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Reviews for November 7th, 2025

 

      30-year-old Leo (Jonah Feingold) plans to have his Bar Mitzvah when he turns 31 and seeks the help of Eva  (Sarah Coffey), his crush from summer camp, who works as a Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor in 31 Candles  Writer/director Jonah Feingold has made a charming, warm, witty and refreshingly un-Hollywood romcom. Leo, a Jewish film director who makes Christmas movies, comes across as somewhat lonely and insecure, especially after not having much luck in his love life. His luck changes when his former crush resurfaces and he pursues her while hiring her as his Bar Mitzvah tutor. What happens afterward is best left unspoiled, but it's worth mentioning that the screenplay has a few surprises up its sleeve which adds more depth to the film. Feingold wisely avoids schmaltz, tonal unevenness and underdeveloped subplots. It's no easy feat to have a great command of tone from start to finish, so kudos to him for accomplishing that consistently without being afraid to break the fourth wall or to include some tongue-in-cheek humor. There are no villains nor does anyone get cancer. Moreover, Leo and Rachel both seem like complex and flawed characters which makes them more true-to-life and relatable.

      Jonah Feingold and Sarah Coffey have great chemistry and bring plenty of charisma to their roles. The supporting cast, which includes Caroline Aaron as Leo's grandmother and Carol Kane as a rabbi, also get a chance to shine.  At an ideal running time of 1 hour and 30 minutes, 31 Candles is one of the most honest, funny and wise romantic comedies since (500) Days of Summer which makes it a cause for celebration. It opens at Quad Cinema via Level 33 Entertainment.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1



 

      Jessica (Emily Rose) struggles to juggle a busy schedule as she prepares to celebrate Christmas with her family All is Merry and Bright. The wreath hasn't arrived yet, her parents arrive early, she's tired, stressed, overworked and, to top it all off, she has to walk with a cane after getting disabled from a car crash when she was a teenager. Anyone who has ever hosted a holiday party will be able to relate to Jessica's stress and frustrations.  Director Cory Edwards and his screenwriters, Vicki Edwards and Darbi Scaglione, have made a tender, funny and inspirational holiday movie. The screenplay is occasionally clunky, schmaltzy and tonally even as it blends comedy, drama and even a sprinkle of campiness. However, those are forgivable flaws because beneath the film's surface, there's a warm, beating heart and a powerful message about faith, conquering adversity and believing in miracles. It's much better than Christmas with the Kranks and less maudlin than The Family Stone. Most importantly, it earns its uplift with an ending that will make your spirit soar. At a running time of 1 hour and 47 minutes, All is Merry and Bright opens in select theaters nationwide.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2





 

       Brothers on Three is a heartfelt, but undercooked documentary about the rugby team at West Point Military Academy whose players are 300% more likely to become General Officers than military officers who aren't on the team. Director Sean Mullin explores how and why the rugby team has achieved that amazing feat. Basically, the team members learn essential values like trust, commitment and love that help to prepare them for the military and become better soldiers. The team has helped many cadets, but what about those who don't find it helpful enough, especially because nothing can be compared to actually being in combat. What is a "good soldier"? Is there such a thing as a "good soldier"? The film plays it too safely without asking enough provocative questions or looking at the bigger pictures. Are there other military academies in the US or somewhere in the world with a similar sports team that provides their players with essential tools as a soldier? Brothers on Three, at times, feels like an oversimplified, sugar-coated infomercial. It follows a few of the cadets, but without enough focus and depth to make an powerful emotional impact by the time the end credits roll.  At a running time of 1 hour and 47 minutes, Brothers on Three opens at Regal Union Square.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2







