Get Ready For The 2026 Golden Globes With These Golden Globe Nominated Performances, Part 1!

[I review these Golden Globe nominated performances: Jeremy Allen White in "Bruce Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere," Rose Byrne in "If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You (Rose Byrne)," Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in "The Smashing Machine (Dwayne Johnson)," and Eva Victor in "Sorry, Baby (Eva Victor)"]

Bruce Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (2025)

How Bruce Springsteen's album "Nebraska" came to be.

The film begins in 1957 in black and white.  A young Bruce Springsteen is sent into the bar by his mother to bring his dad (Stephen Graham) home. Back at home, his parents fight and Bruce defends his mother (Gaby Hoffmann) with a baseball bat. His dad also has a penchant for waking young Bruce up at night to box, again dad is drunk.

Then the film shifts to color and it's 1981. Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) has just finished his sold-out "River Tour."  Exhausted and wanting to lie low for awhile, his manager, Jon Landau (an always wonderful Jeremy Strong), rents Bruce a house in Colts Neck, New Jersey, near where he grew up in Freehold. Bruce buys his first new car, a Chevrolet Camaro, and plays with local bands at the Stone Pony bar where he meets Faye Romano (Odessa Young), an old classmate's younger sister, and a relationship of sorts ensues. 

With the full cooperation of Springsteen himself, the film continues to use flashbacks in black and white to show Bruce's troubled relationship with his father, Douglas, an alcoholic battling mental health issues and Bruce's traumatic childhood which continued to haunt him.

On the heels of his first top-ten song "Hungry Heart," Bruce is battling depression and his record label is pressuring him for another hit album. Bruce suggests saving money by preparing the demo himself.  Influenced by his childhood memories and an increasing depression, Bruce writes a collection of stark, somber songs with a blue-collar perspective. He also sees the film "Badlands" about Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate, two teens who went on a crime spree in Nebraska and Wyoming in the 1950's, killing 11 people, which plays into his state of mind and influences him. Recording his new tracks unaccompanied, he makes the risky choice to embrace a raw, acoustic quality.

Meanwhile, living in California Adele calls Bruce for help with Douglas.

After visiting his father, Bruce arrives in New York City to record the new album, reuniting with the E Street Band. They lay down several successful tracks, but Bruce is unhappy with the overall full-band studio sound of the record, so Jon agrees to use Bruce's raw demo as the new record. Using older equipment to re-create the demo tape as a vinyl master recording, the new album "Nebraska" is born.

However, Al Teller (David Krumholtz), the record exec, is not happy with this artistic departure.  What?  No singles? No tours?  No press?  Why, Bruce's face isn't even on the cover! 

And then Bruce suffers a mental breakdown and contemplates suicide. 

Such was the environment where the album "Nebraska" was born."

The price of fame can be high, especially if you have traumas from your youth and issues with depression. This film shares a small, but pivotal time in Springsteen's life, a  time when he needed to express himself and his depression, and it shows how pain can turn into art. White as Springsteen does a good job of not only playing Springsteen in this difficult time of his life but showing his love for Faye  and Springsteen's love/hate relationship with fame. I mean, think about it.  White had never played a guitar or harmonica before and didn't know if he could sing! And the film has lots of music. What he did with this role was an amazing accomplishment.  

However, the movie itself is kind of niche. The first half drew me in, but then it started to drag. I mean, a movie about depression can be...well, depressing.  And when you think about it, this covers a very small period of Springsteen's life and the making of one album. "Nebraska," which by the way, made it to #3 on the charts and, then,  Bruce's next album, "Born in the U.S.A" made him a global superstar. He has produced over 20 studio albums and numerous live albums since then. We are glad he made it through that dark time.

The film, written and directed by Scott Cooper (based on the book by Warren Zanes) has one Golden Globe nomination and that is for White's performance.

So will Jeremy Allen White win the Golden Globe for "Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama?"

Prediction:  I say no.  Despite a wonderful performance, I think he has too much competition from the other nominees.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a big Springsteen fan, you might love this, but as a movie fan, it didn't do it for me. But see it for Jeremy Allen White's performance. (available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime)

If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You (2025) 

Sometimes a psychotherapist needs a psychotherapist!

Linda (Rose Byrne) is a psychotherapist stretched to her limits while caring for her daughter, who is suffering from a feeding disorder.  Her daughter is also enrolled in a day hospital program, which Linda must attend with her. The family's situation takes a turn for the worse when the ceiling in their apartment collapses, flooding the house. The sky is literally falling in Linda's life! 

With her husband, Charles (Christian Slater, heard mostly over the phone), a ship's captain, away on an eight-week work trip, Linda is forced to move with her daughter into a shabby motel. When they talk on the phone, he is not supportive. Sharing a motel room with her daughter and her daughter's feeding tube, Linda can't sleep. Sleep-deprived, she spends nights outside the motel, drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, listening to music, and eating junk food. She is befriended by James (ASAP Rocky), her next-door neighbor at the motel and the two try to buy drugs on the dark web.  This begs the question - what is your therapist doing when you are not around?

At the same time, Linda has to work and ironically is surrounded by clients in crisis, including Linda who seeks therapy from her own colleague (played by Conan O'Brien as you have never seen him - he can act)! However, he is also not very supportive and becoming increasingly exasperated by her behavior, he eventually declines her as a patient after she repeatedly crosses professional boundaries.

Things don't look good for Linda in this story of an overwhelmed mother.

This film has one Golden Globe nomination, and it is for Rose Byrne's performance which is a tour de force. She is just remarkable.  I have become increasingly impressed with her over the years. I think I first noticed her in "Neighbors," though she had done many roles before that. But I never really thought about her much, and when I did, I remembered her as a sort of "second banana," playing the wife or the friend.  Then along came the TV series "Physical" in 2021. She carried that series and was great, but she played a kind of nervous, ditsy woman and it was a bit of a comedy.  But in "Platonic" in 2023 I realized what a good actress she is.  She exuded a warmth and reality even though, again, the series was a bit of a comedy. I also liked that she actually used her real Aussie accent (in almost all of the roles I remember her for, she had to use an American accent).  This is the story of a woman struggling with her life and you would think it would be a slog, but it's mesmerizing and that's because Byrne has the ability to make us care about her.

And the movie, written and directed by Mary Bronstein, is riveting and raw examination of a woman on the edge, mostly because of Byrne but Bronstein's directorial choices are also interesting.  The child (Delaney Quinn) is not seen through the course of the film, which I think was a good choice - we just hear her voice - and that helps the viewer focus on the challenges of the mother and not the child (even though I also thought the child's voice was annoying - with that kid I would be freaking out too)! 

I only have two complaints.  

First of all, I don't get the title at all. I would be interested to know how this film got a green light with that title.  But second, and my biggest complaint, which has nothing to do with the movie, really, but is the fact that Byrne is nominated for "Best  Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture - COMEDY OR MUSICAL." What? Did I miss something?  This film is NOT a comedy and certainly NOT a musical.  What's the deal? Did they want to make sure she won a Golden Globe because there was too much competition in the Drama category?

But that said, will Byrne win Best Performance in her category?

Prediction: She should.

Rosy the Reviewer says...an amazing performance by Byrne (for rent or purchase from Amazon Prime and Apple+)

The Smashing Machine (2025)

A biopic about American former wrestler and mixed martial artist, Mark Kerr.

Mixed martial artists, Mark Kerr, might not be a well-known name today but back in the 1990's and early 2000's, he was a pioneer in the Mixed Martial Arts world. He was a two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship winner, World Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, and a PRIDE FC competitor. He also had a drug habit and a difficult relationship with his girlfriend, Dawn (who he eventually marries).  This film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Kerr and Emily Blunt as Dawn, covers the ups and downs of Kerr's career and relationships from 1997-2000. 

Johnson is nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in this film and he is barely recognizable, in a good way.   I guess I am not used to seeing him with hair. The make-up is first-rate. Though this movie felt like a soap opera at times and didn't really do much for me, I am glad Johnson had a chance to show his dramatic acting chops.  But Emily Blunt, who is also nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance, is quite amazing. I would not have known it was she if I hadn't seen her name in the credits.  I have seen her play Americans before but never a dippy one!  She shows her range by playing a character unlike any she has done before.

Written and directed by Benny Safdie, there is lots of wrestling and punching and kicking with some modern day fighters making their acting debuts, but I couldn't help but wonder what it is about men fighting each other that people enjoy watching.  I don't.

So will Johnson win a Golden Globe for "Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama?"  Will Blunt win a Golden Globe for "Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture?"

Prediction: Johnson - probably not.  Blunt - I am rooting for her. 

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a fan of "The Rock" or enjoy mixed martial arts, you might enjoy this, but I didn't, though I give props to Johnson and Blunt. (For rent or purchase on Amazon Prime)

Sorry, Baby (2025)

The aftermath of a sexual assault.

Agnes (Eva Victor) is a literature professor at Fairpoint, a liberal arts college in rural New England.  The film flashes back to Agnes in graduate school with her friend, Lydie (Naomi Ackie).  Agnes is a favorite of her literature professor, Preston Decker (Louis Cancelmi).  Perhaps, too much of a favorite because when Agnes goes to his house to meet with him about her thesis, a Bad Thing happens, a sexual assault that is not seen but later described in detail by Agnes.  The film, also written and directed by Victor, explores the emotional ramifications of such an event, and the insensitivity many women experience from others. When a "Bad Thing" happens and life is moving on, how does one move on?

