InFrame

Women's Flag Football Has Basketball Players Trading Sneakers for Cleats Ahead of 2028 LA Games

LSU guard Kailyn Gilbert (16) goes to the basket against Florida State guard O'Mariah Gordon (3) during the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, March 24, 2025, in Baton Rouge, La. Photo Credit: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File

by Pat Graham Mar 26

4 MIN READ

A year ago, point guard O'Mariah Gordon was leading Florida State into the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Not only is the 5-foot-5 grad student now at another school, but playing an entirely different sport.

Shooting jumpers has been replaced by covering receivers and catching passes at Warner University in Florida. It’s opened up a whole new lane for her — one that could possibly end up with Gordon on the 2026 Team USA flag football squad for world championships this summer in Germany. Down the road, maybe even on the team when the sport makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 LA Games.

Same with Loryn Goodwin, a second-round pick by the Dallas Wings in the WNBA draft who pivoted and turned her talents toward the football field.

The sport is so new that USA Football is looking for players in all sorts of places. Gordon and Goodwin were among the athletes named to a pair of training camps this spring in Chula Vista, California. Their journeys could be just the start of a migration of players to the football field from the basketball floor or the soccer pitch or the volleyball court or the world of track.

“Friends that I have played basketball with are asking me, ‘How did you get into this? How did you start?’” said Goodwin, who played hoops at North Texas, Butler, UTSA and Oklahoma State, where she earned All-Big 12 honors. “Anybody can play. To be elite, you’ve just got to put the time in.”

The path from hoops to the field

The skill set from basketball to flag football is a natural crossover. Rebounding is akin to the timing of pass catching, while the ability to read a defense and hand-eye coordination remain paramount. Not to mention both are 5-on-5, featuring sudden stops and starts.

All those things came in handy for Team USA receiver/defensive back Isabella “Izzy” Geraci, who's developed into one of the top players in the world after a basketball career at Cleveland State and USC Upstate. She envisions players of all sorts and heights one day turning up on flag football fields.

“With the pace the sport’s going, there may be a lot of women who are interested in joining the game,” said Geraci, whose last season was 2022-23 with USC Upstate where she started all 31 games. “Some of those women may be 6-5, 6-6 — your freak athletes.”

A sneaker convention leads to flag football

Gordon was finished at Florida State last season after a career that saw her score more than 1,000 career points and earn All-ACC honors.

Finished, too, with college sports — or so she thought.

She attended a sneakers convention in Tampa, Florida, last summer when she ran into Warner coach Tim Mimbs. She dabbled in flag football in high school but not recently.

“He's like, ‘Want to give flag football a try again?'” Gordon recounted. “I took a chance on myself and here we are.”

In addition to being a receiver (six TD catches this season) and a safety (seven interceptions, two for scores), she's working toward her master's degree in business.

Last week, Gordon participated in the U.S. national team trials, where she stood out and earned an invitation — along with Goodwin — to the training camps in April and May. On the men's side, Heisman Trophy winner and NFL QB Robert Griffin III earned a spot, while 66-year-old Hall of Famer Darrell Green fell short in his comeback bid.

After the two camps, selected athletes will move to a third one in June. USA Football will then name the 2026 alternates and final 12-athlete rosters for both the men’s and women’s teams. It's another step in identifying talent before the Summer Games.

Following her brothers path

There's a clip on Instagram that shows Goodwin's pass-catching prowess. It was a backyard family football game a few years ago. Blanketed by little brother TJ, a quarterback in college, Loryn Goodwin sprang free and made a one-handed grab while falling to the grass.

She comes from a family of tackle football players. Another brother, Jayden, played defensive back at Air Force and her cousin, Marquise, was a receiver in the NFL.

A flag football player as a kid, she gravitated toward hoops, where she moved around in college — “before transferring was cool,” she laughed — due to coaches leaving, family situation and staff changes. She found the perfect fit at Oklahoma State and averaged 20.6 points in 2017-18 for a Cowboys team that made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Goodwin was taken by the Wings with the 18th pick. She spent time with the Wings and Los Angeles Sparks. She also played in Europe, where she broke her foot and led to the end of her pro hoops career.

Enter flag football.

A friend introduced the 32-year-old Goodwin to a team in Florida. Little did she know it was an all-star squad.

“I was playing at the very highest level right off the bat with zero experience,” Goodwin said. “That’s wild to think about.”

