Movie Review - Materialists

Director: Celine Song
Genre: Romance/ Drama
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal
 
Description: A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) finds herself town between the perfect match (Pedro Pascal) and her imperfect ex (Chris Evans).
 
Review: With “Materialist”, director Celine Song breathes new life into the romcom genre. But don’t expect anything sugar sweet or cheesy; the romance in Song’s second film is raw and brutally honest.
Beautiful A-list actors gazing sultrily at each other, cheesy one-liners about eternal love, and passionate relationships in the heart of New York: judging by the synopsis and the trailer for “Materialists” moviegoers could look forward to a sweet rom-com. But it’s nothing like that. And that’s why I, a movie lover that is not the biggest fan of romcoms, loved “Materialists” so much more then I expected to. And it’s one of my favorite movies of 2025 so far.

Romantically inclined viewers would do well to adjust their expectations somewhat, because “Materialists” will not have you swooning or laughing out loud. Not that there isn’t any flirting or passionate longing in Song’s film, but she is more concerned with the psychology behind love than with its romantic portrayal. The main characters’ reflections are at the forefront.

The film follows Lucy, a highly successful professional matchmaker with nine marriages on her credit. For her, love is a matter of supply and demand: you “market value” is determined by your appearance, your income, and other material things. Lucy scours New York, pairing one perfect match after another.
Her own love life is less successful; her friends teasingly call her the eternal bachelorette. But then she meets the charming harry, who on paper is her perfect match. Lucy makes no secret of the fact that she wants to marry a rich man, and with Harry, she doesn’t have to worry about money. Ans besides his exorbitantly expensive apartment, designer clothes, and preference for high-quality restaurants, Harry also has good manners, is eloquent, and smart. Perfect, right?

When her ex John suddenly reappears in her life, Lucy begins to have doubts. This penniless, aspiring actor may not have money, but to Lucy he is a soulmate who really listens to her, is always there for her, and effortlessly makes her laugh.

It sounds like the classic premise for a lighthearted romcom, but in Song’s hands it becomes a very honest reflection of modern love. “Materialists” is emotionally charged and manages to get a grip on the deepest emotions of its characters. I went to see this movie, mainly for the amazing cast, expecting a solid romcom that I was going to enjoy just fine. But I got a completely different film, that totally surprised me, with a cast so strong and such an emotional load, and romance on a much deeper level. In my eyes, it’s definitely not a romcom, which is a good thing. Fans of the romcom genre might be disappointed, but as a non-romcom girlie I absolutely loved “Materialists”.

Rating: 5/ 5

80s Movie Review - The Lost Boys

Director: Joel Schumacher
Genre: Horror/ Comedy
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 1987
Starring: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Kiefer Sutherland, Diane Wiest, Barnard Hughes, Alex Winter, Jami Gertz, Jamison Newlander, Edward Herrmann

Description: When a recently divorced mother (Diane Wiest) and het two teenage sons (Jason Patric, Corey Haim) move to a coastal town to stay with her father, it doesn’t take long for the brothers to realize the area is a haven for something much more sinister than party-going surfers.

Review: In “The Lost Boys” the danger comes from vampires in a little town Santa Carla. There are some baleful omens, like posters with missing children, that show us that Santa Carla isn’t the safest place. But even with all those missing people, the vampires keep taking victims. The only ones trying to do something about it are the strange Frog brothers. 

A single mom and her two sons moves in with her dad in Santa Carla. While sons Michael and Sam are exploring town, Michael meets a girl named Star. With that he also meets a strange group of rebels. After their meeting, Michael starts hallucinating, can’t stand sunlight and hardly has a reflection in the mirror. He is turning into a vampire and little brother Sam asks the Frog brothers to help him. 

The movie is filled with horror moments, but it also has some comedy. This mostly comes from Sam and the Frog brothers. The way the vampires get their victims give us some scares, although it’s not very explicit. 

The vampires aren’t as prominent as you would hope in a vampire movie. The leader David, played by Kiefer Sutherland, gets a lot of attention, but the rest of his gang stays in the background. 

