Tag: Independent Cinema

• Sirāt Is the Bad-Feel Movie of the Year — And It Hurts to Look Away

  

  Release Date: November 14, 2025 (U.S. Release) Runtime: 115 minutes (1h 55m) Rated: R Production Companies: Los Desertores Films AIE, Telefónica Audiovisual Digital, Filmes da Ermida, El Deseo, Uri Films, 4A4 Productions Producers: Domingo Corral, Óliver Laxe, Xavi Font, Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar, Esther García, Oriol Maymó, Mani Mortazavi, Andrea Queralt Cinematography: Mauro Herce Editing: Cristóbal…

  Rolando Illanes Jr.

  December 2, 2025

  2025 Movie Reviews, Drama, Entertainment, Film Reviews, Independent Film, Psychological Drama, Thriller

  2025 Films, 2025 Movies, Óliver Laxe, Best Films of 2025, Bruno Núñez Arjona, European Cinema, Film Criticism, Film Critique, Film Recommendations, Film Review, Film Reviews, Independent Cinema, Independent Film, Indie Film, Movie Analysis, Movie Recommendations, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, Movie Themes, Movie Thoughts, New Movie Releases 2025, Sergi López, Sirāt

• 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…

  Rolando Illanes Jr.

  November 12, 2025

  2025 Movie Reviews, Comedy, Drama, Entertainment, Film Reviews, Independent Film, Movie Analysis, Thriller

  2025 Films, 2025 Movies, Best Films of 2025, Film Analysis, Film Criticism, Film Critique, Film Recommendations, Film Review, Film Reviews, Foreign Films, Independent Cinema, Independent Film, Indie Film, Iranian Cinema, It Was Just an Accident, Jafar Panahi, Movie Analysis, Movie Recap, Movie Recommendations, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, Movie Themes, Movie Thoughts, Neon, New Movie Releases 2025, Political Filmmaking, Social Issues in Film, World Cinema

• 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…

  Rolando Illanes Jr.

  November 4, 2025

  2025 Movie Reviews, Entertainment, Film Reviews, Horror, Independent Film, Mockumentary, Movie Analysis

  2025 Films, 2025 Movies, Analog Horror, Chris Stuckmann, Cult Horror, Film Criticism, Film Critique, Film Recommendations, Film Review, Film Reviews, Found Footage, Found Footage Film, Horror, Horror Cinema, Horror Films, Horror Franchise, Horror Movie Review, Horror Movie Reviews, Horror Movies 2025, horror nostalgia, Horror reviews, Horror Satire, Horror Sequels, Horror Subgenre, In Our Blood, Independent Cinema, Independent Film, Independent Horror, Indie Directors, Indie Film, Indie Films, Indie Horror, Mockumentary Horror, Modern Horror, Movie Recommendations, Movie Review, Neon, New Horror Films, New Movie Releases 2025, Pedro Kos, Psychological Horror, Roadside Attractions, Shelby Oaks, Shudder, Strange Harvest, Stuart Ortiz, Supernatural Horror, True Crime Film, Utopia, V/H/S/ Halloween

• “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…

  Rolando Illanes Jr.

  October 13, 2025

  2025 Movie Reviews, A24 Movies, Comedy, Drama, Entertainment, Film Reviews, Independent Film, Movie Analysis, Psychological Drama, Thriller, Women Directors

  2025 Films, 2025 Movies, A$AP Rocky, A24, A24 Movies, Christian Slater, Conan O’Brien, Female Directors, Female Empowerment in FIlm, Female Filmmakers, Female Protagonists, Feminist Thrillers, Film Analysis, Film Criticism, Film Critique, Film Recommendations, Film Review, Film Reviews, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Independent Cinema, Independent Film, Indie Film, Indie Films, Mary Bronstein, Motherhood in Film, Movie Recommendations, Movie Review, New Movie Releases 2025, Parenthood in Film, Rose Byrne, Women Directors, Women in Film

• 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…

  Rolando Illanes Jr.

  October 3, 2025

  2025 Movie Reviews, Entertainment, Film Reviews, Horror, Independent Film, Movie Analysis, Psychological Drama

  2025 Films, 2025 Movies, Animal in horror films, Ben Leonberg, Dog POV horror, Film Analysis, Film Criticism, Film Critique, Film Recommendations, Film Review, Film Reviews, Good Boy 2025, Horror, Horror Cinema, Horror Films, Horror Movie Review, Horror Movie Reviews, Horror Movies 2025, Independent Cinema, Independent Film, Independent Film Company, Independent Horror, Indie Directors, Indie Film, Indie Films, Indie Horror, Indy the dog, Larry Fessenden, Movie Analysis, Movie Recap, Movie Recommendations, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, Movie Themes, Movie Thoughts, New Movie Releases 2025, Shudder, Shudder releases 2025

• 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…

  Rolando Illanes Jr.

