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Film-Forward.com

Film-Forward.com is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer® when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Ben Wasserman, Kent Turner, Nora Lee Mandel, Phil Guie, Phil Hall, Rania Richardson, Shah Shahid.

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Rating Title | Year Author Quote
3/4
The Testament of Ann Lee (2025) Kent Turner The score resonates on a more sophisticated level than other recent musicals.
Posted Dec 24, 2025  Edit critic review
A-
Marty Supreme (2025) Ben Wasserman Timothée Chalamet has made it quite clear since A Complete Unknown that he’s gunning for an Oscar win. With his latest performance in A24’s Marty Supreme, he might just get it.
Posted Dec 23, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
Father Mother Sister Brother (2025) Rania Richardson Wry and evocative, writer/director Jim Jarmusch’s FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER is a deceptively simple triptych of stories that explores uneasy family dynamics, with fine work from Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling, and Cate Blanchett.
Posted Dec 22, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
The Mother and the Bear (2024) Kent Turner A sweet, amicable, and droll comedy that honors nosy, overprotective, and concerned mothers everywhere ... A heartwarming story that’s hard to resist.
Posted Dec 20, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
The Secret Agent (2025) Rania Richardson A soulful Wagner Moura stars as a fugitive from the corrupt dictatorship of 1970s Brazil in writer/director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s THE SECRET AGENT, a gripping political thriller.
Posted Nov 27, 2025  Edit critic review
B
Zootopia 2 (2025) Ben Wasserman Like a lot of recent Disney sequels, it doesn’t exceed the original’s magic, but its lovable characters and sharp humor get Zootopia 2‘s story across the finish line, if only by a hare… er, hair.
Posted Nov 27, 2025  Edit critic review
A-
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025) Ben Wasserman While it doesn’t quite invoke the same highs as prior installments, Wake Up Dead Man still offers a wonderfully entertaining murder-mystery case that reestablishes Blanc as one of cinema’s best characters from the past decade.
Posted Nov 27, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/4
Rental Family (2025) Kent Turner You get sap with the sake.
Posted Nov 21, 2025  Edit critic review
B+
Arco (2025) Ben Wasserman If Arco borrows from nostalgic tales, its animation feels more distinct. This is a 2D production shot almost as a cross between American, European, and Japanese animation styles, featuring bold color palettes and rotoscope-inspired character models.
Posted Nov 16, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
The Currents (2025) Rania Richardson A woman’s plunge off a pedestrian bridge into the currents of the Rhône sets off a phobia of water in THE CURRENTS, an elegant portrait from Argentine writer/director Milagros Mumenthaler.
Posted Nov 16, 2025  Edit critic review
B+
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (2025) Ben Wasserman What Little Amélie or The Character of Rain lacks in length with its 77-minute runtime, its visual language leaves an undeniable impact.
Posted Nov 01, 2025  Edit critic review
B
Bugonia (2025) Ben Wasserman The fallout of this abduction is as disturbing as it is entertaining, though Lanthimos’s take on the material always feels like he could push things a little further for maximum sardonic impact.
Posted Nov 01, 2025  Edit critic review
1/4
Glenrothan (2025) Kent Turner One needed a shot or two of the family’s whiskey to get through this.
Posted Nov 01, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Sink (2025) Kent Turner Empathetic and ofttimes harrowing.
Posted Nov 01, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Hen (2025) Kent Turner The director rightfully calls this, “an organic chicken movie.”
Posted Nov 01, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
The Blue Trail (2025) Kent Turner Part dystopian nightmare, sci-fi, kitchen-sink drama, adventure tale, and satire, with a hint of romance, the film remains focused despite its shifts in tone.
Posted Nov 01, 2025  Edit critic review
C
TRON: Ares (2025) Ben Wasserman However cool Disney’s latest rendition of the Tron universe looks, this traditionally forward-thinking IP relies too heavily on the past to sell its story.
Posted Oct 11, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
No Other Choice (2025) Kent Turner Park Chan-wook takes as his blueprint Donald E Westlake’s lean and mean bloodbath "The Ax" (1997) and makes the macabre and cynical tale his own.
Posted Oct 05, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
The Tale of Silyan (2025) Kent Turner Captivating and meticulously filmed, <em>The Tale of Silyan</em> stands out among the documentaries this year.
Posted Oct 05, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Blue Heron (2025) Kent Turner [This] film was among the most talked about movies at TIFF for those who were lucky to have seen it.
Posted Oct 05, 2025  Edit critic review
2/4
The Smashing Machine (2025) Kent Turner You’ve seen this movie before.
Posted Oct 02, 2025  Edit critic review
B-
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025) Ben Wasserman Like a giant Stonehenge descending onto the stage (at long last), Spinal Tap II is an amusing experience, even if you’re left not entirely sure the spectacle was worth the wait
Posted Sep 12, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/4
Lurker (2025) Kent Turner The LA bottom-feeding milieu oozes with realism that is often at odds with an overly calculated screenplay.
Posted Aug 22, 2025  Edit critic review
A-
Ne Zha II (2025) Ben Wasserman Once you witness Ne Zha II in all its stunning operatic glory, from character designs to fight scenes, you’ll understand why it took the world by storm. This film rules.
Posted Aug 22, 2025  Edit critic review
B-
Americana (2025) Ben Wasserman In the vein of neo-westerns, Americana carries a regretful undertone, bringing the western genre’s themes and visuals into contemporary times but stripped of Hollywood glamour.
Posted Aug 15, 2025  Edit critic review
B+
Highest 2 Lowest (2025) Ben Wasserman As with most Spike Lee joints, this adaptation not only updates Kurosawa’s 1963 procedural—based on Ed McBain’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom—but roots it firmly in New York iconography.
