One Battle After Another (2025) Film Review

When their evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue the daughter of one of their own.

One Battle After Another is directed by Paul Thomas Anderson director of Hard Eight (1996), Boogie Nights (1997), Magnolia (1999), Punch-Drunk Love (2007), There Will Be Blood (2007), The Master (2012), Inherent Vice (2014), Phantom Thread (2017) and Licorice Pizza (2021).

Paul Thomas Anderson continues to show why he is a master at his craft with One Battle After Another, a film that right out the gate immediately hooks the viewer into the film with its suspenseful and rich atmosphere, its sneaky score that creeps on you and its characters who truly make the film’s world feel complete. The beginning moments of the film start off with such a high note that the film keeps that note high as we get deeper and deeper into the film, which ultimately leads to a truly thrilling and powerful experience.

The performances are all fantastic here, each of the cast are able to bring something to the table that makes the film shine incredibly brightly. Especially when it comes to how perfectly the cast bounces off of each other when it comes to the dialogue. We get louder moments, we get humorous moments and we get a ton of quiet moments that are filled to the brim with tension.

Leonardo DiCaprio turns in a phenomenal performance, he plays Pat Calhoun/Bob Ferguson a member of the French 75. DiCaprio does a phenomenal job of playing this washed-up former member of this revolutionary group while also trying to be the best father he can be for Willa Ferguson (played by Chase Infinti), there are tons of wonderful moments between the two that are truly powerful. DiCaprio already being a phenomenal actor especially helps, because a role like Bob Ferguson is a bit demanding. There is this balance of humorous and suspense that needs to be captured in order to fully work and luckily that is the case for DiCaprio, underneath more humorous moments there’s a bit of pain that Bob displays and it’s noticeable to the viewer throughout the film. This is a very different performance from DiCaprio’s last couple of roles and he absolutely nails it.

Although Teyana Taylor sort of disappears from the film during the second half, her presence and what her character Perfidia does to help set up the film is felt throughout the experience. Teyana Taylor gives a powerhouse performance that instantly brings the viewer into the film’s world. The body language and her dialogue during the film’s intimidating moments with Steven J. Lockjaw (played by Sean Penn) shows another example of how much of a fantastic actress Taylor really is. The way she captures fear, determination and such really brings together on just how raw her performance really is.

Sean Penn is terrifying there is no other way to describe his performance, sure there are moments where the film is clearly making fun of him and a far right group known as “The Christmas Adventure Club” but make no mistake Steven J. Lockjaw is terrifying and truly evil, when he says lines that are meant to be comedic you feel this strong case of ire and hatred in his voice that never leaves your mind. The way Lockjaw escalates situations and how they can go from bad to worse just by Lockjaw entering the frame is truly haunting. Sean Penn is really great here and especially delivers scene in particular with Chase Infiniti.

Benicio del Toro and Regina Hall are both excellent here as well, Benicio del Toro gives a very likable and quite entertaining performance as Sergio St. Carlos, he gets one of the film’s most memorable scenes that feels like a large in scale thrilling atmosphere nuke that hits the film and makes it even more fascinating. Benicio del Toro also works incredibly well with Leonardo DiCaprio, the whole scene with the hidden passage that Sergio helps Bob to try and escape Lockjaw’s men is absolutely thrilling and filled to the brim with this scale that Benicio brings perfectly. Regina Hall only has a handful of scenes but does have one particularly strong moment that is incredibly memorable and very well acted, it can be argued that we did not get enough about her character Deandra but from what we got she contributed to the film’s story and world in this subtle and beautiful fashion.

Lastly there is Chase Infiniti who gives a star making performance, Infiniti plays Willa Ferguson who the film really puts us in the eyes of. Yes Bob is the main character of the film and we follow him the most out of everyone, however this very much feels like Willa’s story. It’s a story of where this ruined world is like hereditary being passed down until it reaches Willa’s generation and Infiniti does such a fascinating job of showing the pain and body language of someone who was caught up in the middle of everything. Willa’s bond with Bob evolves over the course of the film and sticks the landing due to how raw Infiniti’s acting really is, there is so much power put into her performance. One particular scene with Sean Penn is truly fantastic and captures this sense of survival in her eyes that is truly mesmerizing. We are going to be seeing a whole lot more of Chase Infiniti because this performance was truly something special.

The writing is fantastic, the film takes a horrifying world and scenario that has plenty of genuinely terrifying moments. Yet is able to add humor and hopeful moments is truly beautiful at the same time, the character writing in particular is so well done here. Each of the characters as I’ve described earlier are given something to contribute to make the film feel complete and they all succeed, there’s also this depth we get from each of them that is truly meaningful. Even if we physically don’t see Perfidia or Deandra for a number of scenes their presence is still felt and on its own gives them this character development. It’s a truly fascinating technique that not many filmmakers, writers and such can master but in the case of One Battle After Another mastery is all over the place.

Finally there is the technical parts of the film, the cinematography from Michael Bauman brings the film’s most memorable scene which some simply call it “The Hill scene” it’s a thrilling and a quiet yet explosive scene that captures the film’s atmosphere in a matter of seconds. The score from Jonny Greenwood is wonderfully done and truly paints the thrilling picture in a number of these scenes, some tracks start quietly and eventually keep growing in this subtle and careful way that creeps on the viewer. The large in scale nature of the film combined with the atmosphere works effortlessly, there’s so many moments where you are just looking around in the background of the film, there’s so much to explore in this giant painting that only adds more and more.

Overall One Battle After Another is a fantastic film and one of the year’s best, it’s an incredible experience that brings the viewer in almost immediately and never lets you go.

One Battle After Another is available on all VOD platforms

10/10 A+

No Other Choice (2025) Film Review

Abruptly laid off after 25 years at the same company, a desperate man goes to extreme lengths to eliminate the competition for the job he wants.

No Other Choice is directed by Park Chan-wook director of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), Oldboy (2003), Lady Vengeance (2005), The Handmaiden (2016), Decision To Leave (2022) and many others.

No Other Choice is yet another masterful piece of work from Park Chan-wook, it’s a film that captures so many different sort of themes all in one quiet yet effective film that gets progressively more and more absurd as it goes on with several different exploration points to bring this wonderful film together.

The performances are all phenomenal, each of the cast bring their own effective style into the film that matches the clever atmosphere. Lee Byung-hun as Yoo Man-su is a prime example of this, he brings this relatable and believable character who has this complex antihero traits. He has the worry, frustration and sadness of losing a job all of which combined together leads to the film’s very absurd moments that feel all too real, Lee Byung-hun captures all of this masterfully and even captures the film’s dark humor when the film requires the actors to do so. His subtle performance that combines humor with beautiful and striking quiet moments lead to Lee Byung-hun to give one of the best performances of 2025.

Son Ye-jin who plays Lee Mi-ri, Man-su’s wife is another huge part of why this film works so well. Much like Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin gives this effective performance that captures the atmosphere almost immediately, her interactions with Lee Byung-hun feel incredibly raw and have this beautiful support to it that really feels like a wife who deeply cares about her husband. There are so many beautifully done moments with Lee Mi-ri that it’s truly fascinating. Her subtle facial expressions and discussions she has with the rest of the characters truly shines through.

The writing is masterful work, that is not a huge surprise given how excellent of a writer Park Chan-wook is, however he goes for something very different here. While there are bound to be comparisons to Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite (2019), No Other Choice is going for something very different and even goes about the whole theme in different ways. The main theme here is the loss of a job, what happens when you put all of your time and energy into your job. When you are compared, visible only when you need to be exploited, what happens when all of that time and energy you put into your job was taken due to the higher ups. You are suddenly fired, you have this built up rage inside of you that you want to release badly. No Other Choice explores all of this in great detail and truly brings it all together masterfully, it all feels very raw and brutal that truly brings the film to another level.

The film’s dark comedy is an added bonus that helps make the film not become way too dark, there’s a beautiful balance here that is subtle, careful and leads to some genuinely funny moments. A lot of the comedy comes from the body language of the characters and how they express their words, it is not done in this over the top way. They are done in this relatable reactions that feel quick and straight to the point, there is so much layers to the film’s comedy that is truly fascinating.

Overall No Other Choice is a fascinating film that truly captures its themes and delivers with its characters!

No Other Choice releases in theaters December 25th!

10/10 A+

Caught Stealing (2025) Film Review

When his punk-rock neighbour asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, New York City bartender Hank Thompson suddenly finds himself caught in the middle of a motley crew of threatening gangsters who all want a piece of him.

Caught Stealing is directed by Darren Aronofsky director of Pi (1998), Requiem For A Dream (2000), The Fountain (2006), The Wrestler (2008), Black Swan (2010), Noah (2014), Mother! (2017) and The Whale (2022).

