Movies, Films & Flix

Quick Thoughts:

1. Christy Martin has lived an incredible life, and it makes me happy that her story has been made into a movie. 
2. Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Ethan Embry, Chad L. Coleman and Katy O’Brian are all good, but their performances are hurt by the fact that the film packs 20 years worth of story into 135 minutes.
3. In the press notes, director David Michôd defines the film as “a wild underdog sports movie that morphs into a kind of very real horror story.” He’s not wrong.
4. At certain points, the film resembles Walk Hard (the title Punch Hard comes to mind) because it adheres to biopic tropes (terrible parent, time jumps)
5. It’s worth watching because Christy Martin has been through so much. 
6. Watch the 2021 documentary Untold: Deal with the Devil on Netflix after watching the movie.

It’s easy to understand why director (Animal Kingdom, The Rover) and producer/star Sydney Sweeney wanted to make a biographical sports film about the life of Christy Martin. Martin is an all-time boxer whose story is perfect for a big-screen adaptation. Martin was plucked from “toughwoman” boxing tournaments by trainer Jim Martin (Ben Foster) and became a boxing champion who appeared on Sports Illustrated and was signed by Don King. On top of surviving thousands of punches to the head, Martin dealt with an abusive husband, a controlling mother (who hated that Christy was gay), drug abuse, sexual abuse, and she even survived a murder attempt from her husband/trainer, Jim Martin. I’ve been familiar with Martin for a long time, and when I heard Sweeney was making a biopic about her life, I became very excited because her story should be known. 

However, sport biopics are gonna be sport biopics, and there are moments when Christy starts to resemble Walk Hard (the title Punch Hard comes to mind). The film sticks closely to biopic conventions (it’s more of a collection of scenes than a complete narrative), and the constant time jumps (the film covers 20 years) halt any narrative momentum. That being said, the performances from Sweeney, Ethan Embry, Katy O’Brian, Tony Cavalero, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, and Chad L. Coleman are solid, and the movie gives them moments to shine.

Sweeney, who has a background in mixed martial arts, trained like a maniac for the film, and her physicality and willingness to film the fight scenes add a nice level of realism to the boxing matches. To prepare for the role, Sweeny gained 30 pounds,  trained with weight trainer Grant Roberts (who trained Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby) and spent months practicing her footwork, fighting techniques and weight training. The hard work paid off because she and fight/stunt coordinator Walter Garcia (Spy, I, Tonya, Grudge Match) crafted a few excellent scraps that captured Martin’s in-ring style (close-range power puncher who swarmed opponents). 

Christy works perfectly alongside the 2021 Netflix documentary Untold: Deal With the Devil. The Laura Brownson-directed doc inspired David Michôd to tackle Martin’s story, and it’s fun watching Martin explain her life in her own words. 

Final Thoughts – Christy Martin has an incredible story, and I recommend watching the movie to learn more about her life.

Quick thoughts:

1. After bringing monsters to life for 30+ years, it’s nice knowing that director Guillermo del Toro finally (he’s wanted to make this movie for decades) got the chance to bring his Frankenstein movie to life. 
2. Del Toro uses every cent of the $120 million budget (thank you, Netflix) to create a gorgeous world.
3. It’s another Frankenstein movie….
4. Jacob Elordi is excellent.
5. Yes, humans are the bad guys. I love how GdT added in elements that made humans even worse than in the novel

After Cronos, The Devil’s Backbone, Mimic, Blade 2, Hellboy 1 & 2, Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim, The Shape of Water, Crimson Peak, Nightmare Alley, and Pinocchio, director Guillermo del Toro has proven to the world multiple times that he loves monsters. The 61-year-old Oscar-winning director has always loved movie monsters and he’s spent the last 50 years thinking about Frankenstein and his monstrous creation. In addition to dreaming about the creature for decades, he’s spent the last 25 years attempting to get his adaptation of the Mary Shelley-penned Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus made. I’m sure he would’ve directed it back in 2000, but the good thing to come from the multiple delays is that he’s built up so much industry goodwill that Netflix gave him $120 million to craft his visual feast. After 25 years of script refinement and detailed drawings/storyboards, it’s a good investment because they knew del Toro would dedicate every fiber of his being to the project. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio won Netflix the Best Animated Feature Film award at the 2023 Academy Awards, so with Frankenstein, they’re hoping to add to their Oscars tally. 

