Heretic

[00:00:02] What you want, when you want it, where you want it. This is The MESH. Footcandle Films. Film news and reviews from two guys who really like movies. This episode is brought to you by the Footcandle Film Society. For a schedule of upcoming screenings and membership information, visit the Society's website at www.footcandle.org.

[00:00:34] Hello, everyone. Welcome to Footcandle Films here on The MESH.TV Podcast Network. My name is Alan Jackson. With me, as always, Chris Fry. We are with the Footcandle Film Society and the directors of the annual Footcandle Film Festival. And today we are co-host of the Footcandle Films Podcast. Chris, how's it going? How's your new year off to a good start? I mean, things going okay? New Year's off to a good start.

[00:01:03] I had my wish granted for 2025, which was I want one snow that comes and goes. I get to see it. It's pretty. But then it doesn't really cause me any problems. And that's exactly what we got some snow on Friday. It was there. It was pretty. And then today's Monday. It's pretty much gone. So I enjoyed being able to see it, watching the birds in the snow, all that kind of stuff. But not having to put up with sliding all over the road and have that pain. So it was awesome.

[00:01:32] Can you guarantee me that that is it for the year? Because I'm with you. Like, hey, if it's got to have one snowfall, fine. We hadn't had one in a couple years. There's snow out there. Yay. It's pretty. But I hate snow. So I'm just kind of hoping that this is it. Well, based on our track record the past couple of years, I'd say yes, it probably is it because we're lucky to finally get one. But I can't guarantee. All right. Well, we'll see.

[00:02:01] But yeah, it was a snowy weekend here in Western North Carolina. But we are back at it in front of the microphones today for our podcast. Chris, this is where we get together every week and we review a film, either a new film or at least one that's now available online for viewing. So new to most people listening.

[00:02:20] And we also toss in some movie news or maybe we play a couple trailers of films coming up soon and talk about them or just share some lists like we're going to do today, which is where we're going to talk about our upcoming most anticipated films for the 2025 calendar year. So we covered 2024 ad nauseum last week. We talked about all of our best of we did all of our favorites of the year. So now let's focus on what's coming up this year.

[00:02:48] And it sounds like it might be kind of a could be a good year, another good year for cinema. We'll see. We're going to see how our list compare of the films were the most anticipating in 2025. But before we do all that, we do have our review to get to. And today we'll be reviewing the film Heretic, which is the latest horror film from A24 Studios starring Hugh Grant as a Mr. Reed.

[00:03:15] And then we've got Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East also as two of our lead characters in the film. We're going to be reviewing that film for you here in just a moment. And then we'll go into our 2025 list. Chris, that sounds like a plan. It sounds like we're off to a good start in this episode. This is kind of what we need to be doing, right? Yes. Good. All right. That is what we'll do. So let's go ahead and talk about our reviewed film. It is Heretic.

[00:04:28] Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door. Greeted by a dialer by called Mr. Reed, played by Hugh Grant. The religious women are drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse pulled further inside the strange man's house. Alan, you mentioned the two young ladies that are playing the missionaries. We have Sister Paxton, played by Chloe East, and Sister Barnes, played by Sophie Thatcher. And then, of course, we have Hugh Grant.

[00:04:58] In this A24 film, you've mentioned that the genre is horror. And we've talked about other films in the past that are A24 films, or sometimes not. But they're horror, and they have some gore or violence in them. And then we've talked about other films that kind of lean more towards the psychological thriller or horror. For me, this is – I don't seek out horror films because I'm kind of a chicken. But this kind of fits into the wheelhouse of I saw the trailer for this.

[00:05:28] I'm like, yep, I'm going to see that. That is interesting. I think there's enough there that even if there is some horror stuff, which there is a little bit in this film, that's not the point. It's more to walk away thinking about something or thinking about what's going on. Sure. So how did you take this film that – what was your experience with the film overall? I'm with you. This is exactly the type of film I will look towards if I'm told, okay, I've got to watch a, quote, horror film. It's like, okay, well, give me something with some thought behind it.

[00:05:57] Give me something that I can really kind of ponder. Give me a sense of dread or a situation that people find themselves in and where words become just as important as actions. I mean, that's the type of thing I'm totally into. So, yes, I'm totally digging this movie. Sounds like he has a little bit of a reservation there, folks. About 75% of it. Okay. And then I do feel like it loses its focus.

[00:06:27] It tries to dip back into more traditional genres at moments that just felt forced and didn't feel right. Okay. And I'm not a fan of the film by the end overall. Oh, okay. I think it just lost its way. Okay. And it's a shame because the setup, the premise, everything else was working so good for it. And it's almost like you get towards the last third of the film and there's a feeling of, oh, yeah, that's right. This is a horror movie.

[00:06:54] We've got to have some violence. We've got to have some people hurt or things happen. And then also, yeah, we've got to kind of explain everything out and try to give you this pat ending, which I didn't think it needed. I actually kind of didn't want. I actually think that kind of violated what the film was trying to get at all along anyway. Anyway, I was really digging this film. Okay.

[00:07:20] I still think it is a good film, but ultimately for me, disappointing in the end. Well, see, this is interesting because we've belabored somehow at the end of the year, we've talked about before, the number of films we watch. And this is one of the ones that you had the advantage of. You've only watched this maybe two or three days ago. Yeah. And I'd watch this a little bit further back, but I got to watch the first, maybe third or so of the film this morning before I came in to record. Which is great.

[00:07:49] And so I remember watching the film and I liked it, but details had kind of faded. And then I watched the first, like I said, third this morning. I'm like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember I just wanted to get character names down and certain things. And watching the first third back again this morning, I noticed how there are breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs, it reminded me of how there are breadcrumbs laid out from the very beginning.

[00:08:16] And I'm like, oh yeah, man, this, and so breadcrumbs you don't know about because you don't know their breadcrumbs because you haven't seen the end of the film yet. And I was like, wow, that is really impressive from like the get go. They're laying things out. I'm like, man, this is really awesome. But because of the recency thing, I had forgotten a little bit about, let's say, the last third. Yeah.

[00:08:37] So let me rhapsodize a little bit about what I remember with the first two thirds because I think there's – and I want you to try to, without spoiling, because this is a horror movie thing, to try to maybe nail down a little bit more about your dissatisfaction with the last third.

[00:08:53] Or to remind me maybe what I should be a little bit less enthusiastic about because really, I guess, I remember – I think I remember a little bit about fading opinion of the film as it maybe dropped into being a little bit more following horror tropes that are typical and typical horror films. But having had the distance, the first two thirds won so much goodwill. And I think it's because it – It does, yeah. It doesn't rely a lot on horror.

[00:09:21] Some people may complain that it's really talky. I mean, the reason to watch the film, if you don't mind watching things that could be a little scary or weird, is for me, is Hugh Grant. He is amazing as Mr. Reed. His performance is great. Imagine if you've seen Paddington 2 where he plays a villain.

[00:09:42] Okay, imagine that, but put it in an R-rated movie where a guy has entrapped two young women and is trying to play with them like a cat and mouse type game like Hannibal Lecter would. You know, just with – trying to just mess with them. He's playing a – yeah, it's a game. Oh, yeah. It is overall a game. And it's very religious in its intent or where he's trying to go with it. He has a thing he's trying to teach or prove and wants people to be suspect to it.

[00:10:12] Right. And, yeah, the mechanics of what this guy is doing and the mechanics of this house, which I'm – this house just kind of kills me. I mean, I want to see this house listed on Zillow. I want more information about this house. Would you want to go to it as an Airbnb? Actually, I kind of would. I think it would be cool. It's a cool house. And just the house becomes a character because there are rooms and layouts. And you kind of have to know the layout after a while to kind of understand some of the mechanics of the film. So that's all so good.

[00:10:42] Okay. And there's a middle sequence where he basically gets to kind of do a lecture for a little bit. And it's like, yeah, okay, not what I would have expected in a, quote, horror film. But it works. And I'm totally down with it. Is that the one where he has a table and he lays out the different books, like the Bible and the Book of Mormon? Oh, yeah. And he kind of talks about that. Yeah, okay. It's great. Right. It's really good stuff. And, yeah, so I'm with you. Okay. That first two-thirds, man, so good.

