Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2025 Edition

Yep! It's that time of the year where we renovate this thread thread where I post details and reviews of films I watch, starting with my personal movie challenge where I gather a monthly "loot" of films based on a different set of criteria. This will also include updates from my podcast, The Movie Loot.

Been doing this type of challenge for a good while now. Last years I've been choosing five (5) categories per month, along with a guest on the podcast, so we can talk about those in a monthly episode. However, last year wasn't an easy one in many aspects, so the podcast schedule took a bit of a hit. I might be going into a bit of a hiatus as I catch up with some delayed 2024 episodes, but will come back at some point in 2025.

For anybody curious, here are the threads for previous years: 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

I will also continue to use the thread to post new episodes of my podcast, which you can find on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and any audio/podcast platform.

Anyway, anybody is welcome to offer recommendations for any category, and anybody is welcome to join in the challenge and watch films with me. Let's loot!

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Links to the loots of past months

January 2025 • February 2025 • March 2025 • April 2025 • May 2025 • June 2025 • July 2025 • August 2025 • September 2025 • October 2025 • November 2025 • December 2025

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As usual, here is a kinda comprehensive list of everything I saw during last year: a total of 228 films, which is a good increase from the 195 I saw in 2024. Anyway, here it is...

























Rewatches are in blue, short films in red, rewatched short films in purple.

That's how an online critic describes this early Mickey Mouse short, and he's not that far off. As the title implies, Barnyard Olympics follows a series of sports events set in a barnyard-like environment. We have boxing, wrestling, diving, and even a marching band. The main event, however, is this heptathlon-like cross country race where competitors have to run, row, cycle, and much more.

I had already seen most of this short at some point long ago, but especially as my kids watched it. They really enjoy most of Mickey stuff, including the early ones, and this was no exception. Like the quote above, it is full of fun visual gags and jokes from start to finish, starting with a fun one as the camera pans across the "stadium" and two characters break the fourth wall as they notice the "camera".

The first half of the short focuses on multiple events, which allows the animators to showcase different tricks and techniques. Once the race starts, it is indeed fast and exciting as we see the different ways that Mickey has to outsmart his nemesis Pete. The animation is gorgeously simple and fun to look at, which indeed results in one of Mickey's finest.

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Nosferatu was released more than 100 years ago and it is still regarded as a seminal and influential work in the horror genre, and maybe even beyond. The images of its main antagonist Count Orlok are notable and iconic among film fans. The legends and myths surrounding actor Max Schreck have inspired other works and films. Several weeks ago, a third remake, directed by Robert Eggers, was released to much acclaim proving Nosferatu's lasting impact.

The film follows Orlok's attempt to move to London prompting real estate agent Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) to be sent by his employer to close the deal. In the process, Orlok becomes obsessed with a picture of Hutter's wife, Ellen (Greta Schröder), which leads him to trap Hutter in his castle as he tries to make his way to Ellen, leaving a trail of death on his path.

This is probably my second or third watch and I think the film fared a lot better now than it did the first time. Back in the day, I really didn't like how the character of Hutter is portrayed as well as the overacting excesses of the times. However, I've always found the figure of Count Orlok to be striking, iconic, and menacing. That remains true nowadays, along with the eerie atmosphere and the effective way that Murnau mounts the rising tension as the film progresses. My feelings towards Hutter warmed a bit this time around, probably a result of being more accustomed to the films and acting of the era than I was 10-15 years ago.

I do think the film does a lot of expository dumps in the intertitles, which often ends up breaking the momentum of certain sequences. There's also the absurdity of real estate agents selling a house to *THAT* guy but I guess we have to roll with that. But again, the best thing that the film offers is in the visuals, and how Muranu shoots Orlok. From the opening act in the castle to the sequences in the boat, and culminating with the last act which I think is masterful, and filled with several iconic images.

