My Life in Cinema

Join me on a journey through my life in cinema... Along the way you will find reviews, rants, random bits of excitement, lists and more!

[mylifeincinema]

My Week(s) in Reviews: July 5, 2026

Yikes... I know, I know. No excuse, but the summer concert season did start, so there is that. Anyway...

Supergirl (Craig Gillespie, 2026)

I loved it. I wasn't the biggest fan of Woman of Tomorrow outside of the phenomenal artwork, but this fixes my biggest problems with the book's narrative. Milly Alcock is perfection, bringing Kara to life with grief fueled ennui in her reckless pursuit to feel something other than loss and loneliness. The needle drops are almost exclusively amazing. (Wet Leg & Modest Mouse & Wolf Alice & Rilo Kiley & Sleigh Bells? Hell Yeah!) And the action sequences do an amazing job of exploring Supergirl's strengths and weaknesses, and how she uses both to grow into the woman she's always been deep down. Momoa is fun as Lobo, too, but I kinda agree with the critiques saying he's unnecessary. I hate that this is under-performing. - 8.5/10

Disclosure Day (Steven Spielberg, 2026)

It's not top-tier Spielberg, but it's not bottom-tier Spielberg either (and let's be honest, even bottom-tier Spielberg is better than most directors' top-tier). His blocking and the way he moves the camera through even the simplest scenes is utterly breathtaking. Emily Blunt should 100% be the front-runner for Best Actress, right now. The cast around her more than holds their own, despite her outshining them all at every single turn. And the climax is an emotionally overwhelming, spiritually uplifting masterpiece of everything Spielberg has so long stood for on a thematic level. Anybody who wants to believe (or who, like me, simply believes) is sure to be an emotional wreck when the credits start to roll. - 8/10

The Mandalorian and Grogu (Jon Favreau, 2026)

A lot of fun, but the complaints that it's nothing more than a couple episodes of the show hold water. Honestly, though, who gives a shit?! It's family-friendly fun that brings two of the most likable characters to come out of the Star Wars universe in decades to the big screen. Hell. Yeah. - 7.5/10

They Will Kill You (Kirill Sokolov, 2026)

Something felt off, but I still had a good time most of the time. It doesn't hurt that Zazie is pretty great. It turns up the insanity in the final act, too, and I appreciated the hell out of that. 6/10

Bad News Bears (Richard Linklater, 2005)

Could've sworn I'd seen this back when it came out, but very shortly into watching I realized nothing seemed familiar. So maybe I didn't? I don't know. It's good. There's a good lesson and a bunch of really funny moments and Billy Bob is awesome, as always. - 6.5/10

To Live and Die in L.A. (William Friedkin, 1985)

My God, does this movie feel like the '80s. Friedkin delivers a fantastic crime-thriller filled with unlikable protagonists, an amazing villain brought to life by a brilliantly creepy Willem Dafoe, and one hell of a centerpiece car chase. Sure, there's a bit too much filler that kill the pacing occasionally, but it never really manages to effect all the greatness that surrounds it. And I loved that ending. - 9/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[mylifeincinema]

My Week in Reviews: May 9, 2026

I actually got a fair amount in, this week, so let's just get into it.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (David Frankel, 2026)

I'm a shameless Devil Wears Prada superfan, and this sequel—20 YEARS after the original—is pretty much everything I could've hoped for. First and foremost, everyone LOOKS phenomenal. They deliver big-time on the callbacks and fan-service, but they work it all into the script in a way only rarely feels forced, given the plot. And the plot itself works is kinda perfect for where we are in the world regarding old media. There's nothing earth-shattering going on, here, but who the hell's looking for that in a movie like this, anyway? It delivers; on the nostalgia, on the fashion, and on the characters we've been begging to revisit for TWO DECADES. - 8/10

Send Help (Sam Raimi, 2026)

Oh, wow... this got demented in an excitingly unexpected way. I knew it would get wild, what with Raimi at the helm, but damn... - 8/10

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die (Gore Verbinski, 2026)

It starts out pretty bonkers and effectively cranks it up as it goes along. Sure, it's outrageously heavy-handed, but even as someone who's wasting away online, I wholeheartedly support the message. It's just a shame about that final act. I like the final moment and its stakes, but I almost hated the last few turns leading to it. - 6/10

Den of Thieves: Pantera (Christian Gudegast, 2025)

Yikes. Gerard Butler is a tough guy. Don't you ever dare to forget that. Yikes. This movie is F*CKING. DUMB. The characters are oozing with the most laughably pathetic brand of toxic masculinity. And worst of all... the heist is downright lame. Hell, the whole damn plot and characters are lame. LAME. Just another sad Heat wannabe as written by the people who celebrated "yeah, put that b*tch in her place" back when they first heard about that piece of shit Chris Brown beating Rihanna to a pulp. How the f*ck is that pathetic little pussy Chris Brown still headlining stadiums?!? Well... probably the same way shit like this still gets greenlit. But I digress... - 0.5/10

