Emmys 2025: nominees and winners

77th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards

Best drama series
Andor
The Diplomat
The Last of Us
Paradise
The Pitt
Severance
Slow Horses
The White Lotus

Best comedy series
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
Nobody Wants This
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
The Studio
What We Do in the Shadows

Best limited or anthology series
Adolescence
Black Mirror
Dying for Sex
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
The Penguin

Lead actor in a drama series
Sterling K Brown – Paradise
Gary Oldman – Slow Horses
Pedro Pascal – The Last of Us
Adam Scott – Severance
Noah Wyle – The Pitt

Lead actress in a drama series
Kathy Bates – Matlock
Sharon Horgan – Bad Sisters
Britt Lower – Severance
Bella Ramsey – the Last of Us
Keri Russell – The Diplomat

Lead actor in a comedy series
Adam Brody – Nobody Wants This
Seth Rogen – The Studio
Jason Segel – Shrinking
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building
Jeremy Allen White – The Bear

Lead actress in a comedy series
Uzo Aduba – The Residence
Kristen Bell – Nobody Wants This
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear
Jean Smart – Hacks

Lead actor in a limited or anthology series
Colin Farrell – The Penguin
Stephen Graham – Adolescence
Jake Gyllenhaal – Presumed Innocent
Bryan Tyree Henry – Dope Thief
Cooper Koch – Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Lead actress in a limited or anthology series
Cate Blanchett – Disclaimer
Meghann Fahy – Sirens
Rashida Jones – Black Mirror
Cristin Milioti – The Penguin
Michelle Williams – Dying for Sex

Supporting actor in a drama series
Zach Cherry – Severance
Walton Goggins – The White Lotus
Jason Isaacs – The White Lotus
James Marsden – Paradise
Sam Rockwell – The White Lotus
Tramell Tillman – Severance
John Turturro – Severance

Supporting actress in a drama series
Patricia Arquette – Severance
Carrie Coon – The White Lotus
Katherine LaNasa – The Pitt
Julianne Nicholson – Paradise
Parker Posey – The White Lotus
Natasha Rothwell – The White Lotus
Aimee Lou Wood – The White Lotus

Supporting actor in a comedy series
Ike Barinholtz – The Studio
Colman Domingo – The Four Seasons
Harrison Ford – Shrinking
Jeff Hiller – Somebody Somewhere
Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear
Michael Urie – Shrinking
Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live

Supporting actress in a comedy series
Liza Colón-Zayas – The Bear
Hannah Einbinder – Hacks
Kathryn Hahn – The Studio
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary
Catherine O’Hara – The Studio
Sheryl Lee Ralph – Abbott Elementary
Jessica Williams – Shrinking

Supporting actor in a limited or anthology series
Javier Bardem – Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Bill Camp – Presumed Innocent
Owen Cooper – Adolescence
Rob Delaney – Dying For Sex
Peter Sarsgaard – Presumed Innocent
Ashley Walters – Adolescence

Supporting actress in a limited or anthology series
Erin Doherty – Adolescence
Ruth Negga – Presumed Innocent
Deirdre O’Connell – The Penguin
Chloë Sevigny – Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Jenny Slate – Dying for Sex
Christine Tremarco – Adolescence

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Jon Bernthal – The Bear: "Napkins" as Michael Berzatto
Bryan Cranston – The Studio: "CinemaCon" as Griffin Mill
Dave Franco – The Studio: "CinemaCon" as himself
Ron Howard – The Studio: "The Note" as himself
Anthony Mackie – The Studio: "The Note" as himself
Martin Scorsese – The Studio: "The Promotion" as himself

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Olivia Colman – The Bear: "Forever" as Chef Andrea Terry
Jamie Lee Curtis – The Bear: "Ice Chips as Donna Berzatto
Cynthia Erivo – Poker Face: "The Game Is a Foot as the Kazinsky sisters
Robby Hoffman – Hacks as Randi
Zoë Kravitz – The Studio: "The Presentation" as herself
Julianne Nicholson – Hacks: "A Slippery Slope" as Mary-Alice

