Part 2 of me ranking all 135 new release movies I saw in 2025. This list takes us from 112 to 90 with scores ranging from 5.5 out of 11 to 6.5 out of 11. There were a lot of movies in that middle ground this year. You also must be thinking that it’s only part 2 and I’m already going up to a 6.5 out of 11? I try to love movies. While I can be critical of movies, I still try my best to enjoy them.

Rental Legend: (F)andango, (G)oogle, (P)rime, (Y)outube, (A)pple. If the prices vary they’ll go in order from cheapest to most expensive. Otherwise it’s whatever order I felt like at the time.

112: A Working Man (Prime/MGM+ or rent from 3.99 to 5.99 from G/F/A)
I love that movie where Jason Statham plays a hard working everyman who is somehow wronged and has to fight for justice and you find out he’s a former special ops or hitman or something. No, no The Beekeeper. No not Homeland. No not Wrath of Man. I’m talking about A Working Man. All jokes aside, this is still a fun action movie. If you like Jason Statham movies, you’ll love this one.
5.5 out of 11

111: Novocaine (Paramount/Prime/MGM or rent from 3.79 to 5.99 from G/F/A)
I like Jack Quaid. He has his mother’s charm. Also Amber Midthunder was amazing in Prey and deserves far more roles. Oh, and how can I forget Ray Nicholson? This has a good cast and it’s a lot of fun. It really didn’t to much to stand out and I can’t really see myself rewatching this anytime soon, but it wasn’t bad at all. It’s fun, it’s funny, and it’s worth a watch at least once.
5.5 out of 11

110: Preparation for the Next Life (MGM or rent 4.99 to 5.99 A/F/G)
I wanted to love this film way more than I did. How many movies do we ever get that revolve around Uyghurs (pronounced Wee Grrr)? This film is about a whirlwind romance between a Uyghur immigrant trying to make ends meet but getting treated like shit by the people in Chinatown, and a soldier home from war battling his demons. Unfortunately this just didn’t work. Sebiye Behtiyar (Aishe) and Fred Hechinger (Skinner) both did a good job but their chemistry just wasn’t there. The first act had some cute moments between them but the second act drops that like a lubed up fish and any hint of romance or connection dies. Though the reasons for Skinners actions are understandable, he’s still not a very sympathetic character and I find that this movie was more Aishe’s story and he was more of a flash in the pan.
5.5 out of 11

109: Tornado (AMC or rent from 5.99 to 6.99 from A/F/G)
This could have been so cool. A Western that takes place in Japan with revenge driving the plot? Who wouldn’t line to see this? But unfortunately I just didn’t care. Tornado (Koki) was kind of a boring character. She should have been this bad ass John Wick adjacent Samurai sword wielding baddie, but this was mostly forgettable.
5.5 out of 11

108: A Murder in Oakland: Beauty is Deadly (Tubi/Sling/Plex or 1.99 from Prime)
Another film where I took it being a super indie film into account. The film itself is a little choppy. It moves a bit fast and there’s a side story that felt like it had no connection to the main plot. Also the camera work from inside the car really sucked. It was like the camera man was literally laying down on the back seat trying to hold the camera steady. Maybe invest in a gimble? But if you want to support independent cinema then this is a good one, especially if you’re from the Bay Area. If not, then easy. Skip this.
5.5 out of 11

107: Anemone (Peacock or rent for 5.99 from Fandango/Youtube/Google/Apple)
The amazing acting of Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean and some stunning visuals are what saved this film from being truly awful. I have this at 2.5 stars on Letterboxd and the film has Day-Lewis and Bean to thank for it. The story is boring and pointless and the whole reason Sean Bean sets out to find Daniel Day-Lewis in the first place seems to be forgotten until the very end. This is a bad film saved by truly great actors.
5.5 out of 11

