‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’ Review: Strap In and Watch the Fireworks Go Off!

November 20, 2025

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , 1 Comment

The Road to Revenge is filled with so many explosions (CREDIT: Heikki Leis)

Starring: Jorma Tommila, Stephen Lang, Richard Brake

Director: Jalmari Helander

Running Time: 89 Minutes

Rating: R for Blood and Guts

Release Date: November 21, 2025 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Following the end of World War II, after a chunk of Finland is ceded to the Soviet Union, former Finnish Army commando Aatami Korpi returns to this territory to dismantle his family house and then rebuild it elsewhere. But when the Soviets catch wind of his presence, they’re not exactly content to let him just do his own thing. Because, you see, after Aatami’s family was slaughtered by Red Army officer Igor Draganov (Stephen Lang), he went on quite the killing spree of his own, which means of course now the Soviets have hired Draganov to finish the job. I’ve never seen the first Sisu, so I don’t know how much of this backstory is set up in that chapter. But it doesn’t particularly matter. Once that bare-bones premise is established, Road to Revenge is just nonstop action, and that’s pretty much all you need to know.

What Made an Impression?: Boom Launch: Does it ever get old launching a missile at close range and watching it gloriously explode upon impact? Jalmari Helmander sure hopes not! If the world of Sisu represents the writer/director’s cinematic philosophy, then the big screen shouldn’t go more than 30 minutes without such a climactic outburst. And hey, I’m not complaining, because at least he also takes the time to patiently build up to all that mayhem with (relatively) smaller moments of cascading chaos. Are Megadeth’s ears ringing? Because this is undeniably a symphony of destruction!
It’s Cold Over There: Road to Revenge features one of my favorite establishing chyrons in quite a while, as it whisks away to a foreboding location with the text message “Meanwhile in Siberia.” It could’ve just said “Siberia,” but that simple-yet-no-by-means-undervalued “Meanwhile in” really took it to another level, and I hope it tickles everyone else as much as it did me.
A Final Release: When discussing such a simple, straightforward adrenaline-delivery machine like this one, I don’t have much more to add to what I’ve already said beyond “Boom, boom, boom!” But before I conclude, there is another reaction that I ought to share, as Helmander and Tommila take a breath and then make sure to leave us with another sort of catharsis. I won’t go into detail too much in case you want to be surprised, but just know that if you somehow find yourself getting swept into a heartfelt connection amidst all the carnage, your fragile emotional state will be handled with care.

Sisu: Road to Revenge is Recommended If You Like: The Idea of Inglourious Basterds crossed with Looney Tunes

Grade: 3 out of 5 Kabooms

‘Wicked: For Good’ Touches Down and Gets Some Things Off Its Chest

November 19, 2025

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

To have and to Wicked, For Good and for worse (CREDIT: Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures)

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Sharon D. Clarke, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Colman Domingo

Director: Jon M. Chu

Running Time: 137 Minutes

Rating: PG for Steamy Sensuality and Broom Fights

Release Date: November 21, 2025 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Oz is of course a wonderful and magical place, but it isn’t always filled with honesty. That is what Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) is desperately trying to tell us at the beginning of Wicked: For Good. Now that she knows the dark truth about what the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) are up to, she’s gone off into hiding into the woods as she plots to lift the curtain and free the animals. Meanwhile, Glinda (Ariana Grande) is taking a much less revolutionary approach as an official representative of Oz, though she still holds out hope that she and Elphaba can reconcile. On top of all that, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) is caught in the middle between these witchy ladies, Elphaba’s sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) is now governor of Munchkinland, her Munchkin friend Boq (Ethan Slater) is bristling at his position working for her, and a certain visitor from the Midwestern United States is about to get dumped into the middle of all this finagling.

