Together (2025)

A couple on the rocks (played by real life husband and wife team Dave Franco and Alison Brie) find that they can't seem to stay apart from one another. Like with Companion, it's hard to talk about this film without giving anything away, so I've chosen the most generic poster I could find and I recommend you stay away from all the promotional material because it's a lot more fun that way. Suffice to say, it's a two-hander that will have you crawling out of your skin.

3½ muscle relaxants out of 5

Oh, Hi! (2025)

A fledgling couple on a romantic trip to the remote countryside turns real dark when it's revealed that one likes the other more, while the other ends up in chains. I enjoyed it in the moment, although much less on reflection. I tend to watch these movies in a detached manner because I personally can't seem to relate to any of it. If only someone cared enough about me to chain me up...

2½ red flags out of 5

Eddington (2025)

Ari Aster takes a page out of the Coen Brothers' book in this darkly satirical, gritty crime thriller taking place in May 2020 during the early days of COVID, charged racial protests and civic unrest across the country. In the sleepy town of Eddington, New Mexico, a small-time sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) decides to stand up to local mask mandates and run for mayor against the incumbent (Pedro Pascal) whom he holds a grudge against. And that's about all I can say without veering off into spoiler territory. It's sprawling and depressing as hell in the way that only Aster excels at, and it goes much further than you'd ever expect it to go. I can't say if the payoff was worth the price of admission, but it's the type of film that'll get stuck in your head for all the wrong reasons.

3½ coughs out of 5

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)

A bunch of dumb morons cause a highway accident and have to endure the consequences. Just as Scream originally inspired it, it once again inspires this reboot/legacy sequel (or "requel" as the cool kids say). Somehow they roped Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. back into the fray, and the results are predictable. Somehow manages to ruin everything that came before it, if that's even possible. Worse yet, they threaten us with yet another sequel...

1 speargun out of 5

I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006)

A direct-to-video sequel in name only which has no relation to the previous characters or films. It helps to separate the wheat from the chaff; or the shit from the diarrhea. This one makes the previous film look like Shakespeare by comparison. I feel sad that I had to watch it again for purposes of this review.

0 pranks gone right out of 5

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

The world's most patient killer waits another year before striking again, following their victims halfway across the world to the Bahamas, for some weird reason. Immediately jumping the shark, the survivors from the first film go through the same shit all over again. Any way you slice it, it's a shameless cash-in sequel, from a clever title to an uninspired retread that essentially amounts to cheesy '90s kitsch. You might find some enjoyment if you hold a particular fondness for that era, or just wish to revisit it for old times' sake.

1½ dreadlocks out of 5

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Four dumb teens hit someone with their car and decide to cover it up rather than report it to the police. The following summer, they're all contacted by a blackmailer threatening to expose them, and the body count piles up.

This film is quintessentially '90s, or at least the way Hollywood tried to depict it back then. Kevin Williamson attempts to recreate some of that magic from the previous summer's hit horror whodunnit Scream, and it mostly succeeds based on a memorable hook and highly quotable title alone. In the years since its release, it's been reappraised as somewhat of a modern slasher classic, although it was mainly mocked mercilessly at the time. Regardless, it remains a simple, solid premise that more or less holds up some 30 (!) years later.

2½ urban legends out of 5

M3GAN 2.0 (2025)

Hold onto your vaginas...

M3GAN gets an upgrade and is pitted against AMELIA (Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics & Infiltration Android), a secret government weapon that was built based on M3GAN's stolen code. This film also gets an upgrade, from a smaller sci-fi horror flick to a full scale action epic, in a turn similar to Terminator 2. And the movie suffers for it. There is a lot of exposition to get through and not enough of the fun of M3GAN herself. There are one too many ideas and characters introduced, until it eventually loses the plot completely.

So what's next for this series? Besides an inevitable 3.0, there's an upcoming spin-off entitled SOULM8TE, about a man who buys a companion bot, which is a subject close to my heart. (Let's hope she looks like Ivanna Sakhno, too.)

2½ neural implants out of 5

M3GAN (2022)

A robotics engineer creates M3GAN (Model 3 Generative ANdroid), a fully autonomous humanoid robot with advanced learning AI, in order to help her niece cope with the death of her parents. They quickly become inseparable, as M3GAN's processes accelerate and she develops sentience. What separates this from all the crap is the humor that's fully embraced in this horror concept. She's not an evil robot, she's just been programmed to protect her human's life at all costs. It all collapses in the final act, but by god, it's fun getting there.

3 friends to the end out of 5

Note: This film was hacked apart for its PG-13 cut; opt for the unrated instead.

F1 (2025)

Car goes vroom-vroom. The audience cheers. Humans are simple creatures.

