Movie Reviews — FilmSpeak

‘Hedda’ Review: Simply Nia DaCosta’s Best Film [TIFF 25]

Thanks to its assured sense of style and magnifying performances from Tessa Thompson and Nina Hoss, director Nia DaCosta crafts her best-ever film with a modern adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler and takes ‘Hedda’ in more daring directions than its original author ever envisioned.

TIFF, Festival Review, DramaMaxance VincentSeptember 13, 2025Hedda, Review, Nia DaCosta, Drama, TIFF 2025 Comment

‘No Other Choice’ Review: Park Chan-wook’s Masterpiece of Pure Cinema [TIFF 25]

Park Chan-Wook redefines his filmography with his adaptation of Donald Westlake’s ‘The Ax’ in ‘No Other Choice’ and offers a once-in-a-generation lesson of pure cinema that anyone who appreciates the art form must see.

'Easy's Waltz' Review: Vince Vaughn Takes the Stage as a Crooner Who Proves It’s Never Too Late [TIFF 25]

In recent years film has entered a reflective period where there seem to be more and more works that are about looking back and honoring what was. Nic Pizzolatto’s ‘Easy’s Waltz‘ slips right into this milieu, following a down-on-his-luck Las Vegas entertainer, Easy (Vince Vaughn) navigate his way through the Vegas show business.

‘The History of Sound’ Review: Oliver Hermanus’ Meandering Love Story

While Oliver Hermanus stuns with its patient visual language and soul-shocking musical sequences, ‘The History of Sound’s structure — and a miscast Paul Mescal — leaves a lot to be desired by the time the movie reaches its admittedly devastating epilogue.

LGBTQ+, Drama, Movie ReviewMaxance VincentSeptember 12, 2025The History of Sound, Review, Drama, Oliver HermanusComment

‘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’.

'The Lost Bus' Review: Horror and Heroics are Balanced in an All Too Timely True Story [TIFF 25]

While ‘The Lost Bus’ follows the 2018 Northern California Camp Fire, the prevalence and recency of what seems to be an evermore common occurrence of mass wildfires in California makes the timely release of this project all the more topical.

'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

'Poetic License' Review: Hoffman Steals The Show in Sweet Campus Comedy [TIFF 25]

‘Poetic License’ is sweetheart, laugh-out-loud comedy, well-acted by the entire cast. Taking place on a university campus at the beginning of the Fall semester, is a perfect movie to watch on a cozy autumn day – fresh and unexpectedly great, this isn’t one to miss.

‘Sirāt’ Review: Óliver Laxe’s Descent into Hell [TIFF 25]

Óliver Laxe crafts an unrelentingly cruel picture with the explosive ‘Sirāt’, questioning human morality at the center of his scorching, pulse-pounding thriller.

Festival Review, TIFF, DramaMaxance VincentSeptember 7, 2025Sirat, Oliver Laxe, Thriller, TIFF 2025, ReviewComment

'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.