Nobody 2 (2025)

Like the first Nobody, 2 is a fun romp that seems to be what would John Wick be if he had a family and wasn't taking himself seriously. While the film begins to provide some diminishing returns, it remains a fun watch that benefits from having a tongue in cheek attitude and a blessedly short runtime. I'm not sure this feels like the sort of things that should go on in perpetuity and perhaps might be better watched on streaming that as a night out to the movies. 

Odenkirk is good in this role, being both believable and self-deprecating enough to pull it off. Lloyd and Stone are both just clearly having fun without having to put in much effort. I guess my main thing with this sequel, which makes it feel a little less than its predecessor, is that it never feels like anyone is putting that much into this. Perhaps the right expression would be "three-quarters assed" since "half-assed" doesn't feel quite fair. I think if this had been drawn out it would have overstayed its welcome but at a brisk 90 minutes it paper thin script/story manages to work. 

Nobody 2 feels little like a throw away film for watching at home that will feel like light distraction that offers little more than just mild entertainment, which isn't bad in itself. 

Nobody 2

Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, John Ortiz, RZA, Colin Hanks, Christopher Lloyd, Sharon Stone 

Director: Timo Tjahjanto

Writers: Derek Kolstad, Aaron Rabin

Weapons (2025)

Weapons manages to be both an evocative puzzle of a movie and a classic feeling horror film that draws on genre conventions in a way that pays loving tribute to its sources. While I was impressed with much of Creggar's debut film, Barbarian, I had my critiques of it too. With Weapons I feel he has elevated his ideas further being fully committed to a movie that is both a scary camp fire story, a gripping character study, and a comment on hard to process real world tragedy, all balanced with just the right dash of humour which doesn't distract from the seriousness but allows some room to breath. Weapons juggles all of this, keeping all the balls in the air, and delivers an experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat. 

There is a lot to process here and I think it's the sort of film that I will revisit and get more out of with further viewings. But it also works as a stand alone story that doesn't leave you confounded. It is remarkable how the film gives you the satisfaction of a conclusion and an explanation while also leaving so many questions to ponder. The audience can leave as the credit roll, closing the book on the tale and accepting an understanding of what they just saw. Or they can reflect on much of what was suggested, ask questions about some mysteries, and perhaps even reflect on what impact there will be for the characters and the world this is set in, after we get up and leave the cinema. Part of what makes Weapons so satisfying is just how much it works in different ways. 

I appreciated that Weapons has some iconic images that I believe are going to secure themselves in American cinema cannon. This has the potential to join the ranks of classic horror films while also leaving itself open to interpretation and water-cooler discussion about its meanings and impacts. Madigan is certainly going to go down as one of the great cinematic horror characters, and may also pop into many viewers' nightmares. 

It may be hard to do as this film enters the zeitgeist, but Weapons is the sort of movie that is best to go into knowing as little as possible. The question may be what does it mean to you? How are you processing what you watched? What emotions and fears does it trigger? What does it make you reflect on? Even if you choose not to spend much time deconstructing it, Weapons has at its heart a creepy story that is ruthlessly engaging, that it is hard to take your eyes off of. 

Weapons

Starring: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan 

Writer/Director: Zach Creggar

Eephus (2025)

I had no idea what the word "eephus" means. I have no interest what so ever in baseball and find it hard to relate to heterosexual male bonding. But along comes a film like this, with its quiet tenderness, its slice of life perspective, and some honest raw performances, and I was charmed by Eephus and, dare I say, moved. Set over the course of the last amateur baseball game before the local field is demolished for new development, Eephus is a story about connections, passions, aging, and loss, filmed in the most unassuming manner that you don't expect it to hit the way it does. 

