JoeMama's Movie Reviews

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Starring Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter Directed by Simon Curtis In 2010, "Downton Abbey" premiered on PBS, and history was made. Centering on the Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era in the fictional Yorkshire country estate known as Downton Abbey, the series went on for six seasons and won 49 awards out of 197 nominations. This was followed up with two cinematic movies, "Downton Abbey" which earned over $194 million worldwide and "Downton Abbey: A New Era" which earned over $92 million worldwide. Now, the dynasty that is "Downton Abbey" ends with the appropriately-titled "The Grand Finale," and it's as lavish, lovely, and epic as you'd expect. After the Stock Market crash of 1930, Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) and his wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) face hardships as construction at Downton Abbey go above budget, where they consider selli...

Him Starring Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker Directed by Justin Tipping There are movies that are heightened by their use of visuals that go beyond the normal, that accentuate the story being told in riveting, mysterious ways. When done right, they're unforgettable - but when they merely exist to try to make a dull, uninspired, seemingly unfinished story "pop," it moreso resembles arriving at a fireworks show at the finale: beautiful to see, but hollow and forgettable afterward. 2025 has had two films like this: The Weeknd's glory project "Hurry Up Tomorrow" and now Justin Tipping's "Him," but at least unlike "Hurry Up Tomorrow," "Him" at least had decent performances that elevated it ever so slightly above the dreaded negative range. Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) is the best quarterback in the football league, playing for the San Antonio Saviors for years, and young Cam Cade (Austin Pulliam) worships h...

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Starring Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kito, Hiro Shimono, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka Directed by Haruo Sotozaki When I was in college my roommate made me watch the entirety (at that time) of the "Dragonball" series, and while I appreciated the art style, I was annoyed in the fact that it took like twenty episodes for one fight to finish, because it would keep going from the fighting to some backstories that developed the characters more, but how it was structured felt disjointed to me. I haven't watched anime since, and many friends love anime, especially "Demon Slayer," so I accompanied one of my friends to see it, and I was blown away. Not knowing anything about "Demon Slayer" I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up, but it was done in a way where even if you never saw an episode, you knew the basics of what was happening. The evil Muzan Kibutuji returns to his dimensional stronghold, the Infinity Castle, and traps the Demon Sl...

The Rule of Jenny Pen Starring John Lithgow, Geoffrey Rush, George Henare, Ian Mune Directed by James Ashcroft The issue of aging is truly a terrifying one for anyone getting older, because we all long for a long, healthy life - but very few attain it. The majority end up in nursing homes, where their loved ones barely visit, and as their bodies and minds slowly deteriorate, they become more asylums than nursing homes. It's against this terrifying backdrop that we get "The Rule of Jenny Pen" - a movie that focuses on these fears while also serving the male equivalent of the classic "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush) is a respected judge who suffers a stroke while passing a sentence in court, and is confined to a care home until he becomes mobile again. He's crotchety, has no friends or family, and is overall annoying to employees and fellow residents alike, especially his former rugby player roommate Tony Garfield (George Hen...

The History of Sound Starring Paul Mescal, Josh O'Connor, Chris Cooper, Molly Price Directed by Oliver Hermanus Music is something that's memorable and undeniably haunting - it reinforces memories and creates them as well, uplifting your spirit and leaving indelible prints in your mind. It's something that unites people and brings them closer together, and touches the soul. To celebrate it is like celebrating an element all its own, and forgetting it is something akin to losing that which you love most. "The History of Sound" looks at how music can bring two men of polar opposite ends of the spectrum together, and how it can ultimately change their fates. In 1917,  Lionel Worthing (Paul Mescal) is attending the New England Conservatory for music after growing up literally seeing music, a savant with a remarkable talent for music even though he grew up impoverished on a dilapidated farm. One night at a pub he hears a folk song that he heard when he was a child, and...