What Made an Impression?: Another Way of Looking at Things: It’s a simple realization, but worth drawing out: the whole endeavor of Wicked on the big screen is a matter of shifting perspectives. Indeed, that was already true about this franchise when it previously existed in just book form and then as a stage musical examining a decades-old and oft-revisited property from exciting new angles. As someone who’s never read Gregory Maguire’s novel (or any of its sequels) or ever seen the show, I’m only catching a whiff of the panorama expansion that these big screen adaptations have established. But even that lack of perspective is another perspective! So I understand your frustration, Elphaba, when everyone else is unable or unwilling to see the bigger picture. And you too can have that realization! All you have to do is open your eyes to how much your eyes remain closed.
We’ve Made Mistakes, Now What Do We Do?: Everything comes home to roost in this conclusive chapter, which is how things tend to go in conclusive chapters, after all. In this case that means we see a much more dour Wizard, a warier dynamic between friends and former friends, and a thoroughly less whimsical populace. That equals a significantly less fun outing compared to the first Wicked movie, though the upside is that the psychological depths are more acutely felt and impossible to miss. There’s a sense of inevitability that at times can come off as deflating but that also feels honest and necessary. Now’s not the time to soar but to carve out a compromise you can live with in an imperfect world. Is that a formula for keeping the fire of cinematic magic fully aflame? I have mixed thoughts on that matter, but the final warnings we’re left to reckon with nevertheless remain timeless.

Wicked: For Good is Recommended If You Like: Filling in the edges

Grade: 3 out of 5 Bubbles

When ‘Keeper’ and ‘Predator: Badlands’ Invite You Home, How Should You RSVP?

November 18, 2025

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Which one is the real Predator and the real Keeper? (CREDIT: NEON/Screenshot; 20th Century Studios/Screenshot)

Keeper

Starring: Tatiana Maslany, Rossif Sutherland

Director: Osgood Perkins

Running Time: 99 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: November 14, 2025 (Theaters)

Predator: Badlands

Starring: Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Elle Fanning, Reuben de Jong, Mike Homik, Cameron Brown

Director: Dan Trachtenberg

Running Time: 107 Minutes

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: November 7, 2025 (Theaters)

Yes, the rumors are true, I have seen both Keeper and Predator: Badlands (in that order). Now it’s time to answer the question on the tips of everyone’s tongues: do I yearn to live in the worlds of these movies? Both are inhospitable in their own ways, but is there any upside?

In the former, Tatiana Maslany plays the object of Rossif Sutherland’s affection, but all the spooky goings-on at the cabin he takes her to makes her doubt that he’s truly affectionate. Meanwhile, the titular “Badlands” in the latter refers to the planet Genna, which is home to some majorly dangerous flora and fauna. Now even if I weren’t a Predator, I certainly wouldn’t want to jump into that unprepared, so maybe I could first dip my toes into it Avatar-style or via a simulator. I reckon I could make it work eventually, especially if I brought along some friends.

Back to the Keeper Cabin, the ghosts and specters are fun to experience from a distance, but if I were actually in their midst, I’m worried I’d be a little too unfamiliar to them and they just wouldn’t know what to do with me. So we’ll give P:B the edge in the Making a Home Department. But they’re both worthwhile movies in their own ways!

Grades:
Keeper: 5 Flashbacks out of 3 Stretchy Heads
Predator: Badlands: I Especially Liked It When Elle Fanning Wouldn’t Stop Yammering

‘Christy’ Movie Review, AKA ‘Wow, They’re Sure Are a Lot of Boxing Biopics, Aren’t There?’

