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Elio (2025) is…

A pleasant Pixar surprise! I was concerned for this one ever since its year-long delay and extensive rewrites, but Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina’s film managed to work quite well. Even as a mid-tier Pixar flick - this doesn’t come close to the heights of Toy Story, The Incredibles, or Wall-E - Elio is a damn good family film that deserves more attention than it’s getting (Disney’s lack of marketing is doing this film a disservice and I don’t know what made them lack confidence in this).

Elio is a very, very strong lead protagonist. As relatable as any modern Pixar lead hero, this young child, who finds belonging in the stars rather than on Earth, will speak to those who felt (or feel) just as isolated as he is. I may not be entranced by space or the notion of alien life, but I was this kid at one point; loving an interest or fascination to a point where you feel like it’s hard to make real friends who you can connect with. Elio is also surrounded by an enjoyable supporting cast, the best of which being Glordon, his alien best friend; the best animated duo of 2025!

Everything else comes as you’d expect from a Pixar flick; some atmospheric music and genuinely breathtaking animation, which blends photorealistic textures with ethereal cosmic visuals when we travel to the Communiverse. But, like other recent Pixar projects, the film becomes a little jumbled as more ideas are brought to the forefront. At their best, Pixar refines specific concepts and allows them to fuel their most emotional, powerful narratives. This lacked some of that, despite its themes resonating by the end.

Grade: B+

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28 Years Later (2025) is…

A creative mad-dash by Danny Boyle! This one warrants a second watch; Boyle and returning collaborator Alex Garland bring that same filmmaking ingenuity they brought to 28 Days Later back in 2002, forming a third installment that’s both filled with Rage Virus-fueled action and the franchise’s most thoughtful moments yet. It won’t be for every fan - the reception of which has been somewhat polarizing - but I really, really liked what this first chapter in a planned trilogy is laying in terms of groundwork.

In a genre as well-tread as the zombie subgenre, Boyle and Garland don’t so much as reinvent the wheel as they do bring forth their own infected iteration of it. The imagery - done through the use of the IPhone 15 Pro Max - looks beautiful a lot of the time, from the vivid nature of the countrysides and forests to the now iconic “Bone Temple.” Sequences involving the infected are genuinely white-knuckle in their relentless intensity thanks to Boyle’s camerawork and hyperactive editing, though it never feels too disorienting. It emulates the personality of 28 Days Later, and yet goes a long way in refining it with a new, slick sheen.

The new characters are interesting in their own ways and performed with gravitas by the film’s talented cast. Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Jamie struggles with his own rage - a great survivalist and a flawed father/husband at the same time - but he’s sensitive around his son as Spike makes his way onto the mainland for the first time. Isla’s inclusion and role in the story is heartbreaking, but Jodie Comer’s performance is anything but one-note, finding strength in this ill character. Ralph Fiennes’s character…I’ll save for you to experience, but he’s easily the most unique character and is crucial to the arc Spike goes on. Alfie Williams is PHENOMENAL.

*UPDATE: watching this movie a second time is a must. Ended up loving the whole thing (minus the final 2 minutes - still not totally sure).

Grade: A

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28 Weeks Later (2007) is…

A more conventional zombie movie than its predecessor. Doesn’t mean it’s not fun! The back half delivers some very entertaining infected carnage, spreading like a virus from a makeshift apartment bunker to the streets of the newly established London district hoping to restart the country’s prosperity. The idea of carriers (the heterochromia motif is quite clever) being able to spread the Rage Virus without detection is a neat idea.

It’s just that the movie doesn’t really know what to do with it. Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo tries to emulate Danny Boyle’s style from the first film; this may result in satisfying zombie carnage and tense scenes (the night vision scope scene stands among the best of the film), but it rings a little hollow. This script is far less tight than the first film, weighed down by a front half that takes far too long in setting up the narrative pieces. Boyle’s sharp pacing and simplicity is dearly missed, even if this movie has Jeremy Renner playing yet another expert marksman.

I will say this: the opening scene is an all-timer zombie movie opening. Donald leaving his wife in a desperate act of survival amidst an infected attack as he makes his way to safety is the bleak, cruel kind of horror that makes zombie stories so effective. That guilt, when highlighted, weighs heavy, and Robert Carlyle conveys that well. Shame it wasn’t a major plot point, but we’ll always have this masterful opening scene.