Play Dirty (Shane Black, 2025)

Dumb. But fun. Well, kinda fun. I love Black, and his sense of humor is all over this, even if its dumbed down for Wahlberg. I also love LaKeith Stanfield, and even though he doesn't get enough, here, what he does get is good. The plotting is a bit lame, and very convenient—never giving us any reason to think these characters could ever possibly pull any of it off—but it's the kind of lame that makes for an effortlessly kinda-fun waste of two hours. - 5.5/10

The Accountant 2 (Gavin O'Connor, 2025)

I could never entirely buy the plot, but Affleck and Bernthal have solid chemistry as these characters, and I had quite a bit of fun watching them bicker and kill their way through this one. - 7/10

Apex (Baltasar Kormákur, 2026)

The plot is bare-bones enough, and the danger and action throughout substantial and well-executed enough for this to be a success. - 6.5/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[mylifeincinema]

My Week(s) in Reviews: April 30, 2026

Yeah, I know, but I'm still not transitioning over to My Month in Reviews... because well, I'm stubborn, mostly. But also because this thing has been going semi-consistently for over 15 years, now, so... there's that too.

Mother Mary (David Lowery, 2026)

Captivating. Lowery creates a dream teeming with ethereal imagery made all the more stunning through its utterly breathtaking costume design, immersive cinematography and production design, and truly intoxicating performances from both Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel. The spell takes hold immediately and only ever loosens its grip in its awkwardly edited, overly esoteric final act. - 7.5/10

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Nia DaCosta, 2026)

Aside from the always brilliant Ralph Fiennes, I wasn’t a fan of 28 Years Later… at all. The Bone Temple, however, was f*cking fantastic, all around! The pacing actually works, this time. Jimmy and his Fingers were genuinely unsettling in their madness. And Fiennes is so so damn good, building on the character established in last year’s film in a way that deepens his bizarre genius in the most poignantly fascinating manner possible. Oh, and that Old Nick/Iron Maiden scene was f*cking WILD! - 8.5/10

Sentimental Value (Joachim Trier, 2025)

An emotionally resonant acting showcase that held me tightly in the moment but quickly faded once the credits ran. - 6.5/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[mylifeincinema]

My Week(s) in Reviews: March 29, 2026

Oops, thought I set this to post much earlier today... sorry. Anyway, this is much more a My March in Reviews... which might just be the best way to do things from here on out. I'm not abandoning my current model, yet, because I'm stubborn, but yeah, things could change.

Okay... I have a bunch, and little to say about most, so I'm going to revert to my lazy ways and do a "Three (to Five?) Things" type series of posts, just without the numbered format. Here we go...

Project Hail Mary (Lord & Miller, 2026)

Amaze Amaze Amaze. As a HUGE fan of Andy Weir's book, my only/main complaint is I want MORE... like two-hours of Grace & Rocky sciencing the shit out of their problems like the geniuses they are, as they did in the book, kind of more. A visual feast that's as crowd-pleasing and faithful as it can possibly within its restraints... Ryan Gosling was perfect for this, and I couldn't possibly be happier with how they brought Rocky to life. - 9/10

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (Bettinelli-Olpin & Gillett, 2026)

I LOVE Samara & Kathryn, and will henceforth demand their presence in my horror/horror-comedies. I really liked that they amped up the deaths stakes in a way as entertaining as it was logical in-world. Loved the cast overall, really. It's always a treat to see Elijah Wood pop up, and SMG & Hatosy were fantastic main villains. - 8.5/10

Scream 7 (Kevin Williamson, 2026)

The worst Scream film yet. I'm a sucker for this franchise, though, so I did still enjoy a bunch of it. Even that completely shoehorned opening sequence. - 3/10

The Secret Agent (Kleber Mendonça Filho, 2025)

Phenomenal cast. Awkward tone and structure throughout. And that ending was atrocious. - 5/10

Song Sung Blue (Craig Brewer, 2025)

Significantly better than I'd expected. Kate Hudson worked her ass off for that Oscar nod, and it was 100% deserving. The performance sequences were especially enjoyable. - 7.5/10

Crime 101 (Bart Layton, 2026)

Way too light. The things they changed from Don Winslow's novelette made things worse every single time. But none more than how much they added to/changed in regards to the Halle Berry character... woof. - 4/10

Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (BenDavid Grabinski, 2026)

A bunch of FUN. I love how deep into straight-up spoof territory it gets, while never losing itself in the spoof of it all. Vince Vaughn is so damn good. - 7/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[mylifeincinema]

My Best of 2025: My Top 10 Films!

