All Films
Watched in 2025-2026
I'm changing my main reviewing site to: http://letterboxd.com/kenru/
where all the reviews are rated on a 5-star basis.
However, on
this site all films still are rated on a scale of 4-stars:
****(A+), *** 3/4 (A), *** 1/2 (A-), *** 1/4
(B+), *** (B), ** 3/4 (B-), ** 1/2 (C+), ** 1/4 ( C), **
(C-) , * 3/4 thru * (D), 3/4* thru
0* (F)
Links are to longer reviews on site or elsewhere on the
interwebs.
A FILM is defined as 70 min.+ visual event. A non-capitalized film title is a
short film worthy of note.
The year included with the
film is the year I watched each film.
(V) =
TV, Video or DVD ( +) = repeat
viewing (W/O)= walked out
January, 2025
EMILIA PÉREZ (2024, d. Jacques Audiard) *** 1/2
ARMAND (2025, d. Halfdan Ullmann Tondel) **
SANTOSH (2025, d. Sandhya Suri) *** 1/4
SEED OF THE SACRED FIG, THE (2025, d. Mohammad Rasoulof) *** 1/2
SING SING (2025, d. Greg Kwedar) *** 1/2
NICKEL BOYS (2025, d. RaMell Ross) *** 3/4
BRUTALIST, THE (2025, d. Brady Corbet) *** 1/2
SATURDAY NIGHT (2025, d. Jason Reitman) ** 3/4
COMPLETE UNKNOWN, A (2025, d. James Mangold) *** 3/4
ANORA (2025, d. Sean Baker) *** 1/2
CONCLAVE (2025, d. Edward Berger) *** 1/4
AMERICAN PRIMEVAL (2025, limited series, d. Peter Berg) *** 1/4
BABYGIRL (2025, d. Halina Reijn) ***
HIT MAN (2025, d. Richard Linklater) *** 1/2
A LIEN (2025, short, d. David Cutler-Kreutz, Sam Cutler-Kreutz) *** 1/2
INSIDE OUT 2 (2025, d. Kelsey Mann) ***
MEMOIR OF A SNAIL (2025, d. Adam Elliot) *** 3/4
WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL (2025, d. Merlin Crossingham, Nick Park) *** 1/4
BEAUTIFUL MEN (2025, animation short, d. Nicolas Keppens) ** 3/4
IN THE SHADOW OF THE CYPRESS (2025, animation short, d. Hossein Molayemi, Shirin Sohani) ** 3/4
WILD ROBOT, THE (2025, d. Chris Sanders) *** 1/2
MAGIC CANDIES (2025, animation short, d. Daisuke Nishio) ***
APPRENTICE, THE (2025, d. Ali Abbasi) *** 1/2
MARIA (2025,d. Pablo Larrain) ** 3/4
DIFFERENT MAN, A (2025, d. Aaron Schimberg) *** 1/4
NOSFERATU (2025, d. Robert Eggers) *** 1/2
February, 2025
ALIEN: ROMULUS (2025, d. Fede Álvarez) *** 1/4
SIX TRIPLE EIGHT, THE (2025, d. Tyler Perry) ** 3/4
BETTER MAN (2025, d. Michael Gracey) *** 1/4
GLADIATOR II (2025, d. Ridley Scott) ** 3/4
WICKED: PART 1 (2025, d. Jon M. Chu) *** 1/4
KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2025, d. Wes Ball) ***
WANDER TO WONDER (2025, animation short, d. Nina Gantz) ** 3/4
YUCK! (2025, animation short, d. Loïc Espuche) ** 3/4
ANUJA (2025, short, d. Adam J. Graves) *** 1/4
I'M NOT ROBOT (2025, short, d. Victoria Warmerdam) *** 1/4
LAST RANGER, THE (2025, short, d. Cindy Lee) ** 3/4
MAN WHO COULD NOT REMAIN SILENT, THE (2025, short, d. Nebojsa Slijepcevic) *** 1/2
ANORA (2025, d. Sean Baker) *** 3/4
BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE (2025, mini-series, d. various) *** 3/4 (2nd viewing)
March, 2025
PRIME TARGET (2025, mini-series, d. Brady Hood) ** 1/2
ADOLESCENCE (2025, limited series, d. Philip Barantini) ****
LEOPARD, THE (Il Gattopardo) (2025, limited series, d. various) ***
April, 2025
SINNERS (2025, d. Ryan Coogler) *** 1/2
