Rosy the Reviewer

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

2025's Most Disappointing New Seasons of Some Favorite TV Shows

I loved past seasons of these TV shows but, for me, several of the new 2025 seasons fell flat.

"Sex and the City" started in 1998 and we followed Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her friends through trials and tribulations until 2004.

However, sadly, they all should have stayed back there where we left them so we could have our good memories. But then someone decided we needed to see these ladies again (without Samanatha) and they were all back in 2022.

So "And Just Like That" was born, and it was okay (not nearly as good as "Sex and the City" but okay) until Season 3. And then, just like that, Season 3 was just cringeworthy. Plots and dialogue were just awful. And it was trying too hard to stay relevant. Samantha (Kim Cattrall) had made the right decision to stay away.

Rosy the Reviewer says...thank god it is now over for good (please let that be true). (HBO Max)

2. Nine Perfect Strangers - Season 2

In season 1, nine strangers from the city gathered for a ten-day retreat at Tranquillum House, a health and wellness resort in the fictional town of Cabrillo, California. The gathering promisds to transform and heal the guests who stayed there.

But the resort was not what it seemed to be, and the guests discovered many secrets about each other and the resort's mysterious host, Masha (Nicole Kidman). One of the controversies arising between the guests and resort director, Masha, started when she gave them psilosybin in minimal but relevant doses in their food without their consent or even knowledge and they started to have some, shall I say, experiences? That was an interesting concept, the characters were all different and idiosyncratic, and despite, some shock value and wierdness, I liked it.

But then in Season 2, Masha moved to Germany and the shock value and weirdness just became more shocking and weird. For me, it maxed out.

Rosy the Reviewer says...I started to wish I had drugs to get through Season 2 (Hulu).

3. The Bear - Season 4

Chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) returns to Chicago to save his family's restaurant.

I love cooking shows, whether it's reality competitions, or in this case, comedy/drama. However, it took me a couple of seasons to get into this show, but I hung in there, and Season 3 really got me. But then Season 4 came along, and it was just mostly Carmy staring off into space. I also can't stand Jamie Lee Curtis, which didn't help.

Rumor has it that Season 4 was supposed to be the end. I wish it had been. There is supposed to be a Season 5 which is now supposed to be the end.

Rosy the Reviewer says...don't know if I have the appetite for Season 5 (Hulu).

4. The Last of Us - Season 2

SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED SEASON 2 YET AND PLAN ON IT, read no further...

This series is based on a video game where a pandemic caused by a fungal infection turns people into very unattractive zombie-like creatures with murder on their minds.

In Season 1, Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, and Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, teamed up to survive after the pandemic hit and wandered around meeting other survivors and fighting off zombies. It was fun and made Pedro Pascal a huge star.

Season 2 started five years after the events of Season 1, and Joel and Ellie have settled into Jackson, Wyoming with Joel's brother, Tommy and Ellie's friends, Dina and Jesse. So after Episode 1 of Season 2, so far, so good.

But then, in Episode 2...THEY KILLED OFF JOEL!

Okay, I know he shows up in later episodes in flashbacks but they ruined it for me by killing him off. Bad decision. I bailed.

Rosy the Reviewer says...well, that killed ME! As far as I was concerned, without Joel being alive, it wasn't worth watching, becasue Ellie kind of bored me and I didn't care what happened anymore. Bring on the zombies (HBO Max)!

5. A Man on the Inside - Season 2

In Season 1, Ted Danson played Charles Nieuwendyk, a widower and retired college engineering professor who takes a job as an investigative assistant for Kovalenko Investigations to investigate a missing necklace at a retirement community.

The series was warm and fuzzy as we got to know the old folks in the old folks home, and I liked it that they were not portrayed in a silly or undignified way, which is often the case when dealing on film with senior citizens. This series was based on a documentary called "The Mole Agent," which was about a real life guy who went undercover in an old peoples' home. Loved that movie and loved Series 1 of this, so I was looking forward to Series 2.

But as so often happens, sequels don't live up to the original. In Series 2, Charles has become a P.I. in training and goes undercover at a university to find a missing laptop worth "millions." Sadly, this second series isn't worth your time. It is silly. Silly dialogue, silly characters, silly plot. Even the presence of Mary Steenburgen, Danson's real life wife, doesn't help.

Rosy the Reviewer says...how could a show that was so smart and comforting the first time around turn into such a dumb and uncomfortable sitcom? (Netflix)

6. Emily in Paris (Rome) - Season 5

Lily Collins plays a young American woman from the Midwest who is hired by a Parisien marketing firm to give them a new perspective.