Holy Shit! I think I'm only just now realizing just how late I am with this, this year. I'll blame it on Neon—I still haven't seen their two Best Picture Nominees—but I also lost another local cinema, so there's that, too. Anyway—as a whole—I really wasn't wild about what 2025 delivered. I still really liked or loved or appreciated the shit out of every single one of these films, though. And in a year with the output of 2025, that's more than I could ever reasonably ask for.

Before diving in, I would normally list a handful of my Honorable Mentions. However, this year, instead of that, here's a Letterboxd list of My Top 20 Films of 2025.

Okay, it's taken long enough. Here they are...

My Top 10 Films of 2025!!

10. Yorgos Lanthimos' Bugonia

Weird? Obviously. Heavy-handed? Definitely. Brilliantly acted? Hell yes. The three leads are fantastic, and the collaborative trust on display here makes the movie. The dynamic built between the three as the psychological and narrative stakes rise is gripping in its understanding of its political and philosophical themes and the high-concept execution of its oddball premise. And the way the final act falls apart is batshit in the exact way I was hoping it would be.

9. Osgood Perkins' The Monkey

Wild. Perkins abandons any semblance of faithfulness in favor of taking the central ideas and mechanics of King’s short story and amping them up to the absurd. He understands that innate fear of death, but instead of exploring it through a lens of deference, he distorts it, milking every ounce of extreme black humor from every over-the-top death. This is easily the most fun Perkins film, yet, as through his process of finding and exploiting the twisted, pitch-black humor from each and every death, Perkins forgets his penchant for the pretentious and just delivers a damn-good, chaotically life affirming time.

8. James Gunn's Superman

I loved it. Gunn's casting of these characters—and the choice of characters and depiction thereof, in general—is just so damn good. And his choice of story is so well executed and has a deeply rich understanding of Superman not only as a character but as a symbol of hope. Plus, it was just downright fun. Krypto was amazing. Nathan Fillion needs his own spinoff series. And everything it sets up has me genuinely excited for what Gunn & Co. have up their sleeves. DC is in damn good hands with James Gunn at the helm.

7. Clint Bentley's Train Dreams

Beautiful. Sad. Haunting. A philosophically rich, painfully human exploration of a life lived quietly in an ever evolving world.

6. Steven Soderbergh's Black Bag

Intimate, smart, and so brilliantly acted, Soderbergh’s relationship spy film works equally well as an astute exploration of trust within a marriage and a clever espionage story about truth and lies; with both coming together so effectively in their understanding of the blurred lines between one’s loyalties.

5. Mike Flanagan's The Life of Chuck

In Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of Stephen King’s masterpiece of a short story, all of the emotional heft and structural creativity remains intact as Flanagan executes his vision with a faithful screenplay, pitch-perfect cast, and so much more. Everything in this film feels like it’s in a film, and it works so damn well. The production design throughout and decisions like moving Act Two from Boston’s Boylston Street to an unnamed promenade clearly filmed on a studio lot immediately feels thematically perfect, closing off the world of the film, making it contained in a way that enriches the existential ideas and emotions beautifully. And the set-pieces throughout are filmed with a sense of sentimental uncertainty that wholly embodies the ultimately fleeting nature of memory.

4. Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein

Frankenstein is the film that Guillermo del Toro was born to make; the film he’s been working toward his entire career. His understanding of the source material—and of monsters in general—is astonishing, and allows him to craft something that feels wholly unique in its exploration of our flaws and obsessions and the darkness in our hearts despite its familiar ingredients and source. What a stunning, haunting, emotionally complex, technically overwhelming cinematic experience.

3. Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza's Warfare

A visceral ‘real-time’ snapshot of war that throws us into the mundane and disorienting reality of a battle where very little goes as planned. The performances by the impressive up-and-coming ensemble are exhausting, capturing the honor and fear flowing through these soldiers with shocking vulnerability. The editing is effectively kinetic throughout and the sound design utterly overwhelmingly; together they are creatively immersive in a way that fuels the chaos and desperation unfolding on screen. And Garland & Mendoza’s approach in their their memory-fueled screenplay and tight, claustrophobic direction creates an adrenaline-rush of warfare-horror that’s not easily shaken off.

2. Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another

The way PTA goes full batshit while maintaining complete technical control is utterly breathtaking. This is a damn-near three-hour film that feels shorter than many two-hour films. And the writing, cast, editing and score are straight-up electric, giving this highly structured piece of cinema a free-flowing spontaneity that’s as jaw-dropping as it is thematically profound.

And the Best Film of 2025 is...

