20 Books I Read in 2025

1. The Children Act, Ian McEwan - I really liked McEwan's Atonement (and I liked the movie too - but the first half is a thousand times better than the second half. The second half is trash!). I really liked this too, up until the weird obsessive relationship that forms. I was really struck by the "childless" talks - I think it's rare to show that a high-powered woman regrets not having children, but I find that to be true for a lot of women and NOBODY wants to talk about it. I know so many women who regret not having children and now they are too old. Your biological clock is a REAL thing! And I'm saying this as someone who never really wanted children and definitely don't now (I have no regrets - I'm 44 and already exhausted. I can't imagine having to keep someone else alive.). I just appreciate that this opens up some pretty tough dialogue in terms of women's issues (I know some will see it as sexist - especially because it's written by a man, but to them I say nonsense!). 

2. The Rum Diary, Hunter S. Thompson - I remember really liking this movie (although it starred Johnny Depp and Amber Heard and we all know how that turned out...). I was excited to read this - but definitely disappointed. It's...okay? I feel like more stuff happens in the movie? Maybe? I just feel like this manic energy played out more in the movie. Instead, this feels dull and pointless. I do dream of one day just moving to another country and living on the beach. I could totally do it, but then I remember that I have cats and I could never leave them. Oh yeah, and I'm married now and a homeowner. UGH. 

3. The Woman in Me, Britney Spears (Audiobook) - This is honestly one of the worst things I've ever read (or, more accurately, listened to). It's so badly written - it's actually incredible that this was published the way it is. And Michelle Williams as the narrator? AWFUL. The whole "fo' shiz" part went viral, but it's ALL like that. But let me rewind - I would like to proudly state that I am a huge Britney Spears fan. I've seen her in person three times (once at the Rockefeller Tree Lighting when she performed, once at Jive Records, in which I interned, getting on an elevator, and once in Hollywood when she was shopping and paparazzi literally trampled me to get pictures of her while she crossed the street. And this is a memory I will ALWAYS hold dear about her - because she STOPPED to make sure I was ok. I didn't interact with her but I watched her stop, point me out to her security in a concerned way, and her security came over to check on me. They told her I was okay and she did a little smile and wave. It's just basic human decency, but I think it's more and more rare to find in famous people). I think she's a sweetheart, a damn hard worker, and a terrific pop icon. But her family is trash. The way they used and abused her is disgusting. And if they really thought she was mentally ill why would they keep pushing her to perform??? HUH?! But on the flip-side, I do think Britney needed help (she just got the wrong kind of help), especially after her break up with Justin. I never knew how much that break up consumed her and I think it's really sad that she didn't have anyone to lean on. There's a quote about child stars - about how they never mature past the age they became famous at - and I think that's a big part of what happened to Britney. She's basically a 44 year old child. But two things can be true at the same time - she needed help and possibly a conservatorship AND her dad stole her money and basically imprisoned her. This autobiography made me realize *just* how immature she is and she takes ZERO accountability over her life - she still blames her childhood on a lot of her problems, because she grew up poor and her dad drank a lot (that's like 60% of American childhoods). She talks about her "drug problem" in a very flippant way and calls it "legal" multiple times because they were "legal energy pills" that she became addicted to. She says the word "legal" about 30 times to really emphasize her point - but abusing a "legal" substance is still drug abuse, Britney! COME ON. MAN UP. YOU HAVE CHILDREN FOR FUCK SAKE. That's basically what I screamed while I listened to this on my way to work in the mornings. 

4. The Reader, Bernhard Schlink - I did not like the movie version of this (although I didn't remember much about it - just Kate Winslet taking baths with a teenage boy), but I saw this at my library sale so I grabbed it, obviously hoping that the book is way better. But it's not. As I was reading this, I suddenly remembered the "twist" of her not being able to read. It's so fucking stupid that my brain hurts. It's also gross. And they try to humanize a nazi. Super gross. 

5. How the Scots Invented the Modern World, Arthur Herman - This actually slowed down my whole reading process for the year because I was getting so ahead of my year and then I took so long to read this. I always have a goal of reading at least 25 books and I rarely hit that (I'm always fascinated by the people who read like a 100 books a year??? How are you absorbing things??? It's the same people who watch 1000 movies a year - I watch like 250 average and I feel like that's still too much.). Anyway, I just couldn't get through this. I thought it would be more interesting and more about "inventions" that came from Scotland. But it's more of a history lesson (and a lot of it is religious history - which is so super boring to me...). But I did get a few things out of it - the NJ & Princeton connection is interesting, as is the way the Scots split during the American Revolution. I also was super interested in the part with Dr. Livingston using quinine because I've read a lot about quinine helping leg pain but it's no longer allowed (in the U.S at least) because a small percent of people had side effects. I would honestly risk it if given the option - the leg pain is unbearable sometimes! I do drink a ton of tonic water now (it still has a small dose of quinine), but I haven't noticed a difference. Anyway, I did learn a lot but I was also just bored - it took me like a week to get through like 30 pages! 

6. Audrey Hepburn in Paris, Meghan Friedlander - I didn't realize that I should have read Audrey at Home, first (I have that one too, but I've only skimmed it for recipes). That one is written by her son, and this one is a continuation of her life (her son was involved with this one, but it was written by Friedlander). It's also weird that I have another book titled Audrey in Paris (minus the "Hepburn"). I actually thought I bought the same book just with different covers, but nope - completely different. I guess I shouldn't be surprised - Audrey is endlessly fascinating. Such a talented woman, who knew exactly who she wanted to be - she had a say in every aspect of her career - her look, her projects, etc., she was always involved. I like the part in this that talks about Edith Head being the technical costumer for Sabrina, but it was really Audrey who found all of the inspiration and did most of the shopping. I wonder how many other projects Head took credit for? She's such an iconic costumer, it's interesting to see the behind-the-scenes of things. I actually might seek out a biography on her, because I would probably find it fascinating. Anyway, I enjoyed this, but I also love reading all things Audrey. It's the same as reading about Hitch. I could read 10 different books about him and find interesting things in all of them. 

7. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid - Okay, so I kind of read this by accident. I definitely bought it by accident. I thought it looked interesting - clearly inspired by Elizabeth Taylor, and I heard that they were making a miniseries out of it (or maybe a movie?) so I bought it. Then I realized it's the same author as Daisy Jones and The Six and I seriously hated that book - it's so...trite? I guess that's the word I'm looking for? Just so unoriginal, and poorly written (and that miniseries is not much better). So I stuck it on my bookshelf and said "no way am I reading this". And then, I forgot and pulled it off my shelf and was like "oh this looks good!" *face palm* I hated it. It's just so predictable and, once again, unoriginal. And I think Reid is a terrible writer. But people seem to enjoy her, so what do I know? 

8. Sula, Toni Morrison - I liked a lot about this - told through the perspective of two young black women in a world after slavery. It's layered, detailed, and has a sense of epic storytelling. But I also found myself confused way too often. Maybe I just wasn't in the right headspace, but I felt like I needed someone explaining things to me that I just read (like if I had read this in a classroom setting, I would have appreciated it more. That's not necessarily a bad thing - Midnight's Children is my favorite book of all time and I read that in a classroom setting. And the reason it's my favorite book is because my professor could give context to every sentence.). 

9. Misery, Stephen King - I think the best part of rereading this novel is realizing *just* how good Kathy Bates is in the role of Annie Wilkes. She really gives this character life and depth. But otherwise, this isn't as good of a book as I remember. It's extremely repetitive and kind of...simple? And I actually hate the chapters that are chapters from the book he is writing...it seems like a terrible book and I don't want to read it. LOL. But overall, I love this story. And King has a flair for suspense and character development that keep the reader engaged. 

10. 1968: The Year that Rocked the World, Mark Kurlansky - Wow. I highly recommend reading this if you are reading the news and feeling nothing but despair. Because 1968 is a LOT like 2024/2025. And in a way, that's disturbing - that's 57 years ago, we should have progressed much further than we have. But in another way, it's incredibly hopeful because we survived 1968. We'll survive this too! At least, that's what I got out of it. We're still here! The world didn't end! The same things were happening in 1968 - college protests, police brutality, Zionism - it's all there. It felt like I was just reading TODAY'S news. I like how thorough this book is, and how it connects the whole world together. It is far more interesting to read history through the eyes of one year, then to read history by nation. I feel like I learned more and connected the "whole picture". My husband always comments about how interesting it is to think about what other countries were doing while we were in the Civil War, or whatever, and I never really connected *just* how interesting that is. I kind of wish I could read more history like this. But 1968 is picked specifically for a lot of reasons - there were major assassinations, the Vietnam War, protests in Mexico, global political upheaval, AND we orbited the moon! I actually love that the book ends with the shot of Earth from the moon. Once again, it feels hopeful. My husband also says all the time that the key to peace is space travel. We'll see! 

11. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion - This is probably my favorite book that I read this year (maybe a tie between this and The Martian). I've never read anything by Joan Didion, and this caught my eye. I've obviously heard of her as more of a journalist, and her iconic fashion sense (she basically made scarves glamorous). But I knew very little about her. So I started reading this not knowing that both her husband and daughter died within a few years of each other. This book is a self-reflection of her grief from her husband suddenly dying and her daughter being extremely ill, and it's just a wonderful read. Possibly the most honest, personal story I've ever read that deals with grief like this. I'm now Didion obsessed (I actually bought myself her entire book collection for Christmas - so I'm in for a treat, I think!). 

12. Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, John E. Douglas & Mark Olshaker - I was a big fan of the Netflix Mindhunter series, so I was really happy to see this at my local library sale (you get to FILL a tote bag of books for only $7!! I usually get like 13-15 books per visit! For only $7!!!). So, this is based on Douglas' career as a criminal profiler and it's super interesting as to how accurate he became at this profession. It's essential to learn about why people become murderers, rapists, etc., in order to catch other criminals, but also to possibly prevent this from happening. I mean, you can't charge someone with a crime before they commit them, but you can recognize the signs of someone who might become violent and try to help them. It's really interesting to learn about this whole process, but it's also a *tough* read because all of this violent crime is true and they don't hold back on a lot of the gory details as just *facts of the case*. It definitely takes an emotional toll, so be prepared for that. 

13. Run Towards the Danger, Sarah Polley - I loved this! And I love Sarah Polley! She's lived a super interesting life as a child actor, but also has suffered childhood trauma - her mom died when she was young, her dad wasn't a typical "father figure", and she was exploited by the entertainment industry. I actually never thought of Polley as a child actor, because I've never heard of the show she was on, but it was super popular in Canada. I do remember reading about her experience working with Terry Gilliam (I think it circulated as part of "me too"), and it's horrific. It's WILD that we still let this man make movies! Polley has so much to say about the industry and her concern for child actors seems really genuine. And then she talks about how she suffered a traumatic brain injury as an adult that I had NO IDEA about. It's so scary to read about how nobody listened to her, and how she was treated as if she were exaggerating her injury, and how a lot of people gave up on her. I'm so happy that she's healthy now and able to tell her story. She's such a great writer, and an honest storyteller. My favorite documentary is Stories We Tell, because I think Polley absolutely nails the problems with telling the "truth" as "fact". Someone may be telling their truth, but it might not be factually accurate, and I find that so fascinating. Anyway, I loved reading this and I can't wait to see what she does next (sidenote - I wasn't a big fan of Women Talking, unfortunately). I will also point out that it might benefit you to read Through the Looking Glass before this, because it's referenced A LOT (and I've never read it...). 

14. Paris: The Memoir (extended edition), Paris Hilton - If you don't already know this about me, then here's the deal: I LOVE PARIS HILTON. One of the only reality tv shows I've ever watched is The Simple Life and it is fucking iconic. No exaggeration. I became a fan of Paris, but mostly Nicole Ritchie during that series. But Paris really grew on me - I've watched all of her shows, I think most recently Paris in Love, but also Cooking with Paris, and her documentary. I'm fascinated at how hard this woman works considering she can sit back and do nothing and still be a multi-millionaire. She's an heiress to the Hilton fortune for God's sake! Take a nap, Paris! But no...this bitch WORKS. And I fucking love it. I also love that she's found love and now has a family - she deserves happiness. And I highly recommend any doubters to read this memoir, or just read up on the abuse she endured during her time at Provo and how she has become a driving force in making these "troubled teen" schools illegal. It's insane how these "schools" emotionally, physically, and sexually abuse teenagers and not only GOT AWAY with it, but were PAID TO DO IT. I also think it's interesting that she's adapted the "baby voice" as an abuse survivor (literally every woman I know who does this voice has admitted abuse to me - the psychology behind it is fascinating). Is Paris a good writer? Nope, not at all. However, I actually loved reading this because she writes in a very stream-of-consciousness way, which is how I like to write (just literally whatever pops into my mind and I don't even edit. I read it once for, like, spelling errors, which I still miss a lot of, and then hit the orange publish button. Done and done). I think it just feels very genuine, like this is really her writing and reflecting on her life. And I love her.  

15. Zero Days, Ruth Ware - I read In a Dark, Dark Wood a few years back (I think I wrote about it on here, and I *think* I liked it? I don't remember). This was a fine read for a long plane ride, but in another setting, I probably would have hated it. It's like an episode of Alias, minus the character development. The main character is annoying and needy (even though she's supposed to be a bad-ass, it never comes off that way). It's just a very simple, predictable thriller. There's not much else to say. 

16. The Martian, Andy Weir - I LOVED THIS. I was a big fan of the movie, but the book might take the cake for me. It's the very definition of a "page turner". I could not stop reading it - and that is rare for me (reading makes me tired). I read the whole thing over the span of two days (on the deck of an over-the-water bure in Fiji. I live a tough life...) and I definitely want to watch the movie again to see the adaptation process. Because it doesn't seem like a book that would work visually, but they made it work! I love reading Mark Watney's thoughts on how he's going to survive. I feel like the movie focuses a bit more on the rest of the team than the book does, which makes sense because there's only so much of Watney growing potatoes that an audience can watch, but reading it and his thoughts - is SO interesting. It's amazing that some people have these survival skills, and not just the skill, but the WILL to survive. I just wouldn't. I would curl up in a ball and die. 

17. Didion and Babitz, Lili Anolik - So, I read this to learn more about Joan Didion, but unfortunately it's clear that the author HATES her, but has a fascination with Eve Babitz. And apparently Babitz and Didion go hand-in-hand when it comes to their history. I get the authors reasoning - they became more of a love/hate "frenemy" relationship, and Anolik chose the side she was already on (just like I chose Didion's). She wanted to find a new perspective in Babitz story - and this is how she decided to write it. But, I found it a little rude, to be honest. It did change my perspective a little too, though. Because it's clear that Anolik finds Didion writing about her dead husband as distasteful and a money grab, I immediately started researching a bit more and did not like what I found. As much as I loved The Year of Magical Thinking, it loses something if it, is in fact, dishonest. And the more I read about Didion's marriage, the more I do think it's dishonest. There are SO many accounts of John Dunne not only being abusive, but also possibly gay. And her daughter died of alcoholism not complications from the flu. So, why not tell the truth? I still find Didion's words to be super reflective of heartbreak and shock, and writer's WRITE. I think she decided to write the story as a way of healing and she wrote it SO FUCKING WELL that it became a massive hit. I don't think she purposely set out to exploit her own trauma. ANYWAY, I do think this book is written very well, and very thoroughly researched. I love the way she ends each decade with a famous Hollywood murder (Sharon Tate ends the 70s, Dominique Dunne ends the 80s. Also - this is how I learned that Griffen Dunne is Joan Didion's nephew). Also, if you love Eve Babitz, definitely read this. She's a hoot. 

18. Hello Beautiful, Ann Napolitano - I liked this book a lot, and it's obviously inspired by/a modern retelling of Little Women, which is a good idea. But they shouldn't have referenced Little Women - it actually made me feel angry. Does she think her readers were too stupid to see what she was doing? Like they wouldn't understand it unless she made it explicit? It's insulting! But anyway, I liked everything else about it - and I think it will stay with me. It's a story of family, loyalty, forgiveness, trauma, and loss, and it handles each subject with love and care. I love all of the characters - even the ones who mess up and hurt their loved ones. They all feel really genuine and human. It's all very "oh that's fucked up!", but also humans are going to human. And we're not perfect. 

19. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Agatha Christie - Okay, so I guessed who the killer was within the first 30 pages and I don't think I was supposed to. I get that it was probably a "shocking" twist at the time, but I feel like that's been overdone to death now so it's sort of the expected route. I'm not going to spoil it for you, but I feel like this doesn't even try to hide where the story is going. So, all of the twists felt pointless. And the thing is - I knew who the "killer(s)" was in Murder on the Orient Express, and I still enjoyed reading that because I loved reading about how it all comes together, and how Poirot figures it out, but this was just a bore to get through. And the reveal of said murderer is so unremarkable. Overall, a dud. 

