Film 2501 - Exit 8

Intro: The horror saga continues, and Niamh and I watched a second movie on the couch after "Leviticus" didn't leave us fully satisfied.

Film 2501: "Exit 8" (2025), directed by Genki Kawamura
Watched: From the projector
Language: Japanese
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: If I hadn't read the synopsis on Wikipedia, I'm not sure how much of this movie I'd have remembered. This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy "Exit 8", but its repetitive nature and lack of major plot points until the end of the story kind of erased the plot bits that aren't repeated over and over.
That said, I think "Exit 8" is a perfectly fine film, visually interesting and simple enough to follow, although personally I wouldn't call this a horror movie, but rather a psychological mystery film with some thriller elements and a scare or two along the way.
I didn't know anything about the game this is based on -- "The Exit 8", a 2023 indie adventure game developed and published by Kotake Create -- and I went in without knowing what to expect. The only reference I had that I could compare this movie to was "Iron Lung", as these two films share a similar starting point: they're based on video games I've never heard of, they're not major studio productions, they have confined settings and claustrophobic elements, and there's a repetitiveness to the plot.
Based on what I saw and my experience of both films, I have to admit "Exit 8" is more my vibe. I'm not saying it's a movie I would watch again, but at least it feels like a fully fleshed-out and realised film, competently made and with an obviously higher budget (I couldn't find a source for how much this film cost to produce, tho). And I know the comparison isn't necessarily fair, but my brain inevitably went there.
All in all, "Exit 8" was an interesting watch: I liked the visuals, the segment that focused solely on the kid was my favourite -- the child actor is really good -- and the idea behind the story is fascinating enough to carry the whole movie through. But after the first few times you witness the same elements happening, you start to lose focus a bit and, especially towards the middle section of the story, the lack of progression makes the story feel heavier and slower. When it eventually catches up, things get interesting again.
So, yeah, I don't regret watching it, but considering I was looking forward to watching a horror movie, this was definitely not it.
Cast: Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kochi, Naru Asanuma, Kotone Hanase, Nana Komatsu.
Box Office: $44 million
Worth a watch?: I remember watching the trailer for the first time and being quite intrigued. The story of a man who is caught in a looping subway corridor definitely tickles my curiosity + the reviews were really good.
Now, I'm not saying "Exit 8" is bad, but it's definitely not a mind-blowing experience as they try to sell it to you. It's a perfectly fine psychological film with mystery and horror elements that also happens to be based on a popular video game. I never played the game, so I'm of no use there, but as a movie watcher, I can say I enjoyed this film enough, but I wouldn't say it's a must-watch.
Awards: It won Best Poster Design at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
Key word: Anomaly.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2496 - The 'Burbs

Intro: I started watching the TV show that is based on this movie a while ago and got curious. So, once I finished the show, I decided to give the OG film a go.

Film 2496: "The 'Burbs" (1989), directed by Joe Dante
Watched: From the projector
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: I'll be honest, I had never heard of this film before, which is a bit strange considering Tom Hanks is in it. In Italian, the movie is called "L'erba del vicino" and even that didn't ring a bell, so I went in completely unaware of what to expect. I mean, to a certain extent, considering "The 'Burbs" TV series is based on it, but we all know remakes tend to differ quite a bit from the original material, so I was definitely expecting differences and changes to the plot, the first one being that the main character here is a man, whereas in the series it's a woman (Keke Palmer).
Differences from the original material aside -- there are, but not to the point that the main idea is different: the shady neighbors remain, the mystery behind everyone's door and how everyone keeps a secret is still there -- I have to admit I enjoyed the TV series more. Obviously, this movie is from the late 80s, so it's more rooted in the culture of the time. So is the humor and the execution of the mystery, which to me felt like the weakest point of the whole "The 'Burbs" experience. I know this isn't a horror movie, so it's OK that there aren't scary moments, but considering how the sketchy neighbors plotline is portrayed, I was expecting a little bit of... fright?
Instead, after spending so much time dissecting the mystery, the whole thing resolves in such a hurry that, as a viewer, I wasn't sure the story was actually done. Which felt quite strange, to be honest.
In this sense, I think this movie is a product of its time: it utilises a different visual language that I'm not sure fully works nowadays. The resolution of the story is explained rather than shown, and you get to know what the whole mystery was mostly through dialogue and what is said afterwards, rather than seeing it on the screen.
Aside from this, though, I can't say I didn't enjoy this trip to "The 'Burbs". It's a fun enough ride, and I can understand why it is now considered a cult classic: the characters are all over the top, the shady neighborhood is a fascinating idea, and Tom Hanks gives a quirky performance that is quite unusual for him. On top of that, Carrie Fisher -- the icon that she is -- plays his wife, and the movie was shot on the same set that would later be used to create Wisteria Lane from the (iconic) show "Desperate Housewives", so I totally see the appeal.
So, all in all, I think the TV series spoke to me more, but I still enjoyed Joe Dante's crazy ride to the suburbs.
Cast: Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman, Wendy Schaal.
Box Office: $49.1 million
Worth a watch?: If you watched the recent TV series, I'd say go ahead and watch this film to fully commit. The same applies to the opposite scenario: if you loved this movie in the past, I think Peacock's series is worth the watch, even just to compare the two products and see how they apply to the time period they were released in.
Awards: /
Key word: Furnace.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2415 - Weapons

Intro: An evening at home with some nice food and a great movie.

