Inventing reality

A thought-provoking exploration of Russian power dynamics and the mental landscape therein. Jude Law doesn't humanize his portrayal of Vladimir Putin, nor should he. He is excellent in his role. The other lead actor, Paul Dano, as Putin's henchman Vadim Baranov is also good, although his face starts to get boring over time, there's just too much of him in the film. And after the cornerstones, stumbling blocks, and various catastrophic twists of Russia's recent history have been quickly presented, the film's narrative begins to drag. Still, better than what is being said and written in the reviews.

Singing the sorrows to the swamp

One of the most important rules of entrepreneurship and product development: don't fall too much in love with your product. Two middle-aged sisters in a Finnish village who brew sahti beer have never heard of such a rule. They promise to brew 100 liters of sahti for a wedding and it turns into chaos! Teemu Nikki's slightly farcical comedy describes the Finnish landscape of the soul well. Even if it is a tad exaggerated.

We are old and still work

 

An easily spreading fungal organism turns people into deadly zombies and they must be killed. And the fungus isolated. Liam Neeson is one of the veterans specializing in bioterrorism and he knows what to do. Hopefully it's not too late because the preservation of the fungus has been handled a bit carelessly. Cold Storage is a really funny, entertaining and somewhat charming horror comedy.

Never desert a lady in trouble

An elderly woman disappears on a train journey and her traveling companion is led to believe that she is imagining the whole thing! Classic Hitchcock, his early production (1938), but undoubtedly one of his masterpieces! An interesting story interpreted and acted wonderfully, and the tension is present throughout the film.

What we leave behind

Maybe there is a category for these flicks that are educational and that arouse interest in history. Quite often that is the most important value of these films. After Patricia Font's The Teacher Who Promised the Sea, you want to study the Spanish Civil War and history before World War II. Yet it works perfectly as a movie as well. 

A first class cunt

This is actually pretty damn brilliant. You can say whatever you want about Take That or Robbie Williams or all that boy band crap, but you can't help but be moved by Michael Gracey's Better Man. A great story from obscurity to stardom and Robbie Williams is played by a CGI monkey, a wild idea that works brilliantly.

A rite of passage

It's quite disgusting to be chased by a sadistic serial killer. Of course, it would be easier if you could escape using logical reasoning. However, quite often in film art, that is impossible. Baltasar Kormákur's Apex (2026) stumbles upon infuriating little mistakes and goofs. It could be a very exciting survival film, in the style of John Boorman's Deliverance (1972), because the right kind of atmosphere has been sought here, but unfortunately the execution falls short.

Lord of ages

The idea is that a person could relive their life, go into the past knowing what they know now and change the future for the better. Of course, if the time machine has such a structural flaw that they go back to the past in a completely different body (and the wrong brain), that's a big problem. And what if you come back as a dog! Then good luck trying to make an impact on the well-being of humanity and the planet. After Us, The Flood by Finnish director Arto Halonen explores existential questions. The subject matter is very interesting and thought-provoking, but the execution is annoyingly lacking. In fact, this would have made for a great, opinionated and emotionally engaging film, but it would have perhaps stretched the story too far.

You need to look like a fucking burglar

Out of inspiration and sheer boredom, an author begins to follow people at random. Although he creates certain and relatively clear rules for his hobby, the activity is somewhat stupid, but also scary, why not dangerous. Especially when the following turns into breaking and entering. With his debut work, Christopher Nolan manages to tell a lot in an hour. The powerful and interesting story even has a clever ending.

We must forget if we want to go on living

A unique and epic courtroom drama about the Nuremberg war trials. One of the landmark works in film history. A three-hour masterpiece bursting with star power (Burt Lancaster, William Shatner, Richard Widmark, Spencer Tracy, Judy Garland, Montgomery Clift, Marlene Dietrich, Maximilian Schell) and powerful storytelling. One of those films that you have to see in your lifetime. Directed by Stanley Kramer in 1961.

Burnt to a crisp

Osgood Perkins has made some pretty good horror films. Not groundbreaking by any means, but engaging and unique. Like Longlegs (2024) and The Monkey (2025). Unfortunately, there's nothing really worth mentioning here. Painfully boring and incredibly uninteresting, pretty rubbish, almost amateurish horror. A weekend trip to a remote cabin turns nightmarish and then the story just stops there.

