Frankenstein (2025) Review

Guillermo Del Toro helping actor with performance for Frankenstein

At this point, Frankenstein has been talked about to death. It’s much like Dracula, done to death. However, we now have a new version of it on Netflix, and I wanted to take a look. This review is more of an exercise in writing, as I won’t simply say it’s good or bad; instead, I’ll try to think a little more about it.

First and foremost, Frankenstein doesn’t focus on a monster story in the traditional horror sense. Often, we get the notion that science has gone wrong, but that’s not what we get regarding this movie. Instead, we are presented with the idea of father and son, a battle between creation and the creator, told through two narratives. There’s a sense of abandonment, identity, and the director doesn’t make the creation a “monster” that has no depth. The novel does this well, making you figure out who the real monster is and whether the creation is not to blame, but rather a more personal effect to be discovered.

You cannot go through the movie without applauding the set design. I loved the costumes and the visual elements, all of which help bring the story beyond the pages of the book or the screen, for that matter. Del Toro lavishly works through a tactile visual design flow, bringing Gothic horror to a new level. There is a great deal of attention paid to the gore, to the creation, the science, and the medical elements as well. There are emotional wounds that are visually represented, and perhaps that is scarier than the story alone.

One thing that I wanted to emphasize, and something I saw immediately, is that this is not a traditional horror movie. In fact, Del Toro himself said that Frankenstein is not a horror movie. It’s not going to get you to that place; although it can be horrific at times, it is not played out that way. I agree with that, it didn’t hit me with the horror mallet. Instead, it hit me with a dramatic focus on emotional drama that happens to have elements of Gothic storytelling and horror. The pivot is interesting because audiences are probably expecting something familiar, but instead, we get a saturated drama that focuses on human emotion more than the traditional notion of horror. The drama prompts you to think about monsters in a different light, and rather than fearing them, we strive to understand them. That depth makes this an outstanding film that is worth watching.

Haven’t read the book? What are you waiting for? Buy “Frankenstein” here, then watch the movie on Netflix.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) Review

I Know What You Did Last Summer 2025 Poster

In 2025, a continuation of the series “I Know What You Did Last Summer” was released in theaters, and of course, your boy had to go and see it. I didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to, but I just had life in general hitting me fast. It is now streaming, and I was able to catch up with the film, and wanted to review it, but instead of going through plot points and scenarios, I will be looking at it from a few points of view, and then giving a final opinion. Consider this an essay of some kind, or an exercise in writing, as I usually like to think of this blog as, because why not? It’s my blog.

How far does nostalgia get you? In 2025, nostalgia for all sorts of things is enormous. The movie does a good job of bringing us back to the original film, without overcomplicating things or making a parody of itself. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprise their roles, but they are older this time (for obvious reasons) and are thrown into the mix. The film balances the nostalgia nicely here, and the group that gets involved in the accident that sends them on a path of fear needs their help. I liked how the film pushes them into the mix, without heavy hands, and there is a bit of reluctance from Julie, whereas Ray jumps into the hero category by warning the city of the looming violence. There’s also a throwback dream sequence to Buffy, Sarah Michelle Gellar, in which she is a ghost. It sharply takes curves here, and while there is nostalgia at stake, it doesn’t loom on it too much, which is appreciated for sure.

“I Know What You Did Last Summer” doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It doesn’t change the ideas of the past, and doesn’t even go too far away from what you may expect from the movie’s plot points. The plot hinges on the same idea, a car crash, and the fallout of guilt that the characters feel. The film focuses on the guilt, the pact of silence, and the suspense of being discovered by a hidden villain. The masked villain hunts them down one by one, and seems almost super natural in scope, albeit vulnerable to some extent. The group fights back in several moments, and the villain vanishes when they do, but that doesn’t stop the gore and violence from being turned up.

To get to the original, you have to go to the 90s and revisit the movie. However, in 2025, the field of horror has evolved. The genre and setting are similar, but the installment has updated visuals, social media elements, and characters that are sometimes a little more savvy. There are rules here, followed, with the derivative nature of the final girl, the masked killer, the hook, and everything you would expect from a follow-up to the movie. Though it is supposed to stand on its own merit, there is still a sense of fellowship to the rules of the horror genre in place.

While this movie has a sense of purpose, it moves fast. For instance, there is self-awareness regarding the moving parts. The jump scares are timed nicely, but it’s a film that highlights the dread of secrets and haunting from a powerful villain, although revealed with a callous brush if you really think about it. There is a Red Herring, but I won’t spoil the plot.