Since it’s a Guillermo del Toro film, don’t expect the monster to be monstrous; instead, be ready for another “humans are bad” narrative that appears in most of his films (it’s not a bad thing; all directors have familiar themes). In this adaptation, del Toro invents new storylines to make Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Issac) seem like more of a jerk, and he eschews most of the horror elements so he could focus on “the lineage of familial pain.” If you’re looking for a Pacific Rim-esque tale of Frankenstein’s monster smashing things, you’ll be disappointed. 

In GdT’s version, we learn how and why a “rock star genius” like Victor Frankenstein became an abusive parent to a hulking monster. The answer is Charles Dance (the ultimate TV/movie bad dad), who plays the stern and abusive Baron Leopold Frankenstein. As soon as Dance appears on screen, it is obvious he’s going to mess up Victor’s life. When Baron Leopold isn’t hitting Victor with wooden sticks, he’s failing to keep his wife Claire (Mia Goth) alive during an early pregnancy. After his mom dies, Victor becomes obsessed with evading death via science, and his experiments put him in the crosshairs of Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz), a wealthy arms dealer who works with Victor’s brother William (Lars Mikkelsen). Funded by Harlander, Victor builds a massive laboratory, cobbles together various body parts, and creates an impossible-to-kill creature (Jacob Elordi) that he promptly tries to kill because having a kid is a lot of work. 

At its core, the tale of Victor Frankenstein creating life has always been about how hard it is to raise a child, so it makes sense that del Toro would dedicate a large chunk of the film to explaining why Victor is such a bad dad. The brilliant and handsome Victor wasn’t equipped to be a parent, and that’s why he abandons his creation. The problem is that instead of abandoning a newborn baby, he leaves behind a monster who is impossible to kill and can push giant boats through ice (he could probably be an Avenger). This causes problems for Victor as he’s hunted by his creation with tragic results. Much like Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (which focuses on a magical child being separated from his dad), Frankenstein is gorgeous to look at and feels very much like a Guillermo del Toro monster movie. 

Oscar Issac is perfect as a “Byronian rock star” who never buttons up his shirt all the way and looks like he’s about to play a show in front of 75,000 people (Isaac studied Prince’s 2007 Super Bowl show for added swagger). Isaac is simultaneously cocky, intelligent, insecure, and a little bit like his creator character from Ex-Machina. Jacob Elordi steals the show as “the creature.” His physicality, emotive eyes, and tall frame make the creature’s journey from “trusting fawn to rageful beast” feel 100% believable. It’s impressive that he was able to find the creature’s humanity underneath hours of makeup. As always, Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz deliver solid performances, but the true hero of the story is del Toro. 

Del Toro’s love of the project must’ve been infectious because the cinematography, production design, costume design and musical score are beautiful. One of the benefits of having a well-prepared director is that all the major crew members had time to craft expansive sets and memorable costumes.

Final Thoughts – It makes me very happy that del Toro got to climb his personal Mount Everest,

Christy (2025) – Grade – B-

It’s easy to understand why director David Michôd (Animal Kingdom, The Rover) and producer/star Sydney Sweeney wanted to make a biographical sports film about the life of Christy Martin. Martin is an all-time boxer whose story is perfect for a big-screen adaptation. She was plucked from “toughwoman” boxing tournaments by trainer Jim Martin (Ben Foster) and became a boxing champion who appeared on Sports Illustrated and was signed by Don King. On top of surviving thousands of punches to the head, Martin dealt with an abusive husband, a controlling mother (who hated that Christy was gay), drug abuse, sexual abuse, and she even survived a murder attempt from her husband/trainer, Jim Martin. I’ve been familiar with Martin for a long time and when I heard Sweeney was making a biopic about her life, I became very excited because her story should be known. 

