BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY Starring: Renée Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, Hugh Grant, and Colin Firth Director: Michael Morris AMARÚ Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is a touching look at grief and a charming romantic-comedy. The former is excellent, and the latter is pretty standard (which is to say, still fairly excellent). The cast has evidently lived with these characters for years, especially Renée Zellweger in the titular role, and they naturally intermingle the whimsical romantic elements with the familial themes surrounding death, not to mention the ever-evolving internal conflicts that aging presents. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s addition also doesn’t hurt to present the humorous and the heavy in very endearing ways. Four entries in, and Bridget Jones still had plenty left to say. BODE Even if you’re not in Bridget Jones ’ target audience, you don’t have to be to enjoy this franchise for the witty and endearing rom-coms they are (minus The Edge of Reason , of course). This remains true of the series’ fourth entry, Mad About the Boy , which is additionally thoughtful in its exploration of rediscovering yourself after loss. Renée Zellweger and Hugh Grant remain as charming as ever, while new faces like Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall also shine. As far as (possible) final chapters go, it’s one that should leave fans perfectly satisfied.

THE OUTRUN Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Saskia Reeves, Stephen Dillane, and Paapa Essiedu Director: Nora Fingscheidt PAIGE Saoirse Ronan's vulnerable and nuanced performance carries The Outrun throughout its entire runtime, yet it's not enough to hold one’s attention as this is a cold story that lacks intrigue. Though the film does feature some stunning shots and moments, its storytelling structure ultimately detracts from the overall impact of the movie. It’s told in a disorienting, non-linear way that ends up hurting the rhythm of the film. I respect its honorable intentions, but it doesn’t have the finesse needed to be a meaningful movie about the difficulties associated with addiction. ADRIANO It is crazy how a single performance can elevate a movie. In The Outrun , Saoirse Ronan's erratic outbursts are wonderful, but it's her nuance when she's away from the alcohol that brings loads to the film's themes. That said, while I can see how this movie could be effective for some, it was a chore to get through. The non-linear structure is more confusing than effective, and the meandering tone continuously took me out of it. Had it not been for Ronan's performance, I wouldn't have felt anything for The Outrun . AMARÚ I decided to watch The Outrun because of Saoirse Ronan’s name alone, and while Nora Fingscheidt’s direction is strikingly beautiful, its commanding visual focus reminded me why I don’t really watch Saoirse Ronan movies. Most of them are deeply dramatic and meticulously paced, but this one’s sluggish plot is as boring as her character Rona’s life in Scotland’s rural Orkney Islands. Seriously, you can’t sound more remote than an island off an island. Add in inserts of dissertation-like monologues over alternating aspect ratio shots, and it feels more like a biographical documentary of a recovering alcoholic than a compelling narrative you’d wanna follow.

THE THING WITH FEATHERS Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, David Thewlis, Richard Boxall, and Henry Boxall Director: Dylan Southern QUENTIN I admit my thoughts on The Thing with Feathers may be a little biased because my mother passed away earlier this year, but this unsubtle metaphor about grief and loss worked for me despite some pretty notable flaws. To be fair, it’s easy to overlook said flaws when Benedict Cumberbatch gives such an emotional performance. That said, the film is a tonal mishmash, jumping from emotionally heavy drama to jump-scare horror to even unintentional comedy at the drop of a hat. This could easily undercut the story for some people, but for me and my personal context, I found it to be rather cathartic. KATIE Grief is the Thing with Feathers is a book that’s very close to my heart, so I went into The Thing with Feathers feeling very defensive over the story. Thankfully, Dylan Southern’s adaptation takes a wonderfully honest approach to the source material, not over-explaining the presence of the Crow, voiced perfectly by David Thewlis, and remaining true to the fragmented narrative of the book. Crow has a costume design that’s nightmarish but also theatrical, and I loved the use of drawing to portray Crow’s effect on Dad, played brilliantly by a grief-stricken Benedict Cumberbatch. Overall, it’s beautifully gruesome and very affecting. This film was reviewed by Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2025 Zurich Film Festival.

PREDATOR: BADLANDS Starring: Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Elle Fanning, and Michael Homick Director: Dan Trachtenberg NICK With Prey , Dan Trachtenberg resurrected the Predator franchise. With Killer of Killers , he showed its potential. And with Badlands , he cements its future. Trachtenberg has crafted a film that subverts all expectations, stretching the PG-13 rating as far as he can and changing the trajectory of this IP. Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) is a solid new addition to build around, while Thia, played by Elle Fanning (who won me over this year), fuels the film's buddy-cop stylings. It's the action, however, that really drives this thing. The success of the series’ overall direction is yet to be determined, but I had lots of fun with Badlands . ROBERT Does anyone in Hollywood have more surehandedness with a franchise than Dan Trachtenberg and Predator ? At this point, he is three-for-three as Predator: Badlands emerges as a blast of a sci-fi action romp. Trachtenberg manages to enhance the scope of knowledge of the Yautja (Predator) species while also honing in on a singular story of self-discovery and identity. Beyond what standard expectations you might have for a Predator film, Badlands also surprises with some heart and humor that only minimally creates some tonal imbalances. The film only feels misguided when shoehorning in Alien lore, but otherwise, it’s a killer of killer films. ADRIANO I'm all in on Dan Trachtenberg continuing to explore the Predator universe. While not as gripping as Prey , Predator: Badlands takes the franchise in a new direction, and as a Predator fan, I was admittedly nervous about the idea of a Yautja protagonist, but it works. It gets a little too MCU-y towards the end, but between the incredible score and sick action, the whole film remains engaging, in part due to the world-building that all feels like it comes from someone who truly loves the Predator movies. So (and I rarely say this) let's keep these spinoffs coming. PAIGE Predator: Badlands is a unique and refreshing take on the franchise that puts the Yautja front and center as our protagonists. There are so many elements that shouldn’t work, but somehow, they do. Director Dan Trachtenberg not only delivers badass action sequences, but he infuses the film with heart and humor. At its core, this movie tells a found-family story that never shies away from the violence the franchise is known for. Elle Fanning’s enthusiastic synthetic and the runt Yautja make for an epic dynamic duo. Admittedly, the story is fairly straightforward and lacks complexity, but it’s still an absolute blast! Trachtenberg once again proves that the Predator franchise is in good hands. BODE I still haven’t seen Prey or the animated Killer of Killers , so I went into director Dan Trachtenberg’s latest entry in the Predator universe, Badlands , practically fresh-faced. While I get why people love this one, I’m not quite on that train myself. I thought some of the world-building was cool, the action is fun (if a little weightless), and I liked the dynamic between android Thia (a very charming Elle Fanning) and Yautja Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi). It’s ultimately just a little too safe and artificial for it to leave a lasting impact. Regardless, for what it is, I had a decent enough time. AMARÚ The Yautja are all-time sci-fi antagonists because of their mysterious intrigue. Taking away that mystique might seem unwise, but Predator: Badlands has two ideal circumstances that prove otherwise: being a damn near 30-year-old franchise, and a director deeply steeped in the world. Dan Trachtenberg’s intimate understanding of this franchise (as proven with his two other uniquely amazing entries) allows us to accept sentiment in a quintessentially unemotional culture, and using sibling bonds as the catalyst to finally explore the Yautja made for a natural world-builder. Action, story, and tension provide top notch entertainment, but it was Badland ’s unique approach to the Predators that surprised me most. QUENTIN Although it doesn’t come anywhere close to the highs of Prey or Killer of Killers , Badlands also isn’t near as tragic as 2010’s Predators or 2018’s The Predator . The biggest problem for me is the narrative shift to make this iconic villain the protagonist. I want this species to be a menacing and unrelenting force of unexplained nature like Michael Myers. By giving me backstory and social constructs to generate empathy, director Dan Trachtenberg has removed almost all the mystique surrounding the universe’s best hunter. That aside, everything else — from the story to the action beats — is fine but overly sanitized and extremely Disneyfied.

