Happy July, everyone!! JUNE seems to have run away from me as work has been insanely busy. Plus I had some personal things that took up a lot of my time, so I wasn’t able to watch and review as many films as I had hoped.

Instead of doing mini reviews, I’m merging this post with my mid-year overview of the movie landscape of the first half of 2025. I can’t really say if it’s a great year for movies or not, given that some of the biggest, most-anticipated films haven’t come out yet (Superman, Fantastic Four, Running Man, TRON: Ares); as well as a few non-tentpole movies I’m looking forward to: A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, Frankenstein, even The Naked Gun remake with Liam Neeson looks like fun.

In any case, scroll down to see which movies made my Top 5 Movies of the year so far.

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JUNE VIEWINGS ON LETTERBOXD –
including rewatches

(In the order of my rating)

FULL REVIEWS

Wick Is Pain | Ballerina | Materialists | The Life of Chuck
How To Train Your Dragon | Deep Cover | The Ballad of Wallis Island

I also wrote about the news that Denis Villeneuve is directing the new Bond movie for Amazon MGM

REWATCH

The Birdcage (1996)

I rewatched this comedy classic as June was Pride month. Sad that Robin Williams and Gene Hackman are no longer with us 😦 This movie is still as hilarious as the first time I watched it!! I’ve watched it at least half a dozen times, and I can quote so many lines from this movie.

Hank Azaria is definitely the scene stealer here as the Guatemalan housekeeper Agador Spartacus, a role he would never be able to play in today’s political climate.

REVIEWS COMING SOON:

F1: The Movie (2025)
Jurassic World: Rebirth

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TOP 5 MOVIES OF THE FIRST HALF OF 2025

I actually made a list on Letterboxd to log my fave watches of the year so far… these are candidates for Best Films of 2025. They’re sorted by my rating here, from 5/5 (perfect score) to 3.5/5 stars.

Now, many on this list are from MSPIFF back in April, so most of them either haven’t been released or haven’t even found a distributor yet (which is a crying shame, especially the Spanish film Undercover, which I’d easily give a 5/5 rating).

Thus, I’m only going to pick my Top 5 films that have been released in the US in 2025. Now, I still haven’t seen Warfare, Sinners, and 28 Years Later, hopefully later this month. In any case, here they are in the order of my rating:

1. Black Bag

Steven Soderbergh’s sleek, sexy spy caper makes the most of its impressive ensemble cast. The acting is convincing, and the plot, which unfolds over a busy week, has just the right number of twists without becoming overly complicated. It’s incredibly rewarding to see a well-made, expertly directed, and smartly written movie that concludes perfectly in only 93 minutes.

2. Thunderbolts

A great mix of pathos + humor while still delivering fun action sequences. Florence Pugh is the clear MVP. With mental health at its core, the story unfolds in a refreshingly unique way. While there are some fun and goofy scenes, the key takeaway of ‘it’s okay not to be okay’ really stands out, even in the more bombastic moments.

3. Materialists

Celine Song’s witty dialogue is music to my ears in this dreamy and stimulating romantic drama. With this movie, Song has cemented herself to be one of my favorite writer/directors. I’ve praised Song’s acerbic wit, but I also appreciate the quieter scenes where her characters communicate without a word spoken. Materialists leaves us with plenty of food for thought by the end, way more than most rom-coms or romantic dramas I’ve watched in the past decade.

4. Jane Austen Wrecked My Life

This French rom-com captures the essence of Austen as its heroine charts her own literary and romantic path. The love for this one among Jane Austen fans really hinges on whether they’re purists. It might stray from the usual route into its own story, but you can definitely feel Austen’s spirit in it. I believe Austen would totally dig tales about a woman who’s living life on her own terms.

5. The Ballad of Wallis Island

This quirky British dramedy hits all the right notes. This indie cinema is honestly one of the best, and that’s why I’m such a fan of British comedies! The characters are eccentric, yet they’re well-developed and beautifully acted by the amazing cast. Sure, the lottery win part might seem a little unrealistic, but it’s still believable. Lovely to hear Carey Mulligan display her vocal prowess again here.

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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.

I only got to see 3 new-to-me films #directedbywomen in June, which brings the year tally to 30 so far. I’m glad I finally saw Awakenings (1990) for the first time, directed by Penny Marshall, starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro. I ranked the movies on Letterboxd; you can follow my #52FilmsByWomen list as I will be updating it regularly.

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TV WATCHES

DEPT Q

I’ll be reviewing this at some point, but one thing I’ll say is – WATCH IT!! It’s such a great series, another great one from Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit). I’ve been a fan of Matthew Goode for some time, and finally, he’s given a meaty leading role. He’s terrific, but the scene stealer is definitely Alexej Manvelov as the Syrian refugee Akram.

I sure hope there’ll be a second season, please, Netflix!

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So, let me know your favorite movies you saw last month and/or your pick for best movies of the year so far.