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The Cinema Dispatch is your one-stop-shop film review website that also offers lists, awards updates, and essays relating to the world of cinema. Reviews Avatar: Fire and Ash December 16, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The Housemaid December 17, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Song Sung Blue December 14, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Marty Supreme December 1, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Awards Button Button Awards Update: Shortlists, Longlists, and Medium Odds December 18, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen 2026 Golden Globe Awards Nomination Predictions December 6, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen 1 One Battle After Another 2 Hamnet 3 Sinners 4 Frankenstein 5 Marty Supreme 6 Sentimental Value 7 It Was Just an Accident 8 The Secret Agent 9 Bugonia 10 Train Dreams Oscar Nomination Predictions - Best Picture Hunter Friesen Lists Twin Cities Film Fest 2025 Preview October 14, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen TIFF25 Recap September 17, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen

Dive into our expert Oscar predictions and analysis, staying ahead of the curve on the films and performers destined for Hollywood glory. Awards Button Button Awards Update: Shortlists, Longlists, and Medium Odds December 18, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen 2026 Golden Globe Awards Nomination Predictions December 6, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen Oscar Nomination Predictions Last Updated: 12/18/2025 Next Update: 01/19/2026 1 One Battle After Another 2 Hamnet 3 Sinners 4 Frankenstein 5 Marty Supreme 6 Sentimental Value 7 It Was Just an Accident 8 The Secret Agent 9 Bugonia 10 Train Dreams Best Picture 1 Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) 2 Jafar Panahi (It Was Just an Accident) 3 Chloé Zhao (Hamnet) 4 Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value) 5 Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein) Best Director 1 It Was Just an Accident 2 Sinners 3 Sentimental Value 4 Marty Supreme 5 The Secret Agent Best Original Screenplay 1 One Battle After Another 2 Hamnet 3 Frankenstein 4 Train Dreams 5 Bugonia Best Adapted Screenplay 1 Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme) 2 Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another) 3 Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon) 4 Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) 5 Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams) Best Lead Actor 1 Jessie Buckley (Hamnet) 2 Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value) 3 Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I'd Kick You) 4 Emme Stone (Bugonia) 5 Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another) Best Lead Actress 1 Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value) 2 Benicio del Toro (One Battle After Another) 3 Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) 4 Paul Mescal (Hamnet) 5 Adam Sandler (Jay Kelly) Best Supporting Actor 1 Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another) 2 Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good) 3 Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value) 4 Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value) 5 Amy Madigan (Weapons) Best Supporting Actress 1 One Battle After Another 2 Sinners 3 Marty Supreme 4 Hamnet 5 Sentimental Value Best Casting 1 Sinners 2 One Battle After Another 3 Frankenstein 4 Hamnet 5 Train Dreams Best Cinematography 1 One Battle After Another 2 Sinners 3 Hamnet 4 Frankenstein 5 Marty Supreme Best Original Score 1 I Lied to You (Sinners) 2 Golden (KPop Demon Hunters) 3 Dear Me (Diane Warren: Relentless) 4 Train Dreams (Train Dreams) 5 The Girl in the Bubble (Wicked: For Good) Best Original Song 1 One Battle After Another 2 Sinners 3 Marty Supreme 4 F1: The Movie 5 Hamnet Best Film Editing 1 F1: The Movie 2 Sinners 3 One Battle After Another 4 Wicked: For Good 5 Avatar: Fire and Ash Best Sound 1 Frankenstein 2 Wicked: For Good 3 Marty Supreme 4 Hamnet 5 Sinners Best Production Design 1 Frankenstein 2 Wicked: For Good 3 Hamnet 4 Sinners 5 One Battle After Another Best Costume Design 1 Frankenstein 2 Wicked: For Good 3 Sinners 4 The Smashing Machine 5 One Battle After Another Best Makeup & Hairstyling 1 Avatar: Fire and Ash 2 F1: The Movie 3 Superman 4 Frankenstein 5 Wicked: For Good Best Visual Effects 1 KPop Demon Hunters 2 Zootopia 2 3 Arco 4 Little Amélie or the Character of Rain 5 Elio Best Animated Feature 1 It Was Just an Accident (France) 2 Sentimental Value (Norway) 3 The Secret Agent (Brazil) 4 Sirât (Spain) 5 No Other Choice (South Korea) Best International Feature 1 The Perfect Neighbor 2 2000 Meters to Andriivka 3 The Alabama Solution 4 My Undesirable Friends: Part I - Last Air in Moscow 5 Cover-Up Best Documentary Feature

Awards Update: Shortlists, Longlists, and Medium Odds December 18, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Welcome to an ongoing series where I cover the 2025/2026 awards season. On a regular basis, I will update my Oscar predictions, taking into account the new information that has been received since the last update. Full predictions in every category can be found on the Home and Awards page. The “sink or swim” mentality has been exemplified over these past few weeks with the onslaught of criticism and industry groups casting their influence on the Oscar race. Emotions between fandoms run high as prospects see-saw from day to day. Which snubs or surprises truly matter is always a tough question to answer, a symptom of the cramming of all these awards within such a narrow gap of time. But it is a rush like no other, and it’s all (mostly) in service of the best films of the year. Crashing down from its protracted high from last awards season is Wicked: For Good . In a stunning turn of events, the musical was unable to secure a nomination for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes. Looking back at least fifty years (anything before then isn’t worth comparing), no musical that has been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars has been snubbed by the Globes. It reminds me a lot of The Color Purple from a few years back. Like For Good , it had a lot of pedigree on paper, and even made a decent amount of appearances at other similarly timed precursor groups. But the reviews just weren’t up to standard, and everyone sensed that the dam was about to give. The saving grace for For Good is that since the expansion of Best Picture to a locked ten system, no film has received more than five nominations and not also gotten into Best Picture. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the separating factor for that stat, as it received five nominations. I’m predicting an almost identical haul for For Good , so I think history will repeat itself and this sequel gets pushed out. Another blockbuster sequel that I’m kicking to the curb (at least for Best Picture) is Avatar: Fire and Ash . It’s always had the potential to suffer from “been there, done that” syndrome, especially now that the advantage of time is no longer on its side. All that could be countered if the film were good enough, which it isn’t. So, I’m making it a Visual Effects and Sound nominee, with it obviously winning the former category. After starting strong, Jay Kelly has dipped quite a bit. It couldn’t get in for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes, nor did it make a few of the Oscar shortlists it was expected to hit. Starting peculiarly strong and maintaining that energy has been Bugonia , which I’m subbing into Best Picture for Jay Kelly . I expect Lanthimos’ film to play better at the BAFTAs. These films are interchangeable throughout the rest of the season, with PGA being the moment of sudden death. That leaves two open spots in Best Picture, which I’m currently filling with Train Dreams and The Secret Agent . It feels foolish to pick Neon to secure three films in Best Picture, having already theoretically secured a spot with It Was Just an Accident and Sentimental Value . However, The Secret Agent has had an impressive showing so far, and has much more passion behind it than many other films. Granted, its status as a critical darling gives it an advantage during this part of the season, which may not last once we start getting into the more mainstream televised awards. The path is brighter at this time, and I’d like to hop on that train before it’s too late. With the Globes and shortlists consolidating power near the top, I’m leaning on the top Best Picture contenders to nab any final slots in categories they’re not already heavyweights in. That means One Battle After Another is getting the final spot in Best Costume Design and Best Makeup & Hairstyling, and Sinners gets into Best Production Design. On Oscar nomination morning, I expect at least three to four films to walk away with double-digit nominations, with the potential for One Battle After Another to either tie or break the all-time nomination record. More Reviews Avatar: Fire and Ash December 16, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The Housemaid December 17, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Song Sung Blue December 14, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Marty Supreme December 1, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen

2026 Golden Globe Awards Nomination Predictions December 6, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The Golden Globes have always been a surprising bunch. Luckily, those shocking nominees and winners have tended to lean more positively in the last few years. Inspired choices like nominating Payal Kapadia for All We Imagine as Light in Best Director, or Sebastian Stan winning Best Lead Actor - Musical or Comedy for A Different Man , have shown that a new leaf has turned. Because of this, I’m widening the scope of potential nominees, no longer just lazily name-checking big stars. Granted, there are still plenty of heavyhitters that can, and probably will, be nominated. It should all make for a fun nomination morning. Here are my predictions on what names will be called in each category, complete with a full breakdown detailing the seemingly endless combinations. Best Motion Picture - Drama Sinners Hamnet It Was Just an Accident Sentimental Value Frankenstein The Secret Agent Until the 2021 awards season, non-English language films were not allowed to compete in the top categories of Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. The group has slowly embraced this extra freedom in the years since, granting nominations to Anatomy of a Fall , The Zone of Interest , and Emilia Pérez . This is the year where they have the chance to blow the floodgates wide open, with several prominent contenders coming from outside the United States. Coincidentally (or not considering the company's strategy), that lot is almost all represented by Neon and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. They've got the pedigree, so why shouldn't I go all in? More traditional choices would be Avatar: Fire and Ash and Is This Thing On? . Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy One Battle After Another Marty Supreme Wicked: For Good Jay Kelly No Other Choice The Testament of Ann Lee Similar to last year, this year's crop of musicals and comedies seems just as intertwined in the Oscar race as the dramas. Both Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery and Bugonia are just on the outside, as their buzz feels a little muted, and the reviews aren't any better than the other contenders. Yorgos Lanthimos and the Knives Out films have been consistent nominees in this category before, so one or both could easily make their way in. Best Director Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) Ryan Coogler (Sinners) Chloe Zhao (Hamnet) Jafar Panahi (It Was Just an Accident) Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme) Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein) This category gave us a pleasant curveball last year with Payal Kapadia from All We Imagine as Light . Considering all the heavyweight talent in contention this year, I don't foresee another one of those surprises. The only upset I'm predicting is for Joachim Trier to miss out, although he still has just as much of a chance of being nominated as Josh Safdie and Guillermo del Toro. Best Screenplay One Battle After Another Sinners It Was Just an Accident Hamnet Sentimental Value Marty Supreme Since the start of the decade, Being the Ricardos and Women Talking remain the only two films to receive nominations in this category without a corresponding Best Motion Picture nomination. There's also an equally strong correlation between this category and Best Director, which is why I'm predicting a Joachim Trier and Guillermo del Toro to swap seats. Best Lead Actor - Drama Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams) Jeremy Allen White (Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere) Dwayne Johnson (The Smashing Machine) Daniel Day-Lewis (Anemone) Dwayne Johnson and Jeremy Allen White were at the top of my predictions in the early fall. Now they've fallen (pun intended) down to fringe contenders after their respective films bombed at the box office and received lukewarm reviews. The same is even more true for Daniel Day-Lewis in Anemone , although I can't bring myself to doubt his legendary status. Best Lead Actress - Drama Jessie Buckley (Hamnet) Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value) Jennifer Lawrence (Die My Love) Laura Dern (Is This Thing On?) Jodie Foster (A Private Life) Julia Roberts (After the Hunt) Veterans like Laura Dern, Jodie Foster, and Julia Roberts are all hanging onto the last slots, each of them, along with Jennifer Lawrence, likely to be the lone representatives for their respective films. Both critically and commercially, After the Hunt has been one of the biggest bombs of the year. Roberts was given high marks for her work, and voters may reward her for emerging from that mess with some dignity. Jodie Foster seems to (deservedly) be in an era where people are eager to reward her for anything. She won Best Supporting Actress for her work in The Mauritanian , which didn’t even lead to an Oscar nomination. Plus, she speaks French! Best Lead Actor - Musical or Comedy Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme) Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another) George Clooney (Jay Kelly) Lee Byung-hun (No Other Choice) Jesse Plemons (Bugonia) Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon) The leads for each of the male-centered nominees I have for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy are all here. That leaves two slots left, which I'm giving to Jesse Plemons for Bugonia and Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon . Plemons was nominated last year for Kinds of Kindness , a film that was much further outside the awards conversation than Bugonia is. And Hawke has received career-best reviews in a showcase role. Daniel Craig has been nominated both times as Benoit Blanc, and he's still just as great in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery . But there's less of him this time around, and the extra competition seems like it will be too much. Best Lead Actress - Musical or Comedy Cynthia Erivo (Wicked: For Good) Amanda Seyfried (The Testament of Ann Lee) Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another) Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I'd Kick You) Emma Stone (Bugonia) Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue) This is less competitive than the rest of the other lead acting categories. The seemingly only other viable contender would be Eva Victor for Sorry, Baby . As much as I would like to see that happen, I can't find a spot to slot her in. Best Supporting Actor Stellan Skarsgard (Sentimental Value) Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) Paul Mescal (Hamnet) Adam Sandler (Jay Kelly) Benicio del Toro (One Batte After Another) Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein) I see no reason not to predict the top six contenders for the Oscar, especially when all are (potentially) appearing in Best Motion Picture nominees. That logic could also mean that Delroy Lindo could get in for Sinners . Best Supporting Actress Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another) Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good) Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value) Amy Madigan (Weapons) Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value) Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) Emily Blunt is one of this organization's favorite actresses, nominated seven times throughout the past twenty years. However, I don’t think that amount of preferential treatment will help her get nominated this year for her role in The Smashing Machine . I’m going out on a limb a little bit and predicting Wunmi Mosaku to get in over her, an actress who’s been steadily praised throughout the year in a juggernaut film. Best Foreign Language Film It Was Just an Accident (Iran) Sentimental Value (Norway) The Secret Agent (Brazil) No Other Choice (South Korea) The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia) Left-Handed Girl (Taiwan) Considering that I’m predicting four of these films to be nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama or Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, I feel compelled to also slot them in here. That leaves two slots left to fill in a category that likes to deviate from the expected Oscar front-runners. The Voice of Hind Rajab and Left-Handed Girl have been making waves since their festival debuts. Several other contenders could make their way in instead, such as Sirāt , Sound of Falling , or Nouvelle Vague . Best Animated Feature Film KPop Demon Hunters Zootopia 2 Arco Little Amélie or the Character of Rain Scarlet Elio Pixar has been nominated each year since 2016, when Finding Dory found itself kicked to the curb. While it didn’t have the best reviews, that movie at least had a monster box office haul to stand behind, something that Elio sorely lacks. But the expansion of this category and the lack of bigger contenders will probably allow it to sneak in. The Globes are much friendlier to anime than the Oscars, which should bode well for the several high-profile films that have come out this year. Any combination of Ne Zha 2 , Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle , or Chainsaw Man could take that spot. I’m going to give the edge to the previous nominee, Mamoru Hosoda and Scarlet , which has Sony Pictures Classics behind it. Best Original Score Sinners One Battle After Another Hamnet Frankenstein Jay Kelly The Testament of Ann Lee Once an Oscar perennial, Alexandre Desplat hasn’t received a nomination since Little Women back in 2019. That hasn’t stopped his momentum at the Globes, as he’s received three more nominations since then. Even more beloved are Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who pulled off the wild upset last year with their victory for Challengers . Their work in Tron: Ares is great, but the movie probably doesn't have the juice to push them over contenders from more acclaimed films. Best Original Song I Lied to You (Sinners) Golden (KPop Demon Hunters) The Girl in the Bubble (Wicked: For Good) Dream as One (Avatar: Fire and Ash) Train Dreams (Train Dreams) Drive (F1: The Movie) The top three predictions come from music-centric films, so I feel pretty secure about that. Miley Cyrus received a nomination last year for her song in The Last Showgirl . Seeing as how Avatar: Fire and Ash will be exponentially more popular than that film, she’ll probably be back again. Everything else is kind of a wild guess, leaning more towards big names in big commercial or critical movies. Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Avatar: Fire and Ash KPop Demon Hunters Zootopia 2 Wicked: For Good Sinners Superman F1: The Movie Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle In this category’s short and shameless existence, it has yet to honor a streaming film. That will probably change this year with KPop Demon Hunters dominating the culture for months, which includes muscling its way to the top of the box office weekend in late August despite a limited release. From there, I’m going down the domestic box office charts, picking each film that had some sort of critical and cultural significance. More Reviews Avatar: Fire and Ash December 16, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The Housemaid December 17, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Song Sung Blue December 14, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Marty Supreme December 1, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen

Awards Update: Pre-Precursor Forecast November 23, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Welcome to an ongoing series where I cover the 2025/2026 awards season. On a regular basis, I will update my Oscar predictions, taking into account the new information that has been received since the last update. Full predictions in every category can be found on the Home and Awards page. At this point in the season, every studio has shown its cards. Well, technically, Disney and James Cameron still have Avatar: Fire and Ash waiting in the wings. But we can use precedent to accurately predict how that's going to go (hint: very lucratively). Over the past few months, festival buzz and critical reactions have been used to weed out the outright busts ( After the Hunt , Ballad of a Small Player ). Now, the precursor awards are here to separate the good from the great, and the great from the best. Nothing has really changed at the top of the mountain, with the One Battle After Another crew almost certain to blaze a trail of domination over the next few months. I'm even going so far as to predict a record-tying five acting nominations, with the possibility of six if voters feel inclined to take Regina King along for the ride in Best Supporting Actress. By winning the audience prizes at influential places like the Toronto International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Middleburg Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, and Virginia Film Festival, Hamnet also seems secure in the top tier of Oscar contenders. Jessie Buckley practically has her Oscar engraved for Best Lead Actress. Rising considerably since its so-so birth at the Venice International Film Festival is Frankenstein . People want to separate the art from the artist, but that's almost impossible with a film by Guillermo del Toro, who always pours his passion into his work and is a marvelous cheerleader. That level of love, along with Netflix’s unrivaled talent at securing nominations, is why I’ve always predicted this film to do extremely well across the board. It will likely compete with Wicked: For Good in all of the craft categories. Filling out those last slots in the high-nomination field is Marty Supreme and Sinners . I'm buying the hype on Marty Supreme , especially with this being A24's biggest production to date and the rest of their awards lineup being pretty lackluster. I'll be seeing it the day this piece is published, so I'll be adjusting my predictions accordingly. What to do with Sinners ? A few months ago, I would have pegged it as the film to beat for Best Picture. Now it has (theoretically) been beaten. Part of that problem has to do with the fact that, despite likely acquiring double-digit nominations, I'm currently not predicting any of the actors to be nominated, nor Ryan Coogler for Best Director. It feels a bit wrong, but we've been down this road too many times before with Barbie , Dune and Dune: Part Two , Top Gun: Maverick , and Avatar: The Way of Water . Hell, Coogler himself has been in this position twice before with his Black Panther films. The Academy just doesn't strongly respond to that level of populism in the above-the-line categories. I'll believe it when I see it. Neon has engulfed the conversation around the various international contenders, with the usual suspects of It Was Just an Accident and Sentimental Value being the frontrunners. Look for one of them to win Best Original Screenplay, and likely both to be in for Best Picture and Best Director. The real race will be who wins Best International Feature, where stuff like No Other Choice and The Secret Agent could crash the party. If we learned anything from last year's awards race, it's that you shouldn't bet against Brazil. Now is also the time to see who has the juice to be their film's lone nominee. Will the industry love for Ethan Hawke get him his first Best Lead Actor nomination for Blue Moon ? Will Searchlight Pictures be able to mount a strong enough late push for Amanda Seyfried and The Testament of Ann Lee ? Has the tanking of Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere at the box office destroyed the chances of both Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong? Will the Writers' branch continue to nominate Rian Johnson for his Knives Out films? We'll know the answer to most of these within a month or so. Until then, it's time to double down or fold. More Reviews Avatar: Fire and Ash December 16, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The Housemaid December 17, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Song Sung Blue December 14, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Marty Supreme December 1, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen

Marty Supreme December 1, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen Congratulations should be in order for Timothée Chalamet for finding a sports movie that he can believably headline. It’s seemingly a rite of passage for any leading star in Hollywood, spanning all the way from Harold Lloyd in The Freshman to Sydney Sweeney in Christy . With his toothpick frame and pale complexion, it should have been impossible to slot Chalamet to the forefront of a sport. Hell, I’m not even sure he could have passed for golf, at least not in the current post-Tiger Woods/sports medicine era. But here we are, and he’s found his niche in table tennis (also known as ping-pong), a sport whose largest cinematic footprint is through Dan Fogler competing in a Mortal Kombat-esque tournament staged by Christopher Walken in the gross-out parody Balls of Fury . Chalamet has been telling the press he’s prepared for this role for over six years, bringing a table tennis table to the deserts of Jordan while shooting the Dune movies, and the streets of New Jersey while conjuring the spirit of Bob Dylan for A Complete Unknown . It’s a similar awards-bait storyline to that of Bradley Cooper’s tenacity to become a conductor in Maestro , or Austin Butler mastering the mannerisms of The King of Rock and Roll in Elvis . The dedication to the craft behind the scenes has become as compelling as what is actually projected onto the screen. Luckily, Chalamet’s money is where his mouth is. The kineticism and composure he displays during those scenes of athleticism are thrilling to watch, with director Josh Safdie serving (pun intended) him well. The camera darts back and forth like a pair of eyes from the spectators, the players flailing around the room as they try to smack a little white ball across a glorified dining room table. Their physical skills may be the biggest reason why we watch, but there’s also the thrill of witnessing a person displaying their rawest selves to the world, all for our entertainment. Years of hard work have led to this moment, with every piece of sweat being a declaration of determination, and every point marking an inch closer to glory. Loosely inspired by the life of Marty