One Battle After Another (2025): PT Anderson continues his stellar record with this much lauded awards juggernaut starring Leo DiCaprio. And there are some great things to be said about it, both thematically and in its style. The first half of the movie is unorthodox, often feels improvisational in a distinctively original style, which is a rare occurrence in a movie of this “size”. Teyana Taylor is a whirlwind presence, whether you enjoy her or not, and Sean Penn an immediately memorable character. If anything, it’s Leo’s bumbling Bob that blends into all the craziness, especially when paired with the likes of Taylor or Del Toro. I think the movie is definitely one of the better ones to come out from the US in 2025, but it curiously settles into a safe and warm path in its second half. Regardless, it’s a watch to be had. 8
The Last Showgirl (2024): For a middle of the road tale about an aging showgirl, this is an adept movie. It does the beats, walks the walk and hinges on a compelling, if uneven central performance. Thing is, though, you can only go so far with this approach. It immediately made me think of Rimini (2022), which does the same theme better by being less reverential towards its lead. The imperfection, the messiness, it’s what makes a character and a story compelling. Especially if it’s experienced. Much of TLS’s drama is stated, character to character, one phone call at a time. It plays like misery porn to a degree, eulogizing an abstract past, laying the groundwork for an abject future. Still, I didn’t dislike it, because it managed to not be moralizing, treating its characters with affection, even if misplaced. There is a mood to TLS and that’s definitely something. 7
Dead Shack (2017): A really small movie, made with a shoestring budget, Peter Ricq’s Dead Shack is a decent addition to the zombie pantheon. Simple plot: father, new girlfriend nobody likes, son, daughter, son’s best friend who’s pining for the daughter, go out to a cabin in the middle of nowhere, which happens to be close by to where a former wife and mother feeds horny boys to her now undead family. It’s not as funny as it sounds, but it does have its funny moments. The levity finds balance with some decent gore and zombie looks, which means Dead Shack does just enough. 6
Sharper (2023): It’s rare to come across a movie that works so well on several levels, but is completely undone by the inanity of its plot. Sharper, directed by Benjamin Caron and written by Bryan Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, is unfortunately that. It stars Sebastian Stan, Julianne Moore, Justice Smith, John Lithgow and Briana Middleton – a name heavy cast, that delivers. It webs its story in a structure that maintains some suspense and builds up the viewer’s perception of the characters in intriguing ways. It looks good and smooth. And yet! It feels compelled in its obsession to do twist upon twist and the main problem is it’s always the same twist: the mark, the grifter and it’s the way you expect it “the least”. Naturally, by the third time, you probably expect it the most and can see very clearly where everything is going. And it all comes at the expense of the film’s and its characters’ reality, because you just can’t apply this tactic otherwise. I find this so very frustrating. Such a shame. 5
The Housemaid (2025): I see Paul Feig, I think Freaks and Geeks. But Feig’s recent brand of movies are something else and, if this is something to go by, not my cup of china. Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney star in this one that made the rounds last year, presumably because of some nudity from the latter. To be fair, the movie looks smooth, but its pretense becomes tiresome quickly. The Housemaid lacks patience, reduces characterization and plot to ample VO narration, and goes big on a something that was cool more than ten years ago, the female revenge. There’s no Coralie Fargeat here, just a cheap mimicking of stuff that was done better before. And that’s in spite of Seyfried’s best efforts to keep it alive. Almost makes me want to revisit Sharper’s rating. 5
tributary stu 
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