Last Shot was recently featured in Pittsburgh City Paper as part of its coverage of the 2026 Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival, which the paper framed as part of a broader resurgence in fiercely independent filmmaking.

Premiering at this year’s Wisconsin Film Festival, the semi‑autobiographical drama Last Shot channels filmmaker and UW–Madison alum Todd M. Friedman’s past as “the alcoholic dad in the stands” into a moving story about grief, recovery, and second chances on and off the court.

It all arguably evens out into a pointed allegorical jab at the privileged American classes who advocated for a spirit of severe national sacrifice during COVID while sheltering in plush comfort — and if so, fair enough. But over and above such implied messaging, “Coup!” functions first as a romp: fleet and frisky at just 97 minutes, tidily but not ostentatiously crafted, and in thrall to the pleasurably low-stakes sport of watching one scoundrel outwit another. Here, even the last man standing is hardly a winner.

The life of an idiotic leftist journalist, isolating in his mansion, is upended by the real world in the form of Peter Sarsgaard’s mutinous chef in this broad, fun caper.

“Shot by Conor Murphy with a woodsy glow that evokes the luxury of the grand manor’s interiors (as well as a sepia-tinted vintage quality), “Coup!” shows off a richness and warmth that belies the cynical and cutting nature of the story. While a few extra characters are left at loose ends and therefore feel extraneous, those aren’t necessary for the communication of the central ideas of class warfare and hypocrisy. Anchored by its leads, “Coup!” is a tasty morsel of social commentary about problems that continue to plague our world.”

A young woman joins a seductive self‑help empire, only to discover a twisted world of body horror and identity gone wrong.

A bullied boy, a creepy campfire legend, and a deranged surgeon who may or may not be real: “Marshmallow” (2025) is the kind of summer camp horror that feels like a cursed VHS tape you found at a garage sale, and that’s exactly why it works. In a new video review, genre channel Atomic Cult Media calls the film “creepy, weird, and totally unexpected,” praising its lo-fi aesthetic, strong young cast, and genre-bending mystery.

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