M3GAN 2.0 (2025)

I didn't love M3GAN in the way many did. Sure it was camp and fun, but not so much in a clever way and more in a rather average way. It was fine, had its pop culture moment, and perhaps was more about the memes than about the film itself. Well it turns out they may not be able to return to the well for another round. M3GAN 2.0 feels even more paint by numbers than the first one did and certainly is a lot less fun. 

Again, it's fine. Sure the plot doesn't make a lot of sense and feels like it's there to set up scenes more than any real organic story. The motivations of the characters, don't always seem logical. And the film goes on and on. This maybe would have been a better movie at 90 minutes than 2 hours. But it's not terrible. 

I guess if you are a die hard M3GAN fan you might enjoy it but the level of delicious camp feels muted compared to the first and I do wonder if the idea of M3GAN was more appealing than the actual movie. I'm not sure 2.0 is going to change any of that. 

M3GAN 2.0

Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ivanna Sakhno, Jenna Davis, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Jemaine Clement, Aristotle Athari, Timm Sharp

Writer/Director: Gerard Johnstone

Please Don't Feed the Children (2025)

Please Don't Feed the Children is pure B-movie. The premise doesn't quite make sense. Dockery's villain is cartoonish. And the plot follows the usual sort of stumbling blocks so that it doesn't get resolved too quickly. But it works because it embraces its roots and leans into what it is in refreshing ways. It stays entertaining and satisfying right up to the end. 

In her first feature film, Destry Allyn Spielberg shows she has either inherited some of her famous father's talents, or learned from him, or both. She quite deftly films this story in a tight and engaging manner, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats even when the film feels a little on the predictable side. 

I don't mean to knock Dockery. Her villain may be a bit tropey but she, like the film, embraces it and commits. She becomes quite unnerving. There are a few moments that end up feeling quite unnerving, perhaps due to Spielberg's trend of turning away from gore and cleverly leaving things to our imagination. She quite effectively builds un-ease as does Dockery through her performance. 

Please Don't Feed the Children is a promising start to a second generation film maker who hopefully will make her own catalogue of great films.

Please Don't Feed the Children

Starring: Michelle Dockery, Zoe Colletti, Giancarlo Esposito

Director: Destry Allyn Spielberg

Writer: Paul Bertino

28 Years Later (2025)

I've always described 28 Days Later as a drama wearing the skin of a horror movie. While I fully admit these debates are academic only, I find it a helpful way to explain the way the film hits for me, differently than most horror. I felt 28 Weeks Later tried this with mixed success but Boyle and Garland have returned to this with their ambitious and bold 28 Years Later, a film that might be a bit inconsistent but mostly succeeds in not only the world building and character development a film like this needs to work, but in telling a narrative that I was invested in and moved by. 

I described the film as ambitious. Unlike the original film, this film is structured as a part of a larger whole, clearly there is a plan here for this story to open up to others and connect with the previous. Therefore it doesn't limit itself solely to the confinements of this 115 minute runtime. Even within that there are 3 distinct acts, each with different tones and emotional arcs. Finally those are bookended by prologue and epilogue which stand on their own.

I going to say they body of this film works. The main storyline, a series of stories featuring Williams' Spike character, are rich with emotional power and resonance. Sometimes it is a bit rushed and there are a few moments that require a bit of forgiveness. But the strength of the writing and Williams' precocious performance make it come together powerfully. This story builds, as a good sequel should, the mythology of the world. The Rage Virus is developing in ways we hadn't seen before and becoming more threatening that it was before. But this is handled in a smart and character driven way, not just in the typical more/more/more approach most sequels take. 

And this takes me back to where I started. 28 Years Later, like the film that inspired it, builds its story first on character and story and not on the "premise." Perhaps it is taking on a lot here and some of this will depend on how the next chapters go. The controversial epilogue may end up being the introduction of an incredible part of this story or perhaps something regrettable. We don't have enough to make that call yet. Check in with me after the release of the sequel.  

28 Years Later

Starring: Alfie Williams, Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Edvin Ryding, Jack O'Connell

Director: Danny Boyle

Writer: Alex Garland 

Elio (2025)

The best Pixar movies spark something emotional for me and it wasn't far into Elio's runtime that this one found its mark. Elio is an exploration of loneliness and the challenges of finding connection, all packaged in an all ages story that, while completely accessible for younger audiences, reaches the youngster in all of us. It finds that spot where we remember being isolated, awkward, unable to fit, and it gives us some hope. 

Elio also has a fun story about aliens. The story might cut a couple corners but it bases its imagery and mythology in familiar sci fi tropes of the past in a way that is charming and delightful. Yes the story skews younger than their recent Inside Out 2 or even the underrated Onward, but it never talks down to its audience. I'd compare it most closely to Luca, as it works by getting us all to see our inner children. 

Elio is also a beautiful film. I love that Pixar is returning to a "cartoony" look instead of aiming for photorealism. Some of the set designs and "galactic" effects are just gorgeous but the character designs are done with a flair for a very animated style. Much of Elio's look is reminiscent of Monsters Inc. but without being derivative. 

Elio was fresh and I didn't always know where it was going, which is such a rare treat these days. I know its the sequels and remakes that make all the money for these studios but when I see something like Elio I am hopeful there will always be spaces and time for original little films like this. 

Elio

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brad Garrett, Jameela Jamil, Shirley Henderson, Matthias Schweighöfer, Brendan Hunt, Kate Mulgrew

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Writers: Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, Mike Jones

The Life of Chuck (2025)

Some of Stephen King's best works are those that don't fall into the horror genre, and that is also true of films based on his work. From Shawshank to Stand By Me King's ability to weave complex threads into accessible and gripping stories is unrivalled. The Life of Chuck, with all its personal grandeur should easily be in that category but I'm not sure it gets there. There feels something timid and restrained about this film that never lets it really take off. 

