A Reel Opinion: The Top 25 Films of the Millennium, 2000 - 2024

It is 2025. Which means it has now been 25 years since Y2K failed to come down and destroy us…which is a good thing because the last two-and-a-half decades have provided us with some excellent cinema…which brings us to Reel Speak’s Top 25 Best Films of the Millennium. 

 

The age of movies we are in now can be traced back to James Cameron’s TITANIC in 1997; a big-budget spectacle that could be taken seriously in the snootiest of awards voters while earning big bucks at the box office. Since then, studios started taking big gambles on big franchises that would define the last 25 years…such as HARRY POTTER, STAR WARS, and not to mention the mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite this, we still get the smaller, character-driven films which the awards circuits heavily favor. We’ve had some great films, but we’ve also had turbulent times. A mishandled pandemic nearly destroyed theatres and marked a cultural shift in the way we watch movies. It seems like cinema is always on the verge of a major change, and since it’s impossible to predict what’s next, the best thing to do is to look back at the films that have endured the all-important test of time. 

 

Here now is Reel Speak’s Top 25 Films of the Millennium, 2000 – 2024. 

 

 

 

 

25. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (2013)

 

The Coen Brothers had a great run in this millennium, winning Oscars with their NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN in 2007 and a masterful re-do of TRUE GRIT in 2010. But it was this intimate, week-in-the-life fable of a 1960’s struggling folk singer that hits all the right notes. 

 

24. MUHOLLAND DRIVE (2001)

The late great David Lynch’s best film. A neo-noir mystery that unfolds like a dream and strikes our nerves before we know it. In later years, filmmakers Christopher Nolan would play with time, and JJ Abrams would embrace the mystery box; two storytelling devices that can be traced back to MUHOLLAND DRIVE. 

 

23. AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019)

 

Superhero films dominated theatres in the last 25 years, and this mega-opus from Marvel Studios that wrapped up a nearly ten-year storyline was not only epic, but delivered tons of emotional weight along with rousing, satisfying, this-is-for-the-fans spectacle. 

 

22. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010)

 

When David Fincher announced he was doing a movie about Facebook, most of us couldn’t stop laughing. But it was Fincher who got the last chuckle, as his drama, with unique storytelling and excellent acting, made all the right clicks. 

 

21. THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)

 

Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film that elevated the superhero genre from popcorn-flick to true cinema. The late great Heath Ledger rightfully won an Oscar for his chilling and fascinating performance as The Joker, and the film set a grounded and gritty standard for cinematic Batman that is still being honored today. 

 

20. GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK (2005)

 

George Clooney directed this old-school film that explored the responsibility of the media and the abuse of power of government. Based on a true story of 1950’s American turmoil and manufactured paranoia, it is more relevant today than it was 20 years ago. 

 

 

19. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002)

 

Big-budget fantasy and franchises launched big-time with Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, giving Hollywood a shiny new toy that it is still playing with. Jackson’s second film faithfully adapted the middle book while finding an excellent balance of spectacle and emotion. 

 

18. SICARIO (2015)

 

Denis Villeneuve has had a remarkable run in the 2000’s, including his two-part epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune. But it was this twisting and turning drama about Mexican drug lords and revenge that ramped up the tension in some of the most intense scenes of the last 25 years. 

 

 

17. OPPENHEIMER (2023)

 

Christopher Nolan gave us a lot of options in the 2000’s to praise, including his mind-bending INCEPTION (2010), and his magic-trick THE PRESTIGE (2006). With OPPENHEIMER, the story of the father of the atomic bomb, he pulled off that rare trifecta; winning with box office, critics, and audiences…and capped off with an awards season sweep. 

 

16. ARGO (2012)

Ben Affleck directed and starred in this Best Picture winner about an obscure moment in history; the rescue of six Americans out of Iran in 1979-80 under the cover of a Hollywood production. The humor is great (John Goodman and Alan Arkin are electric), the story important, and the tension subtlety gets the heart rates going. 

 

15. THE BRUTALIST (2024)

 

Adrien Brody plays a Hungarian immigrant in a post-WWII world who struggles with a country that doesn’t know what to do with his genius, architectural designs. Time will be the true test of this film that is being hailed as a new American classic (this Blogger agrees), but for now it’s earned its place here. 