A grizzled, disgraced former Formula One driver (Brad Pitt) returns to the sport after a 30-year absence and clashes with a young hotshot in an effort to save their losing team. Each attempts to prove themselves for their own reasons, while breaking the rules along the way. It's basically Days of Thunder for a new generation. There aren't too many surprises to be found here. It circles the well-traveled path and arrives pretty much where you would expect.

2 pit stops out of 5

Elio (2025)

Orphan Elio dreams of being abducted by aliens more than anything in the world. It sounds overly simplistic, but this is a movie where you really have to put yourself into the mind of a child in order to get the most out of it and experience the boundless imagination and wonder it has to offer. Even as it descends into maudlin territory and eventually loses the plot by the end.

Visually, Pixar's latest is dazzling and astounding and in a league of its own, and Rob Simonsen's score sets the stage for a fun, epic sci-fi adventure.

3 eyepatches out of 5

Superman (2025)

David Corenswet dons the blue tights and red undies in James Gunn's hard reboot of the franchise, and the first film in the newly christened DC Universe. A lot is riding on this film in order to fulfill expectations, and Gunn has the unenviable task of building a shared universe on the shoulders of this movie, but it manages to (mostly) succeed with flying colors. It's a bold and auspicious start as we're dropped into this fully developed world and asked to keep up. There's a lot going on and it feels like we're already three movies deep. We're introduced to the "Justice Gang" (Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific) as well as Lex Luthor (played by Greatest Actor of His Generation Nicholas Hoult). Krypto the dog also features heavily as an unexpected hiccup along the way.

Is it better than the first two Superman films from 1978 and 1980? Not in my opinion. But it easily stands alongside that version of the character, and it blows the brooding SnyderVerse out of the fucking water. Most importantly, it feels like a Superman movie again. This Superman resembles the golden age of comic books; he's full of hope and humanity, all about damage control and protecting creatures great and small. And John Williams's theme once again does the heavy lifting of bringing the beating heart and soul to this franchise.

So, does it do enough to wipe the bad blood left by the fallen DCEU? Only time will tell if audiences accept this new direction, but it's going to be an uphill battle as Marvel continues to dominate their own shared cinematic space.

4 punk rockers out of 5

Note: Next film in the new DCU is slated to be Supergirl, arriving in June 2026.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)

"You are still you and we love you."

These are the words Dana Reeve tells her husband as he struggles to come to terms with his newfound reality in this moving and heartbreaking account of the late great actor. Features the likes of Robin Williams, who was a dear friend of his till the end, so it's a double whammy. Explores Reeve's origins as a serious theater actor taking on a blind audition on a whim, even while being ridiculed by his peers. It became the role that eclipsed everything else in his life and he was unable to escape the shadow of Superman, even as he became paralyzed later on in life. It tells a very sad, yet humbling story about how he became a real-life hero inspiring other people with disabilities and humanizes him by showing that everything wasn't perfect behind the scenes, although he always put on a brave face. It reminds us of how fragile the human condition is and to always cherish what you have—if you have the means to, anyway.

3 children passing on his legacy out of 5

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025)

Wait...what happened to Jaws 5-49?

A retrospective on the original summer blockbuster that started it all, in commemoration of its 50th anniversary. It explores the film's rushed and infamously troubled production, as it was optioned back in 1973 and quickly came together over the summer of '74 when the studio took a chance on a promising young filmmaker that paid off in spades. It's a bit rudimentary and uneven, balancing behind-the-scenes footage with newly filmed interviews from Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, James Cameron (et al) and the family of Peter Benchley, interspersed with facts demystifying the great white shark (courtesy of National Geographic), as well as the legacy it still holds today.

2½ mechanical failures out of 5

Note: For an even more in-depth and comprehensive look back at the film, check out The Making of Jaws (1995), a two-hour documentary featured on all the LaserDisc/DVD/Blu-Ray/4K releases, also directed by Laurent Bouzereau.

Jaws: The Revenge (1987)

(Say what you will about these movies, but they had the best taglines.)

They gave it the old college try and took one last stab at it, and mostly did enough to remove the bad taste left in our mouths from its predecessor. This time we focus on Brody's surviving family following his implied death and completely ignores the events of part 3, as they become convinced that the shark harbors a personal vendetta against them. It attempts to be earnest for the most part, but it's unraveled by the sheer stupidity and lack of satisfying resolution. This was pretty much the final nail in the coffin for ol' Bruce.

While the sea long lies dormant for this franchise, the barrage of cheap, blatant killer shark rip-offs continues to this very day, unfortunately.

