
Watch List Digest 7/19/25
A round-up of good movies in theaters and on VOD, plus a review of Embeth Davidtz's "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight."
A round-up of good movies in theaters and on VOD, plus a review of Embeth Davidtz's "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight."
Plus: Brief reviews of new releases "Sorry, Baby" and "Oh, Hi!" and a heads-up on hard-to-find classics.
For Watch List newcomers: The most popular movies on demand recommended by this newsletter since its inception in 2021. (Plus a bonus for paid subs.)
In the new "Superman," James Gunn betrays everything we love about the title character.
My picks for the 100 Best Movies of the last 25 years, the latest VOD picks and two new releases, one small and excellent, the other big and stupid and fun.
A startlingly fresh post-apocalypse drama and a generic (but effective!) serving of corned beef dino hash.
Four recent theatrical releases hit VOD, plus six recommendations from the back list, plus a retrospective of the films of Mikio Naruse. (Who? Exactly.)
The New York Times just published a list of the top films of the past 25 years. Here's mine.
One beautiful new movie about the end of one woman's memory and one enjoyable new schlock sequel.
Narcissists, Murderesses and The Feelies, Oh My: Two wee audience-friendly sleepers, plus a trip down the Feelies rabbit hole with Ty and a hot little pre-Code classic.
Plus a few thoughts on reality as filtered by our national news media.
Everybody out of the pool!
New Movies
What to Watch
"Materialists" in theaters, "Make Way for Tomorrow" and "Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse" on demand.
Music 🎸
We just weren't made for his times.
New Movies
From this week's WaPo reviews: A "John Wick" spinoff and the latest Tyler Perry melodrama
Good Movies 📽
Matt Wolf's documentary peeks behind the surface of a pop-culture icon in search of the lost boy beneath. Plus, some thoughts about the new Wes Anderson design showroom - sorry, movie - the two faces of Dubrovnik and on demand recommendations.
Good Movies 📽
And other thoughts about "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning." Also: "I'm Still Here" and a new "Four Seasons" come to Netflix
One Good Film
A hot spring of a movie: It fizzes a lot, and you come out feeling better than you went in.
Guilty Pleasures 🤦♂️
On the art of the negative movie review and an anniversary celebration of one of the best bad reviews ever written.
New Movies
One hellacious B-movie action-comedy, one parboiled Shakespeare revamp for tweenie-boppers and a late-career curio from a great American playwright.
Good Movies 📽
Plus: A heads-up for the latest Movie Club screening and a Watch List bargain.
New Movies
This week's reviews from the Washington Post, including one of the year's worst movies and a bio-drama of a hero.
Good Movies 📽
Some belated thoughts on the year's most ambitious movie and what it asks of audiences.