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