MY MOTHER’S WEDDING (2025) review
written by: Kristin Scott Thomas and John Micklethwait
produced by: Finola Dwyer and Steven Rales
directed by: Kristin Scott Thomas
rated: R (for language, some sexual material and brief nudity)
runtime: 95 min.
U.S. release date: August 8, 2025
Two years ago, Kristin Scott Thomas‘s directorial debut “North Star” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The dramedy was initially called “My Mother’s Wedding”, a more descriptive title, and when Vertical Entertainment picked it up earlier this year, that’s what it was changed back to. It feels like a particular and personal story, and it’s not until we’re shown an on-screen image before the end credits begin that we realize how personal it is. It reads “in memory of my fathers”, with two black-and-white photographs that commemorate LtCdr. Simon Thomas RN 1935-1966 and Cdr. Simon Idiens RN 1933-1972. Read more…
THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (2025) review
written by: Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer
produced by: Kevin Feige
directed by: Matt Shakman
rated: PG-13 (for action/violence and some language)
runtime: 114 min.
U.S. release date: July 25, 2025
It’s not a stretch to say that “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is the best Fantastic Four film to date. Considering the previous three attempts to bring Marvel’s First Family to a live-action format, Disney and Marvel Studios knew the bar had been set low. However, they are also aware that bringing the cosmically enhanced quartet to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) could potentially deliver something we haven’t seen in the last 36 movies they’ve produced. At the helm is Matt Shakman, who kicked off Marvel Studios’ episodic endeavors in 2021 by directing and co-producing “WandaVision”, when quality was prioritized over quantity. He brings the show’s new and different vibe to characters that creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby debuted almost 65 years ago, demonstrating a confident command of the material’s science fiction, adventure, family drama, and quirky humor. It might be the first MCU movie that wholly embraces its comic book-iness. Read more…
THE NAKED GUN (2025) review
written by: Dan Gregor & Doug Mand & Akiva Schaffer
produced by: Erica Huggins and Seth MacFarlane
directed by: Akiva Schaffer
rating: PG-13 (for for crude/sexual material, violence/bloody images and brief partial nudity..)
runtime:85 min.
U.S. release date: August 1, 2025
“Sassafras Chicken in D. Make it extra lumpy, boys.”
Of all the things the world needs right now, I can’t imagine a reboot of the 1988 comedy classic “The Naked Gun” would rank high on anyone’s list. Nevertheless, here we are in 2025 talking about “The Naked Gun,” the fourth film in the franchise, coming some 30 years after the last entry. Akiva Schaffer seems like an inspired choice as director and co-writer, as the Lonely Island founding member has directed some funny films in this same rapid-fire vein, like “Hot Rod” and “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.” Read more…
HAPPY GILMORE 2 (2025) review
written by: Tim Herlihy & Adam Sandler
produced by: Jack Giarraputo, Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler, and Robert Simonds
directed by: Kyle Newacheck
rating: PG-13 (for strong language, crude/sexual material, partial nudity and some thematic material.)
runtime: 114 min.
U.S. release date: July 25, 2025 (Exclusively on Netflix)
“But in golf, even when you’re at the top of your game, you can always shank one”
Few people in the entertainment industry are as critic-proof as Adam Sandler. Attempting to sit down and watch his latest effort, “Happy Gilmore 2,” I was quickly reminded that there’s simply no point in viewing his films through a critical lens. To do so is the path to madness because keeping up with the sheer number of things that are wrong/insensitive/lazy with “Happy Gilmore 2” is antithetical to its existence. Picking up a pen to jot something down, one can faintly hear Sandler’s voice in their head going, “Okay, buddy, we’re just here to have fun, put the pen down.” Read more…
EDDINGTON (2025) review
written by: Ari Aster
produced by: Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, Ann Ruark
directed by: Ari Aster
rating: R (for strong violence, some grisly images, language, and graphic nudity)
runtime: 148 min.
U.S. release date: July 18, 2025
“We need to free each other’s hearts.”
Have you ever had a movie just really piss you off? One of those movies that just makes you completely and thoroughly angry that it even exists? Director Ari Aster’s fourth movie, “Eddington,” did just that for me. On three separate occasions during the film’s indulgent two and a half hour running time, I thought about just leaving the theater. Ultimately, I didn’t leave, because I trusted that the film was going somewhere and its destination would make the journey worthwhile. I should’ve listened to that voice in my head telling me to get out while I still could. Read more…
SUPERMAN (2025) review
written by: James Gunn
produced by: Peter Safran and James Gunn
directed by: James Gunn
rating: PG-13 (for violence, action, and language)
runtime: 129 min.