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Giancarlo Esposito – The Boys: "Beware the Jabberwock, My Son" as Stan Edgar
Scott Glenn – The White Lotus: "Killer Instincts"'' as Jim Hollinger
Shawn Hatosy – The Pitt: "9:00 PM" as Dr. Jack Abbot
Joe Pantoliano – The Last of Us: "The Price" as Eugene
Forest Whitaker – Andor: "I Have Friends Everywhere" as Saw Gerrera
Jeffrey Wright – The Last of Us: "Day One" as Isaac

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Jane Alexander – Severance: "Sweet Vitriol" as Sissy Cobel
Gwendoline Christie – Severance: "Cold Harbor" as Lorne
Kaitlyn Dever – The Last of Us: "Through the Valley" as Abby
Cherry Jones – The Handmaid's Tale: "Exile" as Holly
Catherine O’Hara – The Last of Us: "Future Days" as Gail
Merritt Wever – Severance: "Who Is Alive?" as Gretchen George

Television Movie
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
The Gorge
Mountainhead
Nonnas
Rebel Ridge

Scripted variety series
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Saturday Night Live

Talk series
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Variety special (live)
The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar
Beyoncé Bowl
The Oscars
SNL 50: The Anniversary Special
SNL 50: The Homecoming Concert

Variety Special (pre-recorded)
Adam Sandler: Love You
Ali Wong: Single Lady
Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years
Conan O’Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
Sarah Silverman: PostMortem
Your Friend, Nate Bargatze

Directing for a drama series
Janus Metz – Andor
Amanda Marsalis – The Pitt
John Wells – The Pitt
Jessica Lee – Severance
Ben Stiller – Severance
Adam Randall – Slow Horses
Mike White – The White Lotus

Directing for a comedy series
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear
Lucia Aniello – Hacks
James Burrows – Mid-Century Modern
Nathan Fielder – The Rehearsal
Seth Rogen – The Studio

Directing for a limited or anthology series
Philip Barantini – Adolescence
Shannon Murphy – Dying for Sex
Helen Shaver – The Penguin
Jennifer Getzinger – The Penguin
Nicole Kassell – Sirens
Leslie Linka Glatter – Zero Day

Writing for a drama series
Dan Gilroy – Andor
Joe Sachs – The Pitt
R Scott Gemmill – The Pitt
Dan Erickson – Severance
Will Smith – Slow Horses
Mike White – The White Lotus

Writing for a comedy series
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Lucia Aniello, Paul W Downs and Jen Statsky – Hacks
Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Adam Locke-Norton and Eric Notarnicola – The Rehearsal
Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen and Bridget Everett – Somebody Somewhere
Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory and Frida Perez – The Studio
Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis and Paul Simms – What We Do in the Shadows

Writing for a limited or anthology series
Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham – Adolescence
Charlie Brooker and Bisha K Ali – Black Mirror
Kim Rosenstock and Elizabeth Meriwether – Dying for Sex
Lauren LeFranc – The Penguin
Joshua Zetumer – Say Nothing

Writing for a variety series
The Daily Show
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Reality competition program
The Amazing Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
The Traitors

Outstanding Performer in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
Nathalie Emmanuel – Die Hart: Hart to Kill as Jordan King
Kevin Hart – Die Hart: Hart to Kill as himself
Desi Lydic – The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains as herself
Tom Segura – Bad Thoughts as various Characters
J.K. Simmons – Die Hart: Hart to Kill as Jackson Pepper

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Julie Andrews – Bridgerton: "Into The Light" as Lady Whistledown
Hank Azaria – The Simpsons: "Abe League of Their Moe" as Moe Szyslak
Maya Rudolph – Big Mouth: “Why Do We Go Through Puberty?” as Connie the Hormone Monstress
Alan Tudyk – Andor: "Who Else Knows?" as K-2SO
Jeffrey Wright – What If...?: “What If... 1872?” as The Watcher
Steven Yeun – Invincible: "What Have I Done?" as Mark Grayson / Invincible

