October 3, 2025
I originally planned to publish this last Friday, but life events prevented me from seeing a new release that I desperately needed to write about. I managed to see it earlier this week, so here we are, better late than never. Despite what seems like an endless hellscape of news coming across our devices each day, I am entering the month of October in a positive headspace. It helps to have an endless list of movies on your watch list, a new album from the biggest artist in the world, and an exciting lineup at the Philadelphia Film Festival in two weeks. I hope that you are all finding something to occupy your headspace when you need to check out from the scary insanity we are seeing every day. With that, I’m going to dive into the wonderful world of film to give you (and me) some well-needed distractions.
After a less than stellar summer of new releases, save for a few strong movies and decent performances at the box-office, the fall movie season is looking very promising. We just saw the conclusion of two major film festivals in Toronto and Venice, with the New York Film Festival kicking off last week. The awards season is starting to take shape with some frontrunners emerging. Most of them are coming later this year, but we do have a film that premiered in September that might have leapfrogged Sinners to make the case as the best film of 2025 (so far). We’ll get to that one shortly, but for now, let’s take a quick spin on some other new releases from this past month.
From the Demented Mind of Stephen King – The Long Walk
Leave it to Stephen King to craft a story with a premise that is beyond disturbing, but features a touching story of friendship that left many viewers reaching for the tissues as the credits rolled. The story of The Long Walk takes place in a small Maine town (naturally) in a dystopian future where the government organizes an annual competition for young men. They walk for as long as they can, and the last one standing wins a monetary prize. They have to maintain a minimum speed and if they fall below that speed, they get a warning. After three warnings, they get their “ticket punched,” which involves a soldier with a loaded firearm.
Now, I read this novel several years ago, so I knew the premise, but once you understand what is happening, it is quite disturbing. There is a scene early in the film when Peter (David Jonsson) says to Ray (Cooper Hoffman), “You just have to get used to it,” and Ray says, “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Jesus, if that line didn’t resonate for me the entire runtime as a not-so-subtle metaphor for gun violence in this country. Nevertheless, when you go into a King story, you can count on it being disturbing, and this one has plenty of those scenes. But there is a lot more to this story than men with guns threatening teenaged boys.
At the heart of The Long Walk are people looking for any way out of their miserable existence, even if they face the longest odds. They may not win the money, but they are also risking their lives if they lose. There is literally only one winner, but they are determined to take the chance to win The Long Walk. Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) and Jonsson (Alien: Romulus) are outstanding in their performances as we see Ray and Peter slowly bond over the course of the multiple days on the walk. As the race progresses, their friendship deepens, but the reality creeps in that in order for one of them to win, the other has to die. It’s so exciting to see younger actors demonstrating such strong abilities, realizing that we will get to see their careers evolve over the coming years.
The Long Walk was directed by Francis Lawrence, who did an excellent job in balancing the terror with the emotional sequences between the race contenders. While I thought his casting decisions for the young men in the competition were terrific, I will nitpick his choice of Mark Hamil as the military commander overseeing the race, who is comically bad using a “tough guy” voice that just fell flat for me. Credit also goes to JT Mollner for writing the excellent screenplay. His 2023 horror film Strange Darling was one of my favorites of that year. If you can handle the squeamish premise and want to see some brilliant acting on display, this one is worth checking out. The Long Walk is now playing in theaters.
The Brits Make It Better – The Roses
Let’s move to something a little lighter, shall we? I was dubious when I first saw the trailer for The Roses, an adaptation of a novel that was previously made into the 1989 film The War of the Roses. That movie was a pretty good (and pretty brutal) depiction of a couple (portrayed by Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner) whose love turns sour, leading to a comically violent divorce. The War of the Roses was best known for its grim ending – not exactly the happy reunion of the team behind Romancing the Stone that audiences were expecting. That being said, it was still a good movie and I’m not sure we needed another version of it. The other reason I was skeptical about The Roses was the number of times I saw this trailer in theaters. Granted I go to a lot of movies, but I saw this one so many times that I knew it by heart and recognized all of the jokes from the trailer as soon as the scenes showed up in the movie. With all of that background, I’m happy to report that The Roses is a very good comedy worth seeing and it succeeds entirely due to the lead actors.
Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch play Ivy and Theo, who fall in love at first sight and seem to be happy in their lives together, despite their cynical personalities. All of that changes on one fateful night when a storm destroys a building Theo designed (leading to his termination) and sends customers to Ivy’s small restaurant (leading to it becoming a booming success.) Theo takes on the home duties, while Ivy builds a restaurant empire. Resentment builds between the two of them, leading to a decision to call it quits. From there, things get ugly, but in a hysterical way.
The jokes in The Roses are quite mean and the behavior Theo and Ivy display is downright crude, but if you can adopt a cynical tone when sitting down for this one, it plays for good laughs. And quite frankly, I think it’s most successful because when you hear the British accents of people insulting each other, it’s just funnier. C’mon, ever hear a Brit call someone a “wanker?” You laughed to yourself reading that just now, right? In addition to Colman and Cumberbatch, The Roses features a strong supporting cast, including Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon as the couple’s friends. However, the bit that McKinnon is playing gets old after the first few times. The Roses was directed by Jay Roach (Meet the Parents, the Austin Powers films), so he has the right comedy chops for a movie like this. If you don’t mind a cynical comedy and can laugh at people being mean to each other, I’d recommend adding this one to your list. The Roses is still playing in theaters and should be available to rent on demand in late October.
Indie Movie Corner
I thought I’d spotlight a few smaller movies that I saw this month that I really liked and will likely fly under during this busy part of the calendar.
- Twinless – I knew very little about the premise of this film starring Dylan O’Brien as a man who joins a support group after his twin brother dies and becomes friends with another grieving twin, played by James Sweeney, who also wrote and directed the film. Twinless premiered at Sundance to strong reviews and after seeing it opening weekend, I’m glad I avoided learning too much about the plot. That’s because the film takes a turn early on that I didn’t see coming and having it spoiled in advance might have diminished my feelings. A little bit black comedy, a little bit psychological drama, Twinless is one of the more creative films I’ve seen this year and features terrific performances by O’Brien and Sweeney. Twinless will be available to rent on demand on October 7th.
- The Threesome – A romantic comedy with a plot you haven’t seen before. Connor is trying to get over his crush on Olivia and hits it off with Jenny at the bar where Olivia works. The three of them begin talking, then head to a club for a night of drinking and dancing. One thing leads to another and well, you get the idea with the title of the movie. Oh, did I mention that Olivia and Jenny both end up pregnant? It’s nice to see a sweet romantic comedy with smart writing and winning performances from the leads that is not based on the same tropes we always see in movies like this. The Threesome is now available to rent on demand.
- Splitsville – Probably the film I have laughed at the most this year, this romantic comedy is another one that has a plot a little out of left field. While Carey (Kyle Marvin) and Ashley (Adria Arjona) are traveling to their romantic getaway, she decides she’s had enough of marriage and asks for a divorce. Despondent, Carey goes to visit their friends Paul (Michael Angelo Covino) and Julie (Dakota Johnson), where he learns they have an open marriage. When Paul goes out to deal with a work emergency, Carey sleeps with Julie and when Paul finds out the next day, he loses his shit. This movie has a lot of twists and turns, some of which are not quite believable, but sometimes you have to go with the flow to enjoy a comedy. Marvin and Covino co-wrote the script, after partnering on the equally funny cringe comedy The Climb in 2019. Just like The Threesome, this one is a little unconventional, but I look for that in a romantic comedy, because the same old plots become boring after a while. Splitsville is now available to rent on demand.
Hell Yeah – One Battle After Another
He’s one of my favorite working directors and I don’t think he’s made a bad movie, even if not all of them are five-star masterpieces. I covered the work of Paul Thomas Anderson in 2022 here, shortly after the release of his last picture Licorice Pizza. He is exceptionally talented at the craft of filmmaking when making his movies. He writes his own scripts and is meticulous about all aspects of turning an idea into a film. All of the decisions are well thought-out. The casting, production design, costumes, the score and soundtrack and, most importantly, the way the camera moves in every single shot, is the culmination of someone who takes his role as a filmmaker very seriously. I’m happy to report that he’s done it again. His newest film, One Battle After Another, is a masterpiece that may just win him his long overdue first Oscar.
I have been worried about this film since early this year when I decided to read Vineland by Thomas Pynchon, which was reported to be the basis for the movie. I gave up about one quarter of the way through the novel (I never give up on a book – I’m a completionist) as I found the writing style frenetic and the story too complicated with way too many characters. I breathed a sigh of relief when I read the early glowing reviews and learned that the film was only loosely inspired by the novel.