This personifies the "indie film."  Independent films are known for artistry, unique stories and niche subjects.  They are often passion projects and showcase talent.  Check, check, check, check and check.  However, they can also be indulgent and, sadly, I felt that with this movie.  It covers an important subject - how little support women often get after an assault - but it was a one-note story that played out very slowly with long lingering camera shots that lingered and lingered and lingered.

Victor is nominated for a Golden Globe in the  "Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama" category.  Will she win?

Prediction: No.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Victor's performance was believable and the topic important, but, sorry, I found the character annoying and the film too slow moving. (Hulu and HBO Max)

See You Next Time!

And Happy New Year!

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)!

Get Ready For The 2026 Golden Globes With These Golden Globe Nominated Films, Part 1

[I review the Golden Globe nominated films "Frankenstein (the new version), "One Battle After Another," "Nouvelle Vague," and "Sinners" - And I make my predictions. Who will win?]

Frankenstein (2025)

A boy with a tyrannical doctor father grows up with the desire to outdo him, to have command over life and death. He creates a "monster."

Director Guillermo del Toro, who won a Best Picture and a Best Directing Oscar for "The Shape of Water" in 2018, has adapted Mary Shelley's famous work into a story of compassion and forgiveness rather than adhering to the "science gone wrong" concept. This is a reimagining of a story that has been told many times. Though Del Toro has changed some of the plotlines from the original story, such as Victor Frankenstein's backstory, Elizabeth's role and the creature's motivations, he has still captured the heart of Mary Shelley's work.

The film is divided into three parts: Prelude, Victor's Tale and The Creature's Tale. 

In the Prelude, it's 1857, and the Horisont, a Royal Danish ship sailing for the North Pole, is trapped in the ice. Alerted to an explosion in the distance, Captain Anderson (Lars Mikkelsen) and his men discover an injured Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac). After bringing him on board, they are attacked by a Creature (Jacob Elordi) who demands that they turn Victor over to him. Captain Anderson manages to shoot the Creature and sink him into the icy water after which Victor explains that he is the Creature's maker and tells his story

Part I: Victor's Tale

Victor's father (Charles Dance) is a renowned surgeon who abuses young Victor and favors his younger brother, William.  Victor grows up to also be a brilliant surgeon but an arrogant one, obsessed with wanting to be more powerful than his father by conquering death. It's the classic story of "I will show my Dad!"

When Victor is expelled from the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh for trying to bring corpses back to life, arms merchant Henrich Harlander (played by a toned-down Christoph Waltz) offers Victor unlimited funding and an isolated tower to continue his experiments where Victor harvests body parts from hanged criminals. He enlists his brother, William (Felix Kammerer) as his assistant and becomes smitten with his fiancee, Elizabeth (Mia Goth). 

Victor eventually creates the Creature and is amazed at his strength but becomes frustrated that he can only teach it one word - "Victor."  So he starts to abuse the Creature, just as his father had done with him, which in turn doesn't go over well with the Creature, who is eventually able to escape.

So that's Victor's story. 

And then when the Creature is able to get out of the water and get onto the ship, he tells his story.

Part II: The Creature's Tale

After escaping from Victor, the Creature befriends a blind man (David Bradley) living in a cabin in the woods.  The man teaches the Creature to read and speak. The Creature also becomes sentient and when he eventually discovers the truth about his creation, self-loathing sets in. He feels he is an outsider, misunderstood, hated, and realizing he cannot die and will spend eternity alone, the Creature begs Victor to create a companion for him. The Creature is not happy when Victor refuses, thus why the Creature wants to kill Victor. 

The film asks the question: Who is the real monster here?

So that's the gist of the film's story but there is much more and Del Toro has created a different ending that is a tear-jerker.

The film is two-and-a-half hours long, and you know how I feel about overlong movies, but I have to say, this one did not feel overlong.  It flew by, because every scene meant something, every scene was filled with emotion, not to mention the moody beautiful set design and cinematography, the incredible Victorian costumes and the exquisite score. And the acting is extraordinary.  Both Isaac and Elordi are wonderful. Hard to believe Elordi once played Elvis. 

Both Isaac and Elordi are nominated for acting Golden Globes as is Del Toro for Best Directing and the film for Best Motion Picture-Drama (the score was also nominated). The film has already won 27 awards and has another 90 nominations from other film societies.

So will this film win the Golden Globe for "Best Picture-Drama?" Will Del Toro win Best Director?  Will Isaac and Elordi win?

Prediction: I feel it should win and so should Del Toro and the actors. I think the main competition in this category is "Hamnet (not seen at this writing)," but this was truly a wonderful film experience.  It should win.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Del Toro has said "I dream that I can make the greatest Frankenstein ever..."  And he has. This is the best movie I have seen all year. Not to be missed! (Netflix)

One Battle After Another (2025)

Can a movie about revolutionaries and white supremacists be funny?  Well, yes, kind of.

"Ghetto" Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) are members of a leftist revolutionary group called the French 75. While breaking out immigrants from a detention center at the U.S.-Mexico border, Perfidia comes across Capt. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), one of the commanding officers, and manages to sexually humiliate him in a very cringeworthy scene. However, didn't seem to bother him that much, because turns out our very white supremacist Steven J. Lockjaw has a thing for black women, and when he catches Perfidia planting a bomb, he releases her after she agrees to have sex with him, and such is the screw, pardon the pun, that turns this story. 

Later Pat and Perfidia become lovers, and then Perfidia gives birth to a girl named Charlene and they have a little family together. Mmmm, that little girl.  Who is the Baby Daddy?  One can't help but wonder. But Pat is all in and tries to persuade her to settle down, but Perfidia has postpartum depression, or maybe she is just bored, but anyway she abandons Pat and baby Charlene. She is caught after murdering a security guard in an armed bank robbery, but there is Lockjaw again, and he arranges for her to avoid prison in exchange for her to give him information on the whereabouts of the key French 75 members which she does. Perfidia enters witness protection and walks into Mexico (can you do that without a passport?). 

Pat and Charlene have been given protection by the French 75 and changed their names to Bob and Willa Ferguson and are living in the sanctuary town of Baktan Cross, Calfornia, a place that does not exist in real life, but fun to try to figure out where this was filmed. Turns out Eureka, Stockton and San Juan Bautista, all of those California locations were in this movie. 

Anyway, now it's sixteen years later, Willa (Chase Infiniti) is a free-spirited teen, and she has to be, because Bob has become a paranoid stoner. And through his vehement anti-immigration efforts, Lockjaw has become a colonel and a prominent figure within the US security agencies. When Lockjaw is invited to become a member of the Christmas Adventurers Club, a far-right white supremacist group, and they plan to do a deep dive into his personal life to see if he is lily white enough, he realizes he needs to find Willa and kill her to hide his past relationship with Perfidia. 

So now we have Bob and Willa, with the help of sensei Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio Del Toro) and Perfidia's former ally, Deandra (Regina Hall), trying to escape Lockjaw and his goons and Lockjaw trying to hide his past proclivities from the Christmas Adventurers. Lots of car chases and running around trying to avoid being killed ensues, and that is when the movie finally kicked in for me and it's description as a dark comedy resonated.

One of my criticisms of this movie is the title.  I can never remember it and not really sure how it figures in the movie. But my main problem was that it took me almost an hour to get into the film, and after some cringeworthy moments, such as when Perfidia first meets Lockjaw (not a fan of shock value moments - I actually said out loud "What the hell?"), I figured out it was supposed to be funny.

And did I say this movie is almost three hours long?  I have a problem with that too.  Directors these days seem to have a difficult time editing themselves.  And the soundtrack was really annoying at times.   

But despite my complaints, after the first hour, I was all in. 

Leonardo Di Caprio really shows his talent here.  He is really, really good.  I couldn't take my eyes off of him and Sean Penn?  Geez, that guy, whatever he does, he gives it his all and this movie is no exception.  I mean, just watch him walk.  That's acting! I see Oscar nods for both of them. And props to the other actors and to writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson ("Boogie Nights," "Magnolia," "There Will Be Blood"), who based the film loosely on Thomas Pynchon's book "Vineland."  

Though I think this film didn't need to be so long, Anderson has made an important film that speaks to where we are now.  There are all kinds of nuances that those of us who are not happy with the current political climate in America can relate to, such as rounding up immigrants en masse, authoritarian police forces and rich white men creating secret societies.

So will this one win a "Best Picture - Musical or Comedy" Golden Globe? Will Leo and Sean win in their categories? 

Prediction: With nine Golden Globe nominations, another 100+ other nominations and 110 wins already from other film societies, I say the film will probably win in this category. And Leo and Sean are right up there also as contenders in their acting categories. I also think Mr. Oscar is knocking at the door.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a timely film that will take you on a wild ride. I still haven't gotten over Sean Penn's walk. (available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime)

Nouvelle Vague (2025)

The making of Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless (1960)," one of the first feature films of the French New Wave cinema.

Director Richard Linklater is on a roll.  He has two films nominated for a Golden Globe in the "Best Picture - Musical or Comedy" category - this one and "Blue Moon (which I reviewed in my last post on December 12)." Like "Blue Moon," which paid homage to classic Broadway musicals and the songwriting duo of Rodgers and Hart, this one celebrates filmmaking, paying homage to the French New Wave, which clearly was an influence on Linklater's own filmmaking.

In 1959, Jean-Luc Godard attends the film premier of "La Passe du diable" along with his fellow film critics at "Cahiers due Cinema" - François Truffaut (Adrien Rouyard), Suzanne Schiffman (Jodie Ruth-Forest) and Claude Chabrol (Antoine Besson), all of whom had already made movies. At the afterparty, Godard harshly criticizes the film and pledges to become a film director, as his other colleagues have. Later, Godard attends the Cannes Film Festival where Truffaut's film "The 400 Blows" becomes a resounding success, so Godard decides it is his time to direct a film, so he co-writes a short outline with Truffaut and off he goes to direct "Breathless.

The story of "Breathless" involves Michel Portail, a young, impulsive petty criminal in Paris who idolizes American movie gangsters, especially Humphrey Bogart. When he kills a motorcycle cop after stealing a car, Portail becomes a wanted man. Then he meets Patricia, an American student, and the two fall in love, but as Patricia learns of Portail's crimes, she questions their relationship and it all ends badly. Actress Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch) enjoying the success of her film "Bonjour Tristesse," plays Patricia and Jean-Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin) is cast as Portail.  

So that's the gist of "Breathless," which became a classic of French cinema, but you would never know that would be the outcome because of the chaotic, impulsive and disjointed way that Godard directed the film, and that is what Linklater highlights in this movie. For example, there isn't a finished script, and on the first day of production, Godard films only one scene.  As production goes on, Godard wants spontaneity and improvisation rather than finishing the script.  There is no continuity and short shooting days.  Cast and crew, and especially the producer, Georges de Beauregard (Bruno Dreyfurst), become frustrated. After 23 days, Godard wraps production.  

When the film is shown, Truffaut, Chabrol and others dismiss the film, but we all know what happened. "Breathless" became one of the most daring and influential films ever made; Belmondo became an international heartthrob; Seberg went on to make 35 more films but sadly died from suicide at 40 (read her biography. Really sad what happened to her); and Godard went on to have a brilliant film career for over 60 years.

Many filmmakers have been influenced by the French New Wave and particularly by Godard.  And Linklater is clearly one of them. Written by Holly Gent, Vincent Palmo Jr. and Michele Petin, this is a little slice of French film life, a look into the early days of the French New Wave, but this film also seemed to be very niche.  

I wonder how many current filmgoers can relate to this part of film history, and who will recognize the famous names thrown around, because to enjoy the film, it helps to know the movers and shakers of the French New Wave. Famous names abound as well as famous quotes (Godard's most famous line - "All you need for a movie is a girl and a gun"), but that doesn't mean much if no one recognizes the names or the quotes. The film is black and white mostly in French with English subtitles, which is fine, but Linklater also chose to include closed captions like "chuckling" and "sound of car horn."  I found that very irritating.  Not sure what the purpose of that was. Linklater also seemed to be imitating Godard's style of filmmaking because the movie felt very disjointed and chaotic at times. But the actors were great and the production values captured the times and did mimic the filmmaking of that era, and, of course, there were lots and lots of cigarettes.

Linklater pays homage to French New Wave cinema and perhaps hoped that this little film would ignite interest in that part of film history.  Not sure that will happen.

Will it win a Golden Globe for "Best Picture - Musical or Comedy?"

Prediction: I say no, and it doesn't help that Linklater's "Blue Moon" is also nominated in this category.  They could cancel each other out.

Rosy the Reviewer says...an interesting little love letter from Linklater to Godard and French New Wave cinema, but I wonder if the general movie going public can relate (Netflix).

Sinners (2025)

What does a black community in the 1930's South have to do with vampires? Nothing really but it makes for an intriguing concept in this tale about twin brothers returning from their troubled lives in Chicago only to find more trouble.

Michael B. Jordan plays identical twins and World War I veterans Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore (get it?  Smoke-Stack? - lol) who return to Clarksdale, Mississippi, after spending seven years in Chicago. These guys are gangsters and they have returned to their small town to start a juke joint for the local Black community. They are accompanied by their young cousin, Sammie (Miles Caton), AKA Preacher Boy, who is a blues singer.

They reunite with Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), a blues harmonica player; Grace (Li Jun Li) and Bo Chow (Yao), local Chinese shopkeepers; field worker Cornbread Omar Benson Miller); and Smoke's wife, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku).  Delta will perform in the joint, Grace and Bo will supply the food, Cornbread will be the bouncer and Annie will cook.

In the meantime, Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), Stack's ex-girlfriend shows up. As an aside, Annie believes in Hoodoo and thinks that she has kept the twins safe over the years, but that is yet to be determined because there are vampires afoot. What? Vampires?

Anyway, on the joint's opening night, the music attracts Remmick (Jack O'Connell), who is a KKK guy and also a vampire (huge metaphor there) and his fellow vampires, and it all goes to hell after that.