Outstanding Narrator
Sir David Attenborough – Planet Earth: Asia: "The Frozen North"
Idris Elba – Erased: WW2's Heroes Of Color: "D-Day"
Tom Hanks – The Americas: "Andes"
Barack Obama – Our Oceans: "Indian Ocean"
Phoebe Waller Bridge – Octopus!: "Part 1"

Outstanding Host for a Game Show
Elizabeth Banks – Press Your Luck
Steve Harvey – Celebrity Family Feud
Ken Jennings – Jeopardy!
Colin Jost – Pop Culture Jeopardy!
Jimmy Kimmel – Who Wants to Be A Millionaire

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program
RuPaul Charles – RuPaul's Drag Race
Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, and Daniel Lubetzky – Shark Tank
Alan Cumming – The Traitors
Kristen Kish – Top Chef
Jeff Probst – Survivor

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Love on the Spectrum
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
Welcome to Wrexham

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Bengi

Film 2372 - Drop

Intro: I'm always up foor a good thriller!

Film 2372: "Drop" (2025), Christopher Landon
Watched on: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I think the overall idea on paper works better than the end result.
"Drop" is absolutely an OK movie, very watchable and it has it moments, but there are also a lot of slow parts and the ending - aka the reasons behind all of the shenanigans - is a bit underwhelming. Like... politics, for real?
Overall I enjoyed it, Meghann Fahy is a great lead and the film is entertaining enough. Was I expecting a bit more? Yes, but it's still fun.
Ps. Curiously enough, the main location here recalls the very similar one from the restaurant scene in "Final Destination Bloodlines")
Cast: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jeffery Self, Reed Diamond.
Box Office: $28.5 million
Worth a watch?: The idea on papre is great, althought I really struggled with the concept of the "Digi-Drops"... Other than that, it's an entertaining enough thriller.
Awards: /
Key word: Mayor.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2371 - How to Date Billy Walsh

Intro: I think I was on one of my IMDB search/down the rabbithole moment searching for Tanner Buchanan after the final season of "Cobra Kai" came out.

Film 2371: "How to Date Billy Walsh" (2024), Alex Pillai
Watched on: My computer
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: I'll be honest, I watched the movie just because I thought it was a gay or borderline-gay coming of age romcom. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Although it's a very avarage (aka watchable) movie, nothing about this screams original. "How to Date Billy Walsh" tries really hard to be a lot of things, many of which we've seen before, resulting in a mishmash that doesn't really work, yet is not necessarily bad. It's giving "Sex Education", "Heartbreak High", "Never Have I Ever" and "Mean Girls" (and more, even "Carrie"!) vibes, yet never as good or iconic.
I think the biggest issue here is that this film is trying too hard to channel someone else's 'personality', trying to be edgy and funny, but also smart and quirky, and it doesn't really work because there's no original point of view. Again, it's not a terrible movie, but a very forgettable one it is indeed.
Cast: Sebastian Croft, Charithra Chandran, Nick Frost, Guz Khan, Lucy Punch, Kunal Nayyar, Tanner Buchanan.
Box Office: /
Worth a watch?: Perfectly watchable, even if you're not really paying attention.
Awards: /
Key word: Love Doctor.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2370 - Death of a Unicorn

Intro: I was really looking forward to watching this movie, especially in theaters. So we squeezed it in during our (back then) busy schedule and went to Cineworld.