20. The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway - UMMMM....I hated this. HAHA! I know it's a classic and whatever, but I couldn't give a flying fuck about fishing as a metaphor. Fuck off. I will be taking no further questions at this time. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Roofman - I wasn't really looking forward to this but then I saw that Derek Cianfrance directed it and WHAT??!! I'm instantly interested. My husband actually remembers this crazy story, but I definitely don't. It's the real-life story of a man who was hiding from the law after escaping prison, so he hid in a Toys-R-Us for months. I like the way this story is told from his perspective - showing his humanity and vulnerability instead of painting him as just a criminal. It makes sense that Cianfrance would take this story on - it is a tragic love story in the end. He becomes involved with one of the employees and becomes an important person in her life and her two teenage daughters, and obviously, there is no way for that to end well. Channing Tatum is a great casting choice for this - he doesn't take himself too seriously, has great comedic timing, and creates a truly loveable character here. I appreciate him in more comedic roles, but he does a great job with the serious parts in this too. He has great chemistry with Kirsten Dunst. And there's a great supporting cast too - Peter Dinklage, Juno Temple, Uzo Aduba, Ben Mendelsohn AND Melonie Diaz (how she didn't become a much bigger star after A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is beyond me. She's such a good actress!). I just think this is a cute movie that has some memorable moments and it's an interesting true story. 

2. F1 - I'm sorry, but it's HILARIOUS that this movie, about F1, stars a 62 year old man. I actually looked it up out of curiosity and the oldest F1 driver is 43 - that's still a 20 year difference. But most are mid 20s - early 30s and there's a REASON for that. They try to show Brad Pitt "training" for this challenge (he's the first one up! Running!), but you can't train for aging - and a natural part of aging is that your motor skills and reaction times start to slow down. And that's really the only important thing you need to have in order to drive a car - you need to fit in the car and be able to react quickly. I'm not saying he might not still be able to race cars! But as a part of a billion dollar sport? No. My mom's husband (about the same age as Pitt) still plays hockey! And soccer! But they are for over 40 leagues because that makes sense! It's just so stupid. Aside from the stupidity, I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I think Joseph Kosinski is really making a name for himself in directing big budget action movies that focus on character development & storytelling while also getting those big spectacle moments. I rarely say this about a film with a runtime of 2 1/2 hours, but this zips by. It had my attention from beginning to end and aside from the actual racing it doesn't feel like there's any filler. And as someone who thinks racing cars is a dumb sport, the car racing is intense and interesting. The rules for F1 make absolutely no sense (and they even admit that in the movie), but it makes for a fun experience (I mean, I would never watch an actual F1 race, but I get why people do after watching this). I do feel like this movie is basically Ted Lasso but for car racing (he's harassed by a reporter, he has to "think outside the box" to win, he's an American in Europe etc.), but it works. I don't want to oversell it - it's a 3 star movie, but I was expecting to hate it. And as much as I DON'T WANT TO LIKE BRAD PITT ANYMORE (I believe Jolie 100%), he's such a fucking superstar it's hard to hate him. A true movie star. It's so fucking annoying. Damson Idris is set to be a star, as well. They have great chemistry together in this love/hate partnership. And Kerry Condon as the love interest is excellent - and I love that her role is a lot bigger than *just* the love interest. Overall, I was entertained. Although if it were 40 minutes shorter, I might have LOVED it. 

3. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story - This is one of the most fucking boring movies I've seen all year. And I was not expecting that. I like this cast a lot - Josh O'Connor, Jeremy Renner, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Daryl McCormack (hot!), Josh Brolin, Jeffrey Wright, Kerry Washington, Glenn Close, etc.,  - and I liked the first two movies (maybe not as much as others, though, I rated them both 3.5 stars). But this gives absolutely no point in hiring all these actors and then giving them nothing to do. This is O'Connor's film, and maybe one strong scene from Close. But otherwise, I couldn't even tell you who the rest of them are or why they are in this movie. There's also...no....mystery? It's clear how it's all going to play out and I never once questioned myself. And this has a completely different vibe than the first two - it's extremely serious and all the religious stuff just draaaagggss. It's so boring and mind-numbing. I don't understand Rian's thought process on making this one without considering that making the first two "fun" is the whole reason people wanted to see more of these films. He's done something that hasn't been done in a long time - created a detective character that you can build an entire franchise on (there's not many - Sherlock, Lupin, Poroit...that's it? I guess you can argue Bond? He's a detective of sorts - but none of those are recent characters). And yet, this is the story he wants to tell for the third movie? It doesn't make sense. I couldn't even make it through the whole thing in one sitting. I stopped it with 20 minutes left to go and then it took me days to force myself to finish those last 20 minutes. Jeffrey Wright's line delivery of "little punk bitch" is the best part of the whole movie. 

4. One Battle After Another - I can't say that I loved this. I wanted to, but I just don't think there's a lot of substance here. I've LOVED some Paul Thomas Anderson movies (The Master, There Will Be Blood, and Inherent Vice), but I haven't even liked his last two (Phantom Thread, Licorice Pizza). And it's not that I didn't like this, it's good...but the fact that it might sweep the Oscars this year is kind of crazy. The script is very bloated. It feels long and everything is spelled out for the audience over and over again. The biggest problem for me, though, is that everyone feels like they're in a different movie - the only tangible characters are Leo's and Chase Infinity. The rest are overdone. I like Teyana Taylor, but she's not even in this enough to matter and people are talking Oscars?? Make it make sense! I usually include Sean Penn as one of the best living actors (even though I'm wary on him as a person), and he definitely created a very specific villainous character here but it didn't match what anyone else was doing. I also love Benicio del Toro - but I don't think he's given much to do. It's just weird to me that these are considered Oscar contenders (are we giving Benicio an Oscar nom for a 2 second dance? Because that's his only memorable moment. If you want to give him an Oscar nom, at least make it for The Phoenician Scheme! That actually required much more from him as an actor.). I do think Leo is great - and it feels like a different role for him and he nails it. I like Chase Infinity, too, but as soon as she appears I said out loud "wait, is she supposed to be a teenager? She looks 25." and then proceeded to look it up, and yes, she is, in fact, 25 years old. Aside from the mismatched cast, I do like the actual movie. Some of the scenes are great, and funnier than I was expecting. It's a fun ride, and it feels like the stakes are high. I just don't see how this is the best of the best. 

5. Jay Kelly - Another snoozefest! Who the fuck gives a shit about a multi-millionaire aging mega celebrity having a mid-life crisis? Like, truly? I like George Clooney, but this is just an exercise in narcissism that is on another level. The life of a wealthy white male actor is, like, the least interesting focal point for a film in 2025 that I can think of. I don't always like Noah Baumbach films. He has a LOT of 3 star movies (Marriage Story and The Squid and the Whale are 3.5 stars). I think he's a better writer than he is a director. Usually he's very detailed and his stories feel personal. But I actively disliked everything about this movie. I particularly hate when actors do "acting" scenes because they are usually terrible (the only recent good ones are Emma Stone in La La Land and Margot Robbie in Babylon). George is not a good enough actor to pull this off. And again, I like George Clooney - I grew up watching E.R. and my best friend had the biggest crush on him. We would watch One Fine Day and From Dusk Till Dawn on repeat, but he's never really "acted" - he's always just George Clooney. And this is the MOST George Clooney he's ever been - there's even an ending that shows a reel of his acting resume that I think we're supposed to be emotional about. It's so fucking dumb. The film is also full of nepobabies - Eve Hewson, Riley Keough, Laura Dern, the Sandler daughter (I don't know which one is which), and Emily Mortimer's daughter (side note - Mortimer actually co-wrote this, which honestly makes me think a little less of her. Also, another side note, I just found another nepobaby connection - the kid from the latest season of The White Lotus is Mortimer's son!), which just makes me have even less sympathy for everyone. Also, the casting of Charlie Rowe and Louis Partridge as a younger version of Clooney and Billy Crudup is probably the worst casting I've seen all year - and they are both AWFUL in the flashback scenes. Like, pure fucking torture. There's a whole scene in which George rides a train with the normies to be more relatable - it's so fucking pretentious. I was just basically screaming "fuck off" during every single scene. 

Best and Worst Films of 2025

You guys!! This was such a terrible year for movies for me!! I've only seen THREE 4 star films! How is that possible?? There are still a few movies for me to catch, so definitely check out my list once I update it in July. But here's what I have so far...