This started out as a sweet "fish out of water" rom-com with perky, quirky Emily hanging out with other quirky characters and sporting all kinds of great clothes amidst the gorgeous Paris setting. I loved this show all the way through Season 4.

But then Season 5 happened, which takes place mostly in Rome (though the side trip to Venice was fun), but then it all was just silly. And the clothes weren't even good. Some of her combinations made me say, "What??!!."

This is a perfect example of something good being dragged on too long. I mean, when you have to leave Paris to go to Rome to keep it going, something is very wrong.

Rosy the Reviewer says...it just got silly. I wonder where Emily will go next? Off the air? (Netflix)

6. Palm Royale - Season 2

An ambitious social climber does everything she can to break into Palm Beach Society, circa 1969.

What started out as silly fun with clueless but determined Maxine (Kristin Wiig) scheming to establish herself in Palm Beach Society, in Season 2, it just just went even further south, even though Carol Burnett as Norma Delacorte, finally woke up from her coma (I love Carole). I couldn't watch.

Rosy the Reviewer says...out of control silly. (Apple+)

7. Big Brother - Season 27

For those of you who have not watched "Big Brother," it's a reality show hosted by Julie Chen Moonves.

Here is a little recap.

The contestants are known as Houseguests and they all live together inside a custom-built house outfitted with cameras and microphones that record them at all times. The houseguests are sequestered with no contact with the outside world. They share their thoughts on their day-to-day lives inside the house in a private room known as the Diary Room and each week, they compete in a Head of Household (HOH) competition. The winner of the HOH competition is immune from eviction and selects two (or, in certain seasons, three) houseguests to be nominated for eviction and then one of them gets voted off each week. The last one left in the house gets $750,000.

If you are not a "Big Brother" fan, this probably won't mean much to you, so you can stop reading now, but for you fans out there, wasn't this kind of a stupid season? I know long-running TV shows have to try to keep things fresh, but this season went too far.

This season had a murder mystery theme and the house was dubbed Hotel Mystere and the "Mastermind" was wrecking havoc on the guests. In the first episode, he "kidnaps" host Julie Chen and the houseguests must solve some puzzles to get her back. There is also an "accomplice" among them, and if that person manages to stay undetected, he or she can become a houseguest. And then they brought back Rachel Reilly, a former winner of the game and one of the most annoying people on earth. The competitions all had a mystery and Mastermind theme and were really lame and seemed forced. And the person who won was probably the most annoying person in the house (except for Rachel).

And then there was the added feature this season - "Big Brother Unlocked" - where Derrick Levasseur (winner of Season 16) and Taylor Hale (winner of Season 24) chatted about what had transpired in the house over the last few weeks. This is a direct steal from most of the British reality shows, where past players get together to rehash the week's events. And I take back what I said about Rachel Reilly. Taylor Hale is the most annoying person on earth.

I have been a big "Big Brother" fan since the beginning of the show (that's how old I am). Can we please just get back to the good old-fashioned plotting and back-stabbing we have come to expect?

Rosy the Reviewer says...if next season is like this last season, I just might have to to vote myself out! (CBS)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in. Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE: IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around. It's worth it)!

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Get Ready For The 2026 Golden Globes With These Golden Globe Nominated Performances, Part 2!

I review these Golden Globe nominated performances: George Clooney and Adam Sandler in "Jay Kelly," Jennifer Lawrence in "Die My Love," Julia Roberts in "After the Hunt," Amy Madigan in "Weapons" and Tessa Thompson in "Hedda"]

Jay Kelly (2025)

Even famous, successful actors have regrets.

George Clooney stars as famous actor Jay Kelly, who finds himself looking back on his life. After his latest film wraps, Jay wants to spend some time with his daughter, Daisy (Grace Edwards), but she has booked a trip to Europe with her friends. Later, Jay is sad to hear that Peter Schneider (Jim Broadbent), the director who discovered him, has died, especially since Peter had asked Jay for some financial help and Jay had declined. And then Jay meets up with his former acting school roommate, Tim Galligan (Billy Crudup), and the two go for drinks and reminisce. But the evening turns into a fistfight in the parking lot when Tim accuses Jay of stealing a part, one that would have made Tim famous. Jay is shaken by Peter's death and this incident.