  October 2, 2025

  2025 Movie Reviews, Drama, Entertainment, Film Reviews, Horror, Independent Film, Movie Analysis, Psychological Drama, Thriller

  2025 Films, 2025 Movies, 28 Years Later, A24, A24 Horror, A24 Movies, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Adam Stein, Alex Garland, Alfie Williams, Alison Brie, Amy Madigan, Book to Film Adaptation, Bring Her Back, Bring Her Back 2025, Companion, Cooper Hoffman, Danny Boyle, Danny Phillippou, Dave Franco, David Jonsson, Drew Hancock, Dystopian Films, Film Analysis, Film Criticism, Film Critique, Film Recommendations, Film Review, Film Reviews, Final Destination, Final Destination Kills, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Francis Lawrence, Hailee Steinfeld, Horror, Horror Cinema, Horror Films, Horror Franchise, Horror Movie Review, Horror Movie Reviews, Horror Movies 2025, horror nostalgia, Horror reviews, Horror Sequels, Independent Cinema, Independent Film, Independent Horror, Indie Directors, Indie Film, Indie Films, Indie Horror, Jack O’ Connell, Jack Quaid, Jodie Comer, Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Lionsgate Films, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Phillippou, Michael Shanks, Miles Caton, Modern Horror, Movie Analysis, Movie Recap, Movie Recommendations, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, Movie Sequels, Movie Themes, Movie Thoughts, New Horror Films, New Movie Releases 2025, Post-Apocalyptic Films, Psychological Horror, Ralph Fiennes, Robots in Movies, Ryan Coogler, Sally Hawkins, Sinners, Sophie Thatcher, Stephen King, summer horror movies, Supernatural Horror, The Long Walk, The Long Walk 2025, Together 2025, Tony Todd, Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Pictures, Weapons 2025, Weapons Review, Zach Cregger, Zach Lipovsky

• Splitsville Review: A Screwball Comedy of Open Marriages, Divorce, and Disastrous Loyalties

  

  Release Date: U.S. limited theatrical release on August 22, 2025, expanding wide on September 5, 2025 Runtime: 82 minutes (1h 22min) Rated: R for language, sexual content, and nudity Production Companies: Neon, Topic Studios, Watch This Ready, TeaTime Pictures Producers: Emily Korteweg, Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin, Ryan Heller, Dakota Johnson, Ro Donnelly, Samantha Racanelli Cinematography:…

  Rolando Illanes Jr.

  August 26, 2025

  2025 Movie Reviews, Comedy, Drama, Entertainment, Film Reviews, Independent Film, Movie Analysis, Romantic Comedy

  2025 Films, 2025 Movies, Adria Arjona, Dakota Johnson, Divorce in Cinema, Film Criticism, Film Critique, Film Recommendations, Film Review, Film Reviews, Independent Cinema, Independent Film, Indie Directors, Indie Film, Indie Films, Kyle Marvin, Michael Angelo Covino, Modern Relationships, Movie Analysis, Movie Recap, Movie Recommendations, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, Movie Themes, Movie Thoughts, New Movie Releases 2025, Open Marriage in Film, Relationship Movies, Screwball Comedy, Splitsville (2025), Splitsville Review

• Lurker (2025) Review: Fame, Manipulation, and the Toxic Dance of Parasocial Relationships

  

  Release Date: theatrical release in U.S. on August 22, 2025 Runtime: 101 minutes (1h 41min) Rated: R for language throughout and some sexual content Production Companies: High Frequency Entertainment, MeMo Films, Twin Pictures Producers: Alex Orlovsky, Duncan Montgomery, Jack Selby, Galen Core, Olmo Schnabel, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Marc Marrie, Charlie McDowell, Archie Madekwe Cinematography: Pat Scola…

  Rolando Illanes Jr.

  August 26, 2025

  Drama, Entertainment, Film Reviews, Independent Film, Psychological Drama, Thriller

  2025 Films, 2025 Movies, Alex Russell, Archie Madekwe, Celebrity Culture in Film, Fame and Obsession, Film Criticism, Film Critique, Film Recommendations, Film Review, Film Reviews, Havana Rose Liu, Independent Cinema, Independent Film, Indie Directors, Indie Film, Indie Films, Kenny Beats, Lurker (2025), Lurker Review, Movie Analysis, Movie Recap, Movie Recommendations, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, Movie Themes, Movie Thoughts, New Movie Releases 2025, Parasocial Relationships, Psychological Thriller 2025, Théodore Pellerin, Zack Fox

• Strange Harvest Review – Stuart Ortiz’s Grotesque Mockumentary Pulls No Punches

  

  Release Date: August 8, 2025 (United States — limited theatrical release) Runtime: 94 minutes (1 h 34 m) Rated: R — disturbing violent content; language; grisly violent content Production Companies: Adorable Damage, Pathogen Pictures Producers: Bruce Guido, Stuart Ortiz, Alex Yesilcimen Cinematography: Seth Fulleer Editing: Stuart Ortiz Music / Composer: Sarah DeCourcy Strange Harvest (2025) Director & Screenwriter: Stuart Ortiz…

  Rolando Illanes Jr.

  August 12, 2025

  2025 Movie Reviews, Entertainment, Film Reviews, Horror, Mockumentary, Movie Analysis, Thriller

  2025 Films, 2025 Movies, Cult Films, Detective Films, Film Criticism, Film Critique, Film Recommendations, Film Review, Film Reviews, Found Footage Film, Horror, Horror Cinema, Horror Films, Horror Movie Review, Horror Movie Reviews, Horror Movies 2025, Independent Cinema, Independent Film, Independent Horror, Indie Film, Indie Films, Indie Horror, Mockumentary Horror, Movie Recommendations, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, New Horror Films, New Movie Releases 2025, Peter Zizzo, Strange Harvest, Stuart Ortiz, Terri Apple, True Crime Film