As most people know, the film is based in Bram Stoker's Dracula (the novel, not the film) with some changes in the names and the story. Orlok is obviously a Dracula figure, while Hutter is a stand-in for Jonathan Harker, as well as other slight changes here and there. Still, those changes didn't stop Stoker's widow from suing the filmmakers and trying to get the film vanquished. 100+ years later and numerous remakes after, it's evident that Nosferatu's shadow still looms over us.

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Nosferatu was released more than 100 years ago, in 1922. Despite attempts to destroy its legacy, it still established itself as an icon in horror. Disposing of its apparent ties to its source, it presented a Count Orlok that was eerie, creepy, menacing, and threatening; a larger-than-life figure whose shadow loomed over those in his path.

In 1979, Werner Herzog decided to bring back the source elements from Bram Stoker, character names and other story elements, in his remake called Nosferatu the Vampyre. However, he also decided to strip the titular character of most of its menace and threat, presenting him as a lonely "sad sack".

It might sound like a slight on the film, but it is an interesting re-interpretation of a character that seemed otherworldly and foreign. Like I said above, Orlok was built as a menacing figure and bringer of death. To have him instead as a mournful and pensive creature tormented by what he is, is definitely an interesting spin. This is also heightened by Klaus Kinski's performance in the lead role.

Where Murnau seemed more interested in visuals and atmosphere, Herzog seems more interested in characterization. This is not to say that Herzog's visuals aren't good, but the primary focus is in the characters. Aside from Kinski, we have Bruno Ganz and Isabelle Adjani as Jonathan and Lucy Harker, and Roland Topor as Jonathan's boss, Renfield. All of these performances are very different and pretty good for different reasons.

The story also seems to flow better than in the original, especially in the middle act with Harker trying to escape from Dracula's castle. The effects of Dracula's arrival at Wismar have more power, and there are a couple of haunting visuals about death and madness. And in the middle of it all is Dracula, suffering the most abject pain, which is the absence of love.

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There is a portion of Bram Stoker's Dracula dedicated to the Demeter, the ship that unknowingly transported the notorious vampire from Bulgaria to England. Portions that are brought to life in both Nosferatu and Nosferatu The Vampyre, although somewhat briefly. Still, the point remains the same: "9 hands full she sailed... one by one they fell."

The Last Voyage of the Demeter takes those brief passages blowing them up to full feature length. The main focus of the story is on Clemens (Corey Hawkins), an African American doctor that earns a spot on the ship as a deck hand. As the ship sails, they stumble upon some of their unique cargo whose plan is to "feast upon the hordes of England".

This is one of those films where you know more or less what's going to happen, which diminishes the thrill and tension of the events. Regardless of that, the film is good enough to still keep us engaged with effective performances, solid dialogue, and good overall production values. There is some dodgy CGI here and there, but not enough to be an issue.

Liam Cunningham was a great casting choice as the captain, and his character added some much needed stakes to the story. It was also nice to see David Dastmalchian in another film, after how much I enjoyed him in Late Night with the Devil. On the other hand, I wasn't that big of a fan of how the character of Dracula (Javier Botet) was handled; more animal than human.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter doesn't offer a lot of innovative ideas. I've read comparisons of it with the likes of Alien or The Thing, which is not a bad bunch to be compared with. Despite its familiar plot and minor issues, it still manages to be a competent horror thriller with quite a bit on its favor.

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Los Reyes Magos (or The 3 Wise Men) is a Spanish animated film that follows the titular characters as they're on the way to visit baby Jesus. In the process, they are joined by a young man, Tobias, and a young revolutionary, Sarah, as they set out to face the wrath of Herod and his evil counselor, Belial.

The Epiphany, or what we call in Puerto Rico the Three Kings Day, is a yearly celebration in January 6. Kids pick up grass to feed the camels, as the Wise Men bring presents to them. It's a very important holiday here, there is no work, and there are festivities all around the island. That is part of the reason why I put this to my kids that morning, even though I hadn't seen it before.

There are good things and bad things to this film. Overall, the animation is pretty decent and the character design is solid, even if at times some of them look like characters from other animated films. The film plays more like an action/adventure film and there are some thrilling setpieces in the midst of it all. However, it feels so removed from what we usually associate with the Three Wise Men story that it kinda feels off.

