The weeks are just whizzing by, aren’t they? It feels like the first edition of Movie Reviews 2025 only just arrived, but no, it’s already the end of February and we’re now eight editions in with a whole heap of movies already discussed and reviewed!
From Better Man, and Flight Risk, to Dog Man, Captain America: Brave New World, and Companion, the films (and many more) just keep on coming, and do you know what? There’s so much more on the horizon.
In truth, we’ve barely scratched the surface. The film industry is very keen to keep our eyeballs occupied throughout the year, so don’t expect to get any rest anytime soon.
But hey, let’s not get ahead of ourselves – we’ve still got this final part of February to tick off. Speaking of which…
In this week’s edition of Movie Reviews 2025 there are reviews for Demon City, Turn Me On, The Last Showgirl, and Luther: Never Too Much. Plus, Guillermo del Toro’s Cronos arrives on 4K and Blu-ray, while classic ’80s fantasy romp, Masters of the Universe gets a new Blu-ray and DVD release!
And as a late addition this week, to mark the passing of Gene Hackman, there’s a look at The French Connection.
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Now streaming…
Demon City (2025)
First up this week is the Japanese action film, Demon City. Directed by Seiji Tanaka, the movie stars Tôma Ikuta, Masahiro Higashide, Matsuya Onoe, Masanobu Takashima, and Mio Tanaka, and follows the story of a hitman seeking vengeance for the death of his wife and daughter.
In the film, expert hitman Shuhei Sakata completes one final job before heading home to be with his family. After years of violence, Shuhei is finally done with the killing and wants a quiet life.
But what Shuhei wants and what he gets are two different things entirely. Shortly after arriving home, a group of masked men enter his property, shoot his wife and daughter and leave him for dead.
When the police arrive, they believe Shuhei killed his family and attempted to kill himself. Revived, but in a vegetive state, Shuhei spends the next 12 years in a prison hospital.
Upon release, Shuhei begins to regain control of his body. Haunted by images of his dead family he vows to avenge them and punish all who wronged him.
Adapted from the popular Manga, Oni Goroshi, Demon City is a revenge movie, and a pretty decent one at that. It’s no John Wick, so don’t expect it to become your new favourite action flick, but if you like warehouse brawls, stairwell massacres, or bad guys getting their comeuppance, then you’ll find yourself on familiar and likeable territory.
You’ll certainly not find anything too off-putting. The plot is fairly straightforward, the villains are all corrupt and/or evil, and the action is well choreographed – especially the aforementioned stairwell scene.
The movie also features some touching moments connected to Shuhei’s loss. Yeah, he’s a hitman with plenty of kills under his belt, but hey, he’s had family troubles, so give him a break!
Of course it’s not all good. As with all Netflix movies, Demon City does suffer from peaks and troughs, and the pacing is arguably its largest problem.
When the action is in full swing it has the ability to capture the attention. When the action drops off, it’s likely some audiences will lose focus and commence doomscrolling instead.
So, not always the most engrossing action film, but not a bad one either. If a bit of action is all you’re after, then you’ll be fine with Demon City.
Should you wish to check out the movie, Demon City is now streaming on Netflix
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Now streaming…
Turn Me On (2024)
Up next is the dystopian romantic comedy, Turn Me On. The movie – directed by Michael Tyburski – stars Nick Robinson and Bel Powley, and tells the story of two lovers who find a new outlook on their sex life after they stop taking some emotion-suppressing pills.
In the movie it is the near future and the government has found a way to keep members of the population feeling ‘content’. Through the consumption of a daily vitamin, all human emotions have been eradicated, leaving citizens feeling calm and placid.
In this state of contentment, the hassles of day-to-day life are removed. There is no longer any need to think or feel, and this stops everyone from becoming depressed or unhappy with their existence.
Two citizens who regularly take their vitamins are William and Joy. Every day the couple wake up in the morning, exercise, drink their nondescript smoothie, and pop their pill.
But things take a sudden turn when Joy is told by her doctor to skip her vitamin for one day for health reasons. This disruption in Joy’s daily routine suddenly opens her eyes to new things and she no longer feels the same contentment.
