Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of Movie Reviews 2025 which kick-starts the spooky season. Yep, this week the film industry takes the first few steps on the road towards Halloween, meaning from here on out we are in terrifying territory.
Sure, October 31st is a while off yet, but with summer done and dusted the focus is now firmly on frights. Over the coming weeks expect the level of horror to rise as we see more monsters, increased incantations, and a surge in supernatural situations.
It all begins this week with The Conjuring: The Last Rites. The movie is new to UK and US cinemas and aims to have horror hounds hightailing it to the big screen for some pre-Halloween hijinks.
And of course, if horror isn’t your thing, there are plenty of non-horror alternatives for your consideration. This week there’s real-life drama in Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, as well as The Truth About Jussie Smollett?, plus old school adventure fun in the re-release of Jumanji!
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Now streaming…
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish (2025)
First up this week is the documentary film, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. The film focuses on the troubling story of a high school teen who is targeted by an unknown cyber bully.
In October 2020, shorty before Halloween, 13-year-old student Lauryn Licari begins to receive a series of text messages from a mysterious texter. The messages contain hurtful and derogatory content, aimed specifically at Lauryn and her boyfriend, Owen McKenny.
As time moves on, Lauryn and Owen are hit with a barrage of messages. The situation becomes overwhelming, causing them to split.
Despite various efforts from their parents, as well as the school, no one is able to determine who is sending the messages. The texting continues for over a year, causing a great deal of distress and heartbreak along the way.
Directed by Skye Borgman and centred around a real event which took place at Beal City School in the US, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish is an eye-opening documentary which highlights the damage that can be caused through a few words on a phone. We all know mobiles can be useful, invaluable tools in the right hands, but as this docu-film demonstrates, phones can also become weapons of hate and malice when wielded as such.
Weapons which not only target one individual, but also send huge ripples throughout a relationship, a friend group, a school, and even an entire community. The most worrying thing about this whole incident in Beal is just how much trouble was caused, and how big this became.
After 18 months of endless messages, with the school and police getting nowhere, the FBI are drafted in to try and catch the culprit. This does lead to a breakthrough, and solves the case, but doesn’t change the fact this happened.
It’s worrying stuff. Especially when the perpetrator is unmasked.
Now, with so many true-crime docu-films landing on streaming these days, is Unknown Number: The High School Catfish worthy of your time? In most part yes, if you like this kind of thing.
As with most Netflix docu-films, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish is written and edited in such a way that it continually drip-feeds the audience to keep engagement levels high and it certainly works. All the way through, new players are introduced, new information is added, and new twists are chucked at the screen to ensure the story remains interesting – up until at least the last 30 minutes anyway.
Once the culprit is revealed, and a confession (of sorts) is made, the momentum does begin to waver a little, but not enough to switch off. Unknown Number: The High School Catfish plays like a soap opera, and as with most soap operas when the drama is high it’s difficult to walk away.
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish isn’t must-see viewing, but once you press play it does become compelling viewing. There’s enough material here to just about cover the 95-minute run time, and this whole thing works fine as a bit of evening viewing while you’re having your tea.
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish is a one-time watch, but a perfectly fine one-time watch at that. Should you wish to take a look, the docu-film is now streaming on Netflix.
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Now streaming…
The Truth About Jussie Smollett? (2025)
Sticking with Netflix docu-films for this next offering, which is The Truth About Jussie Smollett?. The subject of this documentary from director Gagan Rehill might be a little more familiar than the doc above, as it made international headlines a few years back.
For those who can’t quite recall, in January 2019 former Empire actor Jussie Smollett claimed he was the victim of a terrible attack in Chicago, while walking home during the early hours of the morning. According to Smollett, he was approached by two men who yelled racial and homophobic abuse at him, before putting a noose around his neck.
The story blew up quite quickly, with countless people throwing their support in Smollett’s direction. However, doubt was soon cast on the actor’s story, leading to suggestions he fabricated the incident.
OK, so let’s be clear here, if you are interested in checking out The Truth About Jussie Smollett?, it’s probably because you want to find out whether or not Smollett was telling the truth about his attack. Was he really the victim of a hate crime or did he just make it all up?