Posted Aug 15, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Sorry, Baby (2025) Kent Turner For a film about someone stuck and slowly coming to terms with trauma, it’s surprisingly spirited.
Posted Jul 24, 2025  Edit critic review
B+
Superman (2025) Ben Wasserman Superman succeeds as a piece of entertainment that inspires hope through kindness, just when we need it most.
Posted Jul 10, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Billy Idol Should Be Dead (2025) Kent Turner Now in his late 60s, Idol is refreshingly candid—echoing his younger swagger when he once declared, “I just want to get screwed to death.”
Posted Jul 01, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
An Eye for an Eye (2025) Kent Turner The filmmakers had remarkable access to all parties ... Emotions run so high that viewers may feel embarrassed that they’re eavesdropping.
Posted Jun 29, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Natchez (2025) Kent Turner A disquieting time capsule of the 2020s.
Posted Jun 29, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Depeche Mode: M (2025) Kent Turner For those whose connection with the band faded after their early-’90s U.S. peak, the new material proves just as catchy and enigmatic.
Posted Jun 29, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Boy George & Culture Club (2025) Kent Turner The gift that fans of music publications like Melody Maker and NME would have clamored for 45 years ago, when the band was at the peak of its popularity.
Posted Jun 29, 2025  Edit critic review
C+
M3GAN 2.0 (2025) Ben Wasserman The results are far from ineffective, buoyed by a cast—and a doll—fully embracing the zaniness of their mission. Still, the sequel’s wild ambition makes the story feel like M3GAN in name only at times.
Posted Jun 27, 2025  Edit critic review
B
Ballerina (2025) Ben Wasserman Ballerina even marks a clever full-circle moment for star Ana de Armas, who made her English-language debut opposite Reeves in 2015’s Knock Knock, and now stands toe-to-toe with him as an action star just as worthy of admiration.
Posted Jun 05, 2025  Edit critic review
B+
Thunderbolts* (2025) Ben Wasserman It might not be the best entry in Marvel’s Phase 5 lineup, but as the final chapter in this stage of the franchise, Thunderbolts* shines as easily the most personal since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Posted May 01, 2025  Edit critic review
A
Sinners (2025) Ben Wasserman A vampire flick set in the Jim Crow–era South, Coogler’s first original story is as twisted as it is thrilling, zigging where other horror films might zag and offering a boldly sinister revamp of familiar tropes with utter confidence.
Posted Apr 21, 2025  Edit critic review
4/4
When Fall Is Coming (2024) Rania Richardson With an all-around excellent cast, prolific French director François Ozon has crafted an intriguing puzzler in WHEN FALL IS COMING.
Posted Apr 03, 2025  Edit critic review
B+
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (2024) Ben Wasserman The 2D animation style lends itself wonderfully to The Day the Earth Blew Up’s aesthetic, paying tribute to past animation styles and classic Hollywood movie genres.
Posted Mar 16, 2025  Edit critic review
C
Queen of the Ring (2024) Ben Wasserman Like many wrestling storylines, the film is engaging enough in the moment that you can ignore the seams—until you can’t, particularly when historical inaccuracies start piling up.
Posted Mar 09, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Three Friends (2024) Rania Richardson Emmanuel Mouret's THREE FRIENDS (Trois Amies) is a sharply written, breezy, and engaging chamber piece set in Lyon.
Posted Mar 08, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Mickey 17 (2025) Kent Turner Bong has crafted a romp through and through, with characterizations lighter than the snow falling on its frigid interstellar planet.
Posted Mar 08, 2025  Edit critic review
A-
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) Ben Wasserman This is Wallace and Gromit’s introduction to a new generation of fans, one that, regardless of the move to streaming, will likely be enjoyed for generations to come. Preferably with some tea, crackers, and a slice or two of Wensleydale.
Posted Dec 30, 2024  Edit critic review
A
Nosferatu (2024) Ben Wasserman But what makes this new Nosferatu stand out isn’t just its unsettling visuals. It’s the way Eggers infuses the stakes—between man, wife, and the embodiment of evil—with personal resonance and buried trauma.
Posted Dec 30, 2024  Edit critic review
4/4
Terrestrial Verses (2023) Rania Richardson Clear. Concise. Devastating. Written and directed by Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami, TERRESTRIAL VERSES presents a litany of restrictions and cruelties that ordinary citizens face in today's Iran.
Posted Dec 24, 2024  Edit critic review
3/4
A Complete Unknown (2024) Kent Turner While some dramatic liberties have presumably been taken with Dylan’s Greenwich Village years, credit Mangold for crafting suspense around a question fans already know the outcome of: whether Dylan will go electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
Posted Dec 24, 2024  Edit critic review
3/4
Babygirl (2024) Kent Turner It’s doubtful Kidman has ever been as emotionally and physically vulnerable as she is here. Nor has she ever been this primal. More than once, viewers may find themselves questioning whether they should even be watching.
Posted Dec 24, 2024  Edit critic review
A
Flow (2024) Ben Wasserman Even in a year full of animated gems like Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot, Flow stands out. Devoid of human characters or dialogue, it encourages the viewer to actively interpret the on-screen apocalypse experienced by its feline lead.
Posted Dec 15, 2024  Edit critic review
A-
Memoir of a Snail (2024) Ben Wasserman Much like Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot, which explored mature concepts earlier this year, Memoir of a Snail strikes a chord with older audiences while retaining a universal appeal.
Posted Dec 15, 2024  Edit critic review
B+
The Order (2024) Ben Wasserman What’s most shocking about The Order isn’t so much its historical details as how lost to time this true story has become, even as its parallels underscore the idiom of history repeating itself.
Posted Dec 15, 2024  Edit critic review
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