Darren Aronofsky has always been one of my favorite filmmakers, his ability to bring out transformative or flat out incredible performances from a lot of actors is just fascinating. While I’m always going to prefer Aronofsky’s more dramatic work, It’s always nice to see Aronofsky have a lot of fun and go for something completely different here.

Austin Butler is oozing with charisma and almost immediately captures the atmosphere that the world of the film demands. Every single moment you feel this gravitational pull towards his character Henry “Hank” Thompson and the world around him. Butler’s performance only gets more and more electrifying as the film goes on especially with the film’s tone that quickly becomes more brutal and darker. Butler gives one of the best performances of the year, this is the type of performance of what makes an actor so interesting especially sensing the confidence within the performance.

The supporting performances are just as fantastic, Zoë Kravitz’s chemistry with Butler is captivating and even if her part is not as massive, the time she does have she uses well and brings this passionate bond the film shows through Butler and Kravitz’s chemistry. Matt Smith and Regina King are both fantastic here as well, both capture the energy and atmosphere of their respective roles. Smith being more chaotic and King bringing her strength and pedigree. Tonic the cat is also a fun addition to the film who does a fantastic job with the film’s more comedic moments.

The writing is atmospheric, thrilling and genuinely funny at times. It’s a nice balance between the three, none of which completely overwhelm one another. The writing has moments of brutality which is where the depth for these characters comes from, we explore a bit about them. Even if at times there is a bit of surface level information, what we do learn is admittedly fascinating which keeps the viewer in for the ride. The comedic elements are on the black comedy side of things, but are effectively used sparingly and do not take away from the more dramatic ones.

Aronofsky does a fascinating job of capturing this 1990s New York landscape, he invests a ton of energy in creating this beautiful feel that you can’t help but look around. This is definitely one of Aronofsky’s bigger in scale films, perhaps his biggest since Noah (2014). But unlike Noah (2014) where it felt very overwhelming and a giant mess in general, Caught Stealing is a lot more focused and has a lot more interesting elements happening on screen. You have the chaotic nature of the cast and their characters, the brutality of the film, the film’s black comedy and the strong cinematography from Matthew Libatique.

Overall Caught Stealing is such a chaotic and fun ride from beginning to end, that Aronofsky does such a fascinating job of capturing the crazed experience.

Caught Stealing is available on all VOD platforms.

9/10 A

Highest 2 Lowest (2025) Film Review

When a powerful music mogul is targeted by a ransom plot, he is forced to fight for his family and legacy while jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.

Highest 2 Lowest is directed by Spike Lee director of Do The Right Thing (1989), Malcolm X (1992), Inside Man (2006), Old Boy (2013), BlacKkKlansman (2018), Da 5 Bloods (2020) and many others. The film serves as an English-language remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 Japanese film High and Low.

Highest 2 Lowest is sort of a fascinating one, it’s obviously not going to hold candle to Kurosawa’s film but unlike Lee’s attempt at tackling Old Boy this one fairs a lot better due to its cast, the decently fun atmosphere and a few scenes that make the film stand tall.

Denzel Washington is to no one’s surprise quite fantastic here. Washington is one of those actors who constantly brings in powerhouse performances and here is no exception, while the writing does get very messy towards the end. Washington’s performance remains consistently striking throughout the film, it’s a classic showcase of a powerhouse actor who elevates the material even when said material is at its low points. A lot of what I said about Washington can be said about Jeffery Wright, his ability to portray a nuanced and authentic bond is incredibly investing.

A$AP Rocky is also quite excellent here as well, Spike Lee has said that Rocky went “toe to toe” with Washington and he is not exactly wrong. There are plenty of scenes here that display Rocky keeping up with Washington, the chemistry between the two works incredibly well especially during one certain scene that’s also one of the film’s best. This is the type of performance that shows a lot of potential for an actor.

The writing is where the film falls a bit, the character writing that we get from the first half of the film is quite great, we get some solid introductions to the characters. The writing itself does a pretty good job of making the New York setting feel alive, plus I will give credit where credit is due that this manages to be a quite different take on High and Low. With that being said the third act is where things fall apart, a lot of the character writing (or writing in general) that the rest of the movie built up to lacked power and led to messy execution.

With that being said, I do think Highest 2 Lowest is still quite great. The character writing definitely needed more power and the pacing ultimately does hurt the film in the end, but Spike Lee does seem like he’s having a blast directing the film and the cast really makes this work as well as it does.