“I Know What You Did Last Summer” serves as a nice reimagining, a continuation of the series, without falling short of my expectations. I liked the use of nostalgia, the switch-hitting mechanism of the villain, and the overall reach of a sequel to come. It’s a solid horror movie with enough to entice and delivers on the premise, without reinventing the sequel, reboot, or remake wheel. It’s a solid outing, and heck, it’s streaming for those who are into that. Physical media is out there, and if you click on some link I throw around here, you can help the blog; otherwise, get some popcorn and enjoy this one.

Clan of the White Lotus (1980) Review

Recently, I rediscovered a classic kung fu movie called Clan of the White Lotus. I have found that it can be under a different name, but that is what I found with it. You can find it streaming online, through DVDs on eBay or Amazon. I saw it streaming and dubbed into English, and it was not my first viewing. There are a lot of things that have been said about this movie, so I won’t try to recreate the wheel. Instead, let’s discuss 4 points of the film and review it differently than most.

First off, let’s talk about Lo Lieh’s dual role. He not only directed the movie, but he also stars as Pai Mei. He’s one of the biggest villains in the kung fu world and is known as nearly immortal. He has an exaggerated technique and a great fighting style to knock out opponents, which he exemplifies in this movie. It takes quite a bit of force and much technique to take him down.

Pai Mei vs. Hung Gar Tradition should be discussed as well. Gordon Liu’s Hung Wen-ting uses Hung Gar martial arts to counter Pai Mei’s unbeatable style. This style focuses on stance training and soft-over-hard technique, which looks great through the director’s lens. The cinematic flair here combines well with real-life martial arts philosophy.

For those who are woke, ok, maybe not, I’d like to note that there is a training element that is not usual for kung fu movies. There is a narrative angle where Hung has to adopt a more feminine style with grace, softness, and subtlety. To defeat Pai Mei, he has to be subversive and not so abrasive in his macho kung fu style. There’s a dichotomy at play here, which you don’t always see with kung fu movies.

Lastly, let’s talk about the influence that Clan of the White Lotus has. Its lasting impact can be felt in the martial arts films surrounding Pai Mei. He is in several different movies, and even shows up in Kill Bill Vol. 2, where he trains Uma Thurman’s character. He is a cemented piece of Shaw Brothers history and one of the most ruthless villains.

Overall, Clan of the White Lotus is a class bit of kung fu cinema. It goes beyond the typical revenge plot and features some engaging visuals, tone, and shift changes. I highly recommend checking it out.

The Jerky Boys (1995) Review

In the mid-1990s, a series of tapes circulated in popular culture. These tapes featured recordings of phone calls that were done for pranks. The history of these tapes is documented across several websites, but they are commonly known as The Jerky Boys. My stepfather had one of the tapes and exposed me to them, finding their outrageous humor an interesting change of pace for a teenage mind. The team behind the calls got so popular that a movie was greenlit, and that’s where 1995’s The Jerky Boys movie comes to play. That’s right, tough guy, they made a movie!

The Jerky Boys is a crime comedy that features Johnny B. and Kamal. They stumble into the New York mob’s world by doing crank calls to a boss. They get mistaken for hitmen, and the two go through dangerous moments to uncover police corruption, chases, and much more. They utilize their prank calls to survive absurd situation after absurd situation. They eventually get exposed, and their screw ups end up making them heroes at the end. There’s even a prank call to the White House, but then again, maybe it was fake, yeah, most likely fake…or was it?

How can prank phone calls lead to a whole movie? The Jerky Boys not only entangle you in the world of prank calls, but also in mistaken identity. The calls made are nonsensical, but because this is 1995, you must throw away modern things like Google and others. Could this happen? Unlikely, but it could very well be something that could lead to a few mix-ups. Using over-the-top humor, the story is fast paced, and the film turns pranks into plot points that make sense, albeit not without suspension of disbelief.

Johnny and Kamal are screw ups, but they are lovable. They accidentally step into unsavory situations and expose police corruption. The two play on the accidental hero and antihero archetypes, making more out of the movie than just a lopsided affair. That said, something is endearing about how the 1990s comedy scene lends itself well enough to how the film puts the characters in peril, only to escape in absurdity. Several tropes are found here, including success, rebellion, and street smarts, but it’s blurred because it’s done in a comedic way.

