Top 10 Worst Films of 2025
1. War of the Worlds
2. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
3. Smurfs
4. Flight Risk
5. The Alto Knights
6. Eddington
7. The Old Guard 2
8. I Know What You Did Last Summer
9. Love Hurts
10. Honey Don’t!
Dishonorable Mentions: Snow White, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
Top 10 Mehs of 2025
1. Him
2. Wolf Man
3. Tron: Ares
4. Until Dawn
5. M3GAN 2.0
6. A Minecraft Movie
7. Jurassic World: Rebirth
8. Karate Kid: Legends
9. Happy Gilmore 2
10. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants
Honorable-ish Mentions: How to Train Your Dragon, Lilo & Stitch
Top 10 Films I Liked in 2025
1. Ballerina: From the World of John Wick
2. Nobody 2
3. Black Phone 2
4. Elio
5. Anaconda
6. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t
7. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
8. Dog Man
9. Presence
10. Freakier Friday
Honorable Mentions: The Conjuring: Last Rites, Fixed, Another Simple Favor, The Amateur, Keeper, Captain America: Brave New World
Top 20 Best Films of 2025
1. Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair
2. Sinners
3. Weapons
4. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein
5. Marty Supreme
6. Rental Family
7. One Battle After Another
8. The Long Walk
9. Predator: Killer of Killers
10. KPop Demon Hunters
11. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
12. Train Dreams
13. The Housemaid
14. Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
15. Eternity
16. Together
17. The Life of Chuck
18. Bugonia
19. Friendship
20. Sorry, Baby
Honorable Mentions: Good Fortune, Not Just a Goof, Companion, Mickey 17, Black Bag, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle, Highest 2 Lowest, Materialists, Bring Her Back, Ne Zha II, Paddington in Peru, Warfare, Hamnet, Zootopia 2, A House of Dynamite, Thunderbolts*, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, F1: The Movie, Superman, Predator: Badlands, 28 Years Later, The Monkey, Sisu: Road to Revenge, Jay Kelly, Roofman, The Naked Gun, The Toxic Avenger, Caught Stealing, Song Sung Blue, The Running Man, Blue Moon, The Smashing Machine, The Bad Guys 2, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, The Roses, One of Them Days, Wicked for Good, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Drop, The Legend of Ochi, Novocaine, Heart Eyes, The Accountant 2, Last Breath, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Nouvelle Vague, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, The Phoenician Scheme, Shelby Oaks, Death of a Unicorn
2025 MINI-REVIEWS:
By Nico Beland
SORRY, BABY:
Movie Review:
Sorry, Baby, but this funny and captivating comedy-drama is one of the best films of the year thanks to stellar performances by Eva Victor (Billions, Dating and New York, Boys Go to Jupiter; who also directs this film) and Naomie Ackie (I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Blink Twice, Mickey 17) and personal direction by Victor while also effectively handling touchy subject matter!
The film also stars Lucas Hedges (Moonrise Kingdom, Manchester by the Sea, Lady Bird), John Carroll Lynch (Fargo, Zodiac, American Horror Story), Louis Cancelmi (Boardwalk Empire, The Irishman, Killers of the Flower Moon), Kelly McCormack (A Simple Favor, Problemista, Letterkenny), E.R. Fightmaster (Grey’s Anatomy, Work in Progress, Shrill), and Hettienne Park (Young Adult, Blind Spot, Hannibal).
HIGHEST 2 LOWEST:
Movie Review: **** out of 4
With an incredible performance by Denzel Washington (Training Day, Flight, The Equalizer trilogy), passionate direction from Spike Lee (He Got Game, Summer of Sam, BlacKkKlansman), and a great soundtrack to boot, Highest 2 Lowest is a giant love letter to the works of Akira Kurosawa and the director’s most entertaining “Joint” in a long time!
The film also stars Jeffrey Wright (The Batman, Rustin, American Fiction), Ilfenesh Hadera (Oldboy (2013), Chi-Raq, Godfather of Harlem), A$AP Rocky (Dope, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Ice Spice, Fred Weller (Missing Persons, In Plain Sight, BlacKkKlansman), Dean Winters (Oz, 30 Rock, John Wick), John Douglas Thompson (Law & Order, Michael Clayton, Till), LaChanze (For Love or Money, Hercules, The Help), Aubrey Joseph (Run All Night, Cloak & Dagger, Spider-Man (2017 Animated Series)), Michael Potts (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Rustin, The Piano Lesson), Princess Nokia, Wendell Pierce (Ray, Selma, Superman (2025)), Nicholas Turturro (The Longest Yard (2005), BlacKkKlansman, Leo), Jensen McRae, and Andy McQueen (Fahrenheit 451 (2018), I Like Movies, Revival).