Part of it has to do with the film's attempt to portray some of the Wise Men as badass action heroes. There's also the inclusion of the characters of Tobias and Sarah, which doesn't really feel very organic. Sarah, in particular, feels like an excuse to have a "sexy", scantily clad female character which doesn't necessarily vibe with the overall "wise men" theme of the film.

The film is not bad at all, but it does feel like it's borrowing from many places trying to be something else than what it's intended. But at least, there is some competency as far as animation, design, and direction. I don't know if they forgot about it already, but the kids seemed to enjoy it in the moment, and I guess that's the important thing.

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Squared is a 5-minute short from director/writer Tony Leech. It follows Karen (Summer Perry) as she gets a mysterious call one night. I stumbled upon this short as I was exploring Leech's filmography for some reason, and thought I'd give it a shot. With that brief runtime, there's not a lot that can be said without spoiling it.

I will say that the short is well done, Perry does a pretty good job, and it kinda leaves you with a haunting feeling. I do think that the last scene was perhaps unnecessary, and not as well executed as the rest. Regardless of that, at 5 minute, it's not that much of a chore to get through either, so maybe you can give it a shot.

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Serial killer movies are about a dime a dozen in cinema. There are forgettable ones, and then there are ones that stick with you. More often than not, those that stick with you are the ones that manage to present a memorable character as "the killer"; the one whose presence you can still feel in the film even when they are not on screen.

Anthony Hopkins only had 16 minutes of screen time in The Silence of the Lambs while Kevin Spacey only appeared in the last act of Seven; and yet, you could argue that their presence is felt all through each film. Even when they're not there, they're "a little bit of everywhere, waiting in the wings." That is a bit of what's happening in this eerie horror film from Oz Perkins.

Set in the mid-90s, Longlegs follows Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), a young FBI agent that is tracking down a serial killer that's murdering entire families in Oregon. Harker is incredibly skilled as an investigator, but is a bit of an introvert and socially awkward. This might come from her religious upbringing, which has led to a strained relationship with her mother Ruth (Alicia Witt).

It's funny that I mentioned The Silence of the Lambs and Seven, because there's certainly a bit of both in here; from the rookie cop tracking down a serial killer while under the tutelage of a veteran cop. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but some of the story beats might feel familiar. What does make it feel different is Perkins direction and overall style.

Perkins showed a lot of promise with his debut film, The Blackcoat's Daughter. This one has a similar eerie and dreadful vibe. His direction is very impressive with some nice framing and patient camera work, all of which contribute to an atmosphere of uneasiness that just gets under your skin from the very first scene, which is our introduction to the titular serial killer.

On that vein, all the performances are pretty good, but Nicolas Cage proves once again why he has to be considered one of the best working actors nowadays. He certainly throws himself fully into this role and delivers a wholly committed performance as the disturbed killer. Like those other examples, his presence is one of those things that creeps under you and sticks with you, even when he's not on screen.

Unfortunately, the film decides to go in a slightly more conventional route in the last act, as the script pulls the curtain of what's happening and tries to explain too much. The way those reveals where handled resulted in a slightly disappointing resolution. However, Longlegs still gives us a finely crafted thriller with an amazing performance from Cage; where even when he's not on screen, he's a little bit of everywhere, waiting in the wings.

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Not really a big spoiler, but those are the closing lines from this excellent Puerto Rican film. In it, young Carmín (Miranda Purcell) questions her grandmother (Cordelia González) about the alleged appearances of the Virgin Mary during some religious gatherings they attend to in her hometown. But beyond the spectacle of a spiritual revelation, there's a need for things to make sense, for miracles to happen and perhaps fixing things. But that's not the world we live in, and that's part of the awakening that Carmín faces as she transitions from a girl into a young woman.