106: Locked (Hulu/Disney or rent for 5.99 from F/P/G/Y/A)
This feels like it was a movie that was filmed during Covid. One guy in a car with other actors either walking around outside or calling in? Has pandemic written all over it. This was a good time waster. It was entertaining enough. Kind of like baby’s first Saw movie in a way where instead of deadly traps, it’s evil temperature control and eclectic shocks. Bill Skarsgard is a familiar character. A father down on his luck who turns to crime to try and get enough money to get off his feet. This didn’t reinvent the wheel but it was fun enough.
5.5 out of 11

105: Don’t Get Eaten (Tubi or rent for 3.99 (F/P/G/Y/A)
I tend to be a little easier on true indie films like these. Movies with a tiny budget that go straight to VOD that feel like someone’s passion project deserve a bit of grace. It doesn’t mean I’ll forgive a bad movie. It just means maybe turn a blind eye to cheesy acting or special effects that almost make you laugh. This is a charming family friendly zombie comedy that would be great to help introduce your kids to the subgenre revolving around the undead. If you want to watch something light hearted and easy then check it out.
5.5 out of 11

104: Riff Raff (Hulu/Disney or rent from 4.99 to 5.00 from Y/G/A/P/F)
This should have been a great film. It has a stellar cast. Bill Murray, Pete Davidson, Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, and Lewis Pullman? That is a top tier cast right there. But unfortunately while this movie came close to being great, it fell a little short. There was so much squandered potential. The story felt fractured, like there was a bigger story somewhere that never reared its head. It’s not bad, just skippable.
5.5 out of 11

103: Lost In Starlight (Netflix)
I should have loved this film but there were too many negatives. Overall the animation was beautiful but when the characters had close-ups, they were ugly. Like you gave a preteen a “my first anime” drawing book and this is what you would have put on the fridge, good for a kid but disappointing for professionals. Also the “meet cute” and the events leading up to it were kind of stupid. It felt like an accident straight out of an infomercial where people forget how to be human. The first half was very awkward. Think of a very nervous person trying to tell you a story. This picks up in the second half but that wasn’t enough to make this very good. This was worth a watch once.
6 out of 11

102: Deathstalker (rent from 5.00 to 5.99 on F/G/Y/A/P)
This is a remake of a gorey action fantasy from 1983 and this is for all of you out there who may have nostalgia for these kind of films. There’s great practical effects. It’s bloody and over-the-top. And this film 100% knows what kind of movie it is so it doesn’t take itself too seriously but it tries just enough to keep it from being a joke. I wish this movie went a little harder into the Troma style but it’s really not bad for a movie the flew under the radar this year.
6 out of 11

101: Blue Moon (Rent for 19.99 on F/G/P/Y/A)
Do you like Richard Linklater movies? Then watch this. Easy. This stars Ethan Hawke as Lorenz Hart and tells the story of the night that basically began his downfall. We spend the whole movie with him, who’s supposed to be sober, as he drinks in a bar and spins tales about his life because his former writing partner Richard Rodgers (Of Rodgers and Hammerstein) has left him to pair with someone new and they released Oaklahoma! which is going to be a huge hit. This is a depressing movie with a truly iconic performance from Hawke.
6 out of 11

100: It Feeds (Hulu/Disney or rent 4.99 to 6.99 on F/P/A/Y/G)
Do you love Ashley Greene from the Twilight movies? Or maybe you’re a huge fan of Shawn Ashmore? Then this may be worth checking out. We have a by-the-numbers supernatural horror so if you’re into movies like The Conjuringverse or Insidious and Sinister then you need to watch this. It’s not particularly great but if you like these kind of movies it’s worth a watch at least once.
6 out of 11

99. Fear Street: Prom Queen (Netflix)
Predictable yet mildly entertaining. The fourth Fear Street movie doesn’t live up to the original trilogy but it does try. This movie needed to be more of a slasher. It’s 90 minute run time could have either had some of the backstory cut a bit OR had about 15 more minutes added on for some cool kills. This is stuck perfectly in the not good not bad category.
6 out of 11

98: The Death of Snow White (Tubi/Plex or rent for 3.99 to 4.99 on F/G/P/Y/A)
I figured this would be stupid so that’s why I put it on while I was eating dinner. I figured it’d be entertaining but wouldn’t take much focus and I was mostly right. I just didn’t expect this to be a little good. Sanae Loutsis did a good job in the lead role playing Snow White and Chelsea Edmundson was a solid Evil Queen. Some of the fight choreography was really bad but I could forgive that for an overall entertaining film. Watch this once, enjoy it, then forget about it.
6 out of 11

