Posted on 12/31/2025 6:45:02 PM PST by sphinx
“The Ballad of Wallis Island”—One of 2025’s most endearing sleepers was this British comedy from director James Griffiths about a duo of folk singers, played by co-writer Tom Basden and Oscar-nominee Carey Mulligan, who travel to a Welsh island for a gig. Basden’s writing partner, Tim Key, plays the rich fan who encourages the duo to reunite for this performance. What follows is a film filled with big laughs and a startling amount of heart....
“Bugonia”—Based on Jang Joon-hwan’s 2003 film, “Save the Green Planet!”, Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest collaboration with actress Emma Stone is a galvanizing apocalyptic satire. She plays a chilly pharmaceutical CEO abducted by an irate employee (played frighteningly by Jesse Plemons) who is convinced that she is an alien hellbent on conquering humanity. From one scene to the next, the film keeps us guessing about the true nature of its characters, eliciting laughs that occasionally get caught in the viewer’s throat....
“Nouvelle Vague”—There are some films that are impossible for me to watch without wondering what Roger would have thought of them. I have a feeling he would have been utterly delighted by Richard Linklater’s meticulous recreation of the radically unconventional production days for Jean-Luc Godard’s profoundly influential 1959 masterpiece, “Breathless,” the picture often credited with birthing the French New Wave. Each legendary figure of the movement is so impeccably cast that there are times the film feels akin to time travel.
(Excerpt) Read more at rogerebert.com ...
More like a few weeks until they hit the streaming services.
That was my take too.
Although not listed I watched the movie Warfare last night on HBO Max. It was very good and a very realistic depiction of combat in the Iraq war.
I didn’t watch one movie released in 2025. Doubtful I will in 2026 either.
The Passion in 2004...
.
I went to an Theater to see an Early
Viewing of ‘The Jesus Revolution’.
Interesting Nostalgic Flick.
.
Since then it’s Been the Series;
“The Chosen”
.
I just Can’t watch broadcast TV.
Been buying DVDs since 2000 so
I’ve got a library of 2nd hand.
.
Nuremberg is the only movie from 2025 that I went to see. It was great, but very sad.
Yes, If I really like a movie, I will often buy a hardcopy, and recommend it to others.
Loved that movie!
I never saw “Fatman”, but I did hear it was good. I cannot say if it is or isn’t a good or bad movie...I didn’t see it because the theme didn’t appeal to me. But I will take that as a recommendation from you and will reconsider...:)
Happy New Year!
I watched “A Call To Spy” on Amazon Prime. It is about women who volunteered to go to France to spy on the NAZIs. Later I looked the women up, found it was a true story. Those were amazing women. Only a few made it out alive.
Oops, me bad.
You commented on “galvanizing apocalyptic satire.” That was a reference to Bugonia, but I had some late night brain fade and jumped to Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, which is probably at the top of my 2026 watch list.
I tend to lean towards classic indie character dramas, which tend to be quieter, introspective movies. YMMV. But I also like sci-fi, which can be all over the map tonally and thematically. Bugonia and GLHFDD are two examples of non-gadgetry sci-fi that pushes some genre boundaries. Sci-fi fans should be aware of both.
GLHFDD is said to be a sci-fi action/adventure/comedy/drama/horror mashup, and someone like Gore Verbinski may be unhinged enough to make it work. The two genre festival audiences that have seen it loved it. It will be playing at the Palm Springs festival over the next week. It’s supposed to hit theaters in February.
I love the low budget indie films that occasionally find a way to break out and become surprise hits. Given that they kept costs down (I presume by keeping salaries low, perhaps with a percentage of the backend if it’s successful, and not chasing big special effects), the film doesn’t need tentpole numbers at the box office to be successful for its production team. And if it breaks out, they might make bank.
May it make bank.
More than a few of the big studio “flops” are actually reasonably decent films; they’re labelled flops because the big studios are locked into a high cost production system which then drives them to big expenditures on promotion to protect their investment which then loops back to a dismally risk averse, stick-to-the-formula attitude in the C Suite. They’re in a doom loop.
Keep the costs down so you can afford to take some risks. Not everything will work, but make small bets, prudently managed. That’s where today’s surprisingly good surprise films come from. They’re mostly not from the bloated bureaucratic legacy studios; they’re from the scrappy independents.
GLHFDD is rumored to be surprisingly low budget. Sam Rockwell’s “junkyard astronaut” costume started when Gore Verbinski and some buddies went down to a used electronics warehouse — the last stop for old junk before the junkyard — and picked up cool looking parts that they could attach to a homemade suit. (If the movie catches fire, this could be THE Halloween costume of 2026.) They weren’t afraid to be a little campy (Galaxy Quest, anyone?), and they weren’t afraid to maybe trigger the Karens, who petrify the studios but not Gore Verbinski.
Ford v Ferrari
I didn’t see any of the movies listed. Not a single one. None of them even sounds interesting. Hollywood continues to put out crap. I prefer old film noir movies from the 30’s-60’s. Much better than any thing that is put out today. Better stories and actors. None of the homo pervert stuff they force upon us today. The opinions expressed in this review are mine, and mine alone. They do not represent the views of the management of FR, or any of it’s posters (except me). Just the 2 cents of an old guy who has been around for a while.
Not 2025 film, but I watched Chuck Heston in his first movie “Peer Gynt” last night. Filmed in 1941 by rank amateurs, but the 17 year old Heston was already making interesting acting choices. Highly recommend for film history purposes.
You are not the only one here who has been around awhile.
But I understand your point of view. When it comes to popular music, broadly defined, I even share your view. Popular/pop/rock/folk/country/name your genre ... it all peaked with the Kingston Trio and has been all downhill ever since.
Oh sure, there may have been the occasional ok song here and there, but nothing that is worth trying to find. Just delete everything less than 60 years old and be done with it.
All culture is dead. It belongs in museums.
Same for sports. In football, everything since the wishbone formation is a waste of time. In fact, everything since they allowed two platoon football and players no longer had to go both ways is a waste of time.
The opinions expressed in this review are mine, and mine alone. They do not represent the views of the management of FR, or any of it’s posters (except me). Just the 2 cents of an old guy who has been around for a while.
I do, however, make an exception for movies. Some good movies are still made, even today. But you won’t know that unless you actually watch a few of them.
There’s a channel on TV I’ve just found out about called Movies.
I watched Flying Down to Rio, Gay Divorcee and I Married a Witch yesterday.
The latter is Rene Clair in the US. I’d never seen one of his US movies.
Thanks for the ping.
I just watched Train Dreams recently. Excellent film.
How strange. I watched Weapons sometime in the past week. I know I enjoyed it but realize now that I also don’t remember a thing about it.
Wasn’t it? Compelling “everyman” story. What a tragedy.
YMMV!
Happy New year to you and yours!
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