The Monthly Movie Report – November 2025

November 28, 2025

As we head down the home stretch of the 2025 movie year, the new releases are coming fast and furious.  There are a number of big films still to come as the studios shore up their strategies to impress Oscar voters.  Yes, we have a long way to go until the ceremony in March, but films must be released (at least in a limited number of theaters) by December 31^st to qualify for the awards.  And don’t forget about crowd-pleasing blockbusters.  Theaters and studios need those movies to also do well to pay the bills – it’s not just about prestigious awards.  That’s all a precursor to say this will be a jam-packed movie report, starting with a blockbuster whose roots go back almost forty years.

It’s Got It All – Predator: Badlands

One of the blind spots of my movie fandom from the 1980s was Predator, the 1987 action-horror vehicle starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.  I just never got around to watching it and, I have to be honest, Arnold was never my cup of tea.  Sure, he was good in the Terminator films, but when he plays a normal person?  Not so much.  More on that shortly.

Anyway, Predator: Badlands is the ninth installment of the Predator franchise, if you include the two Alien crossover movies.  I was perfectly fine never watching a film in this series until three years ago when Prey debuted to very strong reviews on Hulu.  If it wasn’t still the tail end of the pandemic, Prey probably would have been released in theaters and done very well.  Fortunately you didn’t need to know anything about the previous Predator films to enjoy Prey, which I liked a lot.  The same is the case for two new entries in the franchise released this year, both of which were directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who also helmed Prey.  An animated picture, Predator: Killer of Killers debuted on Hulu back in June and is very good.  The newest installment, Predator: Badlands debuted earlier this month in theaters and was a fun experience that was not exactly what I was expecting.

Most of these Predator movies, as I understand the franchise, are based on a terrifying alien hunting down and killing humans.  The story is grounded in the action of how the human can fight back against the predator, who is hunting them for sport.  The new film has some of those elements, but is actually more of a buddy action story, with some humor thrown in for good measure.  While it has a few gory scenes and some exciting action, it is not scary at all.  In fact, the film is rated PG-13, which surprised a lot of Predator fans who derided it as being a Disney-fication of their beloved franchise.  The film’s production studio, 20^th Century Studios, is owned by Disney. 

Sure, Predator: Badlands is not terrifying, but it’s still a very good movie.  And that is primarily due to the performance by Elle Fanning, who plays two roles in the picture.  As Thia, she plays a light-hearted synthetic cyborg, who partners with the predator in the hunt for his trophy.  She also plays Thia’s cyber-sister Tessa, who is searching for the predator and the beast that he is looking to kill.  Fanning is one of the more talented actresses working today, as we saw in last year’s A Complete Unknown, and you will be hearing her name a lot in the coming months as she may receive an Oscar nomination for her outstanding performance in Sentimental Value.  More on that in a bit.  In addition to the fun buddy-adventure of this unlikely duo, we have some cute creatures, some gross creatures, and a lot of fun action sequences.  What’s best about this film is that you don’t need to know the history of the franchise’s previous eight iterations to enjoy this one.  Predator: Badlands is now playing in theaters.

A Much Needed Upgrade – The Running Man

While our previous film was a continuation of a series originated by Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Running Man is a new adaptation of the Stephen King novel that was made into a mediocre film starring Arnold in 1987.  I watched that movie earlier this year for the first time and was pretty disappointed.  The action and special effects were very dated and Arnold was, well, doing his usual thing.  Running around like a superhero and uttering quippy one-liners to make the audience laugh. 

I had high hopes going into this new installment as it was directed by Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), whose work I like a lot.  The film stars Glen Powell, who is on a hot streak, especially since he became a household name with 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick.  And the source material for the film is very good.  It’s kind of crazy to think that this is the fourth Stephen King adaptation we are getting this year, after The Monkey (pretty disappointing), The Life of Chuck (quirky, but I liked it), and The Long Walk (disturbing, but very good.)  Yup, after more than 50 years, King’s work still resonates with audiences.

