On Becoming a Guinea Fowl – Spinning Platters

What a sneaky good, but not great, movie year. 2025 was full of major blockbuster disappointments (Mickey 17, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Tron: Ares, The Running Man, Wicked For Good) and a few five-star masterpieces. But there was a plethora of three-and-a-half to four-star fare, some good and some great, that made moviegoing a memorable experience. The honorable mentions will be many this year, but here’s my ranked list of the twenty best films of 2025:

20. FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES

The sixth film in a series is rarely, if ever, as good as, if not better, than all previous installments. Bloodlines refreshed the ‘90s horror franchise in inventive new ways, killing off a plethora of death-cheaters.

19. THE NAKED GUN

Pure comedies can still be good, and still make money! The reboot of The Naked Gun had some of the funniest lines of the year, and produced the rare pleasure of joining in raucous laughter with a moviegoing audience. Continue reading “Film Feature: Chad’s Top 20 Films of 2025”

Humor and tragedy converge in the brilliant and disquieting On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

Shula (Susan Chardy) wears a guinea fowl costume to begin “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.”

With the release of On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, writer/director Rungano Nyoni’s first feature film since her 2017 indie darling, I Am Not a Witch, the Zambian born British filmmaker has once again proven her unique talent for depicting tribal traditions through a modern lens. Guinea Fowl is simultaneously tragic and comically disquieting, venturing in and out of surreality within its otherwise grounded character-driven narrative. Kudos to A24 and a few UK and European studios for producing and distributing Guinea Fowl, since the film is not an easy sell. Guinea Fowl should be seen; its tightly controlled narrative, powerful performances, and artistic risk-taking make it one of the first must-see films of the year. Continue reading “Film Review: “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl””