Pools (2025) Film Review

In the midst of her whole life falling apart, Kennedy attempts to somehow reconnect with her dead father, searching for permission to live her own life within a wild pool-hopping escape through the elaborate estates of her college town.

Pools is directed by Sam Hayes which is his directorial debut.

Pools is a coming of age film that may not exactly do anything brand new, however there is this theme of being young and having to grow up and how life can uppercut you that quickly connects to the viewer and it’s done in a way that feels very natural. Combine that with some strong performances, camerawork and direction you have yourself a charming little film.

Odessa A’zion has quickly become a rising star and this is yet another showcase of how great of an actress she really is. She plays her character Kennedy incredibly well and in this natural way that quickly gets the viewer invested into her character, she adds so many layers and depth to Kennedy. She has her own personal issues underneath it all and the way the film goes about exploring these issues is interesting and really shows how talented A’zion is as an actress.

The rest of the cast is quite great, while the character writing is not as strong for the rest of the cast. They all still turn in great performances, particularly Ariel Winter and Mason Gooding both of which I’m not exactly crazy about as actors. But I will admit that they do a pretty solid job here especially in one particular scene that shows some sort of depth for these characters.

The technical aspects of the film are surprisingly pretty solid, the cinematography from Ben Hardwicke has this summer vibe going on here which matches with the film quite well. The editing and camerawork which includes some zoom ins make for some decently funny visual language. The atmosphere also has this laid back summer feel that mixes well with the film’s more dramatic moments.

The writing has plenty of raw moments that helps these characters explore their issues in their personal lives, the humor can be a bit of a hit or miss and as I said before Pools is not exactly groundbreaking. However the film has this charming message and wonderfully funny atmosphere that you cannot help but enjoy.

Overall Pools is a fun little coming of age film that is backed by its cast, direction and technical elements.

Pools is available on all VOD platforms.

7/10 B

Roofman (2025) Film Review

After escaping from prison, former soldier and professional thief Jeffrey Manchester finds a hideout inside a Toys “R” Us, surviving undetected for months while planning his next move. However, when Jeffrey falls for a divorced mom, his double life starts to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat and mouse as his past closes in.

Roofman is directed by Derek Cianfrance director of Brother Ted (1998), Blue Valentine (2010), The Place Beyond The Pines (2012) and The Light Between Oceans (2016).

Often times I find that films that are about bizarre true stories where if you told someone who was completely unfamiliar them they would look at you like you have five heads to be the most interesting. That’s especially the case here with Roofman a film that tells the story of Jeffery Manchester a spree robber who escaped prison and who hid in a Toys R Us, he escaped in June 2004 and was recaptured in January 2005. It’s a bizarre story that the film tells incredibly well, there is even a lot of heart in the film as well.

First and foremost the performances here are quite fantastic, Channing Tatum gives such a wonderful performance that captures the bizarre nature of the story as well as just being incredibly charming. He has so much charisma and works with the rest of the cast effortlessly, there’s this sense of vulnerability that is shown through the film’s more quiet moments. It’s a bit surprising to see given the film’s story but at the same time it’s not, Cianfrance’s usual bringing out career worthy best performances from several actors is present here and that can be argued for Tatum.

The film also does not undermine the effect the actions of what Jeffery (played by Channing Tatum) has had on the people in his life, even showing how people who were caught in the crossfire were hurt, it’s done in this way that is meaningful and shows everyone’s reactions in this detail that has a lot of emotion and power.

Much like Tatum, Kristen Dunst gives an incredible performance here. A lot of what I said about Tatum’s performance can be said about Dunst. Her chemistry with Tatum is absolutely wonderful and really elevates the film, the close-up shots of the two is emotional and really pushes the film to greatness. Dunst has this charm to her performance that also shares vulnerability, the scenes of Dunst and Tatum just talking about each other and sharing their life story are some of the film’s most powerful and intimate moments that truly make the film.

The writing is truly fascinating here, this is one of those films that gives the supporting cast no matter how small of a part they have something to do. LaKeith Stanfield is of course fantastic and Peter Dinklage gives a humorous performance. The writing also does a great job of balancing the dramatic moments with the humor, the humor is not the main focus of the story (which the trailer would make you believe that it is) but it’s still present and blends well with the dramatic moments. The character writing from this film is shockingly quite great, it brings the viewer’s interest quickly and does a wonderful job of giving these characters the rawness they need.

Finally there is Cianfrance’s direction which is quite excellent, as mentioned before he loves to bring out career best worthy performances and that’s the case here with Tatum. The humor and drama he brings to the story is carefully put together, one does not overwhelm the other. It’s all done in this sort of direction that has a lot of heart and care, which is a very interesting approach to such a bizarre story that really works.