Best

1. Bugonia 

2. Thunderbolts*

3. Sinners

4. One Battle After Another

5. Eddington

6. Novocaine

7. Weapons

8. Caught Stealing

9. Fantastic 4: First Steps

10. Roofman 

Worst

1. A Minecraft Movie

2. Love Hurts

3. Holland

4. Highest 2 Lowest

5. The Gorge

6. Mountainhead

7. The Old Guard 2

8. Freakier Friday

9. The Thursday Murder Club

10. Snow White (2025) 

Film Retrospective Part V: Thoughts on 10 Films (pre-1990)

1. Police Academy - [blind spot] Nope, I've never seen any of the Police Academy movies and I think there might be a lot of them?? And Kim Cattrall is in them??? I was never a big fan of Sex and the City, but I always liked Kim. And obviously as a child of the 80s, Steve Guttenberg has a special place in my heart. This feels like a precursor to Reno 911 and I LOVE Reno 911. Obviously, this is a little cheesy and a little outdated, but overall it's fine. It's an enjoyable concept and I laughed a few times - like the black guy who does the sound effects (love him!!), I died at the "this is a stick-up" response to the burglary scenario and then the other guy who is gun happy. Maybe I'll watch the sequels at some point. 

2. Cape Fear (1962) - [blind spot] I love the 90s one (and plan on rewatching it soon because I don't really remember it. I remember DeNiro being menacing and it takes place on a boat...maybe??), but I've never seen this one or read the book. Gregory Peck is so great! I didn't expect this to be so dark though - I don't know why. I know the 90s one is dark, but I expected a film from the 60s to be cheesier and lighter for some reason. It's crazy that police still don't do much about stalkers. I know it's because they really can't stop people from visiting public places if they aren't outwardly threatening people, but it still sucks. Anyway, this is really good - really intense and frightening. Although his daughter looks about 40 years old (haha!). 

3. Rain Man - [rewatch] I watched this as a teenager and I remember being bored. I love Dustin Hoffman, but I've never been a big fan of Tom Cruise though - even before the whole psychotic cult thing, I always felt something was off about him. I do think he has screen presence and charisma, and he gives all of himself to a role, but he's not the greatest actor (he's great in exactly ONE movie). I definitely appreciate this more as an adult, but I can also see the problematic nature of the storytelling more clearly. I feel like Hoffman's portrayal of autism became the go-to imitation of autism. I laughed when he finally realizes he should take his brother to Vegas because that would have literally been my first thought. I like the chemistry that forms between these two - it's sweet and feels real. The whole girlfriend part is crazy though - this woman clearly hates him. Why doesn't she leave sooner? Why stay with someone you hate? I don't understand it. Also, THIS MOVIE WON 4 OSCARS??? Including BEST PICTURE??? For REAL?? I mean, it's a good movie, but BEST PICTURE?? Was it just a really bad year or something? 

4. Working Girl - [blind spot] I assumed that I had seen this, but I think I was getting this confused with 9 to 5. I'm not the biggest Harrison Ford fan, but I LOVE Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver and they are both excellent here. And it's directed by Mike Nichols?!! I did not know that! Also, it's not about prostitutes....lol. It's called Working Girl, so I definitely thought it was about prostitutes. But no, it's actually about being a woman in a corporate environment in the 80s. And it's really good! I love their 80s hair and outfits. So Good. And then she gets a "professional" haircut that is even more 80s and makes her looks so much older. There are also some banger lines "I have a head for business and a bod for sin, is there anything wrong with that?" (LOL). I actually don't mind Ford in this either because he doesn't do his whole curmudgeon thing. He's sweet, actually. I do think that it's weird that the villain is another woman in the workplace. It's such a man's point of view - pit women against each other so that they don't realize the actual problem is sexism and misogyny. But it is also partly true. There's also some problematic men in the cast (Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin). 

5. Kiss Me Kate - [blind spot] WAIT!! This is a musical based on one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, The Taming of the Shrew??? How did I not know that?? I would have watched this much sooner. I definitely got too excited though because the movie is...fine. I like a lot of the beginning. The "It's Too Darn Hot" number is excellent and I miss when films had random tap dancing sequences. The camera movement, and eye contact with the audience is really spectacularly done. But then it gets really boring. It's wild that they show the whole stage musical as part of the movie - it takes up like half of the movie. And it's crazy! What are those red bodysuits that make them all look like elves? What does that have to do with the play? I don't get it! Some of the acting is pretty questionable too (the gangsters, in particular). Overall, I was underwhelmed. 

6. Hoosiers - [blind spot] Sports movies can go either way for me - there's some I absolutely love (A League of Their Own, Moneyball, Angels in the Outfield are some that immediately come to mind), but I don't always love them - and I feel like there a lot of overrated ones (Field of Dreams??? I fell asleep watching it and I've never tried again). I do love Gene Hackman though (RIP, such a sad death). I hate basketball though. So this film can really go either way too. I actually don't hate basketball, but I just find it to be the dumbest and easiest sport (goals/scoring should be difficult, but the scores are always 119 to 107 LOL. It shouldn't be that easy!). But I do like that this movie isn't just about basketball - there's this whole subplot about getting the town drunk clean and helping him by making him an assistant coach. I'm not sure telling an addict "you're embarrassing yourself" is the right way to go about things, but it was the 80s! But the rest of the movie is exactly what I was expecting and I've seen it a million times. It's all very...meh. 

7. Spaceballs - [rewatch] Is it weird that I watched this movie before I watched Star Wars?? And I LOVED it!! I don't think I understood at least 1/2 of the references, but I loved it all the same. I love this cast so much - Bill Pullman, Rick Moranis, John Candy & Daphne Zuniga (Melrose Place for the win!) - you can't go wrong. And spoof movies used to be GOOD! I love the breaking of the 4th wall, I love the dialogue - I laughed out loud multiple times, even on this rewatch (the I Heart Uranus bumper sticker got me this time, because I am a 12 year old boy, apparently). Plus, I forgot that Joan Rivers does the voice of Dot and I LOVE Joan Rivers. I miss her so much - I always loved the whole Fashion Police thing. I know a lot of people found it mean-spirited, but I thought it was funny and it made the whole awards thing a little less pretentious. And the ending to this with the Alien chest burster scene ("Hello My Baby, Hello My Honey") gets me ever time. It's just so fucking funny. 

8. Teen Wolf - [rewatch] I watched this while I wrapped Christmas presents (I'm not sure why...it's not like it's Christmas related). I remember loving this movie as a kid (and the sequel with Jason Bateman too). Actually, I loved this way more than Back to the Future, as far as iconic Michael J. Fox movies go. This was a movie I've rewatched a lot, and I was never really into Back to the Future (although I plan on watching all of them as part of my marathon movie watches. There's only 3 of them, right??). I totally forgot that the whole wolf thing was genetic - LOL. And I forgot about the sweet love story. It's just a highly entertaining teen movie. And also kind of a sports movie! I never thought about it that way, but it hits all the same notes that a typical feel-good sports movie hits. 

9. Stripes - [blind spot] This is another movie that I assumed that I've seen, but as soon as it started, I began to question myself. None of it seems familiar at all, so I don't think I have. It starts off really funny. Harold Ramos & Bill Murray have really fun chemistry together ("I think you're ready for the special olympics"). Bill Murray perpetually looks 45. He's 31 in this playing someone in his 20s, but he's still 45. It just gets old really quickly. The only other parts I laughed at were the scenes in which John Candy was gaslighting the gullible guy by telling him fake rules and such. There's also a lot of unnecessary topless scenes and a random mud wresting scene. Also, I would like to say that I watched this on normal television with commercials and the amount of commercials for St. Jude made me want to kill myself. How do people still regularly watch tv like this?? I will never do it again. 

10. Romancing the Stone - [blind spot] So, I wanted to watch this because when I was watching The Roses, obviously I was reminded of War of the Roses, and I realized that I always mixed up that movie with this movie (same cast of Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas, and Danny DeVito!! No wonder I always confused them!). And then I realized that I might not have seen this? I actually do think I've seen it or at least parts of it, but as a whole, probably not. I feel like it's a movie that my mom really liked so she would keep it on when it played on television and I probably caught parts of it. I remember Turner and Douglas being covered in mud and trying to find some type of treasure. I'll still list this as a blind spot though because I don't remember enough of it. And something else I realized while watching this was how much The Lost City copied this! I knew it was in the same realm of action adventure romance, but it's literally the same movie! I actually watched The Lost City the next night because of this realization (I was curious as to how close they were) and my husband hasn't seen it and I thought he would like it. And, yup, same movie! They should have called it a remake, really. Anyway, I really liked this - mostly because I love Kathleen Turner - she's so gorgeous in this. Her and Douglas have great chemistry and I love the ending with the boat riding through NYC.  