      Caterpillar is a heartfelt, but unfocused, unevenly paced, overlong and tedious documentary about Raymond "David" Taylor, a middle-aged queer man from Florida who's insecure about his eye color, so he flies all the way to India for free surgery that would change the color. Unsurprisingly, the surgery comes with many risks, some of which he wasn't disclosed about. The company, BrightOcular, also gave him the wrong color by mistake. Director Liza Mandelup finds others, like Izzy, who also undergo the dangerous surgery. She combines footage of David's experiences with BrightOcular with his relationship with his mother and his struggles to find independence from her. That part of the film feels like it could easily be a separate documentary. It's interesting, but also distracting from the main topic and could've used some editing. The same goes for the footage leading up to David's postoperative issues which take too long to get to that point. And then there's the brief use of slow-motion which feels unnecessary. Impressively, though, Mandelup is allowed to film during David's surgery. She doesn't hold back on showing it up close. Those segments might make some audiences squeamish, so they could've used some editing, too, because they go on for too long and become repetitive. At a running time of 1 hour and 51 minutes, Caterpillar opens at DCTV's Firehouse Cinema.

Number of times I checked my watch: 4





      Christy opens with a prologue that provides the audience of a brief glimpse of Christy Martin fighting another female boxer during boxing match with the song "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears playing over the soundtrack before flashing back to 1989 when she's now living with her conservative mother, Joyce (Merritt Wever), and father, John (Ethan Embry). She has a girlfriend, Rosie (Jess Gabor), whom she's romantically involved with despite the disapproval of her parents. James (Ben Foster), a boxing coach, convinces her to let him train her and to enter her in boxing competitions. He convinces her to marry him, but, eventually, he physically abuses her, and she discovers that he's been financially abusing her as well.

      Writer/director David Michôd and his co-writer, Mirrah Foulkes, have made a captivating, gritty and heartfelt biopic. It's more than just the story of a boxer's rise-to-fame; it's about how she stood up for herself, followed her dreams, followed her heart, and conquered her adversities. As Pablo Neruda once wisely observed, "They can cut all of the flowers, but they can't stop the spring from coming." Christy goes through a lot emotionally, psychologically and physically, but she chooses not to give up. In one of the film's most heartbreaking scenes, Christy's mother invalidates her feelings and sides with her husband when she confides in her that he's abusing her. Christy is very strong for putting up with her narcissistic mother, although she should've cut off contact with her completely. She's lucky to have a girlfriend who cares about her, and even Lisa (Katy O'Brian), her boxing opponent, turns out to be kind, empathetic and compassionate toward her after all.

      Sydney Sweeney gives one of the best performances of her career as Christy. Her performance is imbued with raw energy and genuine poignancy as she sinks her teeth into the role with conviction. At 2 hours and 15 minutes, Christy is a total knockout. It opens in theaters nationwide via Black Bear Pictures. It would be a great double feature with Queen of the Ring, an empowering sports drama about Mildred Burke, a professional wrestler who's kindred spirits with Christy Martin.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1





 

      Grace (Jennifer Lawrence), a young mother, moves from NYC into the childhood home of her partner, Jackson (Robert Pattenson), in rural Montana, and suffers from postpartum depression in Die My Love, based on the novel by Ariana Harwicz.  Writer/director Lynne Ramsay and her co-writers, Enda Walsh and Alice Birch, have created an intense, unflinching and poetic emotional journey. It's as stress-inducing as If I Had Legs I'd Kick You and veers into surrealism as well. Jennifer Lawrence gives a raw, emotionally generous, tour de force performance while sinking her teeth into the role of Grace with aplomb. Even when Grace exhibits clear signs of psychosis, Lawrence helps to make the audience care about her and want her to get better. Kudos to Ramsay and her co-writers for showing empathy toward Grace and the other characters including Jackson and his mother, Pam (Nick Nolte), and father, Harry (Nick Nolte). If you're looking for a conventional Hollywood drama, then this won't be the film for you. Even the editing is unconventional at times and the pace moves slow, but not too slow. The stylish cinematography along with the fiery images that bookend the film provide the film with some added substance. If you're open to something un-Hollywood and unconventional that makes you uncomfortable at times, then you'll appreciate Die My Love. At a running time of 1 hour and 58 minutes, it opens in theaters nationwide via MUBI, and would be an interesting double feature with A Woman Under the Influence.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2





 