Roofman is available on all VOD platforms.

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+

The Toxic Avenger (2025) Film Review

A janitor becomes a social outcast when a freak accident at a chemical factory turns him into a mutant. However, he soon uses his newfound superhuman strength to battle slimy criminals and a corrupt CEO.

The Toxic Avenger is directed by Macon Blair director of I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore (2017). The film serves as the fifth installment and a reboot in The Toxic Avenger series.

While The Toxic Avenger might not have as much gore as its predecessors (I’m not exactly sure why there was talk about this film being “unreleasable”) the film still has a lot of charm and actually is strangely heartfelt in some areas.

The performances are all around pretty great. Peter Dinklage works well as The Toxic Avenger, he does not go incredibly far with it but I guess the reboot wanted to try a different approach which works well here. Kevin Bacon and Elijah Wood make for fun villains even if we do not get a whole lot of character writing for their characters. It ultimately can be ignored due to just how well Bacon and Wood work together and steal each and every scene they share together.

The film does not have the Troma insanity from the previous films, which while unfortunate gives us something that feels much different this time around. For the most part that works quite well, there’s this very heavy Sam Rami’s Spiderman trilogy feel here that works decently well. The film also surprisingly has heart, the bond between Winston/ The Toxic Avenger and Wade (played by Jacob Tremblay) is actually effective here. While the story arc goes the direction you think it’s going to go, it is still incredibly charming and at least adds some character writing.

The gore combined with the action scenes are a lot of fun, while you may not get the over the top scenes from the previous films. You will still get a ton of satisfying moments that will be enough to please fans of the series.

Overall The Toxic Avenger is a fun film that does not overstay its welcome, it focuses on its satire and entertaining the viewer. There might not be a whole lot to the film, but in cases like this that really is not a complaint!

The Toxic Avenger is available on all VOD platforms.

7/10 B

Queens Of The Dead (2025) Film Review

Brooklyn drag queens put their personal conflicts aside as they battle zombies craving brains.

Queens Of The Dead is directed by Tina Romero which is her directorial debut.

The only thing I really knew about this one going in is that it was directed by George A. Romero’s daughter, Tina Romero goes for a parody approach which works just enough to make for a decently fun film for the zombie genre even if it’s lacking in some areas.

The cast is strong throughout the film, while the script is not anything to write home about due to the cast’s talent they are able to make it work. Katy O’Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Nina Flowers, Margaret Cho and Dominique Jackson are all solid here. As a whole they work together nicely and make for some fun interactions and jokes that are chuckle worthy.

The film is fun on a technical level, the music is a lot of fun and captures the atmosphere the film is going for. I never thought I would see a film use Kesha’s song “Blow” but here it is and it’s done pretty well. The fast paced editing is sharp and electrifying and the cinematography from Shannon Madden has some fun personality going on here.

What’s mainly holding back Queens Of The Dead from being great is mainly the writing and genre cliches. While there are some decent jokes here, as the movie goes on especially during the later half there starts to be a lot more jokes missing than landing. The zombie horror element leaves a lot more to be desired, while it’s not done in a bad way. It’s not done in a very exciting way either, it very much feels like it’s just sort of there.

With that being said Queens Of The Dead still manages to be decently fun, I think Tina Romero has potential as a director this one just needed a stronger script to really make it standout.

Queens Of The Dead is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

Eleanor The Great (2025) Film Review

After the death of her oldest friend, 94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein moves from Florida to New York City for a fresh start. Wandering into a support group for Holocaust survivors, she tells a tale that takes on a dangerous life of its own.

Eleanor The Great is directed by Scarlett Johansson which is her directorial debut.

Scarlett Johansson in the director’s chair immediately caught my interest and for a directorial debut this is a delightful little movie that definitely has some issues. But in the end you can’t help but love the film’s charming nature.

The performances all around are great, but June Squibb is the one part that is holding this film together. She displays so much personality and captures what grandmothers are like, Squibb’s performance is incredibly charming and has this layer of honesty here that when the film explores Eleanor’s (played by June Squibb) grief you end up being invested. Even if the exploration of grief is done in a very conventional way that’s not really breaking any new ground.

Erin Kellyman is also quite great here, while I do wish there were much stronger character moments for her. The interactions between her and Squibb work really well and have this genuinely charming friendship that you can’t help but smile at. Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a beautiful monologue that really displays his talent as an actor.