 

14. NOSFERATU (2024)

 

This 2024 film may also still have the new-car smell on it, but for now it deserves a high spot. Robert Eggers helmed this remake of the 1922 vampire tale that puts audiences into a trance, and gives us a towering new cinematic villain with Bill Skarsgard’s Count Orlok. 

 

 

13. TINKER, TAILOR, SOLIDER, SPY (2011)

 

Gary Oldman leads the way in this dense and tense adaptation of the John le Carre spy novel set in 1974. Navigating this is like navigating a maze on top of a maze…and repeat viewings only reveal more and more. 

 

12. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)

 

Peter Jackson started to shift Hollywood forever with this first film in his THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, and this was only the warmup. For his trilogy to succeed, the first steps had to work, and FELLOWSHIP introduced Middle-Earth to the world so successfully that it instantly became a permanent fixture in our culture. 

 

11. HELL OR HIGH WATER (2016)

 

Chris Pine and Ben Foster play brothers robbing banks in this modern-Western that goes beyond the cops-and-robbers trope and takes a hard look at big banks and the power they wield. A satisfying, stick-it-to-the-man film with excellent direction and acting. 

 

 

 

10. THE KING’S SPEECH (2010)

 

Tom Hooper directed this elegant Oscar-winner about an overlooked, yet vital moment in world history. Colin Firth plays the stammering new king who must lead his country during the threat of war, and Geoffrey Rush plays the speech therapist tasked with helping him. A rare character study with world-wide stakes. 

 

9. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2014)

 

Stylistic and quirky filmmaker Wes Anderson has been one of the most prolific of the millennium, consistently putting out one feature every three or four years. His best arrived in 2014 with this award-winner with unique storytelling devices that explored friendship, nostalgia, fascism, and the art of storytelling itself. 

 

8. GLADIATOR (2000)

His name was Maximus Decimus Meridius, and with one chilling monologue, Russell Crowe became an overnight international star. Ridley Scott helmed this sweeping epic that became an instant icon; loaded with fantastic spectacle and old-school, golden-age-of-Hollywood sensibilities. 

 

 

7. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (2007)

Brad Pitt stars as the outlaw Jesse James and Casey Affleck plays his wanna-be sidekick and eventual murderer in this thoughtful, brooding, and artful Western epic. Andrew Dominik directed with famed cinematographer Roger Deakins at his side…resulting in a stunningly gorgeous film that doesn’t waste a single frame.  

 

6. WARRIOR (2011)

 

Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton play feuding brothers who face each other in a big-money MMA tournament. On the surface it looks like a standard sports film, but underneath the fighting there’s a serious family drama at work, and the unexpected emotional wallop at the end can break the hardest of fists. 

 

5. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (2019)

Quentin Tarantino directed his best film in this alternate-history fairy tale set in 1960’s Hollywood which gave real-life actress Sharon Tate the happy ending that she deserved. Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are perfectly matched in this love-letter to classic Hollywood. 

 

4. TOP GUN: MAVERICK (2022)

Legacy sequels were another shiny new toy for Hollywood in the last 10 years, and they got their biggest and best with MAVERICK. Tom Cruise reprised his 1986 role in this incredibly shot film that brings stunning visuals and a surprising blast of emotion. 

 

3. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003)

 

The final film in Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy that swept the Oscars and elevated the fantasy genre. Grand spectacle and emotion circle together as beautifully as a golden ring. 

 

2. BLACK SWAN (2010)

Darren Aronofsky helmed this multi-layered psychological drama about a ballerina (Natalie Portman), who just wants to be perfect. Cleverly set during a production of Swan Lake, BLACK SWAN takes elements from the ballet and expands upon them, giving us an often-shocking film that has us questioning our own minds. 

 

1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007)

 

Daniel-Day Lewis won two of his three Oscars in the 2000’s, including this portrayal of an oilman battling for possession of the souls of a small town who just happens to be in his way. Paul Thomas Anderson wrote and directed this loose adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s novel Oil, and recaptured an America that was on the verge of discovering industry. A dark character study that serves as a tale of faith, power, and greed, THERE WILL BE BLOOD is intimate but has a towering feeling in acting and directing. And as any great film should do, feels timeless.  