1. Chloé Zhao's Hamnet

Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet isn’t only a perfect adaptation—an adaptation that elevates its source material by reworking structure and pacing to better convey the themes throughout—it's also the very best film of the year. Technically, it’s jaw-dropping, exploiting Zhao’s strengths as a visual storyteller through her breathtaking compositions, impeccable blocking, immense trust in her staggering cast, and overwhelming artistic collaboration that forges some of the year’s finest cinematography, production design, and a devastating score that never detracts from the emotional patience of the screenplay and cast.  This is an emotionally devastating powerhouse of a film.  “I am dead: Thou livest; … draw thy breath in pain, To tell my story” —Hamlet, Act V, scene ii

Thank you for reading!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

More of My Best of 2025...

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My Best of 2025: Lead Actor

My Best of 2025 is a series of annual lists in which I pick the best of the best from 2025, all leading up to my official picks for My Top 10 Films of 2025.

I'll be honest... any one of these top three could've ended up in that number one spot. Aside from that, I like or love them all, but the order doesn't really matter at all. I love a performance that stops me in my tracks, and many of these—especially those top three—did just that.

In Blue Moon, Ethan Hawke so completely conveys the wistful, heartbreaking delusions of the broken down Lorenz Hart as he so desperately tries to grasp one last handful of hope. He blew me away. Wow. In Train Dreams, Joel Edgerton embodies his character's quiet contentment and crippling heartbreak in a way that makes us wholly feel the simple, crushing weight of life. Jesse Plemons creates a crusader in Bugonia that's every bit as sad as they are downright terrifying in their delusions. It's a performance that's unpredictable and heartbreaking and so darkly absurd. Leonardo DiCaprio's bumbling stoner hilariously shines a light on the ridiculousness of the performative revolutionary in One Battle After Another. In Marty Supreme, Timothée Chalamet commits completely to the narcissistic drive of his character, bringing a sense of inevitability to the exceedingly over-the-top, batshit crazy situations throughout the film. Oscar Isaac understands the drive of Frankenstein on a deeply philosophical and human level, creating a flawed villain whose actions are understandable despite their inhumanity. Benicio del Toro has pitch-perfect delivery throughout The Phoenician Scheme, giving several bits (but especially the gifting of hand-grenades) all the mileage they could ever possibly get. It's a wonderfully riotous, splendidly weird performance. Wake Up Dead Man is carried by Josh O'Connor's lead performance, as he struggles with his faith in a manner that parallels the film's central mystery with such intriguing devotion. Michael B. Jordan's twins are the emotional core and narrative stimulus of Sinners, and his is a solid performance that—while admittedly grossly overrated—is still totally impressive compared to anything else Jordan has delivered, to date. And Will Arnett's complacent depression is what makes his connection with stand-up hit so hard in Is This Thing On?; it's in that therapeutic catharsis that his performance—and the film, itself—surmounts expectations.

Here they are…

My Top 10 Performances by a Lead Actor in 2025!

1. Ethan Hawke in Blue Moon

2. Joel Edgerton in Train Dreams

3. Jesse Plemons in Bugonia

4. Leonardo DiCaprio in One Battle After Another

5. Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme

6. Oscar Isaac in Frankenstein

7. Benicio del Toro in The Phoenician Scheme

8. Josh O'Connor in Wake Up Dead Man

9. Michael B. Jordan in Sinners

10. Will Arnett in Is This Thing On?

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

Next Up: My Top 10 Films of 2025!

More of My Best of 2025...

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My Best of 2025: Lead Actress

My Best of 2025 is a series of annual lists in which I pick the best of the best from 2025, all leading up to my official picks for My Top 10 Films of 2025.

What I love so much about performances by actress is how introspective they are compared to those from actors. And what I love even more is when an actress completely shatters my expectations by subverting them.

Jessie Buckley straight-up tore my heart out with her staggering performance in Hamnet, beautifully conveying the tenderness, anger and strength that reside within grief. In Bugonia, Emma Stone—who can pretty much do no wrong in my book—wholly commits in a way that’s as unreadable as it is utterly enthralling. Chase Infiniti captures her character's fear and confusion and will to survive in a manner with which we immediately identify and connect, making her arc drive the back half of One Battle After Another to its perfectly executed finale. Elle Fanning delivers the year's best dual-role performance in Predator: Badlands (I said what I said), creating two completely different synthetics that balance each other out in an entertaining and philosophically interesting way. This is the exact type of genre performance I love seeing. Laura Dern brings a frustrated vulnerability to Is This Thing On? that counters her co-stars complacent depression in a way that illustrates the film's themes with poignant understanding. Cate Blanchett is completely unreadable in Black Bag, helping to create a truly engrossing spy-thriller. Zoey Deutch brings Jean Seberg's ego and curiosity to life with an infectious charm in Nouvelle Vague. Rose Byrne's admittedly overrated performance in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You elevates the film to the point I couldn't omit her, here, despite truly despising the film itself. Eleanor the Great isn't anything special, as a whole, but what June Squibb does with her performance is so full of warmth and sadness and heart, making the film work in spite of its flaws. And Florence Pugh brings such a relatable ennui to Yelena Belova in Thunderbolts*, making both the action and humor throughout strike so much harder than it might have, otherwise.