So the next morning, Jay abruptly decides to forego his upcoming film, leave everything behind and head to Europe to find Daisy. When Jay's manager, Ron (Adam Sandler), warns him that leaving the film will hurt his career, Jay ties the trip to a career tribute award ceremony in Italy that he had originally declined. When Jay arrives in Paris with Ron and his publicist, Liz (Laura Dern), he finds Daisy boarding a train, so they follow, but things don't go as planned. Jay invites Daisy to his tribute ceremony, but she declines, and later, Jay has flashbacks to his past, especially his strained relationship with his other daughter, Jessica (Riley Keough), who resents him for cheating on her mother. Things get worse for Jay as he discovers that Tim has filed a lawsuit against him for the fight, members of his team leave, a meeting with his dad (Stacy Keach) doesn't go well, Ron questions his relationship with Jay, and Jay questions his life, wondering if his success has been worth the sacrifices.

"All my memories are movies."

Written by Noah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer (she also has a small role in the film) and directed by Baumbach, this is the kind of intimate comedy Baumbach is known for ("The Squid and the Whale," "Mistress America," "Marriage Story"). He has often collaborated with his wife, actress/director Greta Gerwig, who is also in this film. I have been a big fan of writer/director Baumbach's films, and this was another good one with a wonderful ensemble cast. It says something about Baumbach's films that so many stars want to work with him, even playing cameos.

But this film is all about Clooney, giving him a chance to show his softer side. It is said in the film that Jay plays a version of himself in all of his films. The same could be said about George, so one can't help but wonder how much of this film is about Jay and how much about George himself. But the film is also all about Sandler, the stoic sidekick, who pnce again exercises those same dramatic chops we saw in "Uncut Gems," toning down his comedic side to show his vulnerability. The two work well together here. Both have been nominated for Golden Globes - Clooney for "Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture -Comedy or Musical" and Sandler for "Best Supporting Actor..."

I have to say that Crudup was overlooked. Even though his part was small, he should have gotten a Best Supporting Actor nod as well, because when he was on screen, he killed it. He may have only been on screen for a short time but that shouldn't matter. As famous Russian director and theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski said, "There are no small parts, only small actors." And Beatrice Straight won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "Network" in 1976 and she was only on screen for five minutes!

So will Clooney and Sandler win Golden Globes in their categories?

Prediction: I say no. Too much competition.

Rosy the Reviewer says...an intimate examination of the price of fame. (Netflix)

Die My Love (2025)

s an upcoming American dark comedy horror film directed by Lynne Ramsay and co-written by Enda Walsh. It is an adaptation of the 2017 novel by Ariana Harwicz about a new mother in the French countryside who develops postpartum depression and enters psychosis.

Jackson and Grace move into a remote house that Jackson inherited from his uncle, and after giving birth, Grace develops post-partum depression - in a big way.

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Grace in this film based on the 2012 novel by Ariana Harwicz adapted by Enda Walsh, Alice Birch and Lynne Ramsay and directed by Ramsay. Grace and Jackson (Robert Pattinson) move into a house in rural Montana left to him by his uncle. They have moved there from New York. Grace is a writer, and they are happy there at first, indulging in rough sex, which I guess was fun for them - I don't judge - but then Grace gets pregnant, and after the baby's birth, problems arise. Jackson is away for long periods, leaving Grace alone, lonely and bored, which results in masturbation, knife wielding, crawling in the grass, the killing of a dog, sitting in the refrigerator, spitting out drinks and nudity. Lots. Ever since Lawrence did full frontal nudity in "No Hard Feelings," the clothes are coming off. Lawrence has come a long way from Katniss Everdeen.

Things get worse and worse and worse for Grace and so does this overlong movie, despite an all-star cast.

Sissy Spacek and Nick Nolte also star, and though Spacek plays a key role as Jackson's mother, Nolte wonders what he is doing in this film.

But the movie itself aside, Lawrence is nominated for a "Best Actor Female in a Motion Picture-Drama" Golden Globe and the film is really all about her, and she is all in, playing a woman with post-partum depression who falls into psychosis, but sadly the movie itself lets her down.

Will she win?

Prediction: I say no. Lawrence is good, but the movie isn't, so I think that will hurt her chances, and she has a lot of competition in this category.

Rosy the Reviewer says...remember how I say "I see the bad ones so you don't have to?" Trust me. I saw it. You won't like this. (available to rent on Amazon Prime - but don't do it)!