It prepared her for this — a chance to make the Team USA roster this season. Down the road, maybe the Olympics.

“I've put," Goodwin said, "everything into this.”

Fetty Wap Has a Lot to Say on 'Zavier.’ It’s His First Album Since Being Released From Prison

Fetty Wap Poses for a portrait on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in New York. Photo Credit: Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP

by Maria Sherman Mar 26

4 MIN READ

Fetty Wap is beaming so big, it is almost as if his smile enters the room before he does. And these days, the Paterson, New Jersey-born melodic rapper and singer has a lot to be happy about.

In January, he was released from federal prison to home confinement after serving just over half a six-year sentence for his role in a New York-based drug trafficking scheme. During that time, he thought about everything he missed: his family, his kids, the sound of a car engine as he drives, food — “I love to eat,” he told The Associated Press — and, of course, music. He wasted no time jumping right back into it: His next album, “Zavier,” arrives Friday.

He started working on it “as soon as I got released,” he said. “Jan. 7, 2026.”

And when did he finish? “Jan. 10, 2026,” he laughed. “I had a lot to say. It’s been a few years of holding things in there.”

He estimates that he and his collaborators made 123 songs in total; 17 make the final list.

Less than a week after the artist born Willie Maxwell II dropped “The Butterfly Effect,” in 2021, he was indicted and arrested. He released his last album — 2023's “King Zoo” — while incarcerated. Because of that, “Zavier” feels like both a reintroduction and new chapter for him — a real opportunity to make an album truly his own for the first time in half a decade.

“Before, being incarcerated, I had to call when I could call, 15-minute calls,” he recalls of working on “King Zoo.” “After a certain time, the phone was off. So, it was just, like, ‘I just hope it sounds good.’”

This time, he could be in the studio. He could be hands on. “That's my safe haven,” he said. “The studio is my safe haven.”

The road to ‘Zavier’

Those expecting a concept record about Fetty Wap's time behind bars would be wise to look elsewhere. “I didn’t want it to be an emotional album,” he says. “I didn’t want it be, like, ‘OK, we get it. You were away. You’re home now.’ Where’s the fun Fetty?”

Fun Fetty Wap abounds on “Zavier,” as does a serious Fetty Wap, a lustful Fetty Wap, a tender Fetty Wap. It's “a lot of different sounds up in there,” he says. “A lot of different areas to go to.”

The eclecticism works, largely because of Fetty Wap's unmistakable style.

“The whole ‘Zavier’ thing is just, like, bring back the same energy as the ‘Fetty Wap’ album,” he continued, referencing his 2015 breakthrough record — the one that brought the diamond-selling “Trap Queen” to the masses. “Just a more matured sound. … ‘Zavier' is just an upgraded Fetty Wap.”

As for that name? “I'm Zavier,” he said. “This is who I am. It's just a different side of me when I came home from prison.”

If there is a song that encapsulates that time in Fetty Wap's life, it's “I Remember” featuring Chicago rapper G Herbo. It's as diaristic as a songwriter can be: a list of recollections from each stage of his life atop a minimal beat and spare guitar. He describes it as “an ode to the past and the present.”

“I gave them a glimpse of what was going on with me. … Pre-Fetty, then being Fetty Wap, and after Fetty Wap,” he said. “Then prison, then coming home, you know what I mean? I put everything in that song.”

‘White Roses’ is his favorite track

But there is no shortage of what he calls “feel-good music.” That's found in the NSFW-and-then-some R&B banger with Tink, “Nasty” — “Gotta get a little freaky,” he says, smiling — and in all-star collaborations, including tracks with Wiz Khalifa, Honey Bxby and Max B, the last of whom was also released from prison recently.

“I got the beat, and I’m like, ‘I’m about to sound like Max B. I’m going to sound Max B and then I’m gonna make Max B sound like the old Max B,’” he said about the song “BossDon.” But it worked.

He also looked toward his family for inspiration: Fetty Wap's sisters are featured on the throwback “White Roses.”

“‘White Roses’ is actually my favorite track,” says Fetty Wap. “I recorded everything exactly how I wanted it to sound. … And then after it was done, I’m like, ‘Something’s missing.’ I called my sisters. I was like, ‘Yo, come to the studio.’ They was like, ‘What’s up?’ (I said) ‘I need you to go in there.’”