Yeah, here they are…

My Top 10 Performances by a Lead Actress in 2025!

1. Jessie Buckley in Hamnet

2. Emma Stone in Bugonia

3. Chase Infiniti in One Battle After Another

4. Elle Fanning in Predator: Badlands

5. Laura Dern in Is This Thing On?

6. Cate Blanchett in Black Bag

7. Zoey Deutch in Nouvelle Vague

8. Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

9. June Squibb in Eleanor the Great

10. Florence Pugh in Thunderbolts*

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

Next Up: Lead Actor; My Top 10 Films of 2025!

More of My Best of 2025…

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My Best of 2025: Director

My Best of 2025 is a series of annual lists in which I pick the best of the best from 2025, all leading up to my official picks for My Top 10 Films of 2025.

I've said it once and I'll say it again. When it comes to direction, it’s generally one or two very specific aspects that make a director’s choices really stand out, for me. In 2025...

It was PTA's bold interpretation of his source material, and how he expertly navigated the satirical nuances, incredible ensemble and batshit-crazy pacing and structure of this nearly three-hour film without losing any energy or thematic heft along the way. It was GDT's passion and brilliantly nuanced manipulation of genre and adaptation. It was Zhao's understanding of the emotional weight of O'Farrell's novel, and her trust in the leads to capture the immortal heart of these characters and their grief. It was Garland & Mendoza's respect for the soldiers whose lives inspired their cinematic snapshot of the chaotic, exhausting memory of war. It was Josh Safdie's embracing of period and the madness that is the narcissistic struggle for greatness. It was Bentley's peaceful respect for Denis Johnson's novella; his fleeting recollection of the sadness and hard work and loneliness and joy that add up to a life lived quietly. It was the way Coogler embraced the undying power of musical storytelling and its undeniable historical significance. It was in Kosinski's handling of the overwhelming logistics, and his commitment to this high-speed, adrenaline-drenched style of filmmaking. It was Cameron's breathtaking action sequences and overall technical mastery. And it was Lanthimos's unrelenting weirdness and always fascinating collaborative trust in Emma Stone (and here, Jesse Plemons).

Here they are…

My Top 10 Directors of 2025!

1. Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another

2. Guillermo del Toro for Frankenstein

3. Chloé Zhao for Hamnet

4. Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza for Warfare

5. Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme

6. Clint Bentley for Train Dreams

7. Ryan Coogler for Sinners

8. Joseph Kosinski for F1: The Movie

9. James Cameron for Avatar: Fire and Ash

10. Yorgos Lanthimos for Bugonia

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

Next Up: Lead Actress; Lead Actor

More of My Best of 2025…

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My Best of 2025: Supporting Actor

My Best of 2025 is a series of annual lists in which I pick the best of the best from 2025, all leading up to my official picks for My Top 10 Films of 2025.

This is almost always my favorite category. Most years, my very favorite/the year's best performances land in here. And that's very much true with Michael Cera in The Phoenician Scheme, which is by far my favorite performance of 2025. It's just so wonderfully odd in its perfect comedic execution, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since June. Sean Penn is so over-the-top in One Battle After Another, creating a villain that's as emotionally complex as he is downright vile. Jacob Elordi brings a childlike curiosity that's so often too diminished in cinematic depictions of The Creature in Frankenstein, and it makes GDT's adaptation all the more rich. Benicio del Toro steals every single second he's on screen in One Battle After Another, playing the real-deal guiding DiCaprio's bumbling idiot through a landscape of the true revolutionary heart. Paul Mescal beautifully personifies the immortal role of storytelling in the grieving process. And the bottom half are every bit as effective, with Fillion and Brolin effortlessly stealing scenes, Jonsson and Sandler embodying the entirety of their films' emotional heft, and Aidan Delbis absolutely shocking me with the innocent complexity he brings his heartbreakingly devoted sidekick.

Aaand, here's the list…

My Top 10 Performances by a Supporting Actor in 2025!