[00:11:11] And I love Hugh Grant as a bad guy. I think he's great. He's good. He really, really – because he gets to play against the premonition you have, the notion you have. The love actually in Four Weddings and a Funeral. Because he still looks the same, just older. Yeah. But it's just that he's got that charm to him. But yet there's a menace underneath it that he knows how to lay under there that I didn't know he was capable of. So it was good. Yeah.

[00:11:37] So also the two, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, played by Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher, I thought they were also really, really great. Yeah, they were. Very natural. Mm-hmm. And it's basically – it's the three of them. I mean, there are some other characters, but – Yeah, Topher Grace shows up as like an algorithm. I love his – I know. It was like such a small little role. But great. It was good. It was great. I'm just like, huh. That's – There's Topher. There's Topher Grace.

[00:12:05] Yeah, he plays Elder Kennedy who kind of – they go out to kind of talk to different people and talk to them about the Mormon faith. And Elder Kennedy is kind of responsible for them. And he comes looking for them because he's like, where are they? Because they're supposed to have come back at some – that's one point. And I think with Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, they just seem so – like you see, natural. Yeah.

[00:12:32] And the dialogue that was written for them. I have to commend the filmmakers. Now, they have been writers and producers of A Quiet Place and 65. We won't talk about that film by Adam Driver. Not great. But anyway, Scott Beck and Brian Woods, they both wrote and directed this film. And I thought it was just really extremely well written to be their first directed film. Oh, yeah. Sure.

[00:12:59] And so I think that helped because they, I think, have some background with the Mormon church. And I thought that was another interesting thing where – and it's – my thoughts going in were, you know, I hope this doesn't like demean the Mormon faith or anything because I'm not here to like slam any religion. That's not my goal. And I don't think they did. I feel like if anything, it slams all religions equally. Or tries to anyway. Or just – yeah.

[00:13:28] You just – there are a lot of interesting points it makes about faith and about what you do. So – but even beyond that, it was interesting because I was wondering about like, for instance, something like Book of Mormon in South Park. And they actually name dropped that. Oh, yeah. Sure. Have a little bit. So I was like, wow, that's kind of fascinating that they're like aware. You know, so I just – I appreciated how they kind of had an open discussion. And even – that's – there again, this is first two-thirds.

[00:13:57] But the push and pull between what he's saying to them and more – it is more Sister Barnes who's able to kind of – Call him on it a little bit. Or just kind of question like, okay, I see what you're saying. However, where Sister Paxton, Chloe's character, she's a little bit more, you know, naive or just a little bit more skittish about what's happening. She's a bit more passive about the whole thing. But, yeah. So I just – I really thought it was well-played.

[00:14:23] I mean, I think where this film, unfortunately for me, just kind of lost its way a little bit is when it started to get too heavy in its own machinations. Like, all right, everything you're commenting on, you're right. The first two-thirds, it is dialogue. It's cat and mouse kind of, all right, there's some intentions going on. We don't quite know exactly what those intentions are. But, yeah, we know he has something he's trying to prove or showcase or do.

[00:14:54] And the girls are kind of both hesitant but also there's a little bit of curiosity from them to kind of figure out what he's trying to get at. All that's great. It's when there's just too much – yeah, machinations is the word for it. Okay.

[00:15:10] All I will say without spoiling anything is when there's an entire system of spaces and rooms and things in those areas that are underlying the house and it's like there's a whole process and act that's going on with some things.

[00:15:30] It was just like, all right, I feel like this is just – it's gotten – it moved from where it was such a good, straightforward and quite honestly simple film to now it's like, oh, my gosh. This has like gotten really kind of overblown what this character is undergoing and I just don't buy it anymore. Okay. So that's my issue with it and that's why it's really just that last 20 minutes or so.

[00:15:59] I mean, you know, it's – the bulk of the film is great. It's just that last 20 minutes. It's probably just more disappointing because I think you had such a great setup. I think you could have ended this film a lot more low-key than the film felt like it had to go in the end and it would have still worked. It would have still been very impactful. It needed – if it kept the same tone and style it did the first hour and 20 minutes, it would have worked for me.

[00:16:24] But just that need – I just felt the force of a hand of saying, no, there's got to be somebody stabbed and there's got to be this kind of thing. And we've got to explain this very, very clearly. And there's – and like, oh, it didn't need all that. But anyway. I think it may be – some of your reservations are filtering back into my mind slowly.

[00:16:47] But I think what overall has left me with the positive impression, I think is why I'm a little higher on it than what you're saying, is because the actual final scene of the film, a use of a butterfly and the fact that – great, I don't think a lot of A24 films – I can't actually think of an A24 film that's a horror film. That's left itself open to a sequel. But like, this is a one and done.

[00:17:17] And so I think that like the final scene, I was like, oh, kind of brought it all back and kind of – and I like what they did with that. And then the fact that, yeah, this is a one and done. Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I did like the last shot, like the last idea that you're left with from that. I do feel like it was – it tried playing a lot of angles in that last 10, 15 minutes. Okay.

[00:17:43] I think it felt artificially trying to instill in the viewer, all right, what are you going to question about what you just saw? And it almost just felt a little forced. It's like I wanted it more natural to walk away from this film and be like, oh, okay, well, maybe there was something else going on. Maybe this is more what was happening. And I felt like they were trying to beat you over the head a little bit of, no, no, no, this is now not what you expected. Oh, no, no, wait a minute.

[00:18:11] Now, now this is not what you expected. It's like, yeah, I kind of wanted to feel that naturally and not feel like it was kind of – So you felt the twists or the change it were a little forced? Yeah. Okay. Got you. I felt – they were a little forced. I felt the moments were like, okay, we got to have some blood and gore. Felt a little forced also. So anyway. Okay. And it's not because I'm a weakling and I don't want to see blood and gore. It's just, you know, you can have a successful horror film and it didn't need to have that.

[00:18:39] And I still think in this movie it would have worked. It's a psychological horror thriller that you're looking at. But it just felt forced and it felt out of tone with what everything we'd seen preceding it for me. So. Again, I will defend a little bit. Because it's hard for me to because, you know, I haven't seen the last third in a little bit.

[00:19:02] But I will say I – in the moment being frustrated by the explanations of some of the things that have happened, I could see being frustrated. But then there's a test that he has the ladies do in kind of a basement room. Yes.

[00:19:23] And at first pass, I was like, okay, now it bothered me because it had shifted into this supernatural type thing. And I was, you know, I was like, okay, that's – personally, that's not what I wanted the film to do because I wanted it to be more of a grounded structure with this guy who's clearly intelligent but troubled. And that's – I really liked the film up until that one got a little supernatural.

[00:19:53] However, then the way that played out, it kind of allowed me to return back to that, okay, no, this is a little bit more grounded. Sure. And I was okay with that. But I could see the criticism of it being so explaining that it got irritated. The concerns for me started with that test. Okay. I'm with you that I felt better about how the test was then explained because I'm like, oh, okay, good.

[00:20:22] They're not going down that route. Got you. But then it also caused even more questions in my head of like, wow, that's a very complex. Complex. Again, Macon. But this guy's all about complex. I know. But still. I mean, that may be his middle name. It's – I mean, I started having to think in my head. I'm like, oh, my gosh, to pull off everything he's trying to showcase and do. I'm like, oh, right. That's a lot of dedication. He's been doing this for a while.

[00:20:51] He doesn't seem to be gainfully employed anywhere. He seems to have all the time in the world. So maybe this is what he spends his time doing. This is his time, yeah. Independently wealthy. I don't know where his money comes from. I don't know. You know. Who knows? He's obviously got a good budget for cages. Let me just say that. I don't know. Right. Right. Well, and I think – right. I'm joking. I don't think about that stuff. But you have to – but I could see somebody being like, okay, to be – like they don't explain like, okay, this guy is a billionaire who's gone crazy.

[00:21:20] Or this guy is just like, well, wow. But yeah. I could see that. And I'm all for a suspension of disbelief. Sure, sure, sure. I can absolutely do it in any given film. But the more I start kind of dwelling on what is revealed in the last 10, 15 minutes of the film and you understand the scope of everything, I'm just like, really? And like nobody could figure this out. Sure. Ah.

[00:21:47] Because even Topher Grace came really, really close just on a knock on a door to figuring out what was going on. I'm like – and they just took one knock on a door and one conversation with the guy. And he started to have a little bit of a sense. It's like, you can't tell me that – anyway. Yeah. The scope of what he – you find out that he's been involved with, I'm like, I just – yeah. It's a little tough to swallow that this guy is – So you felt like it kind of overreached? Overreaching.