Eephus is never heavy handed or on the nose. We are presented with a cast that is made up of mostly unrecognizable faces, very real world/average faces, and we watch them play a game of baseball. But the film avoids any sport movie cliches. There isn't some final inning hailmary, no underdogs overcoming the odds, no tragic go-down-fighting loss, or any of the tropes we expect in these films. Instead the energy is in the conversations as the game is played, the connections between the friends and casual acquaintances sharing this moment of interaction. The "big" finale is not in some sporting achievement but in the playing to the end itself. 

Eephus defies expectation and ends up being something completely different than you'd expect. It doesn't do so through bold gestures but with quiet passion. There is a script here is that is masterful in feeling 100% like natural conversation while communicating so much to its audience about the men we are watching and their world. It also speaks to something beautiful about community sport and what makes community in the first place. It also, quite deftly and surprisingly, offers fascinating explorations of heterosexual male relationships and connections. There is a contemplative aspect to this film which raises it above what one might anticipate and offer something truly fresh and downright entertaining without being showy.

And that's what "eephus" means. It is a kind of pitch that is slow yet deceptive with a long high arch. The film copies that with its narrative and cinematic trajectory and hence the name of the film. 

Eephus

Starring: Keith William Richards, Frederick Wiseman, Bill Lee

Director: Carson Lund

Writers: Michael Basta, Nate Fisher, Carson Lund

Shook (2025)

Wala impresses with this feature debut. While his script sometimes belabours his points and perhaps his jokes overstay their welcome, Shook remains an enjoyable watch. Wala's strength appears to be in creating and depicting relationships as Ash's romance, his family dynamic, and his circle of friends all feel remarkably honest and authentic. 

My main critique of Shook is how it sometimes overemphasizes things. A lot could go unsaid or unrepeated and have a greater impact. But the story here is strong as is the cast. Shook pays tribute to his home Scarborough by making the area a character itself in the story. Again sometimes this gets laid on pretty thick, but one can truly sense and feel the city and its presence. 

What impressed me most was the way he balanced three stories so seemingly effortlessly. There is the romcom, the family drama, and the buddy movie all packed in together in a way that feels seamless and natural. I like that he didn't attempt to solve the the threads either despite a bit of a rush to wrap things up in the final act. 

Overall, Shook is a delightful watch with only a few hiccups. The kind of film that makes you want to see what the film maker will do next. 

Shook

Starring: Saamer Usmani, Bernard White, Amy Forsyth, Pamela Mala Sinha 

Director: Amar Wala

Writers: Adnan Khan, Amar Wala

The Pickup (2025)

Story's recent film, The Blackening, was smart, funny, and fascinating. Unfortunately The Pickup is not really any of those things. The main problem appears to be the script which makes each set piece over the top beyond believability, that has a plot filled with cliches and holes, and is filled with humour that just isn't very funny. The cast does what it can with what its got and Story competently handles the direction. But little can overcome this dumb story that feels churned out in a weekend. 

The open scene sums up a lot of the problems with the film. It is in theory attempting to be a hilarious meet-cute bit fails on all fronts by escalating in a way that feels neither natural nor all that funny. So many of the jokes just fall flat or feel forced and so many of the film's action sequences feel overly choreographed and ridiculous. And in the end the film attempts to rehabilitate the villain in a way that is insulting to the audience's intelligence and just isn't successful. There is a line where Longoria's character looks at Davidson and says "you know how stupid that is, right?"

Perhaps the worst part is that The Pickup is boring. It's hard to believe a film starring Eddie Murphy and Keke Parlmer is this dull to watch. There is a reason this went straight to Prime and didn't get a theatrical release. 

The Pickup

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Keke Palmer, Pete Davidson, Eva Longoria, Andrew Dice Clay 

Director: Tim Story

Writers: Matt Mider, Kevin Burrows

Riff Raff (2025)

Riff Raff has a clever script and a wicked cast but it's execution often feels pedantic making it loose momentum occasionally. Still there are moments that make it worth a watch even if it doesn't always work perfectly. It has scenes that are a lot of fun, and the performances, creating relationships between the characters, do a lot of heavy lifting. So it ends up being a bit of mixed bag that you won't be sorry you watched but are unlikely to revisit. 