Moving forward, she continues to skip her vitamin and encourages William to do the same. Once the pair are off their emotion suppressors, they start to re-evaluate everything, including their sexual desires and their connection to each other.
You know, I really want to tell you that Turn Me On is a great film, worth your time. I want to tell you this because Nick Robinson is always top value whatever movie he is in, he works well with Bel Powley in this picture, and at times it is an interesting satirical piece.
But if I told you Turn Me On is worth your time, I’d be somewhat misleading you. You see, while Turn Me On has some decent ideas, occasional sparks of originality, and the added benefit of Robinson and Powley, it’s sadly not particularly enjoyable to watch.
The film moves quite slowly, doesn’t really go anywhere after the initial set-up, and is frankly all a bit dull. Sure, it occasionally has a few things to say about sleepwalking through life, as well as about love, sex, and relationships, but it doesn’t have enough material to round out its 95-minute runtime and this becomes quite clear very early on.
As such, watching Turn Me On soon becomes a chore. At no point will you feel turned on, but you sure as heck may wish to turn it off.
On the plus side, the aforementioned lead players are good, but… yeah, I have nothing else. Turn Me On isn’t a dreadful film, it’s just a slog that doesn’t feel worth it and once it gets its points across, it has nothing else to offer.
Unless you’ve run out of things to occupy your time (and sometimes just sitting quietly is fine), it’s doubtful any real pleasure can be gleamed from this picture. Should you wish to prove me wrong, Turn Me On is now streaming on Sky/Now in the UK.
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In cinemas…
The Last Showgirl (2024)
Now playing in UK cinemas is the touching drama, The Last Showgirl. The film – directed by Gia Coppola – stars Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Billie Lourd, and Kiernan Shipka, and tells the story of a Vegas showgirl with an uncertain future.
In the movie, Shelly Gardner is a 57-year-old showgirl, working in a casino on the Las Vegas strip. For the past three decades, Shelly has performed in a revue show titled Le Razzle Dazzle and for so long it’s all she’s known.
But when Eddie, the producer of Le Razzle Dazzle announces the show’s imminent closure, Shelly is devastated. Being on the wrong side of 50 and with no money for retirement, she is unsure what she will do once the curtain finally closes.
Written for the screen by Kate Gersten, and adapted from her play, Body of Work, The Last Showgirl is an emotive drama about the sad reality of trying to keep smiling when times are tough and work has dried up. For Shelly life was ticking along fine, but suddenly the rug has been pulled from under her, and she’s not really sure what comes next, apart from uncertainty.
Circling the classifieds for a new job is all well and good, but will casting agents give her a shot at this point in her life? She can lie about her age all she wants, but there’s only so many sequins and feathers to cover the passage of time.
And while Shelly worries about all this, she has another pressing problem on her hands. She is attempting to reconnect with her estranged daughter, Hannah, and it’s not going well.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear the estrangement is a huge part of Shelly’s life, but maybe not in the way it seems. Losing her job isn’t just about losing her income, it’s about losing a career which she ultimately chose over her child, so her feelings and connection to Hannah are very much wrapped up in what she is facing.
Pamela Anderson takes on the role of Shelly in The Last Showgirl, and gives a powerful performance which highlights the character’s innocence, naivety, and vulnerability. It’s a mesmerising turn from Anderson, and arguably a career best, which perfectly matches the tone and aesthetic of Gia Coppola’s film.
To say Anderson is intrinsic to this picture is an understatement. The picture feels somewhat personal to Anderson, and I’m not entirely sure it would work with someone else in the role.
Joining her in supporting roles are Dave Bautista, who is great (as usual) as producer Eddie, and Jamie Lee Curtis who is excellent as Shelly’s best friend Annette. Both slot in and out of the story perfectly, and complement Anderson’s performance.
Add to this solid direction from Coppola, as well as beautiful cinematography from Autumn Durald Arkapaw, and The Last Showgirl is a strong film. Arguably stronger because of Anderson, but all of the key components are there.