 

 

 REEL SPEAK'S TOP 25 FILMS OF THE MILLENNIUM

1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD

2. BLACK SWAN

3. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

4. TOP GUN: MAVERICK

5. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

6. WARRIOR

7. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD

8. GLADIATOR

9. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

10. THE KING'S SPEECH

11. HELL OR HIGH WATER

12. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

13. TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY

14. NOSFERATU

15. THE BRUTALIST

16. ARGO

17. OPPENHEIMER

18. SICARIO

19. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS

20. GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK

21. THE DARK KNIGHT

22. THE SOCIAL NETWORK

23. AVENGERS: ENDGAME

24. MUHOLLAND DRIVE

25. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

 

 

A Reel Opinion: The Best & Worst Films of 2024

2024 has rolled over into 2025, Awards Season is underway, and it is time for Reel Speak’s annual Best & Worst blog. 

 

2024 was a down year for the box office, coming in under 2023’s numbers. Disney was the big winner for the year with four films in the Top 10 worldwide: INSIDE OUT 2 (1^st place), DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE (2^ndplace), MOANA 2 (3^rd place), and MUFASA: THE LION KING (9^th place). The box office reflected audience’s desires; nine of the top 10 were sequels or a part of a franchise. If there is a demand for original films like social media likes to yell about, it’s not reflected in the numbers. 

 

On the screen, there was a lot of great film, but also a fair number of stinkers. The worst movies viewed by this Blogger in 2024 included the Sony Pictures abomination MADAME WEB, the video game nonsense of BORDERLANDS, and the continuing shit-show that is the MonsterVerse with GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE. 

 

The absolute worst of 2024 was saying farewell and adieu to beloved actors, actresses and filmmakers: Glynis Johns, Norman Jewison, Carl Weathers, Eleanor Coppola, Bernard Hill, Susan Backlinie, Dabney Coleman, Morgan Spurlock, Donald Sutherland, Martin Mull, Shannen Doherty, Bob Newhart, John Amos, James Earl Jones, Maggie Smith, Kris Kristofferson, and Quincy Jones. 

 

Back on the screen, the biggest story of the year was the resurgence of the horror genre. Several films surprised and overperformed, and finally stepped away from the lazy found-footage and CONJURING spinoffs. Horror had a great year, and that is represented in this year’s Top 10 Best: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. ALIEN: ROMULUS

 

The ALIEN franchise started with two classics: ALIEN (1979), and ALIENS (1986). Since then, it’s been miles of crap…but that finally changed this year with Fede Alvarez’s thrilling side-quel, ROMULUS. Set firmly in-between the events of ALIEN and ALIENS, ROMULUS provided excellent thrills and tension, expanded the ALIEN mythos, and gave us a new scream-queen in the form of Cailee Spaeny. 

 

 

9. MONKEY MAN

 

Dev Patel stars and directs this wickedly cool and brutal revenge flick. Patel puts in the physical work big-time and helms a great-looking film that is full of surprises. After the punches fly and land, MONKEY MAN also takes a hard look at India and the large gap between the rich and poor. Impactful as a gut-punch. 

 

 

 

8. LONGLEGS

 

Nicolas Cage dances with the man downstairs as a serial killer in this cerebral and creepy thriller. Maika Monroe plays the FBI agent with a special gift who hunts down the mysterious and chilling Longlegs killer in a plot that turns in directions unseen and unexpected. Cage in the meantime gives us the creep of the millennium. 

 

 

7. THE BIKERIDERS

 

Acclaimed director Jeff Nichols took a 1960’s photo-book showcasing outlaw bikers and built a film out of it, resulting in a gorgeous and hard-nosed look at the men who rode and the women who followed them. Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, and Jodie Comer put in excellent performances, and the ending is one of the biggest shocks of the year. 

 

 

 

6. DUNE: PART 2

 

Denis Villeneuve and his impressive, ensemble cast delivers the second part of Frank Herbert’s famed sci-fi saga. Leaning heavily on its LAWRENCE OF ARABIA inspirations, DUNE PART 2 unspools as a magnificent epic while keeping close to its many characters. The film is packed with an intricate web of storylines that Villeneuve weaves together in excellent fashion. 

 

 

 

5. CONCLAVE

 

This adaptation of the Robert Harris novel of the same name follows a Cardinal (Ralph Fiennes), who finds himself investigating one fellow Cardinal after another in a vital Conclave to elect a new Pope. Fiennes is excellent and the plot never seems to go in the direction we think it’s going in a film that stuns one scene after another like the best of the whodunits. 

