of a Silver Age comic book. It’s bright. It’s bold. It’s brimming with heart.

Pedro Pascal leads the pack as a surprisingly grounded (and stretchy) Mister Fantastic. Vanessa Kirby brings both grace and grit to Sue Storm. Joseph Quinn’s Human Torch is a chaotic delight, while Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Thing delivers pathos with punch.

The family dynamic is real here—and it’s tested immediately by the arrival of a chrome-plated harbinger of doom: the Silver Surfer. His message? “Your world will be consumed by the Devourer… Galactus.” No pressure.

As the Four rocket into space in a ship that looks like the dreams of 10-year-old comic book readers everywhere, the film doesn’t just entertain—it taps into that pure, nostalgic energy fans have been missing. Bonus points for the wild in-jokes, including a cameo from the never-released 1994 Fantastic Four cast.

This is Marvel reminding us that sincerity can still pack a punch. No multiverse homework needed—just sit back, strap in, and take your first steps with this iconic team.

🗝️ Oh, Hi!

In Theaters Friday

What starts as a romantic countryside getaway between Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman) quickly veers into handcuffs, secrets, and misaligned expectations. Think rom-com... then smash it into a Misery-style emotional trap.

Sophie Brooks’ genre-bending film explores the messiness of millennial intimacy—where commitment is foggy, but the passion is undeniable. The chemistry is there, the sex is charged, but the emotional maturity? Let’s just say they’re working on it.

It's an unflinching look at hookup culture’s emotional aftermath—equal parts hilarious and uncomfortably real.

Diciannove

Limited in the United States
Theaters Friday (Italian w/English Subtitles)

Leonardo (Manfredi Marini) is 19, brilliant, impulsive—and completely lost. After bailing on a business school in London, he drifts into a literature program in Siena, unsure whether he’s chasing wisdom or just running from adulthood.

Produced by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name), Diciannove pulses with the raw energy of youth—balancing poetic introspection with college-party chaos. It’s the kind of film that doesn’t offer easy answers—only beautifully filmed confusion and the ache of becoming someone.

MainEvent.News | Backstage Take 🎥

Hollywood’s latest batch of releases isn’t afraid to color outside the lines. Fantastic Four brings nostalgic optimism, Oh, Hi! tears apart the rom-com formula, and Diciannove captures Gen Z angst.

Each film is a “first step” into emotional truths—some cosmic, some carnal, and some deeply personal. It’s a reminder that even in our most chaotic chapters, growth is always cinematic.