NOUVELLE VAGUE:
Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4
Despite a few shortcomings and inconsistent shifts between French and English language, Nouvelle Vague is a solid tribute to Jean-Luc Godard and one of director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, School of Rock, Boyhood)’s most unique projects!
BLUE MOON:
Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4
Ethan Hawke (Before Sunrise trilogy, Boyhood, The Black Phone 1 and 2)’s mesmerizing performance as lyricist Lorenz Hart and fast-paced dialogue make Blue Moon a solid experimental Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, School of Rock, Boyhood) film even if it drags a little in the middle!
The film also stars Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Drive-Away Dolls, The Substance), Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man 1 and 2, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, MaXXXine), Andrew Scott (Spectre, Alice Through the Looking Glass, 1917), Simon Delaney (The Good Wife, Delivery Man, The Conjuring 2), Patrick Kennedy (Atonement,Me and Orson Welles, War Horse), and David Rawle (Moone Boy, Song of the Sea, Drop Dead Weird).
TRAIN DREAMS:
Movie Review: **** out of 4
With breathtaking cinematography, slice of life storytelling, and strong performances by Joel Edgerton (Warrior, The Gift, Midnight Special) and Felicity Jones (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, On the Basis of Sex, The Brutalist), Train Dreams is a riveting and towering epic and a stellar sophomore film for writer-director Clint Bentley (Jockey, Sing Sing)!
The film also stars Clifton Collins Jr. (Traffic, Star Trek (2009), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Kerry Condon (Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Banshees of Inisherin, F1), William H. Macy (Fargo, Thank You For Smoking, The Running Man (2025)), Paul Schneider (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Away We Go, Rules Don’t Apply), John Diehl (Stripes, Nixon, Armageddon Time), Alfred Hsing (The Sorcerer and the White Snake, Silicon Valley, Ready Player One), Nathaniel Arcand (Cold Pursuit, Killers of the Flower Moon, Sinners), and Will Patton (Armageddon, Falling Skies, American Honey).
WAR OF THE WORLDS:
Movie Review: 0 out of 4!!!
Through preposterous storytelling, atrocious effects on par with an Asylum film, stilted acting, and a horribly miscast Ice Cube (Friday trilogy, 21/22 Jump Street, Straight Outta Compton), Amazon’s film adaptation of War of the Worlds is a complete slap in the face to H.G. Wells in every way that bad movie lovers will have a f*cking field day with!
The film also stars Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives, Arthur Christmas, Dora and the Lost City of Gold), Clark Gregg (One Hour Photo, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Much Ado About Nothing (2012)), Iman Benson (Alexa & Katie, BlackAF, The Midnight Club), Henry Hunter Hall (Waist Deep, Black Nativity, Harriet), Devon Bostick (Survival of the Dead, Saw VI, Oppenheimer), Michael O’Neill (Traffic, Transformers, Air), Andrea Savage (Step Brothers, Tulsa King, Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe), and Jim Meskimen (Apollo 13, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, DC Animated Universe); and is directed by Rich Lee (Limitless, The Society) in his feature film directorial debut.
SONG SUNG BLUE:
HUGH JACKMAN AND KATE HUDSON’S LOVELY TRIBUTE TO A TRIBUTE TO NEIL DIAMOND!
By Nico Beland
Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4
Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in Song Sung Blue
Hugh Jackman (X-Men franchise, The Prestige, The Greatest Showman) and Kate Hudson (Almost Famous, Marshall, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) bring the Lightning and Thunder in Song Sung Blue, the new music biopic from director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan, Dolemite is My Name) based on the lives of husband and wife Neil Diamond tribute band, Lightning & Thunder AKA Mike and Claire Sardina. I’m going to be upfront with you all before I get started, I know jack shit about the real life Lightning & Thunder, I didn’t read up about them prior to the movie nor did I watch any videos about them or listen to their covers of Neil Diamond songs, I am simply judging this by what I saw in the theater today.
It seemed like a no brainer that I’d go see this as I love both Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson and Craig Brewer’s 2005 film, Hustle & Flow is freaking awesome so, I was curious to see how he’d go from a pimp turned rapper to a movie about a Neil Diamond tribute band. As someone who has never listened to Lightning & Thunder and most of my Neil Diamond exposure coming from the song you’d probably expect me to say, I thought Song Sung Bluewas a very solid and endearing biopic.