U.S. release date: July 11, 2025
The future of superhero movies is riding on whether or not James Gunn can pull off his iteration of Superman. The writer/director is co-leading DC Studios with fellow producer Peter Safran, which will create animated and live-action stories based on DC Comics characters. This initiative kicked off earlier this year with the animated series “Creature Commandos” on HBO Max. “Superman” is the studio’s first feature, one that will properly kick off this new DC Universe (DCU) to the world. Gunn is definitely focusing on the “Man” in Superman here; yet, there are times when that focus strays from the Last Son of Krypton due to the numerous supporting characters. Some of Gunn’s decisions don’t feel right, but overall, this is a thoroughly enjoyable movie that captures the tone and vibrancy of Silver Age comics. Its genuine corny heart is in the right place. Read more…
SUPERMAN (2025) review
written by: James Gunn (Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster)
produced by: James Gunn and Peter Safran
directed by: James Gunn
rated: PG-13 (for violence, action, and language)
runtime: 129 min.
U.S. release date: July 11, 2025
“Maybe that’s the real punk rock”
Anyone else sick to death of superheroes, caped crusaders, and their ilk? I’ll never forget when I stopped actively reading comics as a teenager, things got too complicated, and I had to read more and more books just to keep up. It’s not hard to connect the dots between that experience and the current landscape where the sheer quantity of superhero-related content is similarly overwhelming, so trying to convince you to go see a superhero movie right this moment is going to be a Herculean task. However, I am firm in my belief that James Gunn’s “Superman” is the movie you need right now. It’s a radical work of optimism in a world downright hostile to actual optimism. Read more…
THE LIFE OF CHUCK (2025) review
written by: Mike Flanagan
produced by: Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy
directed by: Mike Flanagan
rated: R (for language)
runtime: 111 min.
U.S. release date: June 6, 2025 (limited) and June 13, 2025 (wide)
People live and die every day. It’s a fact. “The Life of Chuck” offers an unconventional look at one life, ultimately giving us an appreciation for something we often take for granted: time. Our time here is finite, but we rarely think about it. Sometimes it takes something outside our scope to recognize this, and that’s what writer/director Mike Flanagan’s latest movie, an adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name (which appeared in 2020’s If It Bleeds), did for me. The shorter works by the iconic author have often focused less on horror and more on humanity, and they wind up being some of King’s better film adaptations, like 1986’s “Stand By Me” and 1994’s “The Shawshank Redemption”. “The Life of Chuck” can be added to that short list. Read more…
BALLERINA (2025) review
written by: Shay Hatten
produced by: Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, and Chad Stahelski
directed by: Len wiseman
rated: R (for strong/bloody violence throughout, and language)
runtime: 125 min.
U.S. release date: June 6, 2025
Anyone going into “Ballerina” will know what they’re getting into, or at least there’s a certain anticipation that what they experienced in the four John Wick movies will be carried on to this one. Nevertheless, Lionsgate Films needs to slap “From the World of John Wick” before this movie’s title. They also feel the need, along with producers Chad Stahelski, Basil Iwanyk, and Erica Lee, to expand this franchise in every direction due to its lucrative box office. It seemed like after three sequels, Wick was done. However, Reeves has stated that he’s willing to play the character for as long as possible, and he shows up here since this spinoff occurs between “John Wick 3” and “John Wick 4”. Read more…
DANGEROUS ANIMALS (2025) review
written by: Nick Lepard
produced by: Troy Lum, Andrew Mason, Pete Shilaimon, Mickey Liddell, Chris Ferguson & Brian Kavanaugh-Jones
directed by: Sean Byrne
rated: R (for strong bloody violent content/grisly images, sexuality, language and brief drug use)
runtime: 98 min.
U.S. release date: June 6, 2025
There’s been a ton of shark attack movies over the years, yet rarely are they any good. The characters are typically pretty lame, and the reliance on bad CGI makes most of them near-unwatchable. Not to mention, there’s usually some gimmick that either involves extreme weather or drugs, or sometimes both. So, when a clever take on this specific horror subgenre emerges, such as “Dangerous Animals,” fans should take notice and make an effort to check it out. Influenced by a handful of horror classics, screenwriter Nick Lepard aims to offer something very different from the multiple direct-to-video shark bait thrillers released throughout the year. Steering his screenplay is Australian director Sean Byrne, who hasn’t released a feature since 2015’s “The Devil’s Candy” and before that, 2009’s “The Loved Ones”, known for delivering strange and disturbing thrillers. This outing is no different, in that Byrne serves up some very unsettling situations with bloody kills, all with a perverse sense of humor and a killer survival instinct. Read more…