The Long Walk Starring Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Tut Nyuot, Mark Hamill Directed by Francis Lawrence There's a simple question going into a movie like this: how can it be entertaining? The movie is essentially about a group of young men who walk, and once they drop below a certain speed they're given three warnings before they're killed, and the last one left walking wins. It's not a cerebral story, it doesn't jump from location to location, and you know the outcome pretty much from the starting point. So how can it be entertaining? By having a who's who of the hottest up-and-coming young talent, a thought-provoking script, compelling dialogue, and a tonal balance that's relatively unheard of: hope in the midst of certain death. After a second American Civil War has ravaged the country, the regime's leader The Major (Mark Hamill) hosts a yearly competition known as The Long Walk where one boy from each state is selected for a seemingly easy competit...

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues Starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner Directed by Rob Reiner Forty years ago, "This is Spinal Tap" hit the cinemas with barely a whisper, making a little over $5,000,000 worldwide, but since then it's become a cult classic - so much so, some people actually thought Spinal Tap was an actual band and the mockumentary was actually a documentary. No one expected anything else to happen after that first movie, but now - forty years later and in the wake of legacy sequel-itis - we get "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues." While not as endearing as the original (and probably won't be as big of a cult classic), it does what it does so well that only those who remembered and loved the first will see it - and to the film's credit, they know it, and don't fall into the pitfalls of other legacy sequels by trying to set up another long-running franchise. These men are ancient, and they're more tha...

The Threesome Starring Zoey Deutch, Jonah Hauer-King, Ruby Cruz, Jaboukie Young-White Directed by Chad Hartigan With a titillating title like "The Threesome" you'd expect at least some sort of romantic intrigue or sexual tension, but instead it's a very watered-down version of the title that doesn't explicitly show anything at all exciting, and if it weren't for the foul language it would've been a PG-13 snoozer. What's worse is that the movie circles itself over and over like Ouroboros and shows that, while this concept has some legs, it would've been better as a short film rather than a short film stretched way too thin. Connor Blake (Jonah Hauer-King) is a nice guy who's still crushing on his friend Olivia Capitano (Zoey Deutch), but she's currently involved with a married man and seems to only be her natural sarcastic self around Connor. One day at the place she works at his friend Greg (Jaboukie Young-White) mentions that there's a...

Lurker Starring Theodore Pellerin, Archie Madekwe, Zack Fox, Havana Rose Liu Directed by Alex Russell "What's the difference between love and obsession?" is a question asked too on-the-nose in "Lurker," a movie reminiscent of "Nightcrawler" that centers on a man who is easily a sociopath that lurks his way into the life of an up-and-coming singer in order to get everything he's ever wanted - friendship, notoriety, and, most importantly, love.  Matthew Morning (Theodore Pellerin) lives in Los Angeles with his grandmother, has very few friends, and works at a dead-end job at a fashionable boutique. Seeing his life is nowhere near what he expected it to be, he's shocked to see Oliver (Archie Madekwe) - an up-and-coming singer - come into the store. He immediately plays a song that he knows Oliver loves from his Instagram, and acts like he has no idea who he is. Oliver invites him to his show because he feels that Matthew will be the only one who w...

The Roses Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon Directed by Jay Roach The War of the Roses  is an iconic novel written by Warren Adler and was made into an equally iconic 1989 movie starring Danny DeVito, and centers on a self-destructive couple who find themselves at war trying to one-up the other. The movie is a dark comedy that has stood the test of time, and while the 2025 version probably won't be as well-regarded, it's still a joyous romp with two acclaimed British actors at the helm who utilize their dry British wit to full advantage, leaving me laughing out loud numerous times - and for anyone who knows me, you know comedies aren't my favorite. One day in London, successful architect Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch) meets up-and-coming restaurateur Ivy (Olivia Colman), and sparks fly immediately. They fall in love, marry, have two children and move to America where Theo maintains his success as a well-respected architect, while Iv...

The Toxic Avenger Starring Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon Directed by Macon Blair The original 1984 movie "The Toxic Avenger" has become an iconic cult classic (it even spawned its own children's animated show) about a mild-mannered janitor who falls into a vat of toxic waste and becoming the Toxic Avenger - a deformed mutant with superhuman size and strength who go on to protect the innocent. The movie is best known for its ultra violence and grindhouse feel, and rightfully earned its place in the cult classic cinematic landscape. Now, instead of a direct remake, "The Toxic Avenger" pays homage to the original while forging its own path - a path paved with blood, guts, and delicious puns delivered by a surprising A-list cast that throw themselves wholeheartedly into the outlandish nature of the movie. In the poverty-stricken town of St. Roma, Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage) works as a mild-mannered janitor for pharmaceutical company B...