There is a good mix of tension, horror and humor, but the movie is never really scary. And “The Lost Boys” is also as ‘80s as it can be (that saxophone player in the beginning of the movie). An enjoyable vampire flick, one I rewatch a lot.

Rating: 3,5 / 5

Book Review - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Title: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Author: Oscar Wilde
Genre: Classic/ Horror/ Fiction
Published: 1890
 
Description: Handsome young Dorian Gray sees a painter’s stunning portrait of him and becomes transfixed by his own beauty. Troubled by the knowledge that the painting will remain handsome while he himself will wither, Dorian exchanges his soul for eternal youth. From that point on, Dorian lives a life of hedonistic indulgence, knowing that only the painting will show his moral corruption.
 
Review: We meet Dorian Gray, a handsome young man. A friend of Dorian, Basil Hallward, paints of portrait of him. One of Basil’s friends, Lord Henry Wotton, makes Dorian aware of his beauty and tells him that he should enjoy it, because he will not remain beautiful forever. He will eventually grow old and lose his beauty. Therefore, Dorian wishes that he will never age, but instead the portrait will. He exclaims that he would give his soul for it. And, somehow, his wish is granted.
 
The story is well constructed. From the beginning, you sense the clash between two ways of life, personified in Basil and Lord henry. The fateful events that follow are immediately apparent. The role that the painting subsequently plays in this is fascinating.
 
“The Picture of Dorian Gray” is well written, indeed worthy of classic status in terms of themes. Often very misogynistic or so ridiculously amoral that it is clear that Oscar Wilde is mocking them through his characters.
 
It took me a while to really get into the story, and for a book with not even 250 pages, that’s a bit of a problem. And I found a lot of it very boring to be honest and I never sympathized with any of the characters. That last part didn’t bother me though, because that’s what Wilde intended. The books has some long passages that seemed to lead to nowhere, but the exuberant writing style and fascinating approach to philosophical themes made up for that.
 
In have mixed feelings about “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. I understand why it has a classic status and why people love. I liked it, but overall it was not fully my cup of tea.
 
Rating: 3/ 5

Book Review - November by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

Title: November
Author: Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Genre: Horror
Published: 2022
 
Description: Welcome to Lock haven, Washington, home to the happiest street in the world. A walk down Bird Street won’t feel unusual, except that all the residents are doing well. There are large houses, with beautiful cars. If you were to meet the residents, you would notice that they are all genuinely happy. They have successful careers or are doing exactly what they always wanted to do. They are all healthy, physicialy, mentally and spiritually. They are thoughtful, energetic, educated and generous. And their children? They are perfect. Each of them talented.
 
Until November comes. Luana and Ralph know it, and so do their children Kayla and Django. They live in the most modest of the five houses. Every year, November is the moment when their luck turns and they are struck by misfortune. There are the aches and pains, accidents, the financial setback. Periods of illness, mental confusion, and depression. Usually nothing insurmountable, but they better sit out November every year. After about four weeks, it passes and ultimate happiness returns… but only at a price. And every year, Luana and Ralph wonder if that price isn’t too high.
 
Review: Thomas Olde Heuvelt is a Dutch author, of whom I read “Hex” last year. That was a great, very scary book. “November” is a book about the happiest street in the U.S. The residents in this street live the perfect, flawless lives. At least, until November, because in that month things turn for the worse. In order to get the happiness back, they have pay a price.
 
The story is told from the perspectice of the four  members of the Lewis da Silva family: father Ralph, mother Luana, 15-year-old daughter Kayla and 10-year-old son Django. The chapters alternate between their POV’s. Through them you also learn more about the other residents od the street and their relationships with each other.
 
Olde Heuvelt has a very descriptive, very reminiscent of Stephen King. It’s very easy to picture Lock Haven. Trigger warnings for themes such as euthanasia, bipolar disorder, suicide, self-harm and death. The story is somewhat long-winded, but there is underlying tension. The weight that hangs over this street becomes heavier and heavier. And the feelings and actions of Bird Street become increasingly darker. The story drags on here and there, and the story is a bit too long for my taste. But it has an amazing twist at the end, that I did not see coming. I really like this author.
 
Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Saturday Night

Director: Jason Reitman
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennot, Corey Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett
 
Description: At 11.30 p.m. on October 11^th 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. Find out what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of “Saturday Night Live”.
 
Review: “Saturday Night Live” is an entertaining sketch comedy show. In the movie “Saturday Night” we see what happened in the 90 minutes before its first episode aired. A half-finished set and a nerve-wrecking deadline, it’s not really looking great. But on October 11^th 1975, this show changed television forever.

We are taken behind the scenes of the first groundbreaking episode of “Saturday night Live”. And it’s a crazy, chaotic 90 minutes. If you enjoy fast-paced punchline comedy performances, you will be in for a treat. This doesn’t leave any room for in-depth relationships or characters. But is that always necessary? As an absurd sketch, this comedy succeeds in its purpose and the way its filmed really fits with the sketch show it’s about.

It's clear that the actors we’re having a great time in this film. Few characters really stand out though, but the dialogues are sharp. Moreover, the tension builds well towards the start of the live broadcast. The nervous, chaotic film draws you in until the end. I had a blast watching “Saturday Night” and it’s a fun look behind the scenes.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - While We're Young

Director: Noah Baumbach
Genre: Comedy/ Drama
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2014
Starring: Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried, Charles Grodin

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 23: A FILM WITH AMANDA SEYFRIED
 
Description: A middle-aged couple’s (Naomi Watts, Ben Stiller) career and marriage are overturned when a disarming young couple (Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried) enters their lives.

Review: Growing older is not easy, especially in a society as youth-oriented as ours. Becoming an adult is even more difficult these days, and increasingly less the same as growing older. What does it mean to be an adult, if it is no longer strictly tied to age? How do you become an adult and stay young at the same time? These questions are the basis of “While We’re Young”, by director Noah Baumbach.

Josh and Cornelia are a couple in their forties who are torn between what is expected of them at their age and their longing for their younger selves. The lives of their best friends revolve solely around children and parenthood, but the couple is not (yet) interested in that. Josh is a documentary filmmaker who has been working on his second film for ten years, without success. In doing so, he is actually postponing further development in his life, always citing the completion of his film as a reason for not doing anything else.

Then they meet Jamie and Darby, two incredibly hip twenty-somethings. They come acress as so original and spontaneous to Josh that he tries to become young again through his interactions with them and drags Cornelia along with him. This results in some funny scenes, where for example Cornelia is learning to dance to hip-hop after fleeing her best friend’s baby music class.

Baumbach skillfully interweaves artistic doubts with uncertainty about growing older and/ or becoming an adult, and the question of how to deal with this (and how not to). Baumbach has his own unique style, I always love his tragicomedies. And I feel like this is a movie that is overlooked by many.

Rating: 4 / 5

Movie Review - Sinners

Director: Ryan Coogler
Genre: Horror/ Drama/ Action
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connoll, Delroy Lindo, Omar Benson Miller, Wunmi Mosaku
 
Description: Trying to leave their troubles lives behind, twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
 
Review: In 1932, the immaculately dressed twin brothers Smoke and Stack, both portrayed by a fantastic Michael B. Jordan, return from Chicago to their home in Mississippi, where they hope to turn an old sawmill into a juke joint. A place where people can have a few drinks and listen to good live music. Their cousin Sammie is an aspiring musician, so they bring him along. Together with Delta Slims, who plays his music at the train station.

This town is not an easy place to live, since its earth is still blood-soaked from the atrocities of the Ku Klux Klan. But music is everywhere, blues is everywhere. The twins manage to open their juke joint and their opening evening already seems very successful. But after about an hour, when the party in the juke joint reaches its climax, the film suddenly breaks loose. And I won’t spoil much for you, but all hell breaks loose. There is a comparison to a Robert Rodriguez movie that I can definitely see, but “Sinners is much more powerful and grandiose, and the horror cuts much deeper than you think.

“Sinners” is without a doubt one of the best films that 2025 has brought us so far. All praise for director Ryan Coogler!

Rating: 4,5/ 5