Weapons (2025)

What a disturbing movie. I liked the storytelling. Definitely great to be watched on a big screen with a good sound system.

Kpop Demon Hunters (2025)

It's okay.
 

Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)

For a generic blockbuster entertainment movie, I pretty much enjoyed this one. 

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Very pretty looking film, but I didn't really like it. The casting felt a bit off for me. And the story didn't draw me in enough. Some bits were too shallow for me to buy, particularly a specific plot point involving the Silver Surfer (which made me go "What?" the same way I did when Superman let his adoptive father die in order to keep his presence on Earth a secret in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel).

Materialists (2025)

Loved it. Loved the characters. Loved the dialogues. Gave me vibes of a fairy tale. All the actors were so good in this. One of my favs this year.

No Other Land (2024)

This is just a collection of normal daily occurrences that run from 2019 right up to around the October 7 attacks in 2023, wrapped with a narration to give it a sense of a package. 

It may not be easy viewing, because some of the scenes are just mundane daily occurrences. It may also not be easy viewing because of the way some people are documented to be treating others. And how some are living in trying conditions.

Docs like these are important because they not only serve as a piece of historical documentation, but also remind us that while some of us are living in parts of the world in general comfort, others are suffering and have little to no control over their living conditions.

Essential viewing for that mature audience.

Superman (2025) - IMAX

What are those tiny square dots on the IMAX screen at Lido that get highlighted whenever the image shows a white background?

Anyway, enjoyed the film muchly. Hawkgirl is the most generic character (and the one I liked least). Some fun moments with this Guy Gardner. Loved this Supes. And this Lex is not bad also.

Follow Aunty La《AUNTY 当网红》(2025)

Not bad. Love the characters. Particularly the supporting characters Hock and CC. Also loved the humor. Enjoyed the film muchly and was very entertained.

The Old Guard 2 (2025)

Generic. I didn't really like it. 

I thought it odd in one scene when one character read a letter from another. The letter was written in Mandarin, but later that character spoke a line in Vietnamese?

Fountain of Youth (2025)

Didn't really like it tho I thought this project had some bright sparks. It felt a bit draggy. Maybe it could have been fleshed out better as a series. 

And of course, it was light on character development, and there were some plot conveniences that were just plain silly.

Mafia Mamma (2023)

Had some moments of silliness that I liked, but overall not really my cup of tea.
 

28 Years Later (2025)

Was very engaged. 

The story opened up some questions about this new world but don't really answer them by film's end. But the narrative is neatly wrapped up with a bookend that I like.

Great performances from the cast. Alfie Williams was a strong emotional anchor. This gave me vibes of a coming-of-age tale in a dangerous and unfamiliar world. 

One of my favs of the year so far.

How to Train Your Dragon (2025)

This is okay. 

But how come the father and son are speaking differently? Love most of the flight sequences. Performances were generally generic. Loved the original animation, but not really as much this time around. Maybe it's 'cos my appreciation of such films have changed with time?

Deep Cover (2025)

This one didn't really keep me tickled.

Maybe it's the casting? Or the direction?

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025)

Not bad. On the strength of the action sequences, I'll rate this as one of the top films of the year. Narrative is serviceable. The ending felt like a weak copy of John Wick: Chapter 2. 

Happyend (2024)

Not too bad. The bits with the "ADR" was quite fun. And I loved the music.

Hollywoodgate (2023)

I was tired when I watched this and struggled to keep awake during the front bits, but managed to stay awake for most of the second half. I found what I watched unsettling, and also an important piece of work due to the subject matter.

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025) - IMAX

Very intense! Only because I read that Cruise filmed lots of the stunts himself.
 

Wicked Little Letters (2023)

Really enjoyed this! Love the characters and of course Olivia Colman is a standout.

Expected to be watching a comedy, but also got bits I felt sad. 

Nonnas (2025)

Its okay.

I like the bit where the four women got together to share.
 

The Last Dance《破·地獄》- Extended Version (2025)

Not too bad.

I thought the narration was loose in the sense that the film introduced many characters with different stories of their own, and just offers glimpses of each. Perhaps this might have been better fleshed out as a series? 

Glad to have watched this in Cantonese.

Papa《爸爸》(2024)

Not bad.

I thought the performances were generally strong, particularly Lau Ching Wan and Dylan So.

I wondered why the narration took a non-linear approach.

Glad to have watched this in Cantonese.
 

Havoc (2025)

Didn't like it.

It's on my list of least liked films for the year.

Bullet Train Explosion (2025)

Not bad.

Thunderbolts * (2025) - IMAX

Didn't really care for the more emo bits, but this was generally nubbad. Especially when seated in the centre of an IMAX theatre and the fellow cinema-goers are all considerate.
 

Dead Talents Society《鬼才之道》(2024)

Interesting, but it's a bit muted for my tastes.

Don't Cry, Butterfly (2024)

Watched this when I was already dozing off even before the show started.

Managed to catch bits of it as I drifted in and out of consciousness. I didn't get the symbolism of the water. There were some interesting visuals. I didn't really get the story. A very art film, but not the type where the camera lingers.