A time uncountable by days

Two little brothers are adopted. They are separated at such a young age that they can't remember anything about it. More than 30 years pass and when one of the brothers needs bone marrow from a close relative, the truth is revealed to the boys. And so is the fact that the other one got a better start in life. A longer stick, so to speak. Emmanuel Courcol's The Marching Band is sufficiently touching and warm-hearted French drama.

Curses are lifted

A previous work from Hokum creator Damian McCarthy from 2024. And like Hokum, stylish horror storytelling, very true to the genre and as horror films should be, it's scary and atmospheric. The stone house a couple is reconstructing is haunted, and a blind medium arrives there to investigate his sister's death. A stone house a couple is reconstructing is haunted, and a blind medium arrives to investigate his sister's death. And the house's dead spirits give no one a moment's peace. 

The fog that stole souls

One of the best series of recent times, the ten episodes of which are easily devoured with enthusiasm. A wonderfully old-time horror story brought to the present day and suitably tongue-in-cheek. Overall, a nicely executed series created by Katie Dippold, with a new season already on the horizon and one can only hope that they understand how to end the series early enough so that it is not sadly just artificially revived in the future like it happened to Lost (2004-2010) and as is happening to From (2022-).

It's clobbering time

This is pure nonsense. Entertaining and well-made cartoon-like action, but there's no point in expecting anything great from this. Overall, a very mediocre and overly safe Marvel movie. The story is nothing special and the characters seemed pretty shallow. Their development has been badly overshadowed by CGI technology.

What is given, may be taken away

Impressive. An excellent Shakespearean drama, even. But without the first-rate acting (Jessie Buckley won an Oscar for best actress in a leading role), this would be easily forgotten. An emotional love story, tragic in places, and a story that pulls you in even when this kind of thing would normally bore you. 

The whip of thunder

The last part of The Roundup trilogy. Undoubtedly the weakest of the film series. Lots of violent action and acrobatic fight scenes, but the story is confusing and actually quite pointless. A Korean police unit tries to keep the city under control, but there are vile drug dealers everywhere and not all police officers can be trusted. The endless fights and action for the sake of action are starting to get boring. The humor is also starting to repeat itself. 

No goddamned trout for sale

Two brothers are committing robberies across Texas. And the Texas Rangers are on their trail. David Mackenzie's Hell or High Water (2016) is a pleasantly eventful modern day western. It's spiced up with an excellent soundtrack, brilliant acting (Jeff Bridges' character in particular stands out), and a strong story with great dialogue. In principle, a very traditional bank robbery movie, but top-notch in terms of entertainment.

Emptiness starts tomorrow

The first time I watched it, the plot twist bothered me so much that I had to watch David Mackenzie's Relay again. And now that the story and all its twists were clear, it's a bit like watching a different movie. Extremely enjoyable. 

Man should live and let live

Mario Bava's Bay of Blood has a lot of the best aspects of the slasher horror genre. It's actually quite creepy, ominous, and genuinely scary in its atmosphere. However, the story, which is simple in itself, is somehow told in a rather annoyingly confusing way. 

Creepy is kinda hot

The seventh Scream movie. These should have ended after the first and second ones. No one remembers anything about those sequels other than that they recycled the same idea as the originals. If we remembered even more, we could say that this is the worst in the series. For it is absolutely horrible, the only difference is that there is even more brutal and completely pointless gore here and that the number of narrative errors is so large that it is a blatant underestimation of the audience's intelligence. Only Neve Campbell's performance is a joy to watch.

Actions have consequences

The Housemaid is an erotic thriller directed by Paul Feig, based on the book by Freida McFadden. The story and its own little twists unfold slowly and in a pleasantly brutal way. Maybe it's a little too over the top to be truly scary, but the suspense still tingles around every corner. Psychological and atmospheric thrills in the same vein as in the acclaimed Gone Girl (2014), Fatal Attraction (1987), The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) and What Lies Beneath (1992). 

Far from any road

This has a nice film noir B movie feel and a strong enough cast, but it quickly becomes clear that it's more or less a waste of time. There is a robbery in the film, but it is suspected that money is missing from the loot. The fraud is investigated with threats, violence and death. Bring Him to Me is a shoddy thriller that is quickly forgotten. 

In the mood for killing

Not Alfred Hitchcock's best. At times, an annoyingly self-sufficient film in which witty words are used to cover up a rather weak story. And the chemistry between Sean Connery and Tippi Hedren doesn't seem to work very well either. But in any case, it's memorable enough, if only because the main characters are both rather unlikeable and malignant.

