In 2008 I began reviewing new movies. The most recent 50 are below, then added to one of these links (click on genre), graded A+ to F--best to worst!
Oh the Drama
Oh the Horror
Keep Me in Suspense
Feels like Sci-Fi
Isn't it Romantic
So-called Comedies
Western Unions
Comic Book Heroes
Kid Stuff
Fact not Fiction
Cinema Fantastico (Subtitles)
The Friend (2025) After the suicide of her best friend & mentor Walter (Bill Murray), fellow writer Iris (Naomi Watts) is asked to take in his despondent Great Dane, Apollo. Living alone in a NY apt, this is going to be difficult; but if you’re expecting “big dog comedy”, forget it. This is a gentle & sad drama, of 2 beings learning to cope with their loss together. Well done.
My grade: B Plus
Death of a Unicorn (2025) En route to a billionaire’s retreat for a job, Paul Rudd & daughter Jenna Ortega will hit a unicorn. They’ll hide the carcass but soon discover it has amazing curative properties—which the billionaire sees as profit. Big mistake, there’s a reason why this unicorn was so sweet—they didn’t see it coming and neither did I in this black humored horror fantasy. Blood galore, but it has heart!
My grade: B-
Final Destination Bloodlines (2025) College student Stefanie keeps having dreams of a woman in the 1960s dying in a horrific (and highly imaginative) ‘restaurant in the sky’ disaster. She’ll learn it was her grandmother who DIDN’T die, but should’ve—and now Death is coming for her descendants. The accidents are almost comical but the horror is plentiful & ghastly. You will be afraid to step outside!
My grade: B
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) Zak is a young man with Down Syndrome and no family; he lives in a nursing home and dreams of being a professional wrestler. One night he’ll escape, and will meet Shia LaBoeuf, a crab fisherman on the run from bad people. Adventures await this pair, in this dear story about brotherhood and the ties that bind. It’s doggone wonderful.
My grade: A
Gloria Bell (2018) Julianne Moore is in her element as Gloria Bell, a fiftysomething woman who loves going out dancing to 80’s club music. She meets a “silver fox” in a bar (John Turturro) and is loving him too. But older people often come with baggage, as she’s about to find out in this nondescript drama of an aging woman’s life. A nice watch for sure, but don't expect a lot.
My grade: B
I Love You Forever (2024) Mackenzie (Sofia Black-D’Elia) has always been in one-sided, unfulfilling relationships. And then she meets Finn, a handsome tv reporter and falls for him, big-time. He’s fallen for her too, but she has no idea what's coming. From darkly funny to wearisome mental, it's a textbook study of emotional abuse. The "aarrgh" ending is both funny and infuriating, but shouldn't come as a surprise.
My grade: B
Sinners (2025) It’s the year 1932, and black brothers Smoke & Stack have returned to their roots in the Deep South to buy an old sawmill and convert it into a juke-joint. But monsters are waiting in the shadows, human & supernatural ones in Robert Coogler’s tribute to Black music, culture & folklore. It’s a Gothic horror masterpiece, and I am blown away. Watch all of it, past the credits, and then claim your reward.
My grade: A Plus
What’s Your Number (2011) When Anna Faris learns her younger sister is getting married, she decides to settle down too. But she’s been with 20 men and can’t bear the idea of a 21, so… were any of those 20 “the right one”? Her handsome neighbor Chris Evans will help her track some of them down in this funny, sexy romp that’s more silly & predictable than anything. But sometimes, that’s all you’re looking for.
My grade: B
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay (2025) She was ashamed of who her mom was for decades, even though she had no memory of her. (She died when Mariska was 3.) But Jayne Mansfield was also a classical pianist & master violinist, and spoke 6 languages. And now as Mariska journeys into her mother’s past, she will love who she truly was, and so will we. This is so big, and just wonderful. I wept with joy at the end.
My grade: A Plus
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Believed dead in Chapter 3, Keanu Reeves returns as the infamous widower assassin who only wants his freedom from the High Table. But a $40 million dollar bounty is on his head, so he’ll be forced to maim, bludgeon, set afire & butcher countless people who want that reward. It’s a 3 hour spectacle of death, with an endless supply of guns and array of well crafted scenarios. I couldn’t stop watching for a second.
My grade: A Plus
The Invitation (2022) Evvie is thrilled when she submits her DNA to Ancestry and is contacted by a rich family in England that they're related. Would she like to visit and attend a fancy wedding? Would she! And then she meets the Lord of the Manor, a suave 30 year old who’s smitten with her. Is this too good to be true? YES. So get ready for a
LOT OF BLOOD in this old school horror show. Fun stuff, but didn't appreciate the comical finish.