All-in-all, The Last Showgirl is a heartfelt piece, which is both a character study and an emotional drama. Should you want a film to get lost in, this could be for you.
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On disc…
Cronos (1992)
New to 4K UHD and Blu-ray this week from the guys at BFI, is the Mexican horror-drama, Cronos. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the movie stars Federico Luppi, Claudio Brook, Ron Perlman, and Daniel Giménez Cacho, and tells the story of an antiques dealer who finds a way to extend his life.
In the movie, it’s Christmas time in Mexico and antiques dealer, Jesús Gris opens up his shop. Shortly into his day, a customer starts poking around his stock, directing his attention to an archangel statue that up until now has been covered in cloth.
After the customer leaves, Jesús investigates the item and uncovers a secret. Hidden inside the statue is an ornate golden scarab, which looks valuable.
But unbeknown to Jesús, the scarab holds a secret of its own: Once it attaches itself to a host, the scarab grants the power of near immortality. Only problem is, it comes with a thirst for blood.
Beautifully shot, and at times wonderfully macabre, Cronos is a marvellous little horror, perfect for a dark night indoors. It’s one of those films with the ability to chill in just the right way, while providing a good dash of drama, and of course it includes everything you might expect from a Guillermo del Toro picture.
It’s got pathos, dark mythology, a fairytale-like whimsy, and a flare for imagination. The movie also has some arresting imagery, include a couple of scenes which border the grotesque.
And yet despite the occasional creepy moment (the inner workings of the scarab, some blood in a bathroom, Jesús decaying, etc), Cronos is not a full-on gore-fest. Far from it in fact – the film keeps its more gruesome moments to a minimum, only wheeling them out here or there to unsettle.
What Cronos does instead is bring out its horror through its setting, its characters, and of course the masterful directing skills of del Toro. And for those unaware, when it was released back in 1992, Cronos marked del Toro’s directorial debut, and although he would go onto bigger and far more lavish pictures, it’s clear his skills as a filmmaker are already in place.
Outside of del Toro, Cronos has a small but effective cast, which includes excellent performances from the late Federico Luppi, as well as the always brilliant Ron Perlman. The former takes on the role of Jesús, while the latter plays Angel de la Guardia – the put-upon nephew of a dying businessman keen to get his hands upon the scarab.
With both Luppi and Perlman delivering committed performances in Cronos, it’s not all that surprising they would both go on to work with del Toro in future projects. For Luppi this would include roles in The Devil’s Backbone (2001) and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), while for Perlman it would include Blade II (2002), Pacific Rim (2013), Nightmare Alley (2021), Pinocchio (2022), and two Hellboy movies (2004 – 2008).
But it all starts here in Cronos. A film which takes a limited budget and a healthy amount of creativity, and blends them together to form an effective picture, as well as a solid platform for the director to grow from.
Should you wish to grab a copy of Cronos on disc, the 4K edition retails for around £29.99, while the Blu-ray is £24.99. In edition to the film, the sets include an audio commentary, a couple of documentaries, interviews, bonus footage, a short film by del Toro, and more.
Plus, with this being a collector’s edition, the set also includes some postcards, a booklet and a fold-out poster.
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On disc…
Masters of the Universe (1987)
Also on disc this week, this time courtesy of 88 Films, is the 1987 fantasy adventure movie, Masters of the Universe. Directed by Gary Goddard, and based on the Mattel toy line and media franchise of the same name, the film stars Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Courteney Cox, Robert Duncan McNeill, Meg Foster, and Billy Barty, and follows the story of two teenagers who get caught up in a battle from across the stars.
In the movie Julie and Kevin are a couple of high school sweethearts on the verge of a significant change in life. After being orphaned a short while back, Julie has decided it is time to move out of town and leave behind all the painful memories.
But before Julie can embark on her new direction, she finds herself inexplicably attacked by villainous aliens. These aliens are a scouting party from the planet Eternia and are on a mission to locate a valuable device known as the Cosmic Key.
