🎬 Welcome to Film Buff Corner — your spot for underrated, mind-bending, and thoughtful films. Scroll down to explore mainstream movies & hidden gems.
No results found
Most visited Last 7 days
Horror, Thriller
Synopsis
A group of survivors of the rage virus resides on a small island. When one member ventures to the mainland on a mission, he uncovers secrets, marvels, and terrors that have transformed not just the infected but also the other survivors.
Rating: R 
Directed by: Danny Boyle
Written by: Alex Garland
Trailer
Comedy, Romance
Synopsis
A young, driven matchmaker in New York City struggles to choose between her ideal match and her flawed former flame.
Rating: R
Directed by: Celine Song
Written by: Celine Song
Trailer
Materialists (2025)
Materialists (2025), written and directed by Celine Song (Past Lives), is a glossy romantic film that tries to unpack modern dating—from luxury-driven courtship to the emotional consequences of treating love like currency.
What Works
Thoughtful Concept & Sharp Social Commentary
The film smartly critiques contemporary dating culture, exploring how society increasingly views prospective partners through rigid metrics—wealth, status, and physical attributes. Through her matchmaking business in Manhattan, Lucy (Dakota Johnson) facilitates these transactional unions, and the narrative questions whether love can ever transcend its economic trappings.
Strong Supporting Presence
While the central love triangle sometimes falters, Zoe Winters delivers a standout turn as a disillusioned client, adding emotional texture and thematic weight.
Elegant Cinematography & Production Design
Shabier Kirchner’s visuals juxtapose the pristine world of luxury and tailoring with gritty, lived-in spaces. Costume design and NYC locations contribute to a film that looks polished and layered.
What Falls Short
Emotional Flatness & Lack of Chemistry
Multiple critics observed a notable absence of big emotional stakes. Dakota Johnson’s performance as Lucy is stylish and controlled—but often detached. The romance with Harry (Pedro Pascal) and ex‑boyfriend John (Chris Evans) rarely sparks, rendering the love triangle unconvincing.
Narrative Treadmill Runs Dry
What begins as a sharp deconstruction of romantic tropes devolves into the same beats it aimed to critique. The film eventually reverts to familiar rom‑com formulas, sacrificing emotional nuance for tidy resolution.
Tonally Uneven & Overstuffed
Materialists juggles multiple threads—Lucy’s psyche, satire of the wealthy clients, and her personal triangle—but struggles to unify them. Pacing drags in the second act, and the resolution feels overly neat compared to the premise.
Final Verdict
Materialists is visually sleek, socially observant, and occasionally provocative—but ultimately conflicted in tone. Celine Song presents a Mumbai of ideas—on wealth, romance, and class—but the characters rarely feel alive, and the emotional pulse is missing.
For viewers interested in thoughtful interrogations of modern love, with stylish visuals and an indie edge, Materialists offers occasional insight. But those seeking emotional authenticity, satisfying chemistry, or genuine romantic payoff may find it too cool, too calculated, and ultimately too distant.
Comedy, Crime
Synopsis
A veteran pot dealer creates a fake family as part of his plan to move a huge shipment of weed into the U.S. from Mexico.
Rating: R
Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Written by: Bob Fisher, Steve Faber, Sean Anders
Trailer
28 Years Later (2025), directed by Danny Boyle and co-written with Alex Garland, returns viewers to the desolate aftermath of the rage virus nearly three decades later. This installment shifts focus from run-and-gore action to a reflective exploration of survival, community, and mortality—anchored in the journey of 12‑year‑old Spike (Alfie Williams) and his family on a secluded British island community.
What Works
Striking Visual Storytelling
Shot innovatively with iPhone rigs by cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, the film merges handheld immediacy with lush, pastoral imagery. This gives execution scenes emotional weight without sacrificing visceral tension.
Emotionally Rich Performances
Williams is a standout as Spike—grounded and intense—while Jodie Comer delivers a quiet, haunting portrayal of Isla nursing a mysterious illness. Ralph Fiennes elevates the film with a memorable role as Dr. Kelson.
