Late 2025 Movie Release Catch-Up Review Roundup

February 12, 2026

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Alfred Hsing, Alice Carvalho, Aline Marta Maia, Amanda Seyfried, Amy Sedaris, Andra Day, Blake Kane, Bradley Cooper, Buda Lira, Calvin Knegten, Carlos Francisco, Cha Seung-won, Chloe Radcliffe, Christine Ebersole, Christopher Abbott, Ciarán Hinds, Clifton Collins Jr., Clint Bentley, Craig Brewer, David Cale, Ella Anderson, Enzo Nunes, Felicity Jones, Fisher Stevens, Gabe Fazio, Gabriel Leone, Geane Albuquerque, Gregorio Graziosi, Hermila Guedes, Hudson Hensley, Hugh Jackman, Hye-ran, Igor de Araújo, Is This Thing On?, Isabél Zuaa, Isadora Ruppert, Italo Martins, James Tom, Jamie Bogyo, Jim Belushi, João Vitor Silva, Joel Edgerton, John Diehl, Jordan Jensen, Kaiony Venâncio, Kate Hudson, Kerry Condon, King Princess, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Laura Dern, Laura Lufési, Lee Byung-hun, Lee Sung-min, Lewis Pullman, Licínio Januário, Luciano Chirolli, Marcelo Valle, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Matthew Beard, Michael Imperioli, Mona Fastvold, Mustafa Shakir, Nathaniel Arcand, No Other Choice, Park Chan-wook, Park Hee-soon, Paul Schneider, Peyton Manning, Reggie Conquest, Robério Diógenes, Robson Andrade, Roney Villela, Scott Handy, Scott Icenogle, Sean Hayes, Son Ye-jin, Song Sung Blue, Stacy Martin, Suzy Lopes, Tânia Maria, The Secret Agent, The Testament of Ann Lee, Thomasin McKenzie, Thomás Aquino, Tim Blake Nelson, Train Dreams, Udo Kier, Viola Prettejohn, Wagner Moura, Will Arnett, Will Patton, William H Macy, Yeom, Yoo Yeon-seok Leave a comment

CREDIT: Sarah Shatz/Focus Features

Song Sung Blue

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Ella Anderson, Hudson Hensley, Michael Imperioli, Mustafa Shakir, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, King Princess

Director: Craig Brewer

Running Time: 132 Minutes

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: December 25, 2025 (Theaters)

CREDIT: NEON/Screenshot

No Other Choice

Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom, Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won, Yoo Yeon-seok

Director: Park Chan-wook

Running Time: 139 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: December 25, 2025 (Theaters)

CREDIT: SearchlightPictures/Screenshot

Is This Thing On?

Starring: Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day, Bradley Cooper, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds, Blake Kane, Calvin Knegten, Scott Icenogle, Chloe Radcliffe, Jordan Jensen, Peyton Manning, Reggie Conquest, James Tom, Gabe Fazio

Director: Bradley Cooper

Running Time: 121 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: December 19, 2025 (Theaters)

CREDIT: NEON/Screenshot

The Secret Agent

Starring: Wagner Moura, Carlos Francisco, Tânia Maria, Robério Diógenes, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Gabriel Leone, Roney Villela, Kaiony Venâncio, Alice Carvalho, Hermila Guedes, Isabél Zuaa, Licínio Januário, Laura Lufési, Enzo Nunes, Thomás Aquino, Italo Martins, Igor de Araújo, Udo Kier, João Vitor Silva, Robson Andrade, Geane Albuquerque, Aline Marta Maia, Luciano Chirolli, Gregorio Graziosi, Isadora Ruppert, Buda Lira, Suzy Lopes, Marcelo Valle

Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho

Running Time: 161 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: November 26, 2025 (Theaters)

CREDIT: SearchlightPictures/Screenshot

The Testament of Ann Lee

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie, Stacy Martin, Christopher Abbott, Tim Blake Nelson, Scott Handy, Matthew Beard, Viola Prettejohn, Jamie Bogyo, David Cale

Director: Mona Fastvold

Running Time: 137 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: December 25, 2026 (Theaters)

Train Dreams

Starring: Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon, William H. Macy, Nathaniel Arcand, John Diehl, Paul Schneider, Clifton Collins Jr., Alfred Hsing, Will Patton

Director: Clint Bentley

Running Time: 102 Minutes

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: November 7, 2025 (Theaters)/November 21, 2025 (Netflix)

In this movie review roundup, I’m discussing films that were released in late 2025 but that I didn’t get around to seeing until early 2026. Since they arrived in theaters during the holiday season, I shall declare what Type of Present each of them was to me.