The biggest asset here is Coolidge who gets to play a role that isn't just the one she's been typecast in. It is a layered character that plays into her strengths but also gives her more to do than we often get to see. But she's not alone. Miles J. Harvey gives an impressive standout as the central character, our narrator, who ties everything together. He is the "everyman" character that we can connect to amongst the crazy cast of characters presented and he brings a pathos that movie needs to up its stakes. Truly the entire cast does good work here and there are moments the script gives them that are truly enjoyable. 

I will give it credit for mostly keeping its heightened violence off screen. It doesn't indulge in fetishizing any of that.

The main problem is there is a real paint-by-numbers approach to how it is shot and put together. It often feels like a copy of a Coen Brothers film or a Tarantino film instead of finding it's own voice. There are a few clunky moments that keep it from truly connecting.  It's a near miss, but if you want to enjoy some great moments from this cast it's still worth checking out. 

Riff Raff

Starring: Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris,Gabrielle Union,Lewis Pullman,Miles J. Harvey, Emanuela Postacchini, Michael Angelo Covino, Pete Davidson, Bill Murray 

Director: Dito Montiel

Writer: John Pollono

Together (2025)

While body horror is not my favourite genre of horror, Together has all the hallmarks of the sort of unsettling stories which get into our deep fears and pull them to the surface, which is far more up my alley. For me the strengths of the film were far more about the intellectual existential horror themes and its weaknesses were when it got into gross out horror. While I have critiques of some of its more out there moments I still think Together works and found it deeply discomforting. 

Warning I can't discuss the pros and cons of Together without *spoilers* so read this after you've seen it.

I'll get the critiques out of the way first. So much of when Together gets into showing us the graphic body merging it becomes less scary. A big part of this is because it doesn't look real. The film's budget and it's leaning into full display (instead of attempting shadow and suggestion) make it seem fake looking. Whether its the hikers in the cave or the final surrendering, the effects just weren't effective. So much of what was happening here could have been done with far less vivid imagery and likely would have felt more real and therefore more terrifying. 

Also as the film hit its climaxes, it felt too on the nose, like it was holding our hand, making sure we understood. I never need a film to talk down to me. This isn't just in the graphic images. A good example of this is Jamie. There is a scene near the end of Act II which pretty much outlines who he (they?) are we didn't need the bigger, more dramatic, more full out evil reveal near the end that just reeked of horror cliches. He didn't need to be a villain, just an example, which would have left things more ambiguous and far more interesting. The film feels like it's going for a goal of a kind of ambiguity yet it pushes its final scenes so over the top that hinders that achievement. 

Same with the ending, watching Tim and Millie physically merge was unnecessary and distracting. It could have ended with them dancing, some suggestive shots of "coming together", and then cut to that final shot. Again I would have found this a far more powerful culmination of what the film is doing. Together does great work of this in earlier bits (the legs fusing, and that incredibly filmed sex scene). I was disappointed it had to wrap it up the way it did. We knew where it was going and we understand what was going on. I wish it would have trusted us to just go with it and ride it to the end without continually asking "did you get it?" "did you get it?" "see what I did there?"

But that's enough of that, cause overall I really did find Together fascinating. The way its story explores the complications of relationships, individuality, dysfunction, is so rich it is the sort of film that just begs for its audience to go for drinks after to discuss. It gives us so much to chew on and remains generally entertaining throughout without dragging its story. 

It is also quite effectively disconcerting. Our culture promotes finding "the one" and the "perfect relationship" and Together asks some difficult questions about that. It uses a very disturbing metaphor to do it and one that will not only make us squirm but perhaps shriek. The casting of real life couple Brie and Franco adds additional layers to these questions in a film that is already so robust in its themes. Overall Together is a winner even if Shanks could use a little restraint to up the ante even more. 

Together

Starring: Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Damon Herriman

Writer/Director: Michael Shanks