Monthly Archives: October 2025

2025 Films, Horror

Sinners-2025

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Sinners-2025

Director Ryan Coogler

Starring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton

Scott’s Review #1,498

Reviewed October 31, 2025

Grade: B+

After hearing so much positivity about Sinners (2025), director Ryan Coogler’s latest film, which shifts from independent (Fruitvale Station, 2013) and Marvel (Black Panther, 2018) films to the horror genre, I excitedly waited months to see it.

Coogler shifts into a vein more like Jordan Peele, a contemporary director known for daring horror message offerings like Get Out (2017) and Us (2019).

While very good, it’s not the A+ daring, horrific, extravaganza  I was expecting. The tone is dark, mysterious, and compelling, but it takes an awfully long time to actually get going despite a looming expectation of bloody events to come.

Or maybe that’s because my expectations told me to await thrills and gore mixed with a powerful storyline.

Nonetheless, had I not listened to the buzz, I might have been more satisfied. Instead, I was impressed but not blown away.

Sinners reminded me very much of the HBO series True Blood (2008-2014), with its southern vampire fantasy/horror mix, but featuring an almost entirely black cast and a lot of music.

Set in 1932 in the Mississippi Delta, the film stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as twin brothers, ‘Smoke’ and ‘Stack’ Moore, one of whom is a criminal, who return to their hometown, where they confront a supernatural evil.

The brothers return from Chicago, where they have made an illegal fortune, and purchase a sawmill from a racist landowner to start a juke joint for the local Black community.

They reconnect with local friends and musicians, offering substantial amounts of money to help make opening night a grand experience.

Coogler wisely begins the film, which takes place over the course of a twenty-four-hour period, the morning after the thrilling Saturday night events, so we somewhat know something bad will happen.

Sammie Moore (Miles Caton), the brother’s cousin, staggers into his preacher father’s church during services, clutching his coveted guitar. He is an aspiring blues musician and is wounded.

Michael B. Jordan, clearly the star of the film and frequently in Coogler films, is an Oscar hopeful by portraying dual roles. With a good versus evil vibe, he may make the cut, given the differing personalities fleshed out in the parts.

While offering decent cinematography and a southern flavor that adds dimensions, it takes so long for much action to arrive that the payoff isn’t as satisfying as I’d like.

Sure, the last forty-five minutes work well as the dusk-to-dawn fight scenes, a workable whodunit of who’s a vampire and who isn’t a vampire, and hold your breath moments of which characters will unwittingly invite a vampire inside.

The last sequence is excellent when 1932 suddenly shifts to the 1990s, and one character is still alive. The film ends happily as the character realizes a pact made in the ghastly night years ago has allowed him to live.

A question repeatedly dangled before the audience’s noses like a carrot before a horse is whether we would give in to temptation and live forever as a vampire.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful never to age? I’ll admit to realizing the appeal.

The supporting characters, including Stack’s girlfriend, Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), the bouncer, Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller), and Smoke’s estranged wife, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), deliver strong performances.

However, the southern accents occasionally feel overdone, but the lovely costumes never do.

Neither good nor bad, the characters don’t look genuine to the 1930s, and there is more inclusion (a Korean family in the Deep South?) than in real life.

Still, the film works as a fantasy, right?

Coogler gets points for creativity and for showcasing the racism of the 1930s that still exists today, but treads lightly on going full throttle with any message.

Instead, he shows that strong black characters can forge their own success in a racist world, accompanied by a toe-tapping melody and bluesy guitars.

Sinners (2025) crosses genres like horror, supernatural, fantasy, and musical, with some sexy scenes of blood and sex amid music. The creativity is there, but it’s a slow build.

Oscar Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Ryan Coogler, Best Actor-Michael B. Jordan (won), Best Supporting Actor-Delroy Lindo, Best Supporting Actress-Wunmi Mosaku, Best Original Screenplay (won), Best Casting, Best Cinematography (won), Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, Best Original Score (won), Best Original Song-“I Lied to You”, Best Production Design, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects

2025 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Crime Thriller, Favorite Film of the Year, Thriller

One Battle After Another-2025

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One Battle After Another-2025

Director Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Chase Infiniti

Scott’s Review #1,497

Reviewed October 20, 2025

Grade: A

In my opinion, one of the modern great directors, Paul Thomas Anderson, has released One Battle After Another (2025), a film rich in thrills and relevance. Sought to be made for years, the film is inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland, with some of Anderson’s narratives peppered in.

Undoubtedly, Anderson was influenced by the current state of the United States regarding immigration issues and the tyranny within ICE (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

While immigration is not a new hot-button issue, the inhumanity heaped onto ‘illegal immigrants’ and some US citizens is current as well as powerful.

Additionally, a frightening tone of racism and ‘white power’ is an underlying theme of the film, contrasting covert hatred by a group of white supremacists with the humanity of revolutionaries who attack the political system.

Therefore, the film has an overwhelming modern feel.

Otherwise, the breakneck twists, turns, and action make One Battle After Another the crown jewel of storytelling fun and an Anderson offering that could easily be added to his all-time top 5.

Events follow an ex-revolutionary explosive device expert, “Ghetto” Pat Calhoun / “Rocketman” / Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is forced back into his former combative lifestyle when a corrupt military officer pursues him and his daughter.

With new identities, they had assumed they could live a peaceful life, but they were in for a rude awakening.

Set in recent times, the film begins 15 years before events later in the story, yet maintains a clear link. This ensures the audience is invested in the characters, especially in the latter half, as we get to know them better.

While DiCaprio can never deliver a bad performance and firmly grips the lead role as the intelligent yet comically clumsy Bob, other actors shine, making One Battle After Another an ensemble piece dripping with award-worthy performances and hefty accolades.

DiCaprio improvises his way through the script, with stutters and stammering enveloping his character, endowing him with endearing qualities like forgetting a vital password or falling off a roof. Nonetheless, he has sentimental and introspective moments about his life and his teenage daughter, Willa Ferguson/Charlene Calhoun, played by Chase Infiniti.

Infiniti is tremendous in her breakout role as a mixed-race girl trying to lead an everyday life while paying for her parents’ crimes and mistakes.

Playing confident, yet scared and vulnerable, Infiniti is quite the find. Is she destined to follow in her parents’ footsteps?

Teyana Taylor is brutally talented as she plays Perfidia Beverly Hills, a tough-as-nails, take-no-prisoners, kick-ass young woman who teases and humiliates her prey strictly for laughs.

Regina Hall and Benicio del Toro bring their kind-hearted, supportive characters to life with emotional flair and some needed humor, especially from del Toro.

The standout, however, is Sean Penn. Giving a bravura performance as the hated and racist Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw, a military officer who pursues the French 75, he sneers and pouts, never playing the character over the top or for laughs.

He truly believes he comes from a superior race while bedding the women he despises.

A three-way highway car chase scene nearly rivals classic sequences in The French Connection (1971) and The Getaway (1972). As three separate drivers’ points of view are featured along a hilly highway with deadly results, the audience is treated to rear-view mirror and reaction shots.

I honestly did not know what would happen next and was delighted at the outcome.

Hopefully, as the years go by, One Battle After Another (2025) will be remembered for embracing different genres and delivering a powerhouse final product. With great acting, editing, storytelling, and action, the film has it all.

Add in a timely message, and you’ve got yourself a gem.

Oscar Nominations: 6 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Paul Thomas Anderson (won), Best Actor-Leonardo DiCaprio, Best Supporting Actor-Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn (won), Best Supporting Actress-Teyana Taylor, Best Adapted Screenplay (won), Best Casting (won), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing (won), Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Sound

2025 Films, Horror

28 Years Later-2025

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28 Years Later-2025

Director Danny Boyle

Starring Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alfie Williams

Scott’s Review #1,496

Reviewed October 13, 2025

Grade: B

For loyal fans of the 28 Days Later film franchise, launched in 2002, 28 Years Later (2025) may be a disappointment.

Not what I expected, the film has less raw horror than its two predecessors, but it adds a deeper emotional connection, linking various characters together.

A family is introduced, which helps provide character depth. Apparently, 28 Years Later is the first of a new trilogy, which may leave the first two installments by the wayside.

Still, the film is uneven and meanders quite a bit until the final thirty minutes or so, when I felt more invested in the events.

This is surprising, given the participation of Academy Award-winning participants, including director Danny Boyle, writer Alex Garland, and actor Cillian Murphy, as Executive Producer. It also features the original cinematographer (Anthony Dod Mantle), so I’m surprised how little connection it has to the original.

A weak sub-plot featuring Sir Jimmy Crystal, the leader of the Jimmy Savile–inspired “Jimmy” cult, and a survivor of the original outbreak is the only connection.

It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a heavily enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected.

One group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway.

When Spike (Alfie Williams), the twelve-year-old son of Jamie and Isla (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jodie Comer), leaves the island on a mission to find help for his ailing mum, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but also other survivors.

He encounters characters like “Samson”, a physically imposing Alpha leader of the infected, the odd Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), a former doctor and survivor of the outbreak, and a pregnant infected woman.