Want to dive deeper? There’s something to be said about the satirization of authority. The Jerky Boys work for me because they use satire to show the incompetence of law enforcement, the mob, and how chaos could expose truths that are sometimes hidden in plain sight. The humor in the movie works well because it’s satire to me, and if you take it too seriously, you’ll find the film to be stupid and nonsensical.

Look, the Jerky Boys movie is a comedy. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and though I gave it a good write-up and explored some ins and outs, it’s satire and slapstick. It exists in a time capsule of ’90s comedy that you may or may not remember. If you’re a fan of the tapes, this will be a nice nostalgia trip, and if you’re new, you may find some chuckles here and there.

You can stream The Jerky Boys movie or even find it on VHS by clicking here, tough guy!

Frequency (2000) Review

Frequency (2000) movie poster advertisement

One of my favorite movies from the past 25 years is Frequency. Frequency is a movie that focuses on time-bending. It fuses several genres from there and is a solid thriller with emotion and fleshed-out characterizations.

We follow NYPD Detective John Sullivan, who is in the middle of a divorce. He is down on his luck and finds a ham radio, in which he begins to talk to his father, but there’s a catch. The catch is that his father, a firefighter named Frank, died in 1969. They connect across time and start to alter history, preventing Frank’s death while causing a rift in the timeline. That rift produces a serial killer, and it’s up to the duo to figure out how to stop him from the past and present. The puzzle creates an intriguing plot, which throws you for a proverbial time loop.

Now that you know the synopsis, consider the film’s emotional core. Many thrillers forget to tie together the pathos exhibited by the characters. Not this time, you get an emotional connection, which is the movie’s heart. The bond between John and Frank deepens, and though they are in different times, the changed memories hit each with bricks to the dome. Not only does the relationship drive the heart of the movie, but it also helps drive the stakes, especially when Frank’s wife, John’s mom, is a target of the serial killer.

Not into sappy things? That’s okay. This is a science fiction workshop with time changes and timeline shifts that would make Doc Brown proud. The film uses real-time changes to the past and present, and updates memories. There are even mid-scene changes, and much tension and surprise come through the traditional and sometimes non-traditional time travel tropes. There are rules to time travel, and we adhere to them in Frequency.

Perhaps the strongest element of Frequency is the merging of science fiction and a police drama. You don’t just get one solid genre focus; you get several, and they all work well with one another. What makes this movie heavy is that it gives you every genre rule without forcing it. The twists and turns are done well, the heartfelt moments don’t seem out of place, and you are given a unique ride of science fiction and drama.

You can stream Frequency on the cheap, or buy it on blu ray, either way check out more information by clicking here.

Until Dawn (2025) Review

The official movie poster for Until Dawn from the 2025 movie campaign; advertisement

I’m not a big gamer. I have a PS4 and a Switch, but they don’t get played much by my hands. Therefore, I cannot comment much about the video game this movie is based on. Though the 2015 PlayStation game inspired the film, I can’t recall it ever coming out. Going into this movie without that background is fine, so don’t feel like you’re missing out in any way, shape, or form.

The movie follows Clover and her friends as they search for her sister. Her sister has been missing for a year, and they find themselves being hunted by a killer in a mask. Whenever someone dies, time resets, and they are trapped in a cycle of the same night over and over again. I presume they have to figure out the issue with time, and escape the house and land before dawn.

As I stated before, I have no idea about the video game, so whether it is a good adaptation is beyond me. Does it capture the spirit of the game? I don’t know, maybe? It seems to be a tough call, but from what I’ve heard, it does honor the spirit of the game in a way.

Let’s talk pacing and how the time loop mechanic works. I found that it was a good overall movie with some frenetic moments. There are jump scares, as is the norm with horror movies in 2025. Each loop carries a new perspective, and some interesting gore and thrills for those who are fans of that.

Don’t expect Oscar-caliber performances in “Until Dawn”, but rather enjoy the romp for what it is, a time-traveling nightmare. Put yourself in the characters’ shoes, and you’ll find yourself thinking about the fright that comes with being hunted down and unable to get out of the cycle. IT’s a nightmare, if nothing else, and something that lends itself well to the overall delight of horror fans.

“Until Dawn” is not great, but it’s good enough to recommend. It’s streaming cheap now and will be available on Blu-ray and whatnot. Click here if you want to buy it, or rent it, or do whatever you want.