Monthly Archives: June 2025

06.30.25
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28 Years Later

Out of all the zombie epidemics we’ve seen in cinema history, 28 Days Later and the franchise it’s spawned has depicted perhaps the bleakest, most horrifying, and cynical approach to the creatures. 28 Years Later carries that sheer terror and gore over in this generally rewarding continuation, as well as some of its predecessor’s more outdated stylistic choices that director Danny Boyle seems to cherish. Despite a few slightly self-aware soundtrack or action moments, the film portrays a hopeless future in which a nightmarish virus has caused a zombie apocalypse, and human nature is hardly a bright alternative. Now that it’s been decades since the world went to hell, we see the impact this has had on different sects of survivors, and small peeks at how the rest of the world may be interacting with this situation on the outside.

Boyle has a glaring pull to editing scenes like a music video, which frustrates when overdone, especially due to the prominent shaky cam, but when he trades this for calmer, more wide shot-driven scenes, the film looks beautiful, particularly the scenes set at night. The world isn’t given a wasteland-like look we’ve seen in films like Zombieland or I Am Legend — rather focusing on large fields and tidal islands filled with green and surrounded by blue sea.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jodie Comer are great here, while Ralph Fiennes is a scene-stealer in a supporting role that’s incredibly powerful. The film does leave much to be resolved in a forthcoming sequel, which results in an underwhelming ending, but one that still very much leaves you excited for more after a stunning and unexpected final act.

06.27.25
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F1

Brad Pitt leads F1 with his signature leading charm that’s effortless and likable, even when character makes selfish decisions. Together with the rest of the cast, and the film’s commitment to in-camera racing and massive scale, this sports drama has all the right ingredients, even if the story is rather standard. The cinematography in the racing action is beautiful, and the sound design is impeccable and immersive. Hans Zimmer’s score is a standout, as is the soundtrack that includes celebrated contemporary hip hop artists. This exciting energy elevates the film and makes what you’re seeing feel so real.

However, the character beats are almost all formulaic (no pun intended) — the reluctant veteran thrown back in, the cocky rookie and the rivalry between them, the antagonistic businessman, and so on. It’s never hard to tell where the story is going, and we’ve seen similar arcs before, even in Joseph Kosinski’s own Top Gun: Maverick. That said, the aforementioned rivalry between Pitt and Damson Idris is admirable and complex, and the experience is elevated by knowing they’re actually driving those cars. Idris and Kerry Condon are standouts from a performance perspective. Idris’ almost vain excitement to be in the big leagues contrasting Pitt’s strategic mind who’s also a bit worn out and not sure he’ll ever find that spark he once had for racing again. Condon makes us root for her part just as much, a brilliant technical direction behind the scenes who’s also in pursuit of a complete victory.

F1 packs few surprises in its script, but it more than redeems itself with the exhilarating scope that justifies the theatrical experience. Best of all, it celebrates not just the grandeur of the sport in its highs, lows, and the ambitions of those behind the wheel and the pit stop, but the potential of the blockbuster, especially with practical effects. It completely delivers on its promises with astonishing action and cinematography, and the familiarity is more than redeemed by the entertaining cast and the stunning technological accomplishments.

06.21.25
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How to Train Your Dragon (2025)

Out of all the live-action remakes of animated films to be released in the last few years, How to Train Your Dragon is the one that sounded too soon, and too perfect to touch more than any of the others. However, it winds up standing out among many of the other remakes that come to mind. Director Dean DeBlois sets out to retell the story of Berk and its vikings and dragons in realistic glory, but also sticks so closely to his original film’s visual palette that there almost isn’t anything new here. Large amounts of dialogue, if not the entire script, are also beat for beat exactly the same, so if you remember the original film quite well, it’s like watching a film you’ve already seen be enhanced and remastered. Though the first film is so wonderful that it doesn’t leave much need for improvements, making a new film should be justified by making some changes and additions to the story, not to mention much from the source material that the film was based on that we haven’t yet seen.

