Category Archives: Thriller

Drama, Mystery, Thriller

BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER (2025): New Trailer From Colin Farrell, Fala Chen, Tilda Swinton…

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Read my spoiler-free movie review of Ballad of a Small Player (2025).

In drama/mystery/thriller, Ballad of a Small Player, Colin Farrell is a high-stakes gambler who may have just met a person with the key to what he’s been looking for.

From director Edward Berger, Fala Chen and Tilda Swinton are among the key cast.

This looks a lot like what I suspect is the reason my parents never allowed my siblings and I to play card games.

I’m excited about how colour-rich this is, and Farrell is clearly bringing his A++ game. I just hope the story ends well for his character.

Will you be tuning in for all that glorious colour?

Alex Jennings, Jason Tobin, Adrienne Lau, Alan K. Chang, Deanie lp and Margaret Cheunga also star.

Ballad of a Small Player Release Dates: October 15th, 2025 (US), October 17th, 2025 (UK)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Source: JustWatch
Crime, Drama, Thriller

AFTER THE HUNT (2025): New Trailer Starring Ayo Edebiri, Julia Roberts, Chloë Sevigny, Andrew Garfield…

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After The Hunt (2025), Andrew Garfield, Amazon MGM Studios
After The Hunt (2025), Andrew Garfield, Amazon MGM Studios

After the Hunt has Julia Roberts playing a college professor who finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads, after her star student accuses a colleague of assault.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino, additional key cast includes Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield and Chloë Sevigny.

This cast is quite the pleasant surprise. I look forward to Roberts, Edebiri and Garfield playing seemingly unlikable characters.

Also, this already appears to be quite well-written, which is great. I mean, it should be fun to watch a Gen X, Gen Z and a Millennial in intellectual battle, no?

Thaddea Graham, Bella Glanville, Will Price, Lio Mehiel, Christine Dye, Ariyan Kassam, Cameron Krogh Stone, Nigel Finnissy and Summer Knox also star.

After the Hunt Release Dates: October 17th, 2025 (US)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Action, Horror, No Spoiler Reviews, Thriller

28 YEARS LATER (2025): The Things I Liked…

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28 Years Later (2025), Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alfie Williams, Sony Pictures Entertainment
28 Years Later (2025), Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alfie Williams, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Having only watched 28 Days Later (2002), the first movie in the trilogy that includes 28 Weeks Later (2007) and now, 28 Years Later (2025), just a few weeks ago, I had high hopes for the latest instalment. How could I not after the memorable trailers starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer and Alfie Williams?

Written by Alex Garland of Ex Machina (2004) and directed by Danny Boyle, 28 Years Later is my favourite of the three films set in a United Kingdom that has been taken over by a mysterious and incurable zombie virus, leaving just a handful of survivors.

It’s the great pacing, musical score, performances (by Comer in particular), visual effects, shooting style, cinematography and editing that places 28 Years Later at number one, for me. I appreciated the editing so much that for the first time in all my years of loving film, I took note of the editor’s (Jon Harris) name. 

I’m glad that even though 28 Years Later is partly a horror film, I didn’t see anything that resulted in nightmares. And, truth be told, Sinners may still be my favourite film of 2025, so far, but I’d say that 28 Years Later is at least in the top five. 

Watch Garland and Boyle’s latest for all the reasons above, and one more: the stunning alpha chase sequence. You know how much I enjoy a well-choreographed chase sequence.

Happy Film loving,

G

Action, Drama, Thriller

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (2025): New Trailer Starring Benicio Del Toro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor…

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One Battle After Another (2025), Leonardo DiCaprio, Warner Bros.
One Battle After Another (2025), Leonardo DiCaprio, Warner Bros.

The second trailer for the latest Paul Thomas Anderson-written/directed movie is here.

One Battle After Another, the action/drama/thriller about the rescue mission for the 16-year-old daughter of an ex-revolutionary, stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn and Teyana Taylor.

Considering the stellar cast, I’m excited to see all the thrilling drama and action. I’m also looking forward to watching how things unfold for a daughter of ex-revolutionaries. In the meantime, I’m trying not to project my wish for a super bad-ass young lady onto Infiniti’s character too much. I’m barely succeeding.

I’m glad to be sensing a very satisfying chase sequence coming, and, knowing how much I love those, I’m beyond ready. What are you thinking after seeing this second trailer?

D.W. Moffett, Shayna McHayle, John Hoogenakker, Regina Hall, Aladria Brown, Chase Infiniti, Wood Harris, Alana Haim, Jose Rico and Raymond Ruiz also star.

One Battle After Another Release Dates: September 26th, 2025 (US & UK)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

Source: JustWatch
Action, Adventure, No Spoiler Reviews, Sci-Fi, Thriller

JURASSIC WORLD – REBIRTH (2025): The Things I Liked… 

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I’m not a big enough fan of the Jurassic World films to have a favourite, but I did enjoy Jurassic World Rebirth. The biggest highlight for me was Scarlett Johansson as the leader in charge of keeping everyone physically safe.

Directed by Gareth Edwards, this instalment of the Jurassic World franchise is a movie that proved most exciting in the last third. The scares, monster special effects, and the action sequence were good. The latter, even more so whenever Johansson was at the centre of it all in her more than capable mercenary mode. 

Based on the trailers, I’d expected the dialogue in Jurassic World Rebirth to be memorable. Yet, outside of Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey’s) lines about intelligence, which I enjoyed quite a bit, I’d classify the dialogue in Edwards’s film as okay to good enough. My classification of the directing and story/script is similar.

I must admit that Bailey’s American accent was a tad spoty in parts. But, thankfully, nothing like Don Cheadle in Ocean’s Thirteen (2007), where the Cockney accent is butchered/ obliterated like never before. I tried to find a clip to share here, but YouTube sadly did not deliver. 

As for the all-important (to me) question that no one asked about: As stories about humans going where they don’t belong, into jungles occupied by monsters, do I like Jurassic World – Rebirth or Kong – Skull Island (2017) more? It’s simple. Which one stars Tom Hiddleston?

Watch Jurassic World Rebirth if you’re curious. It is quite the entertaining summer blockbuster. 

Happy Film Loving,

G

Source: JustWatch