2025 Mini-Reviews

2025 MINI-REVIEWS: 

By Nico Beland

 

SORRY, BABY: 

Movie Review: 

A24

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

A24 AND APPLE ORIGINAL FILMS

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

NETFLIX

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

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

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

NETFLIX

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!!!

AMAZON PRIME VIDEO AND UNIVERSAL PICTURES

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.