Highest 2 Lowest is available on Apple TV+

8/10 B+

Plainclothes (2025) Film Review

In the 1990s, an undercover officer is told to entrap and apprehend gay men only to find himself drawn to one of his targets.

Plainclothes is directed by Carmen Emmi which is his directorial debut.

Plainclothes is one of the most underrated films of the year as well as being one of most surprising. A very strong thriller with tense and powerful performances mixed with rich atmosphere makes this one feel all the more real especially with its themes.

Tom Blyth and Russell Tovey are both phenomenal here, the chemistry between the two is wonderful and they perfectly capture the film’s theme of romance being hopeless and dead thing from the start. Having to hide everything of what you are until it fills you up and destroys you, that’s something Blyth and Tovey depict masterfully, devastating performances that capture the film’s atmosphere and emotion. There is this physical passion between them but when you are only allowed to be shells of human beings, that gets to you incredibly quickly.

The film’s VHS-style is quite wonderful and really captures 1990s New York incredibly well, the cinematography from Ethan Palmer allows the viewer to explore New York in this classical way that is filled to the brim with atmosphere. The style also gives the film a more authentic feel that quickly brings the viewer into the film. The direction from Carmen Emmi is confident, raw and has this tenseness to it that helps both Blyth and Tovey’s performances stand incredibly tall.

The theme of performing different versions of yourself to navigate the world is powerfully done, in this case hiding sexuality which the film brings this heartbreak and tense atmosphere to compliment it all. While there is not exactly anything new discussed or explored here, the way that Emmi explores these themes and topics is what keeps the viewer intrigued.

Finally there is the writing which is done very well here, the build up from the start of the film to the complete turmoil at the end is worth the wait and results in a final act that does a splendid job of bringing its themes together. There is a ton of character moments here that Emmi throws in to make each and every scene all the more important and powerful.

Overall Plainclothes is quite great, it’s an intense and emotional thriller filled with strong performances and just being a cleverly put together film.

Plainclothes is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

A House Of Dynamite (2025) Film Review

Radars at Fort Greely, Alaska, detect a nuclear missile. The president and his entourage must use the limited time they have to try to shoot down the missile before it reaches Chicago.

A House Of Dynamite is directed by Kathryn Bigelow director of Point Break (1991), The Hurt Locker (2008), Zero Dark Thirty (2012), Detroit (2017) and many others.

As someone who is a fan of Kathryn Bigelow’s work my biggest question after watching A House Of Dynamite was “what happened here?” There is a ton of decision making here that ultimately cost the movie and completely drained any sort of tense atmosphere the movie built during the first act.

The performances all around are great, Rebecca Ferguson is the standout here with her strong performance that helps the movie build some sort of tension during the movie’s first act. Idris Elba is pretty solid here as well, it’s definitely not one of his absolute best performances but there’s no denying that whenever he was on screen the movie had a bit more interest going on here.

The atmosphere during the first act was at the very least thrilling, there was a nice setup here that could have potentially gave the movie more strength and intrigue…that is not what happened here, the middling second and third act that say absolutely nothing outside of “nuclear war is scary, what are we going to do?” does not do the movie any sort of favors. The atmosphere feels completely empty because of this, there is nothing tense or intriguing about the environments or dialogue. It’s a shame to because the first act’s narrative structure had a bunch of thrills that were investing very early on.

Speaking of which, the dialogue and characters are just not interesting enough to reach the finish line, the different perspectives is an admittedly interesting choice that could have worked. But unfortunately that leads to the movie being a complete and total mess simply due to how empty the dialogue really is and the powerful direction that Bigelow usually brings to the table being absent this time around.

Then there is the ending which is a whole lot of nothing, I get what it’s going for here but due to how much of a mess the build up was it just does not work at the slightest. It ends abruptly and is nowhere near as clever as the movie thinks it is, the movie sets itself up by wanting the viewer to believe that this big booming result is coming yet it ends on a whimper rather than a explosive force of a finale.

Overall there is just not a whole lot to say about A House Of Dynamite which is baffling to say, you could go on for hours about Bigelow’s previous work and explore the themes and characters. With this movie that’s not the case, instead you are left with a very empty experience that you immediately forgettable after viewing.

A House Of Dynamite is available on Netflix.

5/10 C

Ballad Of A Small Player (2025) Film Review

When his past and his debts start to catch up with him, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation.

Ballad Of A Small Player is directed by Edward Berger director of Jack (2014), All My Loving (2019), All Quiet On The Western Front (2022) and Conclave (2024).

