By Larry Lee
The Summer Solstice has come and gone, and thus each passing day is getting imperceptibly shorter. So it’s time for my annual Half Oscars™ awards, honoring the best movies from the first half of the year. As in previous years, I am limiting myself to movies I saw in theaters, with some exceptions as noted. Also, as in past Half Oscars™ essays, movies from 2024 that were submitted for International Feature Film Oscar consideration yet only released in the U.S. (in theaters or for streaming) in 2025 are, rather randomly, rendered ineligible for this list because I considered them in my annual “Best of…” list for 2024. (That is, no double counting.) This category includes some really great movies, such as I’m Still Here (from Brazil, on Netflix), and The Seed of the Sacred Fig (an Iranian film in Farsi, but from Germany) (stream on Hulu or rent on Prime). I strongly recommend both.
Mass Market pictures: The first six months of 2025 left me feeling that this has been a down year for movies. Looking at the top ten grossing movies in the world (without discussing the Chinese juggernaut Ne Zha 2, which - despite an astounding worldwide gross of $1.8 billion - grossed a paltry $20 million in the USA), eight of the remaining nine movies are based on preexisting intellectual property, led by A Minecraft Movie based on the Minecraft video game. (I didn’t see that film, as I follow a general rule of avoiding movies based on video games.) Despite predictions of gloom and doom, the Marvel Cinematic Universe [MCU] continues apace with Captain America: Brave New World ($415 million) and Thunderbolts* ($380 million). Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt chugs along in Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning ($564 million).
But the one movie among the top ten grossers that is based on original creative material, Ryan Coogler’s Black Southern Gothic/vampire mashup Sinners ($362 million), gives one hope that we can still see new and original stories. If you have a modest tolerance for gore and violence, you may find this movie worth your time; it barely missed my Half Oscars™ list. (In theaters) (137 min.)
Smaller films: Looking past these mass-marketed crowd pleasers, many interesting movies, both small indie ones and more heralded ones, were released in the first half of the year that, despite just missing out on my Half Oscars™ list, are well worth seeing. These include:
•Mickey 17 (stream on Max, rent on Prime) (137 min.) Director Bong Joon-Ho’s (Parasite) latest movie is a goofy sci-fi epic with sly political overtones, starring Robert Pattinson as an “expendable,” a low level employee who is routinely killed while engaging in risky corporate jobs but is then simply recreated by a cloning procedure and sent out on another job. I also enjoyed the always-good Mark Ruffalo as the trying-too-hard Trump wannabe leader.
•On Swift Horses ($20 Prime rental) (119 min.) This is an old-fashioned, sweeping romantic drama about a woman finding her place in the world, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones (Twisters) and Jacob Elordi (Saltburn).
•Bob Trevino Likes It ($6 rental on Prime) (101 min.) This movie presents a touching story of a young woman (Barbie Ferreira) clinging to life’s bottom rung. She has no familial or financial support, no one to provide emotional support. But by coincidence, she finds a lifeline in a stranger, played by John Leguizamo, doing perhaps the best work of his professional career.
•Black Bag (stream on Peacock, $6 rental on Prime) (93 min.) Veteran director Steven Soderbergh (Logan Lucky, Magic Mike, Contagion, Ocean’s Eleven, Traffic, Erin Brockovich) provides us with an intricate and expertly crafted spy thriller, starring A-listers Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs, 12 Years a Slave, several X-men movies) and Cate Blanchett (Tár, Nightmare Alley, Carol, Blue Jasmine). This one is for grown-ups and rewards close observation, for like any good director, he shows us what is happening instead of telling us what is happening.
•The Alto Knights (stream on Max, $6 rental on Prime) (123 min.) A new movie from another veteran director, this time Barry Levinson (Diner, The Natural, Good Morning, Vietnam, Bugsy, Wag the Dog). He has crafted a sweeping gangster epic written by Nicholas Pileggi, who wrote Casino and Goodfellas, both well-respected gangster movies directed by Martin Scorsese. This movie, which tells a true(ish) story, stars Robert DeNiro in dual roles (why?), playing both real-life bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. Despite this De Niro double-play oddity, the movie was better, and more entertaining, than the critical and public reception would have you believe. But perhaps the public is just a bit tired of these types of movies, and wants something fresher.
•Death of a Unicorn ($5 rental on Prime) (107 min.) This a very entertaining light horror/thriller satire with anti-corporate, anti-medical establishment, and anti-capitalist through-lines, with Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Richard E. Grant, and (of course) killer unicorns.•Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (in theaters) (98 min.) This French movie edges My Dead Friend Zoe and Death of a Unicorn for the Best Title of 2025. Often described as a rom-com, I found both the romance and the comedy somewhat muted; this is no Bridesmaids or Clueless. Perhaps this is because the movie is French, but in any event, the set-up is nice and the performances and writing are sharp.
