Pics of the Day

I know it's unsporting of me to be such a little bitch about it but looking at the Cannes line-up every year depresses me, knowing I will never go to there, and so often I just ignore it totally. I mostly like to know about the movies that are right in front of me, ready for consumption, because I am desperately impatient and also -- once I know what the movies are I try to immediately forget everything I know so when I do sit down to watch them I can see them with the freshest eyes possible. It's not the wisest way to play things for a person who's posting about movies all day every day but I don't think any of you picture me first, second, or five-hundredth when the word "wise" comes up. 

Anyway! The Cannes 2026 line-up did indeed drop today and I couldn't help myself for some reason this year, I looked. And now I'm annoyed. But a couple of images from this year's line-up grabbed my eye and felt like they deserved a post, and here we are -- up top that's the first image of Rami Malek in Ira Sachs' new movie, an 80s-set musical called The Man I Love that is about the AIDS epidemic. Ira Sachs has never made a movie I haven't liked and he's given me no reason to date to not trust him but my god that Team-America-adjacent description, and the fact that the movie stars the man who spat on Freddie Mercury's memory and was handed an Oscar for it in turn, gives me some pause! But I want it to be good so I'll shut up. And then down below is a shot of Exxxtreme Frenchies Vincent Cassel & Pierre Niney in Asghar Farhadi's new film Parallel Tales, which also stars the extraordinary gallic triumverate of Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, and one Catherine fuckin' Deneuve. High hopes, then! We'll pretend we're not filled with hate and just be hopeful. What from the line-up grabbed your eye? 

Criterion Brings the Heat to May

I feel as if Lawrence Kasdan's Body Heat should be a July or August release, but Criterion has deemed it for this May and who am I to argue -- that's the first title in their May line-up which has just been revealed today and I'm already sweating with antici.... pation. That scorching neo-noir is perfection and I can't wait to see every bead of sweat dripping from William Hurt's mustache in gorgeous 4K. Gimme! 

 

It's a truly stellar roster for the month though -- also included are two of last year's absolute best movies (both of them figured into my favorites of 2025 list) with Joachim Trier's Oscar-nominated Sentimental Value (and I am obsessed with that Chris Ware cover art-work!) and Ira Sachs' Peter Hujar's Day (read my review of that one here). And speaking of Ira Sachs...

... his first film 1996's The Delta is also getting a drop, which rules. It's a lovely intimate little gay drama that showed we were in for a real one with Sachs. Sachs has never made a bad film that I've seen and I've seen I think like 90% of what he's done? I've never seen Married Life or Forty Shades of Blue but everything else is top-tier stellar.

As for classics getting their deserved 4K upgrades there is Bob Fosse's Lenny, the 1974 black-and-white bio-pic of the comedian Lenny Bruce starring Dustin Hoffman, and Kurosawa's 1949 crime thriller masterpiece Stray Dog starring, as ever, Toshiro Mifune. Did somebody say Toshiro Mifune? Toshiro Mifune break!

Ahhhhh I needed that. The final title for Criterion's May slate is the only one I've never seen -- Shu Lea Cheang's 1994 lesbian "cyber punk fantasia" Fresh Kill, but it's been on my list for a good long while now. Anybody ever seen it? It sounds like a trip.

My Top 20 Movies of 2025

A decade or so ago I was doing gigantic elaborate awards every year here that showcased my favorite movies, my favorite performances, and on and on and on... then the last decade happened and I'm lucky I can even get out of bed anymore y'all. Who has that kind of stamina anymore? Not I. Not I! So yes these things -- The Golden Trousers, as I've been calling them since 2007 -- have considerably narrowed. Tis what its. But I do feel proud that both last year and this year I'm at least getting these locked in before I dive head-long into fresh Sundance stuff, which basically marks the start of the next year of movies. (Apologies to the first three weeks of January releases every single year but you know what you did.) I'm doing Sundance virtually again this year but that still means that I'll be mostly off-line while I do that, so it's likely there'll be no MNPP for you starting this Wednesday, lasting about a week. And so it's best I get this done immediately, before that happens! Otherwise who knows, it could be months knowing me. So let us brush off these 2025 concerns as I head into the future, with one last glance back toward the past with 20 of '25s gifts and wonders....

