F1

F1

 A High-Octane Visual Feast Stuck in a Generic Gear

★★★★☆

Breathtaking racing sequences meet a "paint-by-numbers" script.

Fresh off his groundbreaking success with Top Gun: Maverick, director Joseph Kosinski establishes himself as one of the best pure action directors working today. Continuing a formula that worked so well in his previous hit, Kosinski calls on the artistic spirit of Tony Scott again for inspiration, and the film nobly stands as a tribute to another one of Scott's popular works, Days of Thunder.

"We're using a custom-made camera that’s so small it can fit inside the cockpit, giving the audience a perspective of speed that’s never been captured on film before."

— Joseph Kosinski

🎬 Cast & Crew

• Director: Joseph Kosinski
• Writer: Ehren Kruger
• Starring: Brad Pitt (Sonny Hayes), Damson Idris (Joshua Pearce)
• Supporting: Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Sarah Niles
• Cinematography: Claudio Miranda
• Music: Hans Zimmer

The Director's Vision

Visually, Kosinski is at the top of his game. The movie is a triumph when events are left strictly on the racetrack; the action is simply breathtaking. If you want to get a sense of what Formula One racing is like, this is the closest most of the audience will ever get to being in the driver's seat.

Problems start to pop up, however, when the characters leave the track. Plagued with a frustrating and generic sports trope—young, brash hothead vs. grizzled, worldly veteran—the ageist metaphor gets old incredibly quick. In Maverick, this worked because it was earned by shared history. Here, it’s just plain annoying to see the "young gun" openly reject the wisdom of the guy who obviously knows better.

🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts

• Real Speed: Similar to Top Gun: Maverick, the actors filmed in real moving cars during actual Grand Prix weekends to capture authentic G-forces.
• The Hamilton Connection: Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton served as a producer and consultant to ensure the technical dialogue and racing maneuvers were 100% accurate.
• Tech Marvel: The film used the smallest moving 6k cameras ever designed to fit into the tight confines of a Formula 1 cockpit.

✅ Pros

• Industry-leading racing cinematography and sound design.
• Brad Pitt's effortless movie-star charisma.
• An absolute adrenaline rush that demands a big screen.

❌ Cons

• Frustratingly predictable "young vs. old" character tropes.
• The mediocre, paint-by-numbers script drags between races.

The Performances

• Brad Pitt: Incredibly charming as Sonny Hayes. He carries the weight of the "grizzled veteran" role with a worldly grace that almost makes you forgive the script.
• Damson Idris: A strong, athletic presence as Joshua Pearce, though his character’s "hothead" antics go on painfully too long.
• Javier Bardem & Kerry Condon: Both are incredibly likable and do the best they can with the supporting material provided.

👀 Where to Watch

F1 (2025): Currently playing in IMAX and theaters globally. Scheduled to stream on Apple TV+ in late 2025.

Read more on Letterboxd

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Make no mistake, this is a director's showcase. While F1 is just shy of greatness due to its script, it really soars with the visual feast on display. The thrills will have you on the edge of your seat. Check it out when you get the chance—it's definitely one of the most entertaining movies of the year.

Final Verdict: A Pure Adrenaline Rush

Fight or Flight

Fight or Flight

A High-Altitude, Looney Tunes Die Hard

★★★☆☆

An amusing, uncomplicated ride with John Wick-style combat.

A fun twist on the Die Hard story model, Fight or Flight is an entertaining action yarn that thankfully doesn't take itself too seriously. Anchoring the film is a likable performance from Josh Hartnett, fresh from his dramatic turn in Oppenheimer and his chilling role in Trap. As an action star, Hartnett proves his mettle with excellent fight scenes mixed with laugh-out-loud humor.

"Hartnett brings a weary, everyman charm to the chaos, making the bone-crunching stunts feel grounded even when the logic goes full Looney Tunes."

— Empire Magazine

🎬 Cast & Crew

• Director: Magnus Martens
• Writer: Brooks McLaren
• Starring: Josh Hartnett, Julianne Hough
• Supporting: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scoot McNairy
• Stunt Coordinator: James Young

The Director's Vision

Tying things together is a thin story concerning a socially conscious cyber-terrorist needing protection from a plane full of contract-killing assassins. But this isn't a "story" kind of movie. Director Magnus Martens uses the plot as an excuse to stage John Wick-style combat and provide some "shits and giggles" to pass the time—a goal the film thankfully succeeds at.

Clocking in at 1 hour and 41 minutes, it’s an amusing diversion with Jason Statham-level choreography. While it isn’t going to win awards or make any year-end Top Ten lists, it’s a movie worthy of standing just a tier below the best action films of the year.

🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts

• Hartnett's Training: To prepare for the "Jason Statham-level" choreography, Josh Hartnett trained for three months in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, performing nearly 80% of his own stunts.
• The Wick Connection: The stunt team included veterans from the John Wick franchise, which explains the high-intensity, "gun-fu" aesthetic of the cabin brawls.
• Limited Set: 90% of the film was shot on a single gimbal-mounted airplane set in London, used to simulate realistic turbulence during the fight sequences.