      In Grand Prix of Europe, Erwin (voice of Lenny Henry), a mouse, will lose his amusement park if he doesn't pay money that he borrowed from loan sharks. Edda (voice of Gemma Arterton), his teenage daughter, disguises herself as her auto racing idol, Ed (voice of Thomas Brodie-Sangster), when he gets injured and races in the Grand Prix of Europe. Ed agrees to split the prize money with her if she wins.Someone continues to sabotage her during the race, though. Director Waldemar Fast and screenwriters Kirstie Falkous, Jeffrey Hylton, John T. Reynolds and Ben Alexander Safier have made an amusing, fast-paced and delightful animated sports comedy that will keep children entertained. Not all of the characters are mice; there's a bear named Magnus (voice of David Menkin) who's among the Grand Prix racers along with a lion, Richard (voice of Adam El Hagar), and Nachtkraab (voice of Colin McFarlane). Most of the jokes range from slapstick humor to silly one-liners with more misses than hits. So, don't expect an animated film that's on the same level as Pixar. None of the characters are particularly memorable including the villain isn't very memorable, and the plot feels uninspired. However, at least it's consistently pleasant and not dull, exhausting or nauseating like the recent animated film Stitch Head. At a running time of 1 hour and 38 minutes, Grand Prix of Europe opens in select theaters nationwide via Viva Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2



 

       I'm Not Everything I Want to Be is illuminating and mildly engaging, but dry documentary Libuše Jarcovjáková, a Czech photographer who photograph the nightlife and marginalized groups of people in Prague and West Berlin during the 1970s and 1980s. She captured many images from the LGBTQ scene. Director Klára Tasovská combines those images with Jarcovjáková's diary entries read by Jarcovjáková herself. It's a straightforward and pedestrian introduction to a photographer who deserves to be better known. There are no talking heads or flashbacks to Jarcovjáková's childhood. I'm Not Everything I Want to Be does include some candidness and introspection from her, though, but not enough to truly get to know her. Moreover, there's not nearly enough background information about her or her childhood. Why doesn't director Klára Tasovská has her questions? Merely having her read from her diary gets tedious after a while. That said, the assembly of Jarcovjáková's photos is the film's major strength, especially for audiences unfamiliar with her work. At a running time of 1 hour and 30 minutes, I'm Not Everything I Want to Be opens at Metrograph via Grasshopper Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3



 

       After Ben (Corey Fogelmanis), a teenager, comes out as non-binary to his parents (Amy Landecker and Judson Mills), they kick him out of the house and he moves in with his estranged older sister, Hannah (Alexandra Daddario) and her husband, Thomas (Cole Sprouse), in and I Wish You All the Best. The screenplay by writer/director Tommy Dorfman, based on the novel by Mason Deaver, doesn't chart new territory nor delve too deeply into its coming-of-age themes. However, it brims with warmth, wisdom and a breakthrough performance by Corey Fogelmanis. It's also sweet, tender, light and occasionally funny. The third act has important messages about freeing oneself from the responsibility of fixing a broken relationship with a toxic parents, learning to love and show empathy toward oneself, and not allowing oneself hoovered back into a relationship with them when you can sense that they haven't changed.  Ben gradually understands the wisdom behind the poem by Pablo Neruda: "They can cut all of the flowers, but they can't stop the spring from coming." His character arc and the emotional maturity that he attained through his journey of self discovery feel honest, real and inspirational. At a running time of 1 hour and 32 minutes, I Wish You All the Best opens nationwide via Lionsgate.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1







      Marcus (Blaine Maye) seeks revenge against those responsible for murdering his parents when he was a child in Long Shadows. Meanwhile, he falls in love with Dulce (Sarah Cortez) who works at the saloon run by Vivian (Jacqueline Bisset). Writer/director William Shockley and his co-writers, Shelley Reid and Grainger Hines, have made an uninspired and clunky B-western that's low on palpable thrills and suspense. The premise itself sounds like it could at least turn into a rousing revenge thriller. However, the screenplay suffers from stilted dialogue, a meandering plot with too many undeveloped characters, lackluster action scenes and even some moments that feel maudlin and heavy-handed. On top of that, Blaine Maye gives a bland performance most of the time while over-acting during the emotional scenes. He fails to rise above the shallow screenplay or to breathe much-needed life into his role. Jacqueline Bisset is wasted in a forgettable role. Not a single actor or actress gets the chance to shine here, and the cinematography is decent at best, so there's nothing here to keep the audience engaged enough. At a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, which feels more like 3 hours, Long Shadows opens at AMC Empire.