My 20 Favorite Movies of 2025

20 -- SIRAT

19 -- AFTER THE HUNT

-- Read my review here! -- 

18 -- LURKER

-- Read my review here! -- 

17 -- PETER HUJAR'S DAY

-- Read my review here! -- 

16 -- WAKE UP DEAD MAN

15 -- THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME

-- Read my review here! -- 

14 -- BLACK BAG

-- Read my review here! -- 

13 -- DUST BUNNY

-- Read my review here! -- 

12 -- THE SECRET AGENT

11 -- MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART 1

10 -- SENTIMENTAL VALUE

9 -- GRIFFIN IN SUMMER

-- Read my review here! -- 

8 -- BUGONIA

-- Read my review here! -- 

7-- THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE

6 -- THE HISTORY OF SOUND

-- Read my review here! -- 

5 -- NO OTHER CHOICE

-- Read my review here! -- 

4 -- PILLION

-- Read my review here! -- 

3 -- PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF

-- Read my review here! -- 

2 -- MARTY SUPREME

-- Read my review here! -- 

1 -- ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

-- Read my review here! -- 

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I have like 20 runners-up but fuck it, 

I'm done. Goodbye forever, 2025! 

Ben Whishaw Eight Times

A perfect distillation of why I hate Awards Season can currently be seen by the fact that Ben Whishaw isn't getting any attention for his killer low-key work in Ira Sachs' Peter Hujar's Day (reviewed here) -- I'm not saying he's my pick for peformance of the year (sorry haters but that remains to be Timmy) but there are about three or four people actually getting nominated for things that I think Ben acts circles around. Oh well! Awards stay meaningless but I'll be able to revisit this film forever (or until the world explodes, whichever comes first). These shows weren't made to honor this kind of subtle work though, so I get it -- I still maintain that Ben is our Great Gay Hope for our first out Best Actor winner. (Unless Ian McKellen's finally given a role like he was with Gods & Monsters again, anyway.) For now since we' not getting to see him at the statue-shows we'll just enjoy this new lusciously-locked photoshoot of Ben for Man About Town magazine; hit the jump for 'em all...

Talk To Me, Ben Whishaw

This one won't be for everyone but I quite liked Peter Hujar's Day, Ira Sachs' new film starring Ben Whishaw & Rebecca Hall, at NYFF -- click over to Pajiba to read my review today! It's a hangout movie where a lot of the hanging out is banal but I think that's part of its point? Anyway as I say over there -- who the hell wouldn't want to just hang out with Ben Whishaw & Rebecca Hall for 76 minutes? It was like heaven to me. (I previously shared the trailer right here.)

Peter Hujar's Day is Coming

It's turning out to be a very gay day today and I wouldn't have it any other way -- I just shared the news that the leather love story Pillion is screening at NYFF and I believe that the closested cop drama Plainclothes (which I reviewed right here) is supposed to get a trailer at some point today. But first we've got the poster and the trailer for Ira Sachs' new movie Peter Hujar's Day, which stars Ben Whishaw as the titular gay photographer alongside Rebecca Hall as Hujar's good friend, journalist Linda Rosenkrantz. The two spent a day talking on the record in 1974 and this film documents that day and conversation. Couldn't be more excited -- it hits theaters on November 7th! Watch:

NYFF Make My Dreams Come True

Just a couple of weeks ago I shared the poster and a teaser trailer for Park Chan-wook's new movie No Other Choice starring his ol' pal Byung-hun Lee and I said therein, and I quote, "This movie's premiering at Venice  and I am keeping all of my assorted limbs knotted up in hope that it'll head to NYFF from there." Well unknot me cuz it came true! NYFF just announced their Main Slate this morning for their 2025 edition and Master Park's movie is up in its business -- as are several other movies I am champing at me bit to gnaw right into. So why not a list? Not counting the Opening Night film (which is Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt and so obviously my jam) here are the 10 movies out of the Main Slate that I'm the most anticipating...

My 10 Most Anitipcated NYFF63 Main Slate Movies

No Other Choice -- dir. Park Chan-wook

There's really nothing I can shriek in enthusiasm about this movie that I haven't been shrieking since it was announced. Park Chan-wook is a god, period, the end.

Jay Kelly -- dir. Noah Baumbach

Normally I try to steer clear of George Clooney vehicles but I tend to love Baumbach movies whatever he throws at me and most importantly he got his gal pal Greta Gerwig acting again. Gerwig seals the deal every time. Plus Patrick WIlson, Laura Dern, Riley Keough, Jim Broadbent, Emily Mortimer, Billy Crudup and Isla Fisher! Also Emily Mortimer co-wrote this! 

The Mastermind -- dir. Kelly Reichardt

Not only is it the never-steers-me-wrong Reichardt behind the camera and not only does the movie star Josh O'Connor but the movie stars Josh o'Connor looking like the raffish lit professor everybody, including the other teachers and parents, are all trying to fuck.

The Secret Agent -- dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho 

Wagner Moura is one of the greatest (and come on, look at the picture, sexiest) on the world stage right now, and his teaming up withthe genius behind Bacurau is white hot shit. Plus Moura won Best Actor at Cannes and Mendonça Filho won Best Director so hopes are obviously big.