The main flaw with Eleanor The Great largely comes from the plot of June lying about being a Holocaust survivor (her best friend Bessie Stern who was a Holocaust survivor died) while it’s understandable on what the movie is trying to say here. It ultimately falls on the weaker side of things due to this sort of grieving not being explored all that well. Some people have a strange way of grieving and it’s important to talk about this in a much more investing and elaborate way, instead the movie opts to explore it in a very muted way. The best way to describe it is you are expecting and feel something powerful coming but in the end you do not really get that all. It’s unfortunately done in the whole “fall out between characters but they make up” sort of way.

The ending is admittedly very sweet and does wrap the film up decently well, there is this bit of Eleanor looking to the future while honoring her past that is genuinely touching. She gets to finish Bessie’s story as well, it’s charming but does feel like the firepower could have been stronger.

Overall Eleanor The Great is a charming little film that definitely could have been a lot stronger in the writing department, but it’s a decent enough film to recommend. I would say watch this one for June Squibb.

Eleanor The Great is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

Freakier Friday (2025) Film Review

Two decades after an identity crisis, Anna’s blended family faces new challenges. Tess and Anna discover their past may be repeating with the next generation.

Freakier Friday is directed by Nisha Ganatra director of Chutney Popcorn (1999), Fast Food High (2003), Cake (2005), Late Night (2019) and The High Note (2020). The film serves as a sequel to Freaky Friday (2003).

A Freaky Friday (2003) sequel was bound to happen at some point, it’s a film that is quite beloved and has gained a bigger and bigger following over the years. Freakier Friday might not be as great as its predecessor but it still manages to capture a lot of the excitement and spirit of what made the first film so great.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are both excellent here and just ooze with personality. Everything that made their performances so memorable from the first film is present here, adding into the mix we have Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons who while are not as great as Curtis or Lohan they still do a pretty solid job. Especially considering this time around it’s a double body swap which can be incredibly tricky, there are times where some of the actors seem to lose track of who they are playing. However those moments are very far and few in between which ultimately does not hurt any of the performances.

Freakier Friday does not really have anything new going on narratively, it has the same message as the first film and the double body swap ends up being the main difference. With that being said it’s still a lot of fun, the humor is genuinely solid and the nostalgia callbacks are actually integrated very well into the story. The last 15 minutes displays the more emotional moments of the film and wraps the story up very nicely, stronger character moments could have absolutely given more strength as Ganatra does focus on a lot of comedy antics that do not land incredibly well.

But from what we are given, there is just enough here for the viewer to latch on to and enjoy both the comedic and emotional moments. Ultimately Freakier Friday is harmless, as I said before narratively it’s not much different and when you really get down to it there is just not a whole lot to say here. But there is no denying that this is an entertaining one.

Freakier Friday is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

Splitsville (2025) Film Review

When his wife asks for a divorce, a man runs to his friends for support, only to learn that the secret to their happiness is an open marriage.

Splitsville is directed by Michael Angelo Covino director of The Climb (2019).

Splitsville is a decent little comedy that has just enough meat on its bones to make it to the finish line, the performances, humor and the exploration of its themes such as the struggle for honesty openness within marriages and this whole honesty vs deception angle is able to make the film more interesting.

The performances are all quite great here, Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Kyle Marvin and Michael Angelo Covino all turn in very solid performances and work well together. The discussions the characters have are both decently funny and have this layer meaning that brings the film’s themes such as exploring open marriage front and center. It gives these characters personality especially when you combine the witty banter.

Dakota Johnson brings the necessary depth to Julie as a character, Adria Arjona gives a memorable performance due to one particular scene, plus she’s just fantastic here and works incredibly well with the rest of the cast. Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin both have strong chemistry, their real life friendship translates well here and at times it feels like we are given some personal moments, which can be felt due to both Covino and Marvin being the writers. It’s especially felt when we get scenes of both Carey (played by Marvin) and Paul (played Covino).

The humor for the most part works very well, there’s this nice balance of exploration in the film’s themes and the humor itself. While not every single joke lands, there is just the right amount to get some laughs from the viewer, the sharp direction from Covino really puts in the work here as well. The intimate moments help bring the characters closer to the viewer combined with the film’s cinematography from cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra.

While Splitsville does suffer being from a bit too long and has some pacing issues. It’s a nice balance entertainment and meaning that gives the film more to stand on.

Splitsville is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) Film Review

Through a surprising twist of fate, single strangers Sarah and David get to relive important moments from their respective pasts, illuminating how they got to where they are in the present.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is directed by Kogonada director of Columbus (2017) and After Yang (2021).