Film 2415: "Weapons" (2025), Zach Cregger
Watched: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Yegor, Gigi, Seamus
Thoughts: Unexpectedly, my favourite movie of 2025 — so it was just a matter of time before I rewatched it.
This second time around, I enjoyed "Weapons" even more because I was able to pay attention to details I hadn’t noticed the first time I saw it in cinemas. It also felt less episodic this time; knowing the plot beforehand made the whole experience more cohesive, even though it’s split into different parts from the various characters' points of view.
Needless to say, apart from being a great horror movie, the standout of "Weapons" is Amy Madigan's performance. Back in the summer, not many people anticipated that her Gladys could become a vehicle for her second Oscar nomination, yet it happened. She even won at the Critics' Choice Awards for Best Supporting Actress, which was amazing to see — finally, some well-deserved recognition for her and for the horror genre in general. Unfortunately, missing out at the Golden Globes — where she lost to Teyana Taylor for "One Battle After Another" — and not receiving that BAFTA nomination were good indications that her chances of actually winning the Oscar gradually decreased, shifting from being a serious contender to simply being happy to be nominated and recognised.
Which is sad, because not only would her win have been a fantastic moment, but it also kind of repeats what happened last year with the "Anora" vs. "The Substance" situation: Demi Moore's performance was overlooked, and the Academy chose to reward a younger actress, once again reinforcing the young vs. older trope (which is, ironically, the core theme of "The Substance") and the general lack of support for the (body) horror genre when it comes to major acting awards. And don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with Mikey Madison's performance in "Anora"; I just feel like she could have had another opportunity to win an Oscar later in her career. Not to mention that the cultural impact "The Substance" had over the past couple of years is undeniable, and seeing Moore’s performance recognised would have been the cherry on top.
Going back to "Weapons," I think this movie is great and an impressive horror achievement. It was a smash hit at the box office, it’s still culturally relevant to this day, and overall, it’s simply an extremely well-made film.
P.S. As a testament to how much I liked this movie, I’m including the portrait of Aunt Gladys that I drew a month or so ago and posted on my The Moustache Designer Instagram account (feel free to give it a follow if you’d like: @the_moustached_designer).
Film 2399 - Weapons
Film 2415 - Weapons
Film 2462 - Weapons

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Cast: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Toby Huss, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan.
Box Office: $270 million
Worth a watch?: My favourite movie of 2025. So yeah, go and watch it.
Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Amy Madigan) at the Oscars 2026. 2 nominations at the Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actress (Madigan) and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. Madigan is also nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role at this year's Actor Awards.
Key word: Stick.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2399 - Weapons

Intro: I decided to wait for the Golden Globes nominations to be announced before writing this review because I was curios to see if this movie would actually get the nomination everyone was talking about.

Film 2399: "Weapons" (2025), Zach Cregger
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi, Yegor
Thoughts: This year, no other horror movie has been this successfull and a performance achieved this level of praise and iconic status since "The Substance" came out last year and Demi Moore was nominated for her first Oscar. Amy Madigan seems to be heading in the same direction (and disappointment?).
To be honest, I don't think she really has a shot at winning - especially considering what happened this year at the Academy Awards - but it's nice to finally see a great performance in the horror genre being recognized and brought front and center of the award season ahead. Madigan and her aunt Gladys are the glue of this film, not to mention the most entertaining part of it.
What I liked about "Weapons" is its dual nature: there's a mystery to be solved that feels very mch grounded into reality and there's the horror movie components that lurk in and elevate the story. Yes, one would have to be fun of the genre to better appreciate the scary moments, but this is still a pretty compelling story and entertaining piece of media.
The cast is on point, the screenplay well written thanks to a very intreaguing premise and, overall, Zach Cregger's latest cinematic effort is one of the best movies we've seen in this otherwise lucklaster 2025.
Film 2399 - Weapons
Film 2415 - Weapons
Film 2462 - Weapons
Cast: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Justin Long, June Diane Raphael, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan.
Box Office: $268.2 million
Worth a watch?: One of my favourite movies that came out this year and definitely one of the best horrors we got in a while.
Awards: Nominated for 2 Golden Globes: Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture (Amy Madigan) and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.
Key word: Aunt.
Trailer
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Bengi