The Electric State (2025)

I don't really buy into the reality or premise of the story world, but it's got some entertainment value of the generic kind.
 

Nosferatu (2024)

Interesting interpretation of the Nosferatu story. I'm fascinated by the film making, but was not that engaged on an entertainment level.

Anora (2024)

Love it!

My favorite line - "I don't have Instagram. I'm an adult, man."

The supporting characters were great! Toros was so funny! Yura was great too!

And Annie was not bad too. Can see why this film earned the performance accolades.

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)

Glad to have caught this 4K restoration of the film. Amazed that it's 50 years old, and the story within the film is set in 1900.

Overall, not too bad. Story is kind of simple but diverts towards human nature rather than resolving the mystery, which remains a mystery even at the end of the film.

Cocaine Bear (2023)

It's okay. Not entirely my cup of tea.
 

Miss Shampoo《請問，還有哪裡需要加強》(2023)

It's okay.

I kind of enjoy the humor, but I think a lot also flew over my head as I'm not fluent in Hokkien and Mandarin.

That line, on how do you fake an ejaculation just cracked me up.

Loved the end credits. So silly.

The Brutalist (2024)

It's okay.

The ending didn't give a satisfying resolution of all the characters. Kind of.

But the film lingers. So I guess that's a strong suit of it?

Mongrel《白衣蒼狗》(2024)

Loved it for some strong performances and a steadfast direction. One of the best films of the past year, but one that may not appeal to all, IMHO. 

Wanlop Rungkumjad gives a strong performance. The plight of the old lady and her son was one of the story points that I found touching.

Don't Worry Darling (2022)

Not too bad. I did have some narrative questions after watching.

Florence Pugh and Harry Styles were great in this.
 

Trigger Warning (2024)

It's okay.
 

Brightburn (2019)

Didn't like this.
 

The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024)

Not bad.

It reminded me of An Unfinished Film (2024), in which actual social media posts were included, and the graphic novel Woman, Life, Freedom (2024), headed by Marjane Satrapi, which was sparked off by the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian student arrested by the morality police in Tehran on 13th September 2022. 

Captain America: Brave New World (2025) - IMAX

Seeing Celestial Island in this was best! :)
 

The Gorge (2025)

Struggled to stay awake. Maybe if this was watched in a threatre, the experience may be different. Especially in regards to how the sound design will be appreciated. 

That aside, the plot is pretty basic and shallow. It's the black is black, white is white, evil is evil and noting else and needs to be destroyed type of film. Hard for me to like it since I was hardly conscious throughout. I kept drifting in and out of consciousness from about one third in.

Thought maybe more could be done with the premise. And Sigourney Weaver's character in the film reminds me of all that I didn't like about how Amanda Waller's character is depicted in a shallow way in the DC movies (and sometimes in the comics).

All We Imagine as Light (2024)

Not bad.

Gives me European art film vibes. Characters nicely fleshed out.
 

Stranger Eyes《默視錄》(2024)

Didn't really like.

The dialogue feels off. As much as I complain about Singapore cinemas screening HK films in Mandarin dubbed versions, hearing the dialogues in this film feels a bit like... is this how they actually speak in the SG I know?

The film has a big idea, which I think revolves around surveillance cameras and such, but it also misses big and winds up feeling shallow, with ideas and character designs that feel inadequately thought out.
 

YOLO《热辣滚烫》(2024)

Not bad.

The setup really takes a huge chunk of the film, and the emotional payoff that comes later really delivers. 

Pretty amazed by Jia Ling's performance. 
 

Back in Action (2025)

Generic Hollywood action comedy thriller with some entertaining moments. I don't dig the title of the film tho.  

Number 2《男儿王2》(2025)

Story was lacking a strong focus, and the bits on drag were pretty shallow. I did love Cassandra See's character in the film, as well as the two young Thai monks. 

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)

A bit too whimsical for my liking.
 

An Unfinished Film 《一部未完成的电影》(2024)

Not bad.

Hard to contain everything about a pandemic in one film, but this does not try to. It just follows a film production as it gets caught up in an unexpected event.

Me thinks the focus on the human aspect is one of the stronger parts of the film. And it's a story worth telling. Especially since it's based on a recent pandemic that many may find recognizable.

Some bits in the later half felt a bit draggy. And I also thought one of the characters was a bit too positive (because I watched too many movies and am brainwashed to think that no one can be that good).

Conclave (2024)

Definitely entertaining and engaging, anchored with a strong performance from Ralph Fiennes. But the wrap up felt kind of convenient.

This film also reminded me of Boy From Heaven (2022), which also shined a spotlight on the process to find a new religious leader when the old one died.

And on another note, interesting one of the characters mentioned that certainty can be considered a sin.

Flight/Risk (2022)

Mostly told from the perspective of the whistle blower and a few others trying to take Boeing to task for safety lapses. And let's not forget the FAA which is suppose to regulate safety as well.

I guess one takeaway from this docu is that in corporate culture, it's all about numbers and how much you can maximize profits.