★★★☆☆
An entertaining watch for the ensemble alone, though the mystery is a mixed bag.
Friday, December 26, 2025
Monday, December 22, 2025
Tuesday, December 02, 2025
Monday, December 01, 2025
Sunday, November 23, 2025
Monday, November 17, 2025
Saturday, November 08, 2025
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Friday, October 31, 2025
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Monday, October 06, 2025
Thursday, September 25, 2025
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
The Naked Gun 2025
The Naked Gun (2025)
A Refreshingly Silly Return to Police Squad
★★★☆☆
Liam Neeson proves the franchise is in safe, deadpan hands.
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Highest 2 Lowest
Highest 2 Lowest
A Spike Lee Joint with Many Layers
★★★½☆
A soulful, New York-centric reimagining of a Kurosawa classic.
Monday, September 15, 2025
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
★★½☆☆
A wildly excessive hot mess that rewards die-hard fans but leaves others behind.
Thursday, September 11, 2025
Honey Don't!
Honey Don't!
A Solo Ethan Coen Caper That Almost Fits the Mold
★★1/2☆☆
A serviceable mystery that misses the "Joel filter" but keeps the quirk.
Wednesday, September 03, 2025
Monday, September 01, 2025
How To Train Your Dragon 2025
How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
A Painfully Accurate, Heartwarming Mirror
★★★½☆
A stirring success for new generations, though a bit of "deja vu" for old fans.
Thursday, August 21, 2025
Fight or Flight
Fight or Flight
A High-Altitude, Looney Tunes Die Hard
★★★☆☆
An amusing, uncomplicated ride with John Wick-style combat.
A fun twist on the Die Hard model, Fight or Flight is an entertaining action yarn that thankfully doesn't take itself too seriously. Anchoring the film is a likable performance from Josh Hartnett. As an action star, Hartnett proves his mettle with excellent fight scenes mixed with laugh-out-loud humor.
"But this isn't a story kind of movie. Mostly this movie is an excuse to stage John Wick style combat and have some shits and giggles to pass the time. "— Ray Manukay
🎬 Cast & Crew
- Director: Magnus Martens
- Starring: Josh Hartnett, Julianne Hough
- Key Dept: Stunts by James Young
The Vision
Director Magnus Martens uses a thin cyber-terrorist plot as an excuse to stage high-intensity combat. Clocking in at 1 hour and 41 minutes, it’s an amusing diversion with Jason Statham-level choreography. While it isn’t going to win awards, it’s a movie worthy of standing just a tier below the best action films of the year.
🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts
- Hartnett's Training: Josh Hartnett trained for three months in BJJ and Muay Thai, performing nearly 80% of his own stunts.
- The Wick Connection: The stunt team included veterans from the John Wick franchise.
- Limited Set: 90% of the film was shot on a single gimbal-mounted airplane set in London.
✅ Pros
- Josh Hartnett’s effortless transition into a modern action lead.
- Creative use of confined airplane space for combat.
- Fast-paced, breezy runtime.
❌ Cons
- Plot logic is thin and leans into "cartoonish" territory.
- Dialogue is mostly functional rather than memorable.
🏆 Final Verdict
Fight or Flight is exactly what it promises: a high-altitude adrenaline shot. It's a perfect Friday night watch for fans of tight choreography who don't want to overthink the details.
View on LetterboxdTuesday, August 19, 2025
Weapons
Weapons
A Self-Indulgent Horror Epic that Shoots for the Moon
★★1/2☆☆
A solid, unique thriller that overreaches with its own ambition.
Weapons is a memorable thriller that perhaps overreaches with its own self-indulgence. The movie has the patina of a serious story but ultimately dissolves into a bit of a silly affair. It joins the recent batch of "prestige horror" that attempts to combine dramatic social commentary with traditional thrills.
"I personally, just can't give in to the conventions of this world. I'm first to admit that this is a petty argument considering I'm able to believe in flying superheroes or living dinosaurs when watching certain movies. But if a movie is asking me to feel fear or tension in my bones and psyche there is a higher standard that the story has to live up to. "— Ray Manukay
🎬 Cast & Crew
- Director/Writer: Zach Cregger
- Starring: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner
- Key Dept: Cinematography by Larkin Seiple
The Vision
Fresh off Barbarian, director Zach Cregger aspires to something innovative here, utilizing a non-linear, multi-perspective structure reminiscent of Magnolia. However, the story occasionally shoots itself in the foot by slowly ramping up tension only to diffuse it by shifting perspectives just as things get earned.
🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts
- The Recast: Originally set to star Pedro Pascal and Renate Reinsve before strike-related scheduling conflicts.
- Bidding War: Warner Bros./New Line won a massive bidding war, paying $38 million for the rights.
- The 2:17 Motif: The time 2:17 a.m. is a major plot point, tied to the central mass disappearance.
✅ Pros
- Ambitious, original approach to mainstream horror.
- Strong ensemble performances, particularly Julia Garner.
- Genuinely creepy atmosphere and sound design.
❌ Cons
- "Structural chicanery" often gets in the way of actual tension.
- Messaging borders on preachy in the final act.
🏆 Final Verdict
Weapons is a bold swing that doesn't quite connect as a home run. While it's worth seeing for the performances and atmosphere, its complex structure ultimately prevents it from reaching the primal heights of Cregger's previous work.
View on LetterboxdSunday, August 10, 2025
The Materialists
The Materialists
A Bleak Social Drama in a Rom-Com Wrapper
★★★☆☆
A literal warning about the cold, transactional nature of 2025 courtship.
The Materialists is billed as a romantic comedy, but the movie isn't comedic and is honestly not especially romantic. Directed by Celine Song, fresh from her critically acclaimed Past Lives, the film features an affable cast including Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans. However, their natural charm is used to mask characters that are intentionally unlikable.
"The title is actually not a clever pun. It is a literal warning."— Ray Manukay
🎬 Cast & Crew
- Director/Writer: Celine Song
- Starring: Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, Chris Evans
- Key Dept: Produced by A24
The Vision
Song is reflecting a cynical truth: the modern dating landscape is frankly not very appealing. She uses the aesthetic package of a cinematic rom-com to pull a bait-and-switch, making the film's social commentary on the transactional nature of dating more jarring and effective. It is less about love and more about the "warts" of romance characters.
🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts
- NYC Roots: Like Past Lives, the film is set against the high-stakes backdrop of the New York City elite.
- A24 Reunion: This marks Celine Song’s second high-profile collaboration with A24.
- The Casting: The leads were chosen specifically for their "charismatic charm" to heighten the impact of their characters' cynical behavior.
✅ Pros
- Soulful, if cold, social commentary on 2025 dating.
- Exceptional chemistry from a top-tier cast.
❌ Cons
- Deliberate "misdirect" in marketing may alienate audiences.
- Lacks the traditional warmth or humor expected of the genre.
🏆 Final Verdict
If you're looking for traditional romantic entertainment, run towards Notting Hill. But if you want a cynical, awkward, and cold autopsy of modern courtship, The Materialists is for you.
View on LetterboxdWednesday, August 06, 2025
Jurrasic World Rebirth
Jurassic World Rebirth
A Soulful Celebration of the Multitudes Within
★★★½☆
A life-affirming work that proves there is still mileage left in these dinosaurs.
Decades after the franchise began with the original Jurassic Park, the latest installment, Jurassic World Rebirth, proves there is still life left in these films. Aided by an engaging cast led by Scarlett Johansson, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Rupert Friend, the special-effect-laden suspense and heart-stopping action continue with some new set pieces and fun ideas.
"Yes, there are still chase sequences and gory kills. So fans will still get that adrenaline rush. But it's nice to see there is still some mileage left in these dinosaurs."— Ray Manukay
🎬 Cast & Crew
- Director: Gareth Edwards
- Writer: David Koepp
- Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey
- Cinematography: John Mathieson
The Vision
Director Gareth Edwards (Rogue One, The Creator) brings a grounded, visceral sense of scale to the dinosaurs. The plot concerns the need to attain dinosaur DNA to create a medical breakthrough, adding stakes to the standard survival story. It’s a nice touch that breathes much-needed life into the proceedings while maintaining the awe and wonder of the original.
🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts
- Original Bloodline: The script was written by David Koepp, who also wrote the original 1993 Jurassic Park.
- New Era: This film is described as a "complete reboot" that does not feature any returning cast members from previous trilogies.
- Shooting Locations: Filming took place in Thailand, Malta, and the UK to capture various tropical and industrial landscapes.
✅ Pros
- Fresh narrative stakes with the medical DNA subplot.
- Top-tier visual effects that make the creatures feel tangible.
- A star-led cast that anchors the high-concept action.
❌ Cons
- Needs to dig deeper to find truly "new" ground for the future.
🏆 Final Verdict
Jurassic World Rebirth is a successful return to form. While it follows the series' comfort-food formula, the technical execution and renewed stakes ensure these movies will continue to thrill audiences for generations to come.
View on Letterboxd
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