American dark comedy horror film directed by Lynne Ramsay and co-written by Enda Walsh. It is an adaptation of the 2017 novel by Ariana Harwicz about a new mother in the French countryside who develops postpartum depression and enters psychosis. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, with the former producing through her production compan

After the Hunt (2025)

A college professor finds herself in personal and professional conflict when her favorite student levels an accusation against a colleague and friend.

Julia Roberts plays Alma Imhoff, a philosophy professor at Yale. She is married to Frederik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a therapist. Alma has recently returned to work after an extended medical leave, but she is still experiencing frequent bouts of pain and may have a bit of a prescription drug problem.

Frederik and Alma host a dinner party for Alma's fellow academics and students. In attendance are Hank Gibson (Andrew Garfield), another professor and Maggie Resnick (Ayo Edebiri), Alma's top PhD student and a gay woman in a relationship with a non-binary partner. After the party, Hank and Maggie leave together.

The next day Maggie is absent from Alma's class, and when Alma returns home, she finds Maggie huddled outside her apartment, and Maggie confides in Alma that Hank had sexually assaulted her the night before. Maggie's reaction is not particularly supportive, so Maggie leaves. Later, when Maggie confronts Hank, he vehemently denies the allegation, asserting that Maggie came on to him and is making all of this up because he accused her of plagiarizing her dissertation.

What is Alma to do?

Maggie is her favorite student and Maggie's parents are rich college donors, but Alma and Hank are also very close. You sense that there is, or has been, something closer between them. Both Alma and Hank are up for tenure. This could ruin his career but Alma also needs to do the right thing to protect her own tenure bid. Shouldn't women support women? Who should she believe and what should she do? Turns out Alma is carrying a secret that may have something to do with her reluctance to get involved.

Though not sure I like Julia as a blonde, she was good in this film, though I didn't particularly like her character. Her "Pretty Woman" days are over, but she is still a pretty woman and a very good actress, and she showed an interesting side of herself. It's not often she plays a rather unsympathetic character. Edebiri, who broke out as an actress in the TV series "The Bear," is also good but her character isn't particularly likeable either.

Written by Nora Garrett and directed by Luca Guadagnino ("Challengers," "Call Me By Your Name"), the film began with a very, very annoying soundtrack of what sounded like a ticking time bomb, and I guess as the movie played out, a case could be made for that, but the annoying sound went on too long and came and went a few other times during the film. Actually, the whole soundtrack was distracting and annoying. Most of the characters were also annoying, highlighting some of the worst kinds of academics. Chloe Sevigne was almost unrecognizable as a university psychiatrist, and she and Andrew Garfield didn't really have that much to do. In general, despite the serious subject matter, I just didn't really care about these characters.

The ticking time bomb sound notwithstanding, the film lacked the tension one would expect for a movie on the subjects of the #MeToo Movement, an accusation of sexual assault, workplace misconduct and generational misunderstanding. It was a strange little movie that went on too long and didn't really seem to take a stand on any of the subjects or come to a real conclusion. And much was unexplained. For example, what does the title have to do with this movie?

Julia is nominated for a "Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama" Golden Globe. Will she win?

Prediction: No. She has too much competition from the other nominated actresses.

Rosy the Reviewer says...I can appreciate Julia's acting in this, but I didn't appreciate the film. (Amazon Prime)

Weapons (2025)

Seventeen children from a third-grade classroom in the town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania, run out of their homes at 2:17 a.m. and disappear. Only one student remains. Because it is only those children in that class who disappear, their teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), is blamed and thought to be a witch.

Teacher Justine is suspended from teaching by principal Marcus Miller (Benedict Wong) under suspicion that she had something to do with the disappearance of the children. However, despite being treated like a pariah, she is determined to find out who is responsible. Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher) was the only child from her class who didn't disappear, so she stakes out little Alex's house and discovers something unsettling. In the meantime, she drinks a bit, okay a lot, and has a one-night stand with her married ex-boyfriend, Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), a local cop.

Archer (Josh Brolin), one of the parents of a missing child, is very suspicious of Justine and growing frustrated with the police investigation, so he starts his own. James (Austin Abrams), a homeless young drug addict, who while burgling Alex's house, also comes across something unsettling but before he can report it, he is caught by Paul.

And then there is Gladys (Amy Madigan). A flashback shows Gladys moving in with Alex and his family. Gladys is a distant relative of Alex's mother and she is homeless and suffering from an incurable illness. She is also what one might call an odd duck.