1. Michael Cera in The Phoenician Scheme

2. Sean Penn in One Battle After Another

3. Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein

4. Benicio del Toro in One Battle After Another

5. Paul Mescal in Hamnet

6. Nathan Fillion in Superman

7. David Jonsson in The Long Walk

8. Josh Brolin in Wake Up Dead Man

9. Adam Sandler in Jay Kelly

10. Aidan Delbis in Bugonia

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

Next Up: Directing; Lead Actress

More of My Best of 2025...

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My Best of 2025: Supporting Actress

My Best of 2025 is a series of annual lists in which I pick the best of the best from 2025, all leading up to my official picks for My Top 10 Films of 2025.

I didn't connect with many films in 2025, so compiling this year's lists has been a struggle—in all categories. That being said, I still stand by my picks here and in all previous and forthcoming categories.

The top two picks here are so damn neck-and-neck that I literally tossed a coin to see who would take the top spot. I love great performances in genre films and both Amy Madigan and Hailee Steinfeld delivered in spades in Weapons and Sinners, respectively. Madigan is so damn creepy and odd and helps build upon both the horror and darkly comedic elements that made Weapons such a singular experience. I've been a huge fan of Steinfeld throughout her entire career, so its no shocker to find her near the top of this list. She was explosive in Sinners, and even before the tonal shift represented an unpredictable danger with such wanton abandon. I hated Teyana Taylor's character in One Battle After Another, and loved every damn second of it. Ariana Grande once again brought such perfect line delivery and innocent heart to Oz in Wicked: For Good. I'm still not entirely sold on Mia Goth, yet once again I found myself completely rapt by her otherworldly presence in Frankenstein. The rest were scene-stealers, the lot of 'em, with Marisa Abela absolutely captivating, Oona Chaplin further cementing my adoration of mo-cap performances, Glenn Close standing out amongst an over-crowded ensemble, Odessa A'zion reining in Chalamet for moments of much needed thematic heft, and Margaret Qualley doing what even Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Scott couldn't do, make me take my eyes off a (possibly) career-best Ethan Hawke.

Anyway, here they are in list form…

My Top 10 Performances by a Supporting Actress in 2025! 

1. Amy Madigan in Weapons

2. Hailee Steinfeld in Sinners

3. Teyana Taylor in One Battle After Another

4. Ariana Grande in Wicked: For Good

5. Mia Goth in Frankenstein

6. Marisa Abela in Black Bag

7. Oona Chaplin in Avatar: Fire and Ash

8. Glenn Close in Wake Up Dead Man

9. Odessa A'zion in Marty Supreme

10. Margaret Qualley in Blue Moon

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

Next Up: Supporting Actor; Directing

More of My Best of 2025...

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My Week(s) in Reviews: February 22, 2026

It's been a minute, but now that I've got all of My Best of 2025 lists compiled (I should get to posting the acting and directing categories this week, with My Top 10 Films of 2025 dropping next weekend or early in the following week) let's see what I've been watching since last we met.

Predator: Badlands (Dan Trachtenberg, 2025)

Gotta be honest on this one... the movie itself was just okay. I downright disliked the character design for the main character, but the visual effects were solid. The story and pacing were not doing it, for me, though. However, Elle Fanning is FANTASTIC!! She delivers the type of genre performance that wholly celebrates the creative possibilities of this type of high-concept world and character-building. 6.5/10

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You (Mary Bronstein, 2025)

Sure, Rose Byrne is solid, but at what cost? The rest of the film is horrible. 2/10

Wicked: For Good (Jon M. Chu, 2025)

The songs aren't as good, and the pacing of the story is sluggish compared to the first act, but otherwise, this was almost every bit as charming and enjoyable as the previous film. Ariana Grande doesn't quite top my top ten supporting performances this year, but she's not too far behind. 7/10

Blue Moon (Richard Linklater, 2025)

Richard Linklater's brilliant brand of character-focused direction and the superb screenplay immerse us in the world, but it's Ethan Hawke's performance that completely steals the show—and hell, the year. He so completely conveys the wistful, heartbreak delusions of the broken down Lorenz Hart as he so desperately tries to grasp one last handful of hope. He blew me away. Wow. - 8/10

Eleanor the Great (Scarlett Johansson, 2025)

Johansson's directorial debut has its heart in the right place. It's otherwise a paint-by-numbers dramedy about grief, but she smartly trusts her star and lets her take control. June Squibb is delightful, here, creating a quirky character lost in this world without her best friend; finding her way through her grief by making a series of exceedingly misguided decisions that ultimately shine a light on the power of grief—and friendship, itself. - 6/10

Relay (David Mackenzie, 2025)

The pacing—especially in the second act—could've been a bit tighter. But otherwise, this was a thoroughly entertaining, unpredictable thriller. - 7.5/10

A House of Dynamite (Kathryn Bigelow, 2025)

Not even the propulsive pacing, kinetic editing and phenomenal ensemble cast can save this political thriller from an atrocious ending that fumbles its metaphorical football on the one yard line. - 4/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[mylifeincinema]

My Best of 2025: Cinematography

My Best of 2025 is a series of annual lists in which I pick the best of the best from 2025, all leading up to my official picks for My Top 10 Films of 2025.

