Don’t know what to watch? Are you overwhelmed by how many movies there are nowadays? Gordon Briggs’ Reel Talk is here for you. Every month, this column will highlight three films from movie history that are worth your time.
On the whole, 2025 has been a mixed bag of movies. Of course, we’ve had crowd-pleasing comic book movies, modestly budgeted genre pictures, horror films that are more funny than scary, and a seemingly endless amount of choices available on streaming platforms. However, I just wanted to highlight three films that stood out from the pack and, for my money, comprise the highlights of 2025 so far.
“The Girl with the Needle”
“The Girl with the Needle” is an absolute knockout. Watching the movie, not only was I moved emotionally by its story, “Needle” unfolded in a bold black-and-white expressionistic style that made it one of the most visually impressive films on the market.
In a story that is still surprisingly relevant, we meet Karoline, a young factory worker in post-World War I Copenhagen, who struggles to survive after her husband goes off to war. When she becomes pregnant, Karoline must endure a series of negotiations, interrogations and outright exploitation in order to make her daily bread in a city that casts women like her aside.
Visually, the film is abrasive, yet oddly beautiful. The movie has a stark, jaundiced aesthetic, heavily influenced by German Expressionism, featuring distorted shadows and a gritty, dilapidated urban setting. That choice creates a haunting and oppressive atmosphere that mirrors the film’s dark narrative about a young woman trapped in a bleak postwar society. Then there’s the story itself, which I can only describe as ‘socio-economic body horror.’ Throughout the film, you get the sense that either through pregnancy or work, Karoline is never in control of her own body, and that the violence shown later in the film is the only choice she has. It may have been released in 2024, but for me it’s an early standout of 2025. ★★★★
“The Life of Chuck”
The world is coming to an end. After months of internet and power outages, various natural disasters and a general feeling of hopelessness, “The Life of Chuck” starts off by showing us the end of all things. The question is, if the entire world is ending, why are our main characters seeing posters and billboards everywhere wishing happy retirement to some man named Chuck?
This is the mystery behind “The Life of Chuck,” a genre-bending and unabashedly sentimental movie that may be one of the standouts of 2025. Starting with the literal end of the world, but unfolding in reverse chronology, we follow the life of an accountant who … you know what? I’m not going to tell who much more — because part of the film’s power is going in cold, and watching this world build itself even as it chronicles another world falling apart.
Those who want a supernatural horror from Stephen King may be disappointed. However, in another fruitful collaboration with director Mike Flannigan, the film unfolds before us like a good mystery book, where small, seemingly minor events are revealed to carry great significance. Example: There’s an entertaining moment where Chuck has an impromptu swing dance with a stranger. It’s an ordinary event, but resonates throughout the entire film, highlighting how we must live in the present.
That’s the secret to this movie. Rather than just reveling in the death of the universe, the movie gives us a way out. This is a film of multitudes. The way the movie blends cosmic ideas, end-times depression and little asides about adolescence would be a daunting task for any movie, if it wasn’t for this outstanding cast. Mark Hamill and Chiwetel Ejiofor are quite good here as characters in Chuck’s journey.
For my money, Matthew Lillard does his best work with a monologue that only lasts a few minutes. The end result may frustrate some, but to me, it’s a post- post-apocalyptic film. One that’s destined to play in nearly empty theaters, but will find an audience among those looking to cope with a world that feels like it’s gone wrong. ★★★★
“Sorry, Baby”
“Sorry, Baby” is one of the standouts of 2025. Here, we follow the story of Agnes, an aspiring writer whose life takes a dark turn when she is assaulted by an authority figure that she trusts. Years later, when a friend visits her on the brink of a serious milestone, Agnes realizes how stuck she’s been since her assault and slowly starts to rebuild her life. Such a premise could lead to another maudlin ‘trauma drama.’ Thankfully, writer/director/star Eva Victor goes in a more interesting direction.
Firstly, rather than being overly serious, the film is nimble enough to balance serious moments with touches of humor. There are even moments of romantic comedy with her neighbor, where we see Agnes wanting to be sexual, even though it reminds her of that past trauma.
Another strong aspect is Agnes’ relationship with her best friend Lydie, played memorably by Naomi Ackie. The movie works because the hangout moments between them are well written and feel like watching two people who are actually friends.
As skilled as the movie’s acting is, “Sorry Baby” shows Eva Victor’s skill as a visual storyteller. Not only does the film give you a specific sense of place, I like how she chooses to depict both the crime and its aftermath. Specifically, the camera remains outside the house where the assault unfolds for an extended period, emphasizing the passage of time and creating an unsettling sense of what has transpired within.
Watching this one, I was reminded of the independent movies that came out in the ‘90s, where a whole movie would be built around watching a flawed but interesting person slowly trying to pull their life together. ★★★★
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