November 13, 2025

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Think Pink? (CREDIT: Black Bear/Screenshot)

Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, Katy O’Brian, Ethan Embry, Coleman Pedigo, Jess Gabor, Chad L. Coleman, Tony Cavalero

Director: David Michôd

Running Time: 135 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: November 7, 2025 (Theaters)

If you’ve been reading my reviews for a while, then perhaps you are already familiar with my approach of asking myself, “Would I like to live in the world of this movie and/or be the protagonist?” In the case of the sports biopic Christy, in which Sydney Sweeney stars as pioneering boxer Christy Salters Martin, the answer is a definitive split decision of “Yes in some ways” and “No in other ways.” On the one hand, professional athletic glory sounds like something I’d love to bask in. But on the other hand, being a queer woman in a homophobic world who’s married to a controlling and abusive man sounds much less appealing. So since that strategy didn’t result in a singular response, I’ll instead think of this movie as an advertisement for what a great friend Christy surely is to all those who have the good fortune to be a part of her life now and in the future.

Grade: 5 Belts out of 8 Mullets

Edgar Wright and Glen Powell Team Up for a Blunt and Brisk Re-Do of ‘The Running Man’

November 12, 2025

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

What if his name were Rudolph, though? (CREDIT: Paramount Pictures)

Starring: Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Sean Hayes, David Zayas, Katy O’Brian, Martin Herlihy, Karl Glusman

Director: Edgar Wright

Running Time: 133 Minutes

Rating: R for Officially Sanctioned Hardcore Violence and the Profanity That Tends to Accompany It

Release Date: November 14, 2025 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: It’s time for one of those dystopian futures where a select few are fabulously rich while everyone else scrapes and scrounges through daily desperation. Society is pretty much completely controlled by a TV network known simply as “The Network,” whose slate mostly consists of dangerous and demeaning game shows. The crown jewel of their lineup is The Running Man, in which a trio of contestants try to avoid being killed by either a group of professional hunters or ordinary citizens for 30 days in the hopes of winning a billion “New Dollars.” Nobody’s ever made it all the way to the very end, though Killian (Josh Brolin), the show’s producer, believes he may have just found a legitimate contender in the form of Ben Richards (Glen Powell). Ben initially insists that he would rather just make some quick bucks and then get home safely to his wife and sick young daughter. But fae is asking him to not only emerge victorious, but also spark a revolution. That is, unless of course The Network just fully manipulates the narrative to its own specifications.

What Made an Impression?: I’d Buy That for a New Dollar!: This Running Man is the second adaptation of the 1982 novel of the same name by Stephen King (under his pen name Richard Bachman), following the 1987 version starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Interestingly enough, I wasn’t picking any of the typical King vibes (Save for a reference to Derry, Maine). Instead, this update directed by Edgar Wright feels more like a spiritual sequel to another 1987 movie: i.e., RoboCop. No wonder, as the dystopian-but-cool energy was strong in that era. And now I shall wrap up my initial point, as this paragraph has been a setup for me to say: I don’t want to live in a world in which The Running Man game show actually exists, though I do kind of want to live in the world where the MrBeast version exists.
That’s Ice Cold, Man: The official story propagated by The Network would have us believe that the Running Man contestants are unapologetically violent, depraved criminals, while their executors are true American criminals. But of course that’s a bunch of b.s., as Wright makes sure to show us the stark differences between Ben’s actual behavior and the Network’s fakery. I would like to tell you that the shameless lengths they go to are totally unrealistic, except that I’ve seen some of the propaganda perpetuated on my own TV by my own government. So I’ll instead say that these moments are occasionally a little too blunt for my taste, though I nevertheless appreciated the message.
Capitalism is Unavoidable: Occasionally The Running Man pulled me out of its invented reality with incursions by real life brands and stores. Yes indeed, there’s a lot of product placement in this movie, including a trip to a Shake Shack and a few other examples that I don’t remember specifically, but I can promise you that they were there. These moments are especially striking when juxtaposed with the fake products on display (like “Fun Twinks Cereal”) that feel more fitting in a fictional dystopia. I don’t know if this placement was a way to secure full financing for a perhaps risky blockbuster movie release, or if it was somehow part of the satire, or an attempted combination thereof. This is far from the most egregious example ever of this consumerist practice, but it did make me go “Hmm” much more than it made me go “You got ’em!”
One Last Hurrah: Before I conclude this review, I want to quickly say that overall, the cast is pretty commendable, especially Michael Cera, whose introduction is likely to catch you delightfully off-guard!

