Director: Mark Fischbach
Starring: Mark Fischbach, Caroline Rose Kaplan & Troy Baker
Rated: R (language, bloody images & some gore)
Runtime: 2 hours & 7 minutes

 
“Iron Lung” is an indie game with a relatively simple premise. You are sealed away in a submarine on a strange moon that is covered in an ocean of blood - navigate and document the ocean floor while surviving whatever threats might be down there with you.
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When I heard that YouTuber Markiplier (Mark Fischbach) was going to adapt this game into a movie, I was immediately interested and wanted to see what feature-length story could come from such a quick but unique gaming experience.

To set your entire film in one location, with (mostly) one actor on screen for the entire movie, while also trying to hold an audience's attention for two hours, is a major leap to take. I’m glad to say that I think it pays off in “Iron Lung.” You feel as trapped as the protagonist does within this strange metal vessel. There are scenes that made me hold my breath because they felt so cramped and claustrophobic. Although it is small, the space is very well thought out and remains faithful to the design of its reference material. They really played in that cramped space too - opting for a lot of “fly on the wall” shots that trap you in a ship with a man losing his mind. 

Speaking of a man losing his mind, let’s talk about performance. I genuinely think Fischbach is a good actor. I did have Markiplier-Blindness for the first few minutes of the film, being that it felt hard to say, “This isn’t Mark, this is Simon (his character).” It did feel like I was going to wait for him to do something silly to lighten the tense mood, but I’m glad to say that that feeling faded away fairly quickly. Fischbach really got into it for this one - a mirror of how he got into performing a similar role while actually playing the game on his channel. He shifts the weight of his performance very well. Being trapped in a metal tube at the bottom of a blood ocean obviously calls for very heavy and stressful scenes, but Fischbach finds a way to balance those scenes with flecks of humor and sympathy that don’t take you out of the moment. He feels very human in a film where his humanity is being held captive. 

David Szymanski’s games all have such unique designs and vibes. Lots of blood, twisted gods and the unnerving presence of the unknown. As previously mentioned, the submarine is a faithful adaptation of the ship from the original game, but this film really takes flight in how it expands the world of “Iron Lung.” We get a lot of lore thrown out in chunks that are relatively easy to follow, even for those without prior knowledge of the game’s lore; however, I can definitely see how people might get lost in all of it. We get a better idea of the kind of people who would weld someone into a death trap before throwing them into the unknown, and of what you would have to do to meet that fate. But it all really shines with my favorite Szymanski staple: the horror of the unknown. An old god haunting you and hunting you from the depths of a blood ocean is such a sick concept that “Iron Lung” plays with. I enjoy the fact that we got to lean more into that eldritch aspect, both through the insanity and CO2 poisoning of our protagonist, as well as through the presence of such a massive, mind-splitting entity that claims to be a god. And the monster design is top-notch. Moving from PSX graphics to a feature film with such a clear translation of what you intend for the monster to be is one of the home runs of this whole production. Massive kudos to Fischbach and his team for really capturing the essence of this indie horror game in a film.

The soundtrack for this film is astounding. It evokes the ship's heavy, creaking nature while also playing on the fact that our protagonist is alone in an unknown world. The soundtrack really makes you feel like you are traveling into that deep and dark unknown. Kudos to Andrew Hulshult on capturing such an eerie vibe.

I also feel like a lot of this could be an allegory of cancer. I know cancer has affected Fischbach’s life in the past, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this film has nods to that. I have seen so many loved ones go through that fight with cancer that I can’t help but see a lot of that in this film. Being plunged into such an unknown world. Not knowing whether you will make it out. The dread and loneliness of going through this on your own. Accompany all of this with some of the latter body horror of the film - your body shifting against your will and becoming unrecognizable while remaining human - and I can’t help but see that horrible unknown that is cancer. Again, I don’t know if it was intentional. I could be reading way too far into this, but I have major respect for it either way.

This film has done the unthinkable and become a mass-released indie film that is self-produced, published, directed and written by one creative and his team. This could have crazy implications for the future of cinema. As an aspiring filmmaker and actor, I hope this will open the door to more indie films receiving wider releases. Now - yes - this was an indie release by probably one of the most recognizable YouTubers out there, but it’s still a statement. Take more risks. Work with passion. Don’t be afraid of the obscure. I hope this film lights a spark that will continue to grow in a healthy direction.

Markiplier’s big screen debut was a success. I think it took a big swing with a lot of risks and still came out the other side as the victor. I loved the designs, the energy and the presentation.

Director: Johannes Roberts
Starring: Miguel Torres Umba, Johnny Sequoyah & Jess Alexander
Rating: R (strong bloody violent content, gore, language & some drug use)
Runtime: 1 hour & 29 minutes

“Primate” is exactly what it says on the box: watch a family get attacked by their pet chimp. It’s not a novel idea, but that doesn’t make this film a flop. Drawing on those graphic and real stories of tragic ape attacks, “Primate” starts right off the bat with a gory and intense energy that it manages to keep relatively afloat throughout its runtime.

