Tag: 2025

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Movie Review

The Vile (2025) Movie Review

The Vile – Movie Review

The Vile depicts Amani's turmoil after her husband brings home a second wife, unleashing dark forces that challenge her family's stability.

First Reaction – The Vile keeps the surprises coming and in a twisted tale.

Director: Majid Al Ansari

Writer: Majid Al Ansari, Johnnie Alward (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Amani’s peaceful life as a wife and mother shatters when her husband brings home a second wife, unleashing mysterious dark forces into their household.

Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Vile starts when Amani’s (Mohammad) peaceful family life is turned upside down when her husband Khalid (Alkharraz) brings home a second wife Zahra (Taibah). Amani is heartbroken and raising their daughter Noor (Tarik) becomes more difficult to know she must share her home with another woman.

She is forced to adapt to a life with Zahra in her home, but believes a mysterious dark force is taking over the home. Amani must decide what the future holds and whether she is safe or not.

Verdict on The Vile

Recap

The movie follows a devoted wife who is left shocked when her husband returns home with a 2nd wife. She must face her fears as she believes an evil force has entered their home. However, it becomes difficult to convince anyone about her story.

Best Parts

The movie shines on the subtle blend of horror and seeing your life fall apart. It never easily commits to one and gives us a clear glimpse into both sides. This is helped by wonderful performances who let us feel like we have stepped into their lives. It also explores a culture many horrors never touch and show how difficult it can be for the families in the middle of the situation.

Worst Parts

This might not hit the scare you would expect, because it wants to use a few different subjects away from a more traditional horror movie.

Final Thoughts – The Vile is brilliant psychological horror blending a culture with a twisted story.

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Movie Review

The Correction Unit (2025) Movie Review

The Correction Unit – Movie Review

The Correction Unit is a thought-provoking film about young offenders undergoing extreme AI rehabilitation, questioning moral boundaries and societal acceptance.

First Reaction – The Correction Unit blends AI in correctional behaviour units.

Where to Watch

VOD Release 9/23/25.

Director: Derry Shillitto

Writer: Derry Shillitto (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A group of violent and misguided young offenders are experimented on using brutal AI technology at a sinister institute.

Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Correction Unit starts when a group of violent younger offenders are pulled into a new program ran by James Lee (Abaza). It follows the offenders including Shawn (Middleton) as they learn their fates in an attempt to make them better members of society.

However, the process leans into more extreme methods, which question how far people will go for perfecting someone. It shows them needing to escape the project before it is too late.

Verdict on The Correction Unit

Recap

The movie follows a group of young offenders placed into a new experimental program to help fix their mentalities. However, the younger offenders begin to question the methods and must fight back against the problems being created.

Best Parts

This explores an alternative to deal with gang troubles within the streets in young offenders. It dives into the bigger AI threats and everything around them. The performances are good too.

Worst Parts

Where the movie can struggle is in why the offenders are locked up, they seem like minor crimes rather than series incidents. It doesn’t do enough to point out that they need complete fixing, while trying to completely fix them. Even the opening sequence, suggests something very different too.

Final Thoughts – The Correction Unit is an interesting spin on AI involvement in rehabilitation.

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Movie Review

Ice Road: Vengeance (2025) Movie Review

Ice Road: Vengeance – Movie Review

Ice Road: Vengeance is late night action 101.

First Reaction – Ice Road: Vengeance is late night action 101.

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh

Writer: Jonathan Hensleigh (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Mike travels to Nepal to scatter his late brother’s ashes on Mt. Everest. When Mike and his mountain guide encounter mercenaries on a tour bus, they are forced to fight to save themselves, the passengers, and the local villagers’ homeland.

Runtime: 1 Hour 52 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Ice Road: Vengeance starts when Mike McCann (Neeson) travels to Nepal to spread his late brother’s ashes. However, his tourist bus is held hostage by a ruthless gang of criminals trying to get a deal they want.

Mike and his guide Dhani (Fan) overcome the problem and look to continue their journey. However, they only stumble into a much more serious problem and Mike must use his experience of large vehicle driving on dangerous roads to end the battle for control.

Verdict on Ice Road: Vengeance

Recap

The movie follows Mike on his latest journey when he stumbles upon a criminal group. He must work with the locals to stop a deadly group who are trying to control the area. It takes him back to the deadly mountain roads to get the survivors out alive.

Best Parts

The intense mountain routes make for great action sequences on the edge of your seat. Elsewhere, the bigger battle for control and standing up against the bigger deadlier game takes over. It continues to bring the bigger selection of obstacles needed to overcome.

Worst Parts

There seems to be a lot of preparations for the action sequences and the criminal world is a bit too generic. The film struggles to build on the original and barely includes actual driving on icy roads.

Final Thoughts – Ice Road: Vengeance is the standard late night action movie.

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Movie Review

Modern Whore (2025) Movie Review

Modern Whore – Movie Review

Modern Whore is a captivating exploration of a sex worker's journey, highlighting challenges and empowerment within the sex industry today.

First Reaction – Modern Whore is a fascinating dive into modern era of sex workers.

Director: Nicole Bazuin

Writer: Nicole Bazuin, Andrea Werhun (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Andrea Werhun
  • Gwen Adora
  • Richard Botell
  • Carole Brown

Plot: Andrea Werhun as she portrays her past roles as escort Mary Ann, stripper Sophia, and her OnlyFans presence – all part of her Toronto sex work journey.

Runtime: 1 Hour 20 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Modern Whore starts when Andrea (Werhun) explains her life as a sex worker. She started off learning her body could help her get better tips before exploring the idea of stripping and eventually escorting. Her journey explores meeting other sex workers from different backgrounds.

Andrea continues to show us the ups and downs of the industry and how more women have taken the power in the world. It shows her needing to escape this world and evolve to the next level of that world.

Verdict on Modern Whore

Recap

The movie follows a modern sex worker exploring the career she chose and how she experienced different things. It explores the different paths she took, the good and bad things she experienced and how she becomes powerful with what she wants.

Best Parts

The movie gives a fresh approach to sex workers and despite being told in documentary format It explores the events in a fictional style, where the narration feels like a personal story and interview. The performances keep us engaged and it keeps us see their stories from a more middle ground, rather than condemning either side. Elsewhere, it highlights how easily someone can get into the industry and what little protection they have.

Worst Parts

While the story is fascinating, it also felt like it missed a bigger chapter of protection, with the even more modern online only content. There are a few discussions, but we could have explored more of the ups and downs from that world too.

Final Thoughts – Modern Whore is a brilliant dive into a changing time for the world.

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Movie Review

How to Kill Your Family on Christmas (2025) Movie Review

How to Kill Your Family on Christmas – Movie Review

How to Kill Your Family on Christmas has a twisted idea which thrives on the comedy.

First Reaction – How to Kill Your Family on Christmas has a twisted idea which thrives on the comedy.

Director: Robbie Dias

Writer: Marc Gottlieb (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Deranged grandparents kidnap an 8th grader as a Christmas gift for their daughter’s family. The captive teen eliminates family members after manipulation by the couple’s daughter.

Runtime: 1 Hour 22 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: How to Kill Your Family on Christmas starts when Howard (Roebuck) and Helen (Wilcox) host a family get together. Their children from different worlds join them with their own problems. However, they have a darker secret when one of them prepare to give their daughter a gift.

The adult children discover something far more disturbing and decide to uncover a web of bigger secrets. It leads to them wanting to eliminate the problems before they can continue their methods.

Verdict on How to Kill Your Family on Christmas

Recap

The movie follows a family Christmas get together where family secrets come to life. It leads them to a disturbing series of secrets which will change what the family has been through for decades.

Best Parts

The dysfunctional nature of the family is fun to watch; you see a host of different characters from different worlds. Even the truth coming out is great to watch, as we see the bigger truth behind what the grandparents have been up to. The performances are wonderful and play into the conflict nature they spiral through the holiday. We get the strong comedy sense which brings out all of the darker humour in how things unfold.

Worst Parts

In the other sides of the story, we get an interested series of consequences, but it takes a long time to get to the bigger message. It feels like a bigger tonal shift than expected, away from the bigger drama.

Final Thoughts – How to Kill Your Family on Christmas is a twisted dark comedy, spiralling into chaos.

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Movie Review

The Last Anniversary (2025) Movie Review

The Last Anniversary – Movie Review

The Last Anniversary is a gripping film where friends reunite before an apocalypse, confronting past secrets and their impending fate.

First Reaction – The Last Anniversary creates a mystery surrounding the characters and the events of the meeting.

Director: Brett M Butler

Writer: Brett M Butler, Jason G Butler (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: On the eve of the apocalypse, a couple hosts their tenth anniversary at the abandoned hotel where they were wed, forcing the guests from their wedding party to confront the long-buried truth about their missing maid of honor.

Runtime: 1 Hour 28 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Last Anniversary starts when a group of friends Binky (Barrett), Devon (Spencer), Aubrey (McQueen) and others meet up to celebrate an anniversary. They haven’t seen each other very often since the wedding and now the 10th anniversary brings them back together.

However, as the weekend begins, the impending apocalypse is coming, and the friends gets disturbing visions. The friends must remember why they were close before and what drove them apart too.

Verdict on The Last Anniversary

Recap

The movie follows a group of friends who reunite on the eve of an apocalypse. It shows them remembering what happened all those years ago and how things turned into a nightmare, before they accept their impending fate.

Best Parts

The reunion before an apocalypse is very interesting. It shows something has happened to split them up, but keeps it secret for the most part of the movie. This makes us want to know the event which led to this moment, as the friends almost seek forgiveness before the world ends. The performances are good from the whole cast. Here is a mixed thing, both good and bad. The impending apocalypse lingers, it could be seen as not knowing too much in a good way.

Worst Parts

Following up from the final point in the good being a mixed thing. By not given enough about the apocalypse, you can sometimes find yourself wondering what is coming, rather than what the characters are meeting for.

Final Thoughts – The Last Anniversary keeps the mystery around the meeting together perfectly.

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Movie Review

Bad Man (2025) Movie Review

Bad Man – Movie Review

Bad Man offers an entertaining take on small-town crime, showcasing Seann William Scott's performance amid a meth epidemic and undercover tensions.

First Reaction – Bad Man gives us an entertaining journey into small town crime, where Seann William Scott shines.

Where to Watch

Bad Man will be available on Digital Download from 22nd September.

Director: Michael Diliberti

Writer: Michael Diliberti, JJ Nelson (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: In Colt Lake Tennessee, Sam Evans tackles a meth epidemic. He is sidelined on arrival of Bobby Gaines an undercover agent. Despite Evans local ties, Gaines is hailed as hero. Suspicions arise on Gaines which unravels a complex narrative.

Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Bad Man starts when undercover special agent Bobby Gaines (Scott) arrives in a small town facing a drug war. Local officers Sam Evans (Simmons) and DJ (Perdomo) are trying to deal with the case, but discover it is bigger than expected.

The three have differences but must work together to end the drug war. However, Sam clashes with Bobby and his methods, leading to a tension between them, pushing the case into a dangerous area on whether it would be solved or not.

Verdict on Bad Man

Recap

The movie follows an undercover special agent who arrives in a small town to deal with a drug war. However, he clashes with the locals in the search for answers, which takes them down an unusual path.

Best Parts

This brings a fresh style to the small town drug war, with Seann William Scott bringing a fresh ruthless character to life. He continues to bring the rawer style characters to life in an entertaining style. It has a light humour to certain things happening, despite the more serious subject matter in discussion.

Worst Parts

The country characters feel very generic outside of Bobby. They don’t seem to step out of the screen like his character who is larger than life in this world. Elsewhere, the action is drawn back to the basics, as more focus is on the character changes.

Final Thoughts –Bad Man is an entertaining journey into small town crime.

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Movie Review

Warfare (2025) Movie Review

Warfare – Movie Review

Warfare is an intense military film showcasing a Navy SEAL platoon navigating danger and brotherhood during a mission in Iraq.

First Reaction – Warfare is an intense military movie.

Watch Warfare on Prime Now.

Director: Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland

Writer: Ray Mendoza, Alex Garland (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A platoon of Navy SEALs embark on a dangerous mission in Ramadi, Iraq, with the chaos and brotherhood of war retold through their memories of the event.

Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Warfare starts when a Navy SEAL platoon, including Ray (Woon-A-Tai), Erik (Poulter), Elliot (Jarvis), Sam (Quinn) and others, are collecting recon in Iraq. They have been locked down for a while now. However, the location has been exposed, and they must escape without causing a conflict.

We follow the platoon using their experience to escape, working with another platoon sent to assist them. However, they underestimated the enemies they are facing.

Verdict on Warfare

Recap

The movie follows an American military platoon trapped in an Iraqi town. They come under fire and must use their experience to escape without causing too much firepower. It becomes a race against time to escape before it is too late.

Best Parts

The movie does an excellent job of showing the platoon using their knowledge, skills and experience to deal with a threat. Nobody feels like a main character, which is important, giving the movie a real feeling about everything we are facing. The military action is intense from start to finish, and the film thrives on the runtime.

Worst Parts

While the story is intense, it does fall into the bracket of Americans saving the day.

Final Thoughts – Warfare is an intense, non-stop military operation.

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Movie Review

The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025) Movie Review

The Conjuring: Last Rites – Movie Review

The Conjuring: Last Rites showcases Ed and Lorraine Warren’s haunting final case, blending intense horror with family connections effectively.

First Reaction – The Conjuring: Last Rites is another brilliant chapter in the lives of the paranormal pioneers.

Director: Michael Chaves

Writer: Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren take on one last terrifying case involving mysterious entities they must confront.

Runtime: 2 Hours 15 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Conjuring: Last Rites starts as a retired Ed (Wilson) and Lorraine (Farmiga) prepare for their retirement. Their daughter Judy (Tomlinson) has a new boyfriend Tony (Hardy). However, they are still haunted by something in the shadows. Elsewhere, the Smurl family are living through nightmares from paranormal invasion.

When the two stories collide, the Warren’s reluctantly take the case. However, the presence in the household has a bigger connection to the Warren’s and what they fight for.

Verdict on The Conjuring: Last Rites

Recap

The movie follows the Warren’s in their final case against a presence which has haunted them for decades. It shows them working together to save another family tormented by an evil presence.

Best Parts

The partnership between Ed and Lorraine has been a constant for the franchise and Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are phenomenal. We get an interesting case, which ups the intensity they face. Where the movie shines, is with how they handle the family connection in the Warren’s and is replaces a lot of the horror. However, the final act has a outstanding showcase in a horror experience.

Worst Parts

The movie does keep both worlds separate for a long time, and it can make the final act feel a lot more rushed. It also feels a lot like the second movie, with how the Warren’s conduct their research in a different manner than many others. We have a lot happening, which often makes it feel like somethings get ignored too much.

Final Thoughts – The Conjuring: Last Rites is a brilliant chapter in the Warren’s incredible life.