Jay Kelly (2025)

Baumbach's portrait of a star attempting to make sense of his life, the conflicts of his fame and his personal life, his relationships with family and staff, is about as cliched and predictable as you might expect. Filled with stars, even in cameo roles, the film feels like it's trying to say something but it gets watered down in its milquetoast dialogue and plot. The worst part, it's boring. I never cared about what happened. 

It's not that Jay Kelly's a bad movie. Its all fine. It's just so bland and so unimpressive. The script is pedestrian. While there are funny bits and there are charming moments, most of the it just feels so standard. I was never surprised or touched by anything in it. 

It's not that the performances are bad. This is a top notch cast and none of them are slumming it. Clooney himself is quite good even if it's clear he is just playing himself. "Do you know how hard it is to be yourself?" he says at one point, in a moment that is both meta and an attempt at being profound. And that's not the only meta reference in this film. Kelly's script doesn't give any of them enough to really work with that doesn't feel heavy handed. So they are all just fine in a movie that's about the same.  

And fine is fine. It's just not that interesting. Maybe it's all more interesting to the people who are in it than to the people watching. 

Jay Kelly

Starring: George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, Jim Broadbent, Stacey Keach, Patrick Wilson, Greta Gerwig, Josh Hamilton, Emily Mortimer, Isla Fisher, Noah Baumbach

Director: Noah Baumbach

Writers: Emily Mortimer, Noah Baumbach

Hamnet (2025)

Hamnet kept exceeding my expectations. I was a bit skeptical of a romance about Will and Agnes centred around the death of their son but was impressed with how effectively the film handled its central characters falling in love and living into their relationship over time. I wasn't sure how affected I would be by the implications of seeing the play Hamlet as a reaction to a child's death. Yet the film managed to bring these ideas together so powerfully it was impossible not to be moved by it. Finally I did't expect to have a movie about loss, devastating loss, to be this affirming in the end. Everything about Hamnet was more than I expected. 

It is no doubt Oscar winning director Zhao makes beautiful movies but I have found her previous films a bit distant and reserved. Hamnet was not that. It was incredibly beautiful. Zhao fills her movie with a verdant beauty that connects her characters to the earth and environment in tangible ways. But there was nothing cold or removed. This film digs deep into emotional places, both painful and wonderful, in surprising fashion. 

Movie romance often feels prescriptive and cartoony. I love it when a film can make me feel its characters falling in love, and being in love as that grows. Despite Hamnet not spending too much of its time on that, the love story here is very real and visceral. I could feel the attraction between the characters and not due to some sort of thirsty scenes but because of how they connect. And as their lives move forward and pull them in different directions, their love remains something palpable throughout, even when strained to the maximum. 

But is is the way the film and story (from co-writerO'Farrell whose book this is based on) weave together the tales of the death of the boy Hamnet with the crafting of the play Hamlet. The clever casting of older Jupe brother Noah as an actor playing Hamlet and the younger Jupe brother Jacobi playing the doomed child helps us see and feel what Agnes is feeling. But it is Buckley who knocks this out of the park with one of the most incredible performances of 2025. Yes there are the Oscar baitey scenes around the death itself, and the subtle ways she handles the happier parts of the story, but it is the final moments where she most truly shines. Mescal isn't a slouch either. He enacts some of the famous play's lines so wonderfully (as if from the author himself) even the legendary soliloquy itself.    

It is the film's final moments that are so revelatory and remarkable. Zhao doesn't rush it, giving us time to take in the power of Hamlet's final act and sit with Agens and her grief within it. It is the sort of scene that is both devastating and uplifting and could have easily felt so disappointingly cliched. Yet it is a remarkable cinematic moment and gives us so much as the audience to sit with. 

Hamnet

Starring: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe, Noah Jupe

Director: Chloé Zhao

Writers: Maggie O'Farrell, Chloé Zhao

Zootopia 2 (2025)

Normally I am not a fan of sequels to big animated blockbusters. With the rare exception (Toy Story 3) they end up being corporate recycling of the same old ideas but with little to none of the inspirational magic that made the first one so good. Sorry not sorry but churning out an other Minion movie or telling another Shrek story has produced nothing but diminishing returns. The further adventures of Anna and Ilsa or even Moana have just left me cold. I had hopes Zootopia might have the unique sort of narrative structure that could lead to further sequels that didn't feel like cheap copies. The first film is remarkably clever mixing a mystery story and wonderfully developed characters with truly brilliant social commentary. It is detective stories that lend themselves to so well to franchises (there is always another case to solve). So could this be the magic formula for Disney to have lightning strike twice?

I'll start by saying 2 is not as great a movie as 1. But despite that it is quite entertaining, very watchable, filled with new great characters while bringing back some of the previous ones, and once again it's metaphors are on point. This time we tackle gentrification (and the ways that is often tied into xenophobia) in far more sophisticated ways than a film like this should have. So more than other recent Disney sequels Zootopia 2 feels like it justifies its existence and makes for a worth follow up. 