My grade: B-
Memory (2023) Jessica Chastain attends her high school class reunion, sees no one there to connect with, leaves. A man (Peter Sarsgaard) follows her home, and sits outside her window all night. He has early onset dementia. These are two very broken people, barely holding on… but will connect and form a caring relationship in this fragile love story. Bless both of them.
My grade: B Plu
Mickey 17 (2025) Attempting to escape the mob, a dim Robert Pattinson applies to be an ‘Expendable’ on a colony spaceship before reading the fine print. (This is someone who agrees to die and be reprinted over & over.) What happens when he’s thought dead and Mickey 18 is created to replace him? A wild, dark humored sci-fi spectacle ensues. This is going to be a cult classic like
Brazil, I can just feel it. Well done.
My grade: A
The Brutalist (2025) Adrien Brody is a Hungarian Jew, arriving to America after WWII. A reknown architect in Europe, he’s a common laborer now—until a wealthy industrialist (wonderfully played by Guy Pearce) discovers his talents… it’s a dark, giant tale of post-war America and the visionaries who emerged—but it’s over 3 1/2 hours long! I watched this strange, boring drama over 2 nights. Filmed in
VISTA-VISION. My grade: B-
Pee-Wee as Himself (2025) Filmmaker Matt Wolf sits down with Paul Reubens to discuss his life—everything, in this superior 3 hour documentary. For as much as I loved the guy, I was surprised how much I didn’t know—no one did, as he kept his life so private. Comedian, artist, flawed human being, genius. He held his final secret to the end, not even Wolf knew Reubens was dying of cancer. Miss you Paul.
My grade: A Plus
The Alto Knights (2025) It’s 1950s New York; and Frank Costello & Vito Genovese, friends since childhood, are now rival Mob bosses. (Both played by Robert DeNiro, and Debra Messing as Frank’s wife—awesome.) One is too careful, the other quick to violence, it will lead to both their downfalls in this gritty, excellent slice of a bygone era. This flopped at the box office, maybe people are tired of mob flicks. But it’s still a damn fine show.
My grade: B Plus
Wolf Man (2025) After his long absent father is declared dead, Blake moves his wife (Julia Garner) & daughter to his childhood farm in Oregon. Big mistake, they’re attacked by a strange creature and barely make it into the old house. They’re safe for now, but Blake doesn’t look so good… ignore the reviews, if you like horror this is good scary stuff. (I loved seeing scenes replayed thru the creatures nocturnal eyes.) 👀
My grade: B
The Good House (2022) Sigourney Weaver is an ex-wife, a mother of adult daughters, a struggling New England realtor—and an alcoholic in complete denial. She’ll reason the things she does to the camera, in this complex, well done character study. Kevin Kline is here too, a once boyfriend now loner, and they go together well in this journey of her life.
My grade: B Plus
Babygirl (2025) Nicole Kidman is the shapely (but aged) CEO of an Amazon-like company, who is gobsmacked when a male intern tells her he knows what she wants, to be told what to do—and then orders her down on the floor. He’s right alright, in this tense, erotic drama that can be uncomfortable to watch sometimes. At least it comes with a hopeful ending...
My grade: B
Companion (2025) Iris loves sweet, clumsy Josh; or does she? She discovers she’s a robot, programmed to love him. And now he wants her to do something that isn’t part of her programming--commit a murder. Suspend your belief in rational thinking for a bit and watch this topsy-turvy sci-fi morph into a bloody horror tale. Don’t know if you’ll like the ending, but with the direction we’re headed with this AI stuff… anything goes.
My grade: B
Oppenheimer (2024) Christopher Nolan’s cinematic juggernaut (and winner of 7 Oscars) tells the true story of the man who invented the atomic bomb via 3 periods in his life, from the 1930s to the 1950s. Praised as a genius at the start, then a hero, then villified when he expressed regret, it’s a HUGE story with impeccable detail. At the same time, it’s a frustrating 3 hour watch. I’m glad I saw it, but never again.
My grade: A-
I See You (2019) As two boys go missing in a small town (the opening scene is a stunner) Helen Hunt is struggling to keep her own family intact. But strange going-ons are occurring in their house… how and why? With a chill factor off the charts, and a tense, foreboding score that is Oscar-worthy, this is one of those rare gems that caught me off guard.
Wow. Heroes and monsters can appear from the unlikeliest places.
My grade: A
Queer (2024) Loosely based on William S Burrough’s bio, Daniel Craig is an American ex-pat who’s taken up residence in 1950s Mexico City. His life is seedy cantinas and drugs until he meets a younger man he obsesses over. They’ll travel to South America in search of mind-altering drugs in this ultra-surreal, unhappy but visually striking stunner. My God, what am I watching?