Philosophical Ambition Over Franchise Comfort
Rather than mimic past horror beats, the film explores themes of grief, legacy, and mortality. Spike’s rite of passage and eventual decision to embrace an uncertain future reflect thoughtful coming-of-age arcs within a world-in-collapse backdrop.
Innovative Sound & Score
Composer Young Fathers and sound designer Johnnie Burn articulate a soundtrack that pulses with industrial dread and elegiac resonance, supporting the film's tonal shifts.
What Doesn’t
Tone and Pacing Inconsistency
Critics observed that the first half pulses with intensity through gore-laced horror, while the second rhythmically slows into introspective drama—creating a tonal imbalance that may disengage some viewers.
Underdeveloped Allegories
Though the film gestures at geopolitical themes—Brexit, pandemic trauma, extremism—it doesn’t fully explore them. Their symbolic weight often remains tantalizing but elusive.
Plot Holes & Clunky Setup for Sequels
The abrupt, surreal final twist—introducing the cult-like figure Sir Jimmy Crystal—has raised eyebrows, shifting genre tone and hinting at future conflict while leaving many narrative strands dangling.
Verdict
28 Years Later is a bold pivot from grisly zombie hangout to reflective psychodrama. It sacrifices some raw horror in favor of poetic, emotional territory. At times fragmented and tonally uneven, it succeeds through its performances, inventive visuals, and visionary ambition. This is not the visceral ride fans may expect—but it’s undeniably intriguing.
Recommended for those who appreciate horror with heart and philosophical layer.
This film also sets up the next chapter—28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, slated for release in January 2026, and shot back-to-back with this one.
Action, Adventure, Comedy
Synopsis
As an ancient threat looms over the isle of Berk, putting both Vikings and dragons in danger, the bond between Hiccup, a resourceful Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, holds the power to shape a new future for both species.
Rating: PG
Directed by: Dean DeBlois
Written by: Dean DeBlois, Cressida Cowell, William Davies
Trailer
Drama
Synopsis
About a Japanese family that gathers together on the anniversary of the son's death, and its nature gradually becomes clear.
Rating: NR
Directed by: Hirokazu Koreeda
Written by: Hirokazu Koreeda
Trailer
Nosferatu (2024)
Nosferatu is a visually captivating reimagining of the iconic vampire tale that excels in style but falters in substance. The film’s strongest elements—its costume design, production design, makeup, and score—work in harmony to evoke the eerie, gothic atmosphere of its period setting with remarkable authenticity. The painstaking attention to detail in these areas brings the world to life, transporting viewers to a shadowy, hauntingly beautiful past.
The costumes are masterfully crafted, each piece rich with texture and historical accuracy, enhancing the believability of the characters and the era. The production design, too, is a triumph, featuring meticulously designed sets that immerse the audience in dimly lit, claustrophobic interiors and fog-laden landscapes. The makeup team deserves special mention for their chillingly effective work on the titular vampire and other supernatural elements, lending the film a sense of menace that lingers long after the visuals fade. The haunting score further underscores the film’s gothic tone, weaving through scenes with an ominous elegance that elevates the tension and mood.
However, as breathtaking as the film is on a surface level, its core feels disappointingly hollow. The dialogue lacks the sharpness or depth needed to make the characters memorable, while the story leans heavily on recycled tropes and shock moments rather than delivering a fresh or meaningful narrative. This reliance on spectacle over substance undermines the film's potential, leaving it feeling more like a collection of beautifully curated moments than a cohesive, impactful whole.
Ultimately, Nosferatu is a frustrating experience—a film that showcases the immense talent of its production team but fails to back up its aesthetic accomplishments with compelling storytelling. It’s an example of style triumphing over substance, leaving viewers to marvel at its visuals while lamenting its lack of narrative weight.
Score: 6/10
Top Recommendations
Latest Posts
New Trailers & Exclusives
Latest Comments
Quotes
You is kind. You is smart. You is important.The Help (2011)
Why do we fall, sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.Batman Begins (2005)
You had me at hello.Jerry Maguire (1996)
That woman loves humanity but can't stand people..Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012)
Even the bad guys love their mothers...3:10 to Yuma (2017)
Chaos is an order to decipher.José and Pilar (2010)
Followers
Year
Genre
ContactForm1
Smart Search
Featured Posts
Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Synopsis
Through a failed medical experiment, the priest becomes apathetic and is forced to abandon by asceticism.
Rating: R
Directed by: Chan-wook Park
Written by: Émile Zola, Chan-wook Park
Trailer
Most visited Last 30 days
Action, Comedy
Synopsis
A mercenary accepts the task of locating a target on an aircraft but must safeguard her when they are encircled by individuals' intent on killing them both.
Rating: R
Directed by: James Madigan
Written by: Brooks McLaren, D.J. Cotrona
Trailer.
Biography, Drama, Sport
Synopsis
The remarkable true story of athlete Diana Nyad who, at the age of 60 and with the help of her best friend and coach, commits to achieving her life-long dream: a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Florida.
Rating: PG-13
Directed by: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Written by: Julia Cox, Diana Nyad
Trailer
Comedy, Crime
Synopsis
A veteran pot dealer creates a fake family as part of his plan to move a huge shipment of weed into the U.S. from Mexico.
Rating: R
Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Written by: Bob Fisher, Steve Faber, Sean Anders
Trailer
Drama
Synopsis
About a Japanese family that gathers together on the anniversary of the son's death, and its nature gradually becomes clear.
Rating: NR
Directed by: Hirokazu Koreeda
Written by: Hirokazu Koreeda
Trailer
28 Years Later (2025), directed by Danny Boyle and co-written with Alex Garland, returns viewers to the desolate aftermath of the rage virus nearly three decades later. This installment shifts focus from run-and-gore action to a reflective exploration of survival, community, and mortality—anchored in the journey of 12‑year‑old Spike (Alfie Williams) and his family on a secluded British island community.
What Works
Striking Visual Storytelling
Shot innovatively with iPhone rigs by cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, the film merges handheld immediacy with lush, pastoral imagery. This gives execution scenes emotional weight without sacrificing visceral tension.
Emotionally Rich Performances
Williams is a standout as Spike—grounded and intense—while Jodie Comer delivers a quiet, haunting portrayal of Isla nursing a mysterious illness. Ralph Fiennes elevates the film with a memorable role as Dr. Kelson.
Philosophical Ambition Over Franchise Comfort
Rather than mimic past horror beats, the film explores themes of grief, legacy, and mortality. Spike’s rite of passage and eventual decision to embrace an uncertain future reflect thoughtful coming-of-age arcs within a world-in-collapse backdrop.
Innovative Sound & Score
Composer Young Fathers and sound designer Johnnie Burn articulate a soundtrack that pulses with industrial dread and elegiac resonance, supporting the film's tonal shifts.
What Doesn’t
Tone and Pacing Inconsistency
Critics observed that the first half pulses with intensity through gore-laced horror, while the second rhythmically slows into introspective drama—creating a tonal imbalance that may disengage some viewers.
Underdeveloped Allegories
Though the film gestures at geopolitical themes—Brexit, pandemic trauma, extremism—it doesn’t fully explore them. Their symbolic weight often remains tantalizing but elusive.
Plot Holes & Clunky Setup for Sequels
The abrupt, surreal final twist—introducing the cult-like figure Sir Jimmy Crystal—has raised eyebrows, shifting genre tone and hinting at future conflict while leaving many narrative strands dangling.
Verdict
28 Years Later is a bold pivot from grisly zombie hangout to reflective psychodrama. It sacrifices some raw horror in favor of poetic, emotional territory. At times fragmented and tonally uneven, it succeeds through its performances, inventive visuals, and visionary ambition. This is not the visceral ride fans may expect—but it’s undeniably intriguing.
Recommended for those who appreciate horror with heart and philosophical layer.
This film also sets up the next chapter—28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, slated for release in January 2026, and shot back-to-back with this one.