•The Materialists (in theaters) (116 min.) [reviewed last week in Notes On Films] This is director Celine Song’s (Past Lives) newest movie . Starring Dakota Johnson, Pablo Pascal, and Chris Evans, the movie is about a matchmaker who, for better or worse, views potential success in relationships as merely questions of income, height, age, and other superficial traits. I was slightly offended by the premise (and perhaps the ending) but admit I was thinking about this movie long after the credits rolled and the house lights came up. Although the actors are easy on the eyes, don’t fall for the description of the movie as a “rom-com”; there is some romance certainly, but very little comedy.
•Bad Shabbos (in theaters) (a brisk 84 minutes) By contrast, this one is all comedy. The first meeting of the future in-laws of an interfaith couple is, of course, ripe for laughs, but this one goes all out, full throttle, and never looks back. With veterans David Paymer and Kyra Sedgwick, a bunch of young newcomers and, critically, Method Man of the Wu-Tang Clan as the helpful doorman. Very funny. * * *
The Half Oscars™ List: The above movies are all worth your time, but for me, the top ten movies from the first half of the calendar year of 2025 are:
10. The Friend (rent on Prime for $6) (119 min.) Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive, The Impossible, Eastern Promises, The Painted Veil) stars as Iris, a New York writer who, with little warning, must take custody of a Great Dane named Apollo when her famous and charismatic mentor, played by Bill Murray, suddenly passes away. I expected a predictable comedy of manners—giant dog in small, rent-controlled New York apartment, causing havoc—and there admittedly a bit of that. But this is no Turner & Hooch (1989) or Beethoven (1992). It is more nuanced than those and chooses the more difficult yet more rewarding path of having Iris re-examine and re-assess her life and her memories. Apollo then helps her process her grief over the passing of an important but admittedly flawed person in her life.
9. The Assessment (rent on Prime for $4) (114 min.) In the near future, the world has been environmentally wrecked and the availability of critical resources greatly diminished. In this world, having a child is strictly controlled by the government. Couples—such as the one played by Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision, Wind River) and Himesh Patel (Yesterday) — wishing to start a family must undergo an official assessment of their fitness to be parents. Enter a government Assessor, here played by Alicia Vikander (Firebrand, The Danish Girl, Ex Machina). The latter’s tests become more outlandish and intrusive as time goes on, and the last third of the movie threatens to go off the rails, reminding me of last year’s body-horror movie The Substance in tone (but not in ickiness). But this is not a horror movie, at least not physically or traditionally, but a type of psychological thriller. Instead of machete-wielding men or flesh-eating zombies, this movie has big ideas, such as the degree (and appropriateness) of government control of our lives, the personal freedom to procreate, the proper allocation of scarce resources, and the official restriction of vital information. This movie is not for everyone, and I suspect it will be a controversial choice for my top ten, but finding a well-written, well-acted movie that looks different, and tells a story we haven’t seen before, is a rare thing.8. Companion (stream on Max, rent on Prime for $6) (97 min.) Isaac Asimov first posited his famous Three Laws of Robotics in a 1942 short story: ( 1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; (2) A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; (3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. This was on my mind when I watched Companion which, like The Assessment, takes place in the near future. Unlike The Assessment, which asks us to consider the compromises we must make to live in an environmentally ruined world, Companion is a sly commentary on personal relationships in the future, and how artificial intelligence will affect them. The movie begins with Josh (Jack Quaid) and his girlfriend Iris (Sophie Thatcher) riding in their driverless car, off to a remote mansion in the woods for a fun weekend with friends. But something isn’t quite right with the group of friends. Or Iris. Again, this one may not be for everyone, as it contains moderate but escalating amounts of both violence and snark. And the absence of basic empathy among the young people that populate this movie, while amusing, is also dispiriting. If Call the Midwife or Downton Abbey is your favorite TV series, this one is probably not for you. Yet despite the relatively high body count, Companion is an entertaining thriller full of ideas about our possible future.