Antes Que Cante el Gallo is basically a coming of age film for Carmín. Early in the film, we see her get her first period; but that's the least of her worries. The film opens with her mother breaking the news to her that she's moving to the US to look for better opportunities, forcing Carmín to stay with her strict grandmother, who also has to learn to handle an angsty teenager. To complicate things, Carmín's father Rubén (José Eugenio Hernández) has just been released from prison and has come to live with them again.

This is my second watch of this film and even though I loved it the first time, it undoubtedly improved for me. There is some really impressive work here, both technically and story-wise. From the gorgeous direction from Arí Maniel Cruz and the cinematography from Santiago Marí Benet to the music from Eduardo Cabra. From the nuanced and layered script from Kisha Tikina Burgos to the complex relationships portrayed between the three leads.

But again, in the middle of it all, there's a need for "miracles" to happen. Whether it is to guide Carmín in her journey into womanhood, to keep Rubén out of trouble, or to give peace and strength to the grandmother. Turns out that the Virgin never "appeared", and that miracles don't always happen; at least the way we expect. Sometimes the "miracle" is that we can be together as family and support each other in those times of chaos and need.

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Previous review for that film is here. If anybody's curious to check a great Puerto Rican film, it's currently on Tubi for free.

The above quote, meaning "We're still here", comes from a friendly diner that comes to the rescue of our lead character. "Trapped" in an Americanized bakery where they're charging him $30 for a pastrami sandwich and a "quesito", the diner swoops in to pay for him and then delivers that remark. Probably insignificant without proper context, but so powerful when you're from here. So if you're reading this, please indulge me...

More than 125 years ago, the US invaded Puerto Rico as part of the Spanish-American War. Taking the island as a war booty, the US has done the impossible to try to instill in us their language, culture, and way of life; from forcing us to study English in school from K to 12 or bombard us with American media, to suffocating any hint of sovereignty and independence (at one point, the Puerto Rican flag – along with any other demonstration of Puerto Rican heritage – was banned and criminalized).

I know the irony of writing this review in English, in a mostly American movie forum, but the truth is that for the most part, we've hold the line. We're still clinging to our language, our music, and our heritage, despite the efforts of some up there and some down here. Around 5 years ago, the Governor of the island was caught in a scandal when a chat with his inner circle was leaked. In it there was evidence of bad administration, political persecutions, but also of them belittling our people, those that they were supposed to serve.

Among the most infuriating quotes from that chat was one from a marketing executive where he said "I saw the future and it was wonderful; a Puerto Rico with no Puerto Ricans." Five years later, the only political casualty from that was the Governor himself, who was forced to resign, while the other dozen of political strategists, servicepersons, and executives that were part of that chat are still thriving around somewhere. In the meantime, convenient tax exemptions for foreigners open the door to gentrification while lots of Puerto Ricans are forced to look elsewhere for better opportunities. Just like that vision from "the future".

In this short, co-directed by Arí Maniel Cruz and Benito Martínez Ocasio (Bad Bunny), our lead character reminisces about the past and ways to hold on to that past, and the ways we were, while the Puerto Rico around him is changing. The situation presented in his way to the bakery and inside might be a bit exaggerated (but not that much), but there are always good people, millions of Puerto Ricans, that against all changes, come up front and say "we're still here..."

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This is probably watch #10, give or take, so if you want a proper review you can check my previous one here. For now, I'll just add that watching this in theaters was as spectacular as I expected it to be. Amazing experience!

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Would you know where to find this? I can't find it online.

Let me know if this link works...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... George Lucas released this film and the collective hearts of the Star Wars fandom went "wah-wah". Sure, that reaction had already started with The Phantom Menace, but for all its faults, I think that film has some genuinely good moments and I think people still had a bit of hope that Lucas could turn the ship. But then this film came up, forcing people to face the inevitable and go "Holy s-h!t, this is bad". Little did they know what the future had ahead of them.

Set 10 years after The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones follows the attempts of the Jedi to stop an intergalactic war while also avoiding the spread of the dark side of the Force, which might have already infiltrated them. However, what is at the forefront is the relationship between Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman).

