Genre: Comedy
Director: Aziz Ansari
Cast: Aziz Ansari, Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, Sandra Oh, Keke Palmer, Sherry Cola, Stephen McKinley Henderson
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Drug Use and Coarse Language)
Released By: Encore Films
Official Website:
Opening Day: 16 October 2025
Synopsis: Good Fortune follows Gabriel (Keanu Reeves), a clumsy budget guardian angel who swaps the lives of a struggling gig worker, Arj (Aziz Ansari), and his wealthy boss, Jeff (Seth Rogen), to teach them a lesson. The plan backfires when Arj thrives in luxury and Jeff gains unexpected perspective from hardship. As chaos unfolds, Gabriel loses his wings and is forced to live on Earth alongside Jeff. The film blends comedy and heart while exploring themes of class, purpose, and modern values.
Movie Review:
When he’s not playing a deadly assassin, Keanu Reeves trades his guns for wings as Gabriel, a low-ranking, budget guardian angel. Reeves is easily the highlight of Good Fortune, Aziz Ansari’s self-written, directed, and starring comedy about life lessons, happiness and the struggles of modern living.
Tired of saving careless mortals who text and drive, Gabriel yearns for a greater purpose — saving lost souls. His next assignment is Arj (Ansari), a man who has lost his job, apartment, and dignity, now reduced to living out of his car and scraping by as a gig worker. Hoping to teach Arj the value of a meaningful life, Gabriel arranges for him to swap lives with his wealthy former boss, tech mogul Jeff (Seth Rogen).
As expected, Gabriel’s naive plan backfires spectacularly. Arj quickly embraces his newfound wealth, convinced that money is the cure for all his problems while the only way to reverse the deal is for him to willingly return to his old life. Meanwhile, Gabriel is punished for meddling — demoted to live as a mortal after his heavenly boss, Martha (Sandra Oh), strips away his angelic wings.
Ansari’s directorial debut is a mixed bag. The film offers a solid premise with meaningful ideas about class, privilege, and the pursuit of happiness. It empathetically highlights the hardships of blue-collar workers — those juggling multiple jobs yet still unable to afford a decent home. Beneath the humor, there’s a sincere attempt to ask: What does it really mean to live a fulfilled life?
A now-human Gabriel finds joy in simple pleasures — chicken nuggets, milkshakes and salsa dancing but for characters like Arj and Jeff, satisfaction is far more complicated. Reeves shines in these moments; his performance as the well-intentioned but clueless angel brings warmth and understated comedy. The film could have benefited from focusing more on his character, who easily steals every scene he’s in. Watching Reeves’ fallen angel navigate human messiness — eating burgers, chain-smoking and all is pure delight.
Ansari and Rogen, longtime friends off-screen, share solid chemistry as the “trading places” duo. Arj’s moral descent into greed contrasts well with Jeff’s awakening to the harsh realities of working-class life. Their arcs are predictable but engaging enough to sustain the story. A mild romantic subplot involving Arj and Elena (Keke Palmer) adds a touch of sweetness, though it feels unnecessary and could have been trimmed without much loss.
Ultimately, Good Fortune isn’t the laugh-out-loud comedy one might expect from Ansari or Rogen. There are no raunchy gags, celebrity cameos or over-the-top moments just a surprisingly earnest, safe and occasionally funny film with its heart in the right place.
Movie Rating:
(A well-meaning, feel-good dramedy with gentle humor and a standout performance from Keanu Reeves as a hapless angel trying to make sense of humanity. Don’t expect big laughs but you might leave with a small smile)
Review by Linus Tee
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OLIVIA COLMAN INTRODUCES BURBERRY'S WEATHERPosted on 20 Oct 2025 |
Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Josh Boone
Cast: McKenna Grace, Mason Thames, Allison Williams, Dave Franco, Scott Eastwood, Willa Fitzgerald, Clancy Brown
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Drug Use and Scenes of Intimacy)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 30 October 2025
Synopsis: Based on the bestselling book, REGRETTING YOU introduces audiences to Morgan Grant (Allison Williams) and her daughter Clara (Mckenna Grace) as they explore what’s left behind after a devastating accident reveals a shocking betrayal and forces them to confront family secrets, redefine love, and rediscover each other. REGRETTING YOU is a story of growth, resilience, and self-discovery in the aftermath of tragedy, also starring Dave Franco and Mason Thames with Scott Eastwood and Willa Fitzgerald.