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. The Roses - This is a perfectly fine 3 star movie. It could have easily been a 4 star movie if it were 90 minutes, and it needed more of a bite to it. They also show too much in the trailer (I don't watch a lot of trailers, but I think this played before The Materialists in the theater). But it also could have been a 2 star movie if it didn't have such a great main & supporting cast, and a believable central relationship. I really like that they spent the time to show why these two people are together and that they truly do love each other. But their lives flipped upside down, and things went south without them even really realizing it. It's sad to watch it fall apart. The story also does a good job of showing how difficult it is for women to be mothers & have a successful career. I hate when films/tv shows depict the women "can have it all!" story, but I just don't think it's true. You have to make sacrifices that men also have to make but aren't judged for it. The only way for both of them to have these big careers (she's a professional chef who hits it big and starts a seafood franchise called "We've Got Crabs" LOL. And he is an architect, who is successful until...he's not), they would have to have child care or a nanny (and they can definitely afford to). I think a lot of wealthy/successful couples choose that as an option, which I think is kind of shitty. Having strangers raise your child? Why have kids to begin with? I'm just saying that I appreciate that this film doesn't gloss over the sacrifice she makes by choosing her career - she basically misses her kids teenage years, and she regrets it. Anyway, as I said - this has a fantastic cast. I'm not really a Benedict Cumberbatch fan, but he's good in this (and finally not playing someone who is a genius but socially awkward - that's all he does!). Olivia Colman steals the movie though. She goes through every emotion and I feel for this character deeply. I love the supporting cast - Ncuti Gatwa, Andy Samberg, Allison Janney (in a scene stealing scene). I'm not listing Kate McKinnon in this though - I know she has a lot of fans, but I never find her funny and she is definitely not funny in this, and she is definitely trying to be. I remember the original film vaguely - The War of the Roses, with Kathleen Turner. But I was looking it up to see who else was in it and I was SHOCKED to find out that it was written & directed by Danny DeVito!! Anyway, I definitely liked this - I just think it could have easily cut 30 minutes (they don't even decide to divorce until an hour and 20 minutes in!). It's a good, satisfying adult dramedy. But what the Hell is that ending??? *MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD* *STOP READING* They fucking die at the end??? What the fuck? That's so fucking dark! They have kids!! 

2. Deep Cover - I had never heard of this movie, but my husband found it on Amazon. He and I are STILL sick (I'm going on 9 weeks of bronchitis and my husband had the flu and now a really bad sinus infection), so we are still trying to stay rested as much as we can (which is difficult because we are both in full holiday mode - we both work retail). So it's movie and early bed time. This movie looked like it fulfilled the dumb action movie quota, so we pressed play knowing nothing about it other than it being an action comedy starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Orlando Bloom. That's an interesting pairing, for sure (it still blows my mind that there can be new releases thrown on streaming services starring ACTUAL MOVIE STARS, and I've never heard of it!). And I'm happy to say that we both enjoyed it! But the thing that really shocked me is that Orlando Bloom IS FUNNY!!! Why has he not been in an outright comedy like this before?? He's GREAT! Probably the best part of the movie and I just wasn't expecting it at all, and neither was my husband. He was like "does he do comedies? I've never seen him like this before - he's GREAT" and I was like "NO he does dramas and franchises, and he's terrible in them!" (except he is good in that movie that I just watched called The Cut, so maybe he's just good now???). He plays an out-of-work actor who is obsessed with being method - and it's just so funny. It also stars Nick Mohammad. The three of them actually work really together. The plot seems ridiculous - Howard is an improv teacher, who is teaching Bloom (as I said, a "serious" method actor) and Mohammad (who is a background character in his own life, who accidentally becomes an improv student). The three of them are recruited by police to infiltrate a small-time illegal tobacco ring that spirals out of control into a full-on criminal underworld. But they do a great job of sticking to this ridiculous plot by focusing on the characters instead of the plot. We get to know the "bad guys" - one played by one of the all time great actors - Paddy Considine! Yes HE'S in this too! And the "even worse bad guy" is Ian McShane! And did I mention that the police officer is SEAN BEAN?! Like I said, actual MOVIE STARS! They fully sell this plot because they all can ACT! I'm not trying to oversell it - it's a dumb action comedy, but I was fully entertained and I laughed a lot, and that's exactly the kind of movie I was in the mood to watch. 

3. KPop Demon Hunters - I really didn't want to watch this, even though I knew full well that I would probably enjoy it. I know that it's become a cultural phenomenon among young kids, but it also got fairly solid reviews among film nerds, so I convinced my husband to watch it with me since he likes animated movies (and we're running out of movies to watch!). And - not surprisingly - we both liked it. It's cute and the songs are super catchy! The girl-group are called Huntrix, and they sound like a mix of Katy Perry, Sia, and Lady Gaga (complimentary). I'm not above a good pop group - I was an *NSYNC fan. I get it. I also grew up with Jem and the Holograms, so again, I get it. I don't really get how adults still have these teen-like obsessions (in the same way that I don't understand the whole Disney adult thing), but to each their own! You only get one life - spend it how you want to! I think the reason that film buffs rallied for this is because the animation is really strong and the story structure is really well written. I also like the horror elements - the ending is a kids version of Smile 2. Overall, it's solid! On a sidenote - the one girl sounds exactly like Rosa from Brooklyn Nine-Nine - even my husband thought so. I had googled it to see if it was her, and then 1/2 way through he asked "that's Rosa, right?". Haha!

4. How to Train Your Dragon (2025) - First of all - I will always be astonished that they got away with naming a kids movie How to Train Your Dragon (you don't even have to change the name for the porn version!). Second, I've never watched the animated version, and I had no plans of watching this version, but it was my husband's pick and we are running out of options (he also wants to watch the Lilo & Stich live-action. And I've also not seen the original). I actually thought this was decent. The weakest link is the kid who plays the main character (oddly named Hiccup?). I actually really liked him in The Black Phone - even comparing him to the late Brad Renfro (which is the highest of compliments coming from me!). So I think this was just a case of miscasting. I feel like the character is supposed to be a bit more loveable?? But, I really enjoy the rest of the cast - Gerard Butler (not even attempting to hide his Scottish accent, even though it makes no sense) is always great, I LOVE Nico Parker, and Nick Frost provides some nice comedic touches. I also think it's hilarious at how multi-cultural this group of Vikings are (I don't think a film like this has to follow historical accuracies, but it's also SO FUNNY to just erase tribalism/nationalism/racism because it will certainly piss off the racists). I also think Parker is given a speech about not being given anything and having to make your own opportunities and work hard, which is WILD coming from a nepobaby. Anyway, I think this is cute, it looks pretty good for a fantasy movie, and I was entertained. However, kids movies should never be 2 hours - this should have been 90 minutes tops. And on a random sidenote - even though I've never seen the original, I've been saying how my cat Mazie looks like the dragon from "that kids movie", and now my husband realizes I've been talking about this movie and now he can't unsee it. She looks like Toothless!!  

