October 31, 2025
Happy Halloween! No, I won’t be covering horror movies in this week’s blog post. I shared some recommendations for scary movie season a few weeks ago, which you can read here. Instead, I’m continuing my coverage of new releases, which are coming fast and furious as the awards season approaches. The calendar is absolutely stacked between now and the end of the year with must-see movies. Fortunately, I was able to see a number of them at the Philadelphia Film Festival earlier this month and will share my thoughts on a few of those movies this week, with more to come next month.
Let’s dive in with a film that features an acting tour de force by a very talented actress.
Not for the Faint of Heart – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Although I am not covering horror movies this month per se, you’d be forgiven if you were on edge after watching this masterclass look at a stressed out mom. Rose Byrne is mostly known for her comedic performances. Her turn in Neighbors is one of my favorites in recent memory, and she is excellent with Seth Rogan in the hysterical television series Platonic on Apple TV+. For her new film, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, she plays a mom who is stressed out to the point of exhaustion and a downward spiral.
In the opening sequence, Linda is getting her disabled daughter home from a doctor’s appointment, only to discover that her apartment is flooded. Her husband is a naval officer away on a ship, and she is forced to move into a hotel while caring for her daughter, who has a feeding tube that causes much stress in their lives. Linda has to shuttle back and forth to doctor appointments (including arguments with the parking attendant), deal with her patients (she is a therapist), air her grievances to her own therapist (Conan O’Brien in a terrific performance), contemplate easing her pain by buying black market drugs with the hotel manager (played by A$AP Rocky), push her repair crew to fix her apartment faster, all without falling apart. It’s a wild ride, and not a fun one.
The tension in Linda’s life is also not just about the tangible events of her life that are creating chaos. She is losing sight of who she is as a person – is she on this planet for any other purpose than to care for her daughter? And does it make her a bad person that her daughter is driving her crazy, and that at times she actually doesn’t like her? We’ve seen this kind of story before, usually depicted as a mom with post-partum depression caring for a newborn, but rarely about the mom of a juvenile daughter. And never in this kind of storytelling style.
Byrne plays Linda in a frenetic performance that lets you experience her anguish every step of the way. It helps that director Mary Bronstein (who also wrote the script) films a lot of the movie in tight close-ups of all of the characters. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for Byrne to inhabit this character for every take, knowing that there was nowhere she could hide in the background of each scene. While it may make you feel better that you aren’t alone in feeling the chaos of everyday life, I wouldn’t say this is a “feel-good” movie, despite some descriptions of the film as a “comedy.” It’s funny at times, but it’s pretty stressful, and more importantly, a damn good movie, with a fantastic performance by Byrne, who should receive an Oscar nomination if there is any justice from the voters. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is now playing in theaters and should be available to rent on demand in November.
REALLY Not for the Faint of Heart – The Lost Bus
Ever seen that meme of Matthew McConaughey smoking a cigarette with his eyes wide open? It’s from an episode of True Detective and is usually posted by someone who is stressed out while watching a sporting event or a movie. I thought of that meme frequently while I questioned my decision to watch a group of children in peril while trying to escape a raging wildfire. That being said, this is another very good movie, but it has its stressful moments.
McConaughey plays Kevin, a bus driver who can’t seem to catch a break. He recently moved back to Paradise, California following the death of his father, with whom he was estranged. He lives with his mother and shares custody of his teenaged son, who’s not happy that his life was uprooted to move back home. Shit, Kevin even has to put his dog down in the opening moments after the vet calls to tell him that the dog’s cancer has spread. Even at work, things aren’t great for Kevin. He is trying to get extra shifts to earn more money and his boss doesn’t seem very happy with him. What could be worse? How about getting caught in the middle of the worst wildfire in the country’s history?
The Lost Bus is directed by Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Ultimatum, Captain Phillips) and tells the true story of how a school bus driver accidentally ended up with a busload of kids, but somehow got them to safety through the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California. He initially picks up the kids, along with their teacher, as part of an evacuation plan, but they soon realize that there is no way to escape the fire approaching from all sides.