The film follows Mike (Jackman) and Claire Sardina (Hudson), two down-on-their-luck musicians who meet and decide to form the Neil Diamond tribute band, Lightning & Thunder. At first, Mike is against being a Neil Diamond impersonator because he holds his songs near and dear to his heart, but through support and love from Claire, he gives in and this duo proves it’s never too late to follow your dreams.
The film also stars Michael Imperioli (Goodfellas, Bad Boys, The Sopranos) as Buddy Holly impersonator Mark Shurilla, Ella Anderson (Henry Danger) as Claire’s daughter Rachel Cartwright, Mustafa Shakir (Luke Cage, Emancipation, Love Hurts) as James Brown impersonator Sex Machine, Fisher Stevens (Short Circuit 1 and 2, Super Mario Bros., The Grand Budapest Hotel) as Dave Watson, Jim Belushi (Thief, Trading Places, The Ghost Writer) as Tom D’Amato, and King Princess (Nine Perfect Strangers) as Mike’s daughter Angelina Sardina.
Overall, Song Sung Blue is a beautiful tribute to…a Neil Diamond tribute band that makes you want to stand up and sing and tugs at your heartstrings at the same time. Big shock, what makes the film work are the performances by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, saying they’re wonderful here is a huge understatement.
Jackman and Hudson have such incredible chemistry in this movie and both work off each other extremely well with Jackman being as charismatic as ever and Hudson delivering some of the biggest emotional highlights of the entire film. I legitimately bought their romance and felt genuine emotion for them during the heavier moments because both of them have a lot of charm and they crank the drama up to 11 when it’s time to get serious whether it’s Jackman’s character frequently having heart attacks or Kate Hudson getting hit by a car and losing her leg in the process, they both work and I can easily see Hudson getting an Oscar nomination for her role as Claire.
The movie has a consistent energy throughout its and not once during its 2 hour and 13 minute runtime does it ever drag. Despite a few bumpy parts during the film’s passage of time, it’s very well-paced and even when Jackman and Hudson aren’t onstage performing Neil Diamond songs, you’re locked in and invested in situations going on in their personal lives.
Honestly, my main issues with the film are how there’s supposedly a 17 year passage of time yet it seems like it was only a month later, the only thing that tipped me off was Hugh Jackman’s hair looking a little gray in the second half, but not full Old Man Logan. I also felt the tone was inconsistent at times when it tries to flip-flop between being serious or funny, specifically a scene involving Hugh Jackman discovering a pregnancy, his response was humorous, but it was kind of strange seeing a serious situation like that being followed up by a joke.
I’m very indifferent to Neil Diamond, but the song covers in this are fantastic and the camera work and editing when Jackman and Hudson are performing them are amazing and add to the film’s energy. There’s also another interesting sequence involving Hudson’s character having a dream and sleepwalking that I thought was very impressive on a technical and visual level, that scene along makes it worth checking out on the big screen.
Not sure what else to say, Song Sung Blue is a captivating and heartfelt music biopic about a tribute band of the famous person rather than the famous person him/herself. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson are a powerhouse duo, the song sequences are amazing, and the film isn’t afraid to get heavy, whether you’re a fan of Neil Diamond or even Jackman and Hudson or just looking for a well-crafted music biopic that will make you feel all kinds of emotions, this is one song you’ll want to listen to on repeat.
MARTY SUPREME:
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET TABLE TENNIS MOVIE IS ONE CRAZY RIDE!
By Nico Beland
Movie Review: **** out of 4
Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme
Timothée Chalamet (Little Women (2019), Dune: Parts 1 and 2, A Complete Unknown) and director Josh Safdie (Heaven Knows What, Good Time, Uncut Gems) join forces to bring the most insane movie about table tennis to the screen in Marty Supreme, the new sports comedy-drama released by A24 loosely based on real-life table tennis player Marty Reisman. This is also the second feature film directed by one of the Safdie Brothers and distributed by A24 this year following Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine which came out a few months ago.
I was interested in seeing this when it was announced, Uncut Gems was one of my favorite films from 2019 and I’m always curious to know what the Safdie Brothers are going to do next whether collaborative or solo projects. However, I will say the trailers for this movie seriously downplayed the chaos audiences would be in for because holy fuck!
Marty Supreme is non-stop tension and insanity from beginning to end with no time to breathe, very much like what Uncut Gems did for betting except with ping-pong. It is also hands down one of the best films of the year with Chalamet giving yet another Oscar-worthy performance and the film itself being intense, funny, and riveting all at the same time.