Written and directed by Zach Cregger, the film plays out in a series of vignettes from each character's point of view - Justine, Archer, Paul, James, Marcus, and Alex - and eventually we see how they are all connected when their stories converge, resulting in a very gross ending. It's a tense horror/thriller made all the more horrific as it plays out in a mundane, quiet suburbia and feeds on the nightmares of parents - something happening to their children. Sometimes there is horror in the mundane. The story is original and nail-biting (watch out for those jump scares), the ensemble of actors excellent and the production values first rate. I really enjoyed it. Sometimes I like a little fake horror in my life. My only complaints would be that the reason the children disappeared wasn't really explained well and who was that little girl narrating?

Amy Madigan recently won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Gladys and is up for a Golden Globe for "Best Supporting Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture," which is interesting because she doesn't appear in the film until almost 90 minutes in, but she is a pivotal, and shall I say, an eccentric character? She reminded me of Bette Davis in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?"

And I have to say that Julia Garner was wonderful in this and should have also been up for a Golden Globe as Best Actor. A big snub.

The film itself is also up for an award for "Cinematic and Box Office Achievement," that made-up category I don't like meant to award films that aren't that arty but that did well at the box office. However, in this case, I think they did the film a disserve putting it there because this is a really good horror film and deserves to be in the "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy" category - yes, it is horror but also sort of a comedy, though very, very dark.

Will Amy win? Will the film be recognized?

Prediction: I am thinking perhaps yes for Amy because she already has been recognized. As for this film, I think it deserves to win, but if "Sinners" doesn't win in the Drama category, it could win here. I wouldn't like that because I didn't like that film.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a favorite. If you like horror films, don't miss this one. (HBO Max)

Hedda (2025)

A modern reimaging of "Hedda Gabler," the classic play by Henrik Ibsen.

Norwegian playwright Ibsen's classic play involves Hedda Tesman (nee Gabler). Hedda is a bored, aristocratic newlywed as she struggles with a loveless marriage to George, a dull academic. She gets involved with Eilert Lovborn, a writer, and the affair gives her a sense of power which, of course, considering the play was written in the 19th century, has to end in tragedy. A woman couldn't take control of her own life in those days, especially if she was having an affair. And that is not a spoiler. I have to assume you know the story of Hedda Gabler. It's a classic often taught in school.

Anyway, writer/director Nia DaCosta has taken this classic story and updated it to 1950's London instead of the late 19th century, compressed the story into a single night, totally changed the love triangle and given the story an ambiguous ending. Now instead of Eilert Lovborn, a man, Hedda (Tessa Thompson) is involved with Eileen Lovborn (Nina Hoss), a woman. Gee, I wonder what theatregoers in the 19th century would have thought of that!

The film begins with Hedda being interviewed by police at her estate after a shooting. Then flashback to 24 hours earlier when Dr. Eileen Lovborn arrives at a party that Hedda is hosting to help her husband, George (Tom Bateman), secure a professorship. Hedda and George are living above their means and George really needs this job. However, Eileen is not only Hedda's past love but a rival for George's professorship.

When Eileen arrives at the party, it becomes evident that she and Hedda were formerly lovers. The sight of Eileen triggers an intense emotional response in Hedda, who still harbors feelings for her. However, during a private conversation, Eileen rejects Hedda's advances and declares that she has moved on with Thea (Imogen Poots), a new love. Eileen characterizes Hedda as a coward for refusing to pursue their relationship openly and instead choosing a conventional marriage to George.

The party doesn't go well with Hedda sabotaging her guests (she is not a very nice woman), especially Thea, Eileen's new love, and Eileen, by getting Eileen, who has become sober, to drink. Then Hedda steals a manuscript from Eileen who was hoping to show it to a professor at the party and help secure the position and Eileen loses Thea. Things get worse and the party doesn't end well.

I am not a fan of the changes to this story, and the film lost me about half-way through. "Hedda Gabler" is often described as a female variation of "Hamlet" and hailed as a masterpiece of literary realism. If you have never read this play or seen it, and you want to, this is probably not your best introduction, It has been changed quite a bit from the original, and not sure if I can recommend this version. You might try a 1975 film version - "Hedda" - starring Glenda Jackson for a more faithful version.

But that said, kudos to Thompson for a bravura and fierce performance as a woman pursuing her own goals at the expense of others. And I should say, Hoss was equally amazing.

Tessa Thompson is nominated for a "Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama." Will she win?

Prediction: No.

Rosy the Reviewer says...very British, which I usually like, but very talky, which I didn't. I also didn't really like this version. (Amazon Prime)

See You At The Golden Globes!

Monday, January 5, 2026

Get Ready For The 2026 Golden Globes With These Golden Globe Nominated Films, Part 2!

[I review these Golden Globe nominated films: "Wicked: For Good," "Bugonia" "It Was Just An Accident," and "Sentimental Value:]

Wicked: For Good (2025)

Part II of "Wicked."

Well, "Wicked" is back and I have good news and bad news.

The good news?

After over a year's wait, "Wicked" is back.

The bad news?

"Wicked" is back.

I kid. But only a little bit, because as I said in my review of Part I - absolutely no reason to turn this musical into a two-parter, except for greed. The powers that be have taken a two hour and 45 minute Broadway musical and turned it into a five hour movie experience. And sorry, there wasn't enough content nor hummable songs here to double the size of this story. So to see the entire film in the theatre, you not only had to pay twice in the movie theatre but also get yourself off the couch and dressed to go out twice. This movie wasn't worth that.

And since it's been a year since Part I debuted, it would have been nice to get some kind of recap about what happened in Part I. Going in, I did understand this was all a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz" and how Elpheba became the Wicked Witch of the West. However, "Wicked" is not my favorite musical. I have only seen it once in a theatre, so I needed to be reminded of the details I was left with in Part I. That was not done, so I was in the dark for much of Part 2.

To save you from that same fate, here is a quick recap of Part I.

Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) has green skin so has popularity issues. However, she forges a friendship in school with Glinda (Ariana Grande), who is popular. All goes well for awhile until some boy trouble and then suppression against the talking animals. When Glinda and Elphaba go to the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) to get help for the animals, they discover that the animals are in deep trouble and the Wizard and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) are behind it, so Elphaba goes against the Wizard and Madame Morrible and is branded a traitor. Madame Morrible calls her "Wicked," hence "Wicked Witch of the West," get it?

So that's basically Part I, which I had to remind myself of with recaps on the Internet. You would think for a two-and-a-half hour movie, there would have been time for a recap in Part II.

Anyway, so Part II, directed once again by Jon M. Chu, begins with a time jump after Elphaba's escape in Part I. Glinda is now "Glinda the Good" and engaged to Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey, who just happens to be People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" this year), and the hunt is on for Elphaba, who continues her animal rights campaign but who is now branded "The Wicked Witch of the West." And in the course of the movie, we also learn where the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion came from and that's basically it. What will happen to Elphaba? By the time I found out, I didn't care anymore. And just to give you some context, my nine-year-old Granddaughter didn't really like Part II either.

But okay, that aside, I didn't like Jeff Goldblum and his auto-tuned voice as the Wizard nor Michele Yeoh as Madame Morrible. She can't sing either. And Cynthia Erivo kind of irritates me but at least she can sing and has an Oscar nomination under her belt.

But if there is a ray of sunshine coming out of all of my complaints, it is Ariana Grande. Like I said, Erivo is a Broadway baby so I expected her to be good. But like I said in my review of Part I, Ariana was the real star. She showed her vocal range in this, as well as some very good acting chops. I enjoyed her most of all. And I give props to the cinematography, costumes and set design. The film is lovely to look at, and I will say that the theme of friendship is an important one, but it all just went on too long, and in the end, for me there was no there there.

So this film, again written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, is nominated in the category called "Cinematic and Box Office Achievement," so here comes another complaint of mine. The Academy Awards people have also added a similar category in recent years. This is a made up category to make sure movies that made a lot of money or were popular got recognized, basically throwing out the whole idea of artistry and dumbing down the awards. If a bunch of people went to see it, why we need to give it an award. I think there were complaints in the past that the awards folks were getting too intellectual and honoring films nobody went to see so here we are. So in this category "Wicked: For Good" is up against "Zootopia 2," "Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning," "Avatar: Fire and Ash," and a couple of other movies I didn't care about.

Other nominations for this film include Cynthia and Ariana for "Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy" and "Best Female Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy" respectively, along with a couple of songs (five total). Note: no nomination for the director, the screenplay, even the costumes.

Will "Wicked: For Good" win for best "Cinematic and Box Office Achievement?"

I don't really care, but wouldn't it make most sense for this kind of category to just give the Golden Globe to the movie that made the most money?

Will Cynthia or Ariana could win?

I think Ariana has a chance and deserves to win, but I think Cynthia's competition is too steep.