They add doo-wop-style harmonies to the song, a romantic moment on “Zavier” and Fetty Wap's strongest vocal performance — melodic, with a controlled vibrato.

In whole, Fetty Wap hopes “Zavier” gives his audience a sense of “good energy, positivity,” he said.

“I’m not looking for any type of, like, sympathy,” he adds. “Just love the music, you know? And if you don't — let me know so I can make better music.”

Bill Maher Will Win the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Humor Prize Following White House Denial

Bill Maher arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles. Photo Credit: Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

by Steven Sloan Mar 26

3 MIN READ

Bill Maher will win the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the Kennedy Center said Thursday, less than a week after the White House forcefully denied that the comedian, who has had a hot-and-cold relationship with President Donald Trump, would win it.

“For nearly three decades, the Mark Twain Prize has celebrated some of the greatest minds in comedy,” Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center's vice president of public relations, said in a statement. “For even longer, Bill has been influencing American discourse — one politically incorrect joke at a time.”

Maher said in a statement that he “just had the award explained to me, and apparently it’s like an Emmy, except I win.”

After The Atlantic reported last week that Maher would win the award, the White House pushed back hard. White House communications director Steven Cheung said on social media that the story was “literally FAKE NEWS.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also called the initial report “fake news” and said Maher “will NOT be getting this award.”

An administration official who refused to speak on the record about the award on Thursday said the situation changed after further conversations between the Kennedy Center and event organizers.

The Kennedy Center has presented the award since 1998 as a way to recognize those who have made significant contributions to humor and commentary in the United States. Previous winners include Conan O'Brien, Dave Chappelle, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Letterman, Carol Burnett and Tina Fey.

The award will be presented on June 28, just before Trump plans to close the Kennedy Center for renovations expected to last about two years. Since returning to office, the Republican president has wielded tremendous influence over the venue, ousting its previous leadership and replacing it with a handpicked board of trustees that named him chairman.

The board added Trump's name to the Kennedy Center and approved the closure, actions that have prompted legal proceedings that are ongoing.

Maher and the president have long had a fraught relationship.

Before he entered politics, Trump filed a $5 million lawsuit against Maher in 2013 for breach of contract. Appearing on Jay Leno’s “The Tonight Show,” Maher said he would give $5 million to the charity of Trump’s choice if he could prove he was not “the spawn of his mother having sex with an orangutan.”

Trump claimed that when he provided his birth certificate, Maher didn’t pay up, prompting the lawsuit. Trump ended up dropping it.

The Trump-Maher relationship exploded again earlier this year, when the president claimed on social media that he wasted time sitting down for a meal with the comedian last year.

“He came into the famed Oval Office much different than I thought he would be,” Trump wrote online. “He was extremely nervous, had ZERO confidence in himself.” Trump said the comedian admitted he was “scared.”

Maher described the dinner as a “good time” during his April 11 episode of “Real Time,” noting that Trump was “gracious and measured” and not like the “person who plays a crazy person on TV.” He said he wasn’t scared.

He took time in his “New Rules” segment to point out the various Trump policies he liked, including the “mass removal of stone cold criminals” and making NATO members pay “their fair share.”

“I may be the last person from the lunatic left that is still an honest broker when it comes to you,” he said. ”I always want the American president to succeed, and I do give credit when you have, but there’s lots of stuff you do that is not my idea of success, and I have every right to say so in a democracy.”

'They Will Kill You' Is a Failed Attempt at Satanic, Supernatural Horror Pulp

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Zazie Beetz in a scene from "They Will Kill You." Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures via AP

by Mark Kennedy Mar 26

3 MIN READ

If you're looking for some killer real estate, might we suggest The Virgil, an exclusive, well-appointed building in New York City? It's one of those century-old hotel-condos with great bones and spacious apartments, fully furnished. One drawback they might not mention on Zillow is all the murderous satanists.

The Virgil is the setting for most of the ambitious but ultimately cramped horror-comedy “They Will Kill You,” a wonderful vehicle for its star, Zazie Beetz, while not exactly fulfilling in either the horror or comedy modes. You might want your security deposit back.

Writer-director Kirill Sokolov borrows elements of Blaxploitation and apes cinematic techniques from Quentin Tarantino's violent revenge fantasies to come up with a muddled movie that has a patina of satire, a smear of dread, a little camp and some surreal touches, like eyeballs that bounce around with agency.