The film is set in 1952 New York City and follows Marty Mauser (Chalamet) working as a shoe salesman while also competing professionally as a ping-pong player. Marty needs to make it from New York to a championship in Tokyo, Japan in order to become the best and quite literally goes to hell and back in his pursuit of greatness.
The film also stars Gwyneth Paltrow (Se7en, Shakespeare in Love, Marvel Cinematic Universe) as actress Kay Stone, Odessa A’zion (Hellraiser (2022), I Love LA, Until Dawn) as Marty’s childhood friend Rachel Mizler, Kevin O’Leary (Shark Tank) as Milton Rockwell, Tyler, the Creator as Marty’s friend and taxi driver Wally, Abel Ferrara (King of New York, Bad Lieutenant, The Funeral) as Ezra Mishkin, Fran Drescher (Spinal Tap 1 and 2, The Nanny, Hotel Transylvania franchise) as Marty’s mother Rebecca Mauser, Luke Manley as Marty’s friend Dion Galanis, Emory Cohen (The Place Beyond the Pines, The Bikeriders, Roofman) as Rachel’s husband Ira Mizler, Sandra Bernhard (The King of Comedy, Roseanne, Severance) as Judy, and Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller as Hoff.
Overall, Marty Supreme is 2 ½ hours of non-stop, fast-paced tension and characters constantly making one bad decision after another to the point where this might as well be a canonical prequel to Uncut Gems because Timothée Chalamet is basically doing almost the exact same things Adam Sandler did in that movie just with table tennis. This feels more in line with the Safdie Brothers’ other work than Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine because it has the anxiety-provoking filmmaking techniques, constant barrage of characters screaming and yelling at each other, and shocking situations with equally shocking resolutions on top of just about every character in this being a complete asshole and I was glued to the screen throughout the entire runtime.
It’s very difficult to have a story revolving around a completely unlikable protagonist let alone every character being unlikable and still make audiences care about them, but thankfully Timothée Chalamet’s Marty, a con-man and hustler who hustles people out of money to pursue his professional ping-pong player dream is very interesting and compelling as a character to keep you invested amidst the shit he’s getting himself and others into.
Speaking of which, Timothée Chalamet deserves all the praise he’s been getting for this and easily deserves a Best Actor nomination and maybe even win for his performance as Marty. He is absolutely fantastic here and works in the same way Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems did where the performance itself is an intense roller coaster as you’re constantly watching Chalamet fight to achieve his dream and get the money he needs in a short amount of time, but through bad decisions after bad decisions, you can’t look away from him, he’s an endearing douchebag protagonist who’s like the Saul Goodman of ping-pong.
Gwyneth Paltrow is also very good as this former screen actress moving onto stage work that Marty befriends-ish?…Fucks---ish? Forget about it! She has some great bits and has strong chemistry with Chalamet whenever they’re onscreen together.
Honestly, the entire cast is filled with standouts even if they’re only minor roles, Fran Drescher as Marty’s mother, Odessa A’zion as Marty’s friend who is having an affair with him, Kevin O’Leary playing Kevin O’Leary playing a snooty businessman, and Luke Manley as Marty’s friend who helps him launch a ping-pong ball line to name a few are all memorable and leave a lasting impression once it’s over. This may be The Chalamet Show, but I’m glad the supporting cast isn’t filled with one-note and forgettable characters.
Marty Supreme is a film that’s more than worthy of its “Supreme” name because this is a tension-filled, anxiety-provoking roller coaster of a movie that blends intense and horrific situations that get your adrenaline pumping with a dark sense of humor. Add a stellar Timothée Chalamet performance and visceral direction by Josh Safdie and you got yourself a winning formula for greatness in the most insane ways imaginable.
ANACONDA:
JACK BLACK AND PAUL RUDD REBOOT OF 90s CREATURE FEATURE IS CHEESY FUN!
By Nico Beland
Movie Review: *** out of 4
Paul Rudd and Jack Black in Anaconda (2025)
Jack Black (Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, Tropic Thunder, Jumanji franchise) and Paul Rudd (Anchorman 1 and 2, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Friendship) join forces to reboot Anaconda in…well, Anaconda, a meta reboot of the 1997 cult action horror film of the same name. The original Anaconda which starred Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, and Jon Voight is a fun guilty pleasure monster movie with ridiculous effects, silly dialogue, and the cast taking the entire thing seriously ultimately making it sillier in the process, Voight’s hilariously bad accent was the biggest standout that even outshines the titular snake.
