Top Ten Favorite: Newer Movies

 "Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own instead of someone else's." (Billy Wilder)

Hello, my lovely friends!

   

    I’m back with another Top 10 list because, honestly, I could do this forever and I’m having way too much fun dreaming these up. You all know my heart belongs to the classic black-and-white era, and my Twitter friends still tease me about whether I’ve actually seen a movie made in the last decade. I keep telling them I’m current, but let’s be real,nothing beats the vintage stuff.

 

That said, watching movies with Mike on his nights off has definitely forced me to broaden my horizons. He’s the "new release" champion, so my 2025 watchlist actually saw some modern action. I have to admit, I caught some truly fantastic films this past year that didn't involve a single grain of vintage film flicker.

 

     Topping the list is Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. I know, I know—do we really need another version? But trust me, this one is gorgeous. It’s less "fire bad" and more of a haunting, tragic poem that makes you want to give the creature a giant hug. Following close behind is Sinners, which is Michael B. Jordan’s double-duty masterpiece. It’s a supernatural thriller set in the 1930s South, and let’s just say it puts a very "bloody" spin on the blues. If you’re in the mood for something that looks like a classic but feels totally fresh, these two are the gold standard.

Then we have the Wicked double-feature—the original and Wicked: For Good. I’m not saying I cried during "Defying Gravity," but I’m not saying I didn't, either. Seeing the story of Elphaba and Glinda play out with such scale was a total treat, and yes, I may have hummed the soundtrack for three days straight afterward. On a completely different note, Ballerina took me by surprise. It’s a spin-off from the John Wick world, and watching Ana de Armas absolutely dismantle a room full of bad guys while maintaining the grace of a principal dancer was the kind of catharsis I didn't know I needed.

For those of you who like your movies a little more "edge-of-your-seat," Weapons and The Housemaid are essential. Weapons is a creepy mystery about a whole classroom of kids vanishing, and it’s the kind of story that makes you want to double-check the locks on the front door. The Housemaid, based on that book everyone was passing around last year, is a delicious psychological thriller. It’s full of secrets, wealthy people behaving badly, and enough twists to give you whiplash. It’s basically a high-stakes soap opera with a much better budget.

Rounding out the list are some real gems like Good Boy, which features a dog trying to save his owner from something supernatural—it’s heart-tugging and scary all at once. Then there’s The Monkey, an Osgood Perkins adaptation of Stephen King’s story that is just as unsettling as you’d expect from a cursed toy. Finally, Companion is a wild sci-fi ride about a weekend getaway gone wrong that explores what happens when "companionship" gets a little too artificial. It’s been a great year for movies, and I’d love to know if any of these have made it onto your radar yet!

        Looking at my list makes me want to watch those all over again. I must admit that I’ve seen the two Wicked movies a handful of times already. Frankenstein, Sinners, and Weapons I’ve watched a couple of times. Out of everything Frankenstein and Sinners are my top picks.     

Top Ten Favorite: Newer Movies
1. Frankenstein
2. Sinners
3. Wicked
4. Wicked: For Good
5. Ballerina
6. Weapons
7. The Housemaid
8. Good Boy
9. The Monkey
10. Companion

 It was a treat having you stop by! Whatever the sun or moon is doing in your neck of the woods, I hope it’s treating you well. Until our next encounter... Ciao for now!