Wow, the first month of 2025 has come and gone! I hope your January has been good for you. I am grateful that work-wise things have been good despite a major shift last December, and that my mother-in-law’s open heart surgery went well (praise God!).
One of my New Year resolutions (well perhaps the only resolution as I typically don’t even make any, ha!) is to log movies more regularly on Letterboxd, so if you have a Letterboxd account, let’s connect there!
https://letterboxd.com/flixchatter/
So from now on, I will simplify my viewing recap by minimizing the amount of images on the post. The nice thing about Letterboxd is it allows me to rank whatever list I create on there.
In any case, I would still post some mini-reviews here, share my status of the #52FilmsByWomen challenge, and select my pick of Movie of the Month. So let’s get right on it, shall we?
JANUARY VIEWINGS
MINI REVIEWS
Titles marked with * (asterisk) are films directed by women
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
I’m a huge fan of Aardman Animations, and Chicken Run is definitely one of my top picks from them. This one is a blast from beginning to end! So much fun, super entertaining, packed with laughs and clever jokes—perfect for the whole family to enjoy together. Gromit the dog is my favorite; he’s such a clever and lovable character, always stepping up to save the day. I can’t get enough of the little touches, like when Gromit is reading ‘Virginia Woof’ in bed—just too cute!
Kneecap
This film might not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially if you’re not a fan of foul language. It can be a bit tricky to follow at the start, so I definitely recommend using captions. The opening is a little shaky since it focuses more on introducing the characters instead of diving into the historical context. If you are more familiar with the musical group Kneecap, the beginning might grab your attention more. I didn’t realize the band members play themselves until after I watched it, but the story did become intriguing as the plot unfolded. Writer/director Rich Peppiatt’s approach is pretty imaginative and energetic, using unconventional camera techniques and animation to tell the story. It’s a heavily political movie wrapped up in a hip-hop comedy, definitely one of the craziest, most original movies I saw this year.
My Old Ass*
A surprisingly emotionally charged coming-of-age film from Canadian writer/director Megan Park. So impressed by Maisy Stella in her feature film debut, while Aubrey Plaza is her usual quirky self.
The LGBT message is treated with care instead of just being a trendy plot device. The surreal moments could easily go off the rails, but Park skillfully keeps it all in check, using the odd storyline to boost the emotional impact. Elliott’s journey through growing up, love, and figuring out who she is strikes a chord; even the melodramatic bits feel genuine and relatable.
Jamie Fox: What Had Happened Was
This Netflix special feels less like a typical comedy show and more like a tribute to life itself. It’s indeed a miracle that he could come back to full recovery after a brain bleed that led to a stroke. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, with some NSFW bits thrown in alongside moments that feel like they belong in a church service, especially when he thanked God for healing him. You can really sense his genuine appreciation for his doctors and nurses. His emotional range is impressive, and I love how he includes his daughter in a beautiful duet. The impersonations were hilarious and spot-on, making me both laugh and cry at the same time.
Back in Action
I put this on my ‘most anticipated 2025 movies list’… boy, what was I thinking??! The only watchable thing about this loud and uninspiring drivel is the two leads. Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz are fun together, but they sure deserve a much, much better script! Poor Andrew Scott looks completely bored throughout, like he couldn’t be bothered being in this schlock and I can’t blame him. Perhaps he’s obligated to do this because Netflix financed his RIPLEY series?? Well, I sure hope he got paid tons of cash so he could star in indie projects worthy of his talents.
The worst part is Glenn Close as a former MI-6 turned sugar mama canoodling with a blundering tool (oh Jamie Demetriou, this is low even for you!) All their interactions are icky to watch. Diaz – great to see you back, but perhaps you could choose a better project next time!
In the Land of Saints and Sinners
This Irish Western by Robert Lorenz is one of the better Liam Neeson action thrillers; it’s certainly better than their previous collaboration, The Marksman. Neeson delivers his trademark quiet intensity—a gentle, empathetic, seasoned hitman who wants to leave his past behind but hasn’t lost his edgy touch. Kerry Condon is memorable here, elevating her stock IRA gang leader type into someone three-dimensional. I love the classic Irish landscape with its breezy cliffs, stone walls, and lush, rolling fields which makes the setting quite atmospheric.
Goodrich*
This is an in-flight watch and I was looking for movies directed by women to boost my #52FilmsByWomen tally. I was curious to see this because it lists Michael Keaton + Andie MacDowell and I love them in Multiplicity. As it turns out MacDowell’s appearance is barely a cameo. Keaton is always watchable though, while Mila Kunis is actually pretty good as his daughter. The movie itself is nothing special and the father-daughter story isn’t very compelling. What strikes me is the filming locations around LA, which have been affected by the wildfires recently. Watching the characters stroll around LA County, Silver Lake, etc. makes me feel sad for the residents affected.
52 Films By Women – 2025 Challenge
I am once again participating in this challenge. Per Women In Film (WIF) organization, the basic rules are simple: watch 52 films directed by women within one year and share what you watched on social media, using the hashtag #52FilmsByWomen to spread the word, and get more people talking about the women filmmakers that don’t always get attention.
This year is off to a strong start!! I watched a total of 6 new-to-me films #directedbywomen. I ranked them on Letterboxd, you can follow my #52FilmsByWomen list as I will be updating it regularly. 2024 was a pretty strong year for women filmmakers, but I hope female representation gets better and better in Hollywood in the years to come.
