fall on the rooftop

Houston's Rooftop Cinema Club reveals long-awaited fall lineup full of fan faves, Halloween thrills, singalong series, and more

Fall on the rooftop is (finally) back.

Photo by J. Thomas Ford

Houston has withstood another scorching summer, and as we look ahead to cooler temps, plans trend to outdoors and al fresco fun. With that in mind, Houston’s first and hottest rooftop movie club is back with a highly anticipated lineup just in time for fall cinema season.

Rooftop Cinema Club, the red-hot venue boasting sweeping skyline views at BLVD Place in Uptown (1700 Post Oak Blvd.), revealed its new season on Tuesday, August 16, oen full of its trademark clever, signature series, events, and fan fests. The new schedule runs from September 6 through October 31; the full lineup can be found online, with tickets available at noon Tuesday.

Tickets range from $17.50 to $25.25 depending on the day of the week and choice of the venue’s new double Adirondack Love Seat, a single Adirondack, or Lounge Seat with or without popcorn. Fans can expect concessions and snacks, plus an extensive menu of beer, wine, and canned cocktails available for purchase. Notably, guests can bring outside food to enjoy on the Rooftop (a huge help to those with dietary restrictions or with kids); no outside drinks are permitted.

As for the films: Naturally, no cinema showcase would be complete without an homage to beloved pop icon Olivia Newton-John, who recently passed away after a 30-year battle with breast cancer. Rooftop will host a special sing-along screening (an audience favorite) of Grease at 7:30 pm Tuesday, August 23. In honor of the superstar, all ticket proceeds will benefit the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre.

September will see a return of all-ages screenings, plus special Hispanic Heritage Month programming. Fans can also look forward to, per the club:

Love It or Hate It series
A must for hyper-critical movie fans (and there are many), Saturdays in September will shine a spotlight on some of cinema's most divisive movies. That means comedies that fell flat with critics, an ambitious, visionary feast that’s “not for everyone,” (uh-oh) and scoffed-at romps like White Chicks, La La Land, and more.

People’s Choice: Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
In this “Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” edition of the People’s Choice series, fans vote online for the female coming-of-age movie they want to see. Voting closes August 31, the winning film will be announced September 1.

Virgo/Libra/Scorpio Season
Rooftop has crafted yet another new tradition, this one centered around the Zodiac. From August 23 through September 22, the venue celebrates Virgos by screening movies made by or starring popular Virgos such as our queen Beyoncé, Keanu Reeves, and Jada Pinkett Smith.

From September 23 through October 22, Libras get their due, such as Zac Efron, Anthony Gonzalez, Susan Sarandon, and more.

Fiery Scorpios get some love from October 23 through November 22, with a showcase of scorpions starring Winona Ryder, Jamie Lee Curtis, and others.

October fun
In the club’s favorite month, fans can expect an eclectic mix of spooky favorites, film anniversaries, and fun events, such as:

People’s Choice: Best Horror Sequel
Vote which horror movie sequel to screen at the Rooftop online. Voting closes October 6, the winning film will be announced October 7.

Witches Weekender
Which witch? Find out on the penultimate weekend in October. Rooftop concocts a spell of movies that feature the most fun, scary, and awesome witches.

Hocus Pocus Madness
This event celebrates the beloved tradition of watching Hocus Pocus on during the Halloween season. This year, the club dedicates a whole day to screenings of the modern classic.

Halloween
Look for a double dose of Halloween classics (literally, in the titles) with screenings of the family fave Halloweentown and the chilling, OG slasher Halloween (1978) on October 31.

I Know What You Did Last Summer 25th anniversary
What’s your favorite scary movie? For many, it’s this ’90s slasher horror-comedy. Enjoy the superstar cast all over again October 12 at 9:45 pm.

The Ring 20th anniversary
The psychological horror movie that made many all scared toss those VHS tapes (for those who remember them, that is) turns 20 this year. Perfect time to spool together a celebratory (and terrifyingly creepy) screening. (A little advice: Watch out for long-haired ladies who climb ceilings and refuse to flip their hair off their faces.)

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Movie Review

Anne Hathaway's busy 2026 continues with meta-thriller Verity

Photo by Alisha Wetherill

Anne Hathaway in Verity.

Anne Hathaway has been inescapable for movie fans in 2026, starring in no fewer than five different movies across multiple genres, including Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Odyssey, and The End of Oak Street. The actor (who’s pregnant and about to take a well-earned break) is wrapping up her supremely busy year with the psychological thriller, Verity.

Hathaway plays the title character, Verity Crawford, a hugely successful author who writes beach read thrillers, often from the perspective of the villain. An unpublicized car accident renders her immobile and mute, and her husband, Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), and agents make the decision to recruit someone to ghostwrite her next book in order to continue her legacy.

The person hired for the job is Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), an aspiring author whose books mostly get ignored. She’s eager to take on the project, but the reality of Verity’s situation throws her for a loop. When she discovers a secret file that seems to be Verity admitting to some very bad things, Lowen starts to spin even more, imagining situations that may not actually be happening.

Directed by Michael Showalter and adapted by Nick Antosca from the book by Colleen Hoover, the film initially has a nice rhythm to it, setting up the three main characters well and building up tension. Though current day Verity can’t speak or move, the film gets to the heart of her through old interviews Lowen watches to get to know her mind better. Using that footage and other small moments at the house, a type of rivalry develops between the two characters.

Strangely, though, Showalter and Antosca fail to capitalize on the early momentum. The story stagnates about halfway through the movie and never delivers on what it seems to be promising. Whether they’re too true to Hoover’s original story or change things too much is difficult to tell for those who haven’t read the book, but either way, the result is a big tease with not much in the way of a payoff.

What’s most disappointing about the film is its inability to decide on a tone. There are some points where it feels like over-the-top, campy fun, and others where it seems like the filmmakers are going for a straight-up horror vibe. The down-the-middle approach that they land on serves neither the story nor the characters well. Moments that should be full of suspense or could get laughs often fall flat because of the indecisiveness of the filmmakers.

Due to her character’s affliction, Hathaway is reduced to a supporting role in the film, but she gets by on presence alone and still has a few scenes where she demonstrates her star power. Johnson delivers a good performance despite her typical lack of emotion. Like many of her roles, it’s her body that seems to get more attention than her acting. Hartnett is on a roll thanks to recent roles in Oppenheimer and Trap, and he puts in solid work here, as well.

Verity has the bones of a tense thriller, but it’s filled in with a bunch of questionable story beats that don’t prove as satisfying as the premise. The meta-plot of the authors of thrillers becoming involved in a thriller themselves should have been juicy and full of great twists, but ultimately it’s as catatonic as Verity herself.

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Verity is now playing in theaters.

movies film

fall on the rooftop

Houston's Rooftop Cinema Club reveals long-awaited fall lineup full of fan faves, Halloween thrills, singalong series, and more

Movie Review

Anne Hathaway's busy 2026 continues with meta-thriller Verity

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