Guns & Moses stars Mark Feuerstein as a small-town Hasidic Rabbi whose world is shattered by gunfire.

During a gala to honor Alan Rosner (Dermot Mulroney), a respected member of the small Jewish community and a solar farm entrepreneur, there is a horrific shooting at the event that puts them all on edge. With antisemitism violence around the world, this little town of High Desert, California is now the big news across the country. Several white supremacist groups in the town are in the crosshairs and the police arrest Clay Gibbons (Jackson A. Dunn), the main suspect, a young man who has previously called the holocaust a hoax.

When it comes down to it, Rabbi Mo’s compassion and intellect wins over young Gibbons who was initially thought to be Rosner’s killer. The kid realizes his views about the holocaust and Jews are incorrect, thanks to the personal story of holocaust survivor Sol Fassbinder (Christopher Lloyd).

But Rabbi Moses Zaltzman is not convinced the kid is the assassin of his friend. He has a deep conviction that the real killer is still on the loose. So, when more Jewish men start getting killed, he knows there is something more to these murders and begins to investigate the connection between the victims, other than their religion.

The Rabbi’s five children are worried that they are in danger, however he believes there is much more to uncover and assures them they will be safe. The security guard for the congregation thinks otherwise. She is tough and always prepared. Brenda Navarro (Gabrielle Ruiz) instructs the Rabbi and his wife how to handle guns for their own protection. After all, she cannot be with them at all times so they should know how to safely handle and shoot the weapons. He is apprehensive about shooting a gun but relents, as does his wife.

The Mayor (Neal McDonough) is still convinced the murders are due to antisemitism and vows to keep the Jewish community safe. With the police hunting down clues, the community and the Rabbi’s family are concerned.

Then the Rabbi himself is a target of neo-Nazis and that points the investigation to the white nationalists. But even so, the Rabbi is still not convinced that the murders were due to religion. The attack on him was, but he was not killed, so he puts his clues together to get to the bottom of the killings.

When things go awry for the Rabbi, all his tactical training comes into play – thanks to Navarro.

The investigation is intricate and soon the Rabbi gets to the bottom of it all, albeit with shocking results.

If you thought the shootout at the OK Corral was something, wait until you see this one!

Guns & Moses delivers a strong Jewish hero who keeps his compassion but when it comes down to it, he will do what is right, and yes, use his gun. It’s an interesting story with some twists along the way. Plus there is plenty of action.

The film is rated R and opens in theaters July 18, 2025.

A statement from Director Salvador Litvak –

• My wife/writing partner Nina and I conceived Guns & Moses in the wake of the 2019 Chabad synagogue shooting in Poway, California. I attended Lori Gilbert-Kaye’s funeral, interviewed Rabbi Goldstein for my Jewish learning platform Accidental Talmudist, and watched as he became a national figure. We knew that antisemitic attacks would remain relevant, but we never imagined that the worst violence since the Holocaust would occur on October 7, 2023 during post-production of our film. Nor did we imagine the horror of politicians, professors, students and agitators spewing Jew-hatred publicly since October 8.
• These events were unimaginable, but not shocking. I grew up with two Holocaust survivors in my home – my grandmother Magda, and my mom Kati, whom Magda carried as an infant through a concentration camp. My grandfather was murdered in a different camp. I heard from my family a thousand times that it could and would happen again. Maybe in Europe, I thought, but not in America. I was wrong, and I came to see that before 10/7. We’ve been in danger for a long time, and we can’t rely on others to protect us. 
• I did not grow up around guns. Like many American Jews, I didn’t consider the Second Amendment to be very important. As an adult, however, I became an Orthodox Jew – which is to say a visible Jew – and I grew increasingly aware of the danger to our community. I stepped up and became a guardian. Rabbi Mo’s firearms training in Guns & Moses mirrors the training I received in Magen Am, a licensed and volunteer armed-security force that protects our houses of worship. Thank God, I’ve never had an incident, and I pray I never will. 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Elio is really a cute little boy and one audiences will take to their hearts. He has no friends and feels alone in the world. His parents just died so he lives with his Aunt Olga who works for the army in the space division. Elio feels she does not want him and he tries to get the attention of alien life. With all his heart he wants to be abducted.

Being bullied and alone the little boy desperately wants to find a place where he will be happy and have friends. He feels like the only place for him is in another galaxy.

He is ingenious about getting the attention of alien lifeforms. And one day, lo and behold, he actually gets abducted by aliens and taken to the Communiverse, an organization of interplanetary representatives from various galaxies. There he is mistaken as the leader of Earth. 

Well, this kid is so excited to be among people who actually want him that he goes along with it. He is about to become one of them when Lord Grigon appears and wants to join the Communiverse. His tactics are not what they want. He is abusive and gruff, not to mention threatening.

Elio volunteers to mediate between the eccentric aliens and Grigon. Once aboard his ship Elio forms a bond with a cute little alien named Glordon. For once in his life Elio has a true friend. But when the evil Grigon decides to eliminate the Communiverse, Elio and Glordon, who happens to be Grigon’s son, put their heads together and come up with a plan. 

This is a colorful and adorable movie. It is both a movie about family and a buddy film at the same time. Will Elio stay among the strange but friendly group of aliens or return to life on earth?

The relationship between Olga and Elio is heartening, especially at the end. She knows he has had a difficult time without his beloved parents. She has found herself in a situation she never expected, but family is family and she loves her nephew with all her heart, even though in the beginning he is a bit of a handful.

For people who have seen the trailers or the posters and wonder about the patch on Elio’s eye, don’t worry. After an attack by a bully he was given the patch while his eye healed – which is does.

What Elio discovers and what an alien tells him is that he is unique. “Unique can sometimes feel like alone.” Elio is not alone. He has the friends in the Communiverse and his Aunt on earth and eventually some like-minded human kids. 

It is a touching story with two adorable characters: Elio and Glordon. There are some scenes of violence however it is still a fun film for the entire family and a nice way to spend a summer afternoon. It’s very colorful and extremely inventive when it comes to the array of aliens.

Elio is a cute addition to the Disney/Pixar list of characters.

Elio is rated PG for some action/peril and thematic elements.  It opens in theaters June 20, 2025. 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Image courtesy Disney/Pixar