Tag: 2025

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Movie Review

The Woman in Cabin 10 (2025) Movie Review

The Woman in Cabin 10 – Movie Review

The Woman in Cabin 10 is a mystery film where a journalist uncovers dark secrets aboard a luxury cruise, though pacing disappoints.

First Reaction – The Woman in Cabin 10 pushes for an edgier outcome, through a slower build.

Director: Simon Stone

Writer: Joe Shrapnel, Anna Waterhouse, Simon Stone (Screenplay)

Writer: Ruth Ware (Novel)

Cast

Plot: A travel writer stumbles upon a gruesome secret while traveling aboard a luxury cruise ship.

Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Woman in Cabin 10 starts when travel journalist Laura (Knightley) is invited to cover Richard Bullmer’s (Pearce) charity cruise. She was asked to join by Anna (Kongsli) to cover her story and ended up meeting her former flame on board.

However, the first night on board, she hears a disturbance in the room next door, only to learn it has been empty. She knows what she heard and wants answers, as nobody believes her story, and nobody is missing from the boat. Laura begins exploring the ship in search of answers and learning the secrets of the guests, as she seeks to uncover the truth.

Verdict on The Woman in Cabin 10

Recap

The movie follows a travel journalist invited to a luxury cruise charity event. However, she hears an incident and decides to dive deeper into the lives of the guests, seeking the truth.

Best Parts

The mystery about what happened is interesting and keeps us guessing. We get a great cast with wonderful performances that play into the bigger mystery involved. Elsewhere, the location helps create tension with the trapped environment behind the bigger mystery.

Worst Parts

The mystery might well be interesting; however, it gets slow-moving and relies solely on one person’s sense. It doesn’t do enough to make it feel edgy or keep the tone you are led to believe with the slow build.

Final Thoughts –The Woman in Cabin 10 is an interesting mystery, which overplays the final act.

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Movie Review

Stonegate (2025) Movie Review

Stonegate – Movie Review

Stonegate is creepy, mysterious and captures your attention.

First Reaction – Stonegate is creepy, mysterious and captures your attention.

Where to Watch

Stonegate is available on Prime now.

Director: Daniel Groom

Writer: Daniel Groom (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Disturbed doctor murders patient and covers it up at state hospital. Years later, teens exploring abandoned site unleash patient’s restless spirit, exposing old murder and darker truth.

Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Stonegate starts when a group of teenagers Nolan (Muzz), Jaxson (Weatherwax), Diego (Labrie) and Skyler (Casey) investigate an abandoned building. It has a history of disturbing behaviour and video footage suggests a doctor is up to much worse behaviour. Elsewhere, their personal footage catches unexplained figures in the shadows.

When Nolan begins acting strangely, his father, Marshall (McAvoy), must delve into his past to prevent the dangers coming for his son. However, the past holds many disturbing secrets, he doesn’t want to face again.

Verdict on Stonegate

Recap

The movie follows four teenagers who make a disturbing discovery in an abandoned hospital. They become haunted by the events as the truth becomes clear and leaving them shocked by the truth.

Best Parts

The investigation and big secret are a massive part of the movie, and fantastic to see unfold. Elsewhere, the performances are strong, with the teenagers having natural chemistry. The idea of town’s having big secrets is always great to watch, and this dives into that on an impressive level.

Worst Parts

Some of the haunting moments fall a bit short and don’t create the shock value many others have.

Final Thoughts – Stonegate is a great dive into a town’s history and disturbing past.

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Movie Review

The Stress is Killing Me (2025) Movie Review

The Stress is Killing Me – Movie Review

The Stress is Killing Me is a mid-life crisis comedy where friends at a reunion hilariously confront their dreams and hidden secrets.

First Reaction – The Stress is Killing Me has an oddball series of stories and connections to people in their lives.

Director: Tom Carroll

Writer: Tom Carroll (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A mid-life crisis comedy. Friends at their 20th college reunion decide to try their dream jobs. And it all goes hilariously wrong.

Runtime: 1 Hour 42 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Stress is Killing Me starts when a group of friends, including Kiki (Christopher) and Jason (Berry) attend a high school reunion. In the celebrations, they decide to spend a week together in a holiday home and pretend to have their dream jobs.

As the week unfolds, they get into their dream roles and find things much more complicated than they imagined. However, it is the bigger life secrets that consume them, causing their friendships to be tested.

Verdict on The Stress is Killing Me

Recap

The movie follows a group of high school friends who return for a school reunion. They decide to spend a week in a holiday home and pretend to have their dream job. However, it exposes their bigger secrets to the world.

Best Parts

The movie uses the old friendship connection to drive the story forward. It shows you can always have a connection to people, but you will go your different directions. The performances are great and make you feel the connections between the characters.

Worst Parts

When it comes to comedy, most fall short and leave us waiting for the kicker on the laugh.

Final Thoughts – The Stress is Killing Me is an oddball series of stories.