2 roaring sharks out of 5

Note: This is one of the very rare cases where the TV version contains a better edit of the film, along with the original uncut ending, whereas the only version currently available for viewing has the ridiculous truncated version. Look it up on YouTube if you're curious.

Jaws 3-D (1983)

Anaglyph 3D was all the rage in the 1950s and had a brief resurgence in the '80s with some memorable titles like Friday the 13th 3D and Amityville 3-D, which always suggested a better time than it was actually able to deliver. 

In a complete departure from the first two films, it focuses on Brody's kids, who now work at a SeaWorld marine park, where a great white makes its way in through the gates and terrorizes the parkgoers. There is approximately one scene in this movie that remains completely memorable (and makes cheesy use of its 3D novelty), but the rest is pretty hokey and can safely be skipped when going through a rewatch of the series.

1 underwater tunnel out of 5

Jaws 2 (1978)

Four years after the events of Jaws, Chief Brody has PTSD and evidence of a new shark attack has made its way to Amity Island, to everyone's skepticism. You'd think those ungrateful assholes would believe poor Brody by now.

Roy Scheider reluctantly returns in this cash-in sequel that Steven Spielberg completely removed his name from, which manages to take all the terror and adventure out of the original and distill it down to a lifeless cycle of shark, kill, repeat. It emulates enough of the original that it's still watchable, but it's basically a retread in every way. It turns out lightning couldn't strike twice.

2½ power cables out of 5

Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)

These motherfuckers just can't leave well enough alone. A mere decade ago, this series was rebooted, and now Scarlett Johansson has been handed the keys to the kingdom in this new standalone reboot of the Jurassic brand, distancing itself from the other films. Set five years after Dominion, most of the dinosaurs have perished due to inhospitable conditions, but the rest have migrated to warmer climates near the equator. Cue the mercenaries who are tasked with traveling there to retrieve blood samples that will aid in life-saving medical research (they couldn't have thought of this before?).

Godzilla director Gareth Edwards fits right at home with this kind of kaiju material. The dinosaurs look realistic and weighty again, and it's even shot on film. It feels smaller and more intimate than the other sequels; you actually care about these characters and there are stakes at risk. There's even a new variant species introduced, because apparently regular dinosaurs just aren't scary enough anymore. While it doesn't reinvent the wheel, it's a real return to form for this series, and does a decent enough job for what it has to offer.

3 mutations out of 5

Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)

"Jurassic World? Not a fan." -Dr. Ian Malcolm

Four years after the last catastrophe, dinosaurs and humans now co-exist. Sadly, all the wonder of this world seems to be missing now. Dinosaurs have become commonplace. Poaching is a thing, as well as black market dealings. The dinosaurs no longer seem as threatening as before, and conveniently always target the baddies. This is one of those movies that gradually wears out its welcome and becomes less enjoyable as it goes on. Ironically, it's the overexposure that saps its novelty. It no longer feels special anymore.

Then again, they got Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum to reunite for the first time since 1993, so what more could you ask? They have a diminished role in this—the last of the Chris Pratt trilogy of Jurassic World films—yet remain the only bright spot that bring any humanity to the proceedings.

This was originally billed as the "epic conclusion of the Jurassic era." But fear not...the dinosaurs will continue to roam the earth. Life, uh, finds a way.

2½ flaming locusts out of 5

Note: Having seen both the theatrical and extended editions, the extended is the superior option, although it adds 14 more minutes to this lumbering entry.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Time has passed since the park was rebooted and the dinosaurs have made it their home. A volcano is set to erupt on Isla Nubar and the animal activists (and shareholders) want to save the dinos, despite scientists like Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) warning for nature to take its course and get rid of the unholy abominations once and for all. And so back we go, into the belly of the beast...

These movies aren't rocket science. What you're going to get is nature turning on man, once more. It does enough right that it's passable, popcorn-munching entertainment, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're going to like it.

2½ clones out of 5

28 Years Later (2025)

It hasn't quite been 28 years since 28 Days Later was released, but it's close enough. This was originally intended to be the capper to the 28 Days trilogy, though it's confusingly been repurposed and designed as the first part of its own new trilogy, so we don't even get the satisfaction of a proper ending. 

Anyway, 28 years on, the infected still linger in the British Isles, as well as survivors who are indefinitely quarantined. A boy learns survival techniques through his father while caring for his sick mum. There is a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing, as well as the typical frenetic editing we've come to expect from this series. In typical Alex Garland fashion, the first 3/4ths are exceptionally strong, but then it shits the bed at the very end. I'm torn as to how to rate this, since we obviously have to wait for the next installment(s) for any kind of structural narrative resolution, but I give it a very reluctant:

3½ memento mori out of 5

Note: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is set to be released January 2026.