But it doesn't improve on the concept. It's mystery plot points are a little muddled and even simpler than the previous case. The new characters aren't as integrated with the old ones (who are mostly pushed to needless cameos) in very successful ways. It establishes a Zootopia formula when compared with the first (and every franchise needs that to some degree) but doesn't build that out expansively in a way that something like Toy Story 3 did. While the pacing and bread-crumb-laying was quite masterfully done in the first film, this one feels like it's purposefully dragging out the development of its plot so that it isn't wrapped up too quickly.  

But Zootopia 2 does develop the relationship between our main characters quite effectively, picking up from their previous equilibrium to take their relationship to the next level...no not like that. Their friendship and chosen family status is deepened in a lovely, moving way. Bateman and Goodwin continue to make their characters so interesting and likeable. It's hard not to want to see them solve all sort of mysteries. 

Despite this film not reaching the heights of its predecessor, it is the first Disney animated film I've wanted more of a follow up to in a long time. The end of Zootopia 2 teases a possible new story (stick around after the credits) and I'd be down for that. Maybe third time will be the charm and this could make for a pretty satisfying trilogy. 

Zootopia 2

Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Idris Elba, Shakira, Patrick Warburton, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake,, Macauley Culkin, Brenda Song, Maurice LaMarche, Leah Latham, Raymond S. Persi, Tommy Chong, Tommy Lister Jr., Danny Trejo, John Lequizamo, June Squibb, Jenny Slate, Alan Tudyk, Yvette Nicole Brown, Ed Sheeran, Robert Irwin, Jean Reno, Dwayne Johnson, Josh Gad, Wilmer Valderrama, Rachel House

Directors: Jared Bush, Byron Howard

Writer: Jaren Bush

Wicked For Good (2025)

Dune Part Two, Kill Bill Part Two, The Two Towers, some could argue Superman II. These sorts of "sequels" aren't really sequels at all but truly the second part of one longer movie. They face different challenges as they cannot really exist on their own without the first film in the same way something like The Dark Knight, Skyfall, or even Mama Mia Here We Go Again can. Those are films with their own beginnings, middles, and ends, films that tell one coherent and separate story, no matter how connected it is to what came before. Wicked For Good, shot continuously with the Wicked film, is just the continuing of the same story. Perhaps it is most analogous to Quintin Tarantino's revenge saga which was also made as one complete movie before being split in two parts. And perhaps one day we'll have a complete epic Wicked film that edits these two films together like we do with Kill Bill. But for now we have For Good all on it's own and while I do worry it would be almost impossible to just sit down and watch this one without having ever seen the first film, for me For Good sticks the landing and provides a very entertaining and moving finale for this saga. 

We pick up soon after Elphaba defied gravity and leap right into the action. I think one of the biggest reasons for the success of these films has been the ambition of the film, to not just run through one plot point to the other but flesh-out the events, back stories, and fill each moment with real weight and pathos. Dividing Wicked into two has allowed this in a way that just wouldn't be possible in one film. We get to give the characters time to breath, the story time to play out, and the emotional core to come together. I really appreciated how the film helped massage some of the stage plays weaknesses this way. We get more of an understanding of plot points that are sort of glossed over, especially how it connects to the Wizard of Oz story. It all feels more organic than it had on stage. 

I loved that the film chose not to centre Dorothy or her story. While the overlapping plot points are laid out Dorothy and her mission are always kept at arm's length (literally at one point through a crack in the door) so we remember this is Elphaba and Glinda's story. Instead of following the yellow brick road we explore how the Tin Man and Scarecrow come to be because they are the relevant characters here. 

But overall what really makes it work is how much it sets out its metaphor. At its heart Wicked (as a novel, a stage musical, or as a film) is about the choices we make in the face of oppression, the way our different perspectives colour those choices, and how to find our road to integrity. What does it mean to be "good"? This film spends its time, and its two new songs, focusing on that question in a very effective and accessible way that isn't whitewashed or oversimplified. The metaphor of this take on the Oz stories is both wonderfully strong and clear while also being embedded in a very entertaining adventure. 

And For Good is damn entertaining. Again the bold choice to make it two film, gave the film makers the chance to truly go all out and make spectacle. This is blockbuster film making with an air of the golden age of cinema. I do love a film that can be both crowd pleasing popcorn entertainment and tell a great story with a non-superficial moral. I was also impressed with how it manages the other big challenge of adapting this particular musical, one whose second act isn't quite as "strong" from a big musical number, big excitement point of view. It instead chooses to focus on the emotional core of the story and give us our climax with a beautiful melancholy moment instead of a grand triumph. 

So for me Wicked does stick the landing. I know I'll never just watch For Good. But I'll likely never just watch Wicked Part One. They will always exist forever just as Wicked. 

Wicked For Good

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Colman Domingo

Director: Jon M. Chu

Writers: Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox

Sentimental Value/Affeksjonsverdi (2025)

I remember being taken off guard by just how much The Worst Person in the World affected me. I didn't know exactly what to make of it when I first saw it and over time it has just continued to find its way into my film memory. It can be hard for a film maker to follow up a breakthrough film like that, a film that brings them so much attention and acclaim, especially a film that holds up so well. So I was perhaps a bit cautious, although excited, about Sentimental Value, his first film since then, and a film which demonstrates Trier's (as well as cowriter, Vogt's) incredible promise as a film maker. 