January 2025 Movie of the Month
The Count of Monte Cristo
(Le Comte de Monte-Cristo)
A visually stunning cinematic adaptation of one of the most popular novels ever. DP Nicolas Bolduc is the same cinematographer who shot the equally stunning two-part French adaptation of The Three Musketeers (2023) also released by Pathé Films. I’m glad we bought this film on AppleTV+ as we will for sure be watching it again!
Full review upcoming
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
You just got a new follower at Letterboxd. January was a pretty good month with Summertime and Princess Mononoke being my main highlights of the month. So far, I’ve seen 4 films by women so far though it is a good start. I just watched Emilia Perez earlier today which I liked though I can see why it was polarizing.
Yay! Now we’re connected on Letterboxd, Steven!
Boy, the controversies around Emilia Perez are unceasing. It seems more people don’t care for it, so I wouldn’t call it polarizing.
I saw the trailer for Back in Action and it looks like those other cheesy action flicks like Ghosted, The Union and The Family Plan. I’ll probably watch it someday when I’m bored. Lol! I don’t blame for those stars who appeared in these type of movies. They got paid a lot from these streaming services and some of them just showed up and do the minimal work.
In the Land of Saints and Sinners looks good, I don’t know if it’s on any streaming services but I’ll give it a watch when I see it on Amazon or Netflix.
I only saw one new movie last month, Juror #2 and I liked it. I remember your review a couple of months ago where you recommended it. I think the movie came out in the wrong decade, it would’ve been a bigger hit had it came out in the 80s or 90s. Also, had it starred a brand name movie stars like DiCaprio or Pitt or something other big names, it would’ve been a success. Then I watched a bunch of TV series. Finished The Agency, one of my favorite shows now. Binged a few shows, The Night Agent season 2 and American Primeval. Also, another show on Prime called On Call. Also, finished season 2 of Silo and started season 2 of Severance.
I skipped Ghosted, I probably should’ve skipped Back in Action but I was curious because of Diaz’s comeback. Oh well, there were some entertaining moments but overall it’s a silly movie.
In the Land of Saints and Sinners is on Amazon, it’s worth a watch, Ted!
True, with big stars like DiCaprio the movie would definitely get theatrical release and more attention, but won’t necessarily make it a better film though. I think the reason I like Hoult is because even though he doesn’t have the star power, he is a very good and versatile actor. I think Leo and Brad are overrated.
I will definitely go with your suggestion of doing a free trial of Paramount to binge on The Agency, maybe later this month. I’m enjoying Night Agent 2 so far, and once that’s done I’ll watch Silo S2. What do you think of Silo S2 compared to the first season?
I don’t think Juror #2 would have been better with a bigger star in the lead but the studio would have promoted it much better and spent money on getting it into the award season craze. Like I said earlier, a court drama with no big stars, the marketing team just don’t know how to promote it to the public. In the trailer, they made it look like it’s some sort of a thriller. Also, had a bigger named star was the lead, the movie would be all about that character. While in this version, both Hoult and Collette got a good share of their screen time.
Silo season 2 got out to a slow start, nothing really happened in the first half the season. Then it got better in the second half but then it ended so abruptly. This season basically a set up for the next season, which annoyed me. They could’ve cut the first few episodes into 1 or 2 episodes but I get it. The show creators signed a contract stating that they have to produce 10 episodes per season, so they had stretch out some storylines to a few episodes to get to 10.
I’ve just jumped onto Letteboxd a few weeks ago and still updating my watched list by the day. Except for a gap of 2 to 3 years in my early teens, I have something like a diary dating back to when I was 10 years old (yes I was crazy about movies as a kid and watched an awful lot as I lived near a couple of cinemas), which is extremely handy for this purpose on Letterboxd.
Cool that you’re on Letterboxd. Let’s connect there!
Wow, I wish I had kept a diary from such a young age. I didn’t start logging my viewings until I started blogging, but somehow I didn’t get into Letterboxd early enough.
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Okay, this is nuts, I wrote a looong comment, and WP wouldn’t let me post it. I had to hit subscribe and log in. I was already logged in.
Now I can’t remember all of it, other than I laughed reading your mini review of Back in Action.
Also went on about it’s hard to watch movies right now, as the Academy has us watching scads of shows for the EMMY HONORS.
Ummm, oh, I don’t want to start another information invasive online account. Call me old fashioned! I’m down with that.
I’m happy to come here and read mini reviews!
There was more.
Main thing is, I send you and your mother-in-law love and wish all the best! xx
Oh sorry to hear that WP is being weird that you couldn’t post your comment. Not sure why because you already logged in, and it shouldn’t make people subscribe. Hmmm… I hope that doesn’t keep happening, but THANK YOU for your long comment that did get through 🙂
I’m still cringing thinking about Glenn Close’s horny granny character in Back in Action (well more like grimacing). I hope she too got paid tons of $$$ for doing that!
What are the EMMY HONORS? So all Emmy voters have to watch those?
Thanks for the well wishes for my mother-in-law; she is in rehab now so hopefully she will get back on her feet soon. Thanks, darling! XOXO
Ahh, WP acts up every so often. It usually self corrects.
Lol, and Glenn is such a fab actor.. maybe the script looked better than the movie came out. Hahaha… grimace away!
The EMMY HONORS are new shows that are special because they deal with today’s issues, exposing issues, promoting answers, social awareness, environmental issues, etc. They can be docus, TV movies, series, specials.
We don’t have to watch them all, or vote for all, we have the option. Any show we vote for counts.
XOXOXO