Here are some reviews of films coming out at the theater this week as well as others that may be in theaters or newly on home video.
Opening: Jun. 27, 2025
Wide (United States)
F1: The Movie
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
M3GAN 2.0
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Limited (United States)
Afternoons of Solitude
Laura Clifford @ Reeling Reviews
- Excerpt: With his first documentary, writer/director Albert Serra (“The Death of Louis XIV,” “Pacifiction”) does the impossible by eliciting a modicum of understanding for a blood sport any animal lover must consider barbaric.
Sorry, Baby
Laura Clifford @ Reeling Reviews
- Excerpt: Victor has made the surprisingly effective choice to make the chapter which should be the most troubling her funniest…a movie that announces a uniquely sensational new cinematic voice, a potential auteur in the making.
- Excerpt: That a story about post-traumatic dissociation and recovery is this funny and charming is a minor miracle
2025 Films in Theaters Now in Select Areas
28 Years Later
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Bride Hard
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Elio
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Friendship
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
The Life of Chuck
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Materialists
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Novocaine
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
The Phoenician Scheme
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Snow White
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
The 35-Year Promise
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: “The 35-Year Promise” is an exceptional movie that transforms a heartwarming true story into a compelling cinematic experience. Through assured direction, excellent performances, and a nuanced visual approach, it delivers a deeply affecting portrait of perseverance, love, and late-in-life redemption.
Burning
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: In the end, “Mergen” comes across as a missed opportunity—likely to appeal more to crime genre enthusiasts than to a broader audience. And that’s a shame, because from an audiovisual standpoint, it was among the most compelling titles showcased in Bishkek.
Cuerpo Celeste
Sebastian Zavala @ Cinencuentro.com [Spanish]
- Excerpt: A quietly devastating experience that makes the most of its young protagonist’s talents, and that also looks very good (especially during the scenes that take place at dusk or at night).
Dragonfly
Dennis Schwartz @ dennisschwartzreviews
- Excerpt: Urban loneliness film.
Familiar Touch
Laura Clifford @ Reeling Reviews
- Excerpt: Chalfant engages from the start, her actions and words deliberate, her movements flowing…a special film, as elegant in its production as its leading lady.
Fountain of Youth
Dan Stalcup @ The Goods: Film Reviews
- Excerpt: There’s a fine line between “soul-crushing slop” and “modestly enjoyable slop.” Fountain of Youth — watchable!
The Gorge
Dan Stalcup @ The Goods: Film Reviews
- Excerpt: Your mileage may vary, but my personal taste tends to favor character dynamics over spectacle, which may be why I found myself more invested in Levi and Drasa’s handwritten conversations than any of the film’s shootouts or paramilitary secrets.
Pins & Needles
C.H. Newell @ Father Son Holy Gore
- Excerpt: Villeneuve’s film pits a young woman whose “bad genetic luck” in the lottery of birth forces her to pay simply to stay alive against two merciless, bloodthirsty capitalists who aren’t afraid to make their fatal disdain for the working class a reality; a match made in Marxist Hell.
Rainbow’s Tale
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: If any criticisms can be made, it would be that a few of the endings could have been more fully developed or made clearer. Additionally, the number of segments and the gravity of the subject matter can make the experience feel heavy at times. These, however, are minor issues in an otherwise intelligent, well-executed, and unflinchingly brave work, one that uses realism with purpose and power.
Shanghai Blues
- Excerpt: In 1984, Tsui would take on a genre that had been synonymous with energy ever since Howard Hawks steered John Barrymore and Carole Lombard through the rapid-fire repartee and persistent pratfalls of Twentieth Century fifty years prior: the screwball comedy.
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
Gregory Carlson @ southpawfilmworks.net
Summer of 69
Dan Stalcup @ The Goods: Film Reviews
- Excerpt: The kids who grew up watching Disney Channel sitcoms are now old enough to be directing R-rated comedies. That’s the only explanation I can come up with for this wave of raunchy-but-sweet, sitcom-flavored teen comedies.
The Travel Companion
Sebastian Zavala @ Cinencuentro.com [Spanish]
- Excerpt: An atypical coming-of-age story, centred on a guy who still behaves like a child and who has to learn to behave like a real adult, responsible for his own actions.
Underland
Sebastian Zavala @ Cinencuentro.com [Spanish]
- Excerpt: A visually spectacular and important documentary that will make you reflect on human nature and what can be achieved when faced with the unknown.
Videoheaven
David Gonzalez @ Thecinematicreel.com
- Excerpt: , Alex Ross Perry’s Videoheaven arrives like a long-lost time capsule—tangible, personal, and achingly nostalgic. Directed with both passion and heart, this documentary is more than a story about the VHS and video store era; it’s a poignant examination of what we lose when the physical spaces that once shaped our identities and self-discovery disappear.
Where the Night Stands Still
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: “Where the Night Stands Still” may test the patience of viewers who are not fond of slow cinema, but at the same time, it is a beautifully restrained, slow-burning character study that uses form to mirror emotional distance, and tension to entertain. Dela Cruz seems like a filmmaker who is bound to leave a lasting impression in the future, particularly within the festival circuit.
2024 Films
Aimitigai
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: “Aimitagai” is an excellent work of cinema in the soul-nourishing tradition, and a deeply moving and uplifting viewing experience, even as it grapples with the universal theme of grief.
Feminist Fathima
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: Still, despite these limitations, which stem largely from the minimal budget, “Feminist Fathima” succeeds in delivering bold, urgent social commentary through an entertaining and often hilarious lens. It’s a strong debut that deserves attention for its message and its execution.
Joqtau
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: Ultimately, “Joqtau” is not a work for everyone. It is very much a festival title, but one that deserves attention for its accomplished direction and the understated way it explores generational disconnection and cultural continuity without lapsing into sentimentality.
About the Author