97: A Minecraft Movie (HBO Max/Prime ro rent for 3.99 on F/G/A)
This was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. This may be a paint-by-numbers adventure film based on an IP that didn’t really need a movie, but this was good for what it was. Unfortunately the characters played by Jennifer Coolidge and Danielle Brooks weren’t needed. Coolidge’s side story just dragged the momentum down and Brooks, though very talented, didn’t serve much of a purpose. But I watched this once and I enjoyed it. Just not enough to own physically.
6 out of 11

96: Dog Man (Netflix or rent for 3.99 from F/G/P/Y/A)
This is a perfect middle of the road movie. It was fun and I laughed but I also realize that if I had never watched it, I wouldn’t have missed out. I’d say unless it really interests you, to not watch this unless you have young kids and want to do a movie night. The animation was fine and the voice acting was good. There was no one that I felt was only hired because of their name.
6.5 out of 11

95: Timuchin (or Kung Fu Rookie) (Xumo/Plex or rent 2.99 to 4.99 F/P/Y/G/A)
Did you love Rumble in the Bronx? Do you want to kind of rewatch it? Then this movie is for you. Director Aman Ergaziev and actor Timur Baktybaev pay homage to the classic Jackie Chan film by remaking it. The bonus of this is how many times can you say you’ve watched a Kung-Fu movie from Kazakhstan. In fact, how many movies from Kazakhstan have you seen? This is a good martial arts film.
6.5 out of 11

94: HIM (Peacock or rent for 5.99 from Y/G/A/F)
I needed this movie to get weird. I needed it to go all out in how crazy it was. But the first two acts feel a little tame so when everything spirals in the third act, it feels like it moves way too fast. And I do understand this is supposed to represent the pressures of being “Him” and the descent into madness as you let it all go to your head, but I wanted something more avant-garde. It wasn’t bad though and I think Tyriq Withers, who plays Cam the main character, is going to do great things.
6.5 out of 11

93: Keeper (Rent for 14.99 on Y/G/A/F/P)
I want to love Osgood Perkins. But as it stands I just kind of like him. He is the future of horror and I think he’s going to do great things but right now he’s just good when he could be fantastic. This film needed to be a bit spookier. It needed more hints of the scary supernatural elements. As it stands this film just lets you marinate too long. Perkins is great at hinting at what’s to come but he seemed scared to pull the trigger. Tatiana Maslany (Liz) kept me invested even during the boring parts.
6.5 out of 11

92: Anxiety Club (Rent on Jolt.Film. Pick your price with a minimum of 5.00)
This is a documentary about anxiety and how a lot of stand up comics or comedic content creators suffer from it. The trailer features Marc Maron heavily but it mainly focuses on Tiffany Jenkins who is a comedic content creator and podcast host. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I felt like the could have made it a bit more even. Taken at least one of the stand-up comics to go as in depth with as they do her.
6.5 out of 11

91: Presence (Hulu/Disney+ or rent for 3.99 on Y/G/A/F/P)
Don’t expect a horror. This is a drama told through a horror lens. A haunting story told from the POV of a ghost, this is would make for a great double feature with A Ghost Story from 2017 directed by David Lowrey. This film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and I’m guessing this is the closest thing to a horror that we’ll ever get from him. And I want to keep this spoiler free so I won’t give details but there’s a huge paradox with the ending. Just message me if you want to know.
6.5 out of 11

90: The Woman in the Yard (Prime or rent for 3.99 from Y/G/A/F)
Another horror that I just wanted more from. Danielle Deadwyler does a good job as the grieving wife but if this movie is going to sell itself as a horror it needs to be a horror. I needed more scares, I needed more fear. I understand that this is a story about grief and that I know what the woman represents, but just because you have a deeper meaning, doesn’t mean you should hold back.
6.5 out of 11