Much of the underwhelming nature of “They Will Kill You” is its lack of ambition. It's said the filmmakers used Dante's “Inferno” as an inspiration for a building that would house on its floors each of the vices from the nine circles of hell — lust, gluttony, greed and so forth. They settled on two and so both initially widened the plot idea but then immediately stunted it.

Beetz's Asia Reaves shows up at The Virgil — named after Dante's guide — to locate her little sister, who we learn in a prologue got separated 10 years before. The sister may be inside as a maid for a group of satanists and she may have gotten in too deep.

Beetz is a revelation as a cleaver-wielding, close-combat boss lady who slices and dices her way through hordes of black-cloaked baddies, who we learn, unfortunately, don't stay dead. “I'm sick of you killing me!” one tells her.

Sokolov leans into a kind of gimmick in which the victim of a disemboweling suddenly grows still and silent for a beat until sprays of blood shoot out from their various wounds like a fire hydrant. He's also got slo-mos of assailants hanging in the air poised for murder, plenty of limbs cut off and shotgun booms. Costume designer Neil McClean fumbles the satanists' cloaks, making them fussy and vaguely shiny, like art smocks for kindergarteners.

The cast also includes a great Myha’la as the sister, Tom Felton and Heather Graham as vengeful, evil satanists — are there any other kind? — and Patricia Arquette as the prim building manager with a terribly uneven Irish accent that incorporates everything from Lucky Charms sing-song to Belfast hardman.

There are extended chase scenes in tunnels and an inspired fight scene with a flaming ax but Sokolov can't pull off the ending, a bizarre and deflating faceoff with Satan himself. The devil himself seems smaller than you'd expect.

“They Will Kill You” may remind you of the marriage between madcap, social satire and bloody mayhem from “Ready or Not” but it's a warning of how hard that combo is to get correctly. (Our hero here at one point just explains the gore-fest with two words — “rich people” — as if that's enough.) If you do decide to see it this weekend, come for the beatdowns but stay for the Beetz.

“They Will Kill You,” a Warner Bros. release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for “strong bloody violence, gore, language and brief sexual content/nudity.” Running time: 94 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

Embiid, George Return to the Lineup and Lead Philadelphia 76ers Past Chicago Bulls

Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid (21) goes up for a shot against Chicago Bulls' Nick Richards (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Philadelphia. Photo Credit: AP Photo/Matt Slocum

by Aaron Bracy Mar 26

2 MIN READ

Joel Embiid scored 35 points in his return to the lineup from injury, Paul George had 28 points in his first game since serving a 25-game suspension, and the Philadelphia 76ers rolled to a 157-137 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.

Sam Champion Returns to 'Good Morning America' After Life-Saving Heart Procedure

Photo Credit: GMA

by Chris Tremblay Mar 26

2 MIN READ

New York City meteorologist Sam Champion returned to ABC's Good Morning America on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, after undergoing a life-saving heart procedure earlier this month.

Champion, who is openly gay and has been a prominent figure in broadcast meteorology for decades, documented his experience on Instagram, stating the procedure "saved my life." He described feeling a persistent shortness of breath—rather than chest pains—that prompted an urgent medical evaluation, leading to the discovery of a critical blockage on March 22 that required immediate intervention.

The procedure, performed at a New York hospital, involved placing stents to restore blood flow, according to Champion's posts. He emphasized the rapid response of his healthcare providers, noting, "They got me in right away and fixed it. Grateful doesn't even begin to cover it."

Prior to this incident, Champion had been managing his health proactively, including a recent skin cancer surgery in October 2024, which he also shared publicly to raise awareness. This pattern of transparency aligns with his role as a visible gay man in media, where he has long advocated for health screenings without sensationalism.

Upon his return to the new ABC News studios in New York, Champion was greeted warmly by colleagues, including anchors Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Michael Strahan. Rather than a typical weather stint, he joined the desk for a dedicated health segment to discuss his recovery and the importance of heart screenings. ABC News spokespeople publicly praised his resilience and his commitment to using his personal experience to raise awareness for viewers.

Champion's health journey resonates within the LGBTQ+ community, where cardiovascular risks can be elevated due to factors like stress, access to care, and historical disparities in medical attention for gay and bisexual men. His willingness to share personal medical details mirrors efforts by other openly LGBTQ+ public figures to destigmatize health conversations, encouraging preventive care among transgender people, gay men, and others. Community responses on social media highlighted support, with fans and advocates noting his story as a reminder for routine check-ups.

