Weapons

 

Weapons 2025

• Director: Zack Creggar
• Cast: Julia Garner, Josh Brolin·       
• Why? Many recommendations
• Seen: 3 December 2025      

       At 02.17 17 kids disappear from their homes. All from the same class. Only one kid doesn’t. The teacher of that class, Justine (Garner) comes under suspicion, under attack from the parents.

       It’s a little scary, a little spooky, but it’s taking it’s time getting anywhere.

       And then there’s a lot of screaming and running and it doesn’t make sense and I doze off. Sorry. Not at all what I expected. 

2* of 5   

 

 

Empire of Light

 

Empire of Light 2022

• Director: Sam Mendes
• Cast: Olivia Coleman, Michael Ward, Colin Firth, Tobey Jones, Tom Brook
• Why?  Recommended by LH
• Seen:  1 December 2025 

Hilary (Coleman) works in a cinema in 1981. She is under a psychiatrist’s care for mental illness. Her married boss (Firth) ‘invites’ her often to his office.

Stephen (Ward) is a new ticket taker, a good-looking, affable young man, a victim of racism and the Thatcher era.

They become friends, then lovers. But they live in different worlds. And she’s mentally ill.

It’s a sad film, but also tender, filled with friendship and love. And hate, in Thatcher’s racist England.

Coleman is, as always, phenomenal.  

4* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

Frankenstein 2025

 

Frankenstein 2025

• Director: Guillerma del Toro
• Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth
• Why?  I love the book
• Seen:  29 November 2025 

There have been many film versions. The best, that I have seen anyway, are the Karloff version of 1931 and Kenneth Branagh’s of 1994. Let’s see how this one compares.

It’s certainly lavish with some spectacular visuals, not the least Elizabeth’s (Goth) frocks. Isaac is not bad as Victor Frankenstein, and Elordi as the monster is appealing.

I actually doze off during the big lightning scene but otherwise it’s quite good. Branagh’s is much better, however. 

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

Babylon

 

Babylon

• Director: Damien Chazelle
• Cast: Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Diego Calva
• Why?  Margot Robbie
• Seen:  27 November 2025 

The elephant is fun. But, oh dear, it’s over three hours long. I’ll have to do it in two evenings.

It seems to be about debauchery in Hollywood in the 1920s. Not very interesting.

Robbie is fantastic and there are moments of interest but it’s not going to take two evenings because I fast forward all the excesses. 

2 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

Late Night

 

Late Night 2019

• Director: Nisha Ganatra
• Cast: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow, Hugh Dancy, Amy Ryan
• Why?  Emma Thompson
• Seen:  25 November 2025 

Katherine Newbury (Thompson) is a much celebrated TV host. She’s known for her harshness to her writers. Then Molly (Kaling) shows up to deal with the all-male except – for - Katherine staff.

Katherine is, in fact, being fired. Molly does unexpected things.

Thompson is, of course, terrific, and the film is funny and makes some pithy points. 

3 ½ * of 5

 

 

A Slipping Down Life updated

 

A Slipping-Down Life 1999 update November 2025

·       Director: Toni Kalem

·       Based on the novel by Anne Tyler

·       Cast: Lili Taylor, Guy Pearce, Irma P. Hall, John Hawkes, Veronica Cartwright, Marshall Bell, Shawnee Smith,  Sara Rue

·       Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:

o   Lili Taylor  – Public Enemies, Six Feet Under, High Fidelity, Ransom, I Shot Andy Warhol, The Addiction, Arizona Dream, Born on the Fourth of July

o   Guy Pearce – The King’s Speech, The Road, Factory Girl,

o   Irma P. Hall – Beloved, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

o   John Hawkes – Winter’s Bone, The Miracle at St. Anna’s, The Perfect Storm

o   Veronica Cartwright  – Six Feet Under, Alien

·       Why? Lili Taylor

·       Seen:  Once before. Now May 18, 2014 with Hal and YW in our read-novel-watch-film group. And now a third time 22 November 2025 

Now I’m confused.  I liked this film the first time, mainly because of Lili Taylor, and when I later discovered it was based on a novel by Anne Tyler I was happy.  I like her novels very much. But somehow I don’t like this one so much.  Her characters are always oddball misfits but warm and likeable.  In this novel Evie and Drum are definitely oddball misfits but not warm or likeable, they’re just kind of duds.

In the film, however, they are warm and likeable.  But not really believable. Granted, the whole premise is hardly believable – Evie carves rock singer Drum’s name in her forehead and they end up getting married, not your standard romantic comedy – but at times she’s too sweet and he’s too loving and the feel-good happy ending, while it makes me feel happy and good, is somewhat of a disappointment. So maybe the book was better after all.  Or maybe not.

I guess you’ll have to read the book and see the film yourself if you want to know. 

3 * of 5

November 2025 - 2* of 5 

PS The music is good

November 2025, not that good.

 

http://rubyjandsmovieblog.blogspot.se/2014/05/a-slipping-down-life.html

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

 

Scott Pilgrim vs the World 2010

• Director: Edgar Wright
• Cast: Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Alison Pill, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong·       
• Why? I seem to remember that I liked it
• Once before. Now 17 November 2025 

       The same director as Shaun of the Dead, Last Night in Soho, and Hot Fuzz. One can expect great things of this film.

       Scott (Cara) is 22, in a heavy metal band and has a high school girlfriend Knives (Wong). Until he falls for the mysterious Ramona (Winstead) with pink hair and a bunch of ex-boyfriends that Scott has to fight to win her love.

       It’s based on a comic book and looks like it. Nothing wrong with that as such but I must have been in a different mood when I first saw this since I liked it then, but this time I’m bored. It certainly can’t compete with the above-mentioned. 

2 ½ * of 5