Turn My Frown Upside Down, Pedro Pascal

I'm really loath to be a sour bitch about the news of Park Chan-wook making another movie -- and a movie back here in the U.S. no less, his first since Stoker! (He has made two T.V. series in English since then -- The Little Drummer Girl in 2018 and The Sympathizer in 2024.) But much like the casting of Robert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer the casting news today is making this news more bitter than sweet for me -- Variety is reporting that he's planning on making a Western called The Brigands of Rattlecreek next (fantastic title) that will star two people I like in Pedro Pascal and Tang Wei, and two people I very very much do not like in Matthew McConaughey and Austin Butler. To be fair McConaughey and Butler have both given performances I've liked in the past -- McConaughey in Magic Mike, Butler in The Bikeriders and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood -- but seeing their names generally fills me more with dread than it does anticipation. I find the hype around Butler particularly inexplicable. (He is terrible in Dune 2. TERRIBLE.) And since The Sympathizer remains the only project of Park's that I have very little desire to revisit thanks to RDJ stinking that thing up, lisping around like a gross caricaiture, the still sore burn of recent bias eats away at me, reading this news. SIGH. I will attempt to be a bigger man, dig up some tatters of optimism from deep, deep within. Here is how they describe the story:

"The Brigands of Rattlecreek is described as 'an iconic tale of vengeance and retribution set in the American West.' A synopsis of the project explains: 'A capstone of the themes Park Chan-wook has plumbed across his entire body of work to date, the film is an emotionally explosive and visually stunning meditation on the consequences of violence, the value of family, the power of memory, and the true cost of life.'"

The Only Choice is Consumption

I know that we've generally agreed that the concept of a "snub" at the Oscars is kind of dumb but -- who would I be if I wasn't hating on AMPAS? I don't even know anymore. So fuck them for ignoring Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice, which is better than a good three-quarters of the movies that did get nominations. (Here is my review.) It's as timely and as funny and as gorgeously filmed as the probable Best Picture winner One Battle After Another, and it'll be long remembered after a bunch of the other titles fall away, and that's its own reward -- I'm just sick of Master Park getting the shaft. He's too good for them! But the Oscars aren't why we're here -- if they're ever why we're here you should hit the big red alarm button on the whole "pod person" thing. No we're here because there's news on the No Other Choice physical media front. What we can only assume will be a fancy limited edition 4K blu-ray a la the Oldboy release that Neon put out a couple of years ago has been dropped on Amazon for pre-release -- right here -- which will come out on April 28th. It is pricey as fuck -- $76 as of this writing -- which I can only assume will drop closer to the release date. The Oldboy release ended being fifty bucks I think? (Although I see now on Amazon it's going for truly ridiculous prices, good grief.) The annoying thing is we don't have any info yet on what this limited edition will look like or contain, but I imagine that'll be out soon. I went ahead and pre-ordered it now since I will obviously want this, but I'm keeping my eye on Neon's own shop for the information we're missing as well as a probable lower price. If I see it, I'll share!

Come Undone Indeed

Emerald Fennell's "Wuthering Heights" is now in theaters and if you missed my review earlier this week you can read it right here. I loved it but as with all of Fennell's movies it's looking to be inexplicably divisive -- I've read dozens of think-pieces trying to explain to me why Fennell makes people so crazy at this point and they all seem like nonsense to me. Like here's somebody making extravagent and funny pop-entertainment that's ribbed for our pleasure with gorgeous creatures behaving badly and every single one of them gets met with this wave of hostile humorlessness over and over and over again. No matter how hard people make their case it will never compute for me. Anyway I 100% plan on re-watching Saltburn this Valentine's Weekend because what is Love if not Barry Keoghan's cock flopping in time to "Murder on the Dancefloor"? Oh and here's something else super cool -- I'm actually spending Valentine's Day itself camped out in the movie theaters of MoMA because they're screening two Park Chan-wook masterpieces back to back with Thirst and The Handmaiden. And, truly -- what is Love if it's not two gorgeous lesbians scissoring on a steam-ship after triumphantly murdering all of their enemies? Be gay do crime forever!