Apparently, a lot of people found enjoyment in it because the film was successful enough to spawn a franchise consisting of the 2004 theatrical sequel, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid and three direct-to-DVD sequels from 2009-2015 including a crossover film with Lake Placid. Which brings us to this meta reboot starring Black and Rudd with Tom Gormican (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) behind the camera.
I was initially against the idea of a remake or reboot of Anaconda because let’s be real, the 1997 Anaconda isn’t that good a film to begin with and as much as I love Jack Black and Paul Rudd, I was worried it was going to be too comedic. But then, I was won over by the trailer which made it clear the film was about Black and Rudd’s characters trying to reboot the 1997 Anaconda only to find themselves actually living the Anaconda movie once a giant snake starts attacking them and their film crew.
The best way I can describe it is like a mix of Be Kind Rewind, Tropic Thunder, and the recent Jumanji movies and while I can’t say this film is nearly as clever as Tropic Thunder or Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, I had fun with this version of Anaconda. I don’t think it’s a great film or anything, it’s just a dumb, silly creature feature with a lot more (intentional) comedy this time around and a creative enough premise to harness the franchise’s formula.
The film follows childhood best friends Doug (Black) and Griff (Rudd) who dreamed about remaking their all-time favorite film, Anaconda (1997) since they were in their 20s. When a midlife crisis pushes them to finally go for it, they head deep into the Amazon to start filming only to discover an actual giant anaconda has gotten loose and is wreaking havoc in the jungle turning their comedically chaotic movie production into a deadly fight for survival.
The film also stars Steve Zahn (Out of Sight, Stuart Little 1 and 2, Mad Dogs) as Kenny Trent, Thandiwe Newton (Mission: Impossible 2, 2012, Solo: A Star Wars Story) as Claire Simons, Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad(2021), Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, Fast X) as Ana Almeida, and Selton Mello (Four Days in September, The Clown, I’m Still Here) as snake handler Carlos Santiago Braga.
Overall, Anaconda (2025) knows exactly what it is and gives what it promises, a goofy, meta reboot of a 1997 guilty pleasure creature feature with Jack Black and Paul Rudd’s charisma and comedic talents leading the charge. The film reminded me a lot of the new Naked Gun movie that came out earlier this year where it’s a 90-minute comedy released in theaters that’s focused more on the jokes over telling a cohesive story and both are reboots/legacy sequels of nostalgic franchises from decades ago.
The film doesn’t lie about what it is and if you’ve seen the trailer, you can probably determine whether or not you’re going to like it. It’s an incredibly stupid movie with jokes of all shapes and sizes (Some clever, some ridiculous, some idiotic, etc.) and Jack Black and Paul Rudd running from a giant snake, it embraces the silliness and wants to give audiences a good time.
Like I said, this is a film that’s main focus is to make people laugh and I’m happy to report that I laughed quite a bit during it. You’re talking to someone who watched a lot of shows and movies with incredibly stupid humor when he was younger and I love me a dumb comedy when it’s done well and made me laugh consistently, this film did that for me.
It really helps that I’m a humongous fan of both Jack Black and Paul Rudd (especially the former) and the two of them work incredibly well together. Rudd does his oblivious but endearing leading man shtick while Black brings his signature loud, goofy humor to the film, watching them together was a blast.
Steve Zahn is a standout as Black and Rudd’s dim-witted childhood friend and this being his long overdue return to comedy, he really brings the laughs here whether the gag is smart, stupid, or a bit of both. Even during the absolute dumbest of scenes involving him, his timing somehow made it work and got a laugh.
The movie actually does work pretty well as a horror movie with jump scares, suspenseful sequences, and a CGI snake that looks significantly better than the one rendered in 1997. Yes, this is a Jack Black and Paul Rudd comedy, but it’s also still a movie about a giant f*cking snake eating people!
I’m not sure what the general public is going to think of this film and I’m aware the critical reactions are mixed which I guess doesn’t surprise me too much, but this update of Anaconda worked pretty well for me and gave me plenty of laughs. I doubt I’ll rewatch it nearly as much as other Jack Black-focused comedies like Tropic Thunder, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, or even Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, but for a horror-comedy about Jables from Tenacious D and Ant-Man battling a giant snake monster, it does the job and I’m glad I saw it in theaters with an audience.
THE HOUSEMAID:
SYDNEY SWEENEY AND AMANDA SEYFRIED EROTIC PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER IS A SEXY, WILD RIDE!