Mason Thames manages to make the role of Hiccup his own, while Gerard Butler is a standout reprising his role as Stoick from the animated trilogy. His hard exterior and brutal attitude towards dragons that develops from his fear and desire to protect his son and tribe are prominent. The production design and CGI effects work very well to form engaging action scenes — even if it takes a lot of getting used to that Toothless looks the exact same as he did in the animated version but is now interacting with live-action settings. Nico Parker is wonderful as Astrid, and her bond with Hiccup also stands out, particularly his earning of her trust. The supporting teen characters unfortunately feel like they’re doing imitations of their previous version, though Nick Frost entertains as Gobber.

Some scenes manage to carry the beauty over into this version, including Hiccup and Toothless’ initial bonding, and the former’s romantic flight with Astrid. Still, you’re sometimes left to wonder why it wouldn’t have hurt to change some more lines or backdrops, or even some add in some new story beats when you’re making a new film, after all. The real magic here that holds it all together is John Powell’s score. His themes enrich the world and the tone when they could’ve lacked in this new iteration otherwise. The movie’s insistence on staying so close that numerous scenes are a shot-for-shot copy and paste can frustrate, but its lack of originality doesn’t fully take away from the heart and vibrance that’s still here, even if in a lower capacity. For those discovering the story for the first time, though, it will certainly deliver with its themes of empathy and teamwork.

06.11.25
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The Life of Chuck

Imagine peeling back the complex layers of Mike Flanagan’s thematic tissue for a uniquely human tale, devoid of all of his beloved horror and thriller conventions. That seems to be The Life of Chuck’s concern; it’s a cleverly structured film that has the soul of his past works intact, while working more as a psychological drama that has a beautiful wave of positivity rising above some of its bleakness and tragedy. It’s by far his most hopeful work, balancing a great ensemble cast that includes Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mark Hamill, and nearly all of Flanagan’s other regular actors.

The film is divided into three acts, each of which creates an intriguing vignette on its own while brilliantly complimenting the full story as a whole. It finds ways to surprise you with its reflections on human connection — to others and the world — and creating one’s own joy. Each of the three acts recontextualize one another, and it leaves you with poignance while presenting lots of heart. Moments that Flanagan usually plants as a setup for horror can often become bittersweet here but also rather empower and charm. There’s hope, melancholy, sweetness, humor, and dread, yet it stays distinct from the director’s other works in its emotional effectiveness while still remaining something that can please lots of fans of his and Stephen King’s works and adaptations.

06.05.25
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Ballerina

Ballerina isn’t just another action movie: it’s got a madness and energy that only this franchise has. But it doesn’t just fit perfectly into the John Wick universe, it elevates its world-building and makes a strong case for this new protagonist Eve and her potency. Much of that is thanks to Ana de Armas, who is a powerhouse and gives Eve a deep pain that is weaponized into her expertly brutal assassin skills. That’s quite the main theme here and an interesting one — hate and trauma being weaponized into violence and vengeance, and the illusion of fate and a lack of choice. The actress wonderfully takes on action scenes and stunts so intricate they give some scenes from the main John Wick franchise a run for their money. Best of all, it never feels like its recycling too much from those films, whether from a visual or choreography perspective, even if the settings and musical score aren’t trying to hide that this is a Wick movie, and the character tie-ins may feel like a bit much.

As for the supporting cast, Anjelica Huston gives a strong reprisal of her supporting role from John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, while Gabriel Byrne is well-cast as the villain, though his dialogue becomes one-note and over-the-top rather quickly. Catalina Sandino Moreno is great to watch; it’s nice to see her finally given such a prominent role in a big film like this so long after her amazing turn in the Oscar-nominated Maria Full of Grace. Due to the film being set between the third and fourth main films, Keanu Reeves’ inclusion as John Wick is fun and justified, thought the excitement of having such an iconic star around may overstay its welcome for a film that isn’t about him. Even if the story uses familiar elements such as a revenge plot or an assassin groomed to kill from a young age, they all fit in the amazing action and scenery here, which keep one-upping themselves and the audience’s expectations. It’s an exciting and stylistically top-notch action movie that rewards its crowd, even if the story itself doesn’t pack many surprises.