However, sport biopics are gonna be sport biopics, and there are moments when Christy starts to resemble Walk Hard (the title Punch Hard comes to mind). The film sticks closely to biopic conventions (it’s more of a collection of scenes than a complete narrative), and the constant time jumps halt any narrative momentum. That being said, the performances from Sweeney, Ethan Embry, Katy O’Brian, Tony Cavalero, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, and Chad L. Coleman are solid, and gives them moments to shine.

Final Thoughts – Christy Martin has an incredible story, and I recommend watching the movie to learn more about her life. 

Natchez (2025) – Grade – A

Winner of the Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival and the Sidewalk Film Festival, Natchez is a fascinating look into the world of antebellum tourism in Natchez, Mississippi. Director Suzannah Herbert (who drew inspiration from the Robert Altman film Nashville) lives in Memphis, Tennessee, so she tackles the core issues with empathy, care and understanding. Herbert clearly knows about the Deep South, and her documentary is about exploring the entire history of Natchez, and the role it played in the slave trade. 

The interviews are intimate, engaging and revelatory. The participants must’ve trusted Herbert and her small crew because they seem overly comfortable (you’ll see) and willing to share their lives with the filmmakers. Director of Photography Noah Collier used a Sony FX9 (on a tripod), vintage prime lenses and a handheld magnifier (that you’d get at an optometrist’s office – which is cool) to shoot the doc, and the visually interesting look matches the interesting personalities in front of the camera. Of all the participants, I enjoyed following Rev Collins as he engages in interesting conversations with tourists who have various degrees of acceptance for what he has to say. When he’s not working as a reverend, he’s in his van giving “real tours of Mississippi” to the thousands of tourists who visit the city every year. His tours are much different than those of “The Garden Club,” who dress up in intricate gowns and parade tourists around their plantation homes. What’s nice is that Herbert seems genuinely interested in each story, and instead of framing people as villains, she lets them do it. 

Final thoughts – Natchez is a visually interesting documentary that will hopefully collect a big audience. 

Re-Election (2025) – Grade – F

Re-Election is a “coming of (middle) age” comedy that features the least developed central character of 2025. The plot revolves around a guy named Jimmy (Adam Saunders – who also wrote, directed and produced the film), who spends 25 years withering away after losing a race for class president during his senior year of high school (it’s odd). Instead of going to college or doing anything with his life, Jimmy lives in a shed behind his dad’s (Tony Danza) memorabilia store that’s located in northeast Texas. After some prodding from his supportive sister Patty (Patty Guggenheim), Jimmy decides to go back to high school to get his diploma, run for class president, and earn an internship with the governor (Rizwan Manji). Since he’s 40+ years old and has been living in a shed for 25 years, he has to navigate gender-neutral bathrooms, social media, Gen Z, and pronouns. I have no idea why this film exists because there is nothing to the lead character. His dad seems nice, his sister Patty is supportive, and there seems to be no real trauma in his life. Saunders attempts to sneak in several messages (empathy, living life, picking yourself up), but the lead character is such a wet-noodle that nothing matters. The good news is that Nathalie Kelley (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) got a paycheck to play a wildly available high school teacher who has a soft spot for dudes who’ve spent the last 25 years living in a shed.  

Final Thoughts – I respect Saunders’ hustle because films are hard to make; however, I have no clue why this film exists.

Beast of War (2025) – Grade – A 

I plan on writing more about Beast of War (and covering it on Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast) soon, but I wanted to get a quick review out there in hopes that people will watch this excellent shark-film from director Kiah Roache-Turner (Sting, Wyrmwood). Beast of War is loosely based on a true story (that took place in 1942) about a group of Australian soldiers fighting for their lives after their warship is sunk by a Japanese fighter plane. The characters are likable, the performances are solid and the gore is wonderful. I love ambitious low-budget films, and I think many of the decisions (casting Mark Coles Smith) made by the Roacher-Turner were smart. The  result is a visually distinctive film that features an all-timer animatronic shark. 