The story is lovely and speaks to our uniqueness, our specialness, and our loneliness. It is about the complicated relationships between our interior and exterior lives, our need for connections and our need to be who we are. There is an element of magic or providence involved that is at once disheartening and comforting. It contains a lot of seemingly contradictory feelings brought together in very clever ways. 

But the film never quite makes any of it real. It always feels a bit constructed, a little to pat. I never felt I could see Chuck's journey as authentic, and it always felt more like it was trying to make its point more than tell its story. 

Still it is a nice story and honestly a rather entertaining one. I didn't dislike The Life of Chuck, not at all. But it never crossed into the place where it swept me up in its magic, which, felt necessary in this particular case. 

The Life of Chuck

Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Jacob Tremblay, Mark Hamill, Matthew Lillard, Carl Lumbly, Nick Offerman, Annalise Basso, Taylor Gordon, Kate Siegal, Samantha Sloyen, Trinity Bliss, Mia Sara, Carla Gugino, Q'orianka Kilcher, Rahul Kohli, Harvey Guillén, David Dastmalchian

Writer/Director: Mike Flanagan

Materialists (2025)

I love it when a film can surprise me. Materialists sets itself up (and is marketed similarly) with what appears to be a typical love triangle scenario but quickly deconstructs that in its exploration of western conceptions of what "love" and "relationships" mean. By using this trope, Song plays with our expectations in ways that force us through our perceptions and assumptions that these sorts of films usually reinforce. I wish she had had the courage to end her journey here in a different place than she does but the journey remains interesting. 

Song has such a deft hand both as a director and a writer. The dialogue is sharp and piercing and her style of filming, while unassuming and never flashy, is so intricate in how it expresses the film's themes and ideas, the emotions of the characters, that I felt like I knew these people. Her characters never feel stock and are wholly flawed people that feel like they stepped out of real life. 

The thing that didn't work for me was the chemistry of the actors. I never felt the connection that Lucy and Johnathan needed to make this story feel authentic. Sure the energy wasn't there for Lucy and Harry either but that was supposed to be the point. Materialists delves into the transactional nature of relationships, and not in a judgement way. Yet even then I never truly bought that Harry and Lucy would make this transaction. Materialists is also making a point about the naturalness of falling in love but little felt natural between Evans and Johnson. 

So in my head Materialists worked wonders. It have been thinking about it over and over since I saw it, mulling over ideas about how we structure not only our "romantic" connections but also our relationships to those connections. But if I am being honest, my heart never bought in. Perhaps this could have been more effective if the film didn't try to find a happily-ever-after for Lucy, at least not one that involved her finding "love." Perhaps then I wouldn't have been so underwhelmed by seeing her and Jonathan reunite. A film that maybe ended with her choosing something else might have knocked it out of the park for me. Maybe. 

Materialists 

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal

Writer/Director: Celine Song

 

Pride vs. Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story (2025)

There is a simplicity to the way Hagen presents this history of one of Canada's most seminal human rights cases that brings out the humanity of those involved in the historic, yet surprisingly recent, event. It is the focus on the human elements that makes Pride vs. Prejudice so impactful. 

The recentness of the case does allow many people directly involved to be interviewed. While the film does deal with the legal and charter aspects of this history its main focus is those who were there, the advocates, the activists, and many affected. 

The film also accomplishes the task of showing us just how different things could have been and how quickly we forget and move on. It also focuses on just how relevant the issues remain and how vigilance is necessary. Yet it is also a very hopeful and optimistic film about regular people doing extraordinary things.  

Pride vs. Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story

Writer/Director: Darrin Hagen

 

Ballerina (2025)

Ballerina is as much a John Wick movie as any John Wick movies. The plot is over the top and filled with enough shark jumping to satisfy the indulgent crowd. The action is intricate and choreographed within an inch of its life. The film even has extended sequences featuring Wick himself. I'll admit, for me a lot of Ballerina feels like just repeating the John Wick schtick. Fortunately de Armas is charismatic enough to carry the film. But with such a heavy use of Keanu and a reliance of repetitive formula, Ballerina suffers from not distinguishing itself enough.

There is one big exception to this and it is likely what I enjoyed most about the film. de Armas' Eve, while very much a female Wick analogue, breaks the female action hero mold in an effective manner. Much of the action movie trope is for female action heroes to be hyper masculine. But Eve isn't Sarah Connor or Ellen Ripley. This film goes out of its way to use Eve's femininity as her strength. She is effective because she is not male, not masculine. she is the titular ballerina, a profession not seen as manly in anyway (ask male ballerinas how they are viewed) yet the film spends time showing us just how brutal mastering the art form is, what a tole it takes and how tough one must be to excel at it. It flips the script on what makes on "tough". I found the film's examination of gender interesting here. 

But this is a John Wick film so explorations of themes like this are sidelined for the main event. The action. Fans won't be disappointed by the set pieces. They are gloriously ridiculous and a lot of fun. The plot may make you roll your eyes a few times (not a rare experience in this franchise) but if you're prepared for that you can enjoy it for what it is. I wish the film hadn't relied entirely so much on wedging Wick in here. The initial appearance makes sense and reflects events of John Wick 3 but the climax not only doesn't fit the timeline well (if I understand it this is happening during the events of JW3 or before JW4 when John was pretty occupied running from the High Table's assassins and wouldn't have much time for a side gig on behalf of the Director), but also doesn't fit entirely with his character. Sure he's prepared to bend rules for what he thinks is right but it could be argued he is completely abdicating the mission he was sent to do. That's debatable so I'll leave that for now. 

I wish the film had had enough courage to bank on it's star instead of needing so much Keanu but I get where we are in the whole realm of big budget sequel politics. Even that aside, Ballerina feels like it doesn't hit the heights of the best Wick films as it is a little too safe, but it also isn't the worst Wick film out there. What it is at its least is proof of concept that the "World of John Wick" is strong enough to flesh out a much larger "universe" than just stories about John himself. 

Ballerina

Starring: Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, Keanu Reeves 

Director: Len Wiseman

Writer: Shay Hatten

Lost in Starlight (2025)

This charming little love story which spans the stars offers a delightful if simple tale and some characters that are easy to fall for. Mostly following the rom-com archetype of the meet cute with some barrier that keeps our lovers from being together, the film also builds in a science fiction background to give it a different spin. 

Lost in Starlight explores a very literal distance between its characters but even that is the metaphor for the traditional love-knows-no-bounds narrative. A big part of what makes it work is that it is completely earnest without trying to add jaded elements in anyway. Perhaps the animation also helps, giving it that just slight distance so we can accept the film's premise and its thesis. 

The animation here is quite beautiful. With few big set pieces Lost is Starlight isn't showy with its visuals. It finds ways to be beautiful in subtler, smaller ways. There is a sequence near the end I found breathtaking. Even without being bombastic it manages to be artistically very endearing. 

Lost in Starlight

Director: Han Ji-won

Writer: Kang Hyun-Joo

Bring Her Back (2025)

Good horror is both disturbing and moving, touching on real world fears, passions, horrors. Despite any fantastic elements to this story, Bring Her Back is a darkly beautiful meditation on loss and how it destroys us. 

The Philippou brothers have crafted something wonderful and terrifying. It is about how we can be pushed into horror. It is also about the survival of abuse. The skill with which they film this story is remarkable. Bring Her Back is gorgeously presented and disturbing to watch. But they are judicious in what gore we see and what we feel. Bring Her Back evokes raw emotions. It's visceral but also emotional.

Hawkins gives a performance that is up there with the great horror roles. Her young costars Barratt and Wong keep up with her. Their strength as an ensemble help ground the story and all its difficulties. They will make you uncomfortable, while also making you cry. Despite all we had seen, the film ends with us caring about everyone.

Bring Her Back is good horror on a level that we don't get too often. I especially appreciated how it didn't shy away from its difficult ending. They could have taken a more standard approach but they do not. Endings are where horror films often lose their steam. For Bring Her Back it is the point. 

This film shows the Philippous could likely make any genre of film and present us with something interesting. 

Bring Her Back

Starring: Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong

Directors: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou

Writers: Bill Hinzman, Danny Philippou

I Don't Understand You (2025)

It is not that common for a film to take this many left turns; starting out as a touching gay adoption story, becoming a bumbling fishes-out-of-water comedy, turning into a darkly comic noir, and then back again, all the while commenting on the "ugly American" trope. But the script is smart, Rannells and Kroll give it their all, and it comes together in ways that shouldn't really work. I Don't Understand You is a bit of a minor miracle. 

The film stays on the lighter side of things despite some of its dark edges and leaves most of its social commentary as suggestions. You can sit back and simply enjoy its demented humour if you want. If you want to think about it more, it starts to get even more interesting. I like that the film wraps its story up in a way that feels both heartwarming and surprisingly unresolved. The film is a little bit bold while also remaining rather crowd pleasing. 

I'm surprised it works as well as it does and that's likely due to the witty script and rather unassuming direction from Craig and Crano. The film is unlike much else out there and one of those films that makes me want to see what the film makers are going to do next. 

I Don't Understand You

Starring: Nick Kroll, Andrew Rannells, Morgan Spector, Eleonora Romandini, Amanda Seyfried 

Writers/Directors: David Joseph Craig, Brian Crano

Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)

The Fear Street trilogy of 2021 was a fun and irreverent tribute to slasher films of different eras as well as the YA book series of R.L. Stein. We now have another instalment, this one only loosely connected to the others (same small town setting, post-credit scene which hints at a larger connection). Prom Queen is an 80s style horror about of group of candidates for the titular honour, being hunted down one by one on prom night. 

The Fear Street movies are both self-aware (in how they pay tribute to their inspirations) and fully earnest (in how they don't spoof or deconstruct their inspirations a la Scream). These films embrace the genre cliches without a wink and a nod, more with a loving embrace. This is about revisiting what made those films so fun, not about getting into our heads about them. This light take makes them very entertaining even if they are being a bit silly. 

Prom Queen gets to some pretty cartoony violence and gore. Perhaps this is a way of keeping them accessible. There are times you want to laugh more than wince at the blood. But it's all in good fun. The film also does pay tribute to the 80s with a killer soundtrack (pun intended) and delightful fashion without pushing that envelope too hard. 

So in the end this is another successful, if sleight, entry into a series that aims to be fun, referential horror for teens and the teens in all of us. 

Fear Street: Prom Queen

Starring: India Fowler, Suzanna Son, Fina Strazza, Chris Klein, David Iacono, Ella Rubin, Ariana Greenblatt, Lili Taylor, Katherine Waterston

Director: Matt Palmer

Writers: Donald McLeary, Matt Palmer

Fountain of Youth (2025)

Fountain of Youth is an old school adventure story that is fairly B-movie. This treasure hunting adventure certainly is not Indiana Jones. It's not even National Treasure. It's more like the 80s adaptation of King Solomon's Mines and it's sequel. Despite the rather compelling chemistry between the stars and Ritchie's signature kinetic film making style, Fountain of Youth ends up mildly entertaining but rather forgettable.  

I give credit to Krasinski and Portman for making this as fun as it ends up being. But there are just too many jump the shark moments to take this story seriously enough as one needs to to make it truly engaging. This feels like an attempt to start a franchise but it would be hard for me to care about seeing another adventure in this series. The film is lacking in any real investment in itself to make its audience believe in the story and believe in the characters. 