[00:22:17] Overreaching is a good word for him. Overreaching. I think you could have kept this much simpler. I would have been fine if this was like the first one or two times that he has done this whole thing. Okay. And it's like this is something he's really worked towards and prepared for. And now these two girls come in. It's like this perfect situation to put – and it's like, okay, no, that's not quite the story we're hearing. And I'm having a hard time swallowing that this has been going on and like he's still

[00:22:46] out in the world. It's just – anyway. That's more of a – again, it's all the mechanics of it. It's gotten in my head a little bit. But look, I'll say this. I think it's a good film. Okay. I think it's worth watching. I enjoyed it. I just was disappointed with how it decided to wrap up its story. And I kind of felt like it actually might have been a little bit of a – a less might have been more in this situation. Like I kind of wanted a little bit less than what they wanted to try to give me in the last little bit.

[00:23:16] Okay. Yeah. Interesting. You know what? I think the problem – I think a little bit of the problem is when the Mr. Reed character, for the first two-thirds of the film or first half of the film at least, he is a very present character and like he has a focal attention for you. Okay. After a while, he becomes a voice on a loudspeaker and he's kind of – and I feel like that actually – I mean not to put too much weight on Hugh Grant's shoulders, but I think that

[00:23:44] hurts the film too because it's like he is our person we're fascinated with. He is the person we're watching and then he becomes a disembodied voice for so much of the film in the latter half. And then when he does kind of show back up, it's like, oh yeah, there he is again. It's like, I don't know. That might have hurt a little bit too for me anyway. Okay. Again, good film. Sure. I just – I wish the ending had – I wish it had stuck the ending better for me. But I overall think – yeah, I did enjoy – and I agree with you.

[00:24:14] I think it's for watching Hugh Grant's performance. That is the reason to watch this. I mean it really is. He is – he's really that good in this. So – Yeah. I agree. You know, we do agree on that point. He's the reason to watch. And I think it's not unfortunate. But I doubt Academy Awards, which will be announced probably right after this podcast released. Yeah. For like a supporting role, it's – you know, because – but it's such a good example

[00:24:42] of like, this is a really good supporting role. And if he wasn't that guy, yes, am I giving the same dialogue? But what makes it that much enjoyable is the fact that it is Hugh Grant. Yeah. I think that's the thing is that you could have put somebody else, an actor we don't know in this role. And I'm sure they would have – somebody else could have nailed it and done really well with it. But there's something about the playing against type or being a recognizable face, playing something different. I always love it. I love it when an actor that we know for – this is the type of role they play. This is the type of character they are.

[00:25:12] And then all of a sudden, they swerve and give us something different. I love it. So I want to reward that any day of the week if they pull it off. And Hugh Grant absolutely did. So, yeah. It's good. You mentioned – you know, from the director, Scott Beck, was also a writer on a couple of movies. You mentioned 65, which I never saw. Don't – yeah. Okay. I'm not worried about it. Quiet Place. Yeah. He did write the screenplay for – yeah.

[00:25:40] So interestingly enough, I would imagine 65 – correct me if I'm wrong – didn't have tons of dialogue. Correct. Because it's Adam Driver out in a prehistoric – Running around with dinosaurs. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And of course, A Quiet Place didn't have tons of dialogue either. So to then go and write a film that is 90% dialogue, you know, like, it was good. It was a good – yeah. It was a good written – Equal credit because I'm not sure. But yeah, Brian Wood, Scott Beck, it's a dual director writer. Okay, got it. Two of them.

[00:26:10] Yeah. No offense, Mr. Woods. I didn't mean to leave you off. I'm sorry. IMDb only showed me the first name. Oh, and I'll also say too, for this being their first film, granted, you know, A24, kind of well-known for their house style. I thought it was incredibly well shot. The cinematography in it, I really liked a lot of the cinematography. The cinematography was great. And kind of throw out one little thing I love. The opening credits, the titles. I don't know if you recall them. I mean, you saw the opening again, I guess. Sure.

[00:26:37] How they're – and it's just interestingly laid out, like, on the corners of the frame, kind of the real interesting look. Yeah. Okay. And I can give to people that may have seen this film. Probably not a lot of people have, but we've discussed it. We didn't give a full review to it. But saw this other film – or no. Okay, so I saw Heretic. You know, thought it was interesting. I did notice the opening credits. Then I saw a film called The Brutalist. And the way they did their credits, also an A24 film. Yeah. And when I watched the opening again, I was like, huh.

[00:27:05] In a weird way, it's kind of like the Brutalist titles with it. A little bit. And I've never seen that done before. And it was just – yeah, that was an interesting little stylistic thing that was just – I don't know. I like it when people play with the titles and the credits. Like, give me something different. I mean, we've been seeing the same titles on the screen and credits at the end for, like, you know, 70, 80 years of cinema. It's like, give us something different. I don't know. I like it. It's a little minor point. It obviously doesn't make or break the film, but it does set you up.

[00:27:32] I think seeing the credits portrayed and opening credits in kind of a unique way, it automatically puts you in a frame of mind of, okay, all right. Something's a little different here. Something's going to be a little interesting. There's a little more creativity involved in this. And that was good to see. And I'll say kind of one final positive point. Echoes something you said, but kind of the lecture that he gives and the whole idea of iteration is something that I've been thinking about since I watched the film.

[00:28:00] It's a really, really good, like, exploration and topic of discovery, whether you agree with it or not. I mean, there's definitely something to explore there. And add to that, he, like, name drops a Radiohead song. Oh, well, we didn't even talk about that. So that's amazing. He'd written a Radiohead song and then... Deconstructed it. Yeah, like, goes into detail on that song. Yeah, I wonder what... I know Radiohead, specifically Tom York, I don't think is a big fan of the song Creep

[00:28:30] anymore. No, right. But I would like to see, like, what his thoughts would be on it. But it was great. What was the song that they were playing that he was mapping it to? All I Need Is The Air That I Breathe? I think so. I don't remember the title of the song. Yeah. But that was great. I mean, actually, at that point in the film, I'm probably at my most engaged. Okay. I'm just like, oh. You're like, this film can't get any better. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is great. And then, yeah. That's why it let me down that it dropped from that level. Because it took you to that mountaintop. And then, yeah. That's true.

[00:28:59] You brought up a good point. I completely forgot to mention the song. But yeah, that was awesome. Good. Yeah. Okay. Good. Well, we had a lot to talk about with Heretic. Sure. Because stuff like this, there's a little bit to talk about. You want to talk about it after the film. I love it. I love a film that we can talk about. Sure. That's good.

[00:29:24] So, Heretic is available right now for streaming, like rental, purchase things. Yes. I don't know if it's on any paid subscription service yet. But I mean, you can at least rent it for a few bucks now. Which is good. So, yeah. It's worth checking out. I definitely think it's worth time. I agree. If you're into this kind of film at all, the way you've been describing it. Yes, it is. It is worth a watch. Great. Okay. Good deal. Chris, let us break for just a moment.

[00:29:52] When we come back, we're going to discuss our most anticipated films for 2025. You and I both have a list. We're going to go rapid fire through that list to see how many overlaps we have. And I think both of us are going to cheat and probably mention more than 10 films at some point during the conversation. True? I have my rules. You're keeping to 10. I'm locked to 10. So, I'm going to be the one breaking the rules. That's right. That's right. I have my real list of anticipated films. And now I got my popcorn, settle in.

[00:30:22] So, you've got two lists. I do have two lists. You did a lot of homework. I do have two lists. Okay. Fair enough. All right. Here we go. We'll be back in just a moment with the 2025. Most anticipated films. You're listening to Foot Candle Films. We'll be right back. This podcast is sponsored by Jackson Creative, a custom communication agency located in downtown Hickory, North Carolina, specializing in online content creation. To learn more, visit thejacksoncreative.com. Jackson Creative, we tell your story.

[00:30:53] Welcome back to Foot Candle Films here on the Mesh.TV podcast network. Hold on. Talk for a minute, Chris. I'm getting ready to sneeze. And I don't want anybody to have to edit this podcast. So, we're going to kind of work through it. So, I'm getting ready to sneeze. Sure. Why don't you set up what we're getting ready to do? Absolutely. So, we're doing that for Moose, our editor. Thank you. I'm trying to be nice to our editor. I don't want to force it. Okay. I'm still going to sneeze. Okay. Yeah. Sneeze away. So, I just will say that the way I did my list, I always have rules.