But they aren’t the only ones seeking the Key. So too are a small band of heroes led by the muscle-clad He-Man – the most powerful man in the universe.
He-Man and his friends are desperate to find the Key, because it wields the ability to open portals to other worlds. Should it fall into the hands of the evil Skeletor, it could spell disaster for Eternia, for Earth, and for everyone everywhere!
Cheesier than a block of Stilton, which has been rolled around in crushed Cheetos and tossed into a fondue, Masters of the Universe is daft, and at times complete nonsense. And yet at the same time, if you can overlook one or two of its shortcomings (including a bit of wooden acting from Ludgren as He-Man) the movie is a heck of a lot of fun!
Masters of the Universe is fantasy romp filled with heroic warriors (Teela, Gwildor), grotesque villains (Karg, Beast Man) and a quest to find a key… which looks nothing like an actual key, but is a thing of beauty. The film also includes two ‘teenagers’ – one of whom is played by a pre-Friends Courteney Cox, the other by Star Trek: Voyager’s Robert Duncan McNeill – as well as a musical score by Bill Conti which is part Star Wars, part Superman, all ‘80s triumph!
And if all that wasn’t enough to sell the heck out of the movie, Masters of the Universe boasts a brilliant (genuinely brilliant) performance from Frank Langella as Skeletor. Hidden under make-up and prosthetics, Langella throws himself into the part head-first and brings the character to life in a truly transformative way.
He is so committed to the role it is outstanding. But then, the same can be said for many of the actors, who know the premise of the film is a bit hokey but run with it regardless.
For those unaware, Masters of the Universe was put into production by B-movie specialists The Cannon Group, on a budget of $22 million, and it ran out of cash before it was completed. To get the picture over the line, some corners had to be cut and allowances had to be made, including setting the majority of the story on budget-friendly Earth, rather than He-Man’s home planet, Eternia.
At the time of release the relocation displeased many He-Man fans, and Masters of the Universe was knocked for being considerably different to the cartoon series that was airing around the same time. Critics were also dismissive of it in general, and the film flopped at the box office.
Yet time and nostalgia are great healers. The cartoon comparisons now carry less weight; those who grew up on the movie are complimentary about its practical effects and imagination; and Masters of the Universe has become a bona fide cult classic.
No one is claiming Masters of the Universe is the Citizen Kane of ‘80s fantasy, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a legion of fans. And these are fans who understand it’s issues, but are willing to overlook them anyway, because of what it achieves on limited funds.
And do I count myself as one of these fans? You bet ya!
Should you wish to grab a copy of Masters of the Universe on disc, the film is being released as a deluxe collector’s edition on Blu-ray. This LIMITED EDITION Blu-ray release includes a rigid slipcase, with an outer o-ring cover, as well as a 40-page photo book and double-sided fold-out poster.
Meanwhile the disc includes a copy of the film, a director’s audio commentary, a collection of interviews, and a ‘Behind the Legend’ featurette. Plus stills and a poster gallery, teaser trailer, and the original theatrical trailer.
The Masters of the Universe deluxe collector’s edition Blu-ray is priced at around £24.99, and is available now from all good entertainment retailers. A standard DVD edition is also available at around £11.99.
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Now streaming…
Luther: Never Too Much (2024)
If swords, sandals, and dodgy ‘80s mullets are not your thing (and I’m not sure why they wouldn’t be?!), then you may wish to take a look at this next offering which is a completely different beast. Luther: Never Too Much is a documentary film focusing on the late music icon, Luther Vandross.
Written and directed by Dawn Porter, the film charts the life and times of the US singer, hitting the highs, lows, and everything in between. From his early days and his time as a session singer with artists such as David Bowie and Bette Milder, to his battle with his weight, a tragic car accident in 1986, and his sexuality, this docu-film covers it all.
Featuring a wealth of archive footage, as well as input from friends and peers, including Nile Rodgers, Jamie Foxx, Richard Marx, Mariah Carey, and Clive Davis amongst others, Luther: Never Too Muchoffers an insightful look back at the life of a vocal legend. The docu film features all the things you know (or recall from back in the day), as well as a whole lot of things you don’t.