My grade: A-
Strange Darling (2024) A woman’s car is run off a country road, where she jumps out and runs into the nearby woods. The man following her gets out of his truck holding a rifle in pursuit. This isn’t what you think, not quite—we’ll go back several chapters and THE STUFF WE LEARN. A masterstroke of storytelling, but warning: there are copious amounts of violence & bloodshed ahead. Don’t let that stop you.
My grade: A
Reinventing Elvis: The ‘68 Comeback (2023) In 1968, NBC offered Elvis a Christmas special; his manager Col Parker envisioned something along the lines of Perry Como or Andy Williams. Fortunately, a talented producer was brought on, said
“This is ELVIS” and persuaded Presley to return to his roots. He did, and it became the highest rated program that year. The doc alone is an astonishing watch.
My grade: A Plus
Heretic (2024) When 2 missionaries show up for a requested visit to Hugh Grant’s country home, they’re expecting questions about Jesus and some blueberry pie. They’ll learn soon enough Grant’s a crazed maniac—and this is a religious house of horrors where there’s no place go but down. A lot of talking here, but that’s crazy for you—visually, someone put a lot of creepy thought into this. It’s intense.
My grade: B
Elevation (2024) 3 years ago, strange bull-like creatures came up from underground and managed to wipe out 95% of the human population; only people who escaped to 8000 feet above sea level managed to survive. But the oxygen is thin for some, and as one father attempts to go to Boulder Hospital for supplies, a woman scientist has a cobalt theory to take down these creatures… I liked the ending and would watch a sequel!
My grade: B-
Nosferatu (2024) It is 1838 Germany, and newlyed Thomas will travel to Romania to secure a property for the mysterious Count Orlok, who wishes to join society. But the count wants more… namely, Thomas’ nubile wife to be his own bloody bride. This is a masterpiece of vampyre horror, both visually and in its chilling dialogue—it’s too long and too grotesque, but still a frightening feast for the senses.
My grade: A-
We Live in Time (2024) Florence Pugh (really like her) & Andrew Garfield will meet, talk, date, make love, fall in love, marry, raise a child, suffer tragedy—all the things that most people do, just not in the order we’re accustomed to seeing. You’ll have to pay attention as events unfold at random intervals, but you’ll see a kind & caring life just the same. I very much liked this, and them.
My grade: B Plus
Gladiator II (2024) In this sequel to the 2000 film with Russell Crowe, Ridley Scott shows us a bloodthirsty ancient Rome, conquering other nations—including one in Africa where the true Prince of Rome was hidden away as a child. Now a man, he’ll be forced to do battle in the arena—and save Rome from itself. Visually stunning, with big names like Denzel Washington & Pedro Pascal as Rome’s war weary general, it’s a heroic, excellent watch.
My grade: A
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025) It’s been 4 years since the death of her husband Mark Darcy, and Bridget Jones is ready to jump back into the dating pool; especially after she falls for a younger park ranger. But first she must contend with kids Billy & Mabel, a too perfect nanny & one headstrong headmaster. Much funnier at the start than it’s too sappy end, Renee Zellweger is funny, dear, bawdy…and a little too much.
My grade: B
Goodrich (2024) Michael Keaton awakens to find his wife has left him, leaving him to take care of their 9 year old twins. His 36 year old daughter (Mila Kunis) from his first marriage will try to help, but her hands are full—she’s about to give birth to his first grandchild. Pretty bland from the start, stick it out for the third act which is beautiful. When Mila’s husband talks about parenthood, Keaton cries and I did too. It was special.
My grade: B
The Wild Robot (2024) Set in the future, when a new robot washes ashore a deserted island, it will attempt to service the wildlife—only to fail and end up with an orphaned goose egg. Can you guess what comes next? Visually striking, the robot’s design is genius and the island and animals are wonderful. I just wish it didn’t try so hard to tug at our heartstrings, I cry at the drop of a hat but not when I’m pushed. Still, it’s a great see.
My grade: A
A Different Man (2024) Edward leads a sad, miserable life with Elephant Man disease. When an attractive neighbor befriends him, he’ll leave and undergo treatments to become normal. Soon he’s a new man with a new identity, but returns to discover she’s written a play about her former neighbor—and found a charming man with elephant man disease to play the part. This is one surreal, dark humored drama.
Now what’s wrong, Edward? My grade: A
Slingshot (2024) Casey Affleck is one of a 3 man crew en route to Saturn’s moon Titan. They’ll go into 3 month hibernation cycles, awaken for a day to check on things, return to hibernate. But things are beginning to go awry, and soon they (and us) won’t know who or what is real and isn’t—until the very end. It’s a confusing sci-fi story, and you may not like the journey, but just keep watching.