Fountain of Youth

Starring: John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Eiza González, Domhnall Gleeson, Arian Moayed, Laz Alonso, Carmen Ejogo, Stanley Tucci 

Director: Guy Ritchie

Writer: James Vanderbilt

Friendship (2025)

Friendship is both not what you will expect and very much what you signed up for. Marketing is selling it as a dark comedy that will make you cringe and that is exactly what it is while also defying your expectations in just how much it can do that. DeYoung has woven a dark tale of social ineptitude which takes our common fears of not fitting in and twists it to a painfully difficult extreme.

A big part of what makes Friendship work is the excruciating performance of Robinson, who take a character that should have been a shark jumping caricature and makes him feel honestly real. He doesn’t get a redemption except in how much we all might see ourselves in his exaggerated ineptitude. He is all id, all bad decisions, the way we blow up our own faults in our minds beyond their real limits. He is a cautionary tale that wouldn’t work if it wasn’t for how deftly Robinson brings him to life. 

Friendship might go on a bit long but it continues to surprise all the way along. I appreciated that it didn’t shy away from the ending it needed. Go in to this one as blind as possible but just be prepared to be uncomfortable and perhaps a bit reflective. 

Friendship

Starring: Tim Robinson, Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Grazer, Paul Rudd

Writer/Director: Andrew DeYoung

 

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025)

The Misson: Impossible film series has been a Cruise vanity project the whole time, some more than others. As we reach the “final” (more on that later) film, it feels even more so. Melodramatic and camp, the plot could not be more over the top and the message, that only Ethan Hunt can save us, hasn’t been so strong. Final Reckoning is so in love with its star that it can’t even… well we’ll get into that. 

For me the Mission: Impossible series has been up and down and it’s been more up than down in the last few films. This chapter felt a little on the meh side. The film is loooong and big parts of it drag. Once it does get to its conclusion it ratchets up the action, even thought some of that action feels repetitive, and it features some of Cruise’s signature stunt work. But the film could easily have been edited down a good 30 minutes (why not 60?) and likely would have been a more engaging adventure. 

The story is just so far beyond realistic, a hyper reality, and it never makes you feel the stakes. The world is going to end and yet, we know Hunt will save the day. I never doubted and therefore wasn’t really on the edge of my seat. And when the film couldn’t even… well I’ll come back to that… I knew that there just weren’t any real risks.

I guess perhaps I anted a farewell, a send off. And I felt like I just got another chapter, and not the strongest chapter at all. It hardly feels like a conclusion at all. I just feels like more of the same. 

*Spoilers*

Okay what I keep referring to is that Hunt survives this story. Not only did the film not have the cash ones to do what No Time to Die did for Bond, it didn’t even give him any conclusion. It just feels like he successfully ended another mission and there will be more. I’m not sure that is very interesting. There is little character development, hardly an arc at all. It’s just another episodic moment with more crazy stunts. Perhaps I had hoped there would be something concluding this story. It all lead to this did it? That’s not very satisfying.  

One of my critiques of an early film is how the “rabbit’s foot” of M:I III was a McMuffin. Here they give it some back story in a way that is clever. I’ll give them some credit for that. Also the stunts here are mind blowing. If there is one things this series does well, that this film keeps up, it is impressing us with that.

But in the end it still feels rather mid. Are we just going to watch Cruise/Hunt have another of these adventures? I’m not sure I care any longer. And this film did nothing to make me care. 

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, Angela Bassett, Esai Morales, Pm Klementieff, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Shea Wingham, Greg Tarzan Davis

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Writers: Erik Jendresen, Christopher McQuarrie

Lilo & Stitch (2025)

The animated Lilo & and Stitch is one of my favourite animated movies ever if not one of my favourites of any kind of movie. Watching a remake of a beloved film can be hard as it is reminding you so much of that film but just… isn’t that film. The bones of the story are here in this “live action” remake but yet so much of what made the original special, the heart of the film, ironically just didn’t feel as real. 

I will give the film credit for the outstanding performances of Kealoha and Agudong as Lilo and her sister. And Sanders is back as Stitch, an only slightly different animated version of the character that makes it extra ad easily similar to the original version. But none of this could help when the story was going through the motions and not capturing the emotions that made the first film so amazing. 

None of the changes this film puts into place enhance the story or give it a different point of view. They all feel cosmetic. Changing Bubbles’ role, adding in a grandmotherly figure, making Jumba more villainous, or even just pulling back from the Elvis-ness of the original; it all feels for nothing. Perhaps it was the live action actors attempting to interact with the animated counterparts that made it feel like they had less of a connection. Whatever it was what made he 2002 film so incredibly special. 

The story is still here and it remains a good story. This Lilo & Stitch is still watchable. It’s just a pale imitation. 

Lilo & Stitch

Starring: Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, Courtney B. Vance, Zach Galifianakis,  Kaipo Dudoit, Tia Carrere, Jason Scott Lee

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Writers: Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, Mike Van Waes

Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025)

Hurry Up Tomorrow doesn't amount to much more than a vanity project. The story is threadbare and sometimes borders on cringy. It is elevated by the performances of Ortega and Keoghan (especially the latter) along with the visual lushness of director Shults' work. But in the end it amounts to not much. 

This is the story of a fictionalized version of The Weeknd who has been dumped and ghosted by his ex (and one understands completely why as his toxicity is evident throughout) when he meets a new fan who takes him for a wild getaway. That's it. It takes some very dark and abrupt turns, and supposedly he learns something. But there is little to work with here leaving the director and cast to do as much as they can with what little they have. 

The best part is the music. Tesfaye puts out some good new tunes here while self-referencing some old ones. Still you don't need the movie to enjoy the music. This is purely for superfans only. 

Hurry Up Tomorrow

Starring: Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd), Jenna Ortega, Barry Keoghan 

Director: Trey Edward Shults

Writers: Abel Tesfaye, Reza Fahim, Trey Edwards Shults

Nonnas (2025)

I wasn't going to watch Nonnas cause I worried it would be cheesy and sappy. And perhaps it is in the end. But overall I'm glad I finally did. While it is rather formula and leans into the emotional aspects, it remains charming and far more engaging than it has a right to. A lot of this is how lovely it is to see this cast come together. Nonnas may not be quality cinema but it ends up being a fun, if rather surface, watch. 

Based on a true story, Nonnas tells the story of a man who opens restaurant with Italian Grandmothers as the chefs. It has all the against-all-odds cliches and a very predictable plot. You watch knowing how its going to work out but the story plays out so nicely that you want to see it all come together.

As I said, the cast is a bit piece of what makes it work. They aren't half-assing it here. Everyone gives it their all. This helps sell the story. So by the time the film reaches its obvious conclusion you're right there ready to dig in. Honestly one of the best aspects of this film is the food. It made me hungry. 

Nonnas

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Linda Cardellini, Susan Sarandon, Drea De Matteo, Joe Manganiello, Campbell Scott

Director: Stephen Chbosky

Writer: Liz Maccie

Watchmen Chapters I & II (2024)

This new animated adaptation of Watchmen is notable for how faithful it is to the source material, often recreating the experience of reading the graphic novel. It has been adapted in a similar way before. There was a "motion comic" released in 2008 which took the images of the comic and added some movement along with narration and voices. This feels similar in how it brings the images to life so closely to how they were drawn originally but in a more traditional animated film. It very closely follows the story, presents the characters very similarly to how they appear in the book, and even works in the story-within-the-story The Black Freighter. 

In light of that, what the film doesn't offer is anything new. Being so faithful means it doesn't add anything, including perspective. That clearly isn't the purpose. So as someone who has encountered this story many times through different mediums including having read the novel over and over, it felt faithful but like something I had seen before. I appreciate how much it recreates the story, and perhaps for someone who isn't inclined to read the original, seeing this film will be a good way to experience the story. It should also make purists happy who want to see the experience replicated from one medium to another as closely as possible. 

Watchmen is a seminal and historic comic. This film captures that quite effectively. It will evoke memories of the story for those who are familiar while acting as a very competent introduction for newbies. The animation style, while capturing the feel of the original, also has its own feel. Generally I found it quite beautiful if some of it felt a bit unnatural. While it may not be my preferred means of "watching" the story, I do feel they did a good job of capturing everything that makes Watchmen was it is. 

Watchmen Chapters I & II

Starring: Matthew Rhys, Katee Sackhoff, Titus Welliver, Adrienne Barbeau

Director: Brandon Vietti

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski

The Accountant 2 (2025)

Very much like the first Accountant, 2 basically worked for me but didn't get me overly excited. The story was fairly heavy handed and overly complex in ways it didn't need to be. The action sequences were pretty well done and the buddy comedy aspects worked with Affleck and Bernthal having pretty good chemistry together. But there were a lot of times I had to roll my eyes. It's an easy watch that goes in and out of being engaging. I like the premise here, that what makes us different makes us special. The film just hits us over the head with it more than it shows it to us naturally. There is probably a better movie in this idea ini some parallel universe but The Accountant 2 was still watchable enough to get a pass. 

The Accountant 2

Starring: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, J.K. Simmons

Director: Gavin O'Connor

Writer: Bill Dubuque

Another Simple Favor (2025)

This sequel leans into the camp and drama that the first film is remembered for, upping the ante and adding delicious actors to the cast. Another Simple Favor is fun and gives Kendrick and Lively the chance to return to what rank amongst their best characters. Clearly they are having a great time and fortunately that allows us to too. 

The film is a bit darker, a bit sillier, a bit more gruesome (there is a surprisingly brutal death scene in act 2). It basically takes the more more more approach to sequel making. It may not in the end be as good of a movie as the first one was, and the first isn't a masterpiece or anything. But it is another enjoyable film. 

Much of this rests on the cast, especially the two leads, who revel in their roles and make it all so yummy to watch. Honestly, when I got to the end, if I'm being honest, I'd be totally up for a third favor if that's in the cards. 

Another Simple Favor

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Elizabeth Perkins, Michele Morrone, Elena Sofia Ricci, Alex Newell, Henry Golding, Allison Janney 

Director: Paul Feig

Writers: Jessica Sharzer, Laeta Kalogridis

The Shrouds (2025)

As a (if not the) legend of body horror, David Cronenberg has made perhaps his most mature work on the subject. The Shrouds is explicitly and figuratively focused on mourning, reflecting on ones' life as one looks back, and on what happens to our bodies both as we die and after we die. It is a meditation, and a rather fascinating one, on loss and death itself, through the lens of our bodies and our connections to them, as well as our connections to the bodies of those we love. 

As a film it follows of lot of late Cronenberg in how it is two things, a very talky film where the ideas of the work are explored through the dialogue of the characters even more so than in the visuals, and a visually lush and romantic film which is gorgeous to look at. Perhaps it is a little less shocking that some of his work, even with its twisted ending, and more reflective. 

The film's script often doesn't roll out like people actually speak, and the film is very dialogue heavy. There is a sex scene in the middle which is rather pivotal, but is far more fascinated with what is being said between the two (the have whole conversations throughout) than what they are physically experiencing with each other. The Shrouds is very much in our heads and the heads of our characters. For a film that is very consciously about bodies, it is very much interested in what we think and what we say. 

As with most of his work The Shrouds is very intellectually stimulating but may not be overly watchable over time. Visually it is soothing and tame with very little uncomfortable in what we are seeing, instead saving the unsettling aspects for what our characters say. 

The Shrouds

Starring: Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, Guy Pearce, Sandrine Holt 

Writer/Director: David Cronenberg

Havoc (2025)

Havoc is a lot of fun. Evans packs a lot of world building and character creation into its short runtime while also never compromising on kinetic action and brutal violence. While this doesn't reach the heights of his Raid films it certainly captures that vibe and heart. 