The only real hold-up I had was the dialogue and some performances in the non-ape-related portions of the film. Obviously, we have to get to know the characters and flesh them out before we let a chimp rip them apart, but a few of them feel very flat. I get that this is a horror film and that some of the characters are only here as ape-fodder. It’s what they wrote on the box; however, I do wish the dialogue flow and the motivation of a few side characters were a little stronger. I will say that some of the flatter side characters do a good job of elevating the protagonist and supporting cast, so I think it all served its purpose.

I have to tell you - although I have said this a few times now - this film is intense. If you can’t stomach gore (especially when you’re right up on it), I’m not going to suggest this for you. The first five minutes has an incredibly grisly death that I could see my more squeamish friends having to step out for if they chose to see it. With that being said, the practical effects in this film are insane! All of these gruesome deaths are highlighted by the realistic touch that you can only get from practical effects. Lots of goop in this here film. 

Bouncing off of that, one thing I wish I hadn’t known when going into the film is that the chimp is done with practical effects. No, they didn’t use a real chimp. I had read that they opted for an actor in a chimp costume before I had even considered seeing this film. I wish I had that saved for me until after the film so I could get the big reveal, because, boy howdy, does that chimp look real. Major props to whoever worked on and operated the suit, and huge shout-out to Miguel Torres Umba for his performance as Ben (the chimp). Wow. What a cherry on top for such an interesting film.

This is the chimpanzee horror film. Although this isn’t inherently a new idea, its execution as an ape-gone-bad is really well done. Ben the chimp hasn’t taken his turn for the worse because of some space rock, or demons, or some sort of cruel scientific research. This is a family pet/friend who is attacking the ones he loves due to natural causes I won’t spoil (though it’s explained right at the start of the film). I love that they take a more natural approach with this because apes are fucking scary. To no one’s surprise, I like apes very much, and I think they are so cool. I also know they are crazy strong, very quick learners and sometimes very cruel animals. That’s what makes this film hit so well. It could be real. A chimpanzee could rip you limb from limb. A chimpanzee could just decide to pull your face off. A chimpanzee could be an antagonist in your life if you suddenly found it in your home. It all works so well, and it definitely plays into why this film has stuck with me.

Last year, my biggest wish for the Academy Awards was for Ariana Grande to win Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Wicked.” When she did not prevail, and the Oscar went to Zoe Saldana for “Emilia Perez” instead, I held onto the hope that Grande could potentially get nominated and win for the second part of the film. After seeing “Wicked For Good,” I knew that the best part of the entire film was Grande’s performance. That is why when the reviews for the second part were not as strong as the first, I still felt Grande could not only get nominated but also win. She was so deserving. After all, she completed Glinda’s arc perfectly. We see Glinda finally stand up for what is right. I was so saddened when the Oscar nominations came out on Thursday and Grande’s name wasn't among the nominees. There is no doubt, though, that people will remember her performance for years to come. Some things are better than awards.  

There is no doubt that 2025 was a year of incredible international films. “Sentimental Value,” “Sirat,” “The Secret Agent” and the one that really deserved to get into Best Picture: “It Was Just An Accident.” The Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi truly made a masterpiece. “It Was Just An Accident” even won the prestigious Palm d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. When the nominations for Best Picture were revealed, “Sentimental Value” and “The Secret Agent” were able to crack the top 10 but unfortunately, “It Was Just An Accident” had to settle for just an International Feature Film nod, along with Screenplay. This film highlights the oppression of the Iranian government and the role that everyday people play in it. The last frame of the film is etched into my memory forever. It is truly a mark of an excellent filmmaker. 

Joel Edgerton’s performance in “Train Dreams” is absolutely heartbreaking and devastating. He plays Robert Grainier, a very hardworking everyman living in the Pacific Northwest. Robert is a man of few words who has the same dreams most of us have - love, kids, a home and a job to provide for his family. Robert has to endure so much loss in his lifetime. Edgerton’s performance is quiet but devastating. Robert reminds me so much of my grandfather. The thing that really makes Edgerton's missing out sting worse is that “Train Dreams” got into Best Picture. The film could not have been nominated for Best Picture without Edgerton’s beautiful performance.  

​​One of the biggest snubs of the day was, no doubt, Chase Infiniti for Best Leading Actress. “One Battle After Another” received 13 Academy Award nominations. The film was very much on everyone’s radar and remains the favorite to win Best Picture of the Year. The only major nomination it missed was Infiniti's entry in Best Leading Actress. Chase Infiniti plays Leonardo DiCaprio’s daughter, Willow, who is kidnapped and has to fight and stand up for herself. The only thing I questioned about Warner Bros.’ Oscar strategy was the campaign for Infiniti in the Leading Actress category. She is only in 31 minutes of the 2 hours and 40 minutes of the movie. I think Warner Bros. just didn’t want her to have to compete with Teyana Taylor, but I think this is what hurt her chances the most. I still feel like she should have been included. Her performance is Oscar-worthy.  

