Matt's Musings

  Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey. The Killer (2023) Starring: Michael Fassbender Director: David Fincher About: This is one of the newest films on this list and one of my favorites from 2023. It was an excellent thriller from Netflix and features an incredible lead performance from Fassbender. Fincher is an interesting director. He's made some films that I love and some films that I didn't care for. But, above all, his films are never boring. That's the case here. I don't really understand why this flew under-the-radar as much as it did, but the way it's shot and put together is brilliant. The use of Fassbender's internal monologue to fill out the world is also brilliant...

  The 97th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday. Below are my picks for who will take home each of the awards! Best Picture: Conclave Best Director: Jacques Audiard, Emilia Perez Best Actor: Ralph Fiennes, Conclave Best Actress: Demi Moore, The Substance Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande, Wicked Best Adapted Screenplay: Peter Straughn, Conclave Best Original Screenplay: Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain Best Animated Feature: The Wild Robot Best International Feature: Emilia Perez Best Documentary Feature: No Other Land Best Documentary Short Film: Incident Best Live Action Short Film: A Lien Best Animated Short Film: Magic Candies Best Original Score: Conclave Best Original Song: "El Mal," Emilia Perez Best Sound: Dune: Part Two Best Production Design: Wicked Best Cinematography: Nosferatu Best Makeup and Hairstyle: Wicked Best Costume Design: Wicked Best Editing: Emilia Perez Best Visual Effects: Dune: Part Two Enjoy the...

  As we swing toward the end of February, we’re getting some interesting films from interesting filmmakers. Below is my take on this week’s new movies. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. Cleaner (Theaters) Starring : Daisy Ridley, Clive Owen, and Taz Skylar Synopsis: When you see a movie starring Daisy Ridley and Clive Owen, directed by Martin Campbell (Goldeneye, Casino Royale), you don’t expect it to go under-the-radar. Yet, that’s the case with Cleaner, which opened in theaters this weekend. The film is set in London and is a solid action film with a good production team. We meet Joey (Ridley) as she’s running late and running into a bad day. The facility that houses her brother, Michael (Matthew Tuck), has kicked him out. She must take him along with her as she heads in late to work. She’s a window cleaner for an energy company in the heart of the city, and it’s the night of their shareholder gala. Unfortunately, Joey en...

We’re making our way through February and now that the NFL Season is in the rearview mirror, we’re seeing an uptick in Sunday night options. But what of these shows are worth checking out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Winter. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Wednesdays: Good Cop/Bad Cop, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW (Premiered February 19) About : The CW has been a network adrift the past few years. With the Arrowverse done, there’s not a consistent draw to the network. They’ve been filling the air with international co-productions and a variety of different kinds of series. Some of them hit, some don’t. This latest series, Good Cop/Bad Cop, hit for me. It centers on a small Washington town where Lou (Leighton Meester) is the lone detective. She has her methods and is great at her job, but she presses the Chief (Clancy Brown), who happens to be her father, for help. In response, he hire...

   The 97th Academy Awards take place on Sunday, March 2. The nominations were announced on January 23. In the run up to this year's awards, I'm looking at different races. Today, it's the Best Picture Race. Best Picture Nominees: Anora The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune: Part Two Emilia Perez I'm Still Here Nickel Boys The Substance Wicked About : We have 10 films nominated for Best Picture. You could make an argument for a number of them, but who wins the biggest prize. Emilia Perez was nominated for 13 awards, making it the most nominated film. But it has seemingly lost some steam, especially with the controversy surrounding its star. I don't think it will win Best Picture. I similarly think I'm Still Here is a nice story but will fall short. Dune: Part Two and Wicked feel like the populist films, but both feel like long shots in this category. The Substance doesn't feel likely either, as it's hard to imagine a horror film winning, whi...

It's hard to believe, but 2010 was 15 years ago. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at some stand out films from 2010 that are turning 15 in 2025. Today, it's the start of an animated franchise. Hiccup : This is Berk. It snows nine months of the year, and hails the other three. Any food that grows here is tough and tasteless. The people that grow here are even more so. The only upsides are the pets. While other places have ponies or parrots... we have... dragons. How to Train Your Dragon Starring : Gerard Butler, Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, and Jonah Hill Director : Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders About : When I was looking at 2010, a few films stood out. Among them were a pair of animated features. The first of those comes today as I kick off a look at the year. It seems fitting that we're looking at this original animated feature in the year where its live-action re-make is coming to theaters. While I'm curious to see how the live-action film comes ...

  Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey. Vertigo (1958) Starring: Jimmy Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes Director : Alfred Hitchcock About : Hitchcock is a talented director who had a long and varied career. His most well known films come in a certain era, but his roots stretch back to early films in the 1920s as part of the silent film era. That era required a strong flair for visual filmmaking, something that he applied throughout his career. Vertigo is a mystery tale. It's a tale of love, obsession, and deception. And it has long sequences, particularly early, that feature no dialogue. You have to watch the film and get absorbed in the action and in the world. That gives it a very inte...

Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey. Richard Jewell (2019) Starring : Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, and Jon Hamm Director: Clint Eastwood About: Eastwood has had a long and varied career. He made his name as a star at first and later moved into directing. He's been prolific at both and has crafted some very engaging films. Narrowing it down to a top five was interesting. This film follows the security guard who was accused of planting the bomb at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. The film includes that sequence and all that followed. It's an interesting story that hasn't been often explored. Kathy Bates is quite good here in a supporting role and this film was more interesting and surpris...

 The 97th Academy Awards take place on Sunday, March 2. The nominations were announced on January 23. In the run up to this year's awards, I'm looking at different races. Today, it's the races for director and screenplay. Best Director Nominees: Sean Baker, Anora Brady Corbet, The Brutalist James Mangold, A Complete Unknown Jacques Audiard, Emilia Perez Coralie Fargeat, The Substance About : This is a strong field with five directors whose films are nominated for Best Picture. But who comes out on top? It feels like an open field, though Mangold would probably be more of a Dark Horse winner. Baker and Anora have fans, as do Corbet and The Brutalist . Fargeat did some amazing work with The Substance , but feels more likely in a writing category. I think the winner here might be Audiard. His film led the Academy Awards with 13 nominations and had some great visuals. I like him to get the award. Best Adapted Screenplay Nominees: James Mangold and Jay Cocks, A Complete Unknown...

The long President’s Day weekend brought us the first blockbuster of 2025 and some other new releases. Let’s dive in and see what we got. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock) Starring: Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Leo Woodall, Emma Thompson, and Chiwetel Ejofor Synopsis : It’s been nine years since our last Bridget Jones adventure, but Zellweger is still quite good in the part. This fourth installment comes straight to streaming and picks up a few years in the future where Bridget is a single mother to two small kids after Mark (Colin Firth) has passed away. She’s still single and closed off. Her friends, including Daniel (Grant) and her doctor (Thompson), encourage her to get on with her life. She goes back to work and eventually meets a handsome younger man (Woodall). Sparks fly, but it is it the right love connection? Zellweger is great here and the film hits a lot of familiar beats. B...

  We’re through President’s Day Weekend, and the flood of new shows currently sits at a trickle. But with the weather leaving you feeling more indoorsy, you might be wondering what’s worth checking out. Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Winter. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Mondays: The Hunting Party, Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC (Premiered January 19) About: It’s usually not advisable to premier a show and wait three weeks for it to return. And yet, that’s what we got a couple times this week. The first is The Hunting Party, which got a debut behind a playoff football game in January and returned to its regular weekly timeslot on February 10. The series follows a secret, supermax prison where those sent to be housed are already believed to be dead. When an explosion sets them free, it becomes urgent to get them back in custody. A team is assembled, including a troubled FBI Profiler (Meli...

  The 97th Academy Awards take place on Sunday, March 2. The nominations were announced on January 23. In the run up to this year's awards, I'm looking at different races. Today, it's the race for actress. Best Actress Nominees: Cynthia Erivo, Wicked Karla Sophia Gascon, Emilia Perez Mikey Madison, Anora Demi Moore, The Substance Fernanda Torres, I'm Still Here About : Gascon has basically eliminated herself with the comments that came out. Despite her film leading the nominations, she has no shot. Erivo was great, but she is little more than a dark horse candidate here. The same is true of Torres, though she feels like a more realistic dark horse candidate. Still, those three feel like longshots (or no shots). But, the race comes down to Madison and Moore. Both were great and both have their fans. A tidal wave for Anora could put Madison on top. But I think it's Moore's year. She's won a number of awards leading up and she makes for a wonderful story. I...

We've made it to 2025, which means that films released in 2010 are now turning 15 years old. It's hard to believe how time flies, and it's even harder to believe some of the films on the list are now 15 years old.  The year 2010 marked the end of the first decade of a new Century. It was a year full of some engaging, iconic, and memorable films. As I look back at the year, I'm highlighting some films that have always stood out to me. I was surprised by the list, but it's five films that I couldn't move on without talking about. For each of the films that I'll highlight from the year, I'll be including a quote from the film, an image, and a bit of the reason it makes the list. It's always fun to look at these cinematic time capsules to remember the films we've gotten and to remember favorites we might not have seen for a while. So, check back each Sunday through March 23 for a film from 2010. Then keep coming back as I continue to look at annivers...

Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey. Wonder Woman (2017) Starring : Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen, and David Thewlis Director: Patty Jenkins About: I've been going through five films from 18 of my favorite directors, but interspersed will be 10 films from female directors. This is the second of those films, and one of the better superhero films of the last decade. This was part of the old DCEU, the origin story for Wonder Woman as played by Gadot, who first appeared in the Batman v Superman film. Gadot is great in this role and I really enjoyed the origin story here. Wonder Woman is a hero for which we haven't often seen the origin story, so this felt fresh. Wright and ...

  Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey. Goodfellas (1990) Starring : Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino Director: Martin Scorsese About: Scorsese is a varied and prolific director. He continues today, but his roots go back to the 1960s. He's delivered a number of fascinating films. So, narrowing it down can be tricky. But for the final film in my Top 5, I had to go with one of his classics in Goodfellas . This is a quintessential mobster film and it's really well crafted. I love the drama and the way it's put together. The performances are strong, too, and there are some iconic moments. Liotta does some of his best work here as Henry Hill, the main cha...

The 97th Academy Awards take place on Sunday, March 2. The nominations were announced on January 23. In the run up to this year's awards, I'm looking at different races. Today, it's the race for actors. Best Actor Nominees: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Timothee Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Coleman Domingo, Sing Sing Ralph Fiennes, Conclave Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice About : This is a fascinating race. I like a number of the performances here, and all five have been applauded throughout the year. There are four of them who I'd be pleased to see win. But only one can be the winner, so who will it be? I think Chalamet could be a front-runner. He had two great performances in 2024. The same is true of Stan, who could be an interesting winner if the Academy wants to send a statement to the sitting President. Domingo, nominated for the second year in a row, is a class act who gave his heart-and-soul to his film. But, for me, if I was to pick a winner, it would be Fiennes. ...

  We’re into February, which means we’re getting some films aimed squarely at the holiday that’s forthcoming. This week I look at two that take wildly different approaches—one an action film in theaters and the other an over-the-top comedy on streaming. Below is my take on both. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. Kinda Pregnant (Netflix) Starring : Amy Schumer, Will Forte, and Jillian Bell Synopsis: Bringing a child into the world can be a beautiful thing. It’s something that many women aspire to and when it doesn’t happen, it can leave them feeling down. Or, maybe, even doing something crazy.  That’s the premise for Kinda Pregnant, a new comedy that debuts today on Netflix. The film finds Schumer playing a teacher who has long wanted to be married and start a family. In fact, an early sequence shows her playing at giving birth as a young girl. But as we meet her in adulthood, the dream hasn’t happened yet. She thinks h...

We’re cruising through February and seeing a few different new series pop up. But what of them are worth your time to check out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Winter. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Thursdays: The Z-Suite, Streaming Thursdays on Tubi (Premiered February 6) About : This is a new comedy that comes to Tubi, not a place you typically look for new content. The first two episodes dropped Thursday, with subsequent episodes dropping weekly. It is set at an ad agency where Monica (Lauren Graham) is the queen, assisted by her right-hand Doug (Nico Santos). But she constantly overlooks her Gen Z Social Media Team, led by Kriska (Madison Shamoun). When a shift at the company happens, that pits the top star against the younger employees. And hilarity ensues. At least that’s the plan. The episodes are just about 23 minutes, feeling like a typical network sitcom. But it feels stiff. I l...

  It's hard to believe, but 2015 was 10 years ago. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at some stand out films from 2015 that are turning 10 in 2025. Today, it's the re-birth of the galaxy. Han : It's true, all of it Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens Starring : Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Domhnall Gleeson, and Adam Driver Director : J.J. Abrams About: It's hard to believe that it's been 10 years since Star Wars was re-born. This film wasn't what some had hoped, but it's a loving tribute to the original trilogy. It's also a fun film that can stand on its own, introducing new characters and returning some favorites. It's not the best of the Star Wars films, but I remember the anticipation for this one and what it was like to go and see an original film on the Big Screen after all those years. Hopefully we'll get a good, new original soon enough!

  Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey. Backdraft (1991) Starring : Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Robert De Niro, and Donald Sutherland Director : Ron Howard About : Howard is an interesting director who doesn't really get enough credit. Yes, his films are probably more commercial than some on this list, but they're also quite varied in tone, style, and story. That's the case here with Backdraft, a film with an impressive cast, an immersive story, and a technical style that led to three Oscar nominations. I am moved by the depth of story and character here, but the technical achievement is also fun. Russell is good here, but Baldwin gives perhaps his best performance while pros...

  Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) Starring: Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie Director : Quentin Tarantino About : Tarantino has a unique style and often has some big, violent sequences. That's true here. This is one of his later films, and one I enjoy. This is set in 1969, and it follows a fading star (DiCaprio) and his best friend and stunt man (Pitt). It also intersects with real events, following Sharon Tate (Robbie) and a version of the Manson Family. In fact, the climactic events of the film are a Manson Family attack where, in a bit of revenge fantasy, our cinematic heroes pull the rug out and save the real life victims. That didn'...

It’s not the Super Bowl most of us wanted, but maybe it’s the Super Bowl we deserve. The Eagles are back, this time powered by Saquon Barkley on offense, while the Chiefs return for their shot at history. Really, if we think about it, could it have gone any other way? But who will win this big game? Let’s dive in. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) at Kansas City Chiefs (15-2) About: This is two good teams coming together. The Chiefs have made it work on offense despite not consistently having strong performances. They’ve also relied on a good and, at times, smothering defense. But the thing is, the Eagles have much the same. They’ve had a top defense all year and bring that to this big game. But the Eagles have a better offense, and a much better focal weapon in Barkley. He rushed for more than 2,000 yards in 16 games. He’s on the short list for MVP and probably should win. He’s the engine that drives the Eagles’ offense under Kellen Moore. Which isn’t to say that the Eagles don’t have good p...

The final week of January brought us a few new releases, but are any of them worth checking out? Below I review the new movies I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. Companion (Theaters) Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lucas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillen, and Rupert Friend Synopsis: This new film from writer/director Drew Hancock follows a couple (Quaid and Thatcher) who arrive at friends’ secluded lakeside home for a quiet weekend getaway. Said friend, Kat (Suri), is in a relationship with Russian billionaire Sergey (Friend), who owns the home. Another couple—Eli (Guillen) and Patrick (Gage)—are also on hand for the weekend. Everything is going fine until Sergey makes a move on Iris (Thatcher). She responds by protecting herself and killing Sergey in the process. Covered in blood, she arrives back at the cabin to find the other four shocked. How could this happen? Turns out everything is not what it seem...

  We’re through January, with the final week of the year’s first month providing a couple interesting new releases. But are they worth checking out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Winter. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesdays: Paradise, Streaming Tuesdays on Hulu (Premiered January 27) About : This new series comes from the creator of This Is Us and stars Sterling K. Brown. So, you might be thinking this will be another saccharin drama. You’d be wrong. This is a different kind of story, despite the reunion. Here, Brown plays a widower who is raising two kids and serving as the primary Secret Service protector to the President of the United States (James Marsden). When an incident happens, it pushes him into investigation mode while he thinks back on their past together. There are a lot of twists in this story, so I won’t say any more about the plot. Suffice to say the pilot sets up ...

The 97th Academy Awards take place on Sunday, March 2. The nominations were announced on January 23. In the run up to this year's awards, I'm looking at different races. Today, it's the Best International Feature. Nominees: Emilia Perez Flow The Girl With the Needle I'm Still Here The Seed of the Sacred Fig About : This is an interesting field. Of the five films that are nominated in this category, three have multiple nominations. Flow is part of the Animated Feature race, and potentially a favorite there. Meanwhile Emilia Perez and I'm Still Here are both part of the Best Picture field and have multiple nominations. Emilia Perez was the most nominated film with 13 total nominations. Normally, that would make it a shoo-in here. But we have some controversy with the comments made by the film's star, and I think that could well put a damper on its voting. I still think it is a favorite in this category based on its haul, but it doesn't feel like a lock. I...

 It's hard to believe, but 2015 was 10 years ago. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at some stand out films from 2015 that are turning 10 in 2025. Today, it's the re-boot of a classic franchise. James Griswold : I've never even heard of the original vacation. Rusty Griswold : Doesn't matter. The new vacation will stand on its own. Vacation Starring : Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins, Leslie Mann, and Chris Hemsworth Director : John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein About : This is a re-boot of sorts, and one of the unexpected comedy treasures of the past few years. It features Helms as a grown up Rusty Griswold taking his own family on a vacation road trip. We get a cameo from Beverly D'Angelo and Chevy Chase to tie it into the original franchise, but as his character notes, this stands on its own. It is hilarious. Helms and Applegate are great. Gisondo has some incredible lines and scenes. And the sequence with Hem...

  Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey. Blade Runner 2049 (2017) Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, and Ana de Armas Director : Denis Villeneuve About: I love Villeneuve as a director. As part of this countdown, we'll see the breadth of his work. He's a visually stunning artist. Sometimes, his visuals and craft outpaces the story. That's the case for me with this film. I love the craft, and it's a great example of his work, but it's not a film that I love that much. Still, it has a visual style that is something I hadn't seen before. Gosling and Ford are solid here, too, though I didn't love the story overall. Still, this is worth checking out for the exceptional craft ...