The Conjuring: Last Rites Starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy Directed by Michael Chaves Ed and Lorraine Warren are two of the most well-known demonologists and paranormal researchers in history, having claimed to work on over one thousand cases of the unexplained, including the infamous Amityville horror. While many hold to their authenticity, even more feel they were charlatans and con-artists who took advantage of the people they claimed to help. Obviously I don't know if they were real or not, but I've always been fascinated by their work, and James Wan brought them to the general masses with his hugely successful film "The Conjuring" in 2013, earning over $300,000,000 worldwide and spawned its own cinematic universe including three "Annabelle" films, two "The Nun" movies and four "Conjuring" films, culminating in "Last Rites," the last ride for the supernatural superhero duo. While obviously movi...

Americana Starring Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, Halsey, Eric Dane Directed by Tony Tost 2025 seems to be a resurgence for the Western genre, with Ari Aster's "Eddington" and now "Americana" hitting theaters both in the summer (alright, that's just two, but given how niche the Western genre is, that's a bit of a resurgence in and of itself), and both manage to bring back the classic feel but also give the modern take on the wild, wild west in ways that feel almost normal. "Americana" is one such film, which feels like an early Tarantino or Coen Brothers film with its blend of gory violence, old movie references, quirky dialogue, unique characters and non-linear storytelling. While this is the directorial debut for Tony Tost, "Americana" has a charm all its own, even though it could've used a bit more polishing.  When word spreads of a wealthy socialite coming into possession of a priceless Ghost Shirt (an artifact of symboli...

Eden Starring Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney, Ana de Armas Directed by Ron Howard There's many stories out there that have never been told, unique tales of harrowing survival and insane settings, and "Eden" is one such movie. Based on the true events that happened after World War I, the movie focuses on three groups of people who flee to an abandoned island for very different reasons, and proves that society is inherently incapable of living peacefully. Led by fantastic actors, the movie should've been a "Lord of the Flies" style thriller, and for the most part it is, but the pacing is a bit off which keeps it from achieving the greatness you expect from an Oscar-winning director like Ron Howard. In 1929, Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his girlfriend Dore (Vanessa Kirby) flee their native Germany and settle on the isolated island of Floreana in the Galapagos Islands to escape the bourgeois values they feel are harming mankind. They spend years ...

Honey Don't! Starring Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Charlie Day Directed by Ethan Coen When you get a film directed or written by any combination of Joel and Ethan Coen, you're going to get dark comedy, film noir and western subgenres tossed into a blender with a unique result - and sometimes that works off well (such as "Fargo" and "No Country for Old Men"), but other times not so much. While Joel is absent from "Honey Don't!," you can still sense the blend of genres, but ultimately the script (co-written by Ethan and his wife Tricia Cooke), falls flat with too many characters and a plotline that deviates so much I forgot what the purpose of the movie was halfway through because of its intense change. Honey O'Donahue (Margaret Qualley) is a private investigator in Bakersfield, California, who investigates mostly cheating spouses, until one prospective client ends up dead under mysterious circumstances. The woman belonged to ...

Worst2First:  My Most Anticipated Films of Fall 2025    The months of September, October and November are filled with films that run the gambit: there's Oscar-bait films, horror (since Halloween is soon approaching), as well as sequels and continuations of long-running franchises, and 2025 doesn't appear to be any different.  Here are the ten films I'm most excited to see in the fall months of 2025… **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **RELEASE DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE** #10 The Black Phone 2 October 17 The first "The Black Phone," based off a short story by Stephen King's son Joe Hill, was a surprise hit and crafted a new villain in the form of Ethan Hawke's The Grabber. Personally it wasn't one of my favorites, as I felt the whole story was a bit too simple and easily resolved, and never thought a sequel would be made. But Scott Derrickson returns to the director's chair with Hawke, Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw return for the sequel which finds...