Hello all! There aren’t many days left in 2025 and the nights are far too long. Time to do a post on my favorite TV shows and movies. You’ll notice quite a few 2024 releases and some even older releases. Before I start, I just browsed Rotten Tomatoes’ top 100 films of 2025 and found very few I’d seen or even heard about. Time to build me a watching list and maybe include some from 2025 next year.

Let’s start with the movies, starting with one from 2023, then 2024, and then 2025. Not in any rating order. Click on the titles to see trailers.

Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (2023) (French with subtitles) It’s a live action film with two best friends who live in a small Gaul community, who get pulled into saving a Chinese princess and her royal family from being imprisoned and killed by those who want to rule the kingdom. Add Vincent Cassel as Caesar and Marion Cotillard as Cleopatra into the mix and you’ve got a very entertaining comedy. I would characterize it as (Monty Python-like) farcical with sight gag humor. The sets and the costumes are excellent. The main heart of the story is the friendship between the two title characters. Asterix is played by Guillaume Canet and Obelix by Gilles Lellouche. I believe these characters started out in graphic novels or comic strips. Happened across this at Netflix, gave it a try, and liked it.

Flow (2024) animated movie about floods that come to a land and a small black cat spends most of it trying not to drown. That’s it in a nutshell. The animation is fantastic and seems to be using some new techniques to bring the story to life. The cat runs into animal friends, and together they work to survive. Not a kids movie. No dialogue.

Small Things Like These (2024) Just recently saw this one and think it will be a nominee for awards. Set in Ireland in 1985, Cillian Murphy plays Bill Furlong, a quiet, hard-working father of several studious daughters and a loving, devoted wife. He owns a fuel company, shoveling, selling, and delivering coal in his community. There’s something about one of his delivery locations and what he sees there that starts to gnaw at him. This role shows what a good actor Murphy is, even with very little dialogue. Excellent movie all the way around.

The Life of Chuck (2024) One that I knew very little about but I like Tom Hiddleston and the movie jacket caught my eye. It’s based on a Stephen King story, but it is NOT a horror movie. It’s a movie about an ordinary man that is drawn into the extraordinary. There are lots of flashbacks that involve his loving grandparents and how they shaped his world view. Mark Hamill plays his grandpa and shows his acting chops. I don’t want to give too much away but it’s life-affirming without being mushy about it.

The Substance (2024) A body horror film that has Demi Moore playing Elizabeth, a successful fitness TV show host that cannot stay young forever. Or can she? When Harvey, played by Dennis Quaid, the slimy sleazeball producer of the show, starts scouting out replacements, Elizabeth gets an offer that she is unable to refuse. Unfortunately she doesn’t read the fine print. Margaret Qualley plays Sue, the juicy alter ego Elizabeth must collaborate with in order to keep her status. The Substance is NOT for the squeamish, seriously. I had to watch it to see what all of the hoopla was about. FYI in real life Demi Moore is extremely fit. The special effects are award-worthy.

The Penguin Lessons (2024) I already reviewed the movie HERE.

Kraven the Hunter (2024) This one is all about the action. Blurb from imdb: “Kraven’s complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff, starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared.” Kraven is played by a very fit Aaron Taylor-Johnson. His father is played by Russell Crowe. Lots of survivalist maneuvers.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025) The same crew as the movie before it. Same level of MI action as all others. Tom Cruise is showing his age but it doesn’t slow him down one bit. I hope he keeps making these when he’s in his eighties!

Weapons (2025) Horror mystery. Wasn’t sure what to expect going into it beyond a classroom of kids goes missing. First adjective that comes to mind about what happens is creepy, then chilling, then terrifying. I’m not real crazy about the title as it doesn’t seem to fit the plot. Julia Garner plays the teacher who is getting blamed for the childrens’ disappearances, and Josh Brolin plays one of the fathers of the missing kids. As the story unfolds it gets creepier and creepier.

F1: The Movie (2025) Brad Pitt plays a busted up older race car driver who gets recruited by his old driving buddy, now Team Manager, played by Javier Bardem, to energize a Formula One race car team that can’t seem to win. The hotshot driver who needs lessons on how to compete, win, and stay alive in the process is played by Damson Idris. F1 was a sleeper for me, and the more I think about it the more I like it. I can’t help but compare it to Steve McQueen’s LeMans.