“Weapons,” directed by Zach Cregger, is a film that many people told me to watch for months. I am just not someone who normally watches horror films. It did appear, though, from the trailer that it was mostly a thriller. I finally decided to give it a chance. The mystery surrounding “Weapons” is what happened to the kids from the same classroom who disappeared. Only one student is accounted for. The film is gripping and thrilling, leaving you on the edge of your seat. The film also introduces us to one of the most memorable characters of the 21st century: Aunt Gladys, played by Oscar nominee Amy Madigan. Madigan was rightfully nominated for Best Supporting Actress, but I wish the film had also been nominated for Best Picture and even Best Original Screenplay. Unfortunately, the Oscar nominations for this film vanished just as the children did. 

Director: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck & Steven Yeun
Rated: R (language & violence)
Runtime: 1 hour & 53 minutes 

 
There are multiple types of “Netflix movies.” You have the prestige types – the ones Netflix hopes can compete for awards (i.e., “Roma,” “The Irishman,” “Train Dreams”). You have the blockbusters, except on Netflix, they’re almost always disappointing blockbusters (i.e., “The Electric State,” “Rebel Moon”). You have low-budget, made-for-TV-quality films (all starring Lindsay Lohan).

What there hasn’t been enough of when it comes to Netflix original films are movies that are just good and fun, and made for adults, without aspiring to be anything more than a good time.

That’s where director/screenwriter Joe Carnahan’s “The Rip” comes in. “The Rip” is a good, old-fashioned crime drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat because for most of the nearly two-hour runtime, you can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys. It’s the kind of film that used to do well in cinemas before all moviegoers wanted to go to their local Cineplex for was I.P., sequels and prequels.

“The Rip,” based on a true story of Miami-Dade County Sheriff Chris Casiano, stars old pals Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as TNT (Tactical Narcotics Team) members Dane Dumars and JD Byrne, respectively, who recently lost their captain to murder, and the feds believe one of their crew may have been behind it. The remainder of the crew is Teyana Taylor’s Numa Baptiste, Catalina Sandino Moreno as Lolo Salazar and Steven Yeun as Mike Ro. At times during the film, it seems as if any or all of them may have been involved in the death of their captain, which speaks to the fun and intrigue of Carnahan’s script. Kyle Chandler, who deserves more and bigger film roles, also shows up as DEA Agent Matty Nix, who used to work with Dumars and Byrne.

When Damon’s Dumars gets a crime tip about a cash stash at a drug house, a game of cat and mouse ensues for both the law enforcement involved and the audience to figure out who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. And this, when done right – even if it may follow some cliches of the genre – is always a fun watch.

I’ve always loved movies that can keep your attention piqued, while not giving the audience numerous locations, and “The Rip” does a great job at doing that, while the TNT members are kept at the drug house, where they are forced to count their findings (which wind up being $20 million), while being threatened and hunted by what they assume to be the cartel.

The “whodunnit” aspect of “The Rip,” and at times in the film, I literally suspected every one of the main characters (except for Affleck’s Byrne) could’ve been involved in their captain’s murder, keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time, until it culminates in a fantastically tense scene in the back of an armored vehicle.

Director: Jafar Panahi
Starring: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari & Ebrahim Azizi
Rated: PG-13 (thematic elements, violence, strong language and smoking)
Runtime: 1 hour & 43 minutes

​Until recently, I was never one to watch foreign-language films. It made me feel disconnected from the movie, having to read what they were saying while the action was unfolding. However, back in 2019, director Bong Joon Ho released one of the best films of all time: the Best Picture Oscar winner “Parasite.” The movie was gripping, thrilling and unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was then and there that I decided that if a film was getting a lot of buzz and praise, I would not let the fact that it was in a foreign language stop me from watching it.  
 
This year, there have been some incredible international films. Norway’s “A Sentimental Value,” Brazil’s “The Secret Agent,” and the best one, Iran’s “It Was Just an Accident.” After watching “It Was Just An Accident,” it is not shocking to learn that it won the Palm d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Jafar Panahi, the film follows Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), a car mechanic who helps a man with a prosthetic leg (Ebrahim Azizi), repair his car after he accidentally hits and kills a dog. When the mysterious man calls his mother on the phone, Vahid becomes convinced that this man is Eghbal, his former tormentor when he was in an Iranian prison. Vahid follows him and kidnaps him, preparing to kill him. The man claims not to be Eghbal, and since Vahid was blindfolded during the imprisonment, he becomes unsure. Vahid seeks out help from other people who had been imprisoned by Eghbal: Shiva (Mariam Afshari), Goli (Hadis Pakbaten), Ali (Majid Panahi) and Hamid (Mohammad Ali Elyasmehr). The stakes keep rising as they try to figure out whether they have the right man.  
 
Panahi has been in hot water for the release of this film because it criticizes the Iranian government and highlights its unfair oppression of its citizens. The Iranian government claims the film is unfounded propaganda aimed at them, but over 150 artists signed a public statement applauding Panahi as an “outstanding and courageous Iranian filmmaker.” It took courage to make this film. Panahi not only highlighted the oppression of the Iranian government but also made one of the best films of the year in the process. 
 