Ballad Of A Small Player is the perfect example of a movie that looks stunning and is acted quite beautifully but is lacking an incredible amount of substance that unfortunately does not get it over the finish line.

Colin Farrell gives a strong performance here, he especially feels striking when combined with the movie’s gorgeous cinematography from cinematographer James Friend. Even if Farrell’s character is lacking in the writing department, he still does manage to create this sort of thrilling atmosphere for his character and luckily due to his acting talent he makes it work for the most part.

Volker Bertlemann’s score at first may not seem like it’s very fitting, the world of Ballad Of A Small Player feels a lot smaller in scale than some of Edward Berger’s previous work. Yet despite that the booming nature of the score still works, especially during a handful of intriguing sequences that end up meshing the movie together into some wondrous moments.

The movie is also a massive departure from Berger’s other films, which is exciting to see him tackle something completely different. Unfortunately the writing is just not there to really back it up, the story itself is a bit of mess with very little direction. The characters are distant which leads to the emotional beats the movie relies on to fail.

Overall Ballad Of A Small Player is a bold move but unfortunately one that leaves a lot more to be desired, there’s just not enough detailed exploration here to really give the viewer anything to chew on.

Ballad Of A Small Player is available on Netflix.

5/10 C

Quick Review: Bone Lake (2025)

Diego and Sage’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate gets upended when they’re forced to share a mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. Their dream getaway soon spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies and manipulation as terrifying secrets come to light, triggering a bloody battle for survival.

Bone Lake is directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan director of Fixation (2022) and Spoonful of Sugar (2022).

Bone Lake has some great ideas at play here, but unfortunately does not quite have the firepower to last very long especially when it comes to its script.

The performances are decent here but there really isn’t any particular moment that stands out. Maddie Hasson definitely gets the bigger end of the stick when it comes to the rest of the cast, but even her performance is left with more of a need to explore.

The movie attempts to touch on modern relationship dynamics and expectations which is all well and good, but the major issue here is the characters lack any sort of development to turn these themes into something investing for the viewer. The characters are very much what you would expect from this type of horror movie and just have very little going on in the development department.

Lastly there’s the writing which plays it very safe, even under the erotica genre this is not as crazy or explicit as much as the movie tries to make itself out to be. There are suggestions and glimpses of more hardcore elements but never anything shocking or daring, there are moments of fun to be had but those are very far and few in between.

Overall Bone Lake is very forgettable, outside of a few decent scenes and some okay performances this is one you will almost immediately forget about after watching.

Bone Lake is available on all VOD Platforms.

4/10 D+

NYFF Review: The Secret Agent (2025)

In 1977, Marcelo, a technology teacher, moves from São Paulo to Recife during Carnival to escape his violent past and start over. He finds the city full of chaos, and his neighbors begin to spy on him.

New York Film Festival Review

The Secret Agent is directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho director of Neighboring Sounds (2012), Aquarius (2016) and Barcurau (2019).

Much like last year’s I’m Still Here (2024), The Secret Agent also takes place during the Brazilian military dictatorship. The main difference here however are I’m Still Here (2024) took place early on during the dictatorship and it’s based on a true story, The Secret Agent takes place during the final years of the dictatorship and it’s not based on a true story. Just like I’m Still Here (2024), The Secret Agent is an incredibly powerful film that has much love, human feel, importance and even celebration of the Brazilian people poured into it. Which gives us some absolutely beautiful final results.

The performances are all fantastic, every single cast member of the film gives this honest and beautiful performance that truly never leaves your mind. There’s so much attention to detail with the body language of each of the cast and their natural conversations that it almost feels like you are right there sitting with them. Tânia Maria as Dona Sebastiana is perhaps my favorite of the supporting cast simply because of her entrance to the film, confident performance and the moments towards the end of the film where we hear about her experiences.

Wagner Moura being the best example of this, he plays Armando/Marcelo Alves, a former teacher who is caught in political turmoil. To say Moura knocks it out of the park would be the understatement of the year, his performance captures everything that’s needed to make a performance like this work. He captures the atmosphere the film is going for masterfully, he gives this subtle and powerful performance that leads to some gut punching raw moments that can only be described as masterful. Even before Armando/Marcelo’s backstory is fully revealed we can already see moments where he conveys this deep sense of pain and mystery, once we do get the full backstory we see how clever and brilliantly written the buildup really was. Moura is also just incredibly captivating to watch, effortlessly commands the screen and completely captures the many different type of moods the film’s atmosphere goes for, all of this combined together gives us one of the very best performances of the year.