Isla, who teeters in and out of sanity, is along for the ride.

Comer, known for the television series Killing Eve (2018-2022), has begun to forge her way into feature films and is the standout performer.

Isla suffers from a mentally debilitating disease, but it’s unclear what the issue is. She mostly lies in bed, sleeping or suffering from excruciating headaches. It’s not until the final act that Comer’s work is stellar.

When she becomes attached to a healthy newborn baby, her emotional connection to Spike and her memories of time spent with her father are linked.

These are the best scenes, and when Comer shines brightly. She is aided by the inclusion of Fiennes as the sympathetic doctor.

This proves that superior actors can make any film better as long as they infuse their talents into the script, which Comer and Fiennes do. They have tremendous chemistry during their limited scenes, offering humane and tender moments. Young Williams also does good work.

The cinematography is impressive. Lavish outdoorsy sequences in meadows or amidst a raging fire are lucid and colorful. An abandoned train set is dressed perfectly with dingy seats overgrown with plants and weeds. When the characters race through the aisles, there’s a realism to the scene.

The rest of the film has issues, especially weak subplots.

There’s a bit too much going on, so the result feels messy. Visions, memories, Jamie cheats on Isla while Spike watches, Spike pulls a knife on dad, the alpha is on the loose, a mysterious doctor, a fire, and other such additions are included.

Some work better than others.

A hunting expedition where Jamie teaches Spike to hunt is superfluous and clichéd. Doesn’t almost every post-apocalyptic film or television show feature someone showing someone else how to hunt?

The film also feels remarkably similar to television’s The Walking Dead or The Last of Us, suggesting that the filmmakers may have been riding a trend rather than creating their own original work.

Why make the father sympathetic, then non-sympathetic? Is it a way to enhance Isla’s and Spike’s bond?

The same occurs later when a kind Swedish soldier (Edvin Ryding) debuts, only to become unlikable minutes later. Is this to justify his head being torn from his body? An incredible scene by the way.

28 Years Later (2025) has some impressive story and technical tidbits, marginally giving it a recommendation for fans of the franchise. Otherwise, there isn’t enough quality content to entice new viewers.

2025 Films, Horror

Weapons-2025

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Weapons-2025

Director Zach Cregger

Starring Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Amy Madigan

Scott’s Review #1,495

Reviewed October 5, 2025

Grade: A

Zach Cregger, who made his directorial debut with Barbarian in 2022, may have made his way to the big leagues with Weapons (2025), a highly original film rumored to have a follow-up prequel in the works.

One of his characters, the wicked Aunt Gladys (Amy Madigan), is already becoming a household name and a potential Halloween costume idea.

The fabulous combination of tone, mystery, and genuinely frightening moments makes Weapons an edge-of-your-seat experience.

And who doesn’t find the disappearance of children a perfect horror premise?

Furthermore, the inclusion of chapters dedicated to each central character does wonders to retain the intrigue. Each character has a connection to others, making each subsequent chapter enthralling as viewers recognize them.

Weapons is one of the best horror films I’ve seen in recent years.

Cregger masterfully gets the film off to a suspenseful and foreboding start with a quiet narration by a child. The youngster explains how one night at exactly 2:17 am, seventeen children left the safety of their suburban Pennsylvania homes and fled into the night, missing without a trace.

All but one child from the same class is included.

Alex (Cary Christopher), who has a strange connection to Aunt Gladys, is mercifully spared.

The rest of the town is left wondering what is behind their disappearance as fingers start to point towards suspects, most notably Justine (Julia Garner), the classroom teacher with a troubled past.

The ensuing witch hunt involving Justine is terrific. We tag along with the haggard teacher to the liquor store as she buys vodka in preparation for a boozy night alone in her small house, hoping to escape her troubles.

Alone, in the dark, and in a small town is frightening enough, but when a mysterious person knocks on her door and vandalizes her car, we feel vulnerable along with the character.

But is Justine as innocent as she appears?

When her chapter ends, and other characters like cop Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), James (Austin Abrams), a homeless drug addict and burglar, and Archer (Josh Brolin), a construction contractor and the father of Matthew, one of the missing children, get their backstories, the dots start to connect.

Aunt Gladys doesn’t appear for quite a while except in sudden, eerie background shots, but when she does, she immediately takes over the film.

As Alex’s elderly aunt (or is she only posing?), she quickly becomes the film’s main antagonist. Recently arrived in town, she is clad in a short, curly, ginger wig, heavy red lipstick, blue eyeshadow, fake eyelashes, and fake eyebrows, all behind thick-framed, tinted sunglasses.