[00:31:20] So, for my top 10 most anticipated films of 2025, my rules were I could have no sequels, no remakes, no cinematic universes. My list is in alphabetical order. So, it's not like I'm ranking the first film I'm going to talk about as this is my most anticipated. No, these are just thrown up there with alphabetical order. Last rule is the release dates, assuming they stick, in Letterboxd, they all have the release date of like, you know, 2025.

[00:31:46] So, I know that in theory, I don't just see a film and I'm like, oh, I like that one. I've heard it's going to come out in 2025. No, according to Letterboxd, at least, it's listed as coming out in 2025. So, that way, like I'm not saying a film that I've heard about. For example, the Beatles Quadrigy, the biography that Sam Mendes is doing that are, you know. No, those are not coming out in 2025. I am anticipating them, but they're not coming out in 20. So, those are down the road.

[00:32:14] I will say all of the ones have 2025 except one that was 2024 that I think it was literally just made in 2024 because I haven't seen any reviews for it yet. I definitely know, I know it hasn't come out in theaters, but I don't know if maybe it made a festival run that was, that's why it has 2024. But anyways, all the other ones have 2025. Okay. So, did you get a sneeze? I never sneezed. I was there. Okay. But it just never happened. So, I apologize. Got you.

[00:32:44] Throwing you off track like that. We hope it won't sneak attack you. No, I hope not too. But everything you just said is fine. I don't stick by quite those rules. I assume all 10 of my films are actually being released this year. Every indication is that I've read that they are. I didn't do a really deep dive just to validate everything, but I'm going to make the assumption. This is what I do over my holiday break. I understand. I appreciate that. So, yeah. All right. So, Chris, how do you, you said yours were in alphabetical order. Mine are also in alphabetical order. Okay.

[00:33:12] So, why don't you hit me with your first one and we'll just kind of ping pong and see if we're any matches at all here. Sure. So, my first one is The Battle of Bacton Cross directed by one Paul Thomas Anderson. The cast, Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, and bunches of other people. It is a Paul Thomas Anderson movie. I mean, if the cast doesn't get you excited, if the name of the director doesn't get you excited, well, too bad because I can't give you any kind of plot.

[00:33:41] I mean, pretty much. Yeah, yeah. There's no plot to speak of. But I'm glad about that because I don't, you know what? I don't want one. For Paul Thomas Anderson, you know, it's enough for me just to know like he's making another movie. Granted, his most recent one, Licorice Pizza, I was okay with. Yeah. But it didn't quite wow me. It's probably one of his lesser works in our mind. But still, it was okay. But look, for Leonardo DiCaprio to sign on, and I just say, I would say this about Leonardo DiCaprio. He signs on to good projects. All right.

[00:34:11] Okay. Agreed. He has a good eye for projects. He works with good directors. Him signing on with PTA is a good, perfect blending. I can't wait to see what they come up with together. Yeah. It was on my list for sure. Definitely one of my top 10. So you've saved me a little bit of talking time. Yeah. I mean, it's just, like you say, he chooses interesting things. So he doesn't have to work if he doesn't want to. Perfect. Yeah. I love it.

[00:34:40] Was there an estimated time frame on when that's coming out in the year? I have not seen one. No. I would assume the earliest we'd see it would be summer. Oh, yeah. But it may be in November, December. It could be a fall, December release if they're going for some awards recognition at the end of the year. Sure. Not knowing what type of film it is. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, it could be a zany comedy. Right. We have no idea. Right. So, yeah. But I do have the 2025 supposedly release date. Yeah.

[00:35:10] So we'll go with that. Okay, good. All right. Here's one I've got, which I'm just amazed this film is even planning to be released this year. Luca Guadagnino, who released two films last year, Challengers and Queer. Right. Has a film coming out this year. Oh my gosh. The guy must not sleep. I tell you, it's crazy. But this film is titled After the Hunt. Okay. And it stars a Miss Julia Roberts. Oh. Yep. And Andrew Garfield. Okay.

[00:35:39] And the plot synopsis of the film is that it is about a Julia Roberts plays a collegiate professor who is forced to reevaluate her actions as her colleague, played by Garfield, is facing a serious accusation. Guadagnino has gone on record saying he thinks this is Julia Roberts' best performance ever. Now, of course, you know, as the director of the film, you kind of have to say that. But, you know, Garfield's also been very positive about this film and this collaboration, saying

[00:36:09] it's allowed him to go to places he's never been before as an actor. Anyway, so the fact that you've got that, you've also got Ayo Edbeery. Who? You've got Michael Stuhlberg and Chloe Sveni also in the film. Okay. And you've got another score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. So I'm like, okay, as much as I love Challengers in 2024, queer didn't work for me as well, but I at least admired what it was doing. Sure.

[00:36:36] But to come up with another film and you got Julia Roberts who I'd be anxious to see Julia Roberts in a really good performance role. I like Andrew Garfield a lot. Sounds like an interesting concept. The score sounds great. I'm like, yeah, I'm on board. So after the hunt 2025, Guadagnino cannot believe he's pulling out another film three in like a 24 hour or 24 month period. Yeah. I am very curious. I kind of don't want to know any more about it than what you just told me.

[00:37:05] I hope I don't see a trailer for it. Um, it sounds to me a lot like, um, the film from a couple of years ago that was based on a play. Um, doubt. Oh, right. There's like an accusation, how things play out because just, you know, here's me telling you what I think the film's about without just basically, it's like, unfortunately, it sounds like maybe Andrew Garfield's character has done some type of sexual harassment or thing or something.

[00:37:30] And maybe he was called on it by Julia Roberts character, but maybe now she's questioning whether or not that was true, but too late because his reputation has already been torn. And kind of like, so it's kind of like a very timely, you know, what happens. And so it sounds like it's going to be kind of a maybe tough watch. Maybe. Yeah, it could be. I'm just as far because it's just so like, or it could be a zany comic. Yeah, that's true. You never know.

[00:37:57] Um, but it just sounds really interesting and it does sound like it's going to be great because playing against kind of tight for Andrew Garfield, I could see how that could go places that he doesn't normally do in his work. Yeah. And then, yeah, seeing Julia Roberts on screen and a very like good performance set. I see here's, here's why I like doing these kinds of lists is because you hear about films that you can look forward to. I knew nothing about this film. I just assumed I didn't need to. A lot of times what I do is I go and check directors.

[00:38:26] I'm like, okay, you know, this director, let's see if they're coming out with anything. You just assumed this guy wasn't going to have another film out. No, because he had two last year. So I'm like, well, there's he's, he's out for 2025, but no. So wow, that is, that is crazy. Yeah. Sorry. That's, uh, after the hunt. Uh, I don't have a date on it either, but it is slated for 2025. Okay. That is awesome. Yeah. All right. What have you got next? So my next one is a big, bold, beautiful journey by Koganata who directed after Yang

[00:38:54] most recently before that Columbus, which is a film I've heard a lot about. I still have not seen it. It is on my watch list. Um, I hope to see it one day. Uh, this film is an imaginative tale of two strangers and the extraordinary emotional journey that connects them. These, the two characters, at least I think that's going to be who they are is Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie. Um, so looking forward to it just because of the director, the cast, there's also Jody Turner Smith, Phoebe Waller bridge.

[00:39:23] Um, so those are people that, you know, I also, uh, Chloe East from heretic. Okay. Interesting. Interesting. Um, so yeah, um, I'm looking forward to it. I think he's a director that is a very thoughtful director. Uh, he's only put out the two films that I mentioned after Yang and Columbus. I think he's very deliberate. He writes his own material and he's very deliberate about the way he does things. He's very thoughtful. He spends a lot of time.

[00:39:49] So he's somebody that at the end of his career, yeah, maybe he hasn't made 30 films, but the 15 he's made are just very well put together. Cool. Yeah. It, it was close to being on my list. I had to whittle this down to 10. Uh, that one, I just, I feel like I'm, I've still got more questions about. So, okay. But, but I agree. It sounds, it sounds great. Sounds really intriguing. Um, all right. Well, speaking of, uh, directors that just don't seem to be slowing down.

[00:40:16] Um, Yergo's Lanthimos has a new movie coming out in 2025 called Bougonia, which also stars Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, just like in kinds of kindness. And Emma Stone was also in poor things earlier. Uh, again, it's Lanthimos. I'm on board. I like kind of kinds of kindness. I know it didn't work for everybody, but I had a good time with it. I mean, it's yeah, it's, you know, I almost see it as like a B side out movie.