Panahi’s direction deserves the Oscar for Best Director (though Paul Thomas Anderson is likely the front-runner for “One Battle After Another.” His vision in all the elements of telling this story is near perfection. Our hearts are racing as our protagonist tries his best to uncover the truth. The man could very well be innocent, and all of this could be a big misunderstanding. The uncertainty of his identity keeps us enthralled. Panahi has us going back and forth on what we believe the truth to be. The screenplay is absolutely brilliant. There are so many additional complications in the story that leave us glued to the screen until the final scene. The final shot of this film will stay with me forever. That is truly the mark of a remarkable director: making those choices that make their film stand out as something original and unlike anything we have ever seen. 

One thing that truly shocked me was learning that only the main actor, Vahid Mobasseri, is a professional actor. All of the other cast members are not formally trained in the field, but this also allows for the performances to feel more grounded in reality. The fact that Panahi gets these amazing performances from non-professional actors is remarkable. Panahi helps these newly hired actors find their characters' voices, turning them into people we genuinely care about. I would have never suspected that most of the cast was not formally trained.

If you are someone who wants to see a truly thrilling and gripping movie, it would be no accident for you to choose “It Was Just an Accident.”  

Director: Joachim Trier
Starring: Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgard & Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas 
Rated: R (language & brief nudity)
Runtime: 2 hours & 13 minutes

​In this year’s Oscar race, you will notice that there are a lot of international films getting a lot of attention. “The Secret Agent” from Brazil, “It Was Just An Accident” from France, “Sirat” from Spain and “No Other Choice” from South Korea have been nominated in award show categories that are not just limited to the Foreign Language Film category. There are many movie lovers who do not give foreign-language films a chance because they have to read subtitles to understand what is going on. This is the year in cinema to start going out of your comfort zone if this applies to you. If you are going to give foreign language films a chance, I suggest you start with Norway’s “Sentimental Value.”  

“Sentimental Value” is directed by Joachim Trier, who co-wrote it with Eskil Vogt. The story follows two daughters, Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), as they navigate a difficult and complex relationship with their father, film director Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgard, who just won the Golden Globe for his performance). When Nora and Agnes were little, their parents divorced, and Gustav left his wife to raise the two girls while he pursued his career as a film director. Upon the death of their mother, Sissel, Gustav returns to Norway and offers Nora a role in his new film. Nora is an actress with modest success, but she turns him down without even reading the script. She does not want any involvement with him at all. When she passes, Gustav offers the role to American actress Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning). The daughters are rattled to see how much better he treats Rachel than he treats them.  

Trier and Vogt’s script is brilliant. This is such a brutally honest look at how two people can be raised by the same person, have the same feelings towards them, but can turn out way different. Agnes is a historian with a husband and child, and she seems to be able to hold it together when it comes to their dad. On the other hand, Nora is an actress who suffers from severe stage fright, is having an affair with a married man and spirals very easily with any adversity. The script would be fantastic even if we stopped there, but the film goes even deeper. We get to see how Gustav loves his daughters, but in a way most of us are not accustomed to. He has his own baggage, and that carried over into the lives of his children for better or for worse. It really teaches us that when we have parents who are not the best, we can choose to be better and do better, or we can let it break us for the rest of our lives. While it could be easy for the film to judge Gustav, it simply lays everything out as it is and lets us draw our own conclusions. There are no black-and-white areas in life. It is all grey. 

Besides the amazing script, this film is full of performances destined for Academy Award nominations. Reinsve, who previously worked with Trier in 2021’s “The Worst Person in the World,” plays Nora to perfection. She is such an emotionally complex character and could have been played very one-note by an actress of lesser caliber. Reinsve delivers and truly makes us feel connected to all of those complicated emotions Nora is going through. Lilleaas is equally as good. The line she has to play is a difficult one. Agnes is more accepting of Gustav, but not fully. She wants to keep the peace but also wants people to be held accountable. It was truly a difficult role to hit all of those notes, and she does it flawlessly. Skarsgard truly plays this complex father magnificently. He is able to balance being charming, mysterious and infuriating at the same time. Fanning’s portrayal of American actress Rachel Kemp is also refreshing. Rachel is truly an artist who wants the film to be made right, even if it doesn’t include her. That is truly something that is probably rare for Hollywood, where people most likely take what they can get. 

My final movie selection for 2025 from the highest-ranked films on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time that I hadn’t previously seen was 1959’s “Some Like It Hot,” from one of my favorite directors, Billy Wilder.

Wilder is one of the greatest directors in film history, but everything I’d seen from his filmography before this had been dark dramas like “Double Indemnity,” “Sunset Boulevard,” “Ace in the Hole” and “The Lost Weekend,” with the first three being among my all-time favorite films.