 

 

 

4. THE SUBSTANCE

 

The genre of body-horror usually doesn’t rank high on anyone’s year-end lists, but this time it finally finds a champion. Demi Moore stars as an aging TV star who uses a black-market drug to create a younger version of herself, played by Margaret Qualley. Shocking and repulsive, THE SUBSTANCE pulls no punches in looking at how Hollywood treats women. 

 

 

 

3. WICKED

 

The long-running Broadway show comes to the big screen in a major splash; earning accolades, big box office, and becoming an instant cultural hit. Jon M. Chu directs his excellent twin-leads of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo to dazzling performances, and the Land of Oz comes to life again beautifully. Emotionally packed and fun, and they’re just getting warmed up with the thrillifying part 2 later this year. 

 

 

 

2. THE BRUTALIST

 

Brady Corbet’s magnificent epic that will probably earn Adrien Brody his second Oscar in 20 years. Brody plays a brilliant Hungarian-Jewish architect in a post-WWII America that doesn’t know what to do with people like him. Beautifully shot and acted, THE BRUTALIST spans 30 years of history, and is an honest and revealing look at the American dream…and the blood needed to achieve it. 

 

 

 

1. NOSFERATU 

 

There is no other film this year that put audiences into a total trance like Robert Eggers’ remake of the 1922 famed vampire film of the same name. Filmed with remarkable visuals, NOSFERATU is primal, fearful, and hits the animalistic chords in all of us. Bill Skarsgard as Count Orlok turns our stomachs with his voice alone, and Lily-Rose Depp (daughter of Johnny), is outstanding. There is a not a wasted frame or word in NOSFERATU, and it will have all of us looking in all of the dark corners of our rooms (and souls), for years to come. That’s what good horror…and great film does. 

 

 

 REEL SPEAK'S TOP 10 BEST FILMS OF 2024

1. NOSFERATU
2. THE BRUTALIST
3. WICKED
4. THE SUBSTANCE
5. CONCLAVE
6. DUNE: PART 2
7. THE BIKERIDERS
8. LONGLEGS
9. MONKEY MAN
10. ALIEN: ROMULUS

 

 

 

A Reel Review: THE BRUTALIST

The style of Brutalist architecture is defined as minimalist constructions and designs that showcase the bare building materials, favoring structural elements over decorative design. On the surface, that doesn’t seem like an exciting plot for a movie…but don’t bother to tell that to director Brady Corbet and his towering masterpiece, THE BRUTALIST. 

 

Spanning over 30 years, THE BRUTALIST begins just after WWII, with Hungarian-Jewish architect Lazlo Toth (Adrien Brody), immigrating to America while his wife Erzebet (Felicity Jones), and orphaned niece are left behind. While Lazlo struggles with bigotry, work, drug addiction, and bringing his family to America, he is hired by wealthy industrialist Harrison (Guy Pearce), to design and construct an ambitious community center in Philadelphia.

 

Written and directed by Brady Corbet, THE BRUTALIST is nothing short of epic; spanning three decades of Toth’s life, with the bulk of it centered around Harrison’s massive community center, which is intended to tower over a rural area of Philly. For Lazlo it’s a constant uphill battle as he clashes with traditional American designers who are rooted in their old ways and tight budgets. Lazlo also deals with bigotry from all angles, including from Harrison’s own family. Things get complicated when Lazlo’s wife eventually makes it America, who arrives with her own health problems. 

 

Through Lazlo’s struggle, Corbet dives into the mythos of the American dream, exposing the toll it takes and the necessary blood to get there. Corbet explores themes of art vs. profit, the difficulty immigrants face being accepted into American culture, and the blurred line between ambition and greed. The scale here is massive, but keeps us intimate with Lazlo. There is a ton of film here, and gives more than enough material for discussions. 

 

Corbet shoots and edits an incredible looking film. Shot in the VistaVision process and cameras, THE BRUTALIST looks stunning in every frame. Some long tracking shots are breathtaking; the opening sequence of Lazlo arriving via ship to New York is awe-inspiring. The score by Daniel Blumberg is outstanding, and film uses popular music from each time period very well. 