Well, I can tell you two things: Firstly, a lot of information is presented in this docu-film, which you may not be aware of; and secondly, there is no definitive answer. You won’t come away knowing exactly what happened.
When you finish The Truth About Jussie Smollett? you may have a theory, and you may lean in one direction, but it will come down to a hunch or a gut feeling. This documentary discusses the notion that Smollett may have been telling the truth, he may have been lying, there may have been some police corruption involved, and there may be further information not revealed.
So, yeah, it’s not entirely clear. However, what does seem to be clear is that some things (and perhaps some people) don’t quite add up.
The real truth about The Truth About Jussie Smollett? is that regardless of all that, this is a fairly interesting documentary. There’s enough meat in here to sink your teeth into, and even if it doesn’t leave you feeling entirely satisfied, you may become a little more informed about the case.
It’s then up to you to decide what transpired and what this documentary is ultimately about. Is it a story about a man who was the victim of a crime and who rightfully deserves an apology, or is it a story about someone who needs a career rehabilitation?
I’ll leave you to form your own conclusions if or when you take a look. Similar to Unknown Number: The High School Catfish this is another docu-film which would make suitable evening viewing while scoffing your spaghetti hoops.
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In cinemas…
Jumanji (1995)
Over to the big screen now for the re-release of family fantasy film, Jumanji. The movie, which originally made its debut back in 1995, is returning to UK cinemas this week to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
Incidentally, 1995 was a great year for film (Toy Story, GoldenEye, Batman Forever, etc) and Jumanji was one of the highest grossing movies of that year. It’s not surprising really, because Jumanji provided audiences with everything they could want, including action, adventure, thrills, spills, a few laughs, and Robin Williams.
Anyway, for those less than familiar with Jumanji, the film – from director Joe Johnston – tells the story of a young boy who finds himself trapped in a board game. The year is 1969, and after finding a mysterious jungle game, young Alan Parrish attempts to play a turn with is friend, Sarah.
However, shortly after rolling the dice, Alan is pulled inside the game, promptly vanishing from the real world. Fast forward to 1995, and two children find the game and inadvertently release Alan.
Unfortunately, when Alan returns, the jungle world begins to cross over to the real world too. Lions, monkeys, and a herd of stampeding rhinos suddenly appear, and will only disappear when the game is complete.
Based on the book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg, and starring the aforementioned Williams, alongside a cast which includes Bonnie Hunt, David Alan Grier, Kirsten Dunst, and Jonathan Hyde, Jumanji is an absolute blast of a movie. It’s a film which is aimed squarely at adventure-loving children, as well as those young at heart, and the story hasn’t lost any of its sheen in the past 30 years.
Jumanji features a great performance from Williams, playing the adult Alan Parrish, but the big draw is the concept: A board game come-to-life. The idea of wild animals, a game hunter, and deadly plants being unleashed on a small town is deliciously dramatic, as well as endlessly appealing, and the special effects aren’t too bad either (if we ignore some ropey CGI monkeys).
If you grew up during the ’90s, have fond memories of Jumanji and now have kids of your own, now would be a great time to introduce them to this picture. Unlike Star Wars, Batman, Jaws, or films of this ilk, Jumanji doesn’t get many big screen re-releases, so be sure to take advantage while you can.
The film will be on re-release for a week. Make use of this information and check your local listings.
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In cinemas…
The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)
And finally, sticking with the big screen for the supernatural horror, The Conjuring: Last Rites. Directed by Michael Chaves, and starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mia Tomlinson, Rebecca Calder, and Elliot Cowan, the film is the final entry in the Conjuring movie series and sees paranormal specialists, Ed and Lorraine Warren investigate a demonic haunting.
In the movie, the year is 1986 and in Pennsylvania, the Smurl family are being terrorised by something inhabiting their home. After some reluctance to get involved, the formerly retired Warrens are called in to help out and set about ridding the house of this latest unholy evil.
Meanwhile, Ed and Lorraine’s daughter, Judy is getting ready to start a new life with her boyfriend, Tony. However, Judy is experiencing supernatural problems of her own, which threaten her future happiness.