The story out of Hollywood last weekend was the disappointing box-office opening for The Running Man, which was trounced by the third installment in the Now You See Me franchise (preposterous, but entertaining enough).  Headlines about Glen Powell’s future as a leading man were everywhere last Monday, but let’s just calm down for a minute.  Not every movie is going to be a breakout monster hit at the box-office, and Powell is doing just fine.  He has plenty of projects in the pipeline.  I don’t worry too much about a film’s ticket sales – I am focused more on the quality of the picture.  And The Running Man is a pretty good action adventure.

The film is set in a dystopian future world where one corporation controls everything in the country, especially media communications.  They organize various game shows to entertain the miserable residents who are too poor to do anything but sit on their couch and mindlessly watch the shows.  One of those people is Ben Richards, played by Powell, who is desperate to earn money for his sick daughter.  He signs up to compete on The Running Man, a show where he is hunted for thirty days by a team of expertly trained assassins.  If he is found, he is killed.  But if he can remain in hiding, he wins money.  The longer he survives, the more he earns.  If he makes it to thirty days, he wins one billion dollars.

The positives of Wright’s film far outweigh the negatives, which is why I largely had a good time while watching this at my local theater.  Powell is a likable actor and is best when he is in action-star mode, less so when he gets overly dramatic declaring his love for his family.  The supporting cast is very good, led by Colman Domingo as the game show host and Josh Brolin as the menacing head of the corporation.  We also have William H. Macy, Michael Cera, and Emilia Jones in supporting roles that are a little too small for their talents, but it was nice to spend some time with them.  I was particularly impressed with the world that Wright built for this movie, reminding me of what Steven Spielberg did with Minority Report (no, this is not on par with that masterpiece, I was just reminded of it.)  And the action sequences are really fun, especially watching how our hero is going to escape every jam he finds himself in.  Like most movies these days, The Running Man is a tad too long, and I found the ending dragged out way too much.  But for a fun popcorn movie with a talented star as the lead?  Don’t believe the headlines and have fun watching this one.  The Running Man is now playing in theaters.

The Hollywood Insider – Jay Kelly

Sometimes you just want movie stars being movie stars in a film that feels as comfortable as a warm blanket, or tastes like a delicious bowl of ice cream.  Empty calories?  Sure, but it still tastes good.  That was exactly what I was thinking about Jay Kelly, the new picture from director Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), after I saw it at the Philadelphia Film Festival. 

George Clooney stars as the title character, an actor facing a midlife crisis on the way to accepting an award at a film festival in Italy.  Wait, doesn’t Clooney have a house in Italy?  Was this project an excuse for Clooney to hang out in Italy while essentially playing himself?  Well, there is a sequence near the end of the movie that may have you feeling the same way.  But that’s ok, Jay Kelly is still a nice film.

Clooney is terrific as the charming, but complicated Kelly, as he navigates the hustle and bustle of a movie star wondering how much of a future he has left.  He has known for a while that he is on the back nine of his career, but is now wondering just how close he really is to the end.  On the eve of starting a new picture, he drops out and accepts an award he previously turned down, just so he can go to Europe and follow his daughter who is on vacation with her new boyfriend.  Along the way, he reminisces about times in his life, including complicated relationships with his love interests, friends, and his daughter.  The whirlwind trip also includes Adam Sandler (as Kelly’s manager and best friend), Laura Dern (as his publicist) and several others they pick up and drop off along the way.

Some will say that Baumbach’s new film is too schmaltzy and sentimental (and even corny), and I can understand that opinion.  I have been up and down on his work over the years and while this isn’t an “important” film that is trying to deliver a message, it’s still enjoyable.  I’ll watch Clooney in just about anything and this reminds me a lot of Danny Ocean – he’s a pain in the ass, but we still want to hang out with him.  And he is very good in the movie, even if the role feels like a layup for someone who has been in Hollywood so long. 