And if you haven't already seen Part I and still want to see it after hearing all of my complaints, for continuity sake, I recommend a binge day. Watch all five hours at once.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a "Wicked" superfan, I know it won't do me any good to tell you to skip this, especially if you liked the first half, but don't say I didn't warn you. (Available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime)

Bugonia (2025)

Two environmental conspiracy theorists kidnap the CEO of a pharmaceutical corporation, convinced that she is an alien bent on destroying the earth.

Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons) worries about his bees. And he worries about his mother who is in a comatose state due to a clinical trial she participated in. Teddy blames Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), the CEO of the pharmaceutical megacorporation Auxolith, whose drug messed up Teddy's mother. And Teddy also believes that Michelle is a member of an alien species known as the "Andromedans," who are killing honeybees and destroying humanity. So Teddy decides that he and his cousin, Don (Aidan Delbis), must kidnap Michelle before the upcoming lunar eclipse so they can meet with the Emperor of the Andromedans. And they are serious in their plan. They even go through a chemical castration in order to be able to concentrate on their plan and not be distracted by sexual urges. Oooo-kay.

Before Teddy and Don implement their plan, we see Michelle's life unfolding and she isn't a particularly nice woman. She is quite smug, entitled and out of touch, just the kind of person you wouldn't mind seeing getting her comeuppance.

So Teddy and Don kidnap Michelle and imprison her in their basement, shave her head (because they believe her hair can somehow communicate with her fellow Andromedans), and cover her body in antihistamine cream to prevent her from sending out a distress signal to other Andromedans. Teddy explains that she has four days to negotiate a meeting with the Andromedan emperor before an upcoming lunar eclipse, which will allow the Andromedan mothership to enter Earth's atmosphere undetected.

Michelle claims her innocence and works on Teddy which kind of works because in truth, Teddy isn't that smart. Teddy tortures Michelle with electroshocks and her resistance convinces Teddy that Michelle is not only an alien but a high ranking one so he unties her and lets her come upstairs. Big mistake. Have Teddy and Don bitten off more than they can chew?

This film, based on the Korean film "Save the Green Planet," adapted by Will Tracy and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (Stone also starred in his film "Poor Things" and "Kinds of Kindness"), feels a bit like "Misery" in reverse. It also highlights the evils of the Internet and what it does to those who go down the conspiracy rabbit holes as well as the evils of Big Pharma. The film is mostly Teddy and Michelle -Teddy trying to get Michelle to admit she is an alien and Michelle trying to out think Teddy, which isn't that difficult.

Emma Stone is always good and is deservedly nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance. But for me, Jesse Plemons is the stand out. He has been around for awhile and was even nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2022 for "The Power of the Dog," but I would guess most people do not know his name. He is a face. But now, nominated for a Golden Globe for his leading man performance here, he is finally getting the respect he deserves. His performance was just amazing.

I really enjoyed this film and what I especially liked was the good old-fashioned storytelling, a linear narrative that we don't often find in films these days. If I have one complaint, the twist ending was a bit over the top.

Oh, and the title? Look up "bugonia."

The film has three Golden Globe nominations - Best Performance nominations for Emma and Jesse and the film has a Best Picture nomination and they are all nominated in the Musical or Comedy category! What??? Okay, but for me that's a stretch. To enjoy this film, I think you have to suspend disbelief and take it seriously but okay, a comedy, but a very, very dark one.

Anyway, will Emma or Jesse win? Will this film win?

Prediction: Emma and Jesse as well as the film are in my top two to win in their categories.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a very satisfying film experience. That's all I ever ask for. (streaming free on Peacock)

It Was Just An Accident (2025)

An accident leads to an accidental meeting...and revenge.

A man (Ebrahim Azizi) with a prosthetic leg is driving his car at night with his wife and daughter when he accidentally hits and kills a dog. When the man visits a nearby garage to get his car repaired. Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), an ethnic Azerbaijani auto mechanic, recognizes him from the sound his prosthetic leg makes when walking. The next day, Vahid follows the man, kidnaps him, and attempts to bury him in the desert. He tells him that he recognized his voice and walk as that of Eghbal (nicknamed "peg leg"), his former abuser in an Iranian prison. The man denies being Eghbal and begs Vahid not to kill him, telling him his leg was amputated recently.