Deep Cover (2025)
Deep Cover (2025), directed by Tom Kingsley and now streaming on Prime Video, blends action, crime, and comedy in a distinctly British package. The premise? Three aspiring actors—Kat (Bryce Dallas Howard), Marlon (Orlando Bloom), and Hugh (Nick Mohammed)—are recruited for police undercover work, using their improv skills to infiltrate London's criminal underworld.
What Works
Entertaining ensemble: Bryce Dallas Howard brings charm and energy as the improv teacher. Orlando Bloom shines with comedic timing, and Nick Mohammed's lovable awkwardness adds levity and heart.
Sharp writing & pacing: Critics commend the witty script and brisk pace—Decider calls it "well‑paced, amusing escapism," while Tom’s Guide notes its 95% Rotten Tomatoes approval and satisfying blend of humor and deft action.
Genre fusion: The film enjoys a reputation as a "finely‑tuned action‑comedy" infused with just enough crime‑drama edge to keep stakes high while laughter flows.
What Doesn’t
Surface-level depth: Some critics feel the characters aren’t fully fleshed out. Its comedic, lightweight tone means it doesn’t dive deep into emotional complexity.
Conventional arc: Though entertaining, the film doesn't break new ground beyond its core premise—improv actors caught in real criminal heat.
Final Take
Deep Cover is a breezy, crowd-pleasing action-comedy elevated by its cast’s dynamics and clever premise. If you enjoy shows like Barry or crime comedies with quirky edges, it’s worth your time. It won’t leave a lasting mark—but for a light, fun watch with occasional surprises, it hits the spot.
Action, Adventure, Comedy
Synopsis
As an ancient threat looms over the isle of Berk, putting both Vikings and dragons in danger, the bond between Hiccup, a resourceful Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, holds the power to shape a new future for both species.
Rating: PG
Directed by: Dean DeBlois
Written by: Dean DeBlois, Cressida Cowell, William Davies
Trailer
Materialists (2025)
Materialists (2025), written and directed by Celine Song (Past Lives), is a glossy romantic film that tries to unpack modern dating—from luxury-driven courtship to the emotional consequences of treating love like currency.
What Works
Thoughtful Concept & Sharp Social Commentary
The film smartly critiques contemporary dating culture, exploring how society increasingly views prospective partners through rigid metrics—wealth, status, and physical attributes. Through her matchmaking business in Manhattan, Lucy (Dakota Johnson) facilitates these transactional unions, and the narrative questions whether love can ever transcend its economic trappings.
Strong Supporting Presence
While the central love triangle sometimes falters, Zoe Winters delivers a standout turn as a disillusioned client, adding emotional texture and thematic weight.
Elegant Cinematography & Production Design
Shabier Kirchner’s visuals juxtapose the pristine world of luxury and tailoring with gritty, lived-in spaces. Costume design and NYC locations contribute to a film that looks polished and layered.
What Falls Short
Emotional Flatness & Lack of Chemistry
Multiple critics observed a notable absence of big emotional stakes. Dakota Johnson’s performance as Lucy is stylish and controlled—but often detached. The romance with Harry (Pedro Pascal) and ex‑boyfriend John (Chris Evans) rarely sparks, rendering the love triangle unconvincing.
Narrative Treadmill Runs Dry
What begins as a sharp deconstruction of romantic tropes devolves into the same beats it aimed to critique. The film eventually reverts to familiar rom‑com formulas, sacrificing emotional nuance for tidy resolution.
Tonally Uneven & Overstuffed
Materialists juggles multiple threads—Lucy’s psyche, satire of the wealthy clients, and her personal triangle—but struggles to unify them. Pacing drags in the second act, and the resolution feels overly neat compared to the premise.
Final Verdict
Materialists is visually sleek, socially observant, and occasionally provocative—but ultimately conflicted in tone. Celine Song presents a Mumbai of ideas—on wealth, romance, and class—but the characters rarely feel alive, and the emotional pulse is missing.
For viewers interested in thoughtful interrogations of modern love, with stylish visuals and an indie edge, Materialists offers occasional insight. But those seeking emotional authenticity, satisfying chemistry, or genuine romantic payoff may find it too cool, too calculated, and ultimately too distant.