Sentimental Value -- dir. Joachim Trier

And speaking of Cannes this follow-up from the director and star of the masterpiece The Worst Person in the World won the Grand Prix at that fest. I will follow these two anywhere, together or seperately, but together tastes best!

Peter Hujar's Day -- dir. Ira Sachs

It's Ben fucking Whishaw playing Peter fucking Hujar -- you think I'm not all over this? Anyway I was extremely annoyed I couldn't see it at Sundance so I'm happy to have been given this second shot, even if I wasted months -- months!!! -- of my life without it. I won't hold it against you, Ben!

Miroirs No. 3 -- Christian Petzold

Since 2012 Christian Petzold has made five straight up masterpieces in a row with Barbara, Phoenix, Transit, Undine, and Afire -- I'm hoping he hasn't broken that streak by daring to make a movie with a title that has more than a single word in it, but I think we might be in safe hands. I mean he's reunited with actress Paula Beer yet again. We're gonna be fine.

The Fence -- dir. Claire Denis

I tend to swing wildly on my opinion of Denis movies, but the main thrust seems to be I like her more recent work while her earlier, typically more lauded works have left me cold. I'm such a maverick! Anyway Denis regular Isaach De Bankolé is her leading man this time, which is always a good sign, but this also co-stars Matt Dillon and Tom Blyth? Mkay.

Rose of Nevada -- dir. Mark Jenkin

Yeah yeah okay it stars Callum Turner and George MacKay

as fisherman, obviously it was gonna make my list. 

That's literally all I know or need to know. Fish me good, fellas!

Landmarks -- dir. Lucrecia Martel

Since The Headless Woman in 2008 

I've been a Lucretia ride-or-die-for-lifer.

Not even reading what this is about. Sign me up.

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Runners-up:  It Was Just an Accident (dir. Jafar Panahi), A House of Dynamite (dir. Kathryn Bigelow), Resurrection (dir. Bi Gan), Romería (dir. Carla Simón), Kontinental ’25 (dir. Radu Jude), If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (dir. Mary Bronstein), Duse (dir. Pietro Marcello)

Just a footnote on the concept of "Runners-up" here -- I literally could have listed every single other movie that didn't make my top ten. The only reason there are runners-up at all is I limited myself to a list of ten. As happens with every NYFF there are titles that come out of nowhere to slam me onto the floor in the best of way, and sometimes the ones I'm most excited about don't totally land. Usually though I always leave NYFF happy, because as I've said before they might not get all of the big exciting world premieres but year after year they do an incredible job curating the movies from around the globe that are the most worth seeing. I love my hometown fest! Click here to buy passes -- general tickets go on sale on September 18th (and earlier for FLC members). The fest runs from September 26 through October 13, 2025. 

Quote of the Day

As we put 2024 behind us officially and move on to the year's first film festival with Sundance kicking off today, let's look at one of our most anticipated titles premiering in the next two weeks there -- Plainclothes, Carmen Emmi's film about a closeted police officer (Tom Blyth, seen above for V Man magazine -- more photos here) falling for a hot dude (Russell Tovey) he arrests for cruising a Syracuse restroom. 

It's got everything! Hot men! Gay sex! Upstate New York! It's like my autobiography y'all. In all seriousness I posted about this movie the second it was announced and I'm extremely happy it's one of the few titles on my most-wanted Sundance list that's doing virtual screenings so I will actually be able to see it! (Pour one out for Ira Sachs' new movie with Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall which I will not be able to see -- SIGH). Anyway there's a chat with Blyth about the movie in Variety today and because sex scenes get all the clicks they talked Plainclothes' sex scenes between the two fellas and here's what he had to say:

"We had an amazing intimacy coordinator, Joey Massa. I’ve worked with a lot of intimacy coordinators and they’re always amazing. Sometimes I feel they’re called in when the scene isn’t even that intimate just because everyone these days is rightfully trying to correct the course and make sure that everyone’s protected. Sometimes you’ll have a kissing scene and you go, “We probably know how to do this.” But this was genuinely intimate stuff. It was really intimate, really vivid, and Joey was incredible. It felt very organic. It felt like we rehearsed it in a way where I think Russell and I both were made to feel confident and comfortable enough that we could lead it. I think it works best when the actors feel emboldened to be able to take control of the choreography and make it feel organic."

I do like the sound of "really intimate" don't you? Those are the kinds of phrases that make my happy places get happy in the first place. Anyway stay tuned for my thoughts on Plainclothes in a couple of weeks -- the virtual screeners don't drop until the end of the fest so it'll be a bit but there's no way I won't have thoughts on this!