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Movie Review

American Clown (2025) Movie Review

American Clown – Movie Review

First Reaction – American Clown is a great dive into the history of clowns and how they changed the culture.

Where to Watch

American Clown (VOD Release 10/7/25)

Director: Guilford Adams, Casey Pinkston

Plot: Clowns have been a symbol of humor and laughter since they first donned the iconic red nose and oversized shoes.  Those who devote their lives to the craft spend years perfecting it.  From circuses to birthday parties to movies, clowns are everywhere in our culture, but what happens when the laughter fades and the greasepaint runs?  One man sets out to find what’s left of America’s once beloved clown.

Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict on American Clown

Recap

The documentary explores the origin of clowns in America. We meet a host of different modern-day clowns from various generations who have overcome other challenges to achieve their dreams. They love their careers, but have seen the vision of clowns change thrown modern culture.

Best Parts

The documentary has a mix of big-name actors who wished to be clowns and stepped into different lives. Elsewhere, we have the clowns who perform to make ends meet. We get to travel through the industry and see how many different clowns have adapted to stand out from the crowd and support each other. However, it shows the struggles when people don’t get the same chance and are looked down on.

Worst Parts

The only really bad thing about the movie is reflected in how badly aspiring clowns are treated.

Final Thoughts – American Clown is a fascinating dive into the world of clown culture.

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Movie Review

Borley Rectory: The Awakening (2025) Movie Review

Borley Rectory: The Awakening – Movie Review

Borley Rectory: The Awakening is a disturbing horror film about siblings confronting supernatural hauntings in their haunted family home.

First Reaction – Borley Rectory: The Awakening has creepy moments and a disturbing story.

Where to Watch

Borley Rectory: The Awakening will be available for digital release in the USA on October 7th, followed by a UK DVD and digital release on October 13th.

Director: Steven M Smith

Writer: Christopher Jolley, Steven M Smith (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: The third instalment in the hit horror film franchise, a chilling supernatural horror based on the true events of the most haunted house in England: Borley Rectory.

Runtime: 1 Hour 28 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Borley Rectory: The Awakening starts when Harry Bull (Glover) leaves the property to his son Henry (Williams). He receives a visit from his four sisters: Kitty (Inchbald), Feda (Luxford), Caroline (Wilson), and Mabel (Hristova). The home has a history of haunting events, which quickly return when the sisters return home.

As the hauntings intensify, Henry and Kitty lead the investigation into what is happening. However, they make a disturbing discovery about the history of the home.

Verdict on Borley Rectory: The Awakening

Recap

The movie follows a group of siblings trying to uncover the truth behind a series of haunting in their mansion. It leads them to investigate the history of the home, and they must stop it from spreading before it takes their family.

Best Parts

The bigger mystery behind the haunting is interesting and drives the scare moments in the film. Elsewhere, the performances are strong, and the family dynamic feels tight. It uses strong planning to deal with hauntings for the time the movie takes place in.

Worst Parts

In the negative, it tends to lean into too many incidents happening at once, which means the horror moments don’t get the strongest time to build up.

Final Thoughts – Borley Rectory: The Awakening has a strong story behind the horrors.

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Movie Review

The Smashing Machine (2025) Movie Review

The Smashing Machine – Movie Review

The Smashing Machine features strong performances but suffers from a familiar storyline, focusing on Mark Kerr's battles in MMA and personal life.

First Reaction – The Smashing Machine is hard hitting drama with an impressive series of performances.

Director: Benny Safdie

Writer: Benny Safdie (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: The story of mixed-martial arts and UFC champion, Mark Kerr.

Runtime: 2 Hours 3 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Smashing Machine starts as mixed martial artist Mark Kerr (Johnson) gets a chance to compete in a fighting tournament. He is joined by his trainer and best friend, Mark Coleman (Bader). However, his addictions catch up with him and his toxic relationship with Dawn (Blunt) leaves him in a difficult position.

Mark must overcome his addictions to battle through the tournament and move forward with life. However, the battle is tougher than before, making it the toughest battle of his career.

Verdict on The Smashing Machine

Recap

The movie follows Mark Kerr as he enters the fighting championship in Japan. Elsewhere, he must deal with personal issues and a toxic relationship with his girlfriend. All to become the pioneer for the UFC.

Best Parts

The performances are the strongest part of the movie, with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt being fantastic. We get a film which feels like a documentary more than anything else. Some of the fighting is hard-hitting throughout, too.

Worst Parts

The movie struggles with the story being as interesting as many other stories out there. At the core of it, it doesn’t do anything we have seen before. When it comes to the competition, Warrior is far more interesting and intense for combat.

Final Thoughts – The Smashing Machine brings the best out of the cast, despite the weaker storyline.

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Movie Review

Sincerely Saul (2025) Movie Review

Sincerely Saul – Movie Review

Sincerely Saul shows the desperation to find yourself in life.

First Reaction – Sincerely Saul shows the desperation to find yourself in life.

Director: Ian Tripp

Writer: Ian Trip (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Stuck at home with his bedridden Grandma, Saul plans to kill himself on his 27th birthday if he doesn’t lose his virginity by then.

Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Sincerely Saul starts as we meet lonely Saul (Schafer) who has plans to kill himself on his 27th birthday if he doesn’t lose his virginity. He lives with his Grandma Diana (Faerch), who needs care around the clock, too. However, the doctors are aware of his plans and force him to take part in therapy.

His addiction begins taking over, as he searches for a way to lose his virginity, but he has nothing else in his life. As his birthday approaches, Saul becomes more desperate to find a solution, which forces him to cross the line.

Verdict on Sincerely Saul

Recap

The movie follows a lonely man who has struggled to find his way in life. He wants to lose his virginity before he turns 27, and it is coming around, and if he doesn’t, he wants to kill himself. We follow the struggles to understand what is important in life, even if the life lessons hit harder than he expects.

Best Parts

The reflection of loneliness in life is strong. It highlights how difficult stepping out in life can be, and feeling left behind can catch up with you. The performances are good from the cast, and they show the spiralling descent our characters are going through.

Worst Parts

Some of the pranks are too much, and the lack of remorse comes off too much in the face. Elsewhere, it portrays Saul as someone horrendously naïve to understanding life, in a way that he never stood a chance in life.

Final Thoughts – Sincerely Saul is a good reflection on the challenges in life.

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Movie Review

Steve (2025) Movie Review

Steve – Movie Review

"Steve" portrays a headteacher's struggle to save a reform college while addressing his own and students' mental health challenges.

First Reaction – Steve is a brilliant reflection on mental health and the battles to understand it.

Director: Tim Mielants

Writer: Max Porter (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Follows headteacher Steve battling for his reform college’s survival while managing his mental health. Concurrently, troubled student Shy navigates his violent tendencies and fragility, torn between his past and future prospects.

Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Steve starts as we meet headteacher Steve (Murphy), who has been running a reform college for troubled teenagers. The students have a mix of problems, which can lead to violent tendencies and mental health problems. A film crew arrive to document the college, as Steve battles to keep the place open.

Elsewhere, student Shy (Lycurgo) feels trapped in this world, where he doesn’t have the same mix of chaos as the other students. However, the college is battling to stay afloat, and the documentary could put a spotlight on the school, but Steve has his own problems to deal with.

Verdict on Steve

Recap

The movie follows a headteacher trying to keep his reform college for troubled teenagers from being closed. He has a documentary film crew show the ups and downs they face to try and grab a tiny bit more attention. Meanwhile, we learn the battles the students go through to understand where they fit into the world.

Best Parts

The movie reflects the struggles of understanding mental health and troubled teenagers during the 1990s. It shows the pressure placed on the headteacher as he battles to keep the hope alive. The performances are fantastic and drive the story, and show how large portions of the population were happy to shut people out. One of the biggest highlights is the chaotic feeling the movie has, mixed with the documentary style, which gives a wonderful reflection of the state of mental health.

Final Thoughts –Steve is a perfect reflection of the struggles in mental health.

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Movie Review

Lying in Wait (2025) Movie Review

Lying in Wait – Movie Review

"Lying in Wait" reveals the dangers of a girls' night out when one friend disappears, leading to a desperate search.

First Reaction – Lying in Wait takes a glimpse into what could go wrong on a night out.

Where to Watch

LYING IN WAIT ON DIGITAL & ON DEMAND & DVD 07 OCTOBER.

Director: Tomas Decurgez

Writer: Tomas Decurgez, Savanah Joeckel (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: During a girls’ night out, Skyler goes missing, Rachel and Daniela desperately search for her. All clues point to a kidnapping but Rachel knows there’s more to the case and everyone has a secret…

Runtime: 1 Hour 19 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Lying in Wait starts when Rachel (Joeckel), Daniela (Casale) and Skyler (Chauviere) go on a girls’ night out. They dive into the rougher area of town and quickly grab the attention of a group of men. When Skyler goes missing, Rachel and Daniela have to work together to figure out what happened to her.

It becomes a race against time to learn the truth before it is too late. They must locate anyone she spoke to, but are left wondering what they will do until they find her. However, the people they trust become the dangerous enemy.

Verdict on Lying in Wait

Recap

The movie follows a group of friends going on a night out when things spiral out of control. One of them goes missing, and the friends must race to find her before it is too late. However, the twists and turns become far scarier than they imagined.

Best Parts

The glimpse into what can happen on a night out is clear, scary and creates the terrors of the world. We get good performances from the whole cast as they search for answers.

Worst Parts

The lack of urgency in the second half of the movie holds things back at times. Elsewhere, it the search can feel too helpless around what has happened.

Final Thoughts – Lying in Wait shows the terrifying glimpse into abduction on nights out.