“Some Like It Hot” is quite a bit different than those films in that it’s a comedy, but not only that, it’s quite slapstick too, with its cross-dressing humor and all, some of which I was surprised the film got away with in the 1950s.

“Some Like It Hot” stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as musicians in Prohibition-era Chicago who make a living playing jazz in the city’s speakeasies. When they witness a mob massacre and escape the mobsters, they are forced to dress like women and join an all-girl traveling band to Miami. Curtis’s Joe becomes Josephine and Lemmon’s Jerry becomes Daphne, because he didn’t quite like the way Geraldine sounded.   

The two sort of fight over Marilyn Monroe’s singer/ukulele player Sugar Kane, though they must play it cool because they can’t give up their true identities. This leads Curtis to take another fake identity as a British oil magnate, whose accent makes me wonder whether Michael Caine got his naturally or just by mimicking this character.  

Meanwhile, Lemmon’s Daphne gets stuck with a genuine rich guy in Joe E. Brown’s Osgood Fielding III. A lot of the film’s best humor comes from this oddball relationship.

Surprisingly, “Some Like It Hot” didn’t seem as outdated in 2025 as one might expect, with much of its plot and humor of said plot coming from two men being forced to cross-dress. The film contains one of the absolute greatest final lines of dialogue in cinematic history. However, if you’re like me and waited this long to watch the movie, you’ve probably known it for years before actually seeing it.

All in all, I think I appreciate Wilder’s dramas a bit more than I did “Some Like It Hot,” which isn’t all that surprising to me, as someone whose list of favorite films ever would feature more dramatic films heavily over comedic ones.

Of the 12 films featured on the AFI list that I saw for the first time in 2025, I think the best overall is probably Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List,” and my personal favorite of the 12 was likely Frank Capra’s “It Happened One Night.”

When I started watching the third installment of the ‘Knives Out’ movie series, “Wake Up Dead Man,” I was expecting the typical twists and turns of a unique mystery, with the humor and pridefulness of the beloved and brilliant detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) leading the way.

What I got instead was a lesson in faith.  

As a cradle Catholic, I’ll admit that when I watch secular media trying to portray something related to Catholicism, I get a bit nitpicky. It drives my husband nuts.

But honestly, consult any Catholic ahead of a big blockbuster movie or TV show, and they’ll be able to clarify things like how it’s called a Mass, not a service, and no one ever says “priest-in-training”; they are seminarians. It might seem small, but it irks me because it’s so easy to hire a consultant, and it’s clear to viewers who know the subject whether or not you genuinely care about portraying something accurately.

It's why I have so much respect and admiration for director and writer Rian Johnson for reaching out to some experts for “Wake Up Dead Man.” According to an early December article in OSV News, a Catholic wire service, Johnson, who was raised Christian but is no longer in a faith, realized while writing his script that something wasn’t right. He reached out to his Catholic aunt and uncle, who connected him with Father Scott Bailey, pastor at Risen Christ Catholic Parish in Denver, who ultimately became the film's faith consultant.

This move clearly changed everything. From the correct priestly vestments to portraying what priestly ministry should be, this movie checked off most of the Catholic boxes.

Set in Upstate New York, the film opens with a young priest, Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor), punching a deacon. While even the bishop admitted the deacon needed a sock in the jaw, Father Jud is reassigned as assistant pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude, aptly named, of course, since Father Jud will need it between navigating the self-righteous Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin) and a cast of parishioners that our bishop in Little Rock, Ark., would characterize as “high-maintenance sheep” in the flock.

The mystery angle is that somehow Msgr. Wicks winds up dead in a side closet off the altar during Good Friday service (the only celebration actually called a “service”). But, unlike the other ‘Knives Out’ movies, this one is not about Blanc’s brilliance, and he’s not the star.

It focuses instead on Father Jud, good versus evil and the way holy zeal can be perverted into something dark when the light is snuffed out by pride, vengeance and prejudice. It’s truly a movie about mercy.

O’Connor gives one of my favorite and most accurate portrayals of a young priest I've ever seen on screen. For seven and a half years, I was the associate editor of my diocese’s (essentially the main office for Catholic parishes within a state where the bishop resides) newspaper, and during that time, I had the great pleasure of getting to know the over 100 priests in our state. And the first thing I learned was that priests are not perfect. They are truly people, flawed individuals with a vocation in life to be “in persona Christi” (Latin for, “in the person of Christ”).

In Father Jud, I saw many characteristics of the young priests I knew who grew up under the guidance of Pope Francis and his call to have the “smell of the sheep,” ministering on the margins. There is no longer room in the world for priests on pedestals anymore. Respect must be given, not demanded, and it’s so easy to respect priests who are like Father Jud.

A former boxer-turned-priest, the character has a strong desire to meet the people he shepherds in their brokenness. It’s a challenging task against the old guard of Msgr. Wicks. If I ever met a pastor who embodied Msgr. Wicks, I’d run far away, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t see some of his same arrogance, thirst for power and resistance to change in some priests I met. I absolutely did, in smaller, less outrageous doses.