Michael B. Jordan is nominated for a Best Actor Golden Globe and it's well deserved as he played both brothers and each is distinctive. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, the film is nominated for another six Golden Globe awards and has already won 124 awards from other film societies, but this movie just didn't do it for me. It took too long to get going, and when the vampires finally showed up, I couldn't help but think, where did the vampires come from? What do they have to do with this? 

Despite the focus on the music, traditions, culture and the struggles of the black community in the 1930's South as well as the moody and sometimes beautiful cinematography, good acting, and, yes, vampires...sorry, I just didn't get it, much as I love vampires. If you are going to do black culture, do black culture, and if you are going to do vampires, do vampires, but mashing them together, didn't work for me.

So will this win "Best Picture - Drama?"  Will Michael B. Jordan win Best Actor-Drama?"

Prediction: I say, no. Despite the stylish presentation and the metaphor, I just could not get into this movie.  And I also think Michael B. Jordan has some stiff competition in the Best Actor-Drama category.

Rosy the Reviewer says...even though I kind of like vampires, I didn't find this a satisfying movie experience. It was a very bizarre vampire movie. The movie actually could have done without the vampires. (streaming on HBO Max and Hulu).

See You Next Time For More on the Golden Globes!

And Happy New Year!

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)!

My Movie Picks and Pans for December 2025

[I review "The Kiss of the Spider Woman (the musical starring Jennifer Lopez)," "Blue Moon," a new one from director Richard Linklater starring Ethan Hawke, "Oh.What.Fun," an all-star Christmas movie that defies the Hallmark tropes, and "The Wrong Paris," a little rom-com with one very handsome star]

Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025)

• 
• A new movie version of the 1993 Broadway musical.

I can't believe it has taken this long to make a movie out of the musical version of this story (the musical opened on Broadway in 1993 and won a Tony for Best Musical).  Yes, I know it was originally a 1976 novel by Manuel Puig which was made into a movie drama starring William Hurt (he won an Oscar), and then it was a Broadway musical, but 32 years before a movie version of the musical?  I guess that says something about the waning popularity of movie musicals over the years, right? That makes me sad because I love musicals.

Anyway, enough about me.  On with the show!

It's 1983 in Argentina during the "Dirty War," and Valentin (Diego Luna), a political prisoner and Molina (Tonatiuh), his cell mate, who is there for "public indecency," pass the time with Molina sharing the story of his favorite Hollywood musical, "Kiss of the Spider Woman." It transports them out of their dreary confines into a imaginary world.

So, okay, "public indecency" is code in some countries for someone being gay and that is the case with Luis Molina. He is in a cell with Valentin Arregui Paz who is a political dissident involved with a revolutionary group in a time in Argentina when the country's military dictatorship was rounding up and imprisoning left-wing opponents and civilians who disagreed with the regime. Molina is obsessed with the old Hollywood movie "Kiss of the Spider Woman," and despite Valentin's irritation with Molina's flamboyance, he lets him recount the story of the movie. The film flips back and forth between the dark existence of the two men in the jail cell and the bright lights of the silver screen depicting the story of "Kiss of the Spider Woman." It's a movie within a movie.

So here's that story.

The "Kiss of the Spider Woman" film stars Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez) as Aurora, a successful magazine publisher (Molina's retelling also casts himself as Kendall, Aurora's assistant and a closeted homosexual and Valentin as Armando, a photographer and Aurora's love interest, because remember this is all playing out in their minds). Aurora and Kendall accompany Armando to a shoot in his and Aurora's home village. Aurora and Armando fall in love, but when Aurora learns that the village is protected from malevolent spirits by the Spider Woman (also played by Lopez) in exchange for the regular sacrifice of a native woman's lover, Aurora worries that this means Armando will be taken from her. 

But to find out what happens to Aurora and Armando, you will have to listen along with Valentin as Molina tells the story.

In the meantime, the warden has coerced Molina into spying on Valentin in exchange for potential parole. Despite being eager to be released from prison as his mother is ailing, Molina starts to have feelings for Valentin and Valentin for Molina. Can Molina betray Valentin?

Written for the screen and directed by Bill Condon, there is a change of scene from the original, but it is still a dark story of political persecution and prison life and the need to escape, at least mentally.  And the two men escape into Aurora's world. Luna and Tonatiuh are compelling together as Molina tells his tale and Valentin tries to resist but is eventually drawn into both the fantasy story and Molina's own story as well.

And this is Jennifer Lopez as you have never seen her.  She stretches her acting, singing and dancing chops here. I have always been a fan of Jennifer Lopez, but not so much for her singing, so I was pleasantly surprised to see what a great job she did with that. Her dancing was great, too, but that wasn't really a surprise because I remembered that she had been a dancer on "In Living Color," one of the Fly Girls. Lopez has shared that it has always been her dream to do Broadway and this film would be a close second to that. I also heard her say getting an award for this would be a dream come true. Sadly, though I think she was wonderful in this and deserved a nomination, she was snubbed by the Golden Globes.