The writing is absolutely outstanding, Filho does such an incredible job of giving all of these characters unique personalities and show how all of these characters connect. There is this theme of oppression constantly chasing them, it chases Armando/Marcelo constantly throughout the film. Even in the film’s happier moments that are supposed to be for celebration you can feel the characters still on edge because at any given moment their lives (which have already been put into a difficult situation) could get even worse.

The technical aspects of the film are jaw dropping. The absolutely gorgeous cinematography from cinematographer Evgenia Alexandrova captures this raw and almost 70s and 80s style of neo noir that is incredibly appealing to the eye. The score from Tomaz Alves Souza and Mateus Alves combined with the editing from editors Eduardo Serrano and Matheus Farias give us one of the film’s very best scenes. It’s a tense scene that constantly goes back and forth between the characters involved, the editing is fast and sharp, the score is this quiet yet striking piece that builds the tension as it goes on and the atmosphere is top notch. There’s a lot of striking shots throughout the film that leave you in a sense of surprise and thought, there’s so much attention to detail here that really makes you engage with the film and its story.

Finally there’s the many other themes, I’ve already said before that there’s the theme of oppression but there’s also one of celebration of the Brazilian people. A celebration of how all of these people who were going through some of the most evil and disturbing actions stood by each other and celebrated the tiny moments, there’s this sense of togetherness and support that is genuinely beautiful. Lastly there’s the theme of how Brazil has changed over the years, the film at times goes back and forth from the past and the present day where two students are researching the events of the film. We do see the changes over the years but we also see how the oppression impacted the later generations. The film does have this hopeful end note, which brings this beauty yet sadness to the film that ends up making The Secret Agent one of the most important films of 2025.

Overall The Secret Agent is a powerhouse film that is truly one of the year’s best. It’s an incredibly impactful film that explores oppression, celebration and memories.

The Secret Agent releases November 26th in theaters.

10/10 A+

Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025) Film Review

Ethan Hunt and the IMF team race against time to find the Entity, a rogue artificial intelligence that can destroy mankind.

Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning is directed by Christopher McQuarrie director of Jack Reacher (2012), The Way of the Gun (2000) Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation, Fallout and Dead Reckoning (2015-2023). The film serves as a direct sequel to Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning and is the eighth installment in the Mission Impossible series.

While Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning may not have the absolute highs that the previous film did, it still ends the series (at least with Tom Cruise involved) on a high note and is what any fan of the franchise could really ask for.

The performances are all pretty strong here Tom Cruise is just as great as he has been in these films, he’s particularly strong during the film’s climax that is a rollercoaster ride. His commitment to keep pushing boundaries of stunt work continues to be impressive and that’s shown here in great detail. Hayley Atwell has solid chemistry with Tom Cruise and overall gives a strong performance by herself, Pom Klementieff gets some solid character growth and much like Atwell gives an overall pretty strong performance.

The writing does have its hiccups, for one thing there is a lot of callbacks to the rest of the franchise. That in itself is not necessarily a bad thing, but doing too much of it can start hurting the writing and in some areas it does. I can absolutely see what people mean when they say “the first hour is a slog” although there’s some interesting moments going on here, it is admittedly incredibly slow and does end up hurting the pacing in the long run. I will give some credit that the flashbacks are decently edited and at least build some sense of paranoia for Ethan particularly about his past and future.

Thanks to this paranoia that’s built, the rest of the film is able to shine. The thrilling atmosphere ends up giving the viewer one of the franchise’s most thrilling sequences and the film only keeps going up from there, constantly upping itself filled to the brim of incredibly well done stunt work and an atmosphere that brings the viewer to the edge of their seat.

The stunt work is incredibly well done and as I mentioned before is a prime example of Tom Cruise pushing boundaries of stunt work, he tops a majority (arguably all) of anything he’s done in his career with the climax and ends the film on the highest note possible. You can feel the passion from Tom Cruise through the screen and immediately brings the viewer front and center into the action, it’s by far some of the film’s greatest moments and only feels appropriate to end this series (at least with Tom Cruise this way).

Overall Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning is flawed, but once it gets past the weaker first hour (although as I said before it does have its positives) the film only improves from there. The plot might not exactly have a lot going on here detail wise, however the film remains fun throughout the experience and ends on a high note that most fans will be satisfied with.

Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+