Our country is wrapped up in an “us versus them” mentality, something some religious leaders, mostly evangelicals, but even some Catholic priests, are latching onto. It’s a warrior mentality, but Jesus didn’t come to us as a warrior. He came to us as a baby, a sacrificial lamb that transformed the world with his love and mercy.

The imperfect character of Father Jud is well aware that the Church’s stance on being “in” the world, not “of” the world, means being Christ’s light in the darkness, not shielding the light for only a few. It’s clearly a commentary on the direction we’re heading as a society, and which school of thought we should follow. We are ultimately all “dead men” needing to wake up. 

Amid all the chaos, Father Jud grows in beautiful ways throughout the script. While he gets caught up in clearing his name as a killer in Blanc’s quest to untangle the web, there’s a poignant moment that stops him, pushing him right back to his priestly mission.

At Blanc’s encouragement, Father Jud is trying desperately to find out a key piece of information from a construction company’s secretary named Louise (Bridget Everett). He’s quickly getting annoyed, rushing her babbling and even gives the go-ahead for Blanc to smash a statue of Jesus in his desire to find the next clue.

But everything changes when she asks him to pray for her. The camera zooms in on O’Connor’s face, and the shift in his expression completely pierced my heart. He stops, asks what’s wrong and learns her mother is in hospice care. He quietly walks into the other room, shuts the door and leaves a stunned Blanc to tend to this woman’s hurt.

He calls it his “road to Damascus” moment, hearkening to the spiritual awakening experienced by the Apostle Paul (formerly Saul). And from then on, Father Jud is firm on his footing in Christ and does his best to protect his parishioners, even to his own detriment.

At the movie’s end, Blanc will experience his own “road to Damascus” moment. Blanc, as he puts it, kneels at the altar of the rational and isn’t about to convert, but he can’t help but be changed and inspired by Father Jud. When the two first meet, Blanc explains his thoughts on religion, and Father Jud doesn’t argue with him, but rather emphasizes how the stories of faith can transform what we believe and how we live. Faith without action is dead, and Father Jud spends the whole movie living out that truth. It demonstrates how believers can transform lives by embodying the virtues of their faith, even among the most hardened non-believers.

It was beautiful to see such a positive, real example of a priest in a non-Christian-based movie. I hope that anyone watching this movie, whether they’re a believer or not, gets inspired by Father Jud’s spirituality because it’s in the small moments of mercy that we can change the world.

10. Marty Supreme  
I have to imagine it was much easier to be as cocky as the titular character is in 1952, especially when feeling like you're at the center of a particular universe. That Timothy Chalamet seemingly possesses the same level of confidence as his on-screen counterpart in 2025 - when the internet can make you feel like little more than another pebble on the beach in less than an instant - is what sells us on the promise of Marty Mauser's skill and charisma even as he continually digs himself out of holes only to step in bigger piles of shit on his way up. In true Safdie fashion, Marty's world is a stage - the soundtrack and score choices being deployed at the most magnificent of times is *chef's kiss* - where both ours and the character's expectations are rarely met as anticipated; disappointedly so often only for the characters while we, the audience, become enraptured in this tornado of intense fear, anxiety and tension. The pattern can become slightly predictable, and the pacing can't always sustain the bloated runtime. Still, much like the titular character himself, it is the ambition that endears us despite any obvious faults. The magnetism, the aura and the personality exuded in both the central performance and the construction of the film take “Marty Supreme” to the extreme. Now playing in theaters.

9. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
It was only a matter of time before Rian Johnson used the church and religion as a means for one of his ‘Knives Out’ vehicles and as someone who can both very much relate to  Benoit Blanc's position in this film (love the hair btw) while keeping my balances in check enough to understand and more critically - empathize with - Josh O'Connor's Father Jud, “Wake Up Dead Man” is everything one might hope for from Johnson's exploration of faith while not necessarily meeting the expectations he has set for us with his first two whodunits (albeit by a very small margin). As a result, ‘Kniv3s Out’ feels like an expertly concocted film where the genre serves the themes but the subject matter doesn't always allow the murder mystery aspects to excel; serving them well but not necessarily surpassing what Johnson has done in the past even as one can feel the writer/director pushing himself, invoking the classics in hopes they lead him to fresh deviations on these types of stories. Now streaming on Netflix.

8. Materialists
The power of love. It’s a curious thing, yeah? I think to understand a person’s reaction to Celine Song’s “Materialists,” one has to state their opinion on and experiences with love, as the film itself, presented as something of a Woody Allen-esque dramedy analyzing and deconstructing the modernity of the ever-mystifying subject, isn’t necessarily open for interpretation but does seemingly welcome a conversation. Whether dominated by optimism or pessimism, one’s outlook on love - or at least their most recent romantic experiences - will undoubtedly shade their opinion of what Song is attempting to do with her sophomore feature. Personally, I’m lucky enough to say that love did walk into my life one day, and that it’s been relatively easy ever since. Maybe we were too young and naive to realize the business aspect of marriage or to care about whether we were statistically a good match for one another, but it’s worked because love has been on the table from moment one. My personal experiences don’t necessarily align with Song’s points as they play out in the movie, but our ideas are similar enough for me to support the thesis comfortably. On the contrary, it’s not hard to see why someone with different experiences might come to the end of “Materialists” with a more frustrated, less tidy retort. Now available on physical media and streaming on HBO Max.