The meteorologist, 65, has a storied career, having anchored weather for GMA from 2006 to 2013 before moving to The Weather Channel. He occasionally returns to ABC for specials, maintaining ties to the network. Champion married his husband, Rubem Robierb, in 2012, and the couple has been vocal about their life together amid his professional demands.

Medical experts not directly involved praised Champion's prompt action, underscoring that symptoms like his are common indicators of cardiac events treatable if addressed swiftly. His return marks a positive milestone, with Champion posting photos from the set captioned, "Back where I belong," signaling full recovery.

This event, occurring within the last week as of March 25, 2026, underscores the importance of health vigilance for media professionals who balance high-visibility roles with personal well-being. Champion's story continues to inspire, particularly among LGBTQ+ audiences who view him as a trailblazer in authentic representation.

Meryl Streep Reveals Filming 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Frenzy Gave Her PTSD-Like Reaction

Photo Credit: Fox

by Chris Tremblay Mar 26

2 MIN READ

Meryl Streep, reprising her iconic role as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada 2, admitted that the overwhelming media attention during filming left her "unnerved." In a March 2026 interview, Streep described the persistent frenzy from paparazzi and fans in New York City as an "ambush" that "really threw" her. While she jokingly likened the physical toll of wearing her character’s signature high heels for 16 weeks to a "PTSD-like reaction," she noted that the emotional weight of the production culminated in a sense of relief upon wrapping in October 2025

Principal photography for The Devil Wears Prada 2 took place between June and October 2025 in New York City, featuring the return of Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly, Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs, and Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton. Following the New York shoot, production shifted to Milan, Italy, where the cast was spotted filming on cobblestone streets and attending high-profile events during Milan Fashion Week. During this period, Streep was photographed in a red plissé blazer and bucket hat while leaving the restaurant Il Salumaio di Montenapoleone, as she navigated a significant media frenzy. The project officially wrapped in October 2025 and is currently in post-production for its scheduled theatrical release on May 1, 2026.

Directed by Aline Brosh McKenna, who wrote the 2006 original screenplay, the film features an original story rather than a direct adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s sequel novel. Returning alongside Streep, Hathaway, and Blunt is Stanley Tucci as Nigel Kipling, with new additions including Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, BJ Novak, and Pauline Chalamet. The project officially wrapped in October 2025 and is slated for a May 1, 2026, theatrical release.

Meryl Streep’s reflections on the "unnerving" media frenzy during the New York shoot highlight the heightened public scrutiny of the Devil Wears Pradafranchise 20 years later. While the original film remains deeply resonant with LGBTQ+ audiences, current reporting focuses on the production's logistical challenges rather than specific community advocacy. Additionally, while the sequel’s Milan backdrop reflects the global fashion industry, recent runway controversies at houses like Dolce & Gabbana underscore ongoing debates regarding diversity and inclusion that remain independent of the film's production.

This event, reported across entertainment outlets within the last few weeks as of March 2026, reflects ongoing interest in the franchise's return nearly 20 years after the original grossed over $326 million worldwide and became a cultural touchstone. Streep's candid revelation adds a personal layer to the buzz, emphasizing the human impact of celebrity amid production demands. Filming in iconic locations like New York and Milan not only advances the plot—following Miranda and Andy in the modern fashion landscape—but also draws real-world attention that Streep found overwhelming.

'Love Is Blind' Star Lauren Speed-Hamilton Awarded Nearly $25,000 in Lawsuit Over Ruined Baby Shower

Photo Credit: Lauren Speed Hamilton / Instagram

by Chris Tremblay Mar 26

2 MIN READ

Lauren Speed-Hamilton, a star from the first season of Netflix's "Love Is Blind," secured a court victory on March 24, 2026, when a judge ordered event planner Marissa Lozada to pay nearly $25,000 in damages and attorney's fees over a ruined baby shower. The judgment came as a default ruling after Lozada failed to respond to the lawsuit filed by Speed-Hamilton.

The dispute centers on a baby shower held in August 2025, ahead of the birth of Speed-Hamilton's first child with husband Cameron Hamilton. Speed-Hamilton, who met and married Hamilton on the show, paid Lozada at least $13,315.73 for a luxury, full-service event. According to court documents obtained by reporters, the event started nearly an hour late, featured incomplete decorations, and showed visible disarray as staff scrambled to assemble elements.