Leonardo DiCaprio makes his PTA debut and is as triumphant as ever in the role of Bob Ferguson, a stoner former revolutionary who has been on the run for 16 years and is caring for his teenage daughter Willa. Fun fact – Leo originally turned down the role of Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights to make Titanic, later calling it his biggest professional regret. Imagine that sliding doors moment. Thankfully, the two were able to collaborate for this one. When Bob discovers that the military authorities, led by Sean Penn as a psychotic colonel, are hot on their trail, he has to use the few wits he has left to save his daughter and escape again.
There is a lot to say about One Battle because it’s a lot of movie. It is easily Anderson’s most ambitious film, featuring a number of action sequences, interweaving plot lines, and a deep cast that is phenomenal. It’s two hours and forty minutes, but it feels like a 90 minute action-thriller. And that’s because Anderson has crafted an outstanding story that leaves you riveted (Johnny Greenwood’s propulsive score certainly helps) as you wonder whether Bob and Willa can survive the danger they face.
Anderson took the basic framework of Vineland (set in Reagan’s 1980s America) and transformed it into a contemporary story set in our fractured modern day. It’s not a coincidence that we see the revolutionaries looking to rescue imprisoned immigrants, fight against a fascist government, or that the military is being deployed to sanctuary cities to get rid of people who don’t look like the authority figures in charge. There’s no M-F’ing A-hole sitting in the Oval Office, but you can tell that Anderson is putting the ugliness of our world on the screen for us to deal with as viewers.
That being said, this is a pretty damn funny movie. Despite being a skilled revolutionary in the beginning of the story, after circumstances force Bob and Willa to go on the run, he copes through a steady diet of alcohol and drugs. When he has to tap into those skill sets many years later, the results are quite comical. Two years ago when DiCaprio was snubbed at the 2023 Oscars for his dynamic performance in Killers of the Flower Moon, I wrote that we are taking this great actor for granted. After seeing everything he did in this film, I am doubling down on that opinion.
Surrounding DiCaprio is newcomer Chase Infinity as Willa in a breakout performance that will surely lead to stardom in the near future, Teyana Taylor as Bob’s wife, Regina Hall as a member of the revolutionaries, and Benicio del Toro as a friend of Bob who helps him escape. And we have to talk about Penn. This is probably the best role he has had in years and it goes to show the trust actors place in a director like Anderson for him to depict Colonel Steven Lockjaw the way he is portrayed. This is a batshit crazy character and Penn just goes for it with everything he has, down to the way he walks like he has a stick up his ass, just like a certain Cheeto-dust covered resident of the White House preens around golf courses these days. Lockjaw is a cartoon version of every “I’m the toughest SOB in the history of the world” we see on display these days and I was laughing at Penn’s embrace of the absurdity.
With all of the political backdrop, at the heart of One Battle is the story of a father and daughter. Bob loves Willa with all of his heart, but has no idea how to be a father. I’d say he’s doing the best he can, but he’s really not. Fortunately, she has the street smarts to keep her dad in line, especially when he’s had too much to drink and smoke. He drives her crazy, but she loves him anyway.
It’s safe to say that you will be hearing an awful lot about One Battle After Another as the awards season starts to take shape. It’s not an exaggeration to guess that this film could be nominated for ten (or more) Oscars and Anderson could be walking away with multiple awards that night. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but as I was walking out of the theater, I thought about my Oscars recap following the 2021 ceremony. There was speculation that Anderson might win for Best Screenplay for Licorice Pizza that night, but the award went to Kenneth Branagh for the dreadful Belfast. I was disappointed, but I wrote that in reality I don’t want Anderson to get some token Oscar for screenwriting. I want him to have his triumphant moment at the Oscars to celebrate a masterpiece that he created. I’m happy to report that in about five months, we just might witness that. Go see this one on the big screen. One Battle After Another is now playing in theaters.
Coming Attractions
With the fall movie season heating up, here are some films coming in October to put on your list:
- Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera star in The Lost Bus, about a bus driver and teacher desperately trying to save a busload of kids during the 2018 California wildfires. Streaming on Apple TV+ now.
- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is getting Oscar buzz for his portrayal of a UFC fighter in The Smashing Machine, this true story that also stars Emily Blunt as his wife. In theaters today.
- Channing Tatum stars in this “based on a true story” comedy about a thief who hides out in a toy store while avoiding the cops. Roofman also stars Kirsten Dunst as his love interest and is in theaters October 10th.