Final Thoughts – Watch it!

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025) – Grade – B

I’m a bit late with this review, but I wanted to highlight the fun and inventive action scenes in Ballerina. It should be no surprise that the action scenes in a John Wick spin-off are inventive; however, I love how the main character Eva (Ana de Armas) uses grenades, flame throwers, and knives to kill larger opponents. There’s an action scene in which Eve goes grenade-crazy, and it’s easily one of my favorite moments of the year (the ice club fight is cool too). The inventive action makes up for the nondescript villains and cookie-cutter revenge story that is overly familiar. Between No Time to Die and Ballerina, de Armas has established herself as a top-tier action star, and I hope she’s given more chances to blow people up. 
Final Thoughts – I love a good Knock Knock (2015) reunion.

Quick Thoughts:

1. Ethan Hawke is wonderful. 

2. The conversations are engaging.

3. Bobby Cannavale would be a great bartender.

4. I love when Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater team up to make dialogue-heavy films.

5. Blue Moon!

6. Best 2025 whiskey drinking.

During a Q&A for the film Everybody Wants Some!!, Richard Linklater mentioned that he’d been working on a trilogy that focused on snapshots of influential artists’ lives. The first film in Linklater’s “artist trilogy” was Me and Orson Welles (2009), which was adapted from Robert Kaplow’s book and focused on Orson Welles’ theater production of Caesar. With Blue Moon, he’s reteamed with Kaplow and Ethan Hawke to tell a story about a particular night on March 31, 1943, when an all-timer lyricist named Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) was having a terrible night. Lorenz is best known for his work with Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott), as the two wrote the music and lyrics for 26 Broadway plays and a handful of films. After 20 years of alcohol abuse and depression, the two split (amicably) and Rodgers began working with Oscar Hammerstein II (Simon Delaney), and on the night of the 31st, their play Oklahoma! opened to acclaim and success. 

After an opening involving a drunk Hart collapsing in a rain-soaked alley, the film cuts to Hart leaving the Oklahoma! premiere early and heading to the well-stocked bar at Sardi’s Restaurant in New York City. Hart is a regular at the bar, and if inspected, it’s likely his favorite cushioned barstool likely bore the exact indentation of his butt. Standing a little over five feet, Hart is dwarfed by the tall bar, which further adds to his insecurity during the depressing night. Initially, he refuses to drink, but as the Oklahoma! opening night party kicks off, his favorite bartender Eddie (Bobby Cannavale) starts pouring him shots of whiskey (Blue Moon features the best whiskey drinking of any 2025 film). While perched on his seat, he chats with author E.B. White (Simon Delaney), piano player Morty (Jonah Lees), and his protege Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley), a woman (with great clavicles) whom he has an “irrational adoration” for. While Hart is happy that his friend has found tremendous success, he’s melancholy and contemplative about his future. His alcohol-fueled antics have burned too many bridges, and since he’s a self-described “ambisexual,” he’s forced to discreetly live in the closet. This leads to his death at the age of 48, after an alcohol-fueled bender left him fatally ill. 

Between Waking Life, Before Sunset, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight, Tape, Boyhood, and Blue Moon, Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke have teamed up to make some excellent talk-heavy films that mostly take place in a single day (Boyhood and Waking Life are the exceptions). What’s great about Blue Moon is that Linklater and Hawke had the script for over 10 years and waited until they were mature enough to make the film. Hawke needed to grow into the role, while Linklater worked to mold the script into something he was comfortable directing. The end result is an engaging experience loaded with Broadway Easter eggs, genuine emotion and an incredible performance from Ethan Hawke that is equal parts funny, melancholic, heartfelt and endearing.

Final Thoughts – Blue Moon is a mature and engaging look into the workings of an iconic songwriter who was filled with “unsentimental joy.” Watch it!