Film 2370: "Death of a Unicorn" (2025), Alex Scharfman
Watched on: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I have to be honest, I didn't particularly like this movie. I had high expectations because I was extremely excited to see Téa Leoni on the big screen again + the trailer seemed really good and "Death of a Unicorn" seemed to have all the card to be at least a good movie. Reality is, it's not great.
As a dark comedy, it's not really funny. It's definitely extravagant, I'll give it that, but other than that there's not much else. The cast is amazing, but not necessarily used to their best potential: Jenna Ortega is playing Jenna Ortega playing a pissed (borderline, at this point) teenager, Will Poulter tries to be the comedic relief and mostly succedes but not entirely, Téa Leoni is basically playing Rosamund Pike's character in "Saltburn" and Paul Rudd is good at doing himself/Ant-Man, but when it comes to other facial expressions... there's not a lot going on.
Top that with a story that doesn't deliver what you would expect - there's a million side characters that you don't really care about but they keep on being introduced and killed, but it doesn't add anything to the story and also it's not funny - and it's more odd than fantasy black comedy, then what you have left is a little bit of disappointment.
Again, the idea has potential, but the delivery didn't thrill me.
Cast: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Anthony Carrigan, Téa Leoni, Richard E. Grant.
Box Office: $16.1 million
Worth a watch?: I thought it would have been more fun, to be honest. Good cast, Téa Leoni is back and we're happy about it, but "Death of a Unicorn" should have it harder to deliver and good overall result. It's not awaful by any means, but I was expecting more or something else, even.
Awards: /
Key word: Middle age.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2369 - Memoirs of a Geisha

Intro: An afternoon watch in the living room with my housemate Kate, we decided to go for a horror movie.

Film 2369: "Memoirs of a Geisha" (2005), Rob Marshall
Watched on: My computer
Language: English
Watched with: Michael
Thoughts: I know it's not a perfect movie, but I really love it, especially the first part.
The soundrack from John Williams is a masterpiece (and one of my favourites), the costumes are impeccable and, in general, "Memoirs of a Geisha" is one of those movies really beautiful to look at. Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li banters are believable and Li is a great villain; also Michelle Yeoh plays a great mentor.
Some aspects of this production could have been more effective or pay more attention to the cultural baground and implications of their choices (see the casting controversy), but as a product of its time - not to mention, an American one - I still really enjoy rewatching "Memoirs of a Geisha".
Film 178 - Memorie di una geisha
Film 261 - Memorie di una geisha
Film 1775 - Memoirs of a Geisha
Film 2369 - Memoirs of a Geisha
Cast: Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh, Youki Kudoh, Kaori Momoi, Tsai Chin, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Suzuka Ohgo, Kōji Yakusho, Ken Watanabe.
Box Office: $162.2 million
Worth a watch?: I never read the book so I can't tell if the story was well translated into the movie, but I personally really like this movie: it's beautiful to look at and the soundrack is amazing. Not the masterpiece they were trying to product, but certainly a tachinally well executed final product.
Awards: 6 Oscar nominations and 3 wins for Best Art Direction, Cinematography, and Costume Design. 6 noms at BAFTAs (including Best Actress for Zhang Ziyi), it won for Best Cinematography, Costume Design, and Film Music. The movie won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score and recevied an additional nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Motion Picture (Ziyi). It won the Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media and was nominated at the MTV Movie & TV Awards for Sexiest Performance (Ziyi).
Key word: Mizuage.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2368 - Mickey 17

Intro: Back to the movies after the Spanish adventure, the first film we went to see was the event of the moment (so, of course, we didn't want to miss it!).

Film 2368: "Mickey 17" (2025), Bong Joon Ho
Watched on: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: It's unfortunate that this movie flopped because it isn't as bad as the box-office would suggest (the movie costed $118 million, excluding the marketing costs*). Actually, I enjoyed it enough.
I'll admit I was expecting something a bit more fast-paced - it is 137 minutes long... - but overall "Mickey 17" entertained me the right amount to be engaged for the whole duration of the story.
It reminded me a lot of one of Bong Joon Ho's previous outings, "Okja", especially in its tone and visuals, although I didn't particularly love "Okja" too much. Here9 there's definitely the element of absurdity to play a good role and Robert Pattinson is as playful as ever, in a role we rarely see him playing, the funny goofball. I really enjoyed his (multiple) character(s) and, though I didn't like his voice, I think he did a great job here. Toni Collette is also great - as usual - and Naomi Ackie proves once again to be a talented actress (e.g. "Blink Twice"). I didn't like Mark Ruffalo's character, but that obviously has to do with the who he's playing.
All and all, "Mickey 17" isn't a bad movie. It isn't a good as it could have been, still there are enjoyable bits here and there and Bong Joon Ho's imagination and talent as a filmmaker are as evident as ever. 

*Variety later reported the film would lose Warner Bros. $75–80 million during its theatrical run.

Cast: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Cameron Britton, Holliday Grainger, Anna Mouglalis, Angus Imrie, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo.
Box Office: $132 million
Worth a watch?: In terms of dystopian-futuristic sci-fi (and at times) action movie, I prefer Bong Joon Ho's "Snowpiercer", which I think is a great movie. This one is fun enough, although never really great. The cast is good, Pattinson is a good lead and the story is interesting. It's a very long movie, tho, so that that into consideration.
Awards: /
Key word: Duplicates.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2367 - Wolf Man

Intro: An afternoon watch in the living room with my housemate Kate, we decided to go for a horror movie.

Film 2367: "Wolf Man" (2025), Leigh Whannell
Watched on: On the projector
Language: English
Watched with: Kate
Thoughts: Not exactly a masterpiece, I don't really think this movie serves as a great reboot of this franchise.
Christopher Abbott is a good lead and I liked how they tackled the sow transformation into a werewolf, especially in terms of how his senses change, but other than this. nothing really stood up with me. Especially the big plot twist regarding the creature that attacks Abbott's character: you can tell from a mile away who the creature is, so no surprise there.
A bit of a waste of Christopher Abbott's and Julia Garner's talent to be honest.
Cast: Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Sam Jaeger, Matilda Firth.
Box Office: $34.9 million
Worth a watch?: Not that I particularly liked the previous "The Wolfman" with Benicio del Toro, but this one isn't great either and it's not doing the franchise any favour. I mean, the movie isn't terrible, you can watch it fine, but don't expect too much.
Awards: /
Key word: Father.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2366 - Crazy Rich Asians

Intro: Back at home after two amazing Spanish weeks, the first I watched is one that I hadn't seen since it came out in theaters.

Film 2366: "Crazy Rich Asians" (2018), Jon M. Chu
Watched on: My computer
Language: English
Watched with: Michael
Thoughts: I really wanted to rewacth it because I remembered I enjoyed it, although I didn't necessarily remember the story in full.
This second watch was fun, I kinda forgot that Awkwafina had her major moment thanks to this movie that launched her into mainstream stardom (though now her popularity has definitely faded a bit due to overexposure), and in general "Crazy Rich Asians" is a very well don romcom.
I think Henry Golding is particularly charming here, more a scene stealer than Constance Wu, who has more female competition to deal with (Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, obviously Awkwafina, but mostly a pre-Oscar Michelle Yeoh) and didn't necessarily pop for me as the lead character.
Overall, 9a very entertaining movie and especially beautiful to look at (I'm actually surprised it didn't get nominated for costumes and set design at the Oscars).
Film 1680 - Crazy Rich Asians
Film 2366 - Crazy Rich Asians
Cast: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Awkwafina, Harry Shum Jr., Ken Jeong, Michelle Yeoh.
Box Office: $239 million
Worth a watch?: If you love romcoms, this is definitely a good watch, funney enough, very pretty to look at (both visually and because of the actors in it) and entertaining. There's a sequel coming up (and possibly a third one), so no time to (re)watch it like today.
Awards: 2 Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Constance Wu).
Key word: Our own.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2365 - The Whole Truth

Intro: Another movie from the Netflix catalogue, another dinner at home in Lanzarote.

Film 2365: "The Whole Truth" (2016), Courtney Hunt
Watched on: On the TV of the apartment
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I love legal drams, so I had high hopes for this one. In the end, tho, "The Whole Truth" isn't as powerul as it promises it to be when watching the trailer.
The movie has a very slow pace and the performances are a bit underwelhming, mostly because the story isn't that exciting. And it's a pity, because the cast is great and this genre of movies I usually really enjoy.
Ps. The screenplay is written by Nicholas Kazan, the son of famous director and 2 times Oscar winner Elia Kazan.
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Renée Zellweger, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Gabriel Basso, Jim Belushi.
Box Office: $1.7 million
Worth a watch?: It's not terrible, but there are other legal drama pictures there are way better and more interesting to watch, like, to name just a few, "12 Angry Men" or "Juror #2".
Awards: /
Key word: Watch.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2364 - Troy

Intro: Another night in Lanzarote, another film on the telly. And yes, we went for another epic historical action movie.

Film 2364: "Troy" (2004), Wolfgang Petersen
Watched on: On the TV of the apartment
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: It's not a bad movie by any means, it's just that watching it straight after "Gladiator"... it's impossible not to compare the two films.
Reality is, Wolfgang Petersen's "Troy" has better visual effects and - on paper - a better cast, but that's really all there is that beats Ridley Scott's film. For everything else, I preferred "Gladiator": it's more dynamic and the story more entertaining and better paced. Again, nothing against "Troy", I actually enjoyed rewatching, it, but having seen the two films back to back, for the whole time I was comparing this one to the other one and yeah, my heart is with "Gladiator".
That said, great cast here, everyone is in great shape - especially Brad Pitt's B side - and the movie honestly looks good. I wish they wouldn't have used so much color correction, but it is what it is. Still an enjoyable ride, although not a masterpiece or the movie I would reccomend to watch to get a fast glimpse of the Iliad story.
Film 644 - Troy
Film 2364 - Troy
Cast: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, Brendan Gleeson, Rose Byrne, Garrett Hedlund, Saffron Burrows, Julie Christie, Peter O'Toole.
Box Office: $497.4 million
Worth a watch?: It's 163 minutes long so you better be ready when decideding to watch it. Definitely entertaining, although the end result could have been better. Still, enjoyable.
Awards: 1 Oscar nomination for Best Achievement in Costume Design and 2 MTV Movie + TV Awards nominations for Best Male Performance and Best Fight.
Key word: Immortality.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2363 - Gladiator

Intro: The first week in Lanzarote was all about relaxing and recharging (but also working, because yes, we went there to work from abroad while enjoying more favourable weather than the Irish one). So we watched quite a few movies during our first nights we spent at home.

Film 2363: "Gladiator" (2000), Ridley Scott
Watched on: On the TV of the apartment
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I mean, talk about an iconic movie.
Not one of my favourite pictures of all time, but definitely one I enjoy watching, we decided to go with this one first between the many options available on Netflix because a) again, it's an iconic film, b) we just saw the sequel at the movies back in November. So to us it just made sense to go with the epic story of Maximus Decimus Meridius (Crowe) on his quest to venge his family brutally murdered by the jealous Commodus (Phoenix) after his father refuses to let him rule the empire and choses Maximus over him.
The drama is all there, Crowe and Phoenix are excellent in their respective roles and "Gladiator" just works: it's entertaining, well produced and acted and has an amazing soundtrack by Hans Zimmer.
Film 576 - Il gladiatore
Film 2363 - Gladiator
Film 2325 - Gladiator II
Cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, Richard Harris.
Box Office: $465.5 million
Worth a watch?: Interesting movie, it's a good outing for a directorial debut. Zoë Kravitz has a clear point of view and the story has good plot twists, enough to keep the viewer constantly engaged. Not an easy watch.
Awards: "Gladiator" won 5 Oscars (Best Picture, Actor for Russell Crowe, Visual Effects, Sound, and Costume Design) and was nominated for an additional 7 (Best Director, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actor for Joaquin Phoenix, Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction, and Editing). It won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Original Score – Motion Picture and was nominated for Actor (Crowe), Director, and Supporting Actor (Phoenix). At BAFTA it won Best Film, Cinematography, Production Design, and Editing over 14 overall nominations (including Best Direction, Original Screenplay, Actor in a Leading Role, Actor in a Supporting Role). It was nominated for 1 Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. 6 nominations at the MTV Movie + TV Awards and 1 win for Best Movie.
Key word: Afterlife.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2362 - Blink Twice

Intro: Ready to go to Lanzarote for two weeks, the night before we left, Niamh stayed at mine and we watched this movie we ment to see but never managed to at the movies.