I was pleasingly surprised about how much I enjoyed this, because it wasn't on my list of favorite musicals (in fact I had never seen it). I wouldn't say that the songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb (they also wrote the songs for "Chicago" and "Cabaret") are particularly memorable, but they are enjoyable, and with the vivid, extravagant costumes by Colleen Atwood and Christine L.Cantella and the glittery production values during the musical numbers, the whole thing works. 

Just as the retelling of a movie musical helps these two prisoners escape  their dreary and scary lives, so, too, do musicals take us away from our own cares of the world as we watch. That's why musicals are an important art form.

Rosy the Reviewer says...an homage to musicals, and I was reminded how much I love and miss them. I throw a kiss to the movie musical! (For rent or purchase on Amazon Prime)

Blue Moon (2025)

A night in the life of Lorenz Hart.

The film begins with a quote from Mabel Mercer: "He was the saddest man I ever knew."

"He was dynamic and fun to be around." - Oscar Hammerstein II

They were both talking about Lorenz Hart who with his writing partner, Richard Rodgers, wrote 28 Broadway musicals and some 500 songs: "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," "Where or When," "Isn't It Romantic?" "My Funny Valentine," "Spring is Here," "The Lady is a Tramp" and, of course, "Blue Moon," to name a few. They were considered the American Gilbert and Sullivan and wrote together for 25 years.

But now it's March 31, 1943, opening night for the new musical "Oklahoma!," and Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) is in the audience but slips away and heads over to Sardi's, where the opening night celebration will be. Hart is a bit down in the dumps because it looks like the show will be a hit and he is not a part of it. His former creative partner, Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott), has written the show with Oscar Hammerstein II (Simon Delaney) and not him. Rodgers and Hart "broke up" after a string of very successful musicals and hit songs because Hart's drinking made him unreliable.

But now Hart is newly sober and very talkative.  He holds court with the bartender, Eddie (Bobby Cannavale), who tries not to serve him liquor, but you know how those things go. Morty (Jonah Lees) is at the piano and the two commiserate with Hart as he complains about the sensational success of Oklahoma!, which he declined to write, and the state of his own career. Declaring himself "omnisexual," Hart reveals his infatuation with Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley), a Yale art student and aspiring production designer. After months of correspondence and an unconsummated weekend with the 20-year-old Elizabeth, 47-year-old Hart believes this is the night to win her over.

Meanwhile, Hart recognizes writer E.B. White (Patrick Kennedy) sitting nearby, and seeks out his opinions as a fellow writer in a fun little digression.  White reveals he is working on his first children's book and Hart intrigues White with the story of a mouse who keeps coming back to his 19th floor apartment. White asks if he'd named the mouse and Hart comes up with "Stuart."  Well, we all know how that turned out, right?

As the playgoers, Elizabeth, and Rodgers and Hammerstein arrive at Sardi's and the rave reviews for "Oklahoma!" pour in and it becomes clear that Elizabeth doesn't think of Hart "that way," he becomes more and more depressed, so he drinks.

It doesn't end well for Hart.

Nominated for a Best Picture Golden Globe, this film, directed by Richard Linklater, and written for the screen by Robert Kaplow (based on the letters of Lorenz Hart and the real life Elizabeth Weiland) is a wonderful recreation of 1940's New York and boasts a first-rate ensemble cast.  

But this is a tour de force for Ethan Hawke, who is completely transformed into Hart, who was less than five feet tall (Hawke is 5' 11" in real life) thanks to the direction of Linklater and Hawke's acting abilities (he is also nominated for a Best Actor Golden Globe). Hawke even shaved part of his head to achieve the comb over that Hart sported. And it's all him, all of the time, holding forth in Sardi's as Hart, lamenting what could be unrequited love for the 20-year-old Elizabeth and bitter about what could perhaps be the end of his career.  I think Hawke said recently he had more lines in this movie than in all of his movies for the last ten years (or something like that). And he is just remarkable.  I forgot I was watching Ethan Hawke and for an hour and 40 minutes, I felt like I was in Lorenz Hart's world.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you love classic musicals, you will have fun getting all of the references (and see if you spot a young Stephen Sondheim), but even if you aren't particularly interested in musicals, if you appreciate great acting, this will be an enjoyable experience. I see an Oscar nod for Ethan Hawke. (in theatres and for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime)

Oh.What.Fun (2025)

An homage to the true heroes of the holidays, the Moms who make Christmas happen for their families.