On the surface, she appears to be an odd, old eccentric woman, but jovial and good-natured.

I wonder if Cregger patterned her after Minnie, played by Ruth Gordon, the eccentric woman revealed to be a witch in the 1968 masterpiece Rosemary’s Baby?

In one terrific scene, we almost see a sympathetic side to Aunt Gladys. She explains to Alex that neither a hospital nor water will help her recover from her terminal illness. There is a glimpse of kindness and humanity in her eyes before we recall her intentions.

There are also periodic jumps that come out of nowhere. When kindly principal Marcus (Benedict Wong) suddenly behaves out of character, we are startled. An odd woman brandishing a knife stumbles out of a doorway and lumbers to a car, cutting the hair of Justine.

Why, we wonder?

Many scenes are shot from a long-view angle without dialogue, which adds to the tension.

The finale combines a chase scene to end all chase scenes, blending horror and comedy in a way that, oddly, works as The Substance did in 2024. This might be the new trend in modern horror films.

Solidly infusing classic horror elements with mystery and intrigue, Cregger provides an unsettling experience that feels fresh and original.

He served as director, producer, writer, and co-musical scorer, proving that having only one chef in the kitchen often works wonders for creativity and structure.

Weapons (2025) has deservedly received critical acclaim and enjoyed box-office success, solidifying Cregger’s name on the cinematic map.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Supporting Actress-Amy Madigan (won)

2025 Films, Horror, Slasher

I Know What You Did Last Summer-2025

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I Know What You Did Last Summer-2025

Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Starring Chase Sui Wonders, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Madelyn Cline

Scott’s Review #1,494

Reviewed October 3, 2025

Grade: B+

The 2025 I Know What You Did Last Summer offering is pure nostalgia for fans of mainstream 1990s horror flicks. Those who love film franchises like Scream (1996-present) and Final Destination (2000-present) will be pretty pleased.

I adored watching the film and traveling back to my youth, although I was startled by the revelation that the young cinema stars of the 1990s are now almost 50 years old.

I only knew that Jennifer Love-Hewitt was returning by way of coming attraction trailers. Still, I had no idea that Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar were also returning, which added to my viewing pleasure.

It felt like catching up with old friends you haven’t seen in nearly thirty years.

While not a sequel to the 1997 original, it feels fresh with its clever ideas, twists and turns, and whodunit sensibilities, adding a refreshing dose of feminism that is timely.

This can undoubtedly be due in large part to being directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, a female director who also co-wrote the screenplay.

Just like in 1997, when five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident, they cover up their involvement and make a pact to keep it a secret rather than face the consequences.

A year later, their past comes back to haunt them when one of the friends receives a threatening note, and they realize that someone knows what they did last summer.

As one by one the friends are stalked by a killer, they discover this has happened before, and they turn to two survivors of the legendary Southport Massacre of 1997 for help.

The most fun is the whodunit factor and trying to figure out who is the one donning a fisherman’s cloak and brandishing a hook to slice and dice their victims to ribbons.

Or does Robinson borrow a gimmick from the Scream films and make it two killers?

Of course, the victim of the original summer tragedy shares a link with the killers, and plenty of red herrings are in store, adding to the enjoyment.

The rulebook is slightly bent to allow for even more female empowerment than the original, wisely bringing Love-Hewitt’s Julie James back into the fold.

Now older, wiser, and tougher, and a college professor, she serves as a coach and mentor to Ava Brucks (Chase Sui Wonders), the leader of the new group of friends.

In a cool bit of inclusion, the character of Ava is bisexual, having a passionate bathroom encounter with a rocker chick while also having an ex-boyfriend, Milo (Jonah Hauer-King).

It’s also revealed that Julie and Ray Bronson (played by Prinze Jr.) were once married and have a tumultuous past. This is appealing to viewers familiar with the duo from the original film.

Putting the soap opera trimmings aside, the main highlight of I Know What You Did Last Summer is the accident during the first summer, the chase scenes, and the kill scenes, and the film wisely provides many of these.

When Teddy (Tyriq Withers) and Danica (Madelyn Cline) go to a dark graveyard to snoop for information, it doesn’t bode well for either when the fisherman lurks nearby.

These straightforward yet compelling sequences blend seamlessly with the finale aboard a yacht and later in a bar. The twists and turns, as well as the killer reveal, are well-written and character-themed, building on history and making sense.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) successfully takes a stroll down memory lane while providing jumps, scares, and even a few laughs along the way.