As noted above, and as the title suggests, The Conjuring: Last Rites is the final entry in The Conjuring movie series – or it is for now, anyway. The horror genre has a habit of serving up so-called finales (The Final Friday, The Final Nightmare, The Final Destination, etc), but if there’s one certainty in horror, the end is never truly the end.
Either way, unless told otherwise we are to assume this is the last film in the series, and it certainly acts that way. This picture is very much a swansong for Ed and Lorraine Warren, as well as actors Wilson and Farmiga, and if you’ve followed their journey since 2013’s The Conjuring then you may want to see how it all concludes.
However, if you do head out to see The Conjuring: Last Rites, you may want to pack a comfy cushion and some snacks. You certainly won’t be on the edge of your seat with this offering, as it’s not particularly scary.
It’s not awful though, and it’s better than The Nun movies, so there’s something at least. However this instalment feels less of a horror film and more a meandering day out with the Warrens, so don’t expect to be frightened.
The biggest stumbling block is the film attempts to juggle too many elements. The Conjuring: Last Rites asks the audience to care about Ed and Lorraine; about daughter Judy; about Judy’s boyfriend, Tony; about a supernatural mirror; and about a family in Pennsylvania who are under attack from something sinister.
All of this is connected in some way, but there’s far too many plot points to pay attention to, and too much time spent faffing around. In fact, the Warrens don’t even start work on the Smurl haunting until over halfway through the movie, which is far too long in the grand scheme of things.
And by the time the Warrens do get involved with the haunting, instead of offering anything new, the movie merely descends into the usual Conjuring hallmarks (jump scares, loud noises, Ed’s heart problems, etc). There’s a lot of build up, but not as much pay-off as horror fans might like.
On the plus side, Wilson and Farmiga are great and will be missed; the ending finds a way to pay tribute to films of the past; and if you are a fan of the series (irrespective of which movies work and which don’t) you will enjoy aspects of the film. The Conjuring: Last Rites also maintains the same consistent ominous tone of the previous entries in the series, so it definitely slots in neatly.
If you’re a fan of the series, The Conjuring: Last Rites is fine. It’s not the strongest offering, but it’s not the weakest either.
A bit too much time is spent sending the series off down memory lane, but after twelve years of movies (and millions of dollars in the bank), I guess the series has earned a little indulgence. Especially if this is truly the end.*
*It probably won’t be the end.
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Movie of the Week
OK, onto Movie of the Week and this week it has to go to Jumanji. There’s something truly magical and imaginative about this picture, and the opportunity to see Robin Williams back on the big screen is too tempting to resist – so go see it!
And if you like Jumanji then you might also like:
- Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005) – Based on a book by Chris Van Allsburg, Zathura is a sort-of spiritual sequel to Jumanji which sees two kids caught up in an adventure involving a space game.
- Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) – Jumanji director Joe Johnston helms this tale about a group of kids who are accidentally shrunk and have to survive the harsh wilderness of their backyard.
- Flubber (1997) – Robin Williams stars in this family comedy about an absent minded professor who develops a very special green goo.
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One to Watch
And finally, I’m ending this week’s edition of Movie Reviews 2025 a little differently, by highlighting and recommending a streaming show you should put on your playlist – especially for the spooky season. The show is the sci-fi horror series, Alien: Earth.
Set in the year 2120, two years before the events of Alien (1979), the series begins with the research vessel the USCSS Maginot crash-landing on Earth. The vessel belongs to Weyland-Yutani (the mega corporation from the Alien film series) and carries various extra-terrestrial specimens which pose a threat to humanity.
The ship is salvaged by the Prodigy Corporation who take the specimens for study. But of course, with this being an Alien-show some of the extra-terrestrials just happen to be Xenomorphs, which don’t tend to mix too well with humans.
If you’re a fan of the Alien movie series Alien: Earth is a must-watch. At eight episodes in length, with each instalment running around an hour, the story being told is more expansive than what we get with the films, plus the visuals are great.
Should you wish to check it out, Alien: Earth is streaming on FX and Hulu in the US, and on Disney+ everywhere else. It is recommended!
Alex
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