The best performance in the film is definitely Sandler, in a role that is my favorite kind of character he occasionally plays.  Not the goofball Happy Gilmore.  This is actually a real person, one with genuine love and caring for his client, but who is also frustrated with not being appreciated for all that he does for his movie-star client / friend.  There is talk that Sandler might get an Oscar nomination for his performance, which I’d love to see.  I’m not sure if there will be enough momentum for him to win, but it would be great to see him on the campaign trail.  If you want a nice easygoing movie with Hollywood stars, look no further than Jay Kelly, now playing in select theaters and streaming on Netflix on December 5^th.   

They’re Back – Wicked: For Good

This one’s complicated for me.  I have no relationship with the Wicked stage musical, having never seen it.  Of course, I’ve seen The Wizard of Oz many times in my life, and going into last year’s Wicked, I only knew cursory details about the film, which I liked quite a bit.  I did wonder why there needed to be two movies (clocking in at almost five hours) to cover a musical that usually runs about 2 ½ hours.  And having seen the second film, I feel the same way.

Let’s start with the positives for Wicked: For Good.  Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are once again terrific as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.  They have genuine chemistry with each other and perform their musical numbers with perfection.  The supporting cast is a little up (Jonathan Bailey) and down (Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh – great actors, but maybe not for musicals).  The production design and costumes are once again immaculate and while the music numbers are relatively weaker than the first part, they were still pretty good.  I also kind of liked the subtle (and not so subtle) references to The Wizard of Oz, even if they don’t always make logical sense.  I’m not familiar with the lore of the Wicked novel and how it intricately (or doesn’t) fit in with The Wizard of Oz, but that’s ok. 

The one issue I had with Wicked: For Good is that I found myself thinking, why was this two movies?  The cynic in me knows that it was probably a financial decision made by Universal Pictures, but from a creative standpoint, I wondered if there could have been a tighter 2 ½ hour movie that told the whole story.  Or hell, make it 3 ½ hours and put in an intermission.  It felt like the second half of the stage production was stretched out to fill up a two hour movie.  I only saw the original Wicked once, so maybe there really was too much story to make this into a single film that would allow the story and characters to breathe in between the musical numbers.  And with such a strong fanbase, I imagine had they cut out some plot points or musical numbers from the stage production, there would have been serious backlash. 

I had a pretty good time with both of these movies, and can recognize why the huge fans of Wicked will love them and watch them over and over again, but that’s probably not the case for me.  The highlight of my trip to the theater to see Wicked: For Good was actually not even the movie.  My son’s fiancée (yes, they just got engaged last week, which was the best news ever) who is a Wicked superfan, was sitting in the same row as me as she saw it for a second time with her friend.  That made me laugh out loud – with over twenty screenings a day at our local theater, we ended up in the same one, sitting in the same row.  What a wild coincidence, and probably the first thing I will think of when it comes to this movie.  If you are even a casual fan of Wicked, my guess is that you will enjoy Wicked: For Good, which is now playing in theaters. 

Inspiration Born from Tragedy – Hamnet

If there is any competition for One Battle After Another winning Best Picture at this year’s Oscars, the leading contender is probably this beautiful new film from Chloe Zhao, winner of two Oscars for 2020’s Nomadland.  Hamnet is an adaptation of a best-selling novel about William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes.  The film explores the early days of their relationship, the birth of their children, and how a tragic event led to a crisis within their family and inspired Shakespeare to write his play Hamlet. 

On the one hand you might think that this is a classic “Oscar-bait” movie that would have swept all of the awards in the 1980s.  And there is something to that – it’s a period-piece costume drama that is beautifully shot, has a touching story that is incredibly emotional (bring the tissues), and features two of the best performances of the year.  Paul Mescal stars as Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley (the frontrunner for Best Actress) stars as Agnes in a showcase of “Capital A” acting from both of them.  Hamnet feels like a Shakespeare story, with the costumes and prose one would expect in a film set during this time period. 