- Three choices from prestige directors. Luca Guadagnino (Challengers) assembled a top-notch cast for After the Hunt about a college professor (Julia Roberts) confronted with a crisis when one of her students (Ayo Edebiri) accuses another professor (Andrew Garfield) of assault. In theaters October 17th. Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) returns with A House of Dynamite, a gripping story of a nuclear threat against the United States and the coordinated response by government officials. This one premiered to rave reviews at Venice and looks to put Bigelow back in the Oscar race. Streaming on Netflix on October 24th. Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things) once again teams with Emma Stone for Bugonia, about a deranged man (Jesse Plemons) who kidnaps a CEO (Stone) because he is convinced she is an alien set to destroy the planet. Yup, Yorgos is getting wacky again. In theaters October 31st.
- For the horror fan, there are plenty of options since its Scary Movie Month. Good Boy (in theaters today) tells the story of a man tormented by demons in his house, told from the perspective of his dog. A couple’s romantic getaway turns sinister in Bone Lake (in theaters today.) The Black Phone 2 (in theaters October 17th) is the sequel to the 2021 thriller with Ethan Hawke as a killer terrorizing kids in the 1970s.
- On the documentary front, a well-reviewed documentary about a comedian gone too soon, John Candy: I Like Me, will stream on Prime Video on October 10th. The Perfect Neighbor is one of the best documentaries of the year that I saw at Sundance, and tells the story of how a small neighborhood dispute deteriorated rapidly. The story is told entirely through the use of police bodycams and is both fascinating and tragic. It premieres on Netflix on October 17th. And for film nerds like me, reserve some time on your couch for the five-part documentary series Mr. Scorsese, about the legendary director Martin Scorsese. Streaming on Apple TV+ beginning on October 17th.
- Lastly, one of my more anticipated films of 2025, Deliver Me From Nowhere is the adaptation of the excellent book by Steven Hyden, which tells the story of Bruce Springsteen creating his 1982 album Nebraska. I’m not sure if this will be a great movie, but Jeremy Allen White sure looks terrific as Springsteen in the trailer. In theaters October 24th.
One More Thing
Hollywood lost another legend a few weeks ago when Robert Redford passed away at the age of 89. Redford spent more than sixty years working in film and television and left an incredible mark on the industry. An Oscar-winner for directing 1980’s Best Picture Ordinary People, and star of some of the best films of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, he was universally praised by people he worked with throughout his career after news of his passing emerged.
Like most movie fans, he was one of my favorites and will forever be linked with Paul Newman for their iconic films together, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting, but also for the way they were considered the “it” stars of their eras in film. Sure, they had charisma and megawatt movie star looks, but they were also both incredible actors. It’s fitting that when I started my blog in 2020, I included a Redford selection in each of my first two comfort movie posts. The Sting (covered here) is one that I have seen countless times since I was in high-school, and even though I have watched All the President’s Men (covered here) so many times that I know the dialogue by heart, I watched it again the night Redford died.
In addition to the other films that were mentioned in Redford’s obituary (Three Days of the Condor, Jeremiah Johnson, The Natural, and his last great role The Old Man & The Gun), I thought I would highlight two of my favorites that I think of when Redford’s name comes to mind. He starred in Sneakers, a fun 1992 crime-comedy that I covered as another one of my favorite comfort movies here, and watched over and over again after it was released on home video. And despite his Oscar win for directing Ordinary People, I think 1994’s Quiz Show, which was nominated for Best Picture as I covered here, was his filmmaking masterpiece.
Lastly, Redford contributed more to the history of movies besides his acting, directing and producing work. He established the Sundance Institute in 1981, which led to the Sundance Film Festival, helping to champion independent filmmaking. The list of directors who owe their breakout success to Sundance is insanely long and includes such award-winning filmmakers like Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino, Jordan Peele and Damien Chazelle. I’m glad that Redford was alive to see Sundance get its first Best Picture winner when Sian Heder’s CODA won the award three years ago. This coming January will see Park City, Utah host the festival for the last time before it moves to Boulder, Colorado in 2027. I’m sure the tributes to Redford, his contributions to the history of film, and his legacy will be a highlight of the festival. As you contemplate what to watch this weekend and can’t decide on anything among the myriad of choices on your streaming services, fire up a Redford movie and enjoy one of the all-time greats in film history.
That’s all for this week. I’ll be back next week with some choices for Scary Movie Month, which is here! Thanks for reading and if you’d like to be notified of future posts, you can subscribe below.