 

Acting is tremendous. Adrien Brody puts in a career-best in the first 15 minutes, and that’s just a warmup for what is to come later. Guy Pearce is a little hammy in places, but overall comes out of this as an unexpected, dastardly villain. Felicity Jones also puts in a career best and nearly steals the show. The rest of the cast, including Jonathan Hyde, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, and Stacy Martin are all excellent. 

 

At 215 minutes (plus an intermission), THE BRUTALIST is an experience; one of those cinematic events that hangs with us and demands reflection. Much like the style of architecture that Lazlo favors, THE BRUTALIST gets to the bare structure of America and humanity; favoring their bare materials over any sort of dressings. And like any great building, it stands tall. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it   

 

A Reel Opinion: The Top 10 Best Cinematic Vampires

Unless you’ve been lying in a tomb the last few weeks, you would know that one of the most talked about films in theaters right now is Robert Eggers’ masterful, soul-crushing NOSFERATU. The acclaimed film (read Reel Speak’s review HERE), is an adaptation of the 1922 silent-film of the same name, which was an un-authorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s quintessential vampire novel, Dracula. Eggers’ version has delivered one of the best cinematic blood-suckers of all time, but how does it stake-up against nearly 100 years of movie vampires? The vampires we have loved, feared, and idolized? Grab your garlic and enter if you dare…Reel Speak’s Top 10 Cinematic Vampires. This is not a ranking of films, to be clear; it’s a ranking of the most iconic and memorable vampires within those films. 

 

 

So, let’s rise…

 

 

 

 

10. Wesley Snipes as Blade 

From BLADE (1998)

 

Technically, Blade was a not vampire but a Dhampir; a human with vampire strengths but not their weaknesses.  But who cares when the blood starts flying. As one of the earliest films based on a Marvel character, BLADE delivered the thrills, and gave Snipes his most iconic role. How loved was the character? His recent cameo last year in the MCU drew the biggest cheers. 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen 

From TWILIGHT (2008)

 

Robert Pattinson established himself as a future leading man, showing the maturity of a centuries-old creature trapped in the body of a 17-year-old boy…played across five films. Laugh it up if you wish, but for a generation of fans who were ripe for the vampire resurgence that we had in the early 2000’s, Edward was their guy and still is. 

 

 

 

 

8. Brad Pitt as Louis 

From INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994)

 

Tom Cruise may have had the flashier role in this first attempt at bringing Anne Rice’s literary vampires to the big screen, but it was his co-star Brad Pitt’s brooding and tortured Louis who gets the bigger bite. Pitt plays his vampire as one who feels the weight of the endless amounts of time behind him and in front of him, and adds a new dimension to the vampire that would be followed for the next 30 years. 

 

 

 

 

7. Kiefer Sutherland as David

From THE LOST BOYS (1987)

 

Joel Schumacher’s generation-defining film about a small town infested with all those damn vampires needed one hell of a villain, and he got one in Kiefer Sutherland’s David. David embraced his eternal youth and took others with him, while also loving his role as a gang leader and murderer. An iconic performance and look that would inspire the famed vampire Spike in the TV series BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1997-2003). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Christopher Lee as Dracula

From DRACULA (1958)

 

Before he was Saruman the Wizard or Count Dooku the dark Jedi, Christopher Lee was Dracula for more than one generation, appearing as the character ten times for Hammer Films. Although Lee in later years would express frustration with those films, his performance brought a balance of evil and loneliness to the character, setting a standard that would inspire future movie vampires. 

 

 

 

5. Willem Dafoe as Max Schreck

From SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE (2000)

 

Willem Dafoe plays famed actor Max Schreck as an actual vampire in this fictionalized story of the making of the 1922 landmark film, NOSFERATU. There isn’t much depth or romance involved with this vampire; he’s just out to eat…and that makes him all the more terrifying. 

 

 

 

4. Max Schreck as Count Orlok

From NOSFERATU (1922)

 

The pairing of German expressionist filmmaker F.W. Murnau and silent-film actor Max Schreck was a match made in a glorious hell. Murnau utilized lights and shadows and one of the most terrifying makeup jobs of all time to make Orlok one of the scariest characters ever seen, and Schreck responded with the face and movements that communicates dread in the silent format. It’s not an easy task for a 102-year old movie to bring the scares, but Schreck does the deed. 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Bill Skarsgard as Count Orlok

From NOSFERATU (2024)

 

To show more of director Robert Eggers’ version of Count Orlok would be a sin, because this vampire is one that demands to be seen on the big screen. His look, demeanor, and a voice provided by Bill Skarsgard that can be felt in your bowels…all add up to a towering figure in horror. Time will be ultimate judge of this Orlok, but for now he belongs in the upper tier. 