June, 2025
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK (2025, live TV, d. Grant Heslov, Micah Brickham) ** 1/4
SURVIVORS, THE (2025, limited series, d. Cherie Nowlan, Ben C. Lucas) ***
July, 2025
SPY AMONG FRIENDS, A (2025, limited series, d. Nick Murphy) ** 3/4
UNTAMED (2025, limited series, d. various) *** 1/4
August, 2025
SIRENS (2025, limited series, d. various) ***
BUTTERFLY (2025, limited series, d. various) ***
HOSTAGE (2025, limited series, d. various) ** 1/2
GRAND THEFT HAMLET (2025, doc. feature., d. Pinny Gryllis, Sam Crane) ** 3/4
WRITING HAWA (2025, doc. feature, d. Najiba Noori) ****
September, 2025
DROP DEAD CITY (2025, doc. feature, d. Peter Yost, Michael Rohatyn) *** 1/2
AI WEIWEI'S TURANDOT (2025, doc. feature, d. Maxim Derevianko) *** 1/4
October, 2025
ENCAMPMENTS, THE (2025, doc. feature, d. Michael T. Workman, Kei Pritsker) *** 1/2
RED SANDS (2025, doc. short, d. Romina Cenisio) *** 1/2
14 SHORT FILMS ABOUT OPERA (2025, doc. feature, d. Thomas Storesund) *** 3/4
OUTSIDER, THE (2025, limited series, d. Jason Bateman et al) *** 1/4
FOLKTALES (2025, doc. feature, d. Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing.) ***
TASK (2025, limited series, d. Jeremiah Zagar, Salli Richardson-Whitfield) *** 3/4
CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS (2025, doc. feature, d. Sara Khaki, Mohammad Reza Eyni) *** 1/2
MONK IN PIECES (2025, doc. feature, d. Billy Shebar) *** 3/4
November, 2025
COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT (2025, doc. feature, d. Ryan White) *** 1/4
ZODIAC KILLER PROJECT (2025, doc. feature, d. Charlie Shackleton) ** 3/4
MAN WITH SOLE, A: THE IMPACT OF KENNETH COLE (2025, doc. feature, d. Dori Berinstein) *** 1/4
DUEL WE MISSED, THE (2025, doc. feature, d. Edward Staroselsky, Ilnur Rafikov) *** 3/4
FOOD DELIVERY: FRESH FROM THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA (2025, doc. feature, d. Baby Ruth Villarama) **
LILITH FAIR: BUILDING A MYSTERY (2025, doc. feature, d. Ally Pankiw) *** 1/2
PRINCE OF NANAWA, THE (2025, doc. feature, d. Clarisa Navas) ***
LOWDOWN, THE (2025, limited series, d. various) *** 1/4
SWIMMING WITH BUTTERFLIES (2025, doc. short, d. Karl Stelter) *** 1/4
STRINGER, THE: THE MAN WHO TOOK THE PHOTO (2025, doc. feature, d. Bao Nguyen) *** 1/2
BEAST IN ME, THE (2025, limited series, d. various) *** 1/4
1985: HEROES AMONG RUINS (2025, doc. feature, d. Jeanette Russ Moreno) ***
SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE (2025, d. Scott Cooper) *** 1/4
December, 2025
AMMA'S PRIDE (2025, doc. short, d. Shiva Krish) *** 3/4
SINGLE INCIDENT, A (Eine einzelne Tat) (2025, doc. short, d. Constanze Wolpers) * 3/4
FIDDLER ON THE MOON: JUDAISM IN SPACE (2025, doc. short, d. Newberger, Miller, Kramer) ****
JAR OF TIME (2025, doc. short, d. Nevena Semova) *** 1/4
LITTLE POTATO (2025, doc. short, d. Chen Chen) ** 1/2
RUN MONNIE, RUN (2025, doc. short, d.Kerolina Biesiacka) ** 3/4
TIDES OF LIFE (2025, doc. short, d. Tatiana McCabe) *** 3/4
VAN PIANIST (2025, doc. short, d. Hetong Zhang) ** 3/4
WE WERE THE SCENERY (2025, doc. short, d. Christopher Radcliff) *** 1/4
612: DARKNESS IN THE LAND OF NICE (2025, doc. short, d. Diem Van Groth) *** 1/2
MARTY SUPREME (2025, d. Josh Safdie) *** 1/4
LLOYD WONG, UNFINISHED (2025, doc. short, d. Lesley Loksi Chan) *** 1/2
REPLAY (2025, doc. short, d. Phil Mazo) *** 1/2
SAVING SUPERMAN (2025, doc. short, d. Adam Oppenheim, Samuel-Ali Mirpoorian) *** 3/4
CHILD OF DUST (2025, doc. feature, d. Weronika Mliczewska) *** 1/2
ALABAMA SOLUTION, THE (2025, doc. feature, d. Andrew Jarecki, Charlotte Kaufman) *** 3/4
APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS (2025, doc. feature, d. Petra Costa) *** 1/2
COEXISTENCE, MY ASS! (2025, doc. feature, d. Amber Fares) ***
COVER-UP (2025, doc. feature, d. Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus) *** 1/2
HOLDING LIAT (2025, doc. feature, d. Brandon Kramer) *** 1/2
MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN (2025, doc. feature. d. David Borenstein) *** 3/4
MISTRESS DISPELLER (2025, doc. feature. d. Elizabeth Lo) ** Chinese marriage beyond my comprehension.
PERFECT NEIGHBOR, THE (2025, doc. feature. d. Geeta Gandbhir) *** 1/2
January, 2026
2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA (2026, doc. feature. d. Mstyslav Chernov) ****
ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS (2026, doc. short. d. Joshua Seftel) *** 3/4 Visits to bedrooms of children killed in school shootings. Shed tears.
ALL THE WALLS CAME DOWN (2026, doc. short. d. Ondi Timoner) *** 1/4 Survivors of Altadena fires, lost homes. Somewhat unfocused.
ARMED ONLY WITH A CAMERA: THE LIFE & DEATH OF BRENT RENAUD
(2026, doc. short. d.Brent and Craig Renaud) *** 1/2 Warfare
photo-journalist documentarian's career and death in Ukraine. Effective,
but disorganized.
BAD HOSTAGE (2026, doc. short. d. Mimi Wilcox) *** 1/2 3
hostage stories conflated into Stockholm syndrome events, stressing one
personal family history.
SEEDS (2026, doc. feature, d. Brittany Shyne) ***
CASHING OUT (2026, doc. short, d. Matt Nadel) *** 1/2 During AIDS
crisis, patients sold life insurance policies for ready cash. Stories
of helpfulness.
CHASING TIME (2026, doc. short, d. Sarah Keo, Jeff Orlowski) ***
1/4 Sequel to "Chasing Ice" 13 years culmination of project measuring
glaciers melting. Visually stunning time lapses.
CHILDREN NO MORE: WERE AND ARE GONE (2026, doc. short, d. Hilla
Medalia) *** 14 Israelis in silent protest against thousands of dead
children killed in Gaza and other places. Moving but repetitive.
CLASSROOM 4 (2026, doc. short, d. Eden Wurmfeld) *** 15 students
and 15 prisoners take a class together discussing common issues. Talky
but interesting.
YANUNI (2026, doc. feature, d. Richard Ladkani) *** 1/4
DEVIL IS BUSY, THE (2026, doc. short, d. Christalyn Hampton,
Geeta Gandbhir) *** 3/4 A day's activity in a Georgia woman's
health clinic (44 abortion appointments) from security lady's p.o.v.
Pointed subject, well conceived and edited.
HEARTBEAT (2026, doc. short, d. Jay Rosenblatt, Stephanie Rapp)
*** 1/2 A filmmaking couple's filmed diary of their marital stress
25 years ago while attempting to have a child. Honest and brave.
LAST DAYS ON LAKE TRINITY (2026, doc. short, d. Charlotte Cooley)
*** 1/4 When S. Florida trailer park closes and evicts 3 elderly
ladies from their homes into an uncertain future. Sad, affecting, but
minor in import.
ON HEALING LAND, BIRDS PERCH (2026, doc. short, d. Naja Pham
Lockwood) *** 1/2 Consequences for two families involved in the famous
"Saigon Execution" photo from the Tet offensive. Intimate close-up view
of history.
PERFECTLY A STRANGENESS (2026, doc. short, d. Alison
McAlpine) *** 1/2 Three donkeys wander in the desert and find a
deserted observatory (La Silla in Chile). Poetic montage compressing 24
hours...with eerie music and time lapse stars.
ROVINA'S CHOICE (2026, doc. short, d. Annie Wong, Thomas
Jennings) *** 3/4 After Trump cut off aid, refugee children dying in
Kenya. One mother must choose between her older children and sick,
starving infant child. Effective, moving.
MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART 1 - LAST AIR IN MOSCOW (2026, doc. feature, d. Julia Loktev) *** 1/4
11.22.63 (2026, mini-series, d. various) *** 1/2
BUGONIA (2026, d. Yorgos Lanthimos) *** 1/4
HAMNET (2026, d. Chloé Zhao) *** 3/4
TRAIN DREAMS (2026, d. Clint Bentley) *** 3/4
FRANKENSTEIN (2026, d. Guillermo del Toro) *** 1/4
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (2026, d. Paul Thomas Anderson) ****
February, 2026
SENTIMENTAL VALUE (2026, d. Joachim Trier) *** 1/2
SECRET AGENT, THE (2026, d. Kleber Mendonça Filho) *** 1/4
BLUE MOON (2026, d. Richard Linklater) *** 3/4
IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (2026, d. Jafar Panahi) *** 1/2
VOICE OF HIND RAJAB, THE (2026, d. Kaouther Ben Hania) *** 1/4
SIRAT (2026, d. Oliver Laxe) *** 3/4
F1 (2026, d. Joseph Koskinski) *** 1/4
IF I HAD LEGS I'D KICK YOU (2026, d. Mary Bronstein) *** 1/2
SONG SUNG BLUE (2026, d. Craig Brewer) *** 1/2
WEAPONS (2026, d. Zach Cregger) *** 1/2
ARCO (2026, d. Ugo Bienvenu) *** 1/4+
ELIO (2026, d. Madeline Sharafian, Somee Shi, Adrian Molina) ** 3/4
BUTTERFLY (2026, animated short, d. Florence Miailhe) *** 3/4
FOREVERGREEN (2026, animated short, d. Nathan Engelhardt, Jeremy Spears) *** 1/4
GIRL WHO CRIED PEARLS, THE (2026, animated short, d. Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski) *** 1/2
RETIREMENT PLAN (2026, animated short, d. John Kelly) *** 1/2
THREE SISTERS, THE (2026, animated short, d. Konstantin Bronzit) ** 3/4
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS (2026, d. Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang) *** 1/4
LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN (2026, d. Mailys Vallade, Liane-cho Han) *** 1/2+
BUTCHER'S STAIN (2026, short film, d. Meyer Levinson-Blount) *** 1/4
FRIEND OF DOROTHY, A (2026, short film, d. Lee Knight) *** 1/2+
JANE AUSTEN'S PERIOD DRAMA (2026, short film, d. Steve Pinder) ** 3/4
March, 2026
ZOOTOPIA 2 (2026, d. Jared Bush, Byron Howard) ** 3/4
SINGERS, THE (2026, short film, d. Sam Davis)
TWO PEOPLE EXCHANGING SALIVA (2026, short film, d. Alexandre Singh, Natalie Musteata) ** 3/4
SINNERS (2026, d. Ryan Coogler) *** 1/2
VLADIMIR (2025, limited series, d. Shari Springer Berman, etc.) ** 1/4