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 September 2025.
Weapons
When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.
I really try my best not to bring existing baggage into a film with me, but I was admittedly thrown off by how different Weapons is from the thought-provoking mystery thriller that the advertising promised. I enjoyed the film most when it was interrogating how a community deals with such a devastating event, something that it oddly didn’t care to spend much time on.
Regardless, Zach Cregger is a great director, and scene to scene it’s a fun (and often funny) watch, even if the overall result isn’t as great as I’d hoped.
★★★☆☆
The Long Walk
In a dystopian, alternate-America ruled by a totalitarian regime, 50 teenage boys take part in a deadly annual walking contest, forced to maintain a minimum pace or be executed, until only one survivor remains.
Stephen King adaptations are three for three this year (The Life of Chuck, The Monkey).
I really appreciated that The Long Walk functions like a single-set play, placing the emphasis on individuals in dialogue with one another. Sure, that dialogue is often on-the-nose and unsubtle, but so are many play adaptations I love (The Sunset Limited, One Night in Miami…).
Cooper Hoffman delivers another strong performance in his young career, but it’s David Jonsson who steals the show by the end. These two performances alongside Francis Lawrence’s steady directorial hand really make this work.
I don’t always mention MPAA ratings, but I do want to mention to my readers that this is a (surprisingly) R-rated film. Despite the dark premise, I expected a dystopia focused on teen protagonists to be aimed a little more at general audiences, but the heavy language throughout is frankly distracting at times.
★★★★☆
The Conjuring: Last Rites
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren take on one last terrifying case involving mysterious entities they must confront.
The (supposedly) final entry in The Conjuring series, Last Rites is an improvement on the third film, but still nowhere as good as James Wan’s first two brilliant films. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga really do add so much heart to the series though. Even a weaker story like this still feels satisfying due to the strength of their characters and performances.
If fans of the franchise go in with moderate expectations, they should have a good time!
★★★☆☆
The Naked Gun
Only one man has the particular set of skills… to lead Police Squad and save the world: Lt. Frank Drebin Jr.
The Naked Gun is the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen in a long time (that’s a compliment). Director Akiva Schaffer continues to prove himself as one of the best comedic directors in Hollywood, and Liam Neeson’s self-serious demeanor was the perfect casting choice in continuing this film series.
There’s truthfully a rating ceiling for a film like this with endless deadpan and dad jokes, but if you let go and just embrace the silliness, it’s one of the funniest films you’ll see this year.
★★★☆☆
F1
F1 is best described as “Top Gun: Maverick Lite.”
It’s undoubtedly one of the most technically impressive blockbusters of the 2020s, from the camera swivels and car mounts to Hans Zimmer’s catchy and emotionally compelling score. This all contributes to a film that looks and sounds fantastic, especially during the many racing scenes. Brad Pitt isn’t doing anything new, but he still has enough star power to lead a group of reliable character actors from Javier Bardem to Jodie Comer.
Unfortunately F1 is missing that something special in the story department. It doesn’t feel as haphazardly thrown together as some action films do (just buying time for the next action set piece), but you do start to feel like more care was taken in accurately recreating Formula One races than in crafting an emotionally resonant story. It’s not even a bad story, but “an aging and unruly star proves he’s still got it and learns to work with a team” isn’t exactly a unique concept, and at times the script seems to simply be going through the motions.
A successful and entertaining film, but one that doesn’t quite reach greatness.
★★★☆☆ (3.5 stars)