Some Thoughts About ‘Oldboy’ on the Occasion of Its 20th Anniversary Restored & Remastered Re-Release

August 15, 2023

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Choi-Min sik, Kang Hye-jung, Oldboy, Oldboy 2003, Park Chan-wook, Yoo Ji-tae 1 Comment

The Oldest of Boys… New Again (CREDIT: Neon/Screenshot)

Starring: Choi-Min sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung

Director: Park Chan-wook

Running Time: 120 Minutes

Rating: R for Unbridled Vengeance and Surprisingly Tender (But Also Somewhat Aggressive) Sexuality

Release Date: August 16, 2023 (Theaters)

If you only see one Restored & Remastered movie in 2023, then it’s time to summon that vengeful spirit and get thee to a viewing of Oldboy!

If you’re a cinephile who came of age in the early 20th century, then chances are high that this landmark feature from Park-Chan wook has loomed large in your cultural travails. Perhaps you’ve never actually seen it, or maybe you watch it at least once a year. Wherever you are on that spectrum, now’s the perfect time to check out this thrilling cinematic reverie.

My recollections of the beginning of my Personal Oldboy Journey are a little hazy. I believe I first saw it when I was in college, so sometime between 2006 and 2010. But I’m not sure whether or not I actually saw the entire thing. I might have walked in a little bit after one of my roommates turned it on. Nevertheless, there are a few moments that have remained indelible in my subconscious: Choi Min-sik’s untamed hair, the coffin on the rooftop, the live octopus feast, the one-shot hallway melee, and of course, that taboo-busting ending.

So when I took in an advance screening of this 4K remastered version a few weeks ago, I was a little taken aback about how much it felt new to me. Sure, it had been 15 years or so since my first Oldboy encounter, but it all feels so unforgettable in the moment. Paradoxically, though, any forgetfulness makes perfect sense, as it also feels like a dream in the deepest recesses of our recollection. As soon as you walk out of the theater, you can’t help but doubt the reality of what you just saw. Even 20 years later, there’s nothing quite like Oldboy. It’s transgressive and treacherous, but also an absolute treat.

Grade: 5 out of 5 Remasters

I Made a ‘Decision to Leave’ My Apartment and Go See ‘The Woman King’ and ‘Amsterdam’

October 25, 2022

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Alessandro Nivola, Amsterdam, Andrea Riseborough, anya taylor-joy, Beth Grant, Chris Rock, Christian Bale, David O. Russell, Decision to Leave, Ed Beglery Jr., Gina Prince-Bythewood, Go Kyung-po, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, John David Washington, Johyn Boyega, Jordan Bolger, Jung Yi-seo, Lashana Lynch, Lee Jung-hyun, Margot Robbie, Matthias Schoenerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Park Chan-wook, Park Hae-il, Park Yong-woo, Rami Malek, Robert De Niro, Sheila Atim, Tang Wei, Taylor Swift, The Woman King, Thuso Mbedu, Timothy Olyphant, Viola Davis, Zoe Saldana Leave a comment

2 Women, 1 King (CREDIT: Sony Pictures Entertainment)

The Woman King:

Starring: Thuso Mbedu, Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Jordan Bolger, Johyn Boyega, Hero Fiennes Tiffin

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Running Time: 135 Minutes

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: September 16, 2022 (Theaters)

This Is a Movie Review: The Handmaiden

November 12, 2016

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Chan-wook Park, Park Chan-wook, The Handmaiden Leave a comment

the-handmaiden

Oldboy director Park Chan-wook’s lavish “romance” mystery The Handmaiden has earned praise for its devastating twists, and there is indeed a doozy that upends everything about a third of the way through. And then there is another doozy about 2/3 of the way through that pushes that upending even further along the track. Now I’m not about to tell you that those twists are not what this film is really all about, because they’re great, and they lend The Handmaiden its power. But if you focus on them at the expense of everything else, then you are an inexplicable individual, because there is so much else going on that is impossible to ignore: finely woven costumes, extravagant set design, ACTING! Let me leave you with this: the culture of tentacle porn is a big influence.

I give The Handmaiden 8 Uses of Tongue out of 10 Goofy Paintings.

Jmunney's Blog

Late 2025 Movie Release Catch-Up Review Roundup

Song Sung Blue

No Other Choice

Is This Thing On?

The Secret Agent

The Testament of Ann Lee

Train Dreams

Some Thoughts About ‘Oldboy’ on the Occasion of Its 20th Anniversary Restored & Remastered Re-Release

I Made a ‘Decision to Leave’ My Apartment and Go See ‘The Woman King’ and ‘Amsterdam’

The Woman King:

This Is a Movie Review: The Handmaiden

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