Sometimes I find these prestige films a little slow, but I was very moved by Hamnet and fully engrossed with the drama as the story unfolded.  I knew the premise going in and was still engaged, primarily due to Mescal and Buckley, who have terrific chemistry and are two of the best young actors working today.  One word of caution – there is an extended sequence of Hamlet performed on stage during the last third of the film.  I am not an expert on this story, but was still able to follow the plot beats and connect it to the main narrative.  I mention it only because I understand that type of story structure might not be for everyone.  If you want to see one of the films we will be talking about deep into the Oscar race, Hamnet will be playing in theaters beginning December 5^th. 

A Beautiful Oscar Contender – Train Dreams

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I watch a lot of movies.  I try to see as many new releases in theaters as I can because I feel it adds to the experience of immersing myself in the vision of the filmmaker.  Sometimes a smaller independent movie doesn’t play near me, so I have to wait until I can rent it on demand.  And then there are the films that are financed or acquired by Netflix for their streaming service.  I’ve been a frequent complainer about their strategy to do the bare minimum of theatrical exhibition in order to qualify for the Oscars.  Usually it’s only a few movies in a small number of theaters.  That means I can rarely see a Netflix release in a theater near me.  Ok, rant over.

Train Dreams was a breakout hit at the Sundance Film Festival and was quickly scooped up by Netflix and just premiered on the service.  The film comes from director Clint Bentley, who co-wrote the script with Greg Kwedar, based on a 2011 novella.  Bentley and Kwedar previously collaborated on last year’s terrific (but underseen) Sing Sing.  At least with Train Dreams on Netflix, a large number of people have access to the movie and hopefully they check it out, because it’s a beautiful story and one of the best films of the year.

Joel Edgerton plays Robert, a logger who works in the Pacific Northwest in the early 20^th century.  He travels out during logging season working on various jobs, making friends with others in his trade, as he contemplates the world around him.  He works hard to make enough money to support his wife Gladys (played by Felicity Jones) and their young daughter.  As time marches on, he wonders what his future will hold as he misses his family while out on the job, and he knows logging is a young man’s game.

Train Dreams is a wonderful story about an ordinary man, living a pretty ordinary life.  Edgerton is outstanding, delivering an understated performance as a quiet, but stoic man.  He displays an impressive ability to convey what his character is feeling without having to always say the words.  Jones is also very good as Gladys, and the film features a number of familiar faces in supporting roles, with Kerry Condon and William H. Macy as the standouts. 

The real star here is the filmmaking style of Bentley, who delivers the beauty of nature in an incredible way.  Recent reviews (mostly from online trolls) have accused him of ripping off Terrence Malick, and Train Dreams does have echoes of Day of Heaven and The Tree of Life throughout this movie, but that didn’t bother me so much.  I was swept up in the beauty of the images and touching score, particularly during the final sequence of the film.  With all of the movies I watch, I rarely finish one and think, “Wow, that genuinely moved me,” but that was the case when the credits rolled on Train Dreams.  While I didn’t see it in a theater, it worked just as well on my television, but I will give you some advice if you decide to watch it.  Turn the lights down and the sound up.  Most importantly, put your phone away, and give 100% of your attention over to a beautiful piece of filmmaking.  Train Dreams is now streaming on Netflix. 

A Terrific Family Drama – Sentimental Value

It all starts with a strong story.  Not just any old plot, but an excellent film needs a screenplay with smart storytelling.  Realistic characters living their lives.  Every time I am watching a movie and I think, “Why is that character doing that?” I am taken out of the movie and it starts to lose me.  That is not the case with Sentimental Value, the new film directed by Joahchim Trier, whose 2021 picture The Worst Person in the World was one of my favorites of that year.  Trier has reunited with the star of that movie, Renate Reinsve, for his new film and they have captured that onscreen magic again. 

Reinsve plays Nora, a stage actress who is dealing with the recent death of her mother.  Nora and her sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) have been estranged from their father for several years since their parents’ marriage ended in a messy divorce.  Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård) is a famous director who has come back to the family home in Norway to reconcile with his daughters and convince Nora to star in his comeback film.  When she balks at the idea of working with her father, he convinces American movie star Rachel (Elle Fanning) to take on the role.