The Phoenician Scheme (2025) Wes Anderson directs another winning film, with Benicio Del Torro, Mia Threapleton, and Michael Cera as the three co-leads. The styling is magnificent with costumes and sets, as usual. The plot may be a little more convoluted than others, but if you pay attention you won’t lose it on first viewing. That said, it’s a film I plan on returning to again and again. Del Torro is another one of those actors who doesn’t need a bunch of dialogue to carry the story along. There’s the usual excellent support cast, some of the regulars, some new.

Sinners (2025) Good old-fashioned vampire movie, with Michael B. Jordan playing twin brothers who’ve left their small southern hometown to make their fortunes in Chicago, but now they are back and opening their own juke joint for the black and other non-white community. The heroes have to contend with violent and swindling racists – and some scary-as-hell vampires with voracious appetites. The special effects remind me of From Dusk Til Dawn.

Mickey 17 (2025) Comedy satire. blurb from imdb: “During a human expedition to colonize space, Mickey 17, a so-called ‘expendable’ employee, is sent to explore an ice planet.” Mickey, played by Robert Pattinson with flair, is a Forrest Gump type of person; a little slow, but he “knows what love is.” Directed by Bong Joon Ho, it is based on the novel, “Mickey7” written by Edward Ashton. Excellent support cast including Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, and Toni Collette.

Wolf Man (2025) Body Horror. Older son saw this at the movies and recommended it. It’s a story about a lycanthrope but it adds another dimension to lycanthropy. Special effects are terrifying! Set in a breathtakingly beautiful remote location, Wellington, New Zealand.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025) This was the best Knives Out yet for me. Instead of the frantic pace and hyped up characters of the others, this one has a pace that allows for meaningful scenes between the characters. A really good cast and a compelling plot makes it easy for me to recommend it. Josh O’Connor is another new actor to me, and he is one to watch for more movies.

Caught Stealing (2025) Crime thriller. Austin Butler is *perfect* for the role of the hapless apartment dweller, Hank, who gets pulled into a mess of trouble and hurt because of his neighbor, Russ, played most excellently by Matt Smith. Matt has left town to see his sick father. The goons show up at Russ’ door and decide to terrorize Hank in hopes he’ll tell them where Russ is. Add Hank’s zingy girlfriend, Yvonne, played by Zoe Kravitz, into the mix. As if things weren’t bad enough, some apex predators from the Jewish mafia, played with deadly humor by Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio, are after him also. Darren Aronofsky directs. Songs by Idles fit perfectly into the film.

Frankenstein GDT (2025) I could write pages on the movie, but briefly, Del Toro tells the tale of the monster with his own vision that left me with a deeply melancholic feeling. It left me asking who was the real monster. Oscar Isaac plays Victor, the mad scientist; a strangely sexy Jacob Elordi plays “the creature.” Mia Goth plays what I will call “love interest,” but you’ll have to watch the movie to see what I mean. GDT makes sure the sets are literally larger than life. The frozen sea scenes may be the most memorable. Lars Mikkelsen, as Captain Anderson, does a wonderful job with his role. I’m guessing Frankenstein will win a lot of awards.

28 Years Later (2025) The survivors of the zombie onslaught have built themselves a sustainable community on an island not far from the mainland. They have a watch tower, a solid fortification, and a bridge that goes to the mainland but is often under water when tide comes in (not living in a place with tides, I only have a general gist of how they work.) As a rite of passage from child to adult, each village kid must go to the mainland and hunt zombies. What could go wrong? It’s an excellent cast with lots of visuals to keep you thrilled and entertained. There is a true heart to this sequel. Jamie Comer needs to be nominated for something for her role as the young teen’s mom.

Night Always Comes (2025) (skipping trailer, too many spoilers) A young woman, played by a flawless Vanessa Kirby (first time seeing her) is back home after surviving the mean streets. Home is a run down house that the bank is trying to repossess. Her mother, played with supreme irritation and bitchiness by Jennifer Jason Leigh, and her older brother with Down’s Syndrome, add tension to the need for her to find enough money to pay off the bank in just one night! Talk about impossible odds. The challenge is on. Based on a novel by Willy Vlautin.

