Welcome to week four of Movie Reviews 2025. If you’ve been following along so far, you’ll know weeks one, two, and three were bursting at the seams with releases, new and old.
And guess what? This week is no different – because there are heaps of movies to entertain your eyeballs, from the latest titles to a few classics.
It might seem like there is never anything to watch, but as regular readers will tell you, this simply isn’t the case. Between the cinema, streaming, video on demand, and physical media, there is a wealth of movies for you to check out right now.
Not convinced? Then you had best take a look at this week’s movie reviews which include You’re Cordially Invited, Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter, The Brutalist, Here, The Sand Castle, and Companion. Plus, this week Sam Raimi’s The Gift hits 4K disc and it’s time to celebrate the 85th anniversary of His Girl Friday.
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Now streaming…
You’re Cordially Invited (2025)
First up this week is the wedding-themed comedy, You’re Cordially Invited. Written and directed by Nicholas Stoller, the film stars Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell and focuses on two weddings which are accidentally booked at the same venue on the same day.
In the movie, Ferrell plays Jim, a devoted father to Jenni. When Jenni tells Jim she’s getting married and wants to wed in the same place he did, Jim calls up the venue and makes a booking for June 1st.
Meanwhile, Reese Witherspoon is Margot, the beloved sister to Neve. When Neve tells Margot she is getting married, but is getting no help from their parents, Margot takes charge, lines up the venue and makes a booking for June 1st.
Both Jim and Margot have booked the same venue on the same day. However, neither is aware of the impending clash until the following year, when they meet during the weekend of the weddings.
You know, somewhere in Hollywood I swear there is a big desk drawer stuffed full with scripts and/or script ideas jotted down in the ‘00s. It’s a drawer so deep, and so wide, that whenever film producers need a quick movie to fill their schedule they dive in and pluck something out.
Now, I can’t guarantee You’re Cordially Invited is based on one of these ‘00s script ideas, but this film certainly feels like it has been in the vicinity of this drawer. At first glance, this film looks and feels as if it was devised at some point in the past, and could have easily hit cinema screens alongside Meet the Parents (2000) or films of this ilk.
Yet, despite this picture having the initial vibe of a film from 25 years ago, You’re Cordially Invited is surprisingly up-to-date and a lot of fun. The jokes come thick and fast, and always make the landing, plus the cast is great and it is a very likeable movie!
If you’ve caught the teaser trailer for You’re Cordially Invited, you’ve glanced at the poster, or you have noticed a listing for the film pop-up on Amazon Prime Video and have thought “is this for me?”, I recommend you give it a go. Yes, the film hits many of the beats you might expect, but it does so in a very playful, very enjoyable way.
You’re Cordially Invited has an old school feel, but plenty of new material thrown into the mix, including some killer lines. Plus, Witherspoon and Ferrell are superb as the two central wedding organisers who become so determined to deliver the perfect wedding, they run the chance of ruining everything.
If You’re Cordially Invited has one weakness, it’s that the film runs a tad longer than perhaps it needs to. This movie has 90-minutes written all over it, so at 1hr 50 it could maybe move quicker with a little editing.
But this is a ‘maybe’ and it doesn’t take away from You’re Cordially Invited being highly enjoyable. The film has some great gags, a couple of slapstick moments, and a strong supporting cast in Leanne Morgan, Celia Weston, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Jimmy Tatro.
It’s immensely pleasing stuff, so stick it on your watchlist for this weekend. It can be your Saturday night movie, or your lazy Sunday afternoon treat.
You’re Cordially Invited is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
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On disc…
The Gift (2000)
Up next and now available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray in the UK, is the supernatural thriller, The Gift. Directed by Sam Raimi, and featuring performances from Cate Blanchett, Keanu Reeves, Hilary Swank, Giovanni Ribisi, Katie Holmes, Greg Kinnear, Gary Cole, J. K. Simmons, and Rosemary Harris, The Gift tells the story of a clairvoyant who becomes caught up in the disappearance of a young woman.