Reisman, Marty Mauser (Chalamet) is one of the best table tennis players in the world circa 1952. It’s a fact he’ll let everyone know, his mouth moving as fast as his backhand volleys. The game of table tennis had little respect in the United States at this time, an unsurprising fact considering the longstanding dominance of baseball, and the continued rise in popularity of football and basketball. But it fills stadiums overseas, and Marty is in the unique position to become the face of the game. He’s got that X Factor, a player you love to hate, and hate to love. He is to table tennis what John McEnroe was to tennis. In a post-WWII landscape entrenched in American exceptionalism, he was more than happy to wave his superiority in the face of his competitors. There are only two sequences of the game being played throughout the 150-minute film, each serving as a bookend. It’s fitting, as while being a great player is what precedes Marty’s name in the papers, it’s probably only the fifth most potent quality of him as a person. When we’re introduced, he’s a shoe salesman at his uncle’s store. He thinks it’s beneath him, something for people who have no purpose in the rest of their lives. And yet, he seems right at home, a master storyteller who was born to twist his words to get him whatever he needs at any moment. He’s like Artificial Intelligence: a speculative asset claiming to be full of untapped potential. And because he relentlessly hypes himself up, people have no other choice but to buy in. Everyone except Marty knows that his bubble will pop, so the trick is to get in and get out before that happens. Safdie has become a master of depicting addiction, the agony and ecstasy of gambling everything for the chance to win anything. This is the kind of movie that is as exhausting as it is exhilarating. You let out a huge sigh of relief once the credits begin, as you’re now free of the vice grip… although Safdie doesn’t even let that be a moment of respite with a certain audio choice. Between Connie Nikas in Good Time and Howard Ratner in Uncut Gems , this is familiar territory for Safdie at this point. But can you ever fault Martin Scorsese for making another gangster film, or Wes Anderson for making another twee comedy? When you’re the best at something, you have an obligation to deliver it. The chaos is controlled at every turn, the tracks of this rollercoaster pushing the cart at the right speeds at the right time. In one moment, Marty is riding high at The Ritz London, ordering copious amounts of room service and swooning after the once-famous movie star Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow). The next moment, he’s plunging down the fire escape of his mother’s dingy New York apartment, hiding in a dumpster to avoid the cops chasing him for stealing from the safe in the shoe store. It reminded me a lot of Damien Chazelle’s 2022 film Babylon , the story of Hollywood’s tumultuous transition from silent films to talkies. Engulfed in all the orgastic excess was a story filled with dreamers trying to meddle with their reality. Was all this indulgence going to make a difference in the present, and would anyone in the future even know of their existence? Babylon only had one scene where Tobey Maguire exposes the depths of hell that our world keeps hidden. Marty Supreme has about five scenes with that same energy, your eyes widening each time as the stakes get higher and the morals get lower. Composer Daniel Lopatin delivers an electric, Tangerine Dream-esque score, propulsively pushing the characters and the audience to the next scene. Darius Khondji’s 35mm cinematography and Jack Fisk’s sets are reminiscent of The Godfather Part II , a comparison I don’t make lightly. Warm tones are matched with striking darkness, the screen flickering from the spinning celluloid. New York City is bustling, with fruit and shoe shine stands around every corner. On those streets are some eclectic characters, each of them begging you to ask casting director Jennifer Venditti and Safdie how they found them. Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary comes from reality television, Tyler the Creator comes from the rap stage, George Gervin comes from the basketball court, and Abel Ferrara comes from the director’s chair of his own film sets. There’s also Luke Manley as the portly Deon, Larry ‘Ratso’ Sloman as Uncle Murray, and Ted Williams as Ted. The two women in Marty’s life are both actors: Kay on the stage and Rachel (Odessa A'zion) in the streets. Everyone is faking it until they make it, although it doesn’t seem like they’ll ever realize when it’s time to stop. The one thing I wanted from Marty Supreme was for it to never end. The two and a half hours both do and don’t fly by. You feel every minute of it, yet I was never thinking about when this would be over. It’s what I love about long movies, as there’s a certain amount of belief and ambition a filmmaker must have in themselves to warrant trapping an audience for that long. An even more extended runtime would probably put people in the hospital from stress/anxiety. Still, it would have been well worth it for those who survived. More Reviews Avatar: Fire and Ash December 16, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The Housemaid December 17, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Song Sung Blue December 14, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Marty Supreme December 1, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

The Housemaid December 17, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen Keenly shot and dressed like one of those insufferable holiday-themed luxury car commercials, director Paul Feig’s adaptation of Freida McFadden's bestselling 2022 novel knows how to have a good time. Awards and prestige can be damned, as this is all about the guilty pleasure that is harbored within trashy twists and turns. It’s something the suit-and-tie-wearing filmmaker has been enamored with over the past few years, helming other BookTok sensations like A Simple Favor (and its sequel ) and The School for Good and Evil . This is the first time he’s been able to hit that elusive target, which makes the fact that this is his first theatrically-released project since 2019 not much of a coincidence. Hooting and hollering were rampant throughout the audience as the barbed edges of this salacious story gradually slinked their way out of the shadows. There’s also no shortage of warning signs before their arrival, with every utterance of “I insist” concealing sinister intentions and every people-pleasing smile lasting just until everyone looks away. The gardener has two jobs: tending to the plants and staring at everyone suspiciously through the windows. Both of those jobs are quite simple, as this mansion has a lot of flowers, and everyone on the inside is up to no good. Millie (Sydney Sweeney) is the fly that lands in this ointment. Fresh out of prison and on parole, she thinks she’s found the dream