McConaughey is terrific in the role of Kevin as he navigates an extreme amount of stress throughout the film, but especially as the threat from the fire increases. America Ferrera (an Oscar nominee for Barbie) is also great as the teacher in a performance that demonstrates the teacher’s fear and bravery in a perfect balance. A lesser movie would have shown this character as a badass superhero, or just a hysterical shrill. Even with the great performances, the star of The Lost Bus is the top-notch visual effects that depict the terrifying wildfires. It was unclear on my television how much of this was traditional practical visual effects or CGI, but it looked great. And yes, I realize that when the bus was shown driving through the fire, I’m sure they didn’t literally put those kids in danger. But damn, those kids sure looked terrified!
In addition to the sequences with the bus, we intercut with the firefighter teams trying to contain the rapidly spreading fire. Those scenes were less effective as they mostly served as exposition in the form of a subordinate explaining to the chief what was happening. It was like the narrator of a documentary, but that’s ok. We needed some perspective at certain times to understand the scope of the danger. I did chuckle at how they made the people from Pacific Gas & Electric look like buffoons. PG&E was found liable for contributing to the start of the fire and forced to pay billions in damages to the families of the community.
Stressful? Sure, but deep down, you know these kids are going to make it, so just admire the courage of the driver and teacher to get them to safety and marvel at the filmmaking of Greengrass and his crew. The Lost Bus is now streaming on Apple TV+. Bonus recommendation: Ron Howard directed a terrific documentary about the aftermath of this fire in Rebuilding Paradise, which I covered here and you can stream on Disney+ and Hulu.
Guess We’re All Fucked? – A House of Dynamite
This is easily one of the most divisive movies of 2025, with some people openly hating it (mostly because of the ending), but I loved it. Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty), returns with her first picture in eight years, a nail-biting thriller that places us in the middle of a terrifying scenario. A House of Dynamite shows us the inner workings of the military, intelligence community, and White House as the country faces a nuclear missile headed toward the U.S. It’s unclear who launched the missile, so the parties in charge must decide what to do and they don’t have a lot of time to decide the best (least bad?) option.
As the film’s early sequence unfolds, and you see that there is less than 20 minutes until the missile hits its target, you may be wondering where this movie is going. It’s then that you realize that we are going to see the events of the decision-making process unfold from multiple viewpoints, giving us further insight into the characters facing monumental decisions to make. In the event of this nightmare scenario, it’s clear that there is no good option, which brings me to the ending.
I saw this movie in a theater about a week before its release on Netflix and loved it, but I knew going in that the ending was divisive, following its screenings at recent film festivals. Now that it is streaming on Netflix, there is vehement hate for this movie online, which I can kind of understand. The ending may leave you with a reaction of “That’s it?” but I actually kind of admired the choice. Bigelow’s message in this film is about the continued threat of nuclear weapons in our world, and if one of these missiles is launched at a superpower country, the ending is kind of inevitable, right?
Even if you don’t admire the storytelling decision, there is a lot to like in the performances at the center of this film. In the first sequence, Rebecca Ferguson is terrific as the officer in charge at the White House Situation room, showcasing her incredible acting range. I was also impressed with veteran character actor Tracey Letts, as a no-bullshit General, who gets spotlighted in the second section. And in the last section, Idris Elba is very good as the President facing a menu of unthinkable retaliation options and Jared Harris was devastating as the Secretary of Defense who realizes his daughter lives in the city that is targeted by the missile. The way Bigelow intercuts the various conversations taking place throughout each segment of the story is very impressive. You may be underwhelmed by how this film ends, but I like a movie that doesn’t tie up the plot in a neat bow and leaves you thinking afterwards. This film certainly does that. A House of Dynamite is now streaming on Netflix.
Deceptive Marketing, But Still A Very Good Movie – Roofman
Hey look! It’s Channing Tatum having fun in a toy store, playing with stuffed animals and eating candy! He’s riding around the store on a kids bike! And here he is flirting with Kirsten Dunst. Don’t they look like a cute couple? Ok, it’s a fun rom-com – I’m in! Hold on, let’s share a few more details.
Roofman is based on the incredible true story of Jeff Manchester, who robbed several McDonald’s restaurants to support his family. After he was caught, he managed to escape from prison and decided to hide out in a Toys “R” Us until the heat died down. Tatum plays Manchester in a terrific performance that showed how a despicable person can use his charm and good looks to convince people that he’s not that bad of a guy. When he manages to get some time away from his hideout, he meets single mom Leigh (played by Dunst) who he has spotted working at the toy store. They soon begin a relationship and suddenly Jeff is facing a difficult choice. How can he build a life with this woman and her children, but continue to dodge the authorities who are looking for him?