Speed-Hamilton alleged that instead of issuing an apology or fixing the issues, Lozada shifted blame and minimized the problems. Following the event, Speed-Hamilton sent a demand letter in September 2025 requesting a 40% refund, which Lozada reportedly did not provide. The couple welcomed their son, Ezra William Hamilton, on October 1, 2025.

Despite the court order, Lozada maintains her position. In a statement to media, she said, "I am aware of the claims that have been filed and am actively addressing them through the legal system. While I cannot comment on specific details at this time, I strongly disagree with the allegations and look forward to resolving this matter appropriately." This suggests potential further legal action, though no additional details on appeals or next steps were immediately available.

Speed-Hamilton and Hamilton rose to fame as one of the success stories from "Love Is Blind" Season 1, where participants date in soundproof pods before meeting face-to-face. Their enduring marriage and recent parenthood have kept them in the public eye, with Speed-Hamilton sharing family milestones on social media. The lawsuit highlights challenges in the event planning industry, particularly for high-profile clients expecting premium services amid tight timelines for personal milestones like baby showers.

No direct statements from Speed-Hamilton on the judgment were reported in initial coverage, but the court documents detail her grievances comprehensively. The case underscores the financial and emotional stakes involved when promised luxury events fall short, especially for new parents.

While the event lacks explicit ties to LGBTQ+ communities, Speed-Hamilton has previously expressed support for inclusive causes, aligning with broader affirming narratives in entertainment circles. Community responses from LGBTQ+ media outlets were not immediately available, as coverage remains centered on celebrity and legal angles. The ruling serves as a reminder of consumer protections in service contracts, potentially resonating with event professionals and clients across demographics.

Additional reporting noted a short video summary circulating online, reiterating the $25,000 award but providing no new details. As the story develops, further statements from both parties could clarify resolution paths.

In 'Miroirs No. 3,' a Slender and Elegant Tale of Mutual Rehabilitation

This image released by 1-2 Special shows Paula Beer, center, and Barbara Auer in a scene from "Miroirs No. 3." Photo Credit: 1-2 Special via AP

by Jake Coyle Mar 25

3 MIN READ

Christian Petzold’s beguiling and restorative new drama “Miroirs No. 3” begins with a glance and a car crash.

Wreckage and its long-term aftermath have long marked the movies of Petzold, arguably Germany’s foremost filmmaker. In his finest and most exquisitely haunting film, 2014’s “Phoenix,” an Auschwitz survivor and cabaret singer (Nina Hoss, colossally good) returns unrecognized to her German hometown with a reconstructed face, to a husband who’s said to have betrayed her to the Nazis.

“Miroirs No. 3” doesn’t have that film’s grandiosity of melodrama; it’s more of a lightly enigmatic chamber piece. But it’s likewise preoccupied with piecing life together again after tragedy, and maybe finding some catharsis in music. (The title comes from a Ravel piano piece.) And its startling power will, like “Phoenix,” sneak up on you.

Laura (Paula Beer, the star of Petzold's “Undine” and “Transit”), a piano student from Berlin, is reluctantly riding in the backseat of a car. Our first glimpse of her, before this road trip, was staring blankly, maybe suicidally, into a river. With Laura is her musician boyfriend, Jakob (Philip Froissant) and a producer that Jakob is hoping to impress. As they drive through the countryside, Laura locks eyes with a solitary middle-aged woman standing outside her home. For a fleeting moment they share a mysterious connection, maybe of some shared strain of depression.

Soon after, Laura says she wants to return to Berlin and Jakob, annoyed, drives her to the nearest train station. But just after again passing the same woman’s house, they skid off the road in a wreck that kills Jakob and throws Laura from the car. The woman runs to help. After the paramedics arrive and treat a still dazed Laura, they’re surprised at her request. She asks if she can stay at the woman’s house, rather than go to the hospital.

What follows is a sweetly oblique, even dreamlike interlude of recuperation. But it’s not just Laura’s. It’s also healing for the woman who happily takes her in. Betty is her name, and Barbara Auer’s performance is as deft and delicate as any you’re likely to see this year. Their time together is spent not discussing their own traumas, but with soft, unspoken kindnesses and daily routine.