Sentimental Value is a wonderful story about the messiness of families when their motivations are at odds with each other.  Gustav just wants to patch things up with Nora and Agnes so he can get his movie made.  But they are both dealing with the trauma of their mother’s death and the betrayal of him leaving them many years ago.  They are not (and may never be) ready to just move on from the past.  When he is forced to make the movie with Rachel, it becomes clear that this American celebrity might not be a good fit for a story about a Norwegian family. 

What I loved most about Sentimental Value was the realness of each of these characters.  It helps to have strong performances from the four main actors, all of whom may receive Oscar nominations.  But it starts with a terrific screenplay, which was co-written by Trier and his frequent collaborator Eskil Vogt.  Sure there are familiar themes we’ve seen before, but I didn’t feel any cliches in watching the plot of Sentimental Value unfold.  This is just a terrific story about a family going through some shit.  But don’t worry – it’s not a weepy drama.  There are some funny moments in here too, with a few in particular that made me laugh out loud.   If you want to see a quality family movie that will make some serious noise when the Oscar nominations are announced, I highly recommend checking this one out.  Sentimental Value is now playing in theaters. 

One More Thing

Despite the good news with our son’s recent engagement, this was a particularly tough month for our family as my wife’s aunt Suzanne succumbed to a long and brave battle with cancer.  We gathered on what would have been her 67^th birthday a few days after she passed away to share some laughs and tears as this incredibly close-knit family dealt with a tragic loss.  The next week was the service, which was beautiful, but difficult, and last weekend we hosted an open house with the extended family in lieu of a large Thanksgiving gathering. 

Wow, three weekends in a row – that’s a lot of family time, you may say.  Yes, but this family never gets tired of spending time with each other.  This is a group of almost forty people who vacation together every other year in York, Maine.  We are already planning next year’s trip and everyone is so excited, even though it is seven months away.  How can you spend so much time with family and not get sick of each other?  Well, this family is different.  There is a constant joy when we all gather together, and even when someone is busting your chops about something you said or did (whether it was last week or twenty years ago), you know it’s in good fun.  We all laugh at each other and most importantly, ourselves.  Do all of my wife’s cousins remember how addicted I was to the cookies during our beach vacation two years ago?  Yes.  Am I still made fun of for the fact that her cousin’s daughter accidentally referred to me as Jenny’s wife?  You’re damned right.  And I laugh every time it is brought up.

I was fortunate to be welcomed into this family thirty years ago (whoa, that math just made my head hurt) and even though I am not a blood relative, I am treated like one whenever I see them.  And that was certainly the case when we flew to Wisconsin this summer for the wedding of my wife’s cousin.  They are Suzanne’s youngest child and you could feel the joy she felt in being able to attend this momentous occasion, despite her illness.  When we arrived the first night, we met the extended family at a bar and I stumbled into a conversation with Suzanne and her two sons discussing examples of a “perfect movie.”  They know I am a movie psycho, so we spent the next twenty minutes discussing and debating some of our favorites. 

Suzanne was a connoisseur of fine music, theater, film, and art, which she shared with her husband Larry and children.  When we hosted a party in the summer of 2019, I was telling them how we had just gone to New Orleans for JazzFest, and I discovered they were there the weekend before us.  We had such a good time comparing stories about the bands we saw and the experiences at that wild music festival.  She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt who always greeted you with a smile and a genuine interest in how you were doing.  She will be missed dearly, but I know that when we gather at York Beach next summer, there will be several toasts (and iconic music selections) in her honor.  Despite this tough month, I was reminded how lucky I am to have been welcomed into such a loving family.

That’s all for this week.  I’ll be back in a few weeks with a special post (by request) about my favorite Christmas movies.  Thanks for reading and if you’d like to be notified of future posts, you can subscribe below.