job she desperately needs as a live-in housemaid for the wealthy couple Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar). Andrew designed the whole house, complete with a fabulous kitchen, soundproof walls, a screening room stocked full of candy, and Chekhov’s winding staircase. He’s a perfect husband and father, especially considering that Nina seems to be suffering from some sort of personality disorder. One minute, she’s all sunshine and rainbows; the next minute, she’s accusing Millie of destroying their family. Andrew's status as an absolute saint, along with being unfairly attractive (granted, everyone is obscenely beautiful in this cast), makes it all too good to be true. I caught the smell of bullshit once he pseudo-intellectually claimed that Barry Lyndon is a “misunderstood masterpiece,” which makes absolutely no sense considering its numerous Oscars and perennial placement on lists of the best movies ever made. But Millie doesn’t seem to be much of a cinephile, and everyone has a tragic backstory that conjures up just enough sympathy for the red flags not to seem so scary. And then, of course, sex has to become a part of the problem, with Andrew and Millie growing closer while they endure Nina’s mood swings. This is a story best experienced in the theater, mostly due to the fact that you wouldn’t be able to pause and ask one of the many questions that would unravel this pretzel. Those four walls and the social agreement of silence mean you’re mentally and physically locked in for this ride, which Feig knows how to keep deliciously entertaining. Seyfried handles the shifts between pleasantries and insanity well, and Sweeney continues her streak of frothy thrillers. The Housemaid makes me happy about the fact that I’ll likely never make enough money to be able to hire a stranger to live at my house. Then again, I’d probably be alright with taking my chances if it meant I got to have a home theater like Andrew’s. I’d just make sure to leave all the drama to the movies, where it’s served best. More Reviews Avatar: Fire and Ash December 16, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The Housemaid December 17, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Song Sung Blue December 14, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Marty Supreme December 1, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Wake Up Dead Man September 7, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery had its World Premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Netflix will release it in theaters on November 26, followed by its streaming premiere on December 12. Everything comes in threes for the Knives Out films. Three entries, three years between each of them, three central murders to solve, and three identical births on the first Saturday of the Toronto International Film Festival at the Princess of Wales theatre. It’s like clockwork, with writer/director Rian Johnson continually proving his dominance over a genre filled with so many imitators. But Johnson doesn’t think of his work in the shape of a clock. “The film should be a rollercoaster, not a crossword puzzle,” he said during the Q&A for Wake Up Dead Man , the currently announced final film in the series. It’s a strategy he’s only made tougher for himself with each successive film, the audience getting increasingly better trained at sniffing out each twist, striking out the red herrings, and picking up on the tiniest of clues. Every noun has importance, every opinion has a second side, and every innocent act has a much darker meaning lurking underneath. Wake Up Dead Man finds itself embracing the darkness, combining the trademark characteristics of Agatha Christie with the work of Edgar Allan Poe. After a COVID-19-imposed detour to a private Greek island in Glass Onion , the series returns to America, specifically upstate New York. “Young, dumb, and full of Christ,” preacher Jud Duplentis (Josh O’Connor) has been shipped there to revitalize a flailing parish under the dogmatic eye of Msgr. Jefferson Micks (Josh Brolin). Years of messages full of fire and brimstone, along with general antagonistic behavior, have transformed his ornate house of worship into a hollow Gothic tomb. The only members left in the congregation are those who are ceaselessly devoted to Wicks and his teachings: administrator Martha (Glenn Close), groundskeeper Samson (Thomas Haden Church), town doctor Nat (Jeremy Renner), redpilled author Lee (Andrew Scott), the sickly former cellist Simone (Cailee Spaeny), lawyer Vera (Kerry Washington), and her forcibly adopted son Cy (Daryl McCormack). As you assumed, one of these characters is murdered, and the fingers are all pointing at Jud, thanks to his differing views on the role of the church and his violent past, which includes killing one of his opponents in the boxing ring. And as you also assumed, the Kentucky Fried Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is here to uncover the real culprit and explain this seemingly impossible mystery. O’Connor is ostensibly the film’s lead, taking an ever larger role as the audience’s guide than Ana de Armas and Janelle Monáe did in their respective films. He’s sad, funny, and conflicted, wanting to put down his fists and open up his arms to the world. But the world we currently live in is not equipped for such compassion, trading in gossip and rumor rather than a heart-to-heart conversation. This could be lightly defined as Johnson’s version of Eddington , taking down both sides of the aisle with the groan-worthy buzzwords (MAGA, DOGE, etc.) and the kind of fanaticism that only breeds hatred for anything that seems unfamiliar. But while Ari Aster specializes in pushing our faces closer to the ugly mirror, Johnson prefers that everything be kept light and fun. The snappy editing, coupled with the long zoom-ins and heightened images by regular DP Steve Yedlin, keeps the intrigue chugging along on this slightly elongated 144-minute track. The surrounding forest is besieged by fog, and the moon is blood red, and the eyes of the gargoyles are piercing down on each of the suspects. Craig falls deeper into his Foghorn Leghorn routine, upping his comedic prowess as the proudly rational detective must come face-to-face with the realization that all the clues point to this murder being a miracle. With so much time devoted to O’Connor, the rest of the herd of cats run loose a little more than before. I’d like to say who gets better served than others, but that would get us flirting with spoiler territory. While Johnson would prefer we don’t think of these films as a puzzle, it’s still endlessly entertaining to see him lay out all the pieces and then rearrange them. His delicate sleight of hand will have you exclaiming that you knew a certain thing would happen all along, or that you never would have guessed that in a million years. Either way, the game is afoot for (supposedly) one last time, and the board is full of saints and sinners. More Reviews Avatar: Fire and Ash December 16, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The Housemaid December 17, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Song Sung Blue December 14, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Double click the dataset icon to add your own content. 1/1/2035 By: Author Name Hunter Friesen