Movie Review:
‘Regretting You’ is based on a Colleen Hoover book, the first of many following in the wake of the unexpected box-office success of ‘It Ends with Us’ to get the cinematic treatment. Scandal-aside, those who have seen the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni movie last year will probably agree that it found a splendid balance between weepy drama and romance, perhaps even better than fans of Hoover’s book could have expected it to be.
Alas, the same cannot be said of director Josh Boone’s tonally inept adaptation, which starts off sincere, and then becomes unintentionally laughable and even cringe-worthy.
A brief overture in 2007 introduces us to Morgan Grant (Allison Williams), who gets pregnant after high school and ends up settling down with her boyfriend Chris (Scott Eastwood), even as it is clear that both have different personalities and are probably not quite as compatible with each other. Morgan’s sister Jenny (Willa Fitzgerald) on the other hand is the type of girl a jock like Chris would favour, whereas Chris’ bookish best friend Jonah (Dave Franco) is closer to Morgan’s type.
Fast-forward 17 years later, Chris and Morgan’s daughter Clara (Mckenna Grace) is now in high school, and Jonah and Jenny have a new baby son. Up to this point, except for the odd digital de-aging of the actors who play themselves 17 years before and 17 years after, ‘Regretting You’ proves an intriguing watch, especially for those who have not read the book. It is probably no secret that Morgan and Jonah still have feelings for each other, but are because of their respective other halves, trying to maintain distance between them; the same however cannot be said of Chris and Jenny, who seem not shy to be playful with each other even in front of Morgan and Jonah respectively.
The tragedy – in this case, a car accident that causes the deaths of both Chris and Jenny – confirms what you could have guessed, i.e. that they were having an affair all this while.
How does Morgan deal with the posthumous discovery of Chris’ betrayal? Ditto for Jonah. What about Clara – should she be given to know the truth, or kept in the dark so her memories of her father and her favourite auntie are not sullied? It is in the second act where the movie splits into two occasionally intersecting plots that it starts to go off the rails.
Between Chris/ Morgan and Clara, the focus ends up being on the latter, which while perfectly understandable being Boone’s YA inclinations, is what makes the movie duller for it. With no disrespect to Clara, her coming-of-age is a somewhat dull affair, grappling with her feelings for sweet yet tender kid Miller (Mason Thames) while dealing with the deaths in her family; even after she stumbles upon Chris and Morgan kissing, her response – by inviting Miller over to spite her mother – is entirely predictable.
We would even say that their teenage romance is overshadowed by the budding relationship between Chris and Morgan, as both come to terms with acknowledging their mutual feelings for each other, how they have suppressed these feelings all these years while their partners had gone behind their backs, and how to finally move forward with hope together. Both Williams and Franco are beautifully understated actors, and we’d only wish that their characters had been more fully developed.
As it stands, Boone struggles to keep both perspectives moving at a steady and coherent clip, eventually settling on placing more of the focus on Clara and Miller. We cannot say how faithful that is to Hoover’s book, but having had the benefit of seeing ‘It Ends with Us’, we can say ‘Regretting You’ lacks the same polish, finesse and nuance that made the former such a captivating hit to those who had read the book and those who did not. You won’t regret the time spent with this bunch, but we dare say you’ll be left wanting – and perhaps that is the bigger regret.
Movie Rating:
(Lacking the nuance, polish and finesse of 'It Ends with Us', this adaptation of the Colleen Hoover novel struggles to find the right balance between weepy drama and romance)
Review by Gabriel Chong
SYNOPSIS: A suspenseful and seductive psychological thriller that reimagines the classic film and unravels the illusion of domestic bliss with chilling precision. In the psychological thriller from director Michelle Garza Cervera, an upscale suburban mom brings a new nanny into her home, only to discover she is not the person she claims to be.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Most Boomers and Gen Xers will remember the countless reruns of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) on national television- that suspenseful psychological thriller about an evil nanny gone rogue. This so-called reimagining (done with very little imagination) stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Gemini Man) and Maika Monroe (Longlegs), stepping into the roles once made iconic by Annabella Sciorra and Rebecca De Mornay.
Micah Bloomberg takes over writing duties and awkwardly modernizes Amanda Silver’s original script with unconvincing plot turns and lukewarm storytelling. After a brief, predictable opening meant to tie the two leads together, the story jumps to the present day, where attorney Caitlin Morales (Winstead) meets Polly Murphy (Monroe), a recently unemployed nanny.
Soon after giving birth to her second daughter, Caitlin hires Polly as a live-in nanny. Caitlin’s husband, Miguel (Raúl Castillo), is some sort of architect or builder though judging by their luxurious Los Angeles home, the couple clearly aren’t short on cash. Naturally, Polly has an agenda of her own. Her manipulative streak soon surfaces and a little food poisoning seems to be her idea of a good start.