In the movie, Annie Wilson is a widow who lives in Brixton, Georgia with her three boys. Annie is a kindly soul, and a good person, who uses her gifts to make ends meet.
While her children are at school, Annie provides psychic readings to the locals. She reads cards, and occasionally has visions, and tries to guide her clients as best as she can.
One night, while her children are tucked up in bed, Annie is visited by Donnie Barksdale – the violent husband of one of her clients. Donnie is angry about advice Annie has given to his wife, and he threatens Annie and her children.
Over the coming days, Donnie begins to carry out his threat, bringing trouble to Annie’s door. But this isn’t the only trouble in Annie’s life – a local woman goes missing in Brixton, and Annie and Donnie might be key figures in uncovering the truth about her disappearance.
Out of all of Sam Raimi’s portfolio of films, it’s fair to say The Gift is one of his lesser-known, or perhaps lesser-remembered pictures. While the film was a moderate box office hit upon release back in 2000, it soon became overshadowed by Raimi’s success with the Spider-Man movies (2002 – 2007), and in the years since it has quietly faded into the background.
But as with all of Raimi’s movies, The Gift has plenty going for it and is fairly enjoyable stuff. It’s not the shiniest stone in Raimi’s collection, and certainly doesn’t have diamond status like some of his films (Spider-Man 2, Drag Me to Hell, etc), but it’s a jewel nonetheless, which looks pretty and glistens in the right way.
For the most part, it is a captivating thriller, with an intriguing central mystery. Annie’s clairvoyant abilities, coupled with the disappearance of the young woman, keeps things ticking along quite nicely, and if you’re a fan of Raimi’s work, including his flair for the supernatural, you’ll like the world he conjures up on screen.
The Gift is certainly a visually pleasing movie, which at times boasts a dream-like quality. It also showcases a superb cast, with Blanchett, Simmons, Reeves, Ribisi, and the rest of the team giving excellent performances, so there’s much to like on this front too.
Where things get a bit bumpy is largely in the resolution to the drama which isn’t quite as strong as it needs to be. After a good set-up and an equally interesting mid-section, The Gift stumbles during the final act, presenting a conclusion which needs a little more work.
However, irrespective of its shortcomings, The Gift has a certain charm, and many of its individual components help to paper over the cracks. So, while it might not hit the heights of Raimi’s best work, it is still a solid Sam Raimi film, which makes it worthy of anyone’s time.
Should you wish to check out The Gift, the new 4K and Blu-ray editions from Arrow Video present the movie in glorious HD and feature a wealth of bonus material. Special features include a new 4K remaster, two brand new audio commentaries, a collection of new interviews, an isolated music and effects track, plenty of archive material, and more.
In addition, the set boasts a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork, as well as an illustrated booklet featuring new essays about the film. All of this will cost you around £21.99 for the 4K edition and £17.99 for the Blu-ray.
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On disc…
Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)
Also available on disc this week is the 1974 Hammer horror movie, Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter! The film – which arrives as a limited edition 4K UHD boxset – follows the story of the eponymous Kronos, who is drafted in to help with a perplexing case.
In the movie, a small village is under attack from a vampire. However, unlike a traditional vamp, this creepy creature isn’t after blood, it is sucking the youth out of its victims.
Keen to get to the bottom of the situation, local villager Dr. Marcus, calls in his old friend Captain Kronos for some much needed assistance. From here, Kronos sets about bringing the vampire’s reign of terror to an end.
Written and directed by Brian Clemens, and starring Horst Janson, John Cater, Caroline Munro, John Carson, and Julian Holloway (as the dubbed voice of Kronos), Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter is a camp horror filled with period clothing, coiffed hair, and a smattering of blood. It mixes the usual look and feel of a Hammer production with that of a (mild) swashbuckling adventure picture, and if you’re a fan of British horror from the 1970s, you can’t go far wrong with this one.
Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter is arguably one of the best Hammer horrors from this period in the studio’s lifespan and it’s largely a lot of fun. OK, so the film is occasionally daft, but it has cult favourite written all over it, and it can now be viewed in the best possible resolution on disc.
In addition to a copy of Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter on 4K, the boxset is loaded with extras including five commentaries, three introductions, and a brand-new 57-minute documentary titled The House of Clemens (a doc focusing on the writer/director). As well as this, the set includes a collection of trailers, multiple featurettes and interviews, a reproduction press book and comic strip, and much, much more.
All of this is housed in fancy packaging and is available from all good entertainment retailers. It will set you back an eye-watering £49.99, but if you’re a Kronos fan you’ll no doubt want to scoop up a copy.
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In cinemas…
The Brutalist (2024)
Up next is a movie you will no doubt have heard something about, as it is currently receiving a fair amount of buzz AND is in the running for nine BAFTAs and ten Academy Awards. The film is The Brutalist – an epic period drama from director Brady Corbet.
Running a whopping 215-minutes in length (including a 15-minute interval), The Brutalist stars Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, and Guy Pearce. Set after the events of World War II, the film tells the story of László Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish architect who survives the Holocaust and emigrates to the US.
In the movie, László is separated from his wife and niece when he is sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp. After surviving the camp, László moves to America where he undertakes work at a furniture store.
At first László struggles to find enough work to match his skills and talents. However, an encounter with wealthy industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren soon changes the trajectory of his life.
Featuring excellent performances from Brody, Jones, and Pearce, as well as strong direction from Corbet, The Brutalist is a fairly solid picture which is likely to bag its fair share of awards. The film ticks all the right boxes when it comes to delivering heartfelt drama, and with its story about immigration and the experiences that come with making your way in a new environment, it offers up an interesting and sprawling narrative.
All of this is backed by sumptuous cinematography from Lol Crawley, and a robust soundtrack from Daniel Blumberg. On a technical level The Brutalist cuts the mustard and demonstrates Corbet’s skills as a filmmaker.
Is The Brutalist for everyone? No, I expect some may find it a little long for their tastes, and it does fall into the category of being a typical awards-nominated picture, which appeals to voters and high-brow critics, but not necessarily mainstream audiences.
However, those who are keen to invest their time in a well-crafted picture will find The Brutalist meets them well. If a grand drama is for you, then indulge accordingly.
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In cinemas…
Here (2024)
Still playing in UK cinemas (just about), before heading to digital shortly, is the drama picture, Here. Directed and co-written by Robert Zemeckis, and based on the comic book story of the same name by Richard McGuire, Here stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, and Kelly Reilly, and focuses on a single plot of land as it sees many changes over the years.
Told in a non-linear format, Here zips back and forth through various periods in history, depicting the passage of time in one specific area. This area starts off as a luscious piece of greenery, before a house is built, then families move in, lives are lived, and time marches on.
Chronologically the film begins with the Jurassic era and runs up to the 21st Century, touching upon the times of William Franklin and the post-World War II era in between. A key focus of the film is the lives of the Young family, who move into the house in the 1940s and who remain in the property until the early 2000s.
There’s no key figure in the film as such, but central characters including Al Young (Bettany), Richard Young (Hanks), and Margaret Young (Wright) play a prominent part in the story. As the film unspools its narrative, these characters are thrust in and out of the screen, with their lives unfolding accordingly.
So, that’s the basic premise of Here, but does this fixed-location, time-spanning drama work as a movie or a slice of entertainment? Well, sadly not as much as it wants to.
Director and co-writer Zemeckis gets recognition for attempting something different, and Here certainly can’t be knocked for its special effects which depict the passage of time, but as an enjoyable or engaging piece of cinema, Here just doesn’t quite hit the mark. The film feels more like a play than a movie, runs out of steam very quickly, and is arguably too experimental for its own good.
