Cinema Snapshots: January 2026
What I watched last month...
Welcome to this month’s Cinema Snapshots! At the beginning of each month, I reflect on what I watched the prior month and provide a quick “snapshot” of my thoughts on those films. So without further ado, here are my Cinema Snapshots for December 2025.
Eternity
In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with and her first love, who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.
Eternity was recommended to me by my sister and it completely defied my expectations. It’s sweet, funny, heart-wrenching, dramatic, poignant, and romantic all at once. The film takes every cliche in the book and finds a way to make it feel fresh. And with a strong leading trio of Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner, there’s a lot to love here.
★★★★☆
Apocalypse in the Tropics
When does a democracy end and a theocracy begin? Petra Costa investigates the increasingly powerful grip Christian evangelical leaders hold over politics in Brazil. She gains extraordinary access to the country’s top political leaders, including President Lula and former president Bolsonaro, as well as to Brazil’s most famous televangelist: a magnetic pastor who aspires to play puppet master to the far-right leader.
I’ll admit my ignorance to the cultures and politics of other countries, but I had no idea that Christian evangelicals were transforming Brazilian politics in the same way we’ve seen here in the United States, down to the same phrasing and rhetoric. Apocalypse in the Tropics is a great documentary interrogating the how and why behind it all, particularly well shot and edited.
This was a personal nomination of mine for the “Best Documentary” category in the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and even though it didn’t get in, I highly recommend it.
“Everything that happens has happened before; nothing is new, nothing under the sun.” - Ecclesiastes 1:9
★★★★☆
People We Meet on Vacation
Poppy’s a free spirit. Alex loves a plan. After years of summer vacations, these polar-opposite pals wonder if they could be a perfect romantic match.
Netflix’s new romcom (based on Emily Henry’s book of the same name) features strong lead performances and an interesting hook, but is simply way too fast paced. At just 109 minutes (including credits) the film has little time to let the audience get to know the characters (or even enjoy their vacations), which leads to minimal investment in the romantic relationship. It’s a well shot film and far from awful, but it could have been far better than the surface level romance it ultimately provides.
★★★☆☆
Disneyland Handcrafted
Oscar and Emmy nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks returns with an all-new Disney documentary giving viewers an up-close look at the dedication, effort, and passion that was required to realize a dream that would go on to inspire millions around the world.
You have to go into any Disney-produced documentary expecting a certain level of propaganda – of course they’re releasing a film that talks about how great they are. But Leslie Iwerks has a real talent for storytelling, and the archival footage in Disneyland Hnadcrafted is masterfully restored and edited together. It’s impressive when documentaries can be told solely through old footage and voicovers, nothing new.
★★★☆☆
Shelter
A man living in self-imposed exile on a remote island rescues a young girl from a violent storm, setting off a chain of events that forces him out of seclusion to protect her from enemies tied to his past.
I hate to be reductive, but at this point you know what you’re getting when it comes to Jason Statham films. Sure you get some unique variants (his Guy Ritchie collaborations come to mind), but he’s found his niche making a very particular (often one note) type of film. It’s not a sub-genre I particularly enjoy, but I’m home with my seven month old and the screener hit my inbox so I gave it a shot.
Shelter is competently made, relies effectively on music and visuals during long dialogue-free stretches, and – for awhile at least – tries to be something different before falling back into the same action beats and cliches Statham has become known for. I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it, but there’s enough here for fans of his to have a good time.
★★☆☆☆
Miracle: The Boys of ‘80
This is the story of the “Miracle on Ice,” when the 1980 US Hockey Team beat the USSR in the Olympic semi-finals at the height of the Cold War to bring home a gold medal. Their iconic underdog story is told with never-before-seen 16mm footage and firsthand reflections from the players who were brought back to the scene of their historic victory.
Miracle: The Boys of ‘80 is an uplifting documentary with high quality archival footage. There’s far less “new” info here than one would expect (if anything, I was surprised how much the 2004 movie Miracle stayed true to this story), but I greatly enjoyed hearing this story from the mouths of those who lived it.
★★★☆☆
The Rip
Trust frays when a team of Miami cops discovers millions in cash inside a run-down stash house, calling everyone — and everything — into question.
The Rip is a suspenseful and twist-filled action flick reminiscent of Tony Scott’s early 2000s films. At times it takes itself too seriously (c’mon, have fun!), and I didn’t always love how the action was shot and cut, but the superb lighting and high contrast cinematography makes up for it. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon always deliver, and it’s fun to see this duo onscreen together (alongside a tremendous – and frankly overqualified – supporting cast.
★★★☆☆
One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5
An inside look at the years of effort and craft that went into the final installment of the Duffer Brothers’ generation-defining series.
It’s refreshing to see this level of honesty and lack of censorship for such a major franchise. I remember with great fondness watching the Star Wars prequel documentaries and featurettes as a teenager and seeing George Lucas work through each film (disasters and all). I got a similar feeling here.
Sure, the filmmakers seem over their head at times, but it’s great to see a behind the scenes film that actually shows the cast and crew troubleshoot issues instead of simply a PR puff piece about how great each actor is. This is what “making of” documentaries should be.
★★★☆☆