My grade: B
Touch (2024) After the death of his wife, an elderly Kristofer will leave Iceland and travel first to London, then Japan—in search of his first love Miko, who disappeared along with her father in 1971, over 50 years ago. What will he find? More than he could have imagined, in this gentle & so, so bittersweet haiku. (Icelandic Japanese English)
My grade: A
There’s no I in Threesome (2022) As Zoe & Ollie plan their wedding in 3 months time, they want to show us you can have it all; they’re besties, have a great sex life and open to sex with others. And when Zoe’s sex with Tom becomes something more, that’s okay right Ollie? In fact, Zoe wants you to have sex with Tom too. Keep filming Ollie, finish this documentary. You two are teaching someone something.
My grade: B Plus
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) Joaquin Phoenix returns as Arthur Fleck aka the Joker. Now In Arkham Asylum and heavily medicated, he stumbles thru bleak days until he’s befriended by a female inmate—Lady Gaga aka Harley Quinn. They’ll sing old standards to the other, until the movie’s sad, dark ending. I can see why this movie failed at the box office, but I think people were missing something deeper here at the end. Myself included.
My grade: D
Conclave (2024) A beloved pope has died, and now the Church’s cardinals are gathered at the Vatican for a conclave; they will sequester themselves until a new pope is elected. Conspiracies and scandals will soon be uncovered, but a choice WILL be made. With Ralph Fiennes, John Landis & Isabella Rosellini, this was superb, exceptional. When the new pope accepted his title, I trembled. I felt his transformation.
My grade: A
Despicable Me 4 (2024) When Cockroach Man escapes from prison, reformed baddie Gru and his putrid sweet "Make smart choices! You got this!" family are put in the witness protection program—only to land in Suburbia, USA. It’s nonstop noisy nonsense (hate the minions) but I did get a chuckle from next door neighbor Poppy, a 14 year old girl genius—and villain wannabe. Enough of these characters!
My grade: B
Juror #2 (2024) When a man is selected for jury duty for the possible murder of a woman along a backroad, he’ll fight in the jury room for the defendant’s innocence. Why? Because he’s a recovering alcoholic who was driving on that road that same night, and may have hit something.. or someone. Wow. I love courtroom dramas, I love Toni Collette (she plays the DA)—but this tepid thing (directed by Clint Eastwood) was mediocre, dull. Why?
My grade: C
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024) The very brave and all too short life of Christopher Reeve, with snippets of his childhood, a broken home and rise to stardom. But this is more on his life
after his paralysis, his courage and activism, and the love from his kids and wonderful wife Dana (who was a hero in her own right). It’s a very honest look at this pair, and the amazing kids they left behind.
My grade: A PlusElizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes (2024) In 1964 Liz Taylor sat down with Roddy McDowell (and again in 1985 with Dominick Dunne) to record some very candid interviews. As she answers questions, we’ll watch her life unfold, good & bad, all of it. She knows she was blessed (and cursed) and in the end, ached to do something constructive “with all that fame”. She did. Wonderfully done, and I watched utterly spellbound.
My grade: A Plus
Knox Goes Away (2024) When a professional hit-man (Michael Keaton) learns he has rapid onset dementia, he makes plans to cash out; but when his adult son asks for help covering up a murder (a biker he knifed who molested Keaton’s granddaughter) he’s going to try and fix that too—if he can remember who his son even is. It’s quiet and smart, and right or wrong, shows us blood is thicker than water. Geez I love Keaton.
My grade: A
Little Wing (2024) It’s one thing when her parents divorce, but when her mom says they have to sell their home, 13 year old Kaitlyn will come up with a crazy plan to steal a valuable pigeon to sell to the Russian Bird Mafia. She does it—now what? A lot of growing up, in this above average, sweet-as-it-is-absurd afterschool type movie. This young lady (Brooklynn Prince) is one to watch.
My grade: BJune (2024) From her antics as a sweet hillbilly on the Grand Old Opry in the 1950s, to her third marriage to Johnny Cash to wanting to produce a solo album in the 1990s (she did, twice, both winning Grammys) this is June Carter Cash’s big life and love story. (I did not know she wrote Ring of Fire.) Her death in 2003 broke many hearts, none harder than Johnny Cash. He died 3 months later. What a special lady.
My grade: A
You Hurt My Feelings (2024) Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a writer in NYC who’s dealing with an annoying adult son, a mother showing signs of dementia and a therapist husband who she overheard say he couldn’t stand her latest work to her sisters husband. Everyone will plod along, plod along… eventually they’ll make things right, in this low-key little comedy drama. It’s a bore, but has Julia.
My grade: C A