The visual techniques it employs to tell its story are excellent, as is the staging of the narrative, but take this away and there’s not much to work with. There’s certainly not enough going on to sustain Here’s 104-minute runtime and the novelty wears off almost instantly.
Even attempts at sentimentality mostly fall flat. The film becomes too choppy and too distracting to have the desired impact, and this is despite decent performances from the central cast.
The best thing to say about Here is that hopefully some of the visual flourishes Zemeckis utilises can inspire future filmmakers. Zemeckis has continually pushed visual effects in cinema throughout his career (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, etc) and Here is no exception.
If someone takes what the director does with this film and finds a way to make it work as an engaging storytelling format on another project, then great stuff! But as it stands at the moment, this is a single idea stretched too far and too thin, and ultimately makes Here feel like it is neither here nor there.
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Now streaming…
The Sand Castle (2024)
Now available to stream on Netflix is the Arabic mystery-drama, The Sand Castle. Directed and co-written by Matty Brown, the film stars Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Riman Al Rafeea, and Zain Al Rafeea, and follows the story of a family who have become marooned on a remote island.
In the movie, Yasmine, Nabil, and their two children Jana and Adam reside in a lighthouse on a small island. The family live a meagre existence, with very little food, and have nothing to do on the island other than to tend to the light.
Every night, Nabil switches on the lamp to warn seafarers of the island’s existence. Yet every night no one ever sees the light.
When the family reach what they believe is their allotted time at the lighthouse, they pack their bags and prepare to leave. But they wait at the water’s edge in vain, as no one comes to collect them.
Will anyone arrive to pick up the family or will they be stranded on the island indefinitely? And will The Sand Castle maintain the audience’s attention long enough to see it through from start to finish?
Beautifully shot, occasionally distracting, yet largely too long-winded for its own good, The Sand Castle has the potential for something interesting, but it’s all a bit of a slog to get through. And even when you do make it to the end, despite the occasional bright spot, the pay-off isn’t worth the set-up.
The best aspect of the film? The cinematography.
From an aesthetic point of view this movie looks gorgeous. There’s no denying the island is a stunning location, and despite the isolation and the general sense of foreboding in the film, it all seems rather idyllic.
If the aim of the film was to convince audiences to book their next trip to somewhere remote and sunny, then The Sand Castle would have it nailed. Heck, based on what I’ve just seen of the island, I’m off down Lunn Poly to get my flights booked to warmer climes.
However, this is not the goal of The Sand Castle. In fact, on a serious note, the film has an important message to get across.
Unfortunately, this message gets lost in the journey, because it takes too long to get to it. There’s slow burning and then there’s simply not moving at all, and The Sand Castle is very much the latter.
Due to the film being too slow, and too drawn out, The Sand Castle struggles to maintain a sense of wonder, mystery, and intrigue. Things start off fine, but then it dwells in the same area for too long and loses focus.
If this were a short, then maybe it would work, but as a feature film it doesn’t. Fans of ethereal and/or cerebral films may find something here to latch onto, but anyone wanting a deep mystery to sink their teeth into will be disappointed.
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Now streaming…
His Girl Friday (1940)
Now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the UK, and arriving in time to celebrate its 85th anniversary this month, is the 1940 black-and-white screwball comedy, His Girl Friday. Directed by Howard Hawks, and based on the 1928 play The Front Page, the movie stars Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, and tells the story of a newspaper editor who attempts to win back his ex-wife… who also happens to be his ex-star reporter.
In the movie, when the editor of The Morning Post, Walter Burns, learns his former ace reporter Hildy Johnson is moving on with her life, he knows he must act. Not only was Hildy his best employee, she’s also his ex-spouse!
Determined to win her back, Walter convinces Hildy to return to the paper and work on one final story – an exclusive interview with a man on death row. But if Burns stands any chance of winning over Hildy he is going to have to move fast, as she is engaged to be married.