7. Weapons
The weight the image of these children running out of their houses in the middle of the night carries while their parents lay asleep, oblivious to what is happening outside their rooms is so stressful. It will go down as a classic. Josh Brolin's character sleeping in his missing son's bed night after night clutching the sheets is heartbreaking and almost every moment we get with the tender-natured Alex during what is essentially an "explanation montage" is so cold and psychologically damaging that the film becomes even more disturbing than initially expected. And sure, Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong and Austin Abrams - all good - are the stars here but it is Cary Christopher delivering one hell of a child performance with Amy Madigan absolutely nailing what writer/director Zach Cregger so clearly had in his mind for a character that was nowhere to be found in the marketing that balances the film's organic humor and willful dread, elevating it to something more; something hauntingly sublime. I'm also glad Cregger finally got to utilize the potato peeler because you just know he's been sitting on that idea/image for a long ass time. Now available on physical media and streaming on HBO Max.

6. F1: The Movie
My sense is present day criticism might be too quick to dismiss “F1: The Movie” as too formulaic (pun intended) for its own good, but I cannot help but think the formula will work in favor of the film eventually. Despite the predictability, despite audiences knowing where this road will take them as they pass all the recognizable milestones of the genre along the way, none of it means it’s *not* what people want to see. Audiences are aware of how archetypal these characters are, but Brad Pitt and co. offer enough acuity to alleviate the clichés while easily being the best summer blockbuster-esque theater experience of the year. It checks all the boxes, sure, but it sustains itself and successfully uses said formula to deliver a familiar yet satisfying experience in the present thanks to its handsome mounting and carving out of enough distinguishing facets in its otherwise boilerplate set of story and character beats that will inevitably serve as comfort when revisited down the road. Now available on physical media and streaming on Apple TV.

5. Bring Her Back
The hook may not be as catchy as the one in “Talk to Me,” but the textures around many of the same themes resonate more deeply. As a parent I can’t imagine losing one of my children and would admittedly do whatever I could to save their life. I don't know that I could ever cop to the supernatural enough to try anything remotely close to what is happening in “Bring Her Back,” but especially doing so at the cost of robbing others of what was taken from me is incomprehensible. Each of the children in this film have stories so heartbreaking and tragic, and it's how the Philippou brothers match the barbarity of the violence depicted with the depth and authenticity of the characterizations and their relationships with one another that make their films not necessarily scary, but legitimately disturbing. I was gasping for air by the third act. Now available on physical media and streaming on HBO Max. 

4. The Secret Agent
A fascinating array of ideas, characters and circumstances set against the final years of the Brazilian military dictatorship, Wagner Moura turns in a S-T-A-R making performance as a former professor caught in the political turmoil who is attempting to flee the deceitful, authoritarian regime with his son who has been in the care of his in-laws since the death of their daughter. What separates writer/director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s genre exploration/history lesson is that the film goes beyond this plain synopsis in so many ways. After a single viewing there's no way to fully comprehend everything the film itself is attempting to do much less conceive a thorough reaction, but what is clear and what does cut through the mishmash of tones, the assortment of refugees and their individual experiences, as well as the love of cinema that each of these equally bewitching facets possesses is the fact there's something major at play here. Now playing in limited release. 

3. Sinners
A movie of contrasts seemingly intended to explore the differences and halves that make us whole in all the fascinating ways our inspirations and innovations contrive; how the old informs the new and how the past is used by those in power to construct the future. Ryan Coogler's “Sinners” feasts on the ideas of how time is the greatest ghost that doesn’t stop haunting us until the peace death brings and how for some, even that remains elusive. This type of deconstruction and exploration ultimately eliciting the kind of genuine magic only the movies can conjure in that no matter the vast difference of moral codes that sit in a theater, when you view the world from that cinema seat the lines between who to root for and who to vilify become one. I also just love that the movie is largely about and emphasizes the power of music and how it can change your life. Now available on physical media and streaming on HBO Max. 

2. Train Dreams  
A real wow of a film. Every line William H. Macy mutters is poetry. Every line on Joel Edgerton's face tells a story. Every line made by every tree trunk that points toward the sky is a life - same as ours - similar in builds with different shades based on how the light hits them. When the trees fall or are brought down some land with a crash that causes pain in those closest while others might not have otherwise made a sound given the lack of life or love surrounding them. That is life, after all. A line drawn from birth to death: deviations, devastations, difficulties, and all. Easily the film I was moved most by this year. Now streaming on Netflix.