Coming off of two quite fantastic films, I was pretty excited to see what Kogonada had in store with A Big Bold Beautiful Journey and unfortunately this was a huge step down from his previous work. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey has a lot of great ideas and ingredients to make a great film is here, but unfortunately none of it is mixing all that well and creates this messy and forgettable experience that leaves the viewer disappointed.

Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie are both solid here, there’s a few moments in particular where they easily make scenes that otherwise would be drawn out and dull into something genuinely sweet and somewhat powerful. There’s some moments that show vulnerability that mixes well with Joe Hisaishi’s score, there’s a track called “To Her Mother’s Side” that in particular is genuinely moving and creates one of the movie’s most memorable moments. It’s one of the movie’s longer moments but unlike other moments where they feel drawn out, this one feels a lot more earned.

Unfortunately the rest of the movie does not have the strength and firepower it needs to leave an impression on the viewer, the characters just do not have much in common which in turn makes the whole love story element seem incredibly forced and is not worth investing in. The chemistry between Farrell and Robbie is just not there at all, a large part of it is due to just how shallow the script really is. The two are excellent individually but romantically there is not anything here that feels striking or to really care about them as a couple.

The biggest problem here is the dialogue and how it’s desperately trying in every single scene to come off like it’s saying something profound, rather than going for a more natural direction and letting scenes speak for themselves. The movie opts for this forced dialogue that is the equivalent of those type of quotes you would see on Facebook like pages, the ones about relationships, or ones trying to inspire you. Those are fine in themselves, but when you are writing a script for a movie and that’s how deep your dialogue is then where exactly do you go from here?

Finally there’s the scenes being drawn out, I spoke a bit about this earlier but this is a problem that appears several different times during the movie. It’s repetitive and unfortunately leads to the viewer checking out of the movie early on, there’s just not enough interesting moments for our main characters to explore, their backstories are incredibly cliched and predictable and despite how solid the cinematography looks thanks to cinematographer Benjamin Loeb, the world feels empty and the lacking of detail is incredibly noticeable.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is one of the most disappointing movies of the year, the themes of taking risks for connection, embracing vulnerability and overcoming regret do not have the proper writing to make the exploration worthwhile. The lack of chemistry and investing scenes completely stop this movie from being powerful.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is available on all VOD platforms.

5/10 C

The Strangers: Chapter 2 (2025) Film Review!

After learning that one of their victims, Maya, is still alive, three masked maniacs return to finish the job. With nowhere to run and no one to trust, Maya soon finds herself in a brutal fight for survival against psychopaths who are more than willing to kill anyone who stands in their way.

The Strangers: Chapter 2 is directed by Renny Harlin director of A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), Die Hard 2 (1990), Deep Blue Sea (1999), Devil’s Pass (2013), The Legend Of Hercules (2014), The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024) and many others. The film serves as the fourth installment of The Strangers series and the second installment of the new trilogy.

The Strangers: Chapter 2 achieves a quite baffling accomplishment….it somehow ends up being WORSE than its predecessor and that is truly saying something considering how much of a mess the last movie was. This movie doubles down on all of the flaws of the previous movie and even introduces a backstory to The Strangers themselves.

The only positive this movie has going for it is Madelaine Petsch who I really admire for carrying these movies, she captures the final girl spirit well enough and even tries to make the atmosphere feel a bit more threatening with her solid performance. But the rest of the movie is just not agreeing with her and diddle-daddles to the point where it takes the viewer right out of the movie.

The writing somehow gets even worse with this movie, whereas the first movie could be written off as a terrible slasher movie that may have some entertaining moments. Chapter Two for some reason decided to give the villains of the movie The Strangers themselves backstories, an element that completely defeats the purpose of this series in general. Isn’t the whole idea of these movies is to know as little about these antagonists as possible? To show the point that sometimes random psychos target people who they have no connections with, why are we suddenly giving these antagonists backstories? The childhood flashback origin stories are not only poorly done but they feel pointless, they take away a lot from the movie and end up resulting in a complete and total mess.

The rest of the movie is a mess, way too many off screen kills that completely take away from the movie’s atmosphere. Dialogue that is not only terrible but has no interesting character moments for Maya (played by Madelaine Petsch) and a movie that is essentially one long chase scene that quickly bores the viewer.

Overall The Strangers: Chapter 2 is one of those bad movies that is not even interesting in a bad way, it’s boring, not investing and a poorly put together mess that has very little personality. I am deathly afraid to find out how terrible the final movie of the trilogy truly is.

The Strangers: Chapter 2 is available on all VOD platforms.

1/10 F