7. Freaky Tales ($6 rental on Prime) (107 min.) This movie follows the trail blazed by 2022’s breakout hit Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. Freaky Tales presents four separate, jagged, yet coherent and interlocking stories, all set in the San Francisco East Bay in the 1990s, and should appeal to those who lived there at that time. Real East Bay locations (like Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater) are used and real-life East Bay personalities appear, enhancing the verisimilitude. We visit a Gilman St. punk club in West Berkeley, the nascent rap battle scene in Oakland, a video store renting VHS tapes (remember those?), and baller Sleepy Floyd of the Golden State Warriors basketball team. But those are merely the launching pads - the stories spin wildly, deliciously out from there. Super inventive but seemingly uber-local, you will nevertheless recognize some A-list movie stars and real-life East Bay celebrities. Likely aimed at a Millennial audience, any true film fan nevertheless should get a kick out of this movie.6. Quisling: The Final Days ($5 rental on Prime) (146 gripping minutes) [I saw this movie on the big screen at a film festival, but eschewing a theatrical release, it has been released on streaming only.] When the world was plunged into war in the 1940s, the leaders of the axis powers were the obvious enemies: Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito. But a special place in hell was reserved for the collaborators, those leaders who welcomed the occupying Nazi forces into their country and cooperated with them. In France, it was Marshall Henri Pétain. And in Norway, it was Vidkun Quisling. Similar to how “Benedict Arnold” and “Judas” are now descriptive terms to describe a traitor, the term “Quisling” now refers generally to a traitor or collaborator. (Indeed, Wikipedia lists several instances where American reporters and pundits have referred to Donald Trump and/or his followers as “Quislings.”) This intense, fact-based movie, based on newly discovered notes taken by a priest who ministered to prisoner Quisling in the days before his execution, allows us to see the man in all his complications, contradictions, and self-delusions. The performances are extraordinary but special kudos to Norwegian actor Gard B. Eidsvold who portrays Quisling; the actor’s father in real life was tortured by Quisling’s administration. A top-notch historical drama. (In Norwegian.)
3. The Life of Chuck (in theaters) (111 min.) Based on a Stephen King novella, this unusual movie unfolds in three parts but in reverse, so viewers are at first a tad confused as to what is going on. Something magical? Metaphorical? Science fiction? Speculative fiction? Coming of age? Is this what the apocalypse will look like? But stay with it, all will be revealed. And in the end, you will ponder a life well-lived, however short, and perhaps consider all the people who have populated your life through the years. The all-star cast includes Tom Hiddleston, Karen Gillan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Carl Lumbly - all finding good work after their various stints in the MCU - and Jacob Tremblay, the child actor in 2015’s Room. You may also recognize the lovely Mia Sara playing the grandmother (!) and wonder where all the time has gone since we saw her in 1986’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Ditto the crusty grandfather, played by none other than Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). This is an emotionally satisfying movie.2. The Ballad of Wallis Island (stream on Peacock, $10 rental on Prime) (99 mins.) This quirky dramedy is the kind of thing the British do so well. There is built-in pathos in the setup, for how would you feel if the high points of your personal love life and creative life converged in your 20s and then suddenly just went away? Would you spend your remaining days chasing the same high? What if, after years of subsequent disappointment, you had a chance to recapture that high point, if just for a moment? I was really pulling for Herb McGwyer, played by Tom Basden (After Life), a singer songwriter who enjoyed widespread acclaim years ago as part of a performing duo with Nell Mortimer, played by Carey Mulligan (Maestro, Saltburn, Promising Young Woman, An Education). But while she has moved on with her life, Herb is stuck. A goofy millionaire might give them a second chance, but is that even possible? Tender and melancholic, with plenty of odd comedic moments to propel this unusual story along.
1. There’s Still Tomorrow ($4 rental on Prime) (118 min.) This stylish Italian movie, filmed in black-and-white, tells the story of a poor family in the immediate post-war period in Italy, a time when American soldiers are still posted in the city. Paola Cortellisi impressively co-wrote, directed, and stars as Delia, the nearly illiterate, put-upon wife and mother holding the family together despite a physically abusive husband, a verbally abusive invalided father-in-law, and three unappreciative children. Is this the life Delia wanted? Is it too late to change? Although her present situation looks bleak, as the movie’s title says, there’s still tomorrow. With some movies, you know what’s going to happen; for example, you know Norway will execute Quisling for his crimes, and that Tom Cruise/Ethan Hunt will do the impossible, save the world, and still escape. This is not one of those movies. But I doubt you will be disappointed. I was transported both times I saw this movie, and I think you will be too.
* * *
Wait – There’s more: In addition to the above movies, I would like to highlight three terrific documentaries I’ve seen recently:
•Zurawski v. Texas (stream on Jolt.Film for $5 until 9/2/2025) (98 min.) Women are dying of correctible medical conditions due to strict anti-abortion laws in Texas. This movie tells the story of a group of women who are fighting to change the law, with an intrepid attorney by their side. They are not asking for much. They are not asking for abortion on demand or abortion for the purpose of casual contraception or gender selection. These are women with rare medical conditions whose lives could be ended if they bring the fetus to term or have proof that their fetus is already brain-dead in the womb, and whose future fertility would be compromised without an abortion. This documentary puts human faces to the abortion debate. •Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light (in theaters) (118 min.) You may think you know about this quintessentially American artist, but you will still learn a thing or two from this movie. You may come away thinking that O’Keeffe’s position in 20th century American art is preeminent, and wonder (as I did) if the elevation of Andy Warhol, Robert Rauchenberg, Jackson Pollock, Vasily Kandinsky and Mark Rothko into the pantheon of American art had something to do with the fact that they were all men.