Compared to the 1992 version, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (2025) lacks both the tension and the menace that made the original so memorable. The film unfolds like a generic cable TV thriller- competently shot but utterly uninspired. Long, uneventful stretches drag the runtime without offering much payoff. Even Martin Starr’s Stewart, a close friend of Caitlin’s is reduced to a forgettable role compared to Solomon, the handyman from the original who provided genuine emotional weight.
For a movie set in the age of smartphones and smart homes, it’s baffling that no one installs even a single CCTV camera in this sprawling mansion. Logic clearly wasn’t on the filmmakers’ checklist. Bloomberg does, however, attempt to inject some sexual tension between Polly and Caitlin- a small twist on the original dynamic where Polly seduced the husband instead. There’s also a dinner-table scene where Caitlin’s teenage daughter Emma comes out as a lesbian though it feels shoehorned in and ultimately serves as little more than a distraction.
Despite committed performances from both Winstead and Monroe, this latest female-driven psychological thriller fails to deliver. The backstory is murky, the motive unconvincing and the finale feels like a rushed, cartoonish mess rather than a chilling climax.
A remake no one asked for and few will remember — The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (2025) is an empty crib of a movie.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Brad Furman
Cast: Scott Eastwood, Jamie Foxx, Robert De Niro, John Leguizamo, Rita Ora, Nora Arnezeder, Shamier Anderson, Saïd Taghmaoui
Runtime: 1 hr 26 mins
Rating: NC16 (Coarse Language and Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 30 October 2025
Synopsis: When the leader of a dangerous cult triggers a standoff with authorities, a former soldier returns to the compound he left many years prior to face down the man he used to follow and search for his missing wife.
Movie Review:
What attracted Oscar winners Jamie Foxx and Robert De Niro to a script like Tin Soldier is probably a more interesting story than the movie itself.
Scott Eastwood stars as army veteran Nash Cavanaugh, a PTSD sufferer who joins a rehabilitation program for ex-soldiers. The program, originally founded by fellow veteran Leon K. Prudhomme (Foxx), has since transformed into a dangerous cult. Leon, now calling himself “The Bokushi,” presides over a compound complete with armed followers, breeding mothers and child disciples.
Nash falls in love with a fellow participant, Evoil (Nora Arnezeder) and the two attempt to escape to start a new life. Their plan fails when The Bokushi’s forces intervene — Evoil is presumed dead and Nash ends up recruited by government agent Emmanuel Ashburn (De Niro) to infiltrate the cult and take down its self-proclaimed messiah.
On paper, the premise sounds promising — a gritty action thriller exploring how trauma and misplaced loyalty can turn soldiers into zealots. Unfortunately, the film quickly collapses under the weight of muddled storytelling. Endless flashbacks, hazy hallucinations and tedious, pseudo-philosophical voiceovers turn what could have been a lean, engaging action piece into a pretentious slog.
Director Brad Furman clearly wanted Tin Soldier to be more than a generic action flick. He tries to inject emotional depth into Nash’s struggle with PTSD, giving Eastwood the chance to show some range. But despite his earnest effort, Eastwood remains wooden. De Niro, meanwhile, appears in a handful of scenes, delivering his lines with the casual gravitas of a man who knows he’s done this a hundred times before. The one who seems to enjoy himself most is Foxx — sporting a wild wig, breaking into an out-of-place song and fully embracing the role of an eccentric cult leader.
The supporting cast including John Leguizamo, Shamier Anderson, Saïd Taghmaoui and even Rita Ora feels like a collection of cameos from people who either owed Furman a favor or were simply too polite to say no. After all, since The Lincoln Lawyer, Furman hasn’t directed anything particularly memorable.
Visually, Tin Soldier tries hard to look cinematic, with plenty of explosions (both CGI and practical), jittery handheld camerawork and even a laughable gladiator-style duel between Nash and The Bokushi. Sadly, none of it compensates for the incoherent plot and flat pacing.
If there were an award for “Most Star-Studded Misfire of the Year,” Tin Soldier would be a strong contender.
Movie Rating:
(A star-studded, incoherent and painfully dull action movie)
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Comedy/Sci-Fi
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Cast: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, J. Carmen Galindez Barrera, Marc T. Lewis, Vanessa Eng, Cedric Dumornay, Alicia Silverstone, Stavros Halkias
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 6 November 2025
Synopsis: Two conspiracy obsessed young men kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.
Movie Review:
It’s best to go into Bugonia knowing as little as possible. Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest film thrives on surprise—on the bizarre, the unsettling, and the inexplicably funny. To describe too much of what happens would rob audiences of that peculiar pleasure that comes when his stories unfold with both absurd logic and emotional precision. Suffice to say, Bugonia continues the filmmaker’s streak of surreal, darkly comic, and intellectually challenging works, firmly cementing his place as one of contemporary cinema’s true originals.
After the visual opulence of Poor Things (2023) and the chilly social experiments of The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), Bugonia feels at once intimate and expansive. Lanthimos blends the clinical detachment of his earlier films with flashes of tenderness and humour that feel hard-won, even fragile. The result is a film that’s as confounding as it is moving—a strange, dreamlike parable that lingers long after the credits roll.
Reuniting with one of his most trusted collaborators, Emma Stone, Lanthimos gets performances of remarkable range and depth. Stone, who has become his on-screen muse, once again disappears into the world he creates. She navigates his surreal tone with uncanny ease—her expressions oscillating between deadpan comedy and raw vulnerability. Jesse Plemons, who starred in Lanthimos’s Kinds of Kindness (2024), meanwhile, proves once more why he’s one of the most quietly compelling actors of his generation, grounding the film’s outlandishness with understated power. Both are almost certain to feature prominently when awards season arrives.
One of the film’s most pleasant surprises is Aidan Delbis, an actor on the autistic spectrum who delivers an endearing and nuanced turn. His performance adds a genuine emotional pulse to the film’s offbeat world, a reminder that Lanthimos’s cinema, however stylised, never loses sight of the human element. Alicia Silverstone also impresses in a small but memorable role that’s almost unrecognisable. Her presence adds an unexpected emotional gravity to the film’s stranger moments.
As always with Lanthimos, the visuals are meticulously composed. Every frame feels calculated yet alive, the camera moving with the eerie calm of a dream. The sound design, too, amplifies the surreal quality—silences stretch, whispers echo, and moments of violence or absurdity arrive with clinical precision.
Bugonia, which is based on the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan, is layered with symbolism—about nature (there are many shots of bees), transformation (the last section of the film will take you out of this world), and the often-destructive human need for control. There are images and motifs that seem to invite endless interpretation, from insect metaphors to ritualistic gestures, all rendered in the filmmaker’s trademark deadpan style. Cinephiles will no doubt spend moments unpacking what it all means, though Lanthimos would likely argue that meaning is beside the point; Bugonia is meant to be felt as much as understood.
Strange, beautiful, and defiantly original, Bugonia is a hypnotic experience that rewards patience and curiosity. Whether you find it profound or perplexing, one thing’s certain—you won’t forget it anytime soon.
Movie Rating:
(With its rich symbolism, absurd humour, and standout turns from Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, Bugonia emerges as a playfully enigmatic work from Yorgos Lanthimos)
Review by John Li
SYNOPSIS: From Academy Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow comes A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE. When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Before you feel cheated or confused, A House of Dynamite employs what’s known as “The Rashomon Principle” meaning the same event is retold from multiple perspectives. It’s a clever storytelling device in theory, but here, it’s more of a gimmick than a strength.
Written by Noah Oppenheim (Jackie, The Maze Runner), the story is talky but painfully basic. A group of high-ranking U.S. government officials including the President (Idris Elba) must decide how to respond to a nuclear missile heading straight for Chicago. The assailant is unknown, despite all the sophisticated military tech at their disposal. Russia and China deny involvement. Could it be North Korea? Iran? No one knows not even Oppenheim or director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty).
Let’s not pretend A House of Dynamite is a gripping political thriller. It’s one of the worst in recent memory. When you assemble a star-studded cast — Elba (who’s on screen for less than 20 minutes), Rebecca Ferguson (who disappears after the first act), Jared Harris, Jason Clarke and Anthony Ramos (all reduced to cameos) — you’re not setting up a powerhouse ensemble but a recipe for confusion and disappointment.
Adding to the frustration, the movie is buried under an avalanche of acronyms — WHSR, ICBM, STRATCOM and more. The dialogue feels like military alphabet soup, constantly tossed around between the Secretary of Defense Reid Baker (Harris), General Anthony Brady (Tracy Letts), and Deputy National Security Advisor Jake Baerington (Gabriel Basso). Their titles may sound impressive but the endless shouting and jargon-heavy exchanges are anything but.
With too many characters and too much technical chatter, there’s little room for tension or emotional engagement. Watching a room full of officials argue about protocol while a missile counts down to impact should be thrilling — here, it’s just numbing.
Kathryn Bigelow has proven herself a master of the war and political thriller genres, but A House of Dynamite feels like a shallow imitation of her earlier triumphs. It builds toward nothing and ends with even less. All in all, it’s a hollow, chaotic attempt at political urgency and basically a masterclass in nothingness.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
Genre: Action/Comedy
Director: Derek Hui
Cast: Huhu, Jackie Chan, Ma Li, Qiao Shan, Yu Yang, Wang Yinglu
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Drug References)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website:
Opening Day: 17 February 2026
Synopsis: Get ready for a fun adventure in a mysterious tribe! When lovable Panda Hu Hu and international superstar Jackie Chan stumble upon a hidden primitive tribe, Hu Hu is hailed as a 'divine beast' and entrusted with a crucial role by the tribe, who believe she holds the key to solving their crisis. To keep Hu Hu safe, Jackie must stand up to the quirky tribe members. He’ll confront a whimsical leader who can harness the winds (played by Ma Li), the adorable yet fierce warrior Qiang Shan (played by Qiao Shan), the strong prince Tu Lu (played by Yu Yang), and the talented princess Sha Yi (played by Wang Yinglu). What hilarious adventures await them? Can Hu Hu save the tribe from disaster? What secrets lie within this mysterious land? This delightful new fairy tale is perfect for audiences of all ages. Celebrate this Chinese New Year with pandas and share loads of fun and good fortune with your family!
Movie Review:
Just when you thought veteran action superstar Jackie Chan was back in top form after the success of The Shadow’s Edge, the 71-year-old returns in a sequel to 2024’s Panda Plan. Never mind that few remember the first adventure featuring Jackie and his CG-rendered panda companion, Huhu but here they are again in this Lunar New Year title aimed squarely at families.
For the uninitiated, Jackie plays a fictionalized version of himself. He and Huhu are en route to the Panda Conservatory when they are mysteriously kidnapped by an indigenous tribe that has never had contact with the outside world. Oddly enough, the tribe also suppresses expressions of love and encouragement, believing that every child must be fully independent by the age of six.
According to the tribe’s advisor, Jackie —deemed a “messenger” and Huhu must conquer a sacred summit to prevent an impending catastrophe. Fortunately, Jackie finds an unlikely ally in Shan (Qiao Shan), the former aide to the dim-witted Lord Tulu (Yu Yang). The big question: can Jackie and Huhu survive the treacherous mission and return to civilization?
Of course they will! It’s a Jackie Chan festive release, after all.
Let’s dive straight into the drawbacks. Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe is unapologetically tailored for children and family audiences. Editor-turned-director Derek Hui (Coffee or Tea?, This Is Not What I Expected) makes no attempt to subvert expectations. The film is exactly what it sets out to be- simple, safe, and formulaic.
To pad out its 100-minute runtime (which feels longer than it should), the film includes no fewer than four chaotic scenes of indigenous villagers squabbling and fighting, staged in a haphazard and incoherent manner. There’s also an underwhelming river chase sequence that is poorly choreographed, leaving viewers feeling shortchanged. Compared to the first Panda Plan, which at least showcased Jackie kicking, sprinting, and moving with flair, this sequel noticeably tones down the action.
Physical comedy is surprisingly muted. Instead, The Magical Tribe leans heavily on exaggerated, often juvenile antics from Lord Tulu and his advisor. Qiao Shan fares better, delivering a few genuinely amusing moments as his character drifts in and out of amnesia. Meanwhile, Ma Li’s Chieftain slowly warms to Jackie’s advice about embracing love, teamwork, and unity- predictable lessons, but at least thematically consistent.
Huhu, the CGI panda, has even less screen time than before perhaps a sign that the visual effects team had limited time to polish the character.
Ironically, if you removed the “Jackie Chan” factor, Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe might be easier to enjoy. The expectations tied to his name inevitably invite comparisons to his action heyday, and this film simply doesn’t deliver on that legacy. As it stands, the movie feels forgettable, one mainly for Jackie Chan completists.
For what it’s worth, Singaporean singer-songwriter JJ Lin makes a brief cameo alongside Jackie- a fun novelty, though hardly a game-changer. Skibidi!
Movie Rating:
(A lightweight Jackie Chan's Lunar New Year family flick with tame action and broad comedy)
Review by Linus Tee
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GOOD WILL DUNKIN'Posted on 09 Feb 2026 |
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BENZ HUI (许绍雄) (1948 - 2025)Posted on 28 Oct 2025 |
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