Grade: B-

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28 Days Later (2002) is…

Refreshing, even if it is the foundation for the modern zombie story. Danny Boyle’s direction might be its greatest strength; shot on a Canon CL digital camera by DP Anthony Dod Mantle, Boyle’s ability to make Jim, Selena, Frank, Hannah, and the audience feel so lonely and vulnerable adds to the film’s eerie zombie setting. It’s probably the best film shot on a potato ever made. That grainy, high-contrast look, combined with a host of shots featuring the aftermath of the initial infection, feels documentarian in its realism.

Great characters are key to any zombie story, and 28 Days Later more than succeeds. Jim goes through a transformative arc, conveyed by Cillian Murphy’s shift from unsure survivor of the outbreak to hardened fighter, realizing that the true loss of humanity is seen in the soldiers of the 42nd blockade, arguably the most important piece in the film’s thematic puzzle. After all, the zombies aren’t the true villains: people are. The parallels between Jim, the undead, and the soldiers is ripe in symbolism that I could write a whole essay about.

Danny Boyle’s film is dark and incredibly effective in it’s zombie-centric scenes, but it’s the connection between Jim, Selena, and the family they meet in Frank (Brendan Gleeson is great in this) and Hannah that gives the film a much needed sense of hope amidst the Rage Virus-infected hopelessness. The scene of them going into the supermarket and grabbing all the food they could ask for is cute; though on a subtextual level, it does highlight the rampant consumerism that blurs the divide between humans and zombies.

Grade: A-

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Materialists (2025) is…

Yet another showcase of Celine Song’s talent as a filmmaker! It’s not as singularly powerful as Past Lives; that movie had such a profound impact on me when I saw it back in 2023. It was one of the best films of that year, and while Materialists isn’t as tight - the ending really drags itself out - this is a cut far above most modern romance movies. Those going into this thinking it’s a rom-com are going to be disappointed; this is more straight romance soaked in dramatic social commentary, and it works far more often than it doesn’t. What love is in the modern day, the inherent dangers that come with dating, and the reasons for marriage as a fundamental human experience are all explored here.

Song continues to be as confident as ever in her talents as both writer and director. Characters don’t just talk - they converse, for long stretches of time, and you’re constantly going back and forth on who’s right and who’s wrong. Lucy, the film’s protagonist and matchmaker, has reasoning behind her analytical, logical stances approach toward dating; in a society where everything feels so shallow and materialistic, Lucy believes that she’s giving her clients exactly what they want. She should come off as rather unlikable, yet that’s never the case here thanks to Celine Song’s ability to inject little quirks and expressions into this character that make her feel very human.

This may be my favorite Dakota Johnson performance. She’s great at playing these very smart, world-weary characters; never once is Lucy’s intelligence thrown into question, merely re-contextualized over the course of the runtime. Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans play very different characters - Harry’s confidence and wealth are intentionally contrasted with John’s grounded personality and poorer living conditions - but the film evades the cliches that come with this dichotomy thanks to the naturalistic dialogue and Song’s patient direction. Conversations are held onto for several minutes at a time with zero cuts, which the filmmaker really succeeds at accomplishing.

Grade: B+

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The Life of Chuck (2025) is…

A beautiful little movie. Mike Flanagan really speaks to me in a way that few filmmakers are able to do. I adore how thoughtful his writing is, how insightful his characters are with their own perspectives on life. Flanagan diverges from horror with this latest Stephen King adaptation, painting a portrait of a man - Chuck - gripping with his own mortality. And it’s wonderful.

Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Matthew Lillard, Kate Siegel, Carl Lumbly, Jacob Tremblay, and Benjamin Pajak fully maximize their tightly-knit screentime. I’m continuously floored at how Flanagan is able to make these characters feel real and authentic despite their momentary time in the story. Hamill’s Albie has a monologue (a Flanagan signature) about math as a universal constant that *almost* made me like one of my least favorite subjects. That is nigh impossible, but the madman did it.

