By Nate Bloom
Contributing Columnist
Drama, too? Southern Baddies; The Bad Ones? More
“The Girl in the River” is a complex murder-case film that opens in theaters on Sept. 4. In a small Mississippi town, two identical teen girls are abducted. Then the body of one is found in a river. Police Captain Erica Graysmith (TIFFANY HADDISH, 46) works with a veteran criminologist (Devon Sawa) and a young psychologist (Maggie Grace) to arrest the murderer and determine whether the other twin is alive.
“The Girl” marks Haddish’s first major serious dramatic movie role. She has had considerable success as a stand-up comedian and in comedic films.
Last month I wrote in detail about Haddish’s background. Here is the capsule version: Haddish’s mother is an African American Christian. Haddish was about 27 when she learned her father was an Eritrean Jew. She converted, celebrated a bat mitzvah in 2019 (around her 40th birthday), and has spoken openly about her Jewish identity and observance. She has become a prominent Jewish star.
“By Any Means” also opens in theaters on Sept. 4. Premise: Gregory Scarpa, a notorious mafia hitman (played by Mark Wahlberg), and Wayne Strider, a young Black FBI agent (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), team up to investigate the murders of civil rights leaders in Mississippi in 1966.
The film was written by SASCHA PENN, 55 (no relation to Sean Penn). Penn grew up in Boston and has spoken openly in interviews about being Jewish. One of the more poignant discussions involved his family’s Holocaust history: his father, as a child, and his paternal grandmother survived in Lithuania and later moved to America; his paternal grandfather died in the Holocaust. After the war, his grandmother married a Jewish man who had lost his wife and children in the Holocaust.
In 2025 Sascha married actress LESLIE GROSSMAN, 54. She first gained notice with a starring role (1999–2001) on the WB series “Popular.” She has not become a major leading star since but has steadily worked in recurring and guest television roles.
Penn was the creator and principal writer of “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” (often called simply “Raising Kanan”), a successful Starz crime-drama series. It premiered in 2021; the fifth and final season began in June and concluded this August. “Power Book III” refers to earlier “Power” series involving the character
Kanan, a drug dealer; Penn did not write those earlier installments.
“The Salt Path” is a British film that opened in U.K. theaters in 2025 (after a 2024 festival premiere). It played American festivals, but the full U.S. theatrical release date shifted several times. It is now set to open more widely around Sept. 4.
Official premise: Raynor Winn (Gillian Anderson) and her husband, Moth Winn (JASON ISAACS, 63), who has been diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration, are evicted from their farm and home after a failed investment. Destitute and relying on limited benefits, they decide to walk the roughly 1,000 km South West Coast Path in the U.K.
The film received generally positive reviews and performed solidly in Europe, though it was not a major box-office smash. It is based on Raynor Winn’s memoir. A significant controversy erupted after the U.K. release when several people alleged that key details were distorted—most prominently claims that the couple lost their home because of embezzlement rather than a failed investment. The Observer published stories supporting aspects of those claims, turning “liar or not” into a major U.K. story. Winn said she would consult lawyers but did not file a lawsuit against the main critics.
Last May I wrote about “The Sheep Detectives,” a comedy-drama that opened in theaters then. It centers on the mysterious death of a kind sheepherder.
Because it is a mystery, advance studio materials revealed very little about the plot; even some cast details were sparse. At the time I could note only that the script was written by CRAIG MAZIN, 55, and that actress MOLLY GORDON had a role (without character name or description).
Reviews were strong. I finally watched it this week on Amazon Prime and found it a very good film. Without spoiling the mystery: Molly Gordon, 31, has a substantial, well-played role as Rebecca Hampstead.
Next week: more on Molly Gordon and her other roles.