5. Caught Stealing - So in my quest to avoid trailers and spoilers from movies, the only thing I knew about this movie was that it's a Darren Aronofsky film starring Austin Butler. A few months ago, my husband said that his friend/co-worker (who is a big movie buff) told him about a "new action movie that is about this guy who gets caught in a gang war because he was watching his friend's cat" and he wants to watch it. I had NO IDEA what movie he was talking about. I googled that exact description and this movie came up, and I said "there's NO WAY you would enjoy a Darren Aronofsky movie". I mean, his movies are full dramas! And serious! And weird! All things my husband hates! But I started reading some reviews calling it the lightest and most accessible Aronofsky movie, and it's also described as a "crime-comedy" film, so I added it to our list (it's separate from my movie list). I was still nervous when we finally sat down to watch it, because I was still convinced he was going to be bored and annoyed by it. But the reviews (and his friend) were right - it's a fun film! Completely unexpected! Who knew Aronofsky had this in him?? (That's not a dig - I love his films!). This is maybe the first time I didn't mind Austin Butler, also. I still feel like he's a try-hard, but he does a good job in this. There's some unexpected actors in this too - like Liev Schreiber and Vincent D'Onofrio as Hasidic Jewish mobsters, and Laura Dern in a mostly voice role (weird! But I instantly recognized her voice and waited for her to have a bigger role, but nope!). I think the film isn't as twisty as it thinks (it's obvi who one of the "bad guys" is as soon as they are introduced), and how the film is going to end (there's too much foreshadowing). But, there are some shocking moments - I certainly did not expect the death of one of the characters. There's definitely a lot to like about this - it moves really quickly, features a very cute cat, and has some interesting characters. But I will never like Matt Smith. And him as a punk rock drug dealer is hard to stomach. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. After the Hunt - This movie is...fine. I'm not the biggest Luca Guadagnino fan (I think Challengers is his best film, and I still didn't love that). I don't really understand the praise that he receives, but that's not a new feeling for me. There are so many directors/actors/movies/shows that are SO overrated because people throw the word "masterpiece" around all willy-nilly nowadays. I think this might be his worst reviewed movie, but I think it's better than a lot of them (still a 3 star movie, for me). The story has been done before with Doubt, The Hunt, Tar, etc. with a teacher being accused of something and dealing with the fallout. I don't think this film offers anything new, perspective-wise. It's told from the perspective of a friend/co-worker of the accused who has to choose whether to support her friend/co-worker or the victim, and I think that's supposed to be an interesting vantage point or something, but it's not. You can believe the victim and support your friend as well and bow out of the problem that you know nothing about. And this is what causes people's heads to spin - TWO things/ideas can conflict with each other and both can still be true. Yes, we, as a society, need to believe women and treat victims of abuse better, but there are still two sides to every story. And unless you were present, you will never know which is true. But this character doesn't bow out - she involves herself and is also given an underlying motive for wanting her friend/co-worker to be guilty (she will get the better job). They also say the line "if it's real to you, then it's real", which is such a bullshit line. People convince themselves of things all the time and memory is very inconsistent. They should have pushed into these ideas more. I just don't find anything about this provocative (maybe if it were released 15 years ago), but it's definitely trying to be. It's way too long, and I already know how it's going to end. Also, the way scholars talk is so fucking dull and and elitist - I would kill myself if I had to be around that all the time. I do love this cast, though. I've always been a big Julia Roberts fan, and it's nice to see Andrew Garfield act again (it's been a while!). Ayo Edebiri is finally in a decent movie (it's been rough with Opus and Omniloop). Plus, the cop from Bad Sisters! I love her! And Chloe Sevigny with a bad haircut and very little to do! I also like the sound design. It's not a movie that I'll remember a year from now, but it's fine. 

2. A Minecraft Movie - I didn't plan on watching this, but I've been very sick for the past 7 weeks and my husband also got the flu last week so in our bid to rest, we watched a movie after dinner and then went to be early every night (it's still ongoing so we've watched a LOT of bad movies and a few good ones). He's not a "movie person", so picking movies that he will want to watch is a tough challenge. Especially when he's sick - he wants to be able to laugh or zone out with a dumb action movie (which explains the next 3 films on this list). And he doesn't want to pay for anything since we have so many streaming services. He would just pirate them if I didn't object to that. So instead we wait for films to be available on one of our streaming services, but that also limits our choices. After scrolling through our apps for an hour, I came across this and he was like "fine" and I suddenly found myself watching the worst film of the year (and maybe one of the worst films I've ever seen?). There is a way to make videogame films accessible to an audience who might not be familiar with it, and they don't even attempt to do this. I did not understand what was happening at all. And it's definitely trying to be funny and I laughed, mildly at two lines (and I couldn't for the life of me tell you what those two lines were). I do appreciate Jason Momoa being silly though. He was so good in Fast X, and I feel like he brings a part of that character to this - a flamboyant silliness that a lot of big, tough guys would shy away from. I also like the girl from Wednesday (it took me the whole movie to figure out what she's from...haha!). And of course, Danielle Brooks (although I feel bad that they make her wear that very unflattering track suit for the whole movie). Overall, the cast is actually great - and they have fun chemistry together. It's just the story and dialogue that are lacking. And the effects are horrific - this did not make me want to play this game at all, either. In fact, it looks like the dumbest shit imaginable and probably a cause of the downfall of the next generation (and there is a significant drop in intelligence and street smarts with gen z. I work with loads of gen z 20 somethings and I can count on one hand how many will be successful. It's disturbing!). 

3. The Family Plan 2 - I watched the first one, my husband did not, but he picked this movie because it filled the "zone out to a dumb action movie" quota. I mean, I would never watch a sequel to a movie without having watched the first, but that's just me. But, if I'm honest, which I always am, do I remember the first one??? No absolutely not. And that's not all because of my bad memory, I think a lot of it has to do with it being an unmemorable movie. A movie in which a sequel was not necessary at all, but everything is given a sequel nowadays. I guess it's not really a hard plot to pick up quickly (it's basically the same movie as Nobody and this has the same plot as Nobody 2, it's just the same movie set in a different place!). Oh wait!! I do remember loving Michelle Monoghan's character in the first one and she had a very memorable fight scene with Maggie Q. There is really nothing memorable here. It doesn't help that I can't stand Kit Harington. And why does he look so tiny in this?? He actually looks very different in this and I can't really pinpoint why, but his tininess really stuck out. Him and Marky Mark are the same height and yet he looks so small in comparison. And he's just really laughable as a menacing villain (and also 1/2 brother to Marky Mark??? Ok, sure.). The kids are good in this, and I like the way they include them in the action in a realistic way. I knew the boyfriend's dad was someone important the very second he said "let me call my dad". It's such obvious foreshadowing that makes me groan. But I get that this is not made as a thinking movie - just turn your brain off and try to have fun with it. 

4. Relay - I liked this movie a lot, but my husband ruined this for me because he guessed the plot twist within the first 20 minutes. And as soon as he said it, I was like, "oh yeah, that is probably what's going to happen" and then it did (it's ok, I got him back by guessing the twist of Poker Face season 2 ending. I called that WAY before there was any indication). But I wish I didn't watch it with the twist already in the front of my mind the whole time. Anyway, I still really enjoyed this - mostly due to the cast. Riz Ahmed AND Lily James???!!! WOW what a pairing!! I love Riz so much - he is such an incredible, thoughtful actor. Never too showy, but always hits every emotion. And I have a super crush on Lily James. There's also Willa Fitzgerald who is a very cliched "badass" character who doesn't have much to do but snap her gum and say sarcastic things (I don't actually know if she chews gum in this movie, but that's what the character feels like). And Sam Worthington, which is weird because my husband and I also FINALLY watched the second Avatar movie right before this so we did an accidental Sam Worthington double bill. He's such an inconsistent actor though. It's so weird how he really nails a role and then in the next movie I see him in, he's the worst actor I've ever seen. But he's good in this! I don't think it's a hard role to play, but at least he doesn't ruin the movie like he sometimes does! I like the shots of NY/NJ - you can tell it's actually filmed on location and it does a great job of making the city feel gritty but also hopeful at the same time. It feels like a classic 70s thriller, which is getting rarer and rarer these days (rarer is such a weird word to say and type lol). It also feels a bit different with the plot heavily relying on technology made for deaf people. The protagonist utilizes a relay service to communicate with whistleblowers to help them make deals and disappear. I've used a relay service once to interview a deaf candidate for a job. It's an interesting service - and it is a completely secure service. Although, I'm sure that if there are crimes being admitted to - they have ways to still charge and convict people. But it's an interesting device used in this little thriller - it's not something that I've seen used before, so that automatically makes me go "okay, this is cool! This is fresh! Something new! It can still be done!". 