The reverse-3 act structure isn’t perfect - would’ve loved to see Hiddleston more than what we ultimately get from him - but it works more often than it doesn’t, and thematically it ties into the film’s existential themes of life, mortality, and time really well. It’s a movie we needed right now, during a time when death and decay feels right around the corner.

Grade: A

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How to Train Your Dragon (2025) is…

A faithful, epic live-action remake! For my money, it’s the best one ever made. Has something most of the Disney remakes don’t: passion. Even if this remake wasn’t “necessary,” good movies are good movies, and Dean Deblois’s involvement ensures that this live-action adaptation of Dreamworks’ animated modern classic is as respectful and soaring as it’s predecessor. It comes damn close to matching the original’s quality.

The dragons and overall presentation are pretty much flawless. Berk is brought to life thanks to massive sets and tons of viking extras, while the dragons - from Toothless to Stormfly to the countless dragons we see outside of them - are remarkably faithful and expressive despite being photo-realistic. This world feels lived-in and chaotic, with details in the costumes and production design that hints at a larger history not as present in the original film. This remake is mostly shot-for-shot, but small touches - including new minor characters - sets this live-action world apart from the animated franchise just enough.

Cast rises to the occasion, with Mason Thames offering his own, more mature take on Hiccup that’s a little less grating and helpless than his animated counterpart. Nico Parker, likewise, makes this version of Astrid her own. Gerard Butler’s return as Stoick is just as steadfast and strong as his original voiceover performance - nobody feels like they’re phoning it in. The proper story beats are still impactful, the music by John Powell makes me want to have a dragon of my own, and the final battle honestly has my favorite rendition of the Red Death. It’s a great time!

Grade: B+

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I ranked all seasons of Star Wars TV that I’ve watched! I used Trakt, a Letterboxd-like app that’s honestly super underrated.

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The Phoenician Scheme is…

Everything I want out of a Wes Anderson joint! This is the brand of Wes that I really love; colorful worlds, dry humor with a tinge of darkness, and characters you grow to care for as they navigate increasingly complicated relationships. Benicio del Toro as Korda and Mia Threapleton as his daughter Liesl nail that relationship; you can tell Wes made this film out of love for his own daughter and the emotions that come with it. Wasn’t lying when he said that this was a personal project.

Michael Cera? Flawless casting. Shocked it took this long to get him involved in a Wes flick. His character’s genuinely so much fun as this tutor/secretary/bug scientist. Whole cast is great, as predicted - Cumberbatch, Hanks, Cranston, Johansson, Ahmed, and Wright (among various surprise appearances) slot right into this world. Narratively, TPS explores family, capitalism, fatherhood, truth, and even…the idea of God? Unexpected, but these ideas - both familiar and surreal - manage to blend together really well.

It’s a Wes Anderson movie, so you know exactly what you’re getting when it comes to directing. Outside of TPS being a fast-paced, snappy thriller/comedy, its compositions are as refreshing as ever thanks to a combination of framing, camerawork, and meticulous blocking. It’s not just symmetry, it’s the entire construction of scenes coming from one of today’s true auteurs. Even if the story wasn’t engaging - which is far from the case here - Wes would deserve praise.

Grade: A-

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Dangerous Animals is…

The surprise creature feature gem of the year! Really fun, this. Probably the best “shark” movie since Jaws in the sense that, well…the sharks aren’t the main villain. They’re animals, and the film goes the extra mile in showing that the real “dangerous animal” is Jai Courtney’s serial killer antagonist, Tucker. Courtney gives maybe my favorite performance of his that I’ve seen; a scene-chewing display of morbid fascination and infatuation with the primal hunger of sharks that manifests in his kidnapping of innocent women and turning them into chum.

The main of which ends up being the white-knuckle heroine, Zephyr (dope name, by the way). Hassie Harrison shines here - proper badass final girl vibes when going head-to-head with Tucker. Some clever ties to the whole “predator and prey” motif as well. There is a romantic subplot that ultimately feels unnecessary; Zephyr’s arc feels unique to her predicament, and I wish it didn’t revolve around yet another bland love interest. That’s where the movie stumbles for me, personally. Everything else works in the ways they have to; great performances from Courtney and Harrison, a well-paced thriller plot that has some solid action beats, and a great villain.