What might surprise you is just how ingrained in music history Luther Vandross is. He wasn’t just the singer behind hit songs ‘Never Too Much’ and ‘Dance with My Father’, during his lifetime Vandross practically sung the phone book, featuring on everything from tracks for Chic and Donna Summer, to the jingles in pizza commercials.
In fact, you’ve probably heard his voice in songs you had no idea he was involved with. His rise to the rank of music legend wasn’t just a chance thing, he put in the hard work, here, there, and everywhere.
Whether you want to learn more about Luther Vandross, or you simply want to step back in time with all the archive material and anecdotes, Luther: Never Too Much is time well spent. The documentary acts as a whistle-stop tour through the singer’s life, as well as an engrossing time capsule.
Wish to take a look? Luther: Never Too Much is currently available to stream on Sky/Now in the UK.
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Now streaming…
The French Connection (1971)
And finally, following the sad news that actor Gene Hackman has passed away at the age of 95, let me draw your attention to one of his best pictures, which you may wish to cast your eyes over this weekend. The film is The French Connection – a five-time Academy Award-winning picture and arguably one of the best from Hackman’s prolific career.
It’s a movie which saw Hackman win the Academy Award for Best Actor. The French Connection also picked up Best Director for William Friedkin, along with Best Film Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay, and the much sought after award for Best Film, which should tell you this is a damn fine picture!
As for the movie itself, based on the novel of the same name by Robin Moore, The French Connection is a neo-noir action-thriller. The film follows the story of New York police detectives Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle and Buddy ‘Cloudy’ Russo, as they pursue a wealthy heroin smuggler.
What follows is a relentless investigation which sees Doyle and Russo pounding the streets, hitting up bars, and sticking their noses wherever needed in order to crack the case. The result is a gritty, hard-hitting crime thriller, with excellent performances from Hackman (Doyle) and co-star Roy Scheider (Russo), as well as one of the greatest car chases in movie history.
Following an attempt on his life, Doyle is in hot pursuit of a sniper, who makes his way onto an elevated train. The sniper then attacks the driver, causing the train to rocket down the tracks.
Meanwhile, after commandeering a car, Doyle chases the train through the streets of Brooklyn, crashing and bashing his way through the landscape. His goal is to catch the sniper, and like a dog with a bone he simply won’t stop until he’s caught his man.
If for some reason The French Connection has passed you by over the years, but you want to dip into Hackman’s back catalogue, seek out the film and spend a couple of hours in its company. The French Connection is an absolute classic from the 1970s, with the actor on fine form as Doyle, and director William Friedkin delivering the goods with every frame.
The French Connection is currently streaming on Disney+ in the UK.
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Movie of the Week
Time for the Movie of the Week, which this week has to go to The French Connection. Hackman is excellent in the movie, the film hits all the right beats you might expect from a gritty crime story, and it deserved all the awards it picked up.
And if you wish to delve into more Hackman movies you may also like:
- The Quick and the Dead (1995) – Sam Raimi’s revisionist Western features a brilliant performance from Hackman as chief villain, John Herod.
- The Poseidon Adventure (1972) – In this spectacular disaster picture, Hackman finds himself amongst a star-studded ensemble cast.
- Superman: The Movie (1978) – Hackman takes on the role of Superman’s arch nemesis, Lex Luthor for this superb comic book movie.
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Forthcoming attractions
OK, my work here is done for another week. Now, while I busy myself searching for the Cosmic Key, or a life-extending scarab, here’s a taste of what is on the horizon in the not-too distant future.
Coming soon… Disney unveils its latest live-action remake with Snow White; Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown team up for The Electric State; and ‘80s slasher, Dark Night of the Scarecrow comes to disc. Plus, classic drama, Mask (the one with Cher) turns 40!
And the great thing is, all of this and much, much more will be with you soon. You just merely need to will it into existence… and pray I don’t get carpal tunnel syndrome before I can bash it all out.
Alex
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