I’ll be honest… the available high-res stills for these movies don't come anywhere close to highlighting just how brilliantly shot they were. Not the strongest year for cinematography, in general, but there's some truly breathtaking work going on in the films featured here. As always, without further comment, here they are…

My Top 10 Achievements in Cinematography in 2025!

1. Dan Laustsen for Frankenstein

2. Adolpho Veloso for Train Dreams

3. Łukasz Żal for Hamnet

4. Autumn Durald Arkapaw for Sinners

5. Michael Bauman for One Battle After Another

6. Claudio Miranda for F1

7. Steve Yedlin for Wake Up Dead Man

8. Matthew Libatique for Is This Thing On?

9. Russell Carpenter for Avatar: Fire and Ash

10. Darius Khondji for Marty Supreme

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

Next Up: Supporting Actress; Supporting Actor

More of My Best of 2025...

[mylifeincinema]

My Best of 2025: Assorted (Editing, Screenplays, Stunts, Score & More)

My Best of 2025 is a series of annual lists in which I pick the best of the best from 2025, all leading up to my official picks for My Top 10 Films of 2025.

I'm sure there will be some glaring omissions this year, but f*ck it, let's go…

Production Design:

Frankenstein (Runners Up: Hamnet & Avatar: Fire and Ash)

Editing:

One Battle After Another (Runners Up: F1 & Warfare)

Ensemble:

Warfare (Runners Up: The Phoenician Scheme & One Battle After Another)

Breakthrough Performances:

Marisa Abela in Black Bag & Jacobi Jupe in Hamnet (Runners Up: Chase Infiniti in One Battle After Another & Aidan Delbis in Bugonia)

Original Screenplay:

Weapons (Runners Up: Black Bag & Blue Moon)

Adapted Screenplay:

One Battle After Another (Runners Up: Hamnet & Frankenstein)

Stunts:

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (Runner Up: F1 & Warfare)

VFX:

Avatar: Fire and Ash (Runner Up: Superman & How to Train Your Dragon)

Costume Design:

Frankenstein (Runners Up: Hamnet & Superman)

Makeup & Hair Design:

Frankenstein (Runner Up: Superman & Bugonia)

Sound:

Warfare (Runners Up: F1 & Avatar: Fire & Ash)

Score:

One Battle After Another (Runners Up: Hamnet & Frankenstein)

And… since I—once again—just didn’t get many ‘new to me’ Non-2025 Films in this past year…

Non-2025 Films:

Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann (Runners Up: Tim Fehlbaum’s September 5, Sam Peckinpah’s Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, William Friedkin’s Sorcerer & Asghar Farhardi’s A Separation)

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

Next Up: Cinematography

More of My Best of 2025…

[mylifeincinema]

My Best of 2025: TV

My Best of 2025 is a series of annual lists in which I pick the best of the best from 2025, all leading up to my official picks for My Top 10 Films of 2025.

Here they are, the far from definitive list of My Top 10 TV Shows of 2025…

Drama/Comedy:

The Pitt: Season 1 (HBO Max) The Studio: Season 1 (Apple TV)

Task: Season 1 (HBO) Only Murders in the Building: Season 5 (Hulu)

Alien Earth: Season 1 (FX) Wednesday: Season 2 (Netflix)

Adolescence (Netflix) A Man on the Inside: Season 2 (Netflix)

Stranger Things: Season 5 (Netflix) Ghosts: Season 5 (CBS)

Note: These are only very loosely in order. The number one spots are very much my favorite shows of the year, though. Also, this is so f*cking far from definitive, as I’m STILL so far behind on 2025 TV, in general, so I know there may be some major omissions, here. Finally, yes... I AM categorizing Wednesday as a comedy.

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

Next Up: Assorted (Animated Feature, Foreign Film, Editing, Screenplay, Etc.), Maybe.

More of My Best of 2025…

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My Best of 2025: Posters

My Best of 2025 is a series of annual lists in which I pick the best of the best from 2025, all leading up to my official picks for My Top 10 Films of 2025.

My Top 10 Posters of 2025!

Okay, I'm calling it! It's officially—by far—the latest I've ever started My Best of... lists, and I still haven't gotten a few of my 'must-see' films in. I think it's safe to say they're just not happening until I'm able to get them from the library later this year. Oh well... ::shrugs::

Anyway, as always, there no specific comments on these. 2025 was another year I didn't find myself really blown away by many/any posters, but the top five here at least border stunning, and the others range from fetching to effective to fun.