Grade: B

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Predator: Killer of Killers is…

AWESOME! Pulpy Yautja carnage done in 3 anthology tales that tie together in a very surprising way at the end. Easily the best animated film of the year so far. I’ll take as many of these as Dan Trachtenberg and the folks working on this new era of Predator are willing to put out. This was glorious!

The animation style is expertly done here. Feels like a blend between Arcane and TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, in that the slick 3D models move and die in bloody, painterly strokes. Much of why the animation works so well is thanks to the direction, which feels dynamic in its fluidity. Each story has its own flavor of action; “The Shield” hits with the weight of a giant Yautja fist, “The Sword” is clinical in its sword-based combat, and “The Bullet” terrifies in the sky.

What Trachtenberg and co-director Joshua Wassung are able to do with this anthology tale strikes a perfect balance of simplicity and worldbuilding. Each story gets right to the point, introducing characters in action instead of overlong exposition, and each one - Ursa, Kenji, and John - are distinct in their own way. They’re thrust into the hunting grounds of their respective Yautja, and must use their skills and strengths to survive, culminating in a third act that does significant work in refining the cinematic lore of the Predator.

Grade: A

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I got to check out From the World of John Wick: Ballerina yesterday!

As a big fan of this franchise, my expectations were fairly moderate going into this film. The Continental didn’t really do it for me (the first real fumble of the franchise thus far), so going into Ballerina, I was a bit skeptical. Thankfully, Len Wiseman’s spin-off managed to exceed my expectations! Even if its story is quite threadbare and isn’t anything to write home about - boiling down to your average revenge plot with a mustache-twirling villain - but you come to these movies for the action, and on that front, it delivers big-time.

The action in Ballerina kicks unreal amounts of ass. Eve Macarro’s resourcefulness, ability to improvise on the fly, and brawler-style fisticuffs go a long way in differentiating her fighting style from the Baba Yaga. Each sequence is better than the last, culminating in pure action junkie joy involving flamethrowers. Ballerina is gorier than I expected too, as Eve gets up close and personal with her combatants as she uses everything from gun-fu to knives to even grenades in a standout sequence in the middle of the film.

Ana de Armas crushes it in her first real heavy-duty action role since her brief appearance in No Time to Die. She’s front-and-center as Eve, and Armas brings both the dedication to practical in-camera stuntwork, fight choreography, and tangible emotion into said action. She’s already one of my favorite characters in this franchise, and there’s plenty of potential in her story going forward. There are other returning characters - Winston, Charon (R.I.P. Lance Reddick), the Director, and John Wick himself - but they never take away from Eve’s revenge quest.

B+

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THE TRAILER FOR WICKED: FOR GOOD HAS ARRIVED!

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One of my favorite details in Sinners keeps popping up in my head and I want to talk about it.

There are two key scenes that perfectly distillate the fundamental difference between Smoke and Stack, both of which happen in the first 40 minutes.

One is Smoke making a deal with the little girl who watches his truck. At first, she agreed to 10 cents a minute, but Smoke uses the opportunity to explain the importance of bargaining until you get a better offer. Not only does it show his pragmatic attitude, but it also foreshadows (A) his frustration at the joint making plantation money over real dollars and (B) the deal he makes with Stack post-vampire transformation.

Stack, on the other hand, manages to get Delta Slim to play at the joint not through hard cash, but through Irish beer. He appeals to Slim’s humanity over his fiscal worth. This is also shown with the aforementioned argument, where Stack makes the case that the joint needs people to come in regardless of whether or not they have the money.

See also Remmick, who carries gold coins everywhere he goes, buying his way into the home of the two klan members and indirectly cashing in his way into the joint. Thematically, among other things, Sinners is about choosing humanity and spirituality over capital, which connects to its other themes surrounding music and religion quite well.

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Who needs therapy when you have the 2025 DINOSAUR FOSSILS: TYRANNOSAURUS REX LEGO set

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Genevieve O’Reilly’s “OMG THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING” face is unreal

WELCOME TO THE REBELLION

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“(They can’t imagine) someone like me would ever get inside their house”

“Walk their floors, spit in their food,”

“Take their gear”

“The arrogance is remarkable, isn’t it? They don’t even think about us.”