Unleash the bloodhounds

A remake of the 1974 pioneering slasher film Black Christmas. The only good thing about this is that it's some kind of horror movie because even at their worst they're kind of entertaining. It's complete crap otherwise.

Catch a star

A 17-year-old intentionally drives a car into a house, survives but kills two of her friends. We follow the life of this inconsiderate narcissistic young woman before and after the incident. As well as the trial. At the same time, we witness the irresponsibility of a few parents and the obsessive attention-seeking of today's youth on social media.

Addicted to the unseen

A haunted Irish inn. Horror writer Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott) encounters a bit of a scare when he comes to scatter his parents' ashes on the land they desired. Damian McCarthy's Hokum is a really great horror film, flirting nicely with Irish folklore, although the seemingly endless jump scares eventually start to get boring and become a bit of a drag on the narrative.

Good luck surviving the night

A very well-made, professionally performed and convincing naval war film in every way. A film that absolutely deserves all the praise. But once you've watched it, you somehow feel like you don't necessarily want to go back to it again. As a cinematic experience, despite all the excellence, it leaves you feeling a bit flat. 

Just don't step in any puddles

These kind of thoroughly entertaining, self-indulgent horror films are somewhat a rare breed these days. But luckily, Sam Raimi is a master of grotesque fun. He created this genre back in 1981 with The Evil Dead. His signature style is both disturbing and insanely hilarious. In this film, two workmates are stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash, and their cooperation and survival skills are put to the test. Big time. 

Spinning wheels of future

The restaurant kitchen in Time Square is filled with almost chaos as customers are served piles of food, friendship and love worries are dealt with, and $800 is missing from the cash register. A well-shot and excellently acted film about the hectic and drama-filled world of the kitchen, but it leaves viewers a little distant from the story and not terribly interested in the twists and turns of events.

Gonna rid the streets of whores

A female journalist has to go through a lot while investigating a serial killer and his victims in Mashad, Iran. Only women have been targeted in these horrific murders, and no one seems to be interested. The authorities perhaps least of all. The female journalist's credibility and professionalism are mostly laughed at. Fortunately, Arezoo Rahimi (Zar Amir Ebrahami) believes in investigative journalism to the fullest, and she is not mentally crushed, although she has to be on her toes with the cold-blooded killer. If the case goes to court, you can expect anything from a farce to an execution from the trial. Holy Spider is an exciting and at times disturbing film from Ali Abbasi. Based on a true story.

Gotta burn the rest of 'em

John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) is one of the greatest horror films of all time. Perhaps only Ridley Scott's Alien films have managed to create the same kind of magical claustrophobic horror as this one. A group of scientists in Antarctica encounter an organism from outer space that snatches human souls like candy from a store shelf!

Ants in the red mist

A realistically made film about young people partying. But unfortunately that's where it ends. Once you strip away the drunken antics and wallowing in self-pity, there's not much left of the film.

It's not tragic to die doing what you love

This hasn't stood the test of time very well. Point of Break, by Kathryn Bigelow, is a movie about cops and bank robbers and somehow the antics of both are very amateurish. The robberies themselves are the most exciting part of this, but they are mostly only mentioned in passing sentences and the focus is on the characters' mutual competition, banter and interaction. 

Hopes to burn

In this thriller, none of the characters were particularly smart. That's why it was a little uncomfortable to watch. But otherwise, it's quite easy on the eyes and has a lot of excitement. Visually, it really looks great with the winter forest and lake scenery. But even that doesn't save the terrible script. 

Nothing wrong with peace and respite

This was pretty damn awesome in its own way. A wildly brutal but confusingly entertaining survival film about people who can't get along with each other and, on top of that, unpredictable zombies are a constant nuisance. The Bone Temple is the second part of the 28 Years Later trilogy and this chapter of the story is, in places, even magically beautiful to watch. And damn, Ralph Fiennes is on fire, one of the strongest acting performances of the year for sure. Directed by Nia DaCosta.

Climbing the mountain of conflict

Hilariously funny. A truly insanely witty fireworks display of humor. Armando Iannucci's In the Loop (2009) is a titillatingly funny political satire whose content is very relevant to modern times. You can immediately see that the actors are clearly enjoying what they're doing and a lot of it is based on improvisation. A bit like a standalone full-length episode from the director's series The Thick of It (2005-2015).

