D.C.Reviews

  This is now year two of ranking the 10 Best Picture nominees on this blog and what a year it has been for cinema. There's some really classics and heavy hitters this year and below lays my ranking of the 10 pieces of film that I feel like impacted me the most. I really hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed watching these movies and hope to continue this tradition that I started on here last year well into the future.  1) Sinners - Never in doubt! Not only was Sinners the most original movie of 2025 but it was the most enjoyable experience I had in a theater. From it's lead or leads of Michael B Jodan as twins to the various supporing characters that all led so much to the story Ryan Coogler created an instant classic that really showcased Vampires in their most sinister form in quite some time on the big screen. And that among many others things is why Sinners ranks number 1 for me and while I don't think it will win Best Picture unfortunately it would be a well des...

  The master of horror comedy Sami Raimi has returned with Send Help an original, bloody and absolutely chaotic movie that really lends into what Raimi is best know for..insanity fuled chaos with a dash of comedy and blood. Rachel McAdams stats as Linda Liddle an office worker who after the death of her boss is promised a promotion within the company. She practically does all the number crunching and accounting for her co-workers. But when her boss's son takes over played by Dylan O Brien her dreams of becoming vice president take a giant hit as he gives the position to his best friend. This leads to a team get together to close a big deal and while aboard a plane it crashes into the ocean somewhere in or around Thiland. And that's the story in a nutshell really as once we're on the island it really gets into spoiler territory as the fight for survival begins.  Send Help is really Sam Raimi at the height of his powers in the director's chair. It's funny, chaotic whi...

  From master filmmaker Park Chan-Wook creator of movies like Oldboy and The Handmaiden comes No Other Choice a truly unnerving and at times utterly gripping piece of cinema. The story of No Other Choice follows a family man who after 25 years of working at the same paper company is laid off abruptly leading him into an intense spiral of chaos and death. Set in Korea the movie visually is stunning and it's no surprise given the creator but tonally it's something truly chaotic as one minute it feels like a horror and the next full blown comedy and y'know what?? it absolute works as No Other Choice is one of the more unique movies I've seen in some time.  All it takes is one bad day for a man to lose control once said The Joker and here that couldn't be anymore true as our protagonist Yoo-Man-soo's demeanor goes from your ordinary family man to something much more darker and sinister as the run time ticks away. Gone is the simple man who worked in a paper company ...

  From Director Bradley Cooper comes a fascinating, unfiltered look at relationships and the trauma / love that comes with them. Co-written by Cooper and star Will Arnett Is This Thing On? is a moving and at times hilarious piece of cinema that we really need more of. The story follows the impending split and full blown seperation of Will Arnet's Alex and his wife of 25+ years Tess played by Laura Dern. Having 2 kid boys it's a pretty brutal seperation for everyone as the boys bounce from mom and dad throughout living in each space from time to time. Struggling to deal with it Alex begins to take up stand up comedy in a open mic night form and channels his emotions through it leading to some amazing friendships, experiences and even some healing along the way.  Will Arnet is pretty much flawless throughout in a performance that I feel will go so unnoticed and become so underrated as time passes. His pain both physically and emotionally is plain to see and the way he uses comed...

  Set in the stunning landscape of Japan comes Rental Family a really special movie about love, connection and wanting to feel accepted. Brendan Fraser stars as an American actor named Phillip who has been living in Japan for nearly a decade bouncing from job to job mainly doing commercial work. His entire life changes when he takes up work at a place called Rental Family which is a service that provides comfort for people in need or at least that's what is sold to Phillip. What follows is one of the most intelligent, well written and performed movies I've seen in quite some time. Brendan Fraser is utterly mesmarising from beginning to end and carries the movie with such emotinal depth and weight. From becoming a stand in father for a young girl and her mom to helping an older man find peace in life before his completely loses his mind to dementia it's all really compelling stuff as the movie juggles such big aspects of life with ease and treats everything with respect. The...

  From director Chloe Zhao comes Hamnet which is based upon the novel of the same name. The story essentially follows young lovers William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes who suffer a family tragedy leading to the creation of the timeless classic 'Hamlet' play piece. Jessie Buckley is utterly remarkable as Agnes a young wife of three children married to the love of her life in what was at first a forbidden marriage and get together. The two end up marrying and all seems to be going well until tragedy strikes and a young member of the family is taken ill. What follows is an absolute masterclass of emotion, striking and mesmarizing filmmaking both from those behind the camera and those in front. There's a scene in this where Jessie Buckley makes the most surreal and harrowing facial expression that left me utterly breathless.  I was never the biggest Shakespeare fan truth be told and even as I've gotten older I have grown to appreciate his extreme talent and way with words...