The Running Man is Recommended If You Lust For: The Golden Age of Dystopia

Grade: 3.5 Billion out of 5 Billion New Dollars

‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ Delivered Me to Somewhere, And I Bet I’m Not the Only One

November 11, 2025

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Like a Boss, even when you’re not feeling like it (CREDIT: 20th Century Studios/Screenshot)

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, Gaby Hoffman, Odessa Young, Marc Maron, David Krumholtz, Grace Gummer

Director: Scott Cooper

Running Time: 119 Minutes

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: October 24, 2025 (Theaters)

Folks, I feel compelled to say something, and I’m going to be totally honest here: Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere isn’t really a biopic. Well, okay, I guess it does technically fit the definition of a biographical motion picture, insofar as it features actors playing real people (primarily Jeremy Allen White as American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen) based on situations that actually happened. But in this case, the question of how closely the portrayals match the real deal feels especially beside the point. Instead, this whole movie is really a feature-long work of advocacy about the importance of mental health services. Bruce was in a dark place in the buildup to his 1982 album Nebraska, and it eventually becomes clear that he needs professional help if he’s going to make it through. That realization sneaks up on you, but it’s also what the story is building up to the entire time, and I hope whoever needs to see it gets to see it.

Grade: Good on You, Bruce and Everyone Looking Out for You

How Does Montana Fare in ‘Die My Love’?

November 8, 2025

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , Leave a comment

A movie to die for? (CREDIT: MUBI/Screenshot)

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, Sissy Spacek, Nick Nolte, LaKeith Stanfield

Director: Lynne Ramsay

Running Time: 118 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: November 7, 2025 (Theaters)

Now that I have watched the Lynne Ramsay-directed film Die My Love, I feel compelled to ask myself, “Would I ever like to live in Montana?” That’s because this particular movie is about a couple played by Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson who move to the Treasure State, where postpartum depression and general isolation start making themselves felt in a big way. And I do have a personal connection to the area, as one of my aunts used to live there, and she recommends it as absolutely beautiful in the summer months. So I see some pros, and I see some cons. Ultimately, though, I think I’ll have to conclude that Montana is just not for me. And in fact Die My Love only served to underscore that, even if it was actually filmed in Calgary. So I guess I don’t want to move to Alberta, either! Nevertheless, I’m glad I saw this movie, since it was appreciably surreal. On the other hand, it was also fairly enervating, so it probably won’t make it to the top of any of my personal lists anytime soon.

Grade: 53 Big Skies out of 99 Trees

If I Had Eyes (Which I Do), I’d Watch ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

November 6, 2025

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Honestly? There’s more screaming than kicking in this movie (CREDIT: Logan White/A24)

Starring: Rose Byrne, Delaney Quinn, Conan O’Brien, A$AP Rocky, Christian Slater, Danielle Macdonald, Mary Bronstein, Ivy Wolk

Director: Mary Bronstein

Running Time: 114 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: October 10, 2025 (Theaters)

A few months ago, New York Magazine published a cover story about kids with ARFID, an eating disorder caused not by body image issues but rather by the sensory characteristics of food, or fears of choking and/or vomiting, or a combination of these and other similar factors. In If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Rose Byrne plays Linda, a therapist in therapy with a daughter (Delaney Quinn) who sure seems to have ARFID. On top of that, they’re living in a motel because of a spectacularly massive hole in Linda’s bedroom ceiling. With her husband away on work, daily life for Linda becomes more and more stressfully surreal and surreally stressful, with no end or relief to her struggles in sight. The hole feels like a portal to another dimension, while the daughter feels like an alien in a way that strong-willed kids often do. Eventually, though, some tactile and Earth-based solutions present themselves, offering at least a little bit of hope for the future. But I’ll never forget how If I Had Legs I’d Kick You succeeds best insofar as it captures how hallucinatory nightmares are lurking in just the tiniest slip of our typical realities.

Grade: Two Legs Up!

Did ‘Blue Moon’ Make Me Swoon?

November 5, 2025

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

CREDIT: Sony Pictures Classics/Screenshot

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Scott, Jonah Lees, Simon Delaney, Patrick Kennedy

Director: Richard Linklater

Running Time: 100 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: October 17, 2025 (Theaters)

Was I born under a blue moon? Well, considering how much I enjoyed the movie Blue Moon, I would have to answer “yes.” Is that how these things work?

Anyway, I didn’t know a whole hell of a lot about Lorenz Hart before I watched this biopic about him, other than a general awareness that he was a significant contributor to the Great American Songbook. But I did know that I’m a fan of watching Ethan Hawke do whatever he does on screen, whether or not he’s collaborating with Richard Linklater. And I also had a strong suspicion that him teaming up with Margaret Qualley would result in some crackling chemistry. I wish she had been in more of it, but the parts without her were capably filled by other quip-throwers, like Bobby Cannavale and the guy playing E.B. White (Patrick Kennedy).

Should I now move into a house and nickname it the Blue Moon? I think it would fit me nicely.

Grade: Living Up to the “Blue” in Its Title in More Ways Than One

‘Sentimental Value’ Review: Can Filmmaking Heal a Broken Family?

November 4, 2025

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Pictured: Plenty of sentimental value (CREDIT: Christian Belgaux/NEON) 

Starring: Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Elle Fanning, Anders Danielsen Lie, Cory Michael Smith, Catherine Cohen, Andreas Stoltenberg Granerud, Øyvind Hesjedal Loven

Director: Joachim Trier

Running Time: 133 Minutes

Rating: R for Language, Brief Nudity, and Suicide References

Release Date: November 7, 2025 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Let’s just say, theater actress Nora Borg (Renate Reinsve) doesn’t exactly have the best relationship with her filmmaker father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård). Unfortunately for her, he’s determined to make his way back into her life following the death of her mother. She at least has an ally when it comes to family affairs in the form of her younger sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), though Agnes has plenty on her own plate with her husband and young son. So Nora will just have to make her own decisions when Gustav tries to cast her in the lead role of his new movie that he wants to film in the family house. It’s inspired by the life of his mother, who was tortured by the Nazis during World War II and eventually killed herself. Nora doesn’t really have any interest in collaborating with her dad, so instead he casts the super-famous American actress Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning). But he’s still pretty deadset on having his daughters be an integral part of the process as he tries to fix their broken relationships.

What Made an Impression?: Fresh Despite the Familiarity: How many movies have I seen about families repairing their dysfunction, or about people making movies, or about people making movies while repairing their dysfunctions? Well, I see a lot of movies, and those subjects come up a lot in this medium, so the answer is undoubtedly: more than a few. Sentimental Value is certainly operating in deeply familiar territory, but it doesn’t feel like the same-old, same-old. Perhaps we can credit that to the deeply felt performances, the thoroughly plugged-in chemistry (especially between Reinsve and Skarsgård),the  sensitive direction from Joachim Trier, or some combination of all of the above. Whatever the formula is, it works.
Dangerous, But Ultimately Comforting: In case it wasn’t clear already, there’s a lot of trauma and anxiety in this family. And it hangs heaviest on Nora. So much so that you fear that another terrible tragedy could be looming. Indeed, Trier structures the story in such a way that you sense the tension of potential disaster inviting itself into the house just as things kick into the final gear. But then, we come in for a safe landing. It all adds up to a simultaneously invigorating and calming cinematic reward.

Sentimental Value is Recommended If You Like: Old home movies, Genealogy research, Film screening Q&A’s

Grade: 4 out of 5 Daughters

Older Entries Newer Entries