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We’re into January, getting the first new films of the year. But are any worth checking out? I offer my thoughts on two new releases below. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

The Damned (Theaters)
Starring: Odessa Young, Joe Cole, Rory McCann, and Siobhan Finneran
Synopsis: This first wide release of the year is a horror movie, which comes as little surprise. We often get horror films to kickstart the year, and 2025 is no different. This is a ghost story, of sorts, set in an Icelandic fishing village during a brutal winter in the 19th Century. A young widow (Young) is running a crew on the boat she owns after her husband perished in an accident a year earlier. When they come across a ship in distress, some want to help. Others are weary after their previous accident. The widow decides they’ll not help. But when the crew begins to be haunted by something mysterious, they begin to worry they’ve made a mistake. The film is directed by Thordur Palsson, who came up with the story. He brings some interesting visuals to the story, especially using the brutally cold setting to add to the feel and tension. But when it comes to the story, it doesn’t really land. There isn’t enough depth with the characters, either. I wasn’t invested in what was going on and even when we get something of a turn at the end, it didn’t really hit. The film is only 89 minutes, so it’s a short commitment. But it’s not a compelling commitment, either.
Rating: Rated R for bloody violent content, suicide and some language.
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Netflix)
Starring: Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Diane Morgan, and Reece Shearsmith
Synopsis: We’ve been getting Wallace & Gromit tales for decades, as the pair first popped up in a short in 1989. Since then, they’ve become favorites with fans as the Claymation pals continue to delight audiences in shorts and features. To kick off 2025, we get their latest adventure. While the film had a limited opening in late 2024, it becomes one of the first wide releases of the year on Netflix. As we begin, Wallace (Whitehead) and his canine pal Gromit have foiled a diamond heist from a crafty penguin, Feathers McGraw. It makes them heroes—though not with McGraw, who begins plotting his vengeance from prison. Some time later, Wallace is still trying to find that next big invention. He creates a helpful robotic gnome, Norbot (Shearsmith), who offers to make life easier. Though his interference rankles, Gromit. With this new invention, McGraw finds his way out of prison—and his shot at vengeance against Wallace. Soon, he infiltrates the programming and builds a Norbot army whose acts make Wallace look like a criminal mastermind. You know what you’re going to get with these tales. This one runs about an hour and 20 minutes and has plenty of fun. Wallace and Gromit are strong characters, and their friendship is at the heart of this tale. It offers an easy-to-follow plot and some laughs, making it good for the whole family.
Rating: Rated PG for some action and rude humor.
Verdict: Three stars out of five