Movie News
This weekend, one of the festival season's most celebrated films finally began its journey to US cinemas. Brazilian thriller The Secret Agent hit New York City screens on November 26th, and will be rolled out to LA next week, before being released to cinemas nationwide. Judging by the reception it's already receiving on Criticker, it seems likely to place quite high in our year-end countdown.
Wagner Moura in The Secret Agent (2025) © Victor Juca
The film is a far cry from your average "political thriller", and has won over critics with its realism and social commentary, picking up loads of awards at film festivals across the globe. At Cannes, it racked up four victories, including Best Director for Kleber Mendonça Filho, and Best Actor for Wagner Moura. Filho has been responsible for other films that have done well with Criticker users, including Retratos Fantasmas and 2016's excellent Aquarius, while Moura is probably most recognizable to US audiences as the perpetually smoking and drinking journalist in Civil War. Or perhaps as Pablo Escobar in Narcos.
Another new film in theaters this week which hasn't (yet!) picked up quite as many awards as The Secret Agent, is Disney's Zootopia 2, a sequel to the well-received 2016 original. The world created by the first Zootopia was so rich and full of potential, it's kind of surprising that it took so long for a follow-up. And the new film, which again stars Jason Bateman (as the fox) and Ginnifer Goodwin (as the rabbit) is getting good reviews out of the gate as well, including from users on Criticker. Check out the trailer!
© Walt Disney Pictures
Looks like there's a lot of quality to choose from this week at the cinema! What are your viewing plans?
Collections You Might Want to Check Out
Includes France, The French Dispatch, À l'abordage, and The Girl and the Spider
Includes Dark Side of the Ring, Unstrung, Death of a Gentleman, and Sunderland 'Til I Die
collection of films set in 1 or more parallel universes
- Wikipedia list
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Waters_Presents_Movies_That_Will_Corrupt_You].
Includes Jesus' Son, You Can Count On Me, A Simple Plan, and Kill Bill: Volume 1
Recent Mini-Reviews Getting Love
Del Toro seems like a really cool dude, but his movies just never hit for me the way they do for a lot of people. There are fantastic design elements here but it's all presented with too much artificial gloss, overbearing score, and distracting CGI. Being more faithful to the book than the other adaptations I've seen is a worthwhile endeavor, but even with timeless source material, some of the plot beats and character dynamics ring false or fall flat.
One discordant piano note after another...
Unfortunately, we live in a time in which the cinematic exploration of heterosexual relationships (in particular sexual dynamics) and male bonding is either completely ignored or addressed for purposes of ridicule. So, all the more reason to treasure films from the past like this that deal with these issues with proper honesty and sincerity. The chemistry between actors is palpable, and Nicholson's performance would have to be one of the best of the 1970s (and therefore of all time).
Eddington is a slog fest of bad ideas mishmashed into one contrived film. When the violence escalates every character loses all sensibility. Zero common sense is present. It is half satire, half political statement with a lot mixed in the middle. At one point Austin Butler has about 3 minutes of screen time and talks about attending a pot luck with no food. This about sums up the movie. A gathering for a feast with no feast. Just whatever insane stories everyone at the table decides to spew.
It’s been a while since a film hit me this hard. Sentimental Value is a delicate exploration of mercy, memory, and the blurred line between life and performance. Centered on a strained father-daughter bond, it turns filmmaking itself into a form of therapy—both healing and self-serving. With captivating performances by Skarsgård and Reinsve, it captures how forgiveness can hurt as much as love. A tender, painful reflection on art’s power to expose what we try to hide. Incredible movie.
If you aren't subscribed to Criticker's bi-weekly newsletter, you can still catch up on everything being discussed in this article. But you'll be missing loads of personalized content, including your kumpel's activity, your personal stats, and information about your starred reviews. Consider activating the newsletter from your profile now, if you haven't already done so!