✅ Pros

• Josh Hartnett’s effortless transition into a modern action lead.
• Creative use of confined airplane space for combat.
• Fast-paced, breezy runtime that never overstays its welcome.

❌ Cons

• The "socially conscious" terrorist subplot is paper-thin.
• Requires a total suspension of disbelief regarding physics and logic.

The Performances

• Josh Hartnett: Proves he has the physical mettle for the genre, mixing intense combat with a dry, comedic timing that keeps the film light.
• Jennifer Jason Leigh: Brings a veteran gravitas to her supporting role, grounding the more absurd plot points with a "wink and a nod" performance.

👀 Where to Watch

Fight or Flight (2025): Now available for digital purchase and rental on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Streaming: Scheduled to arrive on Netflix in late 2026.

Read more on Letterboxd

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Definitely worth a viewing, and probably even better with a group of friends. Fight or Flight is an uncomplicated ride that knows exactly what it is—and what it is is a whole lot of fun.

Final Verdict: A High-Flying Action Diversion

Weapons

 

Weapons

A Self-Indulgent Horror Epic that Shoots for the Moon

★★1/2☆☆

A solid, unique thriller that overreaches with its own ambition.

Weapons is a memorable thriller that perhaps overreaches with its own self-indulgence. The movie has the patina of a serious story but ultimately dissolves into a bit of a silly affair. While horror films are inherently supposed to be crowd-pleasing, Weapons joins the recent batch of "prestige horror" that attempts to combine dramatic social commentary with traditional thrills—a lineage we can trace from Jordan Peele’s Get Out back to The Silence of the Lambs.

"Weapons isn't just another horror film—it's a collective nightmare where a mass disappearance unlocks the darkest corners of human fear."

— ScullyVision

🎬 Cast & Crew

• Director/Writer: Zach Cregger
• Starring: Josh Brolin (Archer Graff), Julia Garner (Justine Gandy)
• Supporting: Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong, Austin Abrams, Amy Madigan
• Cinematography: Larkin Seiple
• Genre: Multi-story Mystery Horror

The Director's Vision

Fresh off Barbarian, director Zach Cregger aspires to something innovative here, utilizing a non-linear, multi-perspective structure reminiscent of Magnolia. The film spends a great deal of time creating a mood of dread and a realistic atmosphere. However, the story occasionally shoots itself in the foot by slowly ramping up tension only to diffuse it by shifting perspectives just as things get earned.

For an analytical viewer, the "structural chicanery" can feel like it gets in the way of the actual tension. The messaging also borders on being a bit preachy at times. While it’s unique and thought-provoking, it often misses that primal adrenaline rush where you’re looking over your shoulder in the theater.

🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts

• The Recast: The movie originally had a completely different cast, including Pedro Pascal and Renate Reinsve, but the 2023 strikes caused scheduling conflicts that forced Cregger to recast nearly everyone except Austin Abrams.
• Bidding War: The script was so highly sought after that it sparked a massive bidding war between Netflix, Universal, and Warner Bros., with New Line Cinema eventually paying $38 million for the rights.
• Personal Tribute: Cregger was inspired to write the film following the passing of his close friend and collaborator, Trevor Moore.
• The 2:17 Motif: The time 2:17 a.m. is a major plot point (the exact time the children vanish), and some theaters even scheduled early screenings to start at exactly 2:17 p.m. in a nod to the film.

✅ Pros

• Ambitious, original approach to mainstream horror.
• Strong ensemble performances, particularly Julia Garner and Amy Madigan.
• Genuinely creepy atmosphere and effective sound design.

❌ Cons

• Non-linear storytelling can diffuse tension at critical moments.
• The third act reveal may feel predictable or "silly" for some.
• Overt messaging that occasionally feels preachy.

The Performances

• Josh Brolin: Plays Archer Graff, a bewildered father obsessed with finding his son, capturing a specific kind of conspiracy-driven paranoia.
• Julia Garner: As Justine Gandy, the teacher at the center of the tragedy, she delivers a "flinty" and emotionally wrecked performance.
• Amy Madigan: Singled out by many for an award-caliber turn as the eccentric and "scary weird" Aunt Gladys.

👀 Where to Watch

Weapons (2025): Now streaming on Max (as of October 24, 2025).

Digital/Physical: Available on VOD (Amazon, Apple) and on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD.

Read more on Letterboxd

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Weapons is a solid film made with care, but for me, it just falls short of greatness. It's a "Sophomore Effort" that shows Cregger's talent, even if it didn't fully land the suspense for me personally. Still, it’s definitely a movie that will be fun to talk about with friends after—give it a shot!

Final Verdict: A Unique, Ambitious Genre Puzzle