The Philadelphia Eagles won their second Super Bowl;<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second consecutive World Series;<\/p>\n
John Cena retired from professional wrestling;<\/p>\n
Warner Bros was sold to Netflix;<\/p>\n
CBS cancelled\u00a0The Late Show with Stephen Colbert<\/em>;<\/p>\n Lee Corso retired from ESPN College Gameday<\/em>;<\/p>\n The Paper<\/em>, The Chair Company<\/em>, It: Welcome to Derry<\/em>, All’s Fair<\/em>, Pluribus<\/em>, The Pitt<\/em>,\u00a0The Hunting Party<\/em>, Common Side Effects<\/em>, Adolescence<\/em>, The Studio<\/em>, The Four Seasons<\/em>, and Sirens<\/em> premiered;<\/p>\n While The Sex Lives of College Girls,<\/em> Cobra Kai<\/em>, Deal or No Deal Island<\/em>, Mythic Quest<\/em>, The Conners<\/em>, You<\/em>, The Righteous Gemstones<\/em>, The Equalizer<\/em>, Andor<\/em>, Big Mouth<\/em>, Around the Horn<\/em>, The Handmaid’s Tale<\/em>, FUBAR<\/em>, Squid Game<\/em>, Poker Face<\/em>, The Sandman<\/em>, And Just Like That..<\/em>, Upload<\/em>, Bel-Air<\/em>, and Stranger Things<\/em> ended their runs;<\/p>\n Peter Yarrow, Boris Spassky, Frank Gehry, Jules Feiffer, Jimmy Cliff, Marianne Faithfull, George Armitage, Lynne Marie Stewart, Roberta Flack, Michelle Trachtenberg, Pamela Bach, Richard Chamberlain, Jay North, Don Mischer, Jean Marsh, Mario Vargas Llosa, Wink Martindale, Pope Francis, Steve McMichael, Ruth Buzzi, Greg Cannon, Joan O\u2019Brien, James Foley, Joe Don Baker, David Souter, Billy Williams, Jeff Margolis, Phil Robertson, Alf Clausen, Bernard Kerik, Loretta Swit, Sly Stone, Brian Wilson, Anne Burell, Rebekah del Rio, Wayne Lukas, Jimmy Swaggart, Michael Madsen, David Gergen, Connie Francis, Felix Baumgartner, Alan Bergman, Ozzy Osbourne, Chuck Mangione, Don Zimmerman, Tom Lehrer, Ryan Sandberg, Jim Lovell, Ron Turcotte, Jerry Adler, Giorgio Armani, Maru, Charlie Kirk, Claudia Cardinale, Rudi Johnson, Jane Goodall, Ken Jacobs, Sister Jean, D\u2019Angelo, Dick Cheney, Paul Tagliabue, Lenny Wilkens, Udo Kier, Jimmy Cliff, Fuzzy Zoeller, Tom Stoppard, Roy Kramer, Anthony Geary, Lenny Wilkens, Claudia Cardinale, James Watson, Prunella Scales, Bridgett Bardot, Robert Benton, Pauline Collins, George Foreman, Graham Greene, Gene Hackman, Hulk Hogan, Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, Rob Reiner, Val Kilmer, Diane Ladd, Marvin Levy, David Lynch, Ron Nessen, Joan Plowright, Lalo Schriffin, Terence Stamp, Bob Uecker, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, George Wendt, and Norman Podhoretz died.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 10) One Shot with Ed Sheeran<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n A delightfully ambitious concept.<\/p>\n I’m always impressed by the technical wizardry of one-shots.<\/p>\n I like Ed Sheeran.<\/p>\n Touring NYC while putting on a concert is a great idea.<\/p>\n This was a lot of fun and a pleasant way to spend an hour.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 9) John Candy<\/em>: I Like Me<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Gen-X came of age with John Candy as a constant presence in beloved films like Spaceballs<\/em>;\u00a0Splash<\/em>;\u00a0Home Alone<\/em>;\u00a0Planes, Trains & Automobile<\/em>s;<\/em> Cool Runnings<\/em>; and Uncle Buck<\/em>.<\/p>\n I don’t know anyone my age who doesn’t have fond memories of him.<\/p>\n He was comfort food, guaranteed to bring a smile and a warm feeling.<\/p>\n It’s unsurprising Colin Hanks (squarely Generation-X) wanted to document and preserve this legacy<\/p>\n It’s a refreshing bit of nostalgia documenting a true legend.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 8) Black Mirro<\/em>r<\/em>: Eulogy<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Charlie Brooker’s\u00a0Black Mirror\u00a0<\/em>is often a pessimistic, brutal look at the way technology is shaping our lives.<\/p>\n This installment, however, seems more optimistic.<\/p>\n When his old girlfriend Carol dies, Philip (Paul Giamatti) is asked to say a few words at her funeral and uses an AI tool to look through old pictures and remember their time together, reevaluating their relationship, processing his part in its deterioration.<\/p>\n Paul Giamatti is a treasure and he’s wonderful as a man whose life was altered by a misunderstanding and now lives with an intense regret.<\/p>\n Black Mirror<\/em> can sometimes be too much, but this was understated loveliness.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 7) Mr. Scorsese<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Within the past few years, every celebrity of a certain age seems to be angling for the documentary treatment, an obvious attempt to control the narrative of their life and preserve their legacy.<\/p>\n Often these vanity projects tend to over glorifiy their subject while glossing over their flaws, losing credibility and becoming little more than propaganda.<\/p>\n This, thankfully. avoids those pitfalls and offers a glimpse into the mind and artistry of one of the most consequential of American filmmakers of the last fifty years.<\/p>\n I was particularly moved to learn of his wife’s illness.<\/p>\n Scorsese’s films (particularly his interest in religious themes) have always appealed to me and it was wonderful to get a closer look at how he approaches his work.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 6) Die My Love<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Jackson (Robert Pattinson) and Grace (Jennifer Lawrence). a relatively new couple expecting a baby, move to a rural location closer to his family before the baby arrives.<\/p>\n After the birth, Grace has an extremely difficult postpartum. She’s briefly institutionalized, and after her return is triggered after a tough encounter with Jackson’s family, including his mother (Sissy Spacek).<\/p>\n It’s a brutal film about parenthood.<\/p>\n I love director Lynne Ramsay’s work. We Don’t Need to Talk About Kevin<\/em> is a brilliant piece (another tough deconstruction of motherhood).<\/p>\n It’s always great to see Sissy Spacek and Robert Pattinson is excellent.<\/p>\n This is the kind of small scale, psychological examination we don’t see enough of, and Jennifer Lawrence’s return to form.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5) The Four Seasons<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Inspired by the 1981 movie from Alan Alda costarring Carol Burnett, Sandy Allen, Jack Weston, and Rita Moreno; Tina Fey takes this in surprising directions.<\/p>\n Predictably, she switches one of the couples into a gay couple, but pushes the envelope with an unexpected death.<\/p>\n I liked the original movie, and I love this update, The performances are excellent, Steve Carrell is always compelling. Fey is great.\u00a0 Colman Domingo is one of the most consistent actors of the past decade. Kerri Kenny-Silver has been an underrated performer with a solid cult following from Reno 911!<\/em> for nearly twenty years. Will Forte is the hardest to swallow in more serious role, but acquits himself here.<\/p>\n Fey is a wry observer of the pitfalls of modern relationships. There are a lot of funny slices of middle aged observational comedy. The twist death and the poignancy \/ urgency it brings to a bunch of middle aged friends trying to figure out their shit is really good.<\/p>\n I don’t necessarily think the show needs a second season, but I’m curious to see where they take it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4) The Voice of Hind Rajab<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n In January 2024, five year old Hind Rajab and her family were fleeing Gaza City when their vehicle was shelled. Most of her family was killed instantly, but Hind and a cousin survived and contacted the Red Crescent Society. This film is a reenactment of the incident from the point of view of the aid workers who received the phone call, using the recording transcript and Hind’s voice when possible.<\/p>\n I admit I was largely unaware of her story before this movie, but I am now and am appalled.<\/p>\n It’s a powerful indictment of the cruelty of war. Regardless of one’s views on Israel, this little girl in no way deserved to die, and the Israeli coverup is a stain on their government’s honor.<\/p>\n Hind Rajab deserved much better. Everyone deserves much better.<\/p>\n What a powerful reminder of the absolute bullshit of dumbass phrases like “collateral damage” and “civilian loss of life.” Rhetorical sleight off hand to obfuscate the reality of child murder.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3) Eternity<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Larry and Joan are a typical elderly couple, bickering in a predictable, comfortable way.<\/p>\n Larry dies suddenly and is transported to the afterlife where he takes the form of a younger version of himself (Miles Teller). Apparently, everyone in the afterlife appears as they were when they were their happiest. Larry’s Afterlife Coordinator (D’Vine Joy Randolph) is assigned to help him decide how he wants to spend Eternity, but Larry insists on waiting on Joan to make a decision.<\/p>\n Sometime later Joan arrives as a younger version of herself (Elizabeth Olsen). Larry is ecstatic and ready to decide how they will spend eternity together, until Joan’s first husband Luke (Callum Turner) who was killed in Korea, shows up to tell her he waited in limbo for fifty years to be reunited with her.<\/p>\n Joan must choose between a life with her young love or with the man who filled her life with memories and helped create her family.<\/p>\n It’s a lovely prisoner’s choice dilemma.<\/p>\n The cast is across the board amazing. Sometimes John Early annoys me (he’s a slightly less grating Billy Eichner), but he’s very good here as Joan’s Afterlife Coordinator.<\/p>\n The humor lands, the design of the afterlife is great, the concept is right up my alley.<\/p>\n I love movies with a fully formed idea of what the afterlife is like. Think Defending Your Life<\/em>, After Life<\/em>, or\u00a0A Matter of Life and Death<\/em>.<\/p>\n I suspect because my dad died when I was young and I’ve spent a larger time than many contemplating what happens in the hereafter, these movies hit me hard.<\/p>\n This was a great entry in a small canon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2) The Testament of Ann Lee<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I was far too ignorant of the story of Ann Lee and her role in founding the Shaker movement. My only real knowledge of the Shakers was (like everyone) the furniture.<\/p>\n It’s a fascinating sect (especially since the movement still exists, albeit with only two people as of 2026).<\/p>\n Making this into a musical was a bold decision and, in my estimation, paid off handsomely.<\/p>\n It’s similar to\u00a0Emilia Perez\u00a0<\/em>in a lot of ways.<\/p>\n Amanda Seyfried is excellent in the title role. Lewis Pullman and the always fascinating Tim Blake Nelson are also wonderful. This is a rare film about religious fanaticism which doesn’t automatically dismiss religion as the province of wackadoodles.<\/p>\n What a great biopic with a ballsy, refreshing approach to a difficult subject.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1) \u00a0Adolescence<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The opening episode is an intense raid at a home where Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) is arrested. Barely a teenager, he wets his pants and cries for his parents. We instantly assume they must have the wrong boy, and we sympathize with his helpless parents who are unable to prevent his arrest.<\/p>\n But Jamie is far from innocent and, because of some twisted ideas about nasculinity, has killed one of his classmates.<\/p>\n His parents, Eddie (Stephen Graham) and Manda (Christine Tremarco) are devastated and must learn to cope with Jamie’s actions, their feelings of guilt and inadequacy as parents and the stigma they have in their neighborhood.<\/p>\n The crown jewel of the series is episode three, when forensic psychologist Briony Ariston (Erin Doherty) interviews Jamie prior to his trial. Their simmering meeting is gripping television. Both deservedly won numerous awards on the backs of their searing work here.<\/p>\n As a parent this is a siren call to action to actually parent your children and not leave them to fend for themselves. Be actively involved in their lives, be present.<\/p>\n The show is decidedly bent towards a certain viewpoint, but it isn’t (in my opinion) overly aggressive, instead offering a timely and harrowing look into what is being obscured by the generation gap.<\/p>\n This will stay with me for a long time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In 2025 Massive wildfires devastated Los Angeles, Donald Trump became President of the United States for the second time; Pope Leo XIV became the new leader of the Catholic Church; Disguised as construction workers, thieves stole several jewels from the French collection at the Lourve; Beyonce won the Grammy for Album of the year for… Continue reading A quarter century of the 21st century: A look back at 2025<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1706],"tags":[2191,2085,72,1989,2189,952,405,2190,512,568,752],"class_list":["post-14959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-retrospective","tag-amanda-seyfried","tag-anthology","tag-anti-war-films","tag-documentaries","tag-ed-sheeran","tag-elizabeth-olsen","tag-jennifer-lawrence","tag-john-candy","tag-martin-scorsese","tag-musical-films","tag-steve-carrell","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/tenkmovies.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/tenkmovies.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/tenkmovies.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tenkmovies.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tenkmovies.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14959"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/tenkmovies.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14961,"href":"http:\/\/tenkmovies.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14959\/revisions\/14961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/tenkmovies.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tenkmovies.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tenkmovies.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n
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