5. Playdate - This was another film chosen out of pure exhaustion from scrolling. We saw an action/comedy starring the guy from Reacher (and we both love Reacher) and pressed play not knowing anything else. But I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did and the ONLY reason for that enjoyment is because of Alan Ritchson. HOLY SHIT. He is HILARIOUS. On Reacher he's more serious, introspective, etc., with some funny/dry humor moments, but he's, like, laugh-out-loud funny in this and it's so unexpected. His timing on jokes is the best. Sometimes the actual dialogue might not be funny, but if it's delivered correctly anything can be funny. Like, I would watch this again in a heartbeat just to laugh all over again. It helps that he's HOT too. I'm not usually into muscle men, but he's so handsome and tall. And I just LOVE when big muscly men are silly. I was practically drooling through the whole thing. Ritchson took a 1 star movie and made it a 3 star movie. I wish he had a better scene partner. Kevin James is fine, but I'm not the biggest fan. The plot is absolutely ridiculous but it also has some twists that you may or may not see coming so I'm not going to spoil it - just know that it's So Stupid. BUT, there are some lines that are so funny I had tears in my eyes, so the plot doesn't even matter. The big one is the "Run, Forrest, run!" line because it's a joke from 30 years ago but the way Ritchson delivers it is incredible. We had to pause the movie to finish laughing. There are some really good film references too - like the "Stuck in the Middle with You" homage (again, crying laughing!) and the "Give it Up" song plays with circular tracking shots like in Kingsman. There are also some other funny movie lines "You've seen The Departed, he'll be whacked!" and "Like the Yellowstone guy from Bodyguard" - both got me good. I probably missed a ton of jokes from laughing so hard. I highly recommend this if you want to watch something stupid with a hot guy being really funny. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Eddington - I like Ari Aster just fine, but I do think he's a bit overrated. Beau is Afraid is his best film and I know that's a controversial take (Beau > Midsommar > Hereditary). I would probably rank this slightly below Midsommar. It would have been a 4 star film if it were 30 minutes shorter (properly edit your films for the love of God!) and if it didn't go completely off-the-rails about 90 minutes in. I like what it attempts to do - and that is to show the radicalization of both sides of the political spectrum. But before I get into all of that, let's talk about this cast. Literally my first thought was "Jesus Christ, Pedro is in this too?!" It would be easier to list the films he hasn't been in over the past few years. I'm more excited by two of the best actors currently working - Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone - starring in a film together. It's too bad that Stone is completely wasted. She's given so little to do that I almost forgot she was even in this. I do like the casting of Dierdre O' Connell as her mother though (such a perfect mother/daughter match!). Joaquin is also a little weak in this - he seems confused by the character and by the end, I didn't buy him in this role at all. There's a lot of supporting actors who have very small roles (like Clifton Collins Jr.! I love him! and Austin Butler as the blandest cult leader ever). And back to the story - like I said, it's interesting to see this all play out, but I think it's very unfocused and tries to incorporate too many things. I'm pretty sure it's done on purpose to recreate the chaos of what 2020 felt like, but I think if the focus was *just* on Covid effects and how BLM protests spread across the country, it would have been more successful. The added cult subplot and the indigenous aspect feels disjointed. It's trying to comment on problems in America - but there are *too* many problems to fit into one story. I think the beginning is very strong though - showing how insane people became about masking. In the beginning of Covid, I had no problem masking because we had no idea what was happening. I would do anything to prevent someone from getting sick and possibly dying. But people took the masking thing to extreme lengths even after it's pretty reasonable to admit that it doesn't really work. I know so many maskers who got Covid multiple times and they still insisted (for years!) on making others feel bad for no longer masking. I think the solution was fairly easy - they should have kept the "social distancing" part for a longer period of time. And I think that essential services (grocery stores, medical buildings, banks, etc) should have adopted "masking times" each day where everyone had to wear a mask so that elderly people, immunocompromised people, and paranoid people could comfortably complete essential tasks. I do think that masks might work better if everyone wears them, but you can't force everyone to wear a mask every time they leave the house. It's just not practical. And don't get me started at the maskers who wouldn't cover their nose, or the ones who would take their mask off to eat in public (does Covid know not to infect you because you're eating??). It doesn't make a bit of sense. I also like how they show the BLM protests taking shape in small towns because it became such a media produced protest - people needed to show how "involved" they were by taking selfies at the protests and posting black boxes on their Instagram and it honestly became very sickening. Anyway, I'm on a bit of a tangent, but my point is that the evolution of someone's whole personality can be traced back to 2020 - and I think this is shown very well with a few of the characters here. It just takes everything a bit too far and becomes extremely unrealistic by the end with the whole murder and framing people for murder, etc. It's a shame. Still a solid movie, though. And will end up in my Top 10 because it's already December and I've only seen two 4 star movies (Sinners and Thunderbolts*). 

2. Nobody 2 - I enjoyed the first one - there were some great fight sequences and Bob Odenkirk is always fantastic. I didn't really remember the details though (like I forgot if his family knew who he was?? It seems like they do in this one, but they don't outwardly discuss it until the end). I also didn't remember the amazing supporting cast of Christopher Lloyd and RZA - what a fantastic combination (lol). The villains in this, though, are super ridiculous. Sharon Stone goes all out and not in a good way. And Colin Hanks? He's too much a babyface to be a scary villain! It's just weird casting. But the movie is entertaining, and once again, there are some really fun fight sequences. The ending is a bit Home Alone at a water theme park, but it's fun to see all the booby traps. I also enjoy the music choices - the cover of "Ring of Fire" is excellent and then the needle drop of Celine Dion's "Power of Love" during a key action scene is perfect. I laughed so hard. But, there's also not much else to say about it. It's basically the same movie as the first one. 

3. Freakier Friday - I mean, I didn't expect this to be good but I thought it would be cute and light and funny. And not on my worst of the year list. But I was wrong. The only good thing I have to say about this is that I'm so happy that Lindsey Lohan looks so beautiful and healthy - I hope she continues to thrive. As you might have guessed, I have no recollection of the first one, but I assume that it was cute and light and funny. I was 22 when it came out, so I think I had aged out of the intended audience, but I remember liking it. I think my personal biggest problem with this one is that I can't stand Jamie Lee Curtis lately. I used to love her, but she's been over-acting her ass off lately. Her scenes in The Bear are really pushing me over the edge. She's AWFUL in this - watching her try to be funny as a teenager trapped in a older woman's body is PAIN. I also think having all 4 of them switch bodies is very confusing - Lindsey switches with her daughter and then JLC switches with her soon to be step-granddaughter?? It's so stupid! And then they have Manny Jacinto (you know, HOT Manny Jacinto) with the worst British accent ever put to film! And Mark Harmon looks like he's in his 70s!!! HE IS IN HIS 70s?! What a slap in the face. I know he's been on those NCIS shows for the past 20 years, but I still know him as Shoop from Summer School. Anyway, this all feels like a pointless exercise and I really want more for Julia Butters. It's almost two hours of the 4 of them yelling at each other and "let's change clothes" scenes. My 2 stars feels generous. And why do people keep wasting Sherry Cola??? She's so funny! Give her more to do, people! 

4. 28 Years Later -  I knew that I had to watch both 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later before watching this because I have the WORST memory. I remember Cillian Murphy in a star-making performance and obviously that it's about zombies, but other than that - nothing. But I loved the rewatch. And then I actually don't think I've ever seen the sequel because I don't remember that cast at all (Jeremy Renner??? Idris Elba? ROSE BYRNE?!) and I actually assumed that it was bad - but I ended up thinking it was *just* as good as the first one. It feels like a completely different thing (makes sense with different writer/director), but still a strong story and some intense scenes (the helicopter scene!). It made me really look forward to this next chapter. I liked it a lot, but slightly less than both its predecessors. It starts off really great - with some stunning scenes. The whole bridge scene with them running from the alpha is incredible. But then it gets kind of old really quick. This kid takes his mom into a zombie infested area because there *might* be a doctor, but that doesn't seem like a logical thing to do. And Jodie Comer is completely wasted - she's barely conscious for half the movie. I'm not really the biggest Aaron Taylor-Johnson fan, but I do think he's best in roles like this (compared to action movies - please God do not make him Bond). But the star of the movie is Alfie Williams - he's an incredible newcomer who has a gigantic career ahead of him. But my other problem with this film is that I knew Jack O'Connell was in this, and Alfie has a resemblance - so I ASSUMED that there would be a time jump and O'Connell was an older Spike. So I kept WAITING for that to happen (as good as Alfie is, I'm a HUGE O'Connell fan) and *spoiler* it doesn't. Instead, O'Connell is only in the last few minutes (setting up for The Bone Temple), which is very disappointing. And his character is absolutely ridiculous. Anyway, there are a few good scenes along the way - the doctor scenes with Ralph Fiennes are great - it allows the story to settle and allows the characters to accept death in a really beautiful way. Overall, I did like this - I was just hoping for something a little stronger. And I thought I was watching a film starring Jodie Comer and Jack O'Connell and that's not the case at all. 

5. The Bad Guys 2 - I just realized that 4 out of 5 of these films are sequels (or trilogies), which is CRAZY. Not everything needs a sequel!! When people say "Hollywood is out of ideas" this is what they are referring to. This is definitely a movie that didn't need a sequel - it was a cute contained story about a group of criminals who turn good. The sequel would have to make them turn bad again, and that's stupid! They don't necessarily take that route - they aren't really bad, they are being framed - but it's still the same concept told over and over again. Aside from Awkwafina and Marc Maron (who still sounds like Danny DeVito in this), I love this voice cast - Sam Rockwell is so good! And I love the additions of Danielle Brooks and Natasha Lyonne. I'm still a bit "meh" on the movie though. It's cute and entertaining, but I will forget all about it in a few weeks. The plot is also really dumb with them literally stealing a space ship and using basically a magnet to steal all of the world's gold? What exactly is the plan after that? Who is going to buy all the gold that you stole? And then when the "bad guys" save the day, how is all that gold redistributed? LOL. I know I'm overthinking it, but it's just *so* stupid. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. The Fantastic 4: First Steps - I liked A LOT about this. It could have easily been a 4 star film and one of Marvel's best had they not fucked up the casting. As I expected, Pedro Pascal is extremely miscast as Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards. HOLY SHIT what an epic fuck up. As I've said in the past, I'm a big fan of Pascal - and I've been a fan from the beginning (Narcos bitches!), but there is such a thing as casting fatigue and he's definitely hit that point. But, he's also just not right for this role - he's far too introspective and quiet. He doesn't command a screen, which is necessary for this role. He was cast because they wanted a "big" name and someone who has led a franchise - and his success with The Mandalorian and The Last of Us (both of which Pascal is GREAT in) has proven that he's a successful name. But this is just such a misfire and I think most people could see that before even watching the movie. I also think Joseph Quinn is as dull as a rock as Johnny Storm. The whole movie relies on the chemistry between these four characters and they just don't have any. The banter between Johnny and The Thing (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach - and he's...neither here nor there. It's not really a hard role to play) is absolutely painful and feels so forced instead of natural familial bond/teasing chemistry. And Julia Garner as The Silver Surfer??? Give me a break! But the ray of light (*cue the Madonna song*) is Vanessa Kirby. She's a PERFECT Sue Storm and she's incredible in this movie, as a mother who will do anything to protect her baby. I also LOVE the retro aesthetic. It looks super-duper cool! I love how they introduce this story and the beginning is GREAT. They do a great job of providing some meta-type humor, but not relying on it completely (like the way in which they use "it's clobberin' time" from the original cartoon). There's a lot of cool details too - like the retro Dodgers hat that The Thing wears that has the capital B on it. I was SO confused at first because I thought it was a Boston hat, and there is NO WAY a NEW YORKER would wear a Boston hat, and then I remembered that in the 50s NYC had the Brooklyn Dodgers and in this parallel universe they didn't move to LA. That's a super nice touch. Although that means The Mets don't exist?? HOW RUDE! LOL. Anyway, overall, I enjoyed this a lot. It has a really good self-contained story, and I'm interested in how this family is going to fit into the future of the MCU. I just really wish it was with a different cast for most of it. Also, why is it called "First Steps" when it's not really an origin story? They quickly summarize the origin of their powers, but we don't really meet them until they are an already established super hero team. It's a weird choice. 

2. Ballad of a Small Player - This is fine, but ultimately forgettable. I think I was expecting something much stronger considering Colin Farrell is one of my favorite actors, and I think Edward Berger has two of the best directed films of the last five years under his belt (Conclave and All Quiet on the Western Front). And this film is really gorgeous - the color palette is stunning and really great locations. And, sure, Farrell is great because he always is. But I think the story is just a little weak. It's a very cliched tale of a gambler who just doesn't know when to quit ("Probability says I have to start winning" - lol that's not how it works, buddy). It also feels like it's trying to be quirky, especially with Tilda Swinton in the most Tilda Swinton role of her life (those glasses! Haha!). I did look up a bit about Macau while watching this because I always assumed that Monaco or Las Vegas were the world's largest gambling cities/centers but apparently it's Macau. I mean, I wouldn't go to China to visit, but I especially wouldn't go as a gambling addict! That seems risky - like life or death risky. Anyway, I don't have anything else to write about this, which is kind of disappointing. 

3. Play Dirty - This is another fine but forgettable movie. I was definitely entertained, but I usually am by Marky Mark action movies. It starts off really fun with a fantastic car chase through a horse race (not something you see every day), and an unexpected double-cross. Then some very James Bond-esque opening credits appear and then "directed by Shane Black" appears and I was like "WHAT?!!! This is a Shane Black joint? I had no idea! I'M IN!!". Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is one of my favorites, and I also loved The Nice Guys. But, unfortunately, I would not put this film in the same category. Other than a few really elaborate and fantastic action sequences (the opening scene and the Speed-like train jumping scene), there's not much to it. LaKeith Stanfield, as expected, is the highlight. He is HILARIOUS and I wish he had more scenes to chew. His "hola" greeting made me spit my tea out. I don't think I've ever seen Rosa Salazar in anything but Alita, and I'm not sure if I like her? It seemed like her timing was off with every line of dialogue. On a side-note, they use the song from that show How to Make it in America, which reminded me of how much I liked that show. And that song is such a great anthem for trying to succeed in NYC. It fits perfectly with the theme of this movie. 

4. Frankenstein (2025) - I have to be honest, I dreaded watching this. Gothic horror is just not my vibe, and I've been let down by Guillermo del Toro films before (The Shape of Water, Nightmare Alley). Plus, that runtime???? OOoooof. WHY?? I decided it was best to just rip the bandaid off and watch it the weekend it was released on Netflix, otherwise it was going to get forever moved down the list. And, overall, I was right. It's WAY too long, I'm let down by the structure of the story, and it's just not my vibe. But, it's a well-made, beautiful film, with strong imagery and solid performances. It's a 3.5 star film, but it's not something I will ever watch again. I read a lot of differing opinions and reviews for this because it's sort of fascinating just how differing they are - some citing it as one of the most beautiful films ever, and others calling it ugly and over-produced. I'm very much in the middle of these two - first, I watched it at home on Netflix instead of a theater. I think it would have been even more beautiful on a big screen. Those snow scenes are STUNNING. I do think it looks a little glossy, but it's not ugly by any stretch of the word. The monster design is also really, really beautiful. Jacob Elordi does a great job of capturing the physicality of this role. I don't think it's, like, Oscar-worthy as some are claiming. But it's great casting, and I think Elordi really put a lot of effort into making this character sympathetic and horrifying simultaneously. I'll be honest, I've never read this classic piece of literature, but I've seen many iterations of the story, so I can only compare it to those - and it is definitely among the strongest. But I do not like the two-part story structure. It's probably the biggest mistake. I also don't like starting the film with the end - it's just not an original or inventive way to tell this story. By the time it gets to the monster's perspective, I'm already bored. And that's my biggest problem with it - I was bored. I was not emotionally invested, I couldn't care less about what happens to any of these people (Mia Goth needed more to do! Even though she was TWO roles, it's still not enough!). And I hate seeing animals harmed (even if it's self-defense - it's not entertaining!). But I do see the appeal of this film - it's just not for me. 

5. The Cut - This is a weird movie. It's a boxing movie without the boxing (minus a quick scene in the beginning). It's about a boxer going to extreme lengths to make weight. I like that it shows that body standards is not strictly a female issue, as it's often talked about. Sure, I do think women have more pressure because the entertainment industry is still controlled by men, and judged harshly by women. But men, especially in sports, have insane body standards as well, which is often "fixed" by harmful drugs (steroids) and experimental and unsafe procedures. But it's not *just* in sports because actors are forced into these extreme body standards too, for specific roles - like action films (I always think of when Taron Egerton was in Kingsman - a role in which he had to train for months to look like that, and then his next role was Eddie the Eagle - in which he just had to look like a normal man. An interviewer pointed out how "chubby" he is in the latter, and he responded by saying "that's just how I look when I'm not getting paid to workout" (I'm paraphrasing because I don't remember the exact quote, but it stuck with me because it's important to remember that "Hollywood bodies" are not real - they are manufactured and a shitload of money is spent on training and dieting). Anyway, just as in the movie, Orlando Bloom had to go through some extreme dieting for this role. I actually read a review for this movie that raved about Bloom's performance, which is what made me interested in the film. I adore him. He's got a lot of charm, but he's not the best actor, and he's been miscast A LOT. But he is actually very good in this! Probably the best he's ever been. I think you can tell that this is a role that he really gave himself to. And his Irish accent...is...actually...good?!! HOLY SHIT! I mean, I actually googled whether he was actually Irish even though I knew damn well that he's not! I'm just not used to non-Irish actors doing an Irish accent well. It's a rarity, for sure. And Caitrione Balfe is also great. However, the film is dumb as fuck. The WHOLE movie is just about him losing weight. He has to lose 26lbs in 6 days, which is insane and also not possible. I wish they focused more on his obsession with boxing or winning or something to help us understand why someone would put themselves through this torture, but they don't dive deep at all. It's all surface. He has to lose weight. That's it. And then the ending is so fucking stupid - first, why would he wear an earring during the weigh-in? Isn't that weight? And wouldn't he shave off his beard and all of his hair? Instead *spoiler* he cuts off a finger. How is he supposed to box with a missing finger??? It's so dumb.