 

 

 

 

2. Gary Oldman as Dracula

From BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA (1992)

 

Francis Ford Coppola turned this version of Dracula into a love story in a beautiful, fascinating, and hypnotic film with Gary Oldman in the title role. Oldman appears in several forms, including a walking corpse, a handsome prince, and a grotesque man-bat that is one of the most impressive visuals of all time. Oldman took on the role simply because he wanted to deliver the line, “I have crossed oceans of time to find you.”, and deliver, he did. 

 

 

 

1. Bela Lugosi as Dracula

From DRACULA (1931)

 

A performance that was so iconic that not even the actor himself could escape its shadow. Bela Lugosi appears as the Count in this Universal classic that would give the horror genre the life that it still has today. As the first sound-film of the Stoker novel, casting for the lead was vital, and the Hungarian-born Lugosi, who had played the part on the stage, was perfect. He made Dracula scary and romantic, dreadful and fascinating…and set a standard that every cinematic vampire has been chasing for nearly 100 years. When we look back at all the vampires that have come after 1931...they all have a little bit of the Lugosi bloodline. 

 

 

 

Reel Speak's Top 10 Cinematic Vampires

1. Bela Lugosi as Dracula
2. Gary Oldman as Dracula
3. Bill Skarsgard as Count Orlok
4. Max Schreck as Count Orlok
5. Willem Dafoe as Max Schreck
6. Christopher Lee as Dracula
7. Kiefer Sutherland as David
8. Brad Pitt as Louis
9. Robert Pattinson as Edward
10. Wesley Snipes as Blade 

 

 

A Reel Preview: The Year in Film 2025 - Episode I

2025 is here. The good news is the start of a new year gives us a clean slate of films to look forward to. The bad news is the first two months of the year are the traditional Movie Siberia: where films deemed not good enough for Summer or an awards push are sent to die. This year is no different, with a few possible bright spots. Here is what is coming to the big screen for the first month of 2025: 

 

 

 

 

DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA – This direct sequel to the 2018 action film (which has nothing to do with the heavy metal band), has Gerard Butler tracking down a thief in Europe. O’Shea Jackson Jr. co-stars. 

 

 

 

 

SEPTEMBER 5 – This historical drama recounts the events of the Munich massacre at the 1972 Olympics from the perspective of the ABC broadcast crew. Peter Sarsgaard stars. 

 

 

 

WOLF MAN – Leigh Whannell (creator of the SAW franchise), directs this re-imagining of the classic Universal monster, with a father turning into a wolf and stalking his own family. 

 

 

 

FLIGHT RISK – Mel Gibson directs this thriller about a pilot (Mark Wahlberg), hired to fly a U.S. Marshall (Michelle Dockery, of DOWNTON ABBEY fame), and her prisoner (Topher Grace). 

 

 

 

SE7EN – David Fincher’s classic crime thriller gets a restored, IMAX re-release for its 30^th anniversary. 

 

 

*

 

Next month, Reel Speak previews the month of February. 

A Reel Review: NOSFERATU

In 1922, German film director F.W. Murnau delivered an unauthorized and unofficial adaption of Bram Stoker’s horror novel, Dracula…called NOSFERATU. The film would go on to become an influential masterpiece of horror and in overall cinema, while setting the template for horror films for the next 100 years. This year, acclaimed horror director Robert Eggers rises again with his own masterful take on NOSFERATU. 

 

In Germany, 1834, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), accepts an offer to travel to Transylvania to close a real estate deal with the mysterious and reclusive Count Orlock (Bill Skarsgard), who has a connection to Thomas’ wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp). Once the deal is set, Thomas is imprisoned and Orlock travels to find Ellen, bringing a deadly plague with him. 

 

Written and directed by Robert Eggers, who thus far has delivered three chilling films (THE WITCH, THE LIGHTHOUSE, THE NORTHMAN), NOSFERATU follows the familiar tale of the vampire from Transylvania causing chaos and death from the shadows. Ellen, staying with friends (Aaron-Taylor Johnson, Emma Corrin), suffers from sleepwalking and horrific visions. As her condition worsens, her doctor (Ralph Ineson), summons his old professor (Willem Dafoe)…who discovers the coming threat of Orlock. 