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Hamnet September 10, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen Hamnet had its Canadian Premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Focus Features will release it in theaters on November 27. Not that the one-letter difference was totally throwing everyone for a loop, but the opening script to Hamnet , director Chloé Zhao’s adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell’s book of the same name, states that the names “Hamnet” and “Hamlet” were essentially the same in England during the 16th and 17th centuries. They were interchangeable, with both versions being equally represented across documents. By that logic, it doesn’t take a licensed psychiatrist to diagnose what kind of headspace William Shakespeare was in when he wrote “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark,” only a few years after the death of his child, Hamnet. Despite being a master of words, young Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) was not as eloquent with his tongue. He is poor, tutoring the local children in Latin to help pay off his unloving father’s debts. It’s obvious he’s destined for something than just being a glovemaker or farmer, but the opportunity to be anything more than that is simply not possible in the rural fields of Stratford. Anne Hathaway, or “Agnes” (Jessie Buckley), is also conflicted with the cards she’s been dealt, rebelling against her strict family by venturing deep into the forest with her falcon. One sight of her bright red dress contrasting against the lush green trees pushes Will to fall for her immediately. They’re perfect for each other, two souls seemingly lost in time. Before being sucked into the increasingly creaky Marvel machine with Eternals , Zhao delivered two of the most interesting American independent films of the last decade in The Rider and Nomadland . The latter became a sensation during the COVID-19-stricken 2020 awards season, winning Oscars for Best Lead Actress, Best Director, and Best Motion Picture. Zhao has an uncanny ability to view the natural world with a lyrical quality, simultaneously conveying stark realism and a dreamlike gentleness. The rustling of the forest trees is just as important as any line of dialogue. The camera captures its sweeping serenity with compassion, inviting Agnes to live in a world of her own. That world is eventually populated with her three children: the oldest, Susannah, and twins Hamnet and Judith. The family is a tight unit, with their interactions providing hints for William’s inspirations for his work. His first kiss with Agnes is followed by a burst of inspiration for a romance about a pair of star-crossed lovers, and the children perform as three witches for their mother. Young Hamnet dreams of being a player on the stage for his father, practicing his sword fighting daily. As explained by William’s stern mother, Mary (Emily Watson), God can just as quickly take away what he has granted. The death of young Hamnet from disease, coupled with the physical separation between Agnes and Will as he works in London, sends Agnes into a downward spiral of grief. The pair goes through the stages in different cadences, losing sight of each other and inviting agony. This story may be a tear-jerker (this is the most I’ve cried during a movie in years), but there isn’t a single moment where it's cloying at those ducts. Zhao depicts an honest collision course of pain, featuring two of the best actors working today. Buckley is nothing short of transcendent, practically engraving her Oscar with every moment of laughter and cries. She is not a tragic figure to be tossed aside in favor of her husband’s greatness. She encapsulates the entire human experience, what it means to be your true self, and then produce an extension of that through children. Like Zhao, Mescal’s abilities are better suited for smaller stories, as evidenced by his relatively disappointing work in last year’s Gladiator II as opposed to his previous highlights of Aftersun and All of Us Strangers . But that’s not to say any of his performances are small, far from it. It’s heartbreakingly cathartic to witness him channeling his torment into his work, recontextualizing the most celebrated works of the English language for those who were previously uninitiated. A special mention must be given to the young actors who play the children: Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Olivia Lynes, and Jacobi Jupe. The latter is phenomenal as the titular boy, never once falling into the perennial trap of overplaying their hands. He is pushed just as hard as the adults, passing with flying colors at every moment. Outstanding music from the industry’s most underappreciated composer, Max Richter, aids in this journey. The apex is reached when he reintroduces his most famous piece of music, all but guaranteeing the need for tissues to be passed around for each person in the audience. By staging "Hamlet," Shakespeare preserved his child. His body may have only been a part of this physical world for a mere eleven years, but his spirit has lived on for over half a millennium, adapting to serve different cultures and contexts. Zhao’s film is a single drop in an ocean; the mightiest one that pushes the waves in a bold new direction. More Reviews Avatar: Fire and Ash December 16, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Marty Supreme December 1, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Song Sung Blue December 14, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Wake Up Dead Man September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Explore a captivating collection of must-watch films on our curated list page. Lists Twin Cities Film Fest 2025 Preview October 14, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen TIFF25 Recap September 17, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen TIFF25 Preview September 2, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Top 10 Films of 2025 (So Far) July 5, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen 2022 Losers Button 2023 Losers Button 25 Most Anticipated Films of 2022 Button 25 Most Anticipated Films of 2025 Button A Brief History of Presidents' in Film Button Cannes 2022: 50 Films That Could Premiere Button Cannes 2023 Predictions - Part 2: Hollywood Makes a Splash Overseas Button Cannes 2023 Predictions - Part 4: The Irregulars and Up-and-Comers Button Cannes 2023 Recap Button Cannes 2024 Predictions - Part 3: The Loyalists Button Cannes 2025 Lineup Predictions Button Every Spider-Man Movie Ranked Button MSPIFF 2023 Recap Button MSPIFF 2025 