SINNERS (2025) review
written by: Ryan Coogler
produced by: Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Ryan Coogler
directed by: Ryan Coogler
rated: R (for strong bloody violence, sexual content and language)
runtime: 137 min.
U.S. release date: April 18, 2025
Ryan Coogler has directed five movies so far, and each has been great, if not good. Four of them have starred Michael B. Jordan, all in lead roles save for one in a cameo, and were composed by Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson. They revitalized the “Rocky” franchise with 2015’s “Creed,” and they delivered one of the best MCU movies in 2019 with “Black Panther”, and their latest endeavor is “Sinners,” an impressive period genre film he also wrote and co-produced. It’s proof that these three artists should continue to work together as much as possible. Free of the confines of IP, Coogler takes an assured, unique approach to genre filmmaking by focusing on character details and music of the Mississippi Delta in the early 1930s, gradually building to some bloody and thrilling vampire action. “Sinners” is sweaty and sensual, paying homage to paranoid horror thrillers, with a spot-on sensational ensemble cast that benefits from Coogler’s confident vision and rhythm. Read more…
THE LEGEND OF OCHI (2025) review
written by: Isaiah Saxon
produced by: Richard Peete, Traci Carlson, Isaiah Saxon, and Jonathan Wang
directed by: Isaiah Saxon
rated: PG (for violent content, a bloody image, smoking, thematic elements, and some language)
runtime: 95 min.
U.S. release date: April 18, 2025
Perhaps what can be most appreciated about “The Legend of Ochi” is that it harkens back to when family-friendly fantasy movies were commonplace at the multiplex. This unique A24 feature brings to mind the Amblin Entertainment days of “E.T.”, a touch of Jim Henson magic (think “The Dark Crystal”), and the world-building of “The NeverEnding Story”, all of which were targeted, yet not limited to, young minds of the 80s. In his feature debut, American writer/director Isaiah Saxon has created a fantasy adventure that may wind up as timeless as those classics, with the quirk of Taika Waititi’s underrated “The Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and the spirit of Hayao Miyazaki. While those influences come to mind, Saxon has simultaneously rendered a charming and imaginative tale that feels all its own, incorporating puppetry and animatronics with rich matte paintings and subtle CGI. Read more…
THE UGLY STEPSISTER (2O25) review
written by: Emilie Blichfeldt
produced by: Maria Ekerhovd, Axel Helgeland, Christian Torpe, and Jesper Morthorst
directed by: Emilie Blichfeldt
rated: not rated
runtime: 102 min.
U.S. release date: April 18, 2025
When it comes to the classic story of Cinderella and her ugly stepsisters, the noteworthy adjective isn’t just a description of outward appearance; it also reflects what’s inside. For her directorial debut, “The Ugly Stepsister”, Norwegian writer/director Emilie Blichfeldt is flipping the switch, offering a wild alternate take that is wholly original. It’s a graphic feminist body horror fairy tale, not for the faint of heart, but it’s also a disturbing look at mental illness, manipulative pressure, and social status obsession. This shift in perspective is fascinating, asking viewers to look at an old story through a different lens, in a dark feature that boasts an impressive lead performance and is surrounded by superb production design and an infectious score. Read more…
THE PRESIDENT’S WIFE (2023) review
written by: Léa Domenach
produced by: Léa Domenach and Clémence Dargent
directed by: Léa Domenach
rated: not rated
runtime: 95 min.
U.S. release date: April 18, 2025
The French 2023 political comedy “Bernadette” is finally making its way to the States, retitled “The President’s Wife”. It stars French actress Catherine Deneuve as Bernadette Chirac, a French politician and the widow of former president Jacques Chirac. The tone is set early on, as text appears on the screen saying this is a story loosely based on the life of Bernadette Thérèse Marie Chirac, but “be beware, we warn you, it is, above all, a work of fiction.” Co-written and directed by Léa Domenach, making her feature-length debut here, “The President’s Wife” is an offbeat biopic, giving the subject of politics some lively energy. However, there’s a sense that there would be a more inspiring story here if the approach had been a bit more serious. Read more…
NEIL YOUNG: COASTAL (2024) review
produced by: Gary Ward
directed by: Daryl Hannah
rating: not rated
runtime: 102 min.
U.S. release date: April 17 (theatrical – one night only)
“It’s going to be the first time I play in front of anybody in almost four years,” folk-rock legend Neil Young says in the black-and-white trailer for the documentary “Neil Young: Coastal.” “I’m petrified.” While we spend a lot of time with the artist as he makes his way up and down the West Coast on a solo tour in 2023, we never learn why he feels that way. Directed by his wife, Daryl Hannah, the documentary’s goal is more about capturing Young rather than having him engage in any probing questions. You won’t learn much about the Canadian maverick musician here, and even if you’re a die-hard fan, you might be disappointed at the documentary’s lack of illumination. Read more…
I’M STILL HERE (2024) review
written by: Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega
produced by: Maria Carlota Bruno, Rodrigo Teixeira, and Martine de Clermont-Tonnerre
directed by: Walter Salles
rated: PG-13 (for thematic content, some strong language, drug use, smoking, and brief nudity)
runtime: 138 min.
U.S. release date: December 14, 2024
When we meet Eunice Paiva (Fernanda Torres) during the cold opening of Brazilian director Walter Salles’ latest film, “I’m Still Here,” she is swimming in the ocean. When the camera follows her coming up for air, we hear the sound of military transport helicopters flying over her head. Automatically, something seems off. What place and time is this film set in? It could be a dystopian future, but it’s actually in the past when Brazil was under a strict and often violent military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985. The audience is immediately hooked, drawn into an engrossing real-life tale, co-written by screenwriters Murillo Hauser and Heitor Lorega, that adapts the 2015 memoir Ainda Estou Aqui by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, Eunice’s son. “I’m Still Here” is free of Oscar moments and takes an unhurried approach that is often quietly devastating, albeit thoroughly immersive throughout its entire runtime. Read more…
THE FRIEND (2025) review
written by: Scott McGehee and David Siegel (screenplay) and Sigrid Nunez (novel)
produced by: Scott McGehee, David Siegel, Liza Chasin, and Mike Spreter
directed by: Scott McGehee and David Siegel
rated: R ( R for language including a sexual reference)
runtime: 120 min.
U.S. release date: April 4, 2025
“The Friend” is a movie that knows that dog-lovers want to know in advance if the dog dies. At least, I’d rather know upfront since I’ve been emotionally scarred by a handful of movies from the past, from “Old Yeller” to “Hatchi: A Dog’s Tale.” So, I’ll do you a service early on and let you know the dog in “The Friend” does not die. The dramedy, written and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, is an adaptation of author Sigrid Nunez’s 2018 National Book Award winner of the same name, and it’s primarily a touching and sincere examination of companionship, free of cloying saccharine. The titular “friend” can refer to either a human or a canine since the story touches on both mammals’ mental and emotional health. Read more…
WARFARE (2025) review
written by: Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland
produced by: Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Matthew Penry-Davey, and Peter Rice
directed by: Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland
rated: R (for intense war violence and bloody/grisly images, and language throughout)
runtime: 95 min.
U.S. release date: April 11, 2025
Last year, English writer/director Alex Garland dropped “Civil War,” a dystopian thriller showing a divided United States, and this summer, he’ll reteam with Danny Boyle for “28 Years Later” the much-anticipated continuation of the post-apocalyptic thriller they started 23 years ago. But, before that, Garland brings us “Warfare,” a realistic war film from the recent past written and directed with Ray Mendoza (a decorated U.S. Navy SEAL who served as a military advisor on “Civil War”), who draws upon his own platoon experience with a raw authenticity that’s quite often utterly disturbing and profoundly challenging to watch. There’s no jingoism in this troubling tale of survival that feels like an unrelenting assault on the senses. It may be too much for some, but this impressive immersion into the tension and trauma of military service is exactly something that needs to be seen on the big screen by as many people as possible. Read more…
DROP (2025) review
written by: Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach
produced by: Michael Bay, Jason Blum, Brad Fuller, and Cameron Fuller
directed by: Christopher Landon
rated: PG-13 (for strong violent content, suicide, some strong language, and sexual references)
runtime: 95 min.
U.S. release date: April 11, 2025
We’ve all been on a bad date. It would be hard to know what a good one is if we hadn’t. The thriller “Drop” takes place on a first date that will likely remind viewers of their worst dates over the years. While watching, you’ll probably wind up looking at your watch or rolling your eyes, just like you would on a bad date. It’s the third of six movies from Blumhouse, a production company that continues to saturate the market with genre offerings yearly. It’s directed by Christopher Landon (“Happy Death Day” and “We Have a Ghost”), who’s been involved in many horror flicks or thrillers (most for Blumhouse) over the years as either a writer, producer, or director. The overall conceit of the thriller, from the minds of screenwriters Jillian Jacobs (“Fantasy Island”) and Chris Roach (“Truth or Dare”), should warrant a tautly wound thrill ride. Instead, we got a haphazard, wanna-be Hitchcockian tale that tries too hard to be slick and clever. Read more…
THE AMATEUR (2025) review
written by: Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli (screenplay) and Robert Littel (novel)
produced by: Hutch Parker, Dan Wilson, Rami Malek, and Joel B. Michaels
directed by: James Hawes
rated: PG-13 (for some strong language and violence)
runtime: 123 min.
U.S. release date: April 11, 2025
After killing off James Bond in 2021’s “No Time to Die” (spoiler alert!), Oscar-winner Rami Malek shouldn’t be underestimated. The same can be said for the character he plays in his latest role. His turn as a Bond villain landed him the lead in the new espionage thriller, “The Amateur,” the second feature from British director James Hawes after “One Life,” a biographical drama starring Anthony Hopkins released in 2023. The screenplay by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli is the second time Robert Littell’s Cold War-influenced spy novel of the same name was adapted for the big screen after John Savage played the titular unassuming threat in 1981. This modern-day update has technology that the source material never had while maintaining its straightforward revenge plot. Read more…