Petzold, who also wrote the script, is masterful at meting out backstory. He does it in a way that never feels like withholding to the audience or girding for a big twist, but remains tied to the psychology of his characters. As much as his films might ebb and flow with grief and recovery, their backbone is that of a thriller. Petzold, a great admirer of Hitchcock and “Vertigo,” in particular, makes movies where identity, rather than people, can go missing.

The source of Betty’s pain isn’t revealed until well into “Miroirs,” but it's not hard to guess at. We learn that her husband Richard (Matthias Brandt) and their adult son Max (Enno Trebs) — auto mechanics who look skeptically on Laura’s arrival — live separate of Betty. Meanwhile, Betty gives Laura her daughter’s clothes to wear, and encourages her to play the piano her daughter used to. Together, they paint a fence and restore a herb garden.

Strange as their domestic life might seem, something warm and good is taking place. We have the feeling Richard and Max haven’t been around much, even though their shop is just a bike ride away. But the four soon begin to almost resemble a family unit. In a movie about two women who intuitively understand each other, Brandt and Trebs are charmingly oafish as men who are eager to fix a dishwasher but less keen on how to repair trauma.

That this idyll is bound to expire, sooner or later, goes without saying. But while another filmmaker might steer such a story toward either disaster or, more likely, schmaltz, Petzold ends “Miroirs” without sacrificing the ambiguous grace that came before. And he turns “Miroirs,” a slender and sweet 86-minute puzzle, into one of the more lovely and profound little movies about how hearts can be mended by just opening a door.

“Miroirs No. 3,” a 1-2 Special release in theaters, is not rated by the Motion Picture Association. In German, with subtitles. Running time: 86 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.

Dave Davies Defends The Kinks' "Lola" as Groundbreaking Transgender Anthem After Moby's Criticism

UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 07: FAIRFIELD HALL Photo of KINKS and Dave DAVIES, Dave Davies performing on stage, 100 (Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)Photo Credit: Fin Costello

by Chris Tremblay Mar 26

2 MIN READ

On March 22, 2026, Dave Davies, guitarist and co-founder of The Kinks, publicly defended the band's 1970 classic "Lola" after music producer Moby criticized the song in an interview with The Guardian's Honest Playlist feature.

Moby stated that when "Lola" appeared on his Spotify playlist, he found the lyrics objectionable. "I thought the lyrics were gross and transphobic," Moby said. "I like their early music, but I was really taken aback at how unevolved the lyrics are." Moby did not specify which particular lyrics prompted his concerns.

In response, Dave Davies called Moby "the little idiot" and expressed strong disagreement with the characterization. "I am highly insulted that Moby would accuse my brother of being 'unevolved' or transphobic in any way," Davies wrote.

To substantiate his defense, Davies shared a statement from Jayne County, a pioneering transgender punk artist and former leader of proto-punk band Wayne County & the Electric Chairs, who began identifying as a woman in 1979. County wrote that she was "both thrilled and amazed" when she first heard the song. "When I heard the song I was both thrilled and amazed that the Kinks would be singing a song about a trans person and wondered if anyone else had picked up on it!" she stated.

County emphasized the song's cultural significance for transgender visibility. "Lola will always be one of those songs that for me, broke the ice, so to speak! A song that breaks down barriers and brings a used to be, hush, hush subject to the forefront and makes it sound perfectly natural to be singing a song about a 'girl' named Lola!" she wrote. She added: "Being Trans myself, this will always be a very special song to me."

Ray Davies, the song's writer and The Kinks' lead singer, has explained that "Lola" was inspired by a real encounter in a London nightclub. "It was a real experience in a club," he told Classic Rock. "I was asked to dance by somebody who was a fabulous-looking woman. I said, 'No, thank you.' And she went in a cab with my manager straight afterwards. It's based on personal experience. But not every word." The song reached number one in the UK and the top 10 in the US.

Music historians have recognized "Lola" as an early LGBTQ+ anthem. The song's central lyrics—"Girls will be boys and boys will be girls / It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world, except for Lola"—reflect Ray Davies' stated intention to celebrate gender fluidity and self-expression.

The Kinks' broader engagement with LGBTQ+ themes predates "Lola." Five years earlier, the band released "See My Friends," a song exploring a young man's uncertain sexual identity. Additionally, Dave Davies himself had a bisexual relationship in the 1960s, during a period when homosexuality remained illegal in the United Kingdom.

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