Film 2362: "Blink Twice" (2024), Zoë Kravitz
Watched on: On the projector
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: Actually better than expected, I enjoyed Zoë Kravitz's directorial debut.
The movie clearly has a point of view, the cast is great and Channing Tatum is a surprisingly good villain. More so, Naomi Ackie is a great main character, which she plays brillantly.
The story has a good twist towards the end and is told well, although I couldn't stop thinking about how "Blink Twice" reminded me of "Get Out". Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if you like that Jordan Peele's movie in the first place.
Cast: Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Kyle MacLachlan, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis, Alia Shawkat.
Box Office: $48.1 million
Worth a watch?: Interesting movie, it's a good outing for a directorial debut. Zoë Kravitz has a clear point of view and the story has good plot twists, enough to keep the viewer constantly engaged. Not an easy watch.
Awards: /
Key word: Perfume.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2361 - Ainda Estou Aqui

Intro: I feel very ashamed I didn't write a single review in weeks. This only happened one other time back when I first started this blog in 2009 when, during the Summer, I couldn't force myself to write anything on here. Then something happened, I missed it, and I went back to it. Same situation here, now, but different circumstances. Life has been really hectic lately, a lot of new changes, work has been crazy for a while, events are piling up (The Second Annual Babes Awards are happening this Saturday and I'm very excited), holidays to plan, friends to see and catch up with... For a while I couldn't find the right moment (or the inspiration) to come back to this space an start writing. Sometimes it happens and yeah, it's all right.

Film 2361: "Ainda Estou Aqui" (2024), Walter Salles
Watched on: At the movies
Language: Portuguese
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi, Elias
Thoughts: One of the best movies I've seen last year.
Not only "Ainda Estou Aqui" is powerful on its own, but also what impacted me even more was watching this film with my Brazilian friends, as it gave me a broader understanding of what the story is about and how these real life events shaped their country and affected the people who lived through such terryfing times.
On top of that, Fernanda Torres delivers one of the best performances from last year - my second favourite, to be precise - and God she tour-de-forces you through so many emotions with just one expression or a side eye, her physicality is impeccable and she gives everything she has to her character, to the point that Eunice is almost like your friend, you root for her and her family and you suffer with her, you worries for her and her husband. Torres's performance is so powerful it's impossible to take your eyes off of her.
So yeah, "I'm Still Here" is great movie that tells a powerful story, it's wonderfully written and acted and stays with you even once the show is over. It's a tough one, but definitely worth watching.
Cast: Fernanda Torres, Selton Mello, Valentina Herszage, Humberto Carrão, Fernanda Montenegro.
Box Office: $36.1 million
Worth a watch?: It's a tough watch, I won't lie, but Fernanda Torres' performance is so magical and worth watching that it makes this film unmissable. But get ready, because "Ainda Estou Aqui" holds no punches.
Awards: Nominated for 3 Oscars for Best Picture and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Torres), it won for Best International Feature Film (the first win for Brazil in this category). 1 BAFTA nomination for Best Film Not in the English Language and 2 Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, it won the latter. In competition at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival, it won for Best Screenplay.
Key word: Dictatorship.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2360 - Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

Intro: Niamh and I have a list of film we want to watch. She doesn't necessarily remembers them all, but I do. This is one of the movies on the list that we didn't manage to watch at the movies whe it came out.