Texas housewife Claire Clauster (Michelle Pfeiffer) spends the entire year planning the perfect family Christmas for her husband Nick (Denis Leary) and their kids. Channing (Felicity Jones), the oldest, is home for the holidays with her husband, Doug (Jason Schwartzman), and two kids; middle child Taylor (Chloe Grace Moretz) is gay and has a reputation for bringing a different girlfriend home every Christmas and this year she has brought Donna (Devery Jacobs); and Sammy (Dominic Sessa) is in a funk because his girlfriend just dumped him. 

But Claire is doing everything she can to make the holiday merry and bright and all she wants for Christmas is for the kids to nominate her for the Best Holiday Mom contest, which would result in an all-expenses-paid trip to Burbank to meet her idol, self-help guru and talk show host, Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). She has been hinting about that to the kids but not only don't they get the hints, they take all of her efforts for granted.

And then the final straw.  Claire has gotten tickets to a show and everyone climbs into two cars - and they forget Claire.  Think "Home Alone," except instead of forgetting Kevin, the family forgot Mom!  So that's it. Claire decides to leave and drive to California where she gate-crashes Zazzy's live televised broadcast.

Written by Chandler Baker and Michael Showalter and directed by Showalter, I was really looking forward to this film.  It had a great line-up of stars and none of the Hallmark Christmas movie tropes. The idea that Moms would get some props seemed to be a refreshing idea, but sadly, overall the movie was very disappointing. 

Though the competition between Claire and her neighbor, Jeanne Wang-Wasserman (Joan Chen), who appears to have the perfect family and who seems to do everything right much to Claire's annoyance, was kind of fun, it all fell apart for me when Claire goes to the mall to get a candle for Jeanne that will outdo the one Jeanne gave Claire, and finding the checkout line too long, Claire walks out of the mall with the candle.  Security tries to stop her and chases her, but she gets away and that's that. Huh? No knock on the door later, no police, she gets away with it?  All I could do was talk to the screen and say, "What? Didn't they get her car's license number and report her to the police?" That whole scene didn't need to happen. And then why was Doug so needing to get Taylor's approval?  Made no sense. And then it all kept going downhill from there for me. Too many unbelievable plot holes, too many questions and I just didn't care anymore.

Rosy the Reviewer says...despite an all-star cast and a good idea, it was NOT so.much.fun. It made me wish for those Hallmark movie tropes! (Amazon Prime)

The Wrong Paris (2025)

Twenty-five-year-old aspiring artist, Dawn, has been admitted to art school in Paris but doesn't have the funds to pay for it.  What to do?  Why, go on a dating show, what else?

Dawn (Miranda Cosgrove) lives in a small Texas town with her two sisters and grandmother Birdie (Frances Fisher). Dawn is thrilled to be accepted to an art school in Paris, but is short of funds after spending some of her savings on Birdie's medical expenses.

A huge fan of the dating show - "The Honeypot" - a bachelor-type show - Dawn's sister, Emily (Emilija Baranac) talks Dawn into auditioning for the show, as the  appearance fee would help cover her studies. Dawn reluctantly goes to an audition and is surprised to learn she is cast for the upcoming season, which will be taking place in Paris. Later, the two sisters go out for a drink and to play pool to celebrate, and Dawn connects with one very handsome cowboy. They have a few moments together and then part, thinking, that's that.  Well, this is rom-com.  You know how that goes.

But here's the twist for Dawn and the viewer.  The show is not going to take place in Paris, France, but rather Paris, Texas!  And guess who the bachelor on the show is going to be?  You got it.

So though Dawn likes the cowboy bachelor, Trey (Pierson Fode), she doesn't like the fact that she is in Paris, Texas, and not Paris, France, so she wants off of the show and does everything she can to get kicked off. But this is rom-com. Again, you know how that goes.

Yes, I know, this isn't "Citizen Kane," but sometimes it's fun to watch a little airy rom-com, especially if it stars two nice looking people, especially one very handsome cowboy.  Sorry.  I gush. 

Written by Nicole Henrich and directed by Janeen Damian, this definitely feeds into my obsession, er... tendency to watch dating shows. I enjoy watching handsome and beautiful people fall in love, but this little movie is also a satire of that genre, poking fun at it e.g. all of the girls are kind of wacky and none of them will eat in front of the camera (kind of true - think about it) and when Trey chooses who stays, he asks "Will you accept this...spur? Lol! But that aside, the movie is also one of those "what if" stories.  What if there is a girl on a Bachelor-type reality show who really doesn't want to be there? Fun ensues.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you enjoy dating shows, you will enjoy this, and even if you don't, this is a light refreshment. Yes, it's far-fetched and has a certain amount of slapstick, but what's wrong with that?  But I thought it was fun, and I am accepting the spur! (Netflix)

See You Next Time!

And Happy Holidays!

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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)!