When Vahid examines the man's leg and it looks like a recent wound, now Vahid isn't so sure so he puts the man into his van and goes to see Salar (George Hashemzadeh) another ex-prisoner. Finding out that Vahid has the man tied up in his van, Salar doesn't want anything to do with it, but tells him to contact Shiva (Mariam Afshari), a photographer who Vahid finds taking wedding photos of Goli (Hadis Pakbaten) and Ali (Majid Panahi) who are getting married the next day. Goli reveals that she too had been tortured by Eghbal and, though both she and Shiva, think this man could be Eghbal, they aren't sure. So next they find Hamid (Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr), Shiva's partner, who insists it is Eghbal. So now we have Vahid, Shiva, Goli, Ali and Hamid, all together in a tight space, trying to figure out if this is the tormenter, Eghbal or not. What to do? Believe it or not, there are some funny moments.

The film, written and directed by Jafar Panahi, is very one note - is this guy Peg Leg or isn't he? But there is insight into dictatorships and murderous regimes and the lasting traumas that political prisoners must live with, which is very timely in our world now and the film ends on an intriguing cliffhanger. And just, think, if that guy had not hit that dog, none of this would have happened.

The film, a co-production between Iran, France, and Luxembourg, is a very personal film for Panahi, who himself was imprisoned in 2010 in Iran for opposing the government and was abused while in prison. It won the 2025 Palme d'or Award at the Cannes Film Festival and it is nominated for four Golden Globes: "Best Motion Picture-Drama," "Best Motion Picture-Non-English Language" as well as "Best Screenplay" and "Best Director" nominations for writer/director Panahi.

Will it win?

Not sure why a "non-English" film gets nominated in both the "non-English" category and the "Best Motion Picture-Drama" category.

Prediction: "Best Motion Picture-Drama?" No. Too much competition in that category. "Best Motion Picture- Non-English Language?" I am guessing no, as it didn't win the Critics' Choice Award for "Best Foreign Language Film."

Rosy the Reviewer says...billed as a thriller, not many thrills but the film is tense and the last half hour is worth the wait. (In Persian and Azerbaijani with English subtitles - available for rent on Amazon Prime).

Sentimental Value (2025)

This movie is all about a house...and the family in it.

Sisters Nora and Agnes grow up in their Oslo family home raised by their psychotherapist mother, Sissel, after their father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgard), a film director, leaves the family. Later, Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) marries and works as a historian while Nora (Renate Reinsve) becomes an actress, an actress with crippling stage fright.

When Sissel dies, Gustav returns to Norway to reclaim the house. He hasn't seen his daughters for some time, and though Agnes is sympathetic towards him, Nora resents him for his drinking and long absences.

In the meantime, Gustav's career has been on the decline. He can't get financing for his projects. He has a film he wants to make about his mother, Karin, who had been a member of the Norwegian resistance movement against the Nazis in WWII. She had committed suicide in the family home and Gustav wants to make the film in that house and asks Nora to play Karin. Nora isn't interested so Gustav hires Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning), an American actress, whose presence in the film convinces Netflix to finance the project.

All kinds of trouble ensues during the making of the film - Rachel can't speak Norwegian, Nora loses interest in her work, Agnes argues with Gustav after he casts her son in his movie without her permission and Gustav gets drunk - but then the daughters come to understand the generational trauma that Gustav suffered because of his mother's suicide and the regret he has felt over his broken relationships - the healing power of art.

Written by Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier and directed by Trier, this Norwegian film won the Grand Prix Prize this last year at the Cannes Film Festival and felt like the kind of psychological family dramas Bergman used to do with its beautiful cinematography and long, lingering shots of faces. It was also a slow, moving lingering film. Trier directed "The Worst Person in the World" in 2021 which also starred Reinsve. I didn't get that film. I liked this one better, despite feeling it went on too long. But the acting is first-rate, always a pleasure to see Skarsgard, though not sure how Elle Fanning ended up in the movie. But it must have worked because she is nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance along with Skarsgard, Lilleaas and Reinsve. Speaking of Reinsve, her scene of Nora's stage fright is tense and breathtaking. The film is also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture in both the Drama category and the "Non-English" category and Trier for Best Director and Screenplay.

Will the actors win? Will the film win? Will Trier win?

Prediction: Though this film did not win Best Foreign Language Film at the recent Critics' Choice Awards, I think it has a chance to win a Golden Globe in the "Non-English" category. I don't think the actors or Trier will win.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you like family dramas and some insight into filmmaking, you might like this. (in Norwegian, Swedish and English with English subtitles - available for rent on Amazon Prime)