I was one of those watching this in theaters back in the day, and I don't think my opinion has changed much. Overall, I think that Lucas had a strong story arc for this trilogy, that was bogged down by bad scripts and CGI excesses. Most of the dialogue, especially that between Anakin and Padmé, is just terrible. Even the likes of Portman, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson, or Christopher Lee can't help these lines sound convincing.

This performance issue is complicated by the second point, which is the CGI excesses. Unfortunately, Lucas went crazy with the CGI characters and the "green screens" which results in a lot of moments of actors interacting with "nothing". As a result, many interactions and moments result in stilted performances and clunky deliveries which can't be good at all when you pair it with bad dialogue.

Beyond the performances, the overall excess of CGI is extremely distracting. It's evident that Lucas had no reins about what he could/should do with the technology. There are a ton of things and characters that could've been done practically or through costume/makeup, but he chooses CGI just because he can. The result is a disjointed look (especially when you compare it with the Original Trilogy) that feels like a cartoon or a video game.

To make it worse, the film lacks the solid fight sequences that The Phantom Menace gave us. Obi-Wan vs. Jango Fett is probably the best, and Dooku vs. Yoda still gets a chuckle out of me, but the rest are just too busy and video-game-like culminating with two sequences that highlight this, both in the arena and the droid factory. It's just too much going on.

Overall, I still think there are some good moments scattered. Christopher Lee does his best to ham it up, McGregor still manages to hold his own, and Ian McDiarmid is easily the best actor in the whole trilogy. Unfortunately, it isn't enough to keep this afloat. I had always held this one as the worst of the series, which is probably why I hadn't revisited in a long time. But, impossible to see the future was, and little did I know what would come.

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To be honest, I'm torn between a and a .

The above is the plea coming from MIMA, the AI system designed to recreate images of Earth for the passengers of the titular ship, as it becomes increasingly burdened and overwhelmed by their memories. It is so much that it just goes "You're all crazy! I'm out" and "kills" itself. But that is just one of many instances of despair and hopelessness in this bleak sci-fi drama from Sweden.

I discovered Aniara back in 2020, and I was instantly captivated by it. This is my third watch, as I was preparing to talk about it on a podcast, but it just cemented how much I adore it. For a recent full review, check out what I wrote after my second rewatch here, but if anything, the film just keeps burying deeper and deeper into my psyche.

If that isn't enough of a "red flag" for my person, I also happen to be drawn to films that portray societal collapse. Aniara shows that, not only through the physical decay of the ship, but through the many ways that characters change and devolve as time passes by. But also, small groups or "societies" are also formed as people try to find solace in different things, from sex cults to games to anything.

Well, I said I wasn't gonna write a lot, and here I am rambling again. But that is the effect that this film has had in me. One of the most captivating and thought-provoking films I've seen recently. One that keeps me wondering about the meaning of life and the course of society; something that doesn't look very hopeful nowadays. After experiencing the thoughts and images of the passengers, MIMA decided to bail out. But after seeing what January has brought, can you blame it?

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The above is a verse from the song "Someday", from The Strokes. A song that talks about how, despite changes, we want to hold on to happy memories from the past. That verse is the one that our lead character keeps going back to, as she walks around with her broken heart. The twist, though, is that she's living in a dystopian underwater city that also happens to be crumbling down.

After my rewatch of Aniara, I realized that I had never ventured to check out the directors' filmographies, even though it's just a handful of short films. As I was browsing it, I was intrigued by the premise of this one so I gave it a shot. Reckless follows this young woman (Ellekari Bergenrud) who has just broken up with her boyfriend (Amed Bozan); something that has left her devastated, aimless, and remembering those happy memories.

Tables seem to turn, though, when her boyfriend comes back to return some of her things, and then decides to ask her out for coffee. However, much like Aniara, bigger circumstances come into play as this underwater city threatens to crumble on top of them. Can they be alright?

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If anyone's interested, here's the link...

Watch Reckless: Life and Love in an Underwater City