Film 2360: "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" (2025), Michael Morris
Watched on: The projector
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Thoughts: I wasn't sure about a fourth movie, the "Bridget Jones"' franchise seemed to be done with the third chapter (that I particularly enjoyed after the so-so second one) and rehasing the whole gang made me a bit nervous.
Reality is, "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" is a great movie, a great sequel (and fourth installment), and potentially a very well done goddbye to these characters. It's charming and endearing as a Bridget Jones' movie should be, but surprisingly deep and heartfelt at times (especially at the beginning), to the point that I shared some tears here and there. The passing of a loved one is handled in a very mature and meaningful way, never rushed and always respectful: I was really impressed.
Renée Zellweger is always a pleasure to watch, more so when she's playing Bridget. Hugh Grant - in his resurgent era - is charming and funny and although the story never says goodbye to his character's old habits, this new version of Daniel is very successfull in depicting a upgrated side of him. Additionally, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall are perfect new addition to the story.
Although this movie doesn't reinvent the wheel, it feels damn good to be back in the company of Bridget, cozy and charming, funny and wholehearted. "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" is the sequel I didn't know I needed.
Film 850 - Il diario di Bridget Jones
Film 2260 - Bridget Jones's Diary
Film 857 - Che pasticcio, Bridget Jones!
Film 1231 - Bridget Jones's Baby
Film 1591 - Bridget Jones's Baby
Film 2360 - Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Cast: Renée Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, James Callis, Shirley Henderson, Sally Phillips, Nico Parker, Celia Imrie, Isla Fisher, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant.
Box Office: $134.9 million
Worth a watch?: Absolutely worth it, especially if you're a fun of this franchise. Renée Zellweger is a damn good Bridget and basically the whole gang is back together: it feels right (and it is!).
Awards: /
Key word: Magic.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2359 - Trap

Intro: Niamh and I have a list of film we want to watch. She doesn't necessarily remembers them all, but I do. This is one of the movies on the list that we didn't manage to watch at the movies whe it came out.

Film 2359: "Trap" (2024), M. Night Shyamalan
Watched on: The projector
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I've been saying it for ages now regarding M. Night Shyamalan's movies: great concept, poor execution.
I think we can all agree that Shyamalan has been trying to channel that plot twist from the ending of "The Sixth Sense" ever since, it's there in all of his movies. Sometimes it works, most times it doesn't, because in order to convey the crazy unexpect turn, he has to sacrifice part of his idea, or the audience trust, or in general the believability of the story he's telling.
In this case, as i said, "Trap" has an interesting starting point: there's a serial killer on the loose, yet he's trapped in a concert venue with his daughter. No one knows he's the killer, so there's room for him to try to escape which, obviously he tries to do. And that's when the story starts to crumble.
Although on paper the idea is interesting, in reality too many elements of this story are barely glued together. As audience, you really, really have to suspend your disbelief to allow the story to continue. A concert venue for one of the biggest stars out there, there's people everywhere, police everywhere, cameras everywhere... but no one is minding the fact that this man is going wherever he wants, to the point that he ventures backstage through a trapdoor while the performance of a song is happening... like, how?!
Anyway, the story being too stretched aside, I'll admit that "Trap" isn't necessarily a bad ride. Josh Hartnett is one of the most underrated actors out there and it's sad, because he delivers a solid performance here and carries the whole movie (together with Jonathan Langdon, who's performance reminded me a bit of Lil Rel Howery in "Get Out"). Yes, everything is crazy here and barely make sense, but overall I've seen worse, especially coming from M. Night Shyamalan.
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, Jonathan Langdon, Alison Pill.
Box Office: $83.6 million
Worth a watch?: More than a horror movie, a thriller. The story doesn't always work, but it reminded me a little bit of "Smile 2", although this once isn't as good.
Lady Raven is played by Night Shyamalan's daughter Saleka and, though she doesn't have much screen time in the first part of the movie, she kinda steals the show towards the end.
Awards: /
Key word: Concert ticket.
Trailer
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Bengi