Right out of the gate Havoc begins barrelling into its story with a pedal to the metal action sequence. He establishes his characters effectively very quickly, setting out the scenario and the problem to be resolved in a way that feels very organic and natural. Then we are hooked, following along this classic feeling crime narrative that is filmed with style and panache. 

Hardy revels in this role similarly to how he embraced his Venom character. He isn't slumming. He brings a real pathos to this character while also having a lot of fun with it at the same time. 

Havoc is pure B-movie fun, rich with excess and action movie joy. It never feels like it is talking down to its audience, instead its going along with us to have a really good time by telling a fun story filled with interesting characters. It might too brief and surface to fully become the epic it might have been. But it's still a really good time. 

Havoc

Starring: Tom Hardy, Jessie Mei Li, Timothy Olyphant, Forest Whitaker, Luis Guzmán

Writer/Director: Gareth Evans

The Ballad of Wallis Island (2025)

Charming and delightful, even if it is rather formulaic, The Ballad of Wallis Island manages to touch the hearts of its audiences with some great performances, especially writer/star Key, who shines in his oddball role. Key gives more than just comic relief. There are a few of his scenes as an eccentric widower, that just grab your heart strings and play them like a violin. He nails it by being both delightfully cringy and full of pathos. 

Writing/acting partner Basden is less of a scene stealer as the stock leading man who has to learn that he and his problems are not the centre of the universe. He plays so well with Key that they have great chemistry together. Mulligan brings some star power in her brief part, but the three make for a great ensemble. 

The music is a bit part of the success here. A film about a fictional band hinges somewhat on the in-story music. For us to buy this duo as a band we have to feel the power of their songs and we do. Mulligan and Basden really connect on screen in their harmonies. 

All of this adds up to an adorable story that transcends its rather rote basics to leave you smiling, perhaps with a few misty tears, and humming along. 

The Ballad of Wallis Island

Starring: Tom Basden, Tim Key, Carey Mulligan, Sian Clifford, Akemnji Ndifornyen

Director: James Griffiths

Writers: Tim Key Tom Basden

The Wedding Banquet (2025)

This film is a very different film than the original Ang Lee classic. The Wedding Banquet not only modernizes some of the central conflict but it changes the story in interesting ways, creating what is more of a spiritual successor to the film than an out and out remake. I was surprised at how successful this film is at breaking new ground and bringing the story to new audiences. 

A big part of what makes this work is the cast. The women here, Tran, Gladstone, Yuh-jung, and Chen are all amazing giving truly wonderful performances. Not to sleight Yang and Gi-chen who are both charming,  but the women here steal the show and do the heavy lifting.

The film is both quite funny and surprisingly moving. The script may stumble in a few places but the strong cast sells it anyway and really draws us in. Yes you will likely cry by the end but there will be lots of laughs too. The film, like its predecessor, celebrates the beauty that is queer chosen family and does so in lovely way. Ahn, who explored this in his rom-com-y Fire Island, returns to that theme with even greater success. 

I can't really compare the two Wedding Banquet films as they end up being such different experiences, each on good in its own way. I'm glad Ahn decided to branch out here with a more original take, and find such a talented cast to tell this story with. 

The Wedding Banquet 

Starring: Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-chan, Joan Chen, Youn Yuh-jung 

Director: Andrew Ahn

Writers: James Schamus, Andrew Ahn

A Nice Indian Boy (2025)

A Nice Indian Boy is pure rom-com gold. It follows the rom-com formula to a T. Boy meets boy. Flaw within boy drives an obstacle between them. Boy learns, improves and goes and gets boy back. All of this is layered with safe yet fun cultural tropes which give the movie its unique spin. But it ends up giving you a big (if perhaps teary) smile at the end as all ends right with the world. 

There is debate within queer popular culture about how much of our stories should be about the trauma of being queer in a homophobic world and how much should be about queer joy. I tend to see these things are not in conflict with each other but in dialogue. They are in that cliched two-sides-of-the-same-coin situation. Films like A Nice Indian Boy are about inserting that joy into the situations we anticipate as being traumatic.

A Nice Indian Boy is completely accessible to all audiences. We end up with something that is not only affirming for its queer audience but for its heteronormative audience as well. Everyone comes out looking and feeling good here. There is nothing undercutting any cultural tradition. This is a "love wins" movie that celebrates caring for each other. And there is nothing wrong with that. 

It's also very funny and lets face it the litmus test for a rom com is that it is A: actually romantic, and B: actually funny. A Nice Indian Boy ticks both boxes. Soni proved himself oddly hilarious in the Deadpool movies and here he is adorably hilarious. But he's got good support in the case who play his family, especially Garg who steels much of the show. 

A Nice Indian Boy is the sort of film that I could pretty much recommend to anyone and know they would have a good time. It also makes me hope we see Soni in a lot more films. 

A Nice Indian Boy

Starring:  Karan Soni, Jonathan Groff, Sunita Mani, Zarna Garg, Harish Patel, Peter S. Kim

Director: Roshan Sethi

Writers: Eric Randall, Madhuri Shekar

Sinners (2025)

Coogler brings us an original and completely engaging vampire story. Shot with a lush, dripping sensuality, Sinners feels visceral. He lingers over his set up, creating characters and relationships in a way that makes his central community feel real. This raises the stakes when the inevitable carnage begins it has gravity and weight. Once he gets there he doesn't hold back; things move at a rapid pace. The film pulls you up like a rollercoaster with a large climb to start, and once you crest the thrill ride moves fast and furious. 

The thing about vampire films is that the monsters always represent something. They've been used in media for all sorts of purposes since Dracula was first brought to the big screen. Sinners has a lot to say about its people and their time, but its approach to the nosferatu is different than most. His monsters are more like thinking zombies, turned and brought to evil while retaining their connection to who they were but filled only with hate to consume and, well... assimilate. Coogler's take felt fresh, forcing his characters to confront something different than we are used to seeing. 