[00:40:44] It's like poor things was like the A side. He, he did all the, all that. It's like, oh, well we've got this cast and we've got some extra money and we've got some time. Let's go make this other movie. And that was kind of the B side movie. And it still worked for me. I still liked it a lot. But it was made my big swings and that big swing. Absolutely. So, uh, it has to be three years in a row that he's done a film every year and, uh, seeing a lot of the same cast, he seems to be kind of in his groove. He, him and Emma Stone kind of have this thing going on where a little bit of a muse,

[00:41:14] a director relationship. And, um, it's supposedly a remake of a South Korean film called save the green planet. Hmm. Okay. So that's all I know. Uh, well, do you want the one line description? Is that going to be enough? Am I going to raise expectations if I give you this one line description of the film? I've now violated my rule, but I'm going to keep it on there because I had no idea. Um, I have it as my number three. Okay. But if it's a remake that violates, well, does it though?

[00:41:43] Because I mean, if it's a remake of a South Korean film that nobody's heard of, I mean, does that really count as a quote remake? Well, here's the thing. Yeah. The cast, the director, and then the one line description that I'll go ahead and read. Yeah. You go ahead and read it. Uh, two conspiracy obsessed young men kidnapped the high powered CEO of a major company convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet earth. The CEO is Emma stone. Yeah. Right. So I'm like, okay, well, yep. I'm going to, so yeah. Okay.

[00:42:12] So you say I'm okay to keep it on the list. I think it is. I think, I think your definition of remakes, which I agree with is that is a known quantity film that somebody has decided to take, do their own take on. For instance, Nosferatu from this past year, although I was looking forward to it, it didn't make my list. It is a remake. Everybody knows it. But a South Korean film that nobody knows anything about. I don't know. Okay. And I'm not even sure that's real. That may have just been something they said just to kind of gin interest for the film. I don't know.

[00:42:42] Okay. But yeah, Lanthimos, I am so on board. I have loved everything he has done. Yeah. I mean, it's just, yes. Very excited about this. I hope this is an annual tradition where we just get a Lanthimos film every year. That'd be nice. If he wants to have Emma Stone play a part in it every year, I'm fine with that too. Jesse Plemons may become one of his regulars too now. I don't know. But I see. Yeah. Excited about Emma Stone.

[00:43:08] Jesse Plemons, because of the work that he did in Kinds of Kindness, I can't wait to see him because I just like him. He just, his acting and like, yeah, I can't wait to see him just really explode as hopefully a star now because he's in Yorgos Lanthimos. Well, that is Begonia from Yorgos Lanthimos. I am super excited with it. Sounds like I took one off of your list. Yes, but that's okay. Okay. What have you got next? Okay.

[00:43:33] Next is one that I believe you and I played a trailer for in Trailer Tapas that we talked about. I think it's, if I remember correctly, it is an A24 film. It is The Legend of Ochi, directed by Isaiah Saxon, which I believe is his first film. Um, and it's in a remote Northern village. A young girl, Yuri, is raised to never go outside after dark and to fear the reclusive forest creatures known as the Ochi.

[00:44:00] When a baby Ochi is left behind by its pack, she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to reunite it with its family. So it sounds kind of like an E.T. thing, but how style A24 and the fact that Willem Dafoe is in this as her father makes me intrigued. Um, so it may be when we did the trailer, like it pulls heartstrings, but I think it's going to be just odd enough to kind of work for me.

[00:44:26] Um, so, and you know, who's to say typically, you know, I, you know, family films, stuff like that. They're good, but they, you know, my kids are grown now. I don't gravitate to that kind of niche film anymore. Um, but I think this could be an example of it's a good film and it happens to be a good family film maybe. So, um, Legend of Ochi is the next one on my list. Uh, and yes, hopefully, hopefully it'll be good. So that's my number four. All right.

[00:44:54] But number four, just by alphabetical alphabetical, not saying the fourth most anticipated. Just, just the way it is. That's right. Um, okay. Let me tell you about one. Um, I've got that I just came into contact with and I know the probably the least amount of any film I'm mentioning, but it just, I know the director and I know the two leads and that's it. And I'm totally on board with it. Okay. Uh, we were both fans of the film dream scenario that came out with Nicholas Cage last year. Yeah. Um, we liked that a lot.

[00:45:23] Uh, the director, Christopher, uh, Christopher Borghury. Okay. Christopher Borghury did that film. Well, he's got a followup film called the drama. And this is one that's not on my list. I'm surprised. Here we go. It stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson and they play a couple pushed to the breaking point as their wedding rapidly approaches. Now that's all I know about the film. Okay.

[00:45:51] And granted, I've only seen dream scenario. That's the only film I'm aware of that Borghury has done that we've seen, but I liked it so much. Yeah. I liked it. And I think again, Zendaya and Pattinson are two kind of, I mean, I can want to say hot actors right now, kind of in, in, in both getting into very interesting projects. So to see them on board with this, and I liked the fact that it's a very vague concept of a film that I'm hearing about, and I don't want to know any more about it either.

[00:46:19] Sounds really interesting. I'll tell you right now, Robert Pattinson, I got a feeling he's going to come up again on your list shortly. Okay. But besides the film that you're probably going to mention that I will also be mentioning on my list. Okay. He's also in another film outside of these two. So he's got three films in 2025. There's a film, I didn't put it on my list because don't know still enough about it, but there's a film called Die My Love that's directed by Lynn Ramsey. Oh, okay.

[00:46:48] And it stars Jennifer Lawrence, but it also has Robert Pattinson in the film. And that sounds really interesting too. So anyway, Robert Pattinson is going to be in at least three movies this year, it sounds like. And I got a feeling that two of them are going to be on our list of anticipated films for the year. So the drama is my, is, is on my list. I'm interested in this film. Got you. Yeah. Okay.

[00:47:13] So next up on my list, this is one that I've only very recently become aware of when I was making this list. I, this is when you're talking about, I like look up directors and I'm like, Oh, this person has a film coming out. Okay. And I immediately put it. So I didn't know anything about it until I was making this list. So the film is Marty Supreme. It is by Josh Safdie. Is the fictional story set in the world of 1950s ping pong culture loosely inspired by the

[00:47:42] life of professional ping pong player, Marty Reisman. Who's playing Marty Reisman in the film? Well, that would be Timothy Chalamet. Other people that are involved with the film. Gwyneth Paltrow. Haven't heard from her in quite some time. Tyler, the creator, Fran Drescher is also in the film. Penn Jillette is in the film. So kind of a all over the place cast, which doesn't surprise me necessarily for the Safdies. I think they, uh, well specifically Josh Safdie.

[00:48:09] I think in a way they kind of do the Tarantino, like picking random people that maybe have fallen out and they're like bringing them and making them something like, Oh, well there's John Travolta. But like, you know, Tarantino did. Well, this will be crazy. There's Gwyneth Paltrow. There's Fran Drescher. You know, it's just so, um, Marty Supreme. Yeah. So that's Josh Safdie doing this one, right? Correct. So the Safdies have kind of done a Coen brothers thing where they've gone in different directions. Now he may, I don't know if he's got a film coming up. Okay.

[00:48:38] With the rock in it about the, uh, WWE, uh, or WWE, uh, W W something, something. WWF. One of those. Yeah. One of those where he fights people. Um, right. And that's interesting that both of the brother, Ben and Josh Safdie, Benny, they've, they're doing like biopics or whatever. The smashing machine about the UFC. UFC. UFC fighting. Sorry. My apologies. Well, and this one is the fictional story, but it's kind of loosely inspired where I don't know if the other one's more of like, no, it's more of a true biopic or whatever.

[00:49:08] So yeah. Interesting that they kind of pulled a Coen brothers. They are doing it. They're both doing a similar kind of in a way projects, but, uh, that one did not make my list, but I'm aware that it's coming up. Same here. Same here. I was aware of it. And, uh, it sounds interesting. Both of them sound interesting. I'm curious to see both. Um, uh, I got a feeling this may be one that, you know, because Bo is afraid still kind of has affected me. Oh, wow. Yeah. Really?