Number of times I checked my watch: 5







      Modigliani (Riccardo Scamarcio) spends 72 hours drunk and getting into trouble in 1916 Paris while struggling to sell his artworks in Modì: Three Days on the Wings of Madness. He hopes to sell it to art collectors like Maurice Gangnat (Al Pacino). Stephen Graham plays Modigliani's friend, Léopold Zborowski, an art dealer. Director Johnny Depp and his screenwriters, Jerzy and Mary Kromolowski, have made an engrossing, funny and provocative character study of a complex artist. This isn't a thorough biopic of Modigliani, though; it's just a snapshot of 3 days of life. The screenplay effectively gets inside his heart, mind and soul while capturing his emotional struggles. He's enigmatic, passionate, stubborn, and irreverent. His flaws make him more human as well as interesting, though. The most powerful scene comes at the end when he finally meets Léopold Zborowski because it reveals new layers of Modigliani's character which shows that he's no pushover. Beneath all his wild behavior, he's innately brave. To watch him stand up for himself and to believe in himself after all the struggles he's been through feels cathartic. The charismatic Riccardo Scamarcio gives a performance that's lively, warm and genuinely heartfelt. At 1 hour and 48 minutes, Modì: Three Days on the Wings of Madness opens at Quad Cinema.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2



 

      Peter Hujar (Ben Whishaw), a photographer, has a conversation with his friend, Linda Rosencrantz (Rebecca Hall) in Peter Hujar's Day. The screenplay by writer/director Ira Sachs, set during December 1974 in NYC, is dull, monotonous and shallow. Even though the conversations between Peter and Linda actually occured back then, that doesn't make it interesting today. They talk about very trivial things that reveal too little about both of them. If you could imagine My Dinner with Andrew without the intellectual or emotional depth, it would look like this. It's slight, pointless, meandering and should've been a short because it overstays its welcome while dragging on and on without being even remotely cinematic. The performances by Ben Wishaw and Rebecca Hall are fine, though, but the screenplay doesn't give them enough to chew on which would've allowed them to shine. At a running time of 1 hour and 16 minutes, Peter Hujar's Day opens at Angelika Film Center via Janus Films and Sideshow.

Number of times I checked my watch: 4





 

      Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) travels to Planet Genna to hunt down Kalisk and teams up with Thia (Thia (Elle Fanning), a synth, and a small creature that Thia named Bud in Predator: Badlands. Meanwhile, Thia searches for her twin, Tessa.  Director Dan Trachtenberg and his co-writers, Patrick Aison and Brian Duffield, have made a sporadically exciting action thriller with some surprising moments of comedy and emotional depth. If you're expecting an edge-of-your-seat blockbuster with non-stop action like a video game, this won't be the film for you. If, however, you're looking for a blockbuster that actually fleshes out its characters and their relationships then you'll be adequately satisfied. There are action scenes that bookend the film, but in between, that's where the screenplay takes its time to explore Dek and Thia's evolving relationship. Dek has more to him than meets the eye, and there's a great scene where he and Thia sit down while she tries to figure out how his mind works and to learn about his traumatic past. The CGI effects are impressive and there's plenty of violence without reliance on blood or gore. What truly stands out the most is Elle Fanning's very committed performance that breathes life into her role and helps to elevate the film above mediocrity. Also, kudos to director Dan Trachtenberg for keeping the running time under 2 hours to avoid exhausting the audience. He grasps the important concept that less is more. Why can't other filmmakers understand that concept as well? At 1 hour and 47 minutes, Predator: Badlands opens in theaters nationwide via 20th Century Studios.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2







      Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk is a powerful, gripping and illuminating documentary about Fatma Hassouna, a 24-year-old Palestinian who lived in war torn Gaza before dying from an Israeli airstrike in April 2025. Director Sepideh Farsi communicates with her through FaceTime and WhatsApp starting in April 2024 while calling her periodically to check in on her and to let her talk about and show the horrors of the war in Gaza. There are bombings every day and food shortages, but Fatma remains hopeful that the war will end soon. Sepideh isn't so optimistic, though. Most of the questions that she asks her are fine, but there's one that could've been omitted because it has an obvious answer: to compare her experiences in quarantine during the pandemic to her experiences trapped in Gaza during the war. It's not surprising that she had internet access before and was happier. That said, Fatma does manage to briefly discuss her battles with depression, so this documentary serves as a very intimate diary as well as an alarming, emotionally devastating human rights exposé. At a running time of 1 hour and 52 minutes, Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk opens at IFC Center via Kino Lorber.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1



 

      Sarah Rector (Naya Desir-Johnson), young African American girl, has faith that there's oil underneath the 160-acre land that she was alloted in Texas during the early 1900s in Sarah's Oil.  Bert (Zachary Levi), a wildcatter, helps her to dig for oil and to battle the greedy oil barons. Writer/director Cyrus Nowrasteh and co-writer Betsy Giffen have made a gripping, tender, well-acted and beautifully shot drama based on a true story and inspired by the novel Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America by Tonya Bolden.There's some comic relief and just a little violence that adds some grit albeit without any blood which makes it family-friendly.  The performances are all pretty good, even the supporting actors and actresses. It's great to see Zachary Levi play against type in a more serious role---he's nearly unrecognizable behind his beard.  It doesn't chart new territory and the ending feels rushed, but it's warm, big-hearted and has picturesque cinematography that makes the film feel more cinematic. Moreover, the filmmakers avoid schmaltz, clunkiness and preachiness. At a running time of 1 hour and 43 minutes, Sarah's Oil opens in select theaters nationwide via Amazon MGM Studios.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2





 

      After the death of their mother, Nora (Renate Reinsve), an actress, and her sister, Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), reunite with their estranged father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), a film director, in Sentimental Value. He hopes that Nora will star in his new film, but when she turns it down, he casts Rachel (Elle Fanning), an American actress, in it instead. Writer/director Joachim Trier and co-writer Eskil Vogt have made a wise, tender and genuinely heartfelt portrait of a dysfunctional family. At its core, it's fundamentally about a father trying to reconcile with his daughters while dealing with their past trauma. The characters feel lived-in because they're complex and flawed which makes them more relatable. There are no villains, heavy-handed scenes or melodrama. With a less sensitive screenplay, Sentimental Value could've easily turned into a schmaltzy and contrived soap opera, but it avoids veering into that direction. Trier and Vogt also have a great handle on comic relief which provides just enough levity to counterbalance the many serious moments. The nuanced and emotionally convincing performances by Stellan Skarsgård and Renate Reinsve help to ground the film further in authenticity and to open the window into their characters' heart, mind and soul. They both deserve to be nominated for an Oscar. At a running time of 2 hours and 13 minutes, Sentimental Value opens at Angelika Film Center via NEON.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1





 

       Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) spends a lot of time away from his wife, Gladys (Felicity Jones), while working as a logger during the early 1900s  Train Dreams. After he loses her and their infant daughter to a fire in their cabin, he struggles to mourn her death and befriends a woman, Claire (Kerry Condon), who's also grieving. Writer/director Clint Bentley and co-writer Greg Kwedar have made a slow-burning, poignant and mesmerizing drama about a man battling grief with shades of Terrence Malick. There are many breathtaking shots of nature that add visual poetry while making the film look great on the big screen. Joel Edgerton gives an understated and nuanced performance as does Clair Foy. The main flaw, though, is the reliance on voice-over narration which spoon-feeds the audience, so it's a shame that the filmmakers don't trust the audience's intelligence and emotions enough, so they resort to over-explaining which dumbs down the film. At a running time of 1 hour and 42 minutes, Train Dreams opens at IFC Center via Netflix.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2