But at the heart of this story is the idea of how music is healing, empowering, dare we say holy. The film explores how most human institutions are no match for evil, including the church, but the creation of music is all powerful. Sinners makes us question a lot of the tropes of these films and turns the tables on what we can expect from vampire stories. Coogler doesn't focus on scaring us although there are tense moments; the horror here is more existential. And he doesn't revel in the gore. Oh there is blood but not buckets. It's not an attempt to gross us out. It is unnerving because of what we see happen to people. 

Sinners is a beautiful film that focuses first and foremost on the humanity of the characters, their sexualities, their relationships, their struggles, and then makes them confront something terrible. The sheer beauty of creation is what this film is celebrating, the creation of art, music is what can save us. 

Sinners

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Li Jun Li, Delroy Lindo, Yao 

Writer/Director: Ryan Coogler

Drop (2025)

Drop is the old fashioned style thriller that I can really get into. Is it a bit over the top in how it constructs its trap? Sure. But is it fun and edge-or-your-seat enough for me to look past that? Does the ending jump the shark? Maybe slightly. Do I care? Not really. 

Drop sets up a dilemma for our heroine, constructs it elaborately, and once the pieces are in place sets it all in motion for our entertainment. Who is the "bad guy"? It could be anyone and that's half the fun. How is she going to get out of it? That too is the fun of this sort of story. 

Fahy and Skelnar have good chemistry and the cast features some standouts like the delightful Self. Basically Drop is the kind of movie that is just damn fun to watch. I also want to give it points for its premise setting an abuse survivor as the heroine, allowing her to turn the tables and perhaps be a bit of a revenge fantasy without being insulting to viewers who may have similar backgrounds. 

Yet despite that piece, Drop remains a light-ish and satisfying thriller that is a good time to watch. You might have to suspend your disbelief slightly but not enough to take you out of the fun. 

Drop

Starring: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Jeffrey Self, Reed Dimond, Violett Beane, Ed Weeks, Gabrielle Ryan Spring 

Director: Christopher Landon

Writers: Jillian Jacobs, Chris Roach

The Amateur (2025)

Flashy yet formulaic, The Amateur is a rather by the numbers spy thriller. It offers pretty much what you would expect without any surprises but does it in a way that is generally satisfying and watchable. It's the sort of film where the hero/underdog overcomes all odds to make sure the bad guys get theirs, the sort of narrative that generally western audiences want. 

This is a brains over brawn fantasy and Malek is perfectly cast cause we know he likely could pull this off while looking awkward and nervous the whole time. There are a number of roles that feel a bit superfluous like Bernthal's character who basically shows up for two scenes without much purpose. Then there is Fishburne in the role of sage veteran passing along his knowledge but in the end doesn't do much of anything. He gets one action sequence in the middle that feels a little tacked on and goes away when the plot doesn't need him anymore. 

The main problem arises from how the plot is entirely worked around the "fridging" of Brosnahan's character, (not a spoiler - it's in the trailer) and then the film goes on to fridge another character. There may be a but of cognitive dissonance going on as the film's main moral lesson appears to be the immorality of covering up "black op" activities of the government so our hero goes on his own black-op? 

But best not to think about much of any of that and just enjoy what is otherwise a fairly slick if shallow action film with some cool revenge set pieces. That pool collapsing is very cool!

The Amateur

Starring: Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson

Director: James Hawes

Writers: Ken Nolan, Gary Spinelli

Sacramento (2025)

Sacramento didn't work for me. Writer/director/star Michael Angarano' awkward and stilted story often just feels off. None of his characters feel fully rounded, appearing to me a series of inconsistent neuroses. Nothing felt authentic, like it was trying too hard to be a cutesy oddball travelogue. 

Stewart is wasted but the brightest spot here is Erskine who is just not in the film enough. The film most comes to life when Angarano and Erskine (real life spouses) connect. Honestly I had a hard time sitting through Cera's scenes and his chemistry with Angarano was so grating it was almost painful. But once he was paired with Erskine, things began to click. Honestly if this movie had been the first scene leading right into him finding her, it would have been 10x more watchable. 

Angarano's script is rarely funny and offers little life inspiration despite what it thinks it is accomplishing. I could see a good movie in this story's periphery but it kept focusing on the parts that felt the least interesting. 

Sacramento

Starring: Michael Angarano, Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart, Maya Erskine 

Director: Michael Angarano

Writers: Chris Smith, Michael Angarano

Warfare (2025)

Warfare is a simple yet powerfully effective film. Shot in real time we follow a Navy Seal team as they find themselves surrounded and make efforts to get out. Based on real events that happened to writer/director Mendoza, the film doesn't comment on anything and instead just sets us in a moment of life and death without "good guys" or "bad guys" and just forces us to confront what modern warfare is like. 

The film is diligently accurate to the events experienced by the film maker and his compatriots. I understand many of them were on hand for the filming to share the real world events with the actors portraying them. You can feel the authenticity, even as the film remains rather succinct and brief. We are dropped into the moment and follow it through. The film ends in a moment that is so robustly full of a feeling of futility and waste. 

The cast is made up of some of the most exciting young actors coming up today. This is a true ensemble piece without anyone standing out. Mendoza could have made himself the star, especially with the amazing Woon-A-Tai playing him. But he doesn't. Instead this is a team effort.

Partnering with his friend Garland, Mendoza makes an impressive debut using film to capture very intense emotion very effectively. Garland insists he stepped back and let Mendoza tell this story. The collab feels very successful in centring a story obviously very important to the film makers. 

Warfare

Starring: D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Michael Gandolfini, Noah Centineo, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton

Writers/Directors: Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland

G20 (2025)

Davis is the pro of all pros. Even when she's in something light and, let's be honest, rather rote, she shows up and gives it her all. She makes it all just look easy whether it is delivering a powerful monologue like it is a Shakespeare soliloquy or a being an action hero like she's Tom Cruise, she pulls it off. I'd watch her read a phone book at this point. 