 

It's the story that we’ve read and seen on the big screen many times over the last 100 years; from Bela Lugosi’s classic take in 1931 to Francis Ford Coppola’s stunning version in 1992. But Robert Eggers, using his unique touch and vision, gives this NOSFERATU a personality of its own. Twists and turns come that make the story fresh and give the film serious depth; this works not just as horror but a psychological mind-messer-upper. The film looks bloody amazing with every shot and edit meticulously edited. The scares are well-executed, and the sense of atmosphere is thick and hangs over the film. Eggers takes influences from the 1992 film and from ancient history, and the film is finely woven with it all; it feels like the history of cinema and folklore right before our eyes. 

 

Performances are tremendous. Bill Skarsgard (son of Stellan), is chilling with his accent and provides a voice that will be heard our heads long after the credits roll, and his look is as grotesque as it is fascinating. Lily Rose-Depp (daughter of Johnny), is fantastic. The rest of the cast is equally excellent; Aaron-Taylor Johnson, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, and Emma Corrin. 

 

There is a lot of greatness packed into NOSFERATU in its directing, acting, and overall craftmanship. It will take oceans of time before we know if this film will be regarded as influential as its 1922 predecessor, but for now we can still call it a masterpiece.  

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

A Reel 20: THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU

“…I’m going to go on an overnight drunk, and in 10 days I’m going to set out and find the shark that ate my friend and destroy it.”

 

This week marks the 20^th anniversary of THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU. 

 

The fourth feature film from Wes Anderson, THE LIFE AQUATIC told the sea-story of washed-up oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray), who sets out on a revenge mission against a rare shark with cameras rolling. Along the way he flirts with a journalist (Cate Blanchett), loses his wife (Anjelica Huston), and looks for a new relationship with his probably-maybe son (Owen Wilson). 

 

Written by Anderson and Noah Baumbach, THE LIFE AQUATIC was heavily inspired by one of Anderson’s childhood heroes, famed French filmmaker and oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. This would be Anderson’s most ambitious adventure, with a script that called for exotic locations across the globe, including over and under the water, movie premieres, pirate raids, rescue missions, and a collection of fictional sea creatures. Filming locations would include Rome, Naples, Ponza, and the Italian Riviera. Zissou’s crew would need a ship, and a decommission minesweeper would be brought in. In one iconic scene, a nearly-full scale cutaway of the ship, the Belafonte, would be built. 

 

In addition to Murray, Huston, Blanchett, and Wilson, THE LIFE AQUATIC would crew up an impressive cast which included Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Michael Gambon, Bud Cort, Robyn Cohen, and Waris Ahluwalia. Brazilian actor and musician Seu Jorge would also star, and would provide cover versions of David Bowie songs in Portuguese. 

 

THE LIFE AQUATIC would open on Christmas Day in 2004. It would be met with mixed reviews and be a box office flop, although it did receive nominations from several Guilds and Blanchett took home some minor awards. In the last two decades the film has developed a cult following, and has been reevaluated as one of Anderson’s best. 

 

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There is an old rule (or guideline), in screenwriting: spend your first two acts putting your character up a tree, and the last act getting him down. This is a rule that has worked for 100 years in cinema, but in true Anderson style, THE LIFE AQUATIC begins with his character already up the tree. Zissou at the start, like many of Anderson’s characters, find themselves in some sort of mid-life crisis, and the following adventure that is about to unspool is about them finding their way out. For Zissou, this was about getting his career back on track while reconnecting with those that love or idolize him. Age is a factor here. We understood it on the surface in 2004, and two decades later, we understand its deeper meaning.  

 

THE LIFE AQUATIC wears it’s love for Cousteau on its sleeves, but it also takes classic cues from Moby Dick and The Old Man and the Sea. These guiding stars, along with the locations, stop-motion creatures, and stunning use of color, gives the film a timeless feel. And although the Belafonte doesn’t quite reach the heights of cinematic vehicles like the Enterprise or Titanic, it is still designed in such a way that makes us love her. This is one of this Blogger’s favorite all-time films, and its closing quote sails with me every day: 

 

“This is an adventure.”