By Nico Beland
Movie Review: **** out of 4
Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid
A housemaid played by Sydney Sweeney (Anyone But You, Immaculate, Christy) is hired by a wealthy family only for it to become a literal nightmare in The Housemaid, the new erotic psychological thriller from director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, The Heat, A Simple Favor 1 and 2) based on the 2022 novel of the same name by Freida McFadden. Before I start this review, I’m gonna be upfront with you about something, I have been completely indifferent to Sydney Sweeney, I don’t think she’s a bad actress or anything, but I hadn’t seen her in anything great yet and movies with her just keep popping up everywhere.
Anyone But You was a cute albeit formulaic rom-com, Immaculate was a decent horror movie but nothing special, and the less I say about Madame Web, the better. For the longest time, I thought her best movie was her minor role in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood back in 2019.
But then, this movie started being advertised and upon realizing that it was Paul Feig who is usually known for directing comedies like Bridesmaids was helming it as a return to dark thriller territory after his two Simple Favormovies, I became interested. I absolutely loved Feig’s A Simple Favor and even hailed it as one of my favorite films from 2018 (Second one was alright which I reviewed earlier this year) so you bet your ass I was down to see more of his unhinged, twisted imagination…and, wow, what a movie!
The Housemaid completely surpassed and subverted my expectations and just like A Simple Favor from 2018 is one of my favorite films of the year. This was a lot of fun and I was constantly on the edge of my seat trying to piece everything together.
The film follows Millie (Sweeney), a down on her luck woman who answers a want ad for a housemaid job by the wealthy, Nina (Amanda Seyfried-Mean Girls, Mamma Mia! 1 and 2, Les Miserables) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar-Midway (2019), It Ends with Us, Drop). At first things seem fine, Nina and Andrew are friendly with Millie and they have a daughter named Cece (Played by newcomer Indiana Elle), but Millie begins to discover a terrifying secret about this family and they aren’t as they seem.
The film also stars Michele Morrone (365 Days trilogy, Subservience, Another Simple Favor) as groundskeeper Enzo Accardi, Elizabeth Perkins (Big, The Flintstones, Weeds) as Andrew’s mother Evelyn Winchester, Megan Ferguson (Bad Moms, The Disaster Artist, The Broken Hearts Gallery) as Jilianne, and Ellen Tamaki (The Drowning, Charmed, Manifest) as Patrice.
Overall, The Housemaid is a damn entertaining domestic thriller that I’m proud to say is finally that great Sydney Sweeney film I’ve been waiting for. Like I said in the beginning, I’ve been very indifferent to her in previous films, but this is easily the best performance I’ve seen from her, she is absolutely magnificent here.
Sweeney plays this seemingly friendly and unordinary housemaid looking after this wealthy couple’s home, but even she is hiding some secrets of her own and all of it is believable through Sweeney’s performance. Whether she has to be the kind housemaid, terrified as more secrets unfold, or the badass with the occasional witty quip, Sweeney delivers so much more than just sex appeal in this and really showcases her skills as an actress.
However, the one person that can upstage Sydney Sweeney in this is an unhinged and crazy Amanda Seyfried which is about as against-type as you could get from someone like her. She is having such a ball chewing the scenery and going crazy with her performance, watching her was a blast especially when she scolds Sweeney’s character over doing things she told her to do and immediately forgetting about it.
Brandon Sklenar is very charming as Seyfried’s husband…perhaps a little too charming and if you ask me, he could really use a gap in the teeth! Unfortunately, I can’t say too much about the other actors and characters without going into spoilers, but everyone brings their A-game.
The movie is 2 hours and 11 minutes and nothing drags; everything is perfectly paced and keeps that kinetic energy pumping throughout the runtime. It doesn’t have any slow points or scenes that go on for too long, it’s consistently interesting, filled with twists and turns, and keeps you guessing from start to finish, I legitimately didn’t know where it was going and was shocked by various scenes and reveals during the film.
The film is also well shot with great cinematography and camera editing with some of my favorites being these drawn out panning shots and swiveling cameras every time a character goes up or downstairs. It’s definitely worth seeing on the big screen on the Winchester house alone, I’m talking interior and exterior in both the architecture and how the home is decorated, looks magnificent.
The Housemaid joins the club of Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and Single White Female as a new standard in erotic/domestic thriller filmmaking with a gripping, twist-filled story, outstanding performances by its cast, and Feig showing off his unhinged imagination. This is a housemaid want ad you absolutely want to accept!
