Some quick thoughts on movies I watched last month, followed by lists of my current favorite films and performances of the year so far...
Dredd (2012)
Dug this a lot more this time around, and after listening to the recent Blank Check Special Features episode.
Sentimental Value (2025)
I appreciate when a film makes you think you've got it all figured out, then it pushes past that in a way that deepens every moment that came before with a well of genuine emotion and meaningfulness. Simply stunning.
Broadcast News (1987)
Crying in the morning during the one moment you'll have to yourself all day makes a lot more sense to me now.
Wake Up Dead Man (2025)
The first Knives Out is still my favorite in the series, though I think this one is solid and I may enjoy it more on subsequent viewings. The whole Benoit Blanc thing might just not be my bag at the moment, though?
The Great Muppet Caper (1981)
Kermit and Fozzie are identical twins and their dad is a green frog-bear-thing. Miss Piggy does a sparkly Busby Berkeley-style water ballet. Charles Grodin is trying to steal the Baseball Diamond from the Mallory Gallery. What more do you need?
Sorry, Baby (2025)
What an astonishingly good debut film from Eva Victor. And that final scene really spoke out loud some things I've thought in my own head as a parent of a young girl.
Jay Kelly (2025)
It has its moments, but never really achieves the full 8 1/2 or Wild Strawberries effect it's pretty clearly aiming for. Sandler brings a lot to a pretty ill-conceived character, but if I had to hear him call someone "puppy" one more time, I might've lost my mind.
Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
My annual rewatch of this with my daughter, continuing a tradition my sister and I had as kids.
Pluto's Christmas Tree (1952)
I think this may have been my daughter's first time seeing Chip and Dale? Either way, she was very much into their whole thing.
An Almost Christmas Story (2024)
Somehow, I totally missed this in 2024, but my daughter and I came across it while looking for Christmas shorts to watch. Incredibly charming and felt like a throwback with an effectively beguiling modern twist. And it's got a pretty stacked voice cast, by the way.
The Shining (1980)
I couldn't even tell you how many times I've seen The Shining. But seeing it on the big screen, and in IMAX no less, was truly like seeing it for the first time—just a completely different and revelatory experience.
Hamnet (2025)
***POTENTIAL SPOILER AHEAD... The moment when Agnes begins to understand that her shared trauma with her husband has seeded a tragic tale that moves an entire theater of people and may just be the sort of thing that rings out through history is one of the most astonishingly affecting moments in a film this year. And it mainly makes up for some of the more uneven stretches earlier in the film.
This is Spinal Tap
This is Spinal Tap is pretty clearly one of the major comedic inflection points of the late 20th century. And even though so much of the dialogue is quoted ad nauseam to this day, it still feels freshly funny in its original form, thanks in no small part to how off the cuff it's all delivered. No line feels showcased as a laugh-line, but instead just rolls out as if it wasn't even meant to be funny at all. And that's maybe the best lesson anyone looking to make a funny movie could ever take from the film.
The Red Balloon (1956)
I saw this 40 years ago in school and totally forgot the balloon is sentient. My daughter and I watched this and she was really into it, but cried when the balloon popped.
A Few Good Men (1992)
In the wake of Reiner's death, I really wanted to rewatch this, but couldn't find an easy way to stream it, so I bought it on 4K. Looked great and still extremely satisfying even after all these years.
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
Saw this on the big screen for the first time and maybe it's no coincidence that I now think Meg Ryan's performance is not only charming and delightful (duh), but actually ranks among the very best screen performances ever captured on film. Every single word she utters and grand or micro gesture she gives is just absolutely honest and thoroughly effective.
The Princess Bride (1987)
My four year old daughter is now a big fan of this movie. The kid has taste.
The Secret Agent (2025)
There's a confidence and trust on display when filmmakers allow seemingly somewhat disparate story beats to unfold and take their time to coalesce into a bigger picture. And when it works, it's incredibly satisfying as a viewer. Also, between this and last year's I'm Still Here, it's clear Brazil has a lot to teach us here in the States via depictions of its past political environment.
Marty Supreme (2025)
Add one to the canon of scum-bum cinema. Chalamet is on fire in this and I can't wait to watch it again.
Also Seen:
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
- Cover-Up (2025)
Current Favorite Films of 2025
Current Favorite Performances of 2025
- an asterisk (*) indicates a new addition since last month
Best Lead Female Actor:
- Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby*
- Jessie Buckley, Hamnet*
- Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
- Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
- Alicia Vikander, The Assessment
- Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
Best Lead Male Actor:
- Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme*
- Joaquin Phoenix, Eddington
- Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
- Wagner Moira, The Secret Agent*
- Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
- Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams
Best Supporting Female Actor:
- Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
- Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
- Amy Madigan, Weapons
- Rachel Brosnahan, Superman
- Felicity Jones, Train Dreams
- Gwyneth Paltrow, Marty Supreme*
Best Supporting Male Actor:
- Delroy Lindo, Sinners
- Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
- Nicholas Hoult, Superman
- Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
- Ralph Fiennes, 28 Years Later
- Jacobi Jupe, Hamnet
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