THE SEA BEAST Starring: Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Jim Carter, Doon Mackichan, and Dan Stevens Director: Chris Williams JOSEPH The Sea Beast is a film split in two. The first half is a bit generic, borrowing heavily from other stories, namely How to Train Your Dragon , but the second half is great! It’s so great, in fact, that even the visuals seem to improve with the storytelling. While the color palette is brilliant, some of the textures are lacking; that doesn’t stop some scenes from being truly beautiful, though. The characters are likable, the world is intriguing, and the ultimate message is bold and relevant. I only wish the first half felt more interesting and necessary to the plot. QUENTIN As far as story and vocal performances go, The Sea Beast isn’t anything special. It’s basically a variation of King Kong , with a smidge too much sappiness and a very preachy ending. That said, it’s still a swashbuckling good time, and it’s worth watching if for no other reason than the animation. It looks absolutely incredible, putting Pixar to shame with sequences so realistic that they genuinely look live action. It might be the best animation I’ve seen since Into the Spider-verse , and it’s wild to me that no one is really talking about it. Netflix Animation took a major step forward with this one.

MARTY, LIFE IS SHORT Starring: Martin Short, Steve Martin, John Mulaney, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Michael Short, Paul Shaffer, Catherine O’Hara, Deb Devine, Oliver Short, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, Steven Spielberg, and Kate Capshaw Director: Lawrence Kasdan ROBERT Documentaries serve one of two purposes: getting people interested in a subject they know nothing about, or deepening knowledge of something they like but have never researched. Martin Short has never been someone whose work I sought out directly until Only Murders in the Building , but someone who never disappointed. The depth of his character, his love for family and comedy, and how he has touched people was something I didn’t understand until Marty, Life is Short. It was warm, loving, devastating, and greatly interspersed with interviews and archival footage to color in a man of esteem not just in entertainment, but in life. KATIE As someone who was primarily familiar with Martin Short as Jack Frost from The Santa Clause 3 until recently, I found Marty, Life is Short to be an informative, entertaining, and moving documentary. The love director Lawrence Kasdan has for Short shines through his film, which, lovely as it is, sometimes means it focuses more on how great he is over delving into his life and career. This may be frustrating for those watching who want to discover more about him. Nonetheless, the star-studded interviews and use of home footage are compelling and heart-warming in their sincerity.

DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS Starring: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Joey Slotnick, C.J. Wilson, Bill Camp, and Matt Damon Director: Ethan Coen NICK An 84-minute film should always move along at a brisk pace, and Drive-Away Dolls does that for the most part. However, some of director Ethan Coen’s decision-making halts that pace intermittently, messing with the flow of an otherwise entertaining comedy. If you can get past the psychedelic cut scenes, the pair of Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan make for a solid “odd couple,” while Pedro Pascal and Matt Damon entertain in their brief screen time. It may not have reached the heights I was hoping it would, but Drive-Away Dolls still makes for an enjoyable watch. PAIGE Drive-Away Dolls is a zany and horny road trip flick that very much marches to the beat of its own drum. Though the freewheeling queer crime comedy is very much reminiscent of the Coen Brothers’ earlier works Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski , be prepared for Ethan Coen’s solo offering to be a bumpy ride at times as the movie is a little bit uneven. Still, even if it's not one of the stronger Coen outings, the movie is kept moving by the chemistry and character dynamics between its two leads, Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan. CALEB I’m really getting tired of these pulpy, crime-comedy B-movies. The zany, fast-talking heroes, the secret briefcases, the silly accents, the squabbling hitmen, the “witty” dialogue - it’s all so played out. Even at 84 minutes, Drive-Away Dolls drags. The character arcs are generic, the antagonists aren’t threatening, and the protagonists spend most of the movie completely unaware of the stakes. Try as they might, the flashy editing and garish VFX sequences aren’t enough to distract from the dull script. Outside of some decent cinematography and a fun performance from Geraldine Viswanathan, Drive-Away Dolls doesn’t have much to offer. ADRIANO After director Joel Coen's solo outing with modern masterpiece The Tragedy of Macbeth , it's now his brother Ethan's turn with Drive-Away Dolls . With this film, Coen seemingly wanted to make a fun, breezy B-film, and he ultimately succeeds…but perhaps it's a bit TOO breezy. Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan's chemistry is endearing, but the crime elements, while funny, are rushed. At 84 minutes, it's the rare film that's too short, as most of it feels like a lucid acid trip, for better and for worse. Drive-Away Dolls can be a blast, but in the end, it’s not enough of one. QUENTIN You may recall that I named Drive-Away Dolls one of my most anticipated movies of 2024’s first half (read about it HERE! ), which makes it all the more disappointing that I didn’t care for it…like, at all. Long story, short: director Ethan Coen is lazily plagiarizing himself, pulling elements from The Big Lebowski , Fargo , The Man Who Wasn’t There , The Ladykillers , Burn After Reading , and more; wrapping them all up in a horny lesbian love story that borders on fetishistic. Add in a terrible accent from Margaret Qualley, insignificant cameos from major stars, the oddly lifeless story, and pacing issues…well, you’ve got a rare Coen miss.

