The Secret Agent – 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”

The 48th Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) will take place Oct. 2-12, with screenings at theaters across the North and East Bay.

For a full view of special awards, spotlights, and centerpiece films, check out the complete festival guide. Tickets can be purchased here. Below is a preview of the festival, featuring brief looks at three films:

1.) THE SECRET AGENT
(Brazil, France, Germany, Netherlands, 2025. 158 min.)

The Secret Agent is a blistering 1970s-styled political thriller as prescient today as the film could’ve been in the era in which the story takes place. In a tremendously powerful performance, Wagner Moura (Narcos; Civil War) plays an ex-professor in Brazil who is in hiding with other refugees from the country’s military dictatorship, with numerous authoritative officials after them. Director Kleber Mendonça Filho (Bacurau) soaks The Secret Agent in textural viscerality; the characters are drenched in sweat, the colorful costumes and immaculate set design pop off the screen, and the musical score infuses the slow-burn narrative with mystery and energy.

Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Fri., Oct. 3rd, 6:00pm at CinéArts Sequoia
– Sun., Oct. 5th, 11:15am at Smith Rafael Film Center Continue reading “Film Feature: MVFF48 Festival Preview #1”