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 June 2025.
The Phoenician Scheme
Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda appoints his only daughter, a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, and determined assassins.
I recently wrote at length about The Phoenician Scheme, one of my favorite films of 2025, and a perfect film for my blog’s mission of looking for God’s “cloudy picture in a mirror.”
The gospel message is never directly shared in The Phoenician Scheme. God briefly makes an appearance. Liesl the nun speaks a few times on forgiveness. But rather than evangelizing, she relies on her character and her actions to be her Christian witness. And actions really are the film's focus: the good, the bad, and how those actions reflect our hearts.
It’s a common pitfall for Christians and non-Christians alike to mistake salvation as something achievable through works. But The Phoenician Scheme is careful to show that works are the result of salvation, not the cause. It’s a beautiful message in a beautifully unexpected turn from writer and director Wes Anderson. I absolutely loved it. You can read my extended thoughts below.
★★★★★
Deep Cover
Kat is an improv comedy teacher beginning to question if she’s missed her shot at success. When an undercover cop offers her the role of a lifetime, she recruits two of her students to infiltrate London’s gangland by impersonating dangerous criminals.
Deep Cover is a fun watch! It feels disposable / forgettable in a way that a lot of modern streaming does unfortunately, but it’s still got some good jokes and nice cast chemistry.
Speaking of chemistry, I hope we see more trio comedies like this. Buddy cop duos and ensemble films are common, but I can’t think of many films that take advantage of how great it is to have three contrasting personalities clashing.
Each performance is hilarious, from Orlando Bloom as a way-too-committed actor to Nick Mohammed as a flustered newbie and Bryce Dallas Howard as their in-over-her-head instructor. That combo (plus a funny script) really is what makes this work.
★★★☆☆ | Watch now on Amazon Prime
How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
Where do I begin with this bizarre experience? 2025’s How To Train Your Dragon contains the same story, dialogue, music, and even shot selections as the original animated film, so I can’t say the film is bad. But the endeavor itself reeks of needlessness. If nothing about the film is being changed then why remake it?
If I enjoy listening to an Elvis impersonator, is it because I think that particular impersonator is great? Or is it because I like Elvis’s music and singing style, so of course I like this person trying to sound just like him?
I’m probably being overly negative for a film that really isn’t bad. It’s just weird, and I have weird feelings about. Watch this remake if you like the original film. Or, you know, just watch the original film.
No star rating (I don’t even know how to rate this)
Predator: Killer of Killers
This original animated anthology follows three of the fiercest warriors in human history: a Viking raider guiding her young son on a bloody quest for revenge, a ninja in feudal Japan who turns against his Samurai brother in a brutal battle for succession, and a WWII pilot who takes to the sky to investigate an otherworldly threat to the Allied cause.
I’m not a huge fan of the Predator franchise, but I heard interesting things about this anthology film and decided to check it out. It’s good! There’s more of an emphasis on action than character here, but that action is animated and choreographed wonderfully. I especially loved a sequence set during World War II, and (unlike many anthologies) I appreciated that the film actually has a proper finale that concludes each character’s arcs.
★★★☆☆ | Watch now on Hulu
Fountain of Youth
A treasure-hunting mastermind assembles a team for a life-changing adventure. But to outwit and outrun threats at every turn, he’ll need someone even smarter than he is: his estranged sister.
Fountain of Youth is a strange misfire from a group of talented filmmakers. Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, The Gentlemen) is simply too good a director to select and shoot this script, especially with such terrible dialogue. It’s not altogether surprising; I’ve found that to be a weakness in other films of his (Wrath of Man comes to mind, great action with terrible dialogue). But it does make for a frustrating experience considering just how well Ritchie stages the action and adventure here.
I have two other issues with the film; one big and one small.
Big issue: John Krasinski is totally miscast. I’m a fan of his, but he just does not work as the quippy, quirky adventurer. The character of Luke was written and directed in a way that called for an “RDJ as Sherlock Holmes” performance, and Krasinski just does not have that in him.
Small issue: the tempo in a lot of the action cues is way too slow. Composer Chris Benstead has been a great collaborator for Guy Ritchie and really elevated a lot of his recent films. But the leisurely pace of Fountain of Youth’s action music—probably intended to communicate a cool, suave protagonist—instead communicates a lack of danger or tension.
I’ve seen worse films this year (Ritchie is too good of a director for this to be a complete disaster), but it’s a disappointing effort from all involved.
★★☆☆☆ | Watch now on Apple TV+