Roofman is an interesting movie in that you find yourself rooting for the main character, primarily because of the actor portraying him. I’ve always been impressed with Tatum and feel that he is at his best when he plays characters that have some depth to them, like the one he portrayed in the underappreciated 2022 film Dog. But at the core of this story, Jeff is a really bad guy. His decisions left his family without a husband and a father. And now that he has escaped prison, he spends his time lying, stealing, deceiving a woman who is falling in love with him, and building trust with her daughters who he will inevitably let down.
Yes, there are aspects of Roofman that are funny and there are tender moments between Tatum and Dunst, who is one of my all-time favorites and is terrific here. But there are some dark moments in this movie as well, so just recognize going in that this may not be the rom-com that the marketing team at Paramount Pictures told you it was going to be, but it’s still a very good movie. Viewing tip: Stay for the credits to see interview clips with the real-life individuals from this story. Roofman is now playing in theaters and will be available to rent on demand on November 11th.
Buckle Up for a Wild Ride – Bugonia
OK, first things first. The films of director Yorgos Lanthimos are not for everyone, even this cinephile who has a pretty broad taste. He challenges his audiences with tales that feature satire, absurdity, and a comedic taste designed to make you uncomfortable. His 2023 film Poor Things earned Emma Stone her second Best Actress Oscar and 11 nominations overall, including Best Picture. Last year saw a reunion of Lanthimos and Stone in Kinds of Kindness, which was a mixed bag for most audiences, myself included. This year they are back together in Bugonia, a film that is one of my favorites of 2025, but like all of his movies, might not be for you.
Stone plays Michelle, a high-powered CEO of a pharmaceutical company who is kidnapped by two conspiracy-minded cousins because they believe she is an alien designed to destroy the planet. See, I told you Lanthimos doesn’t make conventional stories. Actually, this film is a remake of a Korean picture from over twenty years ago, but that’s neither here nor there. When Michelle wakes up, she discovers that her head has been shaved so she can’t communicate with her mother ship. Just go with it. Remember awhile back when Stone appeared in public with her head shaved because she was making a movie? This is the one. The cousins (Jesse Plemons in a performance that might win him his first Oscar and Aidan Delbis) want her to admit her true identity and take them to her ship in outer space. Thus begins our strange odyssey.
It’s redundant to say that Stone and Plemons are two of our finest working actors today and they showcase their brilliance throughout this wild story. Plemons plays a man whose brain has been poisoned by online conspiracy theories with such conviction that you start to wonder if he is on to something. And Stone is incredible in playing her character across a range of emotions as she transforms from badass business executive to kidnapping victim trying to escape. She is so expressive in her facial actions, especially as she calmly tries to explain to her captors that she is not, in fact, an alien.
As crazy as the plot of Bugonia is, I was thinking as the story progressed that this might be the most commercially-accessible movie that Lanthimos has ever made. Films like The Lobster, The Favourite, and Poor Things are definitely an acquired taste. But as the climax of Bugonia began to emerge, I practically slapped myself wondering how I could be so stupid. Of course, Lanthimos is going to keep us on our toes. I actually liked how wild this movie was, despite its unconventionality. Anytime I can watch Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons acting together, I’m going to see it as quickly as I can. That being said, I was glad to hear Lanthimos say in a recent interview that he is going to take a break after making three films so quickly. I want to see Stone work with someone different, preferably in a plot that is more grounded in reality. But for now, Bugonia is a crazy fun-filled time at the movies. Bugonia is now playing in theaters.
Forgive Me, I’m Biased – Deliver Me From Nowhere
As I walked out of the theater after seeing this film, I said to my sister, “I had no idea what to expect from that movie.” The reviews of Deliver Me From Nowhere, a portrait of a time in the life of Bruce Springsteen, have been all over the place since it premiered at the Telluride Film Festival two months ago. Some raved at the performances (especially Jeremy Allen White as Springsteen) and the emotional story at the center of the picture. Some criticized the movie as boring, cliched and another example of a bad music biopic, a genre I previously covered here. After seeing the film, I can understand both sides of the argument.
Deliver Me From Nowhere is based on the excellent 2023 book by Warren Zanes and tells the story of Bruce Springsteen during a difficult period of his career. It’s early 1982. He is coming off of a very successful tour in support of 1980’s The River, his third straight hit album. He has launched into rock superstardom. He has reached the point where he is instantly recognized wherever he goes and is starting to feel disconnected from the person he thought he was and the working-class people he wrote songs about. He retreats to a quiet house in New Jersey to get away from the craziness and is soon inspired to write a batch of songs very different from his previous few albums. The songs would turn into 1982’s Nebraska, a quiet album about desperate people in desperate times, that Springsteen taped on a simple four-track recorder in the bedroom of his house.
The film, directed by Scott Cooper, showcases White in a performance that could have gone horribly. In an early scene, we see the entire E Street Band performing Born to Run and I thought, “Holy shit, he looks fantastic.” Then I heard him do the “Bruce voice” in his first scene with Jerremy Strong, who plays Springsteen’s longtime manager and good friend Jon Landau. I was worried White’s performance would turn into an SNL impersonation, but he was actually very good throughout the movie, as is Strong. The scenes they share demonstrate the caring these characters have for each other, particularly how Landau supported Springsteen every step of the way in his career.
So, the movie is about Springsteen writing an album? And not even one of his biggest albums, but the one that most casual fans don’t even know? Well, yes and no. Sure, there are a lot of scenes where we see him writing, playing the guitar, and working out the songs that would appear on Nebraska and its follow-up Born in the U.S.A. But the film is also about Springsteen reckoning with who he is becoming, how his childhood (and complicated relationship with his father) shaped him, and how to deal with his newfound fame. There is also a plot with a single mother that Bruce dates for a short period of time. The character (played very well by Odessa Young) is not based on a real person and that plotline felt shoehorned into the film, but that’s a minor quibble I have with the story.
So, is it a good movie? As an enormous fan of Springsteen’s music, as I covered here, and having read the book by Zanes, I knew what to expect going into the film, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Were there way too many cliches? Yes. Did I roll my eyes when Bruce remembers riding in a car with his father and seeing a large mansion up on a hill and we then see him writing Mansion on a Hill? Also yes. But, I knew a lot of this lore before I saw the movie, so it’s really hard for me to give an unbiased opinion on the film. I also read Springsteen’s terrific 2016 autobiography Born to Run, so I knew that he was battling depression during this period, but didn’t quite recognize it yet.
Look, the performances in the film are very good and director Scott Cooper does a nice job of capturing the writing and recording process of these songs, which are terrific. I also loved seeing how Springsteen fought for these songs to be released as he recorded his original demo, despite pressure from the record company to release another hit single like Hungry Heart. Would I have preferred a story about a different time in Springsteen’s life that might have showcased one of his more popular albums? Absolutely. But this was a pretty good option. When asked about a sequel in a recent interview, Cooper replied that you never know, given Springsteen’s extensive career. If that were to happen, I can’t say I wouldn’t go see it immediately. If you are a fan of Springsteen’s music and know what you are in for – an exploration of a man at a crossroads in his life and not a jukebox musical with all the hits – I’d recommend it. Deliver Me From Nowhere is now playing in theaters.
Coming Attractions
A Tale We’ve Seen Before – Frankenstein
If you like the story of Frankenstein, chances are you will enjoy the new film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel, directed by Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro. Now, I’ve never read the novel, but I feel comfortable saying that this is a faithful telling of the story, as it is a comprehensive telling of how Doctor Victor Frankenstein devoted his life to creating his Creature. The film begins with an action sequence aboard a ship in the North Pole before going back in time as Frankenstein tells his story, beginning with his childhood. When I saw that scene I thought, “Oh, we’re getting the WHOLE Frankenstein, aren’t we?” It also helped me understand why the movie is 2½ hours long and can feel like a slog at times. Sure, it could have been trimmed here and there, but del Toro is a master storyteller and a talented filmmaker.
Oscar Isaac is very good in his performance as Frankenstein, a man committed to the mad idea of creating life by reanimating the remnants of corpses. When he is successful, he must bear the burden of trying to acclimate his creation (played by Jacob Elordi, in an outstanding performance) to the world he now occupies. Needless to say, there are problems.
Overall, I thought this was a very good movie, but it is a little too familiar to the tale we have seen many times before. For me, I prefer Mel Brooks’ brilliant comedy Young Frankenstein, but that’s just my demented sense of humor. The craftsmanship on display by del Toro is top-notch. The man knows how to make incredible films. The production design, costumes, action sequences and visual effects (save for the CGI-created wolves which looked cartoon-like) were all impressive. Granted, I was fortunate to see this on a big-screen at the Philadelphia Film Festival, so I’m not sure how it will look on your television when Netflix releases it. I would have liked the film a little more if it brought something new to the story and had a tighter runtime. But you can judge for yourself next month when Frankenstein is available for streaming on Netflix on November 7th.
A Fun Time at the Movies – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
I was fortunate to see the third installment of the Knives Out franchise as the opening night selection of the Philadelphia Film Festival. Three years ago writer-director Rian Johnson was at the festival for the second movie in the trilogy, Glass Onion, and he was back again to introduce Wake Up Dead Man and participate in a Q&A after the screening. If you are a fan of the original and even lukewarm on the second film, I’m almost certain you will enjoy Wake Up Dead Man. Throughout the weekend, everyone I spoke with at the festival agreed that this was definitely an upgrade on Glass Onion, and on par with the original.
Once again, we are reunited with our favorite private detective, Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig. I find it impressive that the guy who was incredible as James Bond can easily slip back into the Southern drawl of this goofy character each time Johnson makes the call. Well, he is a professional actor, so maybe I shouldn’t be that surprised. Actually, Blanc doesn’t appear until about one third of the way into the film after the mysterious death of one of the main characters. Instead, Johnson makes a smart screenwriting choice by letting us get acclimated to the small town in upstate New York where a goofy set of characters live and worship in a small church run by the domineering monsignor, played by Josh Brolin.
The main focal point of Wake Up Dead Man is actually Reverend Jud, a young priest recently relocated to the church, who instantly clashes with his superior, as well as the monsignor’s trusty right-hand church worker, played by Glenn Close. Let me get this out of the way – Close has a legitimate chance to win her first Oscar this year. She is terrific in this role and after eight (8!!!) nominations, this could finally be her year.
In addition to Brolin and Close, Johnson has once again assembled an all-star cast surrounding Craig, including Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, and Mila Kunis. But the real star here is Josh O’Connor as he carries the film as Reverend Jud. The character is an unconventional priest (we see him knock out another member of the clergy in the opening scene, leading to his transfer) and is not afraid to challenge the staid ways of the Catholic church that desperately need to be modernized. After he has gotten to know the various townspeople (including some of their dirty secrets) he is forced to partner with Blanc and the local police to solve a murder.
O’Connor is magnificent in this role, in what is his fourth theatrical release of 2025. He co-starred with Paul Mescal in the very good (but should have been better) tender love story The History of Sound earlier this summer. Last week, I saw The Mastermind, in which he plays a lazy family man who plots to steal paintings from his local art museum. The film is directed by Kelly Reichardt and is set in Framingham, Massachusetts during the 1970s. O’Connor’s character is a loser who does everything half-assed and as expected, things don’t quite work out for him. Next up, he stars as a rancher who loses everything and must put his life back together in Rebuilding, coming in November. Let’s not forget he was outstanding in last year’s Challengers. After that? He stars in Steven Spielberg’s untitled UFO movie hitting theaters next year. Yeah, it’s Josh O’Connor’s time – jump on board the train.
Much like the first two Knives Out movies, Wake Up Dead Man features some convoluted plot twists that even I was scratching my head about, but I admire Johnson’s creativity in writing these stories. He goes out of his way to make the mystery unsolvable to the viewer, which makes the reveal at the end that much more entertaining. Not only is there a good mystery at the heart of this story, but Wake Up Dead Man is funny! There were a lot more jokes than I expected, which made it a fun experience to see with an audience. Now, the film is getting a very limited release in theaters around Thanksgiving to qualify for the Oscars, but you might have a hard time finding it in a theater near you. If you can’t, Wake Up Dead Man will be available to stream on Netflix on December 12th.
That’s all for this week. I’ll be back next month with a look at more new releases, including Oscar contenders Hamnet, Sentimental Value, Jay Kelly, Wicked: For Good, and much more. Thanks for reading and if you’d like to be notified of future posts, you can subscribe below.