MICHAEL Starring: Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Juliano Valdi, Kendrick Sampson, Laura Harrier, Larenz Tate and KeiLyn Durrel Jones Director: Antoine Fuqua AMARÚ There’s no denying Michael Jackson’s star-power (Mr. Obvious over here) because even with a cookie-cutter film like Michael , I couldn’t help but get goosebumps watching this slew of greatest hits. Antoine Fuqua’s grand, music-video like direction weirdly mixes well with what’s normally uncanny-valley CGI to enhance the fairytale aesthetic of Mike’s (Jaafar Jackson) world. The casting is outstanding, with Colman Domingo and Nia Long delivering wonderfully, but it’s Jackson who disappears into his uncle. The voice, the moves, the demeanor are all wildly perfect. Too bad the emotional beats were barely grazed in favor of music montages. Maybe the sequel, though. NICK Michael is a coming-of-age story instead of one that spans Michael Jackson’s (Jaafar Jackson) lifetime, focusing heavily on his relationship with his overbearing father (Colman Domingo). The film avoids many of his controversial moments, eschewing that to focus on Michael's rise and undeniable talent. Jaafar Jackson disappears into Michael, not just on stage, but also through showcasing his child-like personality. Yet with no depth in the storytelling and an abundance of musical re-creations, the dramatic moments never hit their desired level. As a celebration of one of the greatest artists of all time, however, it does its job… even if it is a puff piece. ADRIANO In the wave of musical biopics, Michael Jackson was inevitably going to get his story told. Michael is the worst case scenario of safe and generic storytelling. Excising all of the interesting dynamics of Jackson’s life (played to an occasionally reincarnated degree by Jaafar Jackson), the film is dumbed down to an oversimplified victim narrative and a stakeless greatest hits album. None of this surprised me. What did surprise me was how dull it was. From the baffling direction choices of Antoine Fuqua to the sanitized portrayal of a wild personality, Michael is bad… really, really bad. PAIGE While Michael is certainly a crowd pleaser with entertaining concert sequences, its narrative is as cookie-cutter as they come. This paint-by-numbers biopic only scratches the surface of Michael’s (Jaafar Jackson) early years and his desire to break free as a solo artist. It skims through the biggest moments of his career. The film’s script is extremely thin, jumping from one event to the next without diving deep into anything. Jackson strongly embodies his uncle’s mannerisms and dance moves, but the supporting characters are either one note or given little to do. In the end, the movie plays more like a greatest hits concert than an insightful biopic of Michael’s early years. KATIE Going into Michael , I didn’t expect a candid exploration of the most controversial moments of Michael Jackson’s life and career, at least not anything that would cast him in a negative light. What I wanted were excellent musical set pieces and a great leading performance, and it delivers on that. Jaafar Jackson is amazing as Michael, perfectly embodying his mannerisms and movements. Michael is cliché, the characters are barely developed, and it plays it very safe, but I was so entertained by the music and pitch-perfect recreations of some of Michael Jackson’s best performances that I didn’t really mind. Want to hear even more of our thoughts? Nick and Shak join Matt to take A Bigger Bite out of Michael HERE .

G20 Starring: Viola Davis, Antony Starr, Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, Christopher Farrar Ramón Rodrídguez, Douglas Hodge, Elizabeth Marvel, Sabrina Impacciatorre, MeeWha Alana Lee, John Hoogenakker, and Clark Gregg Director: Patricia Riggen NICK There are a lot of films like G20 . Some are better than this one, and some are worse; what the rest of them are missing is Viola Davis. One of the top actors working today, Davis is able to make the most of what she has to work with to keep you invested. Not to be outdone, Antony Starr also elevates the material as he steps out of Homelander's suit to supply a different kind of villain. Without these two, you'd have an unoriginal and forgettable film that gets too silly for its own good. With these two, you get a serviceable, yet average, picture. AMARÚ From a Black-ish reunion (Anthony Anderson and Marsai Martin) to the realization that Will Trent (Ramón Rodriguez) really talks like that, I was so into the cast of G20 early on that I forgave a lot of the heavy-handed ridiculousness later. The relationships they fostered with Viola Davis made me care about their well-being when shit hits the fan. So, as silly, convoluted, and outright laughable as the story and dialogue gets, I felt tense and excited when the action and thrills came through. Sharks are jumped, laughs are had, and ultimately, a good time ensues watching this perfect streaming time-killer. ROBERT When you need the POTUS to kick ass in an original venue, you consider an economic conference rarely thought of by the general public, and so, G20 is born. Watching this, I could see how badly it wanted to be Die Hard (Antony Starr even has a henchman named Karl!). However, it's like a hybrid of the 2013 classics Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down , but not the optimal version. Starr and Viola Davis drive the movie, but beyond being happy to see some people supporting them, I felt nothing, much like the AI deepfakes used as the plot devices. QUENTIN You’ve likely seen the bones of this movie dozens of times; the only thing that changes is the setting. A skyscraper (Die Hard ), a submarine (Under Siege ), The White House (Olympus Has Fallen ), and now, the G20 Summit – they’re all essentially the same movie. While that’s all fine and dandy, G20 is what it is, beholden to typical genre beats. It feels beneath Viola Davis, but I can’t fault her for wanting to leave behind prestige movies to have fun kicking a little ass for a change. Other than that, everything here is serviceable for a mid-budget, straight-to-streaming release that feels like something from the 90s.

