Movie Reviews — FilmSpeak

‘Frankenstein’ Review: Del Toro’s Creature Comfort Film [TIFF 25]

Guillermo del Toro and Toronto have a special relationship, and debuting the filmmaker’s passion project, ‘Frankenstein’, at Toronto’s festival just seems fitting.

'Roofman' Review: Doesn't Quite Stick The Landing [TIFF 25]

For Channing Tatum fans, this is definitely not a film to miss – as always, he is a standout as his natural charisma brings a lot of life to ‘Roofman’ and makes the film more than worthwhile. Other audience members may not be convinced.

'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You' Review: Rose Byrne’s Descent Into Chaos [TIFF 25]

While ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ may be inconsistent at times, Rose Byrne stuns in role as chaotic and spiralling mother who, despite her best efforts, is trapped in one dark spiritual hole after another.

'The Testament of Ann Lee' Review: A Religious Pilgrimage of Epic Proportions [TIFF 25]

Even for the areligious viewer, Amanda Seyfried’s Ann, her passion and her fervor are tremendously transfixing in Mona Fastvold’s ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’.

'Bad Apples' Review: Saoirse Ronan Shines In This Tonally Adept School Satire [TIFF 25]

The sardonic comedy ‘Bad Apples’ plants itself in utter absurdity, and yet, it may be an effective public service announcement for education reform.

'Exit 8' Review: Breaks the Video Game Curse [TIFF 25]

Skillfully adapted from the minimalist psychological horror video game, Genki Kawamura’s ‘Exit 8’ is an eerily worthy adaptation that truly breaks free of the bad luck surrounding the genre.

TIFF, Video Game Movie, Sci-Fi, Movie Review, Live-Action, Independent Film, Foreign FilmLuca MehtaSeptember 8, 2025TIFF 2025, Genki Kawamura, Exit 8Comment

‘The Secret Agent’ Review: Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Lesson in Film and Political History [TIFF 25]

Kleber Mendonça Filho gives us the most important political film of the year with ‘The Secret Agent’, a thriller fluent in both film and political history, with a captivating performance from Wagner Moura anchoring the picture.

'Orwell: 2+2=5' Review: Raoul Peck's Latest Has A Strong and Eerily Relevant Thesis [TIFF 25]

Frighteningly prescient, renowned documentarian Raoul Peck navigates through generations of fascism with the words of George Orwell.

Documentary, Festival Review, Movie Review, TIFFArjun PersaudSeptember 8, 2025Orwell 2+2=5, Orwell 2+2=5 Review, Movie Reviews, TIFF25, TIFFComment

'Tuner' Review: This New Thriller Reaches a High Pitch [TIFF 25]

Oscar-winning documentarian Daniel Roher makes his narrative debut directing ‘Tuner’ - a film with shades of Michael Mann and Nora Ephron.

'Hamlet' Review: This Visceral New Take on The Bard Proves Its Reason 'To Be'

Director Aneil Karia readapts Shakespeare’s masterpiece ‘Hamlet’ with Riz Ahmed and a distinctly digital and urban visual landscape.

Festival Review, Movie Review, TIFFArjun PersaudSeptember 5, 2025Hamlet, Movie Review of Hamlet, Hamlet (2025), Riz Ahmed, TIFF25, tiffComment

'The Conjuring: Last Rites' Review: Horror Finale Fails to Scare in Sendoff

'The Conjuring: Last Rites’ just doesn't come together in concept or on the page, and the film falls well short as a result. If you’re a fan of this franchise, it may be worth checking out to see the Warrens slow dance into the sunset. Otherwise, this is a wash of an experience at the cinemas.

Horror, Movie ReviewLane MillsSeptember 5, 2025Movie Reviews, Horror review, horror, The Conjuring, The Conjuring: Last Rites, Michael Chaves, James WanComment

Motor City Review: A Revenge Tale in Need of More Drive [TIFF 25]

Director Potsy Ponciroli brings us ‘Motor City’ into the Toronto International Film Festival and the film presents an interesting dynamic - There is almost zero dialogue. While Alan Ritchson, Ben Foster and Shailene Woodley give loud performances, it may not be enough to save this city without sound.

‘The Long Walk’ Review: A Minor Work from Lawrence

Because director Francis Lawrence is such a storied visual artist, ‘The Long Walk’ can mostly overcome its shoddily written screenplay as it continuously coddles the audience through a slow paced stroll of Stephen King’s first work.

‘Lurker’ Review: Alex Russell’s Fascinating Directorial Debut

Alex Russell eviscerates our social media-obsessed era with the riveting and often terrifying ‘Lurker’, thanks to incredible turns from Théodore Pellerin and Archie Madekwe.

Drama, Thriller, Movie ReviewMaxance VincentAugust 22, 2025Lurker, Lurker Movie Review, Review of Lurker, Lurker Movie, Alex Russell, Fantasia 2025Comment

‘Splitsville’ Review: A Cringe Comedy of Epic Proportions

Thanks to an assured sense of style and magnifying performances from its core cast, Michael Angelo Covino’s ‘Splitsville’ manages to stay afloat, despite a cyclical structure that makes some of its funnier beats less impactful.

Movie Review, ComedyMaxance VincentAugust 22, 2025Splitsville, Comedy, Michael Angelo CovinoComment

‘Honey Don’t!’ Review: Ethan Coen Makes a Mildly Amusing B-Movie

Thanks to a captivating performance by Margaret Qualley and an assured sense of style and hyper-violence, Ethan Coen manages to make ‘Honey Don’t!’ a memorable affair, even if it continuously stumbles along the way.

Comedy, Movie ReviewMaxance VincentAugust 22, 2025Honey Dont, Ethan Coen, Comedy, Movie ReviewComment

‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Review: Spike Lee Adapts a Masterpiece

Spike Lee’s adapts Akira Kurosawa’s original with ’Highest 2 Lowest’ - undoubtedly the best remake of his career, anchored by another magnifying lead turn from Denzel Washington, who continues to prove why he’s the greatest to have ever done it.

‘Freakier Friday’ Review: Nisha Ganatra’s Body Swap Riot

‘Freakier Friday’ is Disney’s best theatrical live-action release in ages, thanks in no small parts to the ineffable charm of both Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Comedy, Movie ReviewMaxance VincentAugust 8, 2025Freakier Friday, Comedy, Movie Review, Nisha GanatraComment

'The Naked Gun' Review: Sweet, Sweet Suspension of Disbelief

Director Akiva Schaffer uses his comedic sensibilities to revive the police squad for 80 minutes of non-stop laughs in ‘The Naked Gun’.

‘Heads of State’ Review: Ilya Naishuller’s First Miss

While Ilya Naishuller remains a cogent action artist who knows how to frame and shoot a succession of kinetically exciting sequences, everything around the action in his latest, ‘Heads of State’, falls incredibly flat.

Amazon Prime, Action, Movie ReviewMaxance VincentJuly 2, 2025Heads of State, Ilya Naishuller, Action, Movie ReviewComment