With a sharp script, witty dialogue, and charismatic performances, His Girl Friday is one of the smartest comedies of the golden age of cinema. The film is a character-driven piece, which moves at a considerable pace, but the key appeal is the interplay between the lead stars, as well as the quick-fire line delivery from all of the major players.
The dialogue in His Girl Friday is absolutely electric and is shot at the screen with machine gun efficiency. Words zip here, they pop there, they fill up every space not inhabited by humans, and regularly overlap.
The swiftness of the conversation and interactions is a real breath of fresh air which allows for plenty of comedy and can’t be understated, but it’s also the performances from Grant and Russell which really sing. Both actors are at the top of their game, with Russell in particular being a cut above the rest, and this makes His Girl Friday more than just a standard comedy.
If you’ve never watched His Girl Friday, but have a soft spot for films of a certain vintage, then slap your peepers on it now. The film ain’t getting any younger, but thankfully it remains as slick as it did back in 1940, resulting in pure energy and entertainment.
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In cinemas…
Companion (2025)
And finally, in Companion, Josh and Iris are a young couple in love. They both seem to care for one another, with Iris particularly infatuated with Josh.
One day, the pair take a trip out to a lake house to spend time with Josh’s friends. Here, they relax, do a little partying, and Iris gets to know Josh’s nearest and dearest.
But things soon take an unexpected turn when one member of the party makes a pass at Iris. From here, violence occurs and things will never be the same for the seemingly sweet couple.
Written and directed by Drew Hancock, Companion is a quaint little horror movie starring Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, and Rupert Friend. The movie is a mesmerising picture, which looks at power and control, as well as the role of identity.
The film also serves up a couple of neat little twists, but to say too much about this would spoil something specific about the picture. The less you know about Companion the better, and the best way to enjoy what’s on offer is to dive right in.
The beauty of the film is its smart script, which is laced with dashes of black comedy. Companion isn’t a straight-forward horror, nor is it straight-laced, and it finds plenty of room for some playful moments.
The performances from the central cast are also tip-top, with Sophie Thatcher tremendous as Iris. Her journey from smitten-kitten to empowered victim gives Thatcher plenty to play with.
Throw in a couple of short but sharp death scenes, some commentary on technological advances, and a fair amount of darkness and Companion is a twisted horror. Should you wish to check it out for yourself, the movie is now playing in UK and US cinemas.
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Movie of the Week
OK, so an eclectic collection of films this week, with a number of strong contenders (Companion, The Brutalist, His Girl Friday), but the coveted title of Movie of the Week goes to You’re Cordially Invited. The movie is a slick, highly enjoyable comedy perfect for brightening up a fairly tiresome January and is exactly the sort of movie streamers with paid subscriptions should be getting for their hard-earned money.
And should you like You’re Cordially Invited, you may wish to seek out:
- Legally Blonde (2001) – Reese Witherspoon stars in this hilarious comedy about a sorority girl who attempts to become a successful lawyer.
- Will & Harper (2024) – Will Ferrell and Harper Steele take to the highway in this touching and insightful Netflix roadtrip documentary about their friendship.
- The Muppets (2011) – You’re Cordially Invited writer/director Nicholas Stoller co-wrote this delightful musical comedy starring Kermit and Miss Piggy.
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Forthcoming attractions
And that’s it for yet another week, but fear not, there will be more movie reviews in just a matter of days. Honestly, they’ll be here before you know it.
And if that wasn’t enough, coming soon director Osgood Perkins hopes to horrify in The Monkey; Bridget Jones returns for the fourth and supposedly final time in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy; and Netflix unveils Demon City. On top of all this anniversary celebrations are coming up for Pitch Black and The Brady Bunch Movie, while ‘90s action-thriller, Deep Blue Sea splashes down on 4K disc.
Alex
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Thank you for taking the time to read Movie Reviews 2025 on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
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