THE FABELMANS Starring: Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Judd Hirsch Director: Steven Spielberg NICK It's been awhile since we've had a great Steven Spielberg film, but that wait is over. The Fabelmans is a film about the art of filmmaking wrapped in a coming-of-age story. Based on the childhood of Spielberg, you can feel the emotion he poured into the script and its direction. It's a wonderful effort from the director, underlined by yet another whimsical score by a 90-year-old John Williams. The cast is solid across the board too, and Gabriel LaBelle is one to look out for, but all the credit for this film deserves to go to Mr. Spielberg. QUENTIN While I respect what director Steven Spielberg has created with The Fabelmans , it’s not at all what I expected, and because of that, I wasn’t enthralled with it. It’s expertly made across the board, of course, but I wanted to see how Spielberg’s childhood love of movies blossomed to create the respected filmmaker we know today. Instead, this is a movie about how he kinda-sorta used movies to escape typical family problems and bullying. It’s likely to win several major awards, and it’s not unworthy (Michelle Williams, especially), but I may enjoy it more the second time when my expectations don’t get in the way. ADRIANO The Fabelmans is not director Steven Spielberg’s best. It’s not even close, truth be told. That said, it is his most personal offering. It definitely has heart, but, more importantly, this film is about love. Not just the love amongst Lil’ Spielberg’s family, but the love of film. Overall, it’s not necessarily groundbreaking, but the technical aspects are really great. It’s well-shot and put together well, with every actor doing a great job, especially Michelle Williams and Judd Hirsch in a brilliant, glorified cameo. But still, while the story may not be coherent, per se, it’s a beautiful Spielberg film nonetheless. JTE The Fabelmans is a film from the Greatest Director of All Time, in which he explores his obsession with filmmaking and how it ties into his family life. While I enjoyed the film as a window into Spielberg's upbringing and how the events of his youth shaped the themes of his filmography, I couldn't help but feel a bit of distance from the characters and subject matter. The film is so well made on a production level that it almost makes the film feel somewhat artificial. It would have been better had the approach felt more intimate and less polished. JACOB While it’s unlikely to join the all-time greats in Steven Spielberg’s prolific directing career, The Fabelmans is nonetheless one of the best movies about making movies to come along in a long time. It may not reach its full potential moment to moment, but the whole of it is a step above most other films of its kind, unlocking the psyche of Spielberg for those most interested in the “why” of his love of moviemaking. Gabriel LaBelle holds his own as the ostensible lead of the film, with a great supporting cast to bounce off of, including a show-stealing Chloe East. This film was reviewed by Nick, Quentin, and Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.

SILENT NIGHT Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Scott Mescudi, Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno Director: John Woo NICK Upon exiting the screening for Silent Night , it was evident my reaction was more negative than my colleagues, because I hated this film. Save for the impressive shots from director John Woo (which I can count on one hand) and a committed showing from Joel Kinnaman, this thing just has no teeth. The action sequences are lackluster, the story feels more like a parody than an actual plot, and there are some baffling directorial and script decisions. I can’t even credit any creative risks taken or innovative action set pieces because there are none. Silent Night is a misfire on all counts. AMARÚ Joel Kinnaman is such an underrated actor, and he is the only thing keeping Silent Night from being nothing more than one long training montage followed by a straight-to-TV, B-movie parody. His gritty performance carries the proper weight to balance director John Woo’s pulp excess, and it creates surprisingly effective early emotional beats. That should’ve allowed the film’s over-the-top violence to feel earned, but it couldn’t save the subsequent devolution into laughably bad CGI, story, and stunts. I never thought I would say this, but it’s the action that sinks this legendary director’s first film in six years. ADRIANO I'm a massive fan of legendary director John Woo, which makes it especially disheartening to say that his latest action film, Silent Night , is a big disappointment. While the action is pretty cool, and there are enough awesome shots throughout the film to enjoy, it takes way too long to get to those enjoyable parts. Most of the film is dedicated to uninteresting melodrama and establishing the (mostly) no dialogue gimmick that it doesn't even fully commit to. In the end, Silent Night is an overall fun enough experience, though not a great one.

THE GREATEST HITS Starring: Lucy Boynton, David Corenswet, Justin H. Min, Austin Crute, Retta, Nelly Furtado, Tom Yi, Jenne Kang, and Andie Ju Director: Ned Benson KATIE The concept of The Greatest Hits is far more compelling than its execution because it never commits to the interesting idea at its core, treating it as an obstacle rather than exploring its potential. We also aren't given enough time with protagonist Harriet’s (Lucy Boynton) former boyfriend, so I didn’t care about him or understand her infatuation with their relationship. As soon as the new love interest (Justin H. Min) is introduced, it's obvious what will happen; however, he and Harriet lack romantic chemistry, which is a shame since I can forgive pretty much anything in a romance if the leads have a strong connection. PAIGE The Greatest Hits is a great love letter to the power of music, but as a love story, it falls flat. Even though the movie doesn't spend much time establishing the concept, it was probably necessary so that the story could add weight to the heavy themes of pain and loss. The general beats of the plot feel a bit out of tune despite there being some touching, sentimental moments strewn throughout the film. All in all, The Greatest Hits is a charming yet unsatisfying romance movie.