Preview Button Movies That Made More Money Than You Think Button Ranking the Films of Adam McKay Button Ranking the Films of Michael Haneke Button Ranking the Planet of the Apes Franchise Button Sundance 2023 Recap Button TIFF23 Recap Button TIFF24 Recap Button TIFF25 Preview Button TIFF25: Tyler's Time at the Festival Button The Best Hollywood Screenwriters of All-Time Button The Biggest Flops in TIFF History Button The Greatest Irish Filmmakers Button The Worst Cannes Premieres Ever Button Top 10 Films of 2018 Button Top 10 Films of 2020 Button Top 10 Films of 2022 Button Top 10 Films of 2023 (So-Far) Button Top 10 Films of 2024 (So Far) Button Top 10 Martin Scorsese Films Button Top 10 Pixar Films Button Twin Cities Film Fest 2022 Preview Button Twin Cities Film Fest 2023 Recap Button Twin Cities Film Fest 2025 Preview Button 2022 Winners Button 2023 Winners Button 25 Most Anticipated Films of 2024 Button 36 Most Anticipated Films of 2023 Button Cannes 2021: All The Films That Could Premiere Button Cannes 2023 Predictions - Part 1: The Festival Masters Button Cannes 2023 Predictions - Part 3: The Festival Mainstays Button Cannes 2023 Preview Button Cannes 2024 Predictions - Part 1: The Question Marks Button Cannes 2024 Predictions- Part 2: The Regulars Button Cannes 2025 Recap Button MSPIFF 2023 Preview Button MSPIFF 2024 Preview Button MSPIFF 2025 Recap Button Omaha Film Festival 2024 Recap Button Ranking the Films of Christopher Nolan Button Ranking the Mad Max Franchise Button Sundance 2023 Preview Button TIFF23 Preview Button TIFF24 Preview Button TIFF24: Tyler's Time at the Festival Button TIFF25 Recap Button The Best Cinematographers Working Today And Where To Find Them Next Button The Best Military Movies for Veterans Day Button The Great Musical War of 2021 Button The Most Successful Directors at Cannes Button Top 10 DreamWorks Animated Movies Button Top 10 Films of 2019 Button Top 10 Films of 2021 Button Top 10 Films of 2023 Button Top 10 Films of 2024 Button Top 10 Films of 2025 (So Far) Button Top 10 Oliver Stone Films Button Top 10 Steven Spielberg Films Button Twin Cities Film Fest 2023 Preview Button Twin Cities Film Fest 2024 Preview Button Tyler's Favorite Musicals Button

Song Sung Blue December 14, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen As a born and raised fan of the Iowa State Cyclones, I have a special connection to “Sweet Caroline.” Dating back to the mid-2000s, the classic Neil Diamond song has been used as a victory chant for all home athletic games. It’s catchy, with a nice pace and easy-to-learn lyrics, capping off a win with a celebratory walkout song. It even plays before the official school anthem, further proving its ranking amongst fans. Granted, the Cyclones don’t have a monopoly on the song, as it originated from the Boston Red Sox and is also regularly played during games hosted by other colleges such as Wisconsin, South Carolina, and Boston College. Despite hailing from the Badger State, Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman) has a complicated relationship with that song. He worships at the altar of Neil Diamond, proclaiming him to be one of the greatest singer-songwriters that America has ever had. He despises the fact that a poppy chart topper like “Sweet Caroline” has become the only thing Diamond is known for, all while he’s produced hundreds of other acclaimed songs, including the one this film gets its title from. It’s why he doesn’t ever include Neil in his tribute acts, as he knows people won’t appreciate the artistry of the catalogue and just clamour for him to play the one song everybody knows. When we first meet Mike, he’s singing the titular song at his local AA meeting, celebrating his twentieth “sober birthday.” He gives the group a whole presentation, aiming for their hearts and souls, all while offering some humor and good old-fashioned showmanship. It’s what he hopes to bring to the bars and casinos around Milwaukee, although none of the other tribute artists want him to branch away from what sells. A middle-aged Michael Imperioli plays a Buddy Holly impersonator, which is quite the joke considering that Holly died at twenty-two. Claire (Kate Hudson) is the only one who sees the true passion that Mike is bringing to the shows. Like him, she’s another working-class person who just wants to sing their troubles away. That passion, along with the fact that they’re the only two people who look like movie stars in this frozen tundra, is what ignites their romance. They decide to partner up to put on a Neil Diamond experience, with him taking on the moniker of “Lightning,” and she as “Thunder.” The story of a real-life underdog defying obstacles to express their artistic passion is not new territory for writer/director Craig Brewer. Terrence Howard received an Oscar nomination for playing a pimp turned rapper in 2005’s Hustle & Flow , and Eddie Murphy got his comeback role as blaxploitation legend Rudy Ray Moore in Dolemite Is My Name . These films, along with Song Sung Blue , carry a big heart, rallying the crowd to its feet with down-to-earth stories of perseverance. Channeling those themes through the music of Neil Diamond is what makes this film quite entertaining throughout the first hour, with the central duo being bigger than life. For both Mike and Claire, and the film itself, it all falls apart once the darkness starts to block out the light. This is based on a “true love story” and has already been covered by a documentary of the same name, so I don’t feel too bad about revealing that a freak car accident leaves Claire unable to perform. But that’s only the first of a series of tragedies that befall the Sardinas, making them join the Von Erichs as one of the most cursed families in America. Unlike Sean Durkin, who was able to make the unbelievable feel so real in The Iron Claw , Brewer keeps everything so heightened that it unintentionally circles back from high drama to parody. Pills are popped, speeches are made, and things happen at the exact right or wrong moment. There’s a subplot about Claire’s teenage daughter having an unwanted pregnancy, with the resolution being an adoption that is shot and acted with the same energy as someone finally selling a piece of furniture on Facebook Marketplace. The performances are fine and charming, although they also get too big for their own good. Jackman seems to be thinking he’s playing for the back row of a Broadway audience in the film’s later stretches. Mike may not have wanted to become a Neil Diamond cliché, but that’s exactly the kind of movie he’s appearing in. I’ll still be singing “Sweet Caroline” after every Cyclone victory. More Reviews Marty Supreme December 1, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Wake Up Dead Man September 7, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Song Sung Blue December 14, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hamnet September 10, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen