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
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.
What do you think Pluribus is going to be about, guys?! (CREDIT: Apple TV)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Christy (Theaters)
–Die My Love (Theaters)
–Predator: Badlands (Theaters)
–Sentimental Value (Theaters)
–A Merry Little Ex-Mas (November 12 on Netflix) – Starring Alicia Silverstone and Oliver Hudson.
TV
–Happy’s Place Season 2 Premiere (November 7 on NBC)
–Pluribus Series Premiere (November 7 on Apple TV) – Vince Gilligan and Rhea Seehorn team back up.
–Stumble Series Premiere (November 7 on NBC) – Mockumentary about cheerleading; Taran Killam stars.
–The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd Season 3 Premiere (November 7 on History)
-2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (November 8 on Disney+)
Music
-Finger Eleven, Last Night on Earth
-The Mountain Goats, Through This Fire Across from Peter Balkan
-Portugal. The Man, Shish
-Rosalía, Lux
-Mavis Staples, Sad and Beautiful World
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.
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
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
Good Boy, Good Times at the Movies (CREDIT: Ben Leonberg/Independent Film Company and Shudder)
Okay, here we go. It’s time for me to release my thoughts about the new movies that I saw in the month known as October 2025 that I haven’t explicated until now. Trick-or-treat furever!
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies –Bugonia (Theaters) –Eli Roth Presents: Dream Eater (Theaters) – I might check this out at some point. –Shelby Oaks (Theaters) –Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (Theaters)
TV –Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 (October 29 on Disney+) – I’m still stuck on Volume 1. Maybe I’ll get caught up one day.
Music -Lily Allen, West End Girl -Brandi Carlile, Returning to Myself -Demi Lovato, It’s Not That Deep -Mammoth, The End -Miguel, CAOS -Sigrid, There’s Always More That I Could Say -Serj Tankian, Covers, Collaborations & Collages
Sports -World Series (Starts October 24 on FOX) – Jays and Dodgers.
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