Frankenstein
I was lucky enough to secure a ticket to the sold-out screening of Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein (2025). Sexual, dark, romantic, Gothic and soaked in blood and gore, Frankenstein (2025) is a divine homage to Mary Shelley's classic novel. It is clear that Del Toro has a genuine love for this tale, and his reworking is evidence of this. Whilst retaining the main story, what stood out to me the most was the amount of agency provided to Elizabeth Harlander (Mia Goth's character and the wife of Victor Frankenstein's brother in Del Toro's story) and Jacob Elordi's standout performance as The Monster (you genuinely would not know it was him unless you read the credits!).
Both moving and sensual, the relationship between Elizabeth and The Monster transcends worldly desires; it is enshrouded in Elizabeth's love of science and nature and The Monster's longing for companionship. Mia Goth blows it out of the park, providing Elizabeth's character with gusto and defiance, not just a passive role as the wife of William Frankenstein. Oscar Isaac's performance as Victor Frankenstein was almost too unlikeable for my taste. He repeatedly physically abuses The Monster and even kills Elizabeth's uncle whilst in a heated power struggle. Without spoiling too much, the movie closes on a very moving and empathetic note (similar to the ending of the original novel), and the two women who were sitting in front of me ended up crying their eyes out!
The costuming and set design was a feast for the eyes, with beautiful Gothic architecture and elaborate silk and linen dress wear. The castle in which Victor ventures to reanimate a corpse is grand and desolate (echoing his own grand visions and selfish, lonesome nature), allowing Del Toro's creative vision to shine through. This was most certainly a piece made from devotion and love to gothic-horror cinema, and there are consistent nods to Shelley and her writing throughout.
'Frankenstein' (2025) is a must-see, especially if you have a penchant for Gothic literature and/or cinema.
-Emily-Maisy Milburn
It was Just an Accident
The term 'ABSOLUTE CINEMA' was coined for this kind of film.
The Cannes 2025 Palme d'Or “It Was Just An Accident” from Iranian director and former prisoner Jafar Panahi has shocked the world of cinema with a masterpiece like no other. The filmmaker, symbol of freedom of expression, returns with his exceptional direction and sequence shots to deliver a unique dark comedy with a story that only gets more and more thrilling at every second. Do yourself a favour, DO NOT look for any plot, for any synopsis, for any piece of story related to this movie, because it is only by entering the dark blessed room of a movie theatre blindfolded that you will be able to witness one of the most original experiences in 137 years of cinema. Saying that the 8.2 billion people on earth should see this movie is a bigger euphemism than saying that One Battle After Another is just a “good movie”.
The film is slated to release in the UK on December 5 2025 which leaves plenty of time to alert your loved ones to free their day.
-Amine Yacoubi
Knives Out
The BFI London Film Festival opened with the much-anticipated third Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man. It feels quite surreal that I saw it a full month before its wide release, but so I did - in a very special screening at the wonderful Tyneside Cinema, a sold-out audience of filmgoers saw the third instalment in this extremely consistent franchise.
The third Knives Out strikes a different tone to the first two, with (as its title would suggest) greater focus on gothic horror elements, and I loved the way that the plot unfolded here. Every actor worth their salt is now lining up to join Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig, and this time we have Josh O' Connor, Jeremy Renner, Mila Kunis, Andrew Scott among others, all of whom are brilliant. I particularly liked Josh O Connor's fish-out-of-water priest, who is a perfect foil for the eccentric Benoit Blanc. Whether this is the best Knives Out film remains to be seen, but this is certainly the most fun I've had with one, thanks to being one of a packed audience that was having a whale of a time with the many twists, turns and terrific bits of comedy. Daniel Craig, Rian Johnson, if you keep making these every few years, you'll make a lot of people happy.
-Alex Paine
Bugonia
Brace yourselves my friends and call the closest mental hospital because Yorgos Lanthimos escaped again.
That's right, the Greek filmmaker comes again to make us think about life in the most disturbing way, after his four times Oscar winning Poor Things in 2023, and a much quieter but brilliant Kinds of Kindness in 2024. In 2025, he offers us a new serious Oscar contender, as always supported by the beautiful Emma Stone for their fourth collaboration in a row and by the enormous versatility of Jesse Plemons. The plot couldn't be simpler, two conspiracy theorists kidnap a famous CEO because they think she's an alien, during the adventures expect you to grit your teeth in front of the cinematography and the anxiety-inducing music, ending with a final scene that will make you dizzy. In a year where we got Eddington, Superman and One Battle After Another, this is, believe it or not (don’t, it will be better for the experience) the most astonishing criticism of the actual state of humanity and forecast for the future years that will leave you speechless at the edge of your seat.
The movie will hit theatres on October 31st, which is no coincidence.
-Amine Yacubi
