It's 2025 and Derek Miranda (@DerekMiranda85) and Karen Peterson (@KarenMPeterson) are excited to bring you our most anticipated releases of 2025.

We'll also take a look back at our anticipated 2024 films and how those worked out for us.

And we'd love to hear from you, so send us some of your anticipated 2025 movies too!

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For their final episode of 2024, Karen Peterson (@KarenMPeterson) and Derek Miranda (@DerekMiranda85) sit down to talk 3 Christmas Day releases: A COMPLETE UKNOWN, THE FIRE INSIDE, and BABYGIRL.

As always, featured reviews are done in two parts, a NON-SPOILER review with letter grade and brief discussion, followed by a more in depth SPOILER review. We will continue this format with non-spoiler reviews of all three films together, followed by the spoiler discussion.

PLOT SUMMARY:

A COMPLETE UKNOWN

In 1961, unknown 19-year-old Bob Dylan arrives in New York City with his guitar. He forges relationships with music icons of Greenwich Village on his meteoric rise, culminating in a groundbreaking performance that reverberates worldwide.

Directed by: James Mangold Written by: James Mangold, Jay Cocks Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Monica Barbaro, Elle Fanning, Edward Norton, Scoot McNairy, Boyd Holdbrook, Dan Fogler, Eriko Hatsune

THE FIRE INSIDE

The story of Claressa 'T-Rex' Shields, a boxer from Flint, Michigan who trained to become the first woman in her country's history to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.

Directed by: Rachel Morrison Written by: Barry Jenkins Starring: Ryan Destiny, Brian Tyree Henry, Oluniké Adeliyi, De'Adre Aziza

*Clip from THE FIRE INSIDE courtesy of MGM Studios

BABYGIRL

A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much-younger intern.

Directed and by: Halina Reijn Starring: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, Sophie Wilde, Esther McGregor, Vaughan Reilly 

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This week, Derek Miranda (@DerekMiranda85) and Karen Peterson (@KarenMPeterson) celebrate Christmas with the perfect holiday film, NOSFERATU.

As we always do, this review is in two parts, a NON-SPOILER review with letter grade, followed by a more in depth SPOILER review. With plenty of spoiler alerts.

PLOT SUMMARY:

A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

Directed and Written by: Robert Eggers Starring: Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney

*Clip from NOSFERATU courtesy of Focus Features.

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This week things get a little wild as Karen Peterson (@KarenMPeterson) and Derek Miranda (@DerekMiranda85) sit down to talk KRAVEN THE HUNTER.

We're also ranking the Spider-Man-free Sony/Marvel movies.

As always, featured reviews are done in two parts, a NON-SPOILER review with letter grade and brief discussion, followed by a more in depth SPOILER review.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Kraven's complex relationship with his ruthless father starts him down a path of vengeance, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared.

Directed by: J.C. Chandor Screenplay by: Richard Wenk, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott

*Clip from KRAVEN THE HUNTER courtesy of Sony Pictures.

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This week, Derek Miranda (@DerekMiranda85) and Karen Peterson (@KarenMPeterson) are taking it all the way back to 1999 as they sit down to talk Y2K.

As always, featured reviews are done in two parts, a NON-SPOILER review with letter grade and brief discussion, followed by a more in depth SPOILER review.

PLOT SUMMARY:

On the last night of 1999, two high school juniors crash a New Years Eve party, only to find themselves fighting for their lives in this dial-up disaster comedy.

Directed by: Kyle Mooney Written by: Kyle Mooney & Evan Winter Starring: Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison, Lachlan Watson, The Kid Laroi, and Fred Durst

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This week, Karen Peterson (@KarenMPeterson) and Derek Miranda (@DerekMiranda85) have a little post-Thanksgiving chat and sit down for MARIA.

As always, featured reviews are done in two parts, a NON-SPOILER review with letter grade and brief discussion, followed by a more in depth SPOILER review.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Famed opera singer Maria Callas retreats to Paris in the 1970s after a glamorous yet tumultuous life in the public eye.

Directed by: Pablo Larraín Written by: Steven Knight Starring: Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Haluk Bilginer

Available on Netflix beginning December 11.

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This week, Derek Miranda (@DerekMiranda85) and Karen Peterson (@KarenMPeterson) battle it out over GLADIATOR II.

Plus, we have a non-spoilery chat about WICKED.

As always, featured reviews are done in two parts, a NON-SPOILER review with letter grade and brief discussion, followed by a more in depth SPOILER review.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Years after witnessing the death of Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius must enter the Colosseum after the powerful emperors of Rome conquer his home. With rage in his heart and the future of the empire at stake, he looks to the past to find the strength and honor needed to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Directed by: Ridley Scott Written by: David Scarpa Starring: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger

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'Tis the season for dysfunctional families, and this week Karen Peterson (@karenmpeterson) & Derek Miranda (@DerekMiranda85) sit down to talk A REAL PAIN.

As always, featured reviews are done in two parts, a NON-SPOILER review with letter grade and brief discussion, followed by a more in depth SPOILER review.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Mismatched cousins David and Benji tour Poland to ho:nor their grandmother. Their adventure becomes complicated as old tensions resurface while exploring their family history.

Directed and Written by: Jesse Eisenberg Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Jennifer Grey, Will Sharpe, Kurt Egyiawan

*Clip from A REAL PAIN courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.

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Beware whose door you're knocking on! This week Karen Peterson (@karenmpeterson) & Derek Miranda (@DerekMiranda85) sit down to talk HERETIC.

As always, featured reviews are done in two parts, a NON-SPOILER review with letter grade and brief discussion, followed by a more in depth SPOILER review.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Two young missionaries become ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse when they knock on the door of the diabolical Mr. Reed. Trapped in his home, they must turn to their faith if they want to make it out alive.

Written and Directed by: Scott Beck and Bryan Woods Starring: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East

*Clip from HERETIC courtesy of A24.

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We're getting into the heart of Awards Season now as Karen Peterson (@karenmpeterson) & Derek Miranda (@DerekMiranda85) sit down to talk ANORA.

As always, featured reviews are done in two parts, a NON-SPOILER review with letter grade and brief discussion, followed by a more in depth SPOILER review.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Anora, a sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.

Directed and Written by: Sean Baker Starring: Mikey Madison, Mark Eidelstein, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Aleksei Serebryakov, Darya Ekamasova

*Clip from ANORA courtesy of Neon.

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