“Defiantly strange, totally under-appreciated, yet completely wonderful” – Combustible Celluloid

Before they became titans of Ephronian mass-market romantic comedy, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks were first paired up in an indescribably wonderful existential-rom-com-adventure from the writer of Moonstruck (also playing this month at Arkadin!). John Patrick Shanley’s JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO tells the tale of an office drone diagnosed with a fatal disease who answers the call to serve as a human sacrifice for a remote Amazonian tribe but finds love along the way. The film was too odd, too silly, too brilliant, too fanciful, and too much the product of its writer-director’s personal frustrations and ruminations to hit with critics or audiences when it was originally released, but it has rightfully developed an adoring cult following over the years appreciative of its razor-sharp satire on deadening corporate culture, its profound exploration of mortality, its unabashed romanticism, and its Wes Anderson-like visual panache. At once hilarious and deeply philosophical, JOE is a love story for anyone who’s ever worked a dead-end job, dreaming of a different life.

This film is screening as part of Arkadin’s February 2026 series, OFFBEAT ROMANCE, featuring quirky tales of oddballs in love.

Arkadin does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. However, we encourage researching titles to determine if a screening may contain content that could be upsetting to you. Please feel free to contact us for guidance on specific films. Information about content can also be found on Common Sense Media, IMDB and DoesTheDogDie.com, as well as through general internet searches.