Eddington (2025) just saw this. Directed by Ari Asher (Midsommer, Beau is Afraid) it is nothing if not a complicated mindbender. Joaquin Phoenix plays a hangdog, overwrought sheriff in a dead town during the masked days of Covid. Pedro Pascal plays the mayor looking to be re-elected, who does dirty deals with shady corporate characters who plan on building an energy sucking data center in the middle of the desert. Add in a series of oddball and otherwise sleazy characters, including Austin Butler as a slick cult leader, and you’ve got yourself a compelling movie. If you’ve seen either of the other Asher movies, you kind of know what to expect, but if you haven’t be prepared.

Now on to TV series

Rikuoh (2017) (Japanese with English subtitles) a man who is carrying on his father’s specialized sock making business finds challenges with staying afloat. A varied cast acts as support system, where they brainstorm and meet each challenge in creative ways. I loved the heart in the story.

Wrong Side of the Tracks (2022-2024) (Spanish with dubs and subtitles) I passed this netflix banner a dozen times until I picked it. Tirso is the crusty, strong-willed, badass patriarch who runs an unassuming hardware store in Entrevista, what used to be a vibrant, clean neighborhood full of successful storefronts but is now overrun with gangs and boarded up windows. When his daughter, who married a rich dude and adopted a Vietnamese baby that is now a teenager, asks if the rebellious teen can come and live with him as they just can’t deal with her anymore, is where the story begins, as a tiny seed that grows into a wonderful and terrible beanstalk.

The Later Daters (2024) Michelle Obama one of the executive producers – set in Atlanta, Georgia, it follows a number of singles age 50 or more. I found it very entertaining and informative. Would love to see a S2.

Our Oceans (2024) Produced by Barack & Michelle Obama, narrated by Barack. 5 episodes, each covering an ocean (Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, Arctic, and Southern) Highly recommend this series, as it educates on how all water is one huge circulatory system for the planets. It focuses on the oceans but the rest also tie in. Stunning videography. Former POTUS Obama’s narration is very soothing and wise.

Virgin River  (2024) A real soap opera set up somewhere in the Pacific Northwest in a tiny little berg along a river. The community congregates between Jack’s tavern, doc’s practice in a big, cool house, and a little donut trailer in the park. Mel & Jack are the center of the show and a very well-developed support cast, well, supports them.

The Manny  (2024) (Mexican with dubs and subtitles) Jimena is a divorced mother of 3 kids, a teenaged son, teenaged daughter, and elementary school son. Jimena is an executive in her father’s finance company. The kids run every nanny out and Jimena is desperate – when Gabriel, a young, tall, handsome cowboy shows up at her door and says he is there for the nanny job. Gabriel moves in and soon has the kids corraled. I’ll stop there with the plot, but the show is so charming. It’s all about parenting challenges and joys and also about romance. Highly recommend it!

Ripley (2024) Psychological noir thriller. Imdb blurb: “A grifter named Ripley living in New York during the 1960s is hired by a wealthy man to bring his vagabond son home from Italy.” Andrew Scott is stunning and sinister as Tom Ripley. The vagabond son, Dickie Greenleaf, is played by none other than Johnny Flynn, actor, musician, and songwriter extraordinaire. Dakota Fanning balances out the trio as Dickie’s journalist girlfriend. Ripley kept me on the edge of my seat. The tropical location is worth the watch by itself. Andrew Scott was new to me, and mark my words, he’s heading places.

Dark Winds  (2025) Follows Leaphorn and Chee, two Navajo police officers in the 1970s Southwest that are forced to challenge their own spiritual beliefs when they search for clues in a double murder case.

The Eternaut (Argentina with dubs and subtitles) (2025) Follows Juan Salvo (played by Ricardo Darin) along with a group of survivors as they battle an alien threat that is under the direction of an invisible force after a horrific snowfall claims the lives of millions of people.

Old Dog New Tricks (2025) (Spanish with subtitles) Luis Zahera is a country vet who decides to work as a vet at chain pet store in the big city that is managed by his niece. Such a clever and funny show. First time seeing Zahera. He convinced me to watch Wrong Side of the Tracks as he’s a main character in it.

I want to keep going with synopses of the shows, but my fingers are tired. I will just leave the rest as a list and link trailers to them. Every movie and series in this post is worth a watch.

Yellowstone (2024)

Dune Prophecy (2024)

The Penguin (2024)

Fallout (2024)

Andor (2025) Diego Luna

Dept. Q (2025)

Wednesday (2025)

1923 A Yellowstone Origin Story (2025)

Funny Woman (2025)

Hysteria (2025)