G20 is on the slighter side. When compared to something like Widows, another action film featuring Davis, which elevates the action genre in almost every way possible, G20 looks like a school project. Its perspective on geo-politics is rather 101. And even just as a film, it is made in a paint by numbers sort of way. But the action is engaging and its plot is enough to carry us through. 

And it has Davis giving a kick ass (in all ways) performance that makes it watchable. 

Could a movie like this have commented on global affairs in a more insightful and interesting way? Sure it could have. Does it remain entertaining anyway? Sure does. As a run of the mill action film it works. It also shows Davis can do anything. Which we likely already knew. 

G20

Starring: Viola Davis, Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, Ramón Rodríguez, Antony Starr, Douglas Hodge, Elizabeth Marvel, Sabrina Impacciatore, Clark Gregg 

Director: Patricia Riggin

Writers: Caitlin Parrish, Erica Weiss, Logan Miller, Noah Miller

On Swift Horses (2025)

On Swift Horses is luxuriously filmed, often very much like a dream. The characters don't talk or act like they exist in the real world, but are more symbolic of people. This both works and doesn't work, but fortunately more of the former. Sometimes I was pulled out of the film but other times I was intoxicated by it. It is a confection of bittersweet passion without much grounding. But it sure is pretty. 

The plot relies on a significant number of coincidences and moments that feel more staged than real. But when the connections do happen that's where the magic is. The cast has real chemistry with each other and much of the moments of obsession and tenderness feel real. Often in an awkward and honest way. So when a character is randomly waiting and the other just shows up it doesn't feel likely but it is welcome. 

The characters are more archetypes than human as well. This is about a pre-Stonewall world of signalling and hiding in plain sight, about like recognizing like, and the intersections of the coded lives. So perhaps some of the role play that is going on is due to the characters living a life that can't be open or described. And perhaps some of the sparks of recognition are brilliant yet fleeting, and more fantastic than concrete. 

On Swift Horses is filmed with a mid-century modern aesthetic that is just lovely and warm so when danger does come it almost feels more unexpected. I'm not sure it ever convinces us of these specific people's lives, but instead suggests more of an amalgamation of drifting folks searching for their place. The ending, featuring Elordi riding a horse in pursuit of love, feels like fantasy, as if we are searching for a an unattainable happy ending that will come no matter what. 

 

On Swift Horses

Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Diego Calva, Sasha Calle 

Director: Daniel Minahan

Writer: Bryce Kass

Bring Them Down (2025)

Bring Them Down is a feud story between two neighbouring Irish farmers, one of whom is married to the other's ex. This morally ambiguous film has no good guys as everyone is at fault for their behavior, making this examination of personal politics, and how self-destructive they are, extremely fascinating. Powerfully acted and deftly directed, this is a story that spirals into desperation tragically. 

Abbott and Keoghan are both strong here as men whose spite takes over and ruins their lives. We watch as they degrade themselves in their passion to win, leaving no winners at all. Colm Meaney also deserves recognition as the elder sucked into the battle. The film's intense story is served well by the strong performances in the central cast. 

Bring Them Down is a bit of a gut punch and a morality tale about revenge and resentment. It is the sort of promising debut feature that puts Andrews on my list of film makers to watch. 

Bring Them Down

Starring: Christopher Abbott, Barry Keoghan, Nora-Jane Noone, Paul Ready, Colm Meaney 

Writer/Director: Christopher Andrews

Death of a Unicorn (2025)

Death of a Unicorn is a big swing for its director's feature film debut. It leans into dark comedy and gruesome effects while telling a rather on the nose story about class and capitalism with a somewhat rote father/daughter arc at its centre. It smooths over a lot of its weaknesses by being a lot of fun and keeping its story going at a breakneck pace so it ends up being very watchable. 

I never bought the family dynamics at the heart of Death of a Unicorn which I think is the biggest part of why this film didn't knock it out of the park. The social satire is rather thinly drawn too with the rich pharmaceutical company owning family being very stereotypical and without any depth at all. The script doesn't seem to understand complications or nuances and instead just relies on our preconceived notions of who people are, good and bad. I was okay with the film throwing away any realistic depiction of the unicorn's healing ability (cause the unicorn is all symbolism anyway) so the fact that all this scientific breakthroughs could happen it the matter of hours was reasonable suspension of disbelief. However the film's inability to create realistic human relationships was the main sticking point for me. 

However I forgave most of that because of how much fun it was. Scharfman sets up his story quickly, puts the pedal to the metal, and doesn't let up. We never get a chance to get bored. Schartman's main talent on display here is his crafting of horror comedy, which is less about being "scary" (the closest that comes to is some jump scares), and more about being gory. This is one of those horror stories where people get punished for their sins and people who act out of goodness get rewarded. The unicorns represent this and pick and choose who is brutally ripped apart and who get to be spared, or maybe even resurrected. 

And perhaps that's another issue I had with the film. Yes it's fantasy so perhaps in fantasy people shouldn't get away with their crimes against humanity. But it doesn't feel very honest. In the real world the rich do get richer off the backs of those they exploit. There aren't any unicorns running around to put things right. Maybe this film is more aspirational than honest. But as the film neatly wrapped up its little morality play I felt a little let down. Only the very last scene gave me some hope the film wasn't going to completely simplify things. 

Still, I can't say I didn't enjoy myself. The film follows such a satisfying and basic horror film structure that pays off on a visceral level. The gore is handled well too, while being graphic it remains a bit cartoony so it isn't so disturbing and is instead, symbolic; it is about making a point rather than luxuriating in violence. All in all Death of a Unicorn has classic horror movie morality vibes and succeeds at that even if it cuts corners on character and story. 

Death of a Unicorn

Starring: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, Richard E. Grant, Anthony Carrigan

Writer/Director: Alex Scharfman