Pimps run free and good men die like dogs

Better and more fun than the reviews suggest. Fictional but apparently based at least in part on the screenwriters' and filmmakers' own experiences. A peek behind the scenes and how capricious and stressed out Hollywood stars and background people behave at their worst. By overdoing the narrative a bit, the film could have been even more shameless and ruthless, but it's still good. 

It's quite a bomber

A black comedy mocking the Nazis. And just like Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator (1940), Ernst Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be (1942) was completed while Adolf Hitler was still in power. Very sharp, intelligent and fearless satire. A masterpiece of sorts.

Vow of morbid curiosity

Frank is a man of awkward situations. He behaves very childishly and strangely for his age. You can laugh at his clumsy nature with shame. But even then, when he oversteps his bounds, his behavior does not deserve sympathy, so in that sense the fun of the film undoubtedly suffers.

Truth is for suckers

One of the most crazy and imaginative but also most entertaining and funniest films. Unemployed puppeteer Craic Schwartz finds a new job as a file clerk on the 7 1/2nd floor of a Manhattan office building. On this strange half-floor, he falls in love with his colleague Maxine and discovers a portal behind the file desk that takes him inside the head of actor John Malkovich. A wonderfully ingenious and original comedy!

Go fuck a duck

A really lighthearted Michael Cimino thriller about bank robbers and other outlaws. The chemistry between the lead actors (Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy and Geoffrey Lewis) works brilliantly and the film is sure to feature dozens of improvisational moments. A couple of hours of great entertainment.

You fight with rage

Better than anticipated. This is different from the original Predator (1987), after all. And that's why it's probably a shock to the most dedicated fans that there's even humor in the film. And there's nothing scary about this, the creatures are even sympathetic in places. Still, it's quite nice to watch and artificial intelligence has created an almost natural-looking world.

Winding acid rain

It's sometimes damn annoying when a really big twist is revealed in a movie, especially when it really throws you off the rails and you start to rethink the details of the film. That's what happened with this one. The movie is exciting and entertaining, but then there's a groundbreaking plot twist and you feel too tired to go through the plot-revealing details. These are the movies that you inevitably want to watch again at some point.

No predecessors and no successors

Former cop and recovering alcoholic Matthew Scudder (Jeff Bridges) becomes involved in the affairs of a local drug ring. An interesting 80's noir, quite outdated for its time, but entertaining and straightforward suspense that has, for example, had an influence on Quentin Tarantino's film narrative.

Firewood from rotten bones

A very ordinary, even bad, thriller, but it would be much worse without Mel Gibson. These show how a hardened professional, with his mere presence, takes responsibility for the success of the film and therefore makes a great impression. In terms of story, RJ Collins' Hunting Season is exactly the same crap that's being churned out from Hollywood's thriller surplus.

The wrong train can lead you to the right station

In Mumbai, a wife sends her husband lunch, but the sender keeps delivering it to a completely different man! From these and the messages that followed, a unique friendship emerges that even deepens into romance. The film is very touching, partly funny and heartwarming, but also sad.

Nobody gets left behind

War is brutal, people die, blood is spilled, bullets rain down, it's loud, blindingly chaotic. With this film, Ridley Scott has brought warfare to the big screen in a magnificent way. In 1993, US soldiers ventured into Somalia and tried to overthrow the then-ruling warlord, but instead of streamlined and modern warfare, the campaign turned out to be a mixed bag of gunfire in an urban jungle. Scott avoids the clichés of war movies and from the first minute just sets the wheels in motion and all hell breaks loose. This is why Black Hawk Down (2001) is one of the best and most brutal war films.

Care about your obsessions

Rebecca Miller's documentary takes a very respectful approach to one of the most significant film directors of our time. And for good reason. Martin Scorsese's life's work in the world of cinema is second to none, and after such a thorough documentary, one would just like to revisit his epic films such Taxi Driver, Casino, GoodFellas, The Departed, Mean Streets, The Irishman, Shutter Island and Raging Bull. 

Must be those blue pills

Playing an alcoholic country musician comes naturally to Jeff Bridges as he's also made a career in the music world himself. His performance alone brings such iron-clad professionalism that it's easy for the film to lean on it and flow with it. The story itself is nothing extremely tragic or nuanced, just a skillfully executed portrayal of an aging musician who has seen his best days.