Sentimental Value is an intricately woven and intimately perceptive portrait of a family, a father and two sisters, whose lives are intersecting through their art and their resentments. It would have been easy for this particular story to feel overdramatized and sensational but Trier and Vogt craft it in such a way that it feels so richly honest. The themes of estrangement and regret should feel so rote. It's not like they are themes we've never explored before. But there is such a freshness to this film's perspective that it felt like it was the first time I was watching a father-struggling-to-reconnect-with-his-adult-daughter story. 

Much of this has to do with the performances. Reinsve, Fanning, and Skarsgård are all incredible actors but they each give some of their best work here, especially the latter. This may be my favourite performance I've seen him give. The film draws some serious attention to its actors' performances. The film is about actors, and we see them "acting" at points in the movie. The film moves between the constructed world of performance and real reacting. There are moments we aren't sure which is which. To rise to this occasion as well as this case does is quite remarkable. 

What is amazing here is how well put together this film is. Every scene seems thought out to be placed and framed exactly as it is, feeding into the story and the emotional power because of how it is shot, edited, and set into the narrative. There is a self-consciousness to Sentimental Value which doesn't take you out of the story but has the opposite effect of bringing you into it deeper. 

While Sentimental Value has all the hallmarks of the sort of cinema a film studies class would want to pull apart, the film also never feels unwatchable. It is engrossing from frame one and tells an emotionally satisfying story that breaks you heart and soothes it a little. There is a lot of critical hype built up around this film and it is all deserved. But it is also a sweet, lovely little movie that will make you so glad you watched it. 

Sentimental Value

Starring: Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Elle Fanning, Anders Danielsen Lie, Cory Michael Smith

Director: Joachim Trier

Writers: Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier

Train Dreams (2025)

Writers-directors Kwedar and Bentley have been making quiet yet emotionally powerful films together for a while now, switching off who directs while they co-write the films. The latest is the sumptuous and thoughtful Train Dreams, the story of a working man in the early 20th century watching the world change around him. For a movie that focuses on a man's interiority Train Dreams is gorgeously filmed, and visually rich. Bentley's instincts lean towards finding beauty wherever he can and Train Dreams is a beautiful film. 

A lot has been made of Edgertn's performance and that is deserved. His character is the strong silent type but he manages to do a lot without saying much. But there are breautiful supporting turns from the likes of Macy and Collins and others. Jones feels wasted a bit as her character doesn't have a lot to do. 

Train Dreams employs the device of a narrator, voice provided by Patton. This is a simple means of getting into our protagonist's head but it is extremely effective here. The most remarkable thing about this film is how strikingly visual it is while remaining very much about the thoughts and feelings of a quiet man. Adapting a novel which spends so much time inside the head on its character can be a difficult transition to the screen but Kwedar and Bentley have done it incredibly. 

Train Dreams ends up being a love letter to life itself, even when that life is hard and filled with loss and some love. 

Train Dreams

Starring: Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Will Patton, Clifton Collins Jr., Kerry Condon, William H. Macy, Nathanial Arcand, Alfred Hsing, Paul Schneider  

Director: Clint Bentley

Writers: Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley

Plainclothes (2025)

I'm always excited for the debut of a promising new film maker and Emmi is certainly in that category. His first feature, Plainclothes, features a tight and smart script and is filmed with a flair that is fascinating. He shows he is a true story teller, getting into the hearts and minds of his characters in an organic, natural way while also moving his story forward cleverly and, most importantly, with an eye for a compelling and satisfying narrative. 

Plainclothes explores closeted men (set in the 90s) and their connections. Yes this is somewhat well trod territory, may I even say tired, but Emmi finds a way to make it fresh and relevant. His main character is a cop whose job it is to entrap men who are "cruising" for public sex. Yet he finds himself drawn to one of his targets who also appears to have his own closeted issues. I think what made Plainclothes work for me narratively is how the film eschews most of the cliches of down-low men and instead reaches into the multifaceted pain of the closet. Emmi's strength here is how he paints robust portraits of both his main characters that make them feel more real and less like caricatures.

Emmi also impresses with his directoral style. He finds creative ways to be in the head of his protagonist and not just tell his story pedantically. He uses a bit of timeline jumps, which he handles effectively, but it is more in the way he finds perspective that I found so interesting. Visually Plainclothes is a beautiful watch and demands more of your attention than more by-the-book stories. 

Blyth and Tovey are both strong and create a good connection. Tovey really comes to life at the end of the story with a scene that helps flesh him out in ways that we aren't expecting. But it's Blyth who is the anchor for this throughout and gives a breakout performance.

For me the real star is Emmi who i hope is working on something new to follow this up as I am excited to see what he does next. 

Plainclothes

Starring: Tom Blyth, Russell Tovey 

Writer/Director: Carmen Emmi