1. One Battle After Another
Based loosely on Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, is a movie all about how power works; about how much of civilization is built on the whims and desires of power-hungry men who both seek to shape the world in accordance with their own concepts of truth as well as eradicate any reminders of their own shame. This is true for characters on both sides of history in Paul Thomas Anderson’s film and the writer/director, despite making it clear who he believes are the good guys and who are the villains, does not let any one character off the hook. “One Battle After Another” could just as easily be seen as a cynical takedown of those in power as it can a hopeful rallying cry for change in a world gone awry but whatever lens one chooses to view it through, there’s no denying the big, broad, bombastic and most importantly - bizarrely beguiling - entertainment value Anderson is able to deliver alongside his countless ideas. Now streaming on HBO Max.

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi & Christoph Waltz
Rated: R (bloody violence & grisly images)
Runtime: 2 hours & 29 minutes

​One thing about the movie industry that can be annoying is the overreliance on reboots, sequels, retreads and telling the same stories repeatedly with little to no imagination. Most of these films miss the mark entirely by forgetting what made audiences fall in love with these stories from the beginning. However, sometimes, the right director becoming attached to one of these stories sparks genuine excitement. This is how I felt when I first heard that acclaimed Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro was bringing his version of “Frankenstein” to Netflix. del Toro is truly a visionary filmmaker who has proven to us all that he can transport us into worlds that feel like experiences we have never had before. “The Shape of Water,” “Pinocchio” and “Pan’s Labryinth” are proof that del Toro has clear visions for the stories he tells and can execute his vision in a way that truly dazzles audiences everywhere. The question remains: was del Toro able to bring us into his own world of “Frankenstein,” or did he miss the mark?  

Based on the 1818 novel by Mary Shelley, “Frankenstein” tells the story of Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Issac), an egotistical, arrogant scientist who has become obsessed with death and immortality. The loss of his mother, whom he was very close to, sparks this interest. Frankenstein catches the eye of arms merchant Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz), who decides to fund his project, hoping for a favor one day in return. Victor’s brother, William (Felix Kammerer), and his fiancée, Elizabeth (Mia Goth), get entangled in the chaos when Frankenstein successfully creates his Creature (Jacob Elordi). The movie really explores many interesting questions: What is life? Is life merely existing or having purpose? Is life anything if being forced to spend it alone? Does immortality have any value if some aspects of life are missing? The film makes us ponder what life truly is. 

This movie really highlights just how underrate Isaac has been throughout his career. He does have one Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for “Show Me A Hero,” but it is criminal that he has not received an Oscar nomination. I feel he was robbed of one for Best Supporting Actor for “Ex Machina” back in 2014. Isaac also delivered a spectacular performance in “Inside Llewyn Davis” that deserved a nod. In “Frankenstein,” Isaac gives a standout performance as a man who has dealt with the devastating loss of his mother, his father's rejection and being considered the black sheep compared to his brother. He has fueled this into a passion to achieve immortality and is slowly going mad trying to achieve the greatness he feels he was destined for but never appreciated. Isaac shows us the hopefulness, the devastation, the excitement, the disappointment and the longing of this man to matter in a world that never made him feel wanted. It is in these moments that Isaac truly makes us see Victor Frankenstein’s humanity. It is a very crowded year for the Best Actor race, but I would love to see Isaac sneak in.  
 
Someone a little more likely to be nominated is Elordi for his portrayal of The Creature. This performance reminds me of Emma Stone’s in “Poor Things,” if it were much more reserved. Like Stone’s Bella, The Creature is learning all about this new world. While it may appear to those around him that he does not understand the world because he can only use the word “Victor,” the Creature gains lots of knowledge about the world but cannot voice it with the proper communication, which frustrates his Creator, Frankenstein. Elordi’s performance is genuinely engaging, making us all feel the Creature’s curiosity about this new world as well as the devastation, pain, cruelty and rejection he feels for not being able to conform to it promptly.  

del Toro truly directed outstanding performances from these two leads ... but was he successful in creating a new world for us like the ones in the past? It is an unequivocal yes. The production design is stunning with Gothic towers and exquisite Victorian structures that truly transport us into the 1800s. The cinematography is dazzling and the lighting is some of the best I have seen in years. Sometimes, when films tell stories that take place before electricity, the lighting in the rooms can be very dark and difficult to see. They want to create authenticity but don’t do it successfully. The lighting team on this film managed to make lightning strike at the most opportune times, find the right camera angle to enhance the scenes and truly make us feel we were not missing out on anything. The visual effects are also top-tier , and this film should be a major Oscar contender for technical achievements.  
 
The only issue I really had with the film was an attempt at redemption for one of the main characters that fell a little flat. I do not feel the script had truly worked in enough support for the redemption to appear genuine. It felt out of left field and makes us realize that sometimes, there does not have to be redemption for a character. They make their choices, whether good or bad, and must face their fate.  
del Toro’s “Frankenstein” is a visually stunning film that delivers two standout performances and continues del Toro’s streak of successfully transporting us into new and authentic worlds we feel we have never seen before. That is truly the mark of an excellent filmmaker, and why I will always be excited to see his name attached to any work of art in the future.