Tag: Film Critique
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“Sentimental Value”: Joachim Trier’s Most Tender Exploration of Family, Art, and Memory
Release Date: November 7, 2025 (Limited) Runtime: 133 minutes (2h 14m) Rated: R — some language, a sexual reference, and brief nudity Production Companies: Mer Film, Eye Eye Pictures, MK Productions, BBC Film, Lumen Production, Komplizen Film, Zentropa, Zentropa Sweden, Film i Väst, Alaz Film Producers: Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar Cinematography: Kasper Tuxen Editing: Olivier…
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It Was Just an Accident: Jafar Panahi’s Defiant Masterwork of Vengeance and Forgiveness
Release Date: US theatrical release began Oct 15, 2025 Runtime: 104 minutes (1h 44m) Rated: PG-13 — violence, smoking, thematic elements, strong language Production Companies: Jafar Panahi Productions, Les Films Pelléas, Bidibul Productions, Pio & Co, Arte France Cinéma Producers: Jafar Panahi, Philippe Martin Cinematography: Amin Jafari Editing: Amir Etminan Music / Composer: Abdorreza Heidari It…
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Terror Through the Lens: 2025’s Most Ambitious Found Footage Films
Since its horror inception with a film like Cannibal Holocaust (1980), the found footage genre has long found a welcoming and supportive home within horror itself. From there, we can trace clever and tactical marketing strategies that paved the way for The Blair Witch Project (1999), whose success relied on the persuasive and deceiving nature…
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Bugonia (2025) Review — Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons in a Sharp, Sinister Tale of Control & Collapse
Release Date: US theatrical release began Oct 24, 2025 Runtime: 118 minutes (1h 58m) Rated: R — violence, grisly images, suicide content, language Production Companies: Element Pictures, Focus Features, Square Peg, Fruit Tree, CJ ENM Producers: Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Ari Aster Cinematography: Robbie Ryan (VistaVision / 8-perf 35mm heavily used) Editing:…
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After the Hunt Review: Julia Roberts and Luca Guadagnino Deliver a Morally Complex Academic Thriller
Release Date: Wide/US theatrical release began Oct 10, 2025 Runtime: 139 minutes (2h 19m) Rated: R — for language and sexual content / mature themes Production Companies: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Amazon MGM Studios, Imagine Entertainment, Frenesy Film Company, Big Indie Pictures Producers: Brian Grazer, Luca Guadagnino, Allan Mandelbaum Cinematography: Malik Hassan Sayeed Editing: Marco Costa Music /…
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The Black Phone 2 Review — A Haunting Return to Trauma, Faith, and Fear
Release Date: October 17, 2025 (USA) Runtime: 114 minutes (1h 54m) Rated: R — for strong violent content, gore, teen drug use, language Production Companies: Blumhouse Productions and Crooked Highway Producers: Jason Blum, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill Cinematography: Pär M. Ekberg Editing: Louise Ford Music / Composer: Atticus Derrickson Black Phone 2 (2025) Director: Scott Derrickson Writer(s): Scott Derrickson & C. Robert…
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“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” Review: A Raw, Relentless Portrait of Motherhood’s Breaking Point
Release Date: October 10, 2025 (United States theatrical) (Premiere: January 24, 2025 at Sundance) Runtime: 133 minutes (1 hr 53 min) Rated: R — for language, some drug use and bloody images. Production Companies: A24, Central Pictures, Fat City, also credited: Bronxburgh; Elara Pictures Producers: Sara Murphy, Ryan Zacarias, Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Eli Bush, Conor…
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The Age of Outrage: Cancel Culture, Social Media, and Cinema’s Search for Accountability
This year alone has brought an assortment of films reflecting the political and social climates of both the world at large and the United States in particular. While the deeper analysis of that collective will be tabled for now, one thing has become clear: the relevancy of films capturing the essence—or at least the proximity—of…
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Good Boy (2025) Review: A Haunting Horror Told Through a Dog’s Eyes
Release Date: Theatrical release (U.S.) — October 3, 2025 (festival premiere at SXSW March 10, 2025) Runtime: 73 minutes (1 hr 13 min) Rated: PG-13 — for terror, bloody images and strong language Production Companies: What’s Wrong With Your Dog? (Leonberg / Fischer indie credit) — distributed in English territories by Shudder / IFC (Independent Film…
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The Best Horror Films of 2025 (So Far): From 28 Years Later to The Long Walk
2025 has been an incredible year for horror, and I wanted to take a moment to highlight the films that are keeping the theatrical experience alive. While plenty of other blockbusters have carried their weight at the box office, I’d argue horror deserves its own recognition. As anyone in the fandom knows, it’s one of…