[00:49:36] I still kind of get on that film a little bit. I need to give that one another shot. But, uh, Ari Aster has a new film called Eddington. I did not know that. Yeah. That is coming out this year is also going to be with Joaquin Phoenix once again. So again, also Miss Emma Stone is making an appearance in this film. So Emma Stone, Robert Pattinson are right now getting the, uh, most appearances in films this year award. Um, but it also stars, uh, Austin Butler, Pedro Pascal, and a few others.

[00:50:05] Uh, the plot is a mystery, which I'm totally cool with. Ari Aster doing a mystery. No, no. The plot remains a mystery. Like nobody knows what the plot is. Gotcha. Okay. I was like, Oh, that sounds awesome. There is a theory that it is a contemporary Western set in a small town in New Mexico during the pandemic. That is the overall log line that's floating out there. Equally as interesting as a mystery would have been for me to get excited about from Ari Aster. Okay. So, uh, you know, Bo's Afraid was not everybody's cup of tea.

[00:50:34] I, I did like it. Mine specifically. Yeah. I did quite like it, but I will admit it was, uh, it was a lot. It was a, it was a big swing. It was a huge swing. Okay. Uh, a big long movie with a lot going on in it. And, uh, yeah, I, I'm still, I'm on board with Aster and whatever he wants to work on right now. I still love Hereditary. I think Hereditary is one of the best horror films made in the last 20 years. Okay.

[00:51:02] I think, um, what do you do after? Oh, Midsummer is pretty darn good as well. Um, and I thought Bo of the Afraid is very interesting, even if it doesn't work completely all the time. Um, but it's enough to get me interested in his next film. So Eddington should be coming out this year. We will see what happens there. Yeah. Yeah. Cool. So you have teased this and sure enough, this, because we're in alphabetical land going in that order.

[00:51:30] Mickey 17 is my next film directed by Bong Joon-ho. This had been, and it stars. Was it on your list last year? It was. Yeah. Robert Pat stars, Robert Pattinson. Mickey Barnes has found himself in the extraordinary circumstance. Of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job to die for a living. Uh, we have seen a trailer. We, I believe we did play it on the show. Talked about trailer tapas. Yeah, we did. Um, so, you know, it was more comedic than what I was expecting when I first learned about the film.

[00:52:00] And you're right. It was originally slated for 2024, but got kicked to 2025, which sometimes can be moved several times, which is concerning. Well, maybe, maybe. And I saw a statement from, uh, Bong Joon-ho that said that he wanted, he was like to get his director's cut. He, I guess a concession was that it got kicked. Well, the 2024 got kicked to 2025 supposedly because of that. True. I don't know.

[00:52:29] Um, I really hope it's good because Parasite was my favorite film of the year that it came out and I'm, I'm really, I'm really hoping for great things. So hopefully, uh, we will get it in 2025. I think the release date is kind of semi locked now. So we will get it in 2025 and I hope it's great. A sci-fi maybe looks to be somewhat of a comedy. Bong Joon-ho. So I, I can't wait. So Tony Collette, Mark Ruffalo is also in the film. Uh, yeah.

[00:52:58] So I'm highly anticipating it. I think could be more of a riff on moon, the film from Duncan Jones. I thought it would be, but, um, definitely a little bit more comedic maybe that felt, but still, uh, looking forward to, uh, Mickey 17. All right, cool. Yep. That is on my list as well. Um, Mickey 17, very excited, curious. Just to see how this shapes up. Um, okay.

[00:53:25] Does with this film, I mean, I'm, I'm going to have this film on my list, but I don't know if it maybe violates your remakes rule, which is why you may not even, you may not have this unconsidered anyway. Sure. Um, Gilmer DeToro is doing a version of Frankenstein. So is that considered a remake? Yes. Um, I'm still, I am interested in that, but yeah, I mean, because it's, it was kind of like the Nosferatu type thing. It's like, it's a known thing, but I'm, I'm putting on my list cause I don't adhere to

[00:53:54] the remake, uh, violation. Um, uh, Guillermo DeToro's Frankenstein. Uh, I mean, yeah, I just, I love the classic, uh, I love the classic horror stories. I love the classic creature stories. Uh, DeToro doing it makes it extremely interesting. He's got a great team alongside him. His cinematographer, Dan Lauston composer, Alexandra Desplat production designer.

[00:54:19] I mean, all of just, he's bringing in the, the, even just the still images I've seen one or two images look amazing. Okay. Oscar Isaac, I think is Dr. Frankenstein. Okay. Jacob Eldora Eldori is the, the monster Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz all in this. Hmm. Like, yeah, bring it. I'm, I'm super excited. It may be this year's Nosferatu. I may be just, you know, just loving it, but it doesn't make my list because of my stupid rules. No, I understand.

[00:54:47] So, uh, I will say, can I piggyback this with one other item real quick? Sure. Um, there's a, another film that's in a similar vein. Uh, is it the bride? The bride with exclamation point. Oh, the bride is the Maggie Gyllenhaal is doing a, I get the sense that that might, it might be going for a bit more of a campy feel. Okay. Just because of the title. It's like the bride of Frankenstein. It's like the bride with exclamation point. I don't know. I haven't seen anything about it.

[00:55:15] Two Frankenstein centered films, both coming out in 2020. Correct. So I'm piggybacking those two together. I love my Frankenstein. I love my Dracula. I love my mummy. I love all those. So give me a new film of those every, every year. I'm happy with that. So, but I, Del Toro doing Frankenstein. I'm super excited. It'd be interesting to see how studios space out the release times on those. Cause I would assume they would try to, but who knows? Yeah, that'd be interesting. And I could see one of them getting bumped.

[00:55:42] We've seen more about Del Toro's Frankenstein than we have Gyllenhaal's The Bride. So it could be that Del Toro's is the one that squeaks in and the other one gets bumped. Anyway, we'll see. Okay, Chris, what else you got? So my next film is The Monkey by one Osgood Perkins. Yes, he gave us long good, long legs in 2024. Wasn't a huge fan of the film, but I admired his attempts at trying to tell original story. And I admired like, you know, cinematography.

[00:56:12] I was like, okay, I want to watch what this guy does. Well, with The Monkey, he is using something based on a Stephen King story. Yeah. But it's not a remake, so not a sequel, so it follows all that. The story when twin brothers Howe and Bill discover their father's old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths start occurring all around them. We also touched on this trailer, I believe, in Trailer Tapas. And it just was a well-cut trailer. It got me excited for the film.

[00:56:41] It just seems like a, I guess you could complain and say it was a ripoff of something like a Final Destination film where all the people's deaths start occurring all around this one area or something. But to me, it just looks interesting. It could be, hopefully, around a Halloween release. So I could say, hey, this would be a good one for us to review on the show because of, you know, spooky season. But The Monkey, that makes a slot on my list. It didn't make my list, although I am curious and interested in it. Long Legs did not work for me.

[00:57:11] So I'm hopeful that this might be more in the vein I'm looking for from him. But we'll see. All right, I'm going to mention a film that I know is not on your list because we've already passed this letter in the alphabetical order. But it's also the predecessor of this film you were not the biggest fan of. Ah, okay. So it is a sequel as well. No, but it's not a sequel. It's just a follow-up film from a director that you weren't a big fan of their first, the previous film. Got you.

[00:57:39] Celine Song, who did Past Lives, which was one of my favorite films the year before last. Didn't think it was terrible. Yeah, but you were not as smitten with it as I was. Correct. But anyway, she has a film coming up, another romantic triangle film called Materialist. And it's being described by some to be in the vein of Albert Brooks comedy. I'm on board with that. I like my Albert Brooks comedies.

[00:58:07] I love triangle comedy. I think I would be more on board with. Okay. Dakota Johnson. Okay. Chris Evans. And Pedro Pascal. Pedro Pascal, for those keeping score at home, has been mentioned at least twice. And I think there's at least another film he's in this year, along with the HBO show, The Last of Us, that's coming out this year. So Mr. Pascal is very busy. Yeah, he just did Gladiator. So yeah. He just did Gladiator. Yeah, yeah. So yeah. So a romantic comedy is what is being rumored as.

[00:58:37] Chris Evans, Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, Celine's song directing it. Yeah. Materialist, I'm interested and excited. I think is one I'm not aware, wasn't aware of. But yeah, I'm curious. Absolutely curious about that one. So you're right. Didn't make my list, but still curious, sure. I have two left. How many more do you have that we haven't hit yet? Let's see how many. I'm trying to keep track of our list here. I have three. You have three. I have two. Okay. Well, I cheated. I technically have three, but I've grouped two of them together.

[00:59:08] Fair enough. All right. So the next one I have on my list in alphabetical order is Presence. This is the 2024 film that I alluded to that I guess came out somewhere, maybe Festo, but Steven Soderbergh. This was the one that we played the trailer for and all it was was spooky music. So then we had to talk about. But then we got a second trailer that had a little bit more to it. Yeah. So yeah. That's seems to be a family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they're not alone.

[00:59:36] The cast, Lucy Liu and some other names I'm not as familiar with, Julia Fox, Chris Sullivan. Um, but Steven Soderbergh doing kind of a ghost, you know, spooky story. I'm like, okay. And I haven't seen anything from him in a little while. So, um, that makes me interested. So we will get to see this in 2025 because at least some people saw it in 2024. So that's Presence. But let me ask this, um, which are you more excited about?

[01:00:04] Is it Presence by Steven Soderbergh or is it Black Bag also by Steven Soderbergh also coming out this year? Did not know about Black Bag. Black Bag is a Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender in a spy intelligence agent film. Huh? When intelligence agent Catherine Woodhouse is suspected of betraying her nation, her husband, also a legendary agent, faces the ultimate test of whether to be loyal to his marriage or his country.

[01:00:33] Um, so yeah. March 14th is coming out. So it's coming out pretty soon. Okay. Black Bag. So he's got two films coming out this year. I grouped them together because I'm excited about both of them. Okay. Fair enough. Are very different. Sure. Presence. Obviously, uh, we talked about the kind of the style that that film was shot in. We were thinking it's going to be kind of a point of view type of film, the way of the trailer look point of view of the presence of the presence. Yeah. That's what it seems to be.

[01:00:58] Seems to be Black Bag appears to be a much more traditional film, but yet. Fassbender Blanchett together. I'm like, yes, I am. I'm bored for that. Directed by Soderbergh. I want an out of sight type of vibe to this film and I'm hoping that's what we get. So yes, I had presence in Black Bag together. I just want at least one of the two to, to work really well. If both do, that's just awesome. But Soderbergh, I need one good film from Soderbergh this year. We got two to pick from.

[01:01:28] So we'll see what happens. 50, 50 chance. 50, 50 chance. Sure. Okay. Yep. So my next film that makes number nine on my alphabetical list is Sinners by Ryan Coogler. This story is trying to leave their troubled lives behind. Twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. Michael B. Jordan plays the twin brothers of Elijah and Elias. Haley Steinfeld is also in the film.

[01:01:58] Ryan Coogler, he was the gentleman who gave us Fruitvale Station, which I was a big fan of. And he did Black Panther, both Black Panther films. He's done Creed. Interesting, interesting director. I'm interested to see what he does with seemingly kind of a spooky, maybe horror type film. Yeah. Um, so yeah. And it just, I hadn't, I admired it. I really liked Fruitvale Station. And then some of the other, like, you know, when he did the Black Panther films, it's like,

[01:02:28] well, you know, they're Marvel films. Those have the norm, you know, it was getting kind of burned out at that point. But to be doing a horror thriller, I'm like, okay. And Michael B. Jordan, you know, big fan of his. No, this sounded really interesting. Came close to making my list, but yeah. Okay. Sounds very interesting. I'm with you on that one. The last one on my list to mention is, uh, it violates your, your remake rules. So I understand it will not be on your list. Okay. But it is The Running Man by Edgar Wright.

[01:02:58] Yeah. Yeah. Starring Glenn Powell, Coleman Domingo, Katie O'Brien, and Josh Brolin. The only thing that kept it off my list is the fact that this movie has been made. That is the only thing. Because otherwise, if I'm going to do, if somebody's going to do a remake, Edgar Wright, okay. You're going to make it your own. And take a film that was a, you know, not a great film back in the 80s, but a big Schwarzenegger starring film at the time. The premise, obviously based on a Stephen King short story.

[01:03:28] I mean, it's ripe for a remake, especially because today's culture. Sure. A lot of people now, you know, 20 year olds have never seen the original. So yeah. And then you got Glenn Powell, who, you know, is kind of firing on all cylinders on things right now. Coleman Domingo loves so much and Sing Sing and others. Can't wait to see him in another, especially in a genre film like this. It'd be kind of fun. So, uh, and then Josh Brolin as like the producer.

[01:03:55] I think he plays the, uh, do you remember it was, uh, he's the game show host. Yeah. But it was the guy that, um, um, the family feud guy played Richard Dawson, Richard Dawson played back in the 80s. Yeah. Okay. So you're right. I, I'm loving it. Before you mentioned that that's the role that Josh Brolin was going to do. I was actually hoping maybe Coleman Domingo, but either, either way, I got a feeling. Coleman Domingo is probably going to be like a competitor contestant. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Is what I'm anticipating. As well as Katie O'Brien's probably. Cause I remember there was a female that was with, um, yeah. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[01:04:25] So I'm assuming she's playing that role, but anyway. Yeah. I'm just very excited. Very excited. That sounds great. And that is a lock for 2025. It is saying the date is November 7th, 2025 late in 2025. Interesting. Could slip, but right now. And because of everything, I would think it would be more of a summer film, but that's interesting that it's November. November. Yep. So that is the running man by Edgar Wright. I am excited about it. And that concludes my list that you have. You still have another one or two, right?

[01:04:54] I have one, you have one. And this, there are so many reasons I'm excited for this. Uh, my one trepidation point of trepidation. It does have a 2025 release date. It does have a plot synopsis. It doesn't have a very extensive cast, but the number one problem that makes me question, will this come out? Doesn't have a poster listed in letterbox and doesn't really have a title. But let me tell you what the, what be giving you what title it does have.

[01:05:23] Uh, maybe we'll pique your interest. Okay. It's the untitled Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Kendrick Lamar comedy. Okay. So South Park fellows, big fans of theirs. Um, they did a musical book of Mormon, but that's the last thing. Like, you know, before that they did team America world police. They did the South Park movie. Of course it's still made the show, but I was wanting that. I was like, man, they did basket boss. Like when are these guys going to make another movie?

[01:05:52] Well, here we are. Kendrick Lamar. Who's actually, I think going to be doing the Superbowl halftime show this year. Okay. Yep. So it's just kind of interesting confluence. Like he'll do that. And then if this movie does come out in 2025, just really interesting. Here's the plot. A black man, which I'm assuming will be Kendrick Lamar. Interning as a slave reenactor at a living history museum. Finds out that his white girlfriend's ancestors once owned his.

[01:06:22] Okay. So there you go. So it's the South Park guys tackling the, you know, the history, the treatment of African Americans, black people and slavery. But doing, but you know, it's kind of, I'm like, okay, you know, I'm kind of, I'm kind of, and Kendrick Lamar, you know, he's a musician, but seeing, I don't know. I just think that there could really be some, some magic there. So that sounds, I had no clue. Right. And I'm a little leery, like I said, because we don't have a title for it, but it was amazing

[01:06:52] enough to be. And I was excited enough because I'm like, I get another film for them. So we'll see. That was great. Okay. That was, that was the one on your list. I had not heard anything about nothing about. So that's great to hear. Good. Good. So, I mean, look, we've got a film year 2025 with a lot of, you know, we commented how 2024 we felt like were a lot of smaller films by maybe newer directors or directors not well as known that got to kind of flourish a little bit in 2024. Sure. 2025.

[01:07:21] We've got some big names out there making some, some films. I mean, you got Paul Thomas Anderson, you got Guadagnino with another film. You got Lanthimos with another one. You've got Del Toro making a film. You got Bong Joon-ho making a film. You got Soderbergh with two films. Yeah. Edgar Wright putting out a film. I mean, it's like, yeah, we got some good stuff coming up. Hopefully. Hopefully. Now look, I'm going to go ahead and do my public service here to everybody. Okay. We've just touted a lot of films we're anticipating, excited about. Yes. They're all going to suck.

[01:07:51] Chris, I'm just going to go and tell you, we're going to lower our expectations. Fair enough. These films are all going to be horrible. We're going to come out of those screenings being like, what did that director just do? Because this is a horrible film. So just go and get it all your head. Lower. Lower our expectations. These are all going to be trash films. Okay. Okay. Now the films that are going to be awesome are the ones I'm going to rattle off for you really quick. Okay. These are my popcorn movies that I am hopeful for.

[01:08:19] However, I can't say I'm anticipating. No, I am anticipating. I don't expect them all to be good, but I'm hopeful they will be good. I mean, it would make me happy if any of these films I walked out of. I'm like, oh yeah, that totally worked for me. These are all sequel, franchise, superhero, whatever movies. What? I want them to be good. I would be surprised if a film that I'm thinking of that I also unfortunately have expectations for is not on your list.

[01:08:48] Well, let me, uh, let me hit my list and just, you can just kind of, you can make a frowny face or, uh, or burrow your brow on any of these you want to. It's fine. Um, we've got Superman. Yep. That was the number one. That's the one I was thinking of. It should be good. I hope it's good, but it also could be crap. I mean, I don't know. We just don't know. The trailer is great. It is, but I want it to be really good. Sure. Here's hoping.

[01:09:15] Um, the Wolfman coming out next month. I look again, I already commented how I love my universal movie takes and I like this kind of more modernistic take on these creatures that they did with the invisible man a couple of few years ago. I want it to be good. Again, it could be trash, but I'm just saying I want it to be good. I hope it's good. Um, uh, F1. Uh, I know there's, there's, there's the Chris Fry for what I was looking for. No, look, I want it to be good. Oh, sure.

[01:09:45] It's got every possibility to be bad. It's got every possibility to be horrible, but look, I did like Top Gun Maverick. I like the director, uh, Joseph Kalinsky. Um, I like Brad Pitt. I like a visual stimulating film. This one seems like it's being shot and created in a very, you know, it seems like it's some very interesting filmmaking techniques. That's all in my bag. I hope it's good. And it, is it a Apple TV plus film? It is, but it's going to theaters. Gotcha. Yeah.

[01:10:14] It has Apple TV, uh, produced. Okay. Um, so that way if, if you end up liking it, that would be the first said film of the Apple TV plus that they've managed to. Well, um, uh, flowers of, uh, uh, killer killers of the flower moon. Killers of the flower moon. Yeah. That, that was an Apple TV movie that I liked and I loved. So that was the one movie. Okay. Um, that worked for me. Is there track records been a little shaky for you? It's been very shaky, but that one movie did work. Okay.

[01:10:41] Um, it's more because it was, you know, uh, uh, uh, Scorsese than anything, but yeah. Uh, all right. Come on, Tom Cruise, mission impossible, final reckoning, learn what did not work as well in the last movie and make this one. Awesome. Um, get back to the former glory of the mission impossible movies that we had the previous two before that, please end this out on a good note.

[01:11:08] So if it really actually ends, it's never actually going to end. So my wife and I just saw a movie in the theater. Uh, my first experience in the theater in 2025, it was my, you know, we went back to the theater and, uh, but one of the trailers they showed, she is not a Tom Cruise fan, a, and B it started and she's like, Oh, there he is running. He's running again. And like, you've come in, maybe it was intentional cause they're kind of like, I think it's a I just kept laughing.

[01:11:37] Cause she's just like, Oh my God. Like her eye rolling made like, there was so much running in that trailer. I actually want to see if I can trick her into going to see the film with me. Cause yeah, she, she, I want it to be good. I really want it to be good. Sure. Uh, my two Marvel movies, I hope are good this year that I'm excited about. Fantastic four. Oh, please be good. Please be good. And then Thunderbolts. I'm, I, I want Thunderbolts to work. I really do. I like the cast. I like the concept.

[01:12:07] I, I want it to work. Um, yeah, uh, it'll be because I, you know, I do like comic books. I am, have been burned out, but I always wanted good movies. And I think maybe they've, maybe this is how they're going to do it. I hope so. I hope they got three movies coming out this year. You didn't list captain America movie. I did. I, I, I'll take it or leave it. I hope it's good, but I'm not anticipating it as much as I am. Fantastic four in Thunderbolts. Gotcha.

[01:12:38] And then the last one, this is going to be a surprise because I have not been a fan of the last three. Oh, yes. Last three movies that in this franchise, actually, I thought they've all been pretty, pretty bad. Jurassic, the Jurassic world franchise. I was not aware that they were going to attempt another one. Yeah. Jurassic world rebirth directed by Gareth Edwards, rogue one, uh, the Godzilla, uh, remake movie from a while back, which I loved.

[01:13:09] And it's got a Scarlett Johansson starting in it. I'm like, okay, let's do this right. Let's do this right. She has not been in any, in any Jurassic park films now. No, it's a whole new take, whole new cast. There's no Chris, uh, Chris Pratt. There's no, any of those people is a whole new story in the Jurassic world thing. But is it, is so, I mean, it's like, it's a continuation of what's happened. But just none of the people. Right. Okay. It's a whole new, whole new storyline. Huh?

[01:13:39] Uh, Scarlett Johansson, which I think is again, like she signs on to good projects. I don't think she does trash. She has Avengers movies or she has Avengers money. She doesn't have to do stuff. She didn't want to. And then Gareth Edwards. I really like as a director. I, I mean, I was one that liked his film. Uh, what was it? Was it monsters Inc? Not monsters Inc, but monsters maybe. Well, yeah, but, uh, the most recent one he did, the big sci-fi one with, uh, uh, Washington. Um, was it the master? No. What was it called?

[01:14:09] It's a sci-fi film. Right. Where a guy had to escort like a, uh, an AI, no AI girl, but a robot. Yeah. Yeah. What was the name of that? Was it just, was it the master? Well, I'm just, we're going to have to ask the intern on that. Cause I, but I remember what your, did we review it on the show? We did. We did. And I liked it. Um, the creator, the creator. That's it. Just the name of that one. All right. So Gareth Edwards, I think has got the chops and they give him something as, as a bigger

[01:14:37] playground to play in as the Jurassic world, Jurassic park universe. I want it to be good. Cause I look, I want my dinosaur movies to be good. And I have been nothing but disappointed. And I have been nothing but disappointed by all three of the Jurassic world movies that came out with Chris Pratt and, uh, Bryce Dallas Howard. I'm like, no, these, none of these work. None of these were great. They actually got worse as they went along. I felt like, like, just come on, give us something good.

[01:15:05] If you're going to play in this franchise, give us something good. They've at least got a good director attached to it and a good star. I'm like, great. Let's see what happens. So according to letterbox, Maharshala, Maharshala Ali is also, yeah. So, okay. Again, those are my seven movies. I'm like, please, please be good. Find a way to make these seven movies good. Because if not, I'm going to hear about it from Chris Fry sitting across the table from me during one of our future.

[01:15:32] I mean, if it's on your list of what it is, we're going to have to review it for the show. Yeah, I know. Okay. I'm telling you, those are my seven. The geek side of me, the movie geek wants to see these seven movies work. The 10 movies I mentioned before, yes, those are truly my most anticipated. Those are the ones I will seek out and find and watch. These are the seven. I've got my AMC membership. I'm ready to go plop down in the Big D Theater and check these out and hope that they're good.

[01:16:01] Fair enough. Okay. I think that wraps it up for today, Chris. That's what our plan was for today. 2025 most anticipated films. We gave probably between all of our lists, probably a good 20 films worth of films that we are all in some way, shape or form anticipating or looking forward to or hoping for coming up this coming year. If anyone, Chris has any films that we missed that are just like glaringly obvious films

[01:16:27] that we should be anticipating for 2025 or wants to dispute any of the ones that we did bring up as our selections. Sure. How can they get involved with this conversation? You can send an email to info at footcandle.org. You can follow us on Facebook, Footcandle Film Society, Instagram and Threads. We're at Footcandle Film and we're also on Blue Sky and Letterboxd where we try to leave what we're seeing quick takes type things. Do us a favor.

[01:16:56] Give us a star rating, write a review, share with friends, whatever service you receive your favorite podcast on. It'll help us reach new listeners and we'd appreciate that. Last but not least, we're a ways out. But the 2025 Footcandle Film Festival will be September 19th through the 28th. So mark your calendars now if you'd like to come to Western North Carolina and see some good independent film. All right. Well, that'll wrap us up for today. Thanks everyone for listening to Footcandle Films and we look forward to talking to you next time. Take care.

[01:17:25] See you in the ticket line.

[01:18:07] Special thanks to Carpal Tuller for the show theme music. For more about Carpal Tuller, visit www.carpaltuller.com. You've been listening to The Mesh, an online media network of shows and programs ranging from business to arts, sports to entertainment, music to community. All programs are available on the website as well as through iTunes and YouTube.

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