Note: As always, these picks have nothing to do with my thoughts or the quality of the films, only the posters themselves and how they sold the films to me.

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

Next Up: TV.

More of My Best of 2025…

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A Note on My Best of 2025…

To the handful of people who even still catch my posts on here, I assure you, I have not completely abandoned My Best of 2025.

I’ve been taking time and trying to catch the last couple 2025 films I wanted to see before diving in. Those are likely just not happening for me anytime soon, so I’m planning on starting to post my lists in the coming week or two.

Thank you, and Stay Tuned!!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[mylifeincinema]

My Week(s) in Reviews: January 17, 2026

There's a bunch, this time. I probably should've gotten a post in last week, but I'm lazy. So, yeah, these'll be short. Let's get to it...

The Rip (Joe Carnahan, 2026)

Damn. My first 2026 release was a banger. Great cast, well shot, phenomenal tension and pacing, a well structured, a clever if far too expository screenplay, and just an entertaining, overall homerun of a film. This is what 'tough guy' action flicks are supposed be like... Every. Damn. Time. - 8.5/10

Avatar: Fire and Ash (James Cameron, 2025)

Finally got around to catching Avatar: Fire and Ash in cinemas, and it was STUNNING. A visual feast with the best SFX in the business and directorial work from James Cameron that proves he’s still very much among the greatest action directors of all time. Sadly, he’s also one of the least compelling writers. Despite the world-building still very much holding up thanks to the production design, the dialogue throughout is atrocious, the narrative is sluggishly repetitive and laughably predictable, and the characters are conveniently inept. Then there’s the cast. Woof. Aside from a commanding turn by Oona Chaplin, there isn’t a single good performance in here. Sam Worthington continues to be the single most baffling casting choice, maybe ever. Zoe Saldaña seems straight-up bored. And when Kate Winslet isn’t even good, there’s a serious problem. Don’t even get me started on the young cast members. Woof. But, despite all its issues and the mind-boggling running-time, I was still completely blown away by the technical achievements on display here. It’s such a dazzling, expertly constructed, entertaining visual feast. - 7/10

Is This Thing On? (Bradley Cooper, 2025)

Incredible leads fuel this poignant piece about marriage and finding what you need to make you happy, whatever that may be. Arnett and Dern really are incredible, here, bringing their characters to life with a lived-in exhaustion. The camera-work is top notch, moving through each scene intimately, making the performances and themes hit home all the harder. Cooper understands these themes and characters, and his directorial work is probing without becoming judgmental. I expected this to be good, but it exceeded my expectation in almost every way. I would've liked more stand-up, though, but that's just me picking nits. - 8.5/10

Jay Kelly (Noah Baumbach, 2025)

Not nearly as romantic about cinema as I was hoping it would be. Clooney and Sandler are fantastic, though, and bring their characters' complex relationship to life with a bittersweet honesty that makes even the more iffy plot points land. - 7/10

The Running Man (Edgar Wright, 2025)

A lot of fun, but it only ever very rarely feels like an Edgar Wright film. Also, they really should've kept the book's ending—other than that, though, this is very much an upgrade from Bachman's book. - 7/10

Train Dreams (Clint Bentley, 2025)

Beautiful. Sad. Haunting. How is this not winning every single cinematography award? And how the f*ck is Joel Edgerton not the front-runner for this year's Best Actor race?!? Damn! - 9/10

Nouvelle Vague (Richard Linklater, 2025)

As a big fan of early-Godard, this was a treat. Such a killer cast, lead by stop-you-in-your-tracks turns from Guillaume Marbeck, Zoey Deutch and Aubry Dullin as Godard, Seberg & Belmondo, respectively. Seeing Linklater (director of my all-time favorite film, Dazed and Confused) recreate so many familiar moments such a way as this, with this cast was surreal. I only wish he would've been able to catch the rhythm of Godard's work a little better, even if I wholly understand that he didn't for damn good reason. - 8/10

Anemone (Ronan Day-Lewis, 2025)

Oof. Not even a committed performance from the one and only Daniel Day-Lewis could save this coma-inducing, self-satisfied bore of a film. - 2.5/10

Black Phone 2 (Scott Derrickson, 2025)

Not bad. Not great. I'm already having trouble remembering the details, so that's not a good sign, but I enjoyed myself while watching it, so that is a good sign. - 5/10

Materialists (Celine Song, 2025)

While I liked the cast, this was missing something major. Like, major major. I can't put my finger on it, quite yet, as it literally only ended like an hour ago, but I don't feel like putting in the effort to figure it out, either. So there's that. - 4.5/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.