My Top 20 Movies of 2025

A decade or so ago I was doing gigantic elaborate awards every year here that showcased my favorite movies, my favorite performances, and on and on and on... then the last decade happened and I'm lucky I can even get out of bed anymore y'all. Who has that kind of stamina anymore? Not I. Not I! So yes these things -- The Golden Trousers, as I've been calling them since 2007 -- have considerably narrowed. Tis what its. But I do feel proud that both last year and this year I'm at least getting these locked in before I dive head-long into fresh Sundance stuff, which basically marks the start of the next year of movies. (Apologies to the first three weeks of January releases every single year but you know what you did.) I'm doing Sundance virtually again this year but that still means that I'll be mostly off-line while I do that, so it's likely there'll be no MNPP for you starting this Wednesday, lasting about a week. And so it's best I get this done immediately, before that happens! Otherwise who knows, it could be months knowing me. So let us brush off these 2025 concerns as I head into the future, with one last glance back toward the past with 20 of '25s gifts and wonders....

My 20 Favorite Movies of 2025

20 -- SIRAT

19 -- AFTER THE HUNT

-- Read my review here! -- 

18 -- LURKER

-- Read my review here! -- 

17 -- PETER HUJAR'S DAY

-- Read my review here! -- 

16 -- WAKE UP DEAD MAN

15 -- THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME

-- Read my review here! -- 

14 -- BLACK BAG

-- Read my review here! -- 

13 -- DUST BUNNY

-- Read my review here! -- 

12 -- THE SECRET AGENT

11 -- MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART 1

10 -- SENTIMENTAL VALUE

9 -- GRIFFIN IN SUMMER

-- Read my review here! -- 

8 -- BUGONIA

-- Read my review here! -- 

7-- THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE

6 -- THE HISTORY OF SOUND

-- Read my review here! -- 

5 -- NO OTHER CHOICE

-- Read my review here! -- 

4 -- PILLION

-- Read my review here! -- 

3 -- PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF

-- Read my review here! -- 

2 -- MARTY SUPREME

-- Read my review here! -- 

1 -- ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

-- Read my review here! -- 

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I have like 20 runners-up but fuck it, 

I'm done. Goodbye forever, 2025! 

Wagner Moura Two Times

The Secret Agent, the ace new movie from Bacurau and Aquarius director Kleber Mendonça Filho, is out in theaters today! (Check this link for tickets near you.) And its sexy slash super talented star Wagner Moura has been on the awards trail in support of it, which has been a big boon to those of us who like looking at Wagner Moura. Especially since it is a movie that treats him very much as a Movie Star, and makes him look about as fine as he can -- just take one look at the main still from the movie and tell me you don't want to watch two hours of that! But beyond starriness Moura gives another world-class turn in the film -- he shot immediately onto my radar in 2013 in Neill Blomkamp's otherwise forgettable Elysium (he'd already been working, mostly in Brazil, for 15 years before that) and it's been a real pleasure watching him fulfill that promise year after year. TSA is definitely his best work to date, and it'd be awesome if he manages to score an Oscar nom for it -- that said I'm also rooting for Lee Byung-hun in Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice and I foresee AMPAS being stingy when it comes to giving away slots to non-English language performers. They'll usually go for one, not two. So if I had to bet I'd give the edge to Wagner -- this movie isn't as tonally tricky as Park's movie; as dark as it gets, it goes down easier. Anyway I'm rooting for the both of them, and Wagner if you need a date to the ceremony I am (sorry boyfriend) available... (pics via)

No Other Master

Much the way I end up wanting several different versions of posters every time a new Yorgos Lanthimos movie comes out -- and sidenote I can't believe I never linked to the big recent NYT article about Yorgos' longtime poster designer Vasilis Marmatakis, which can be seen here -- I feel the same every time a new Park Chan-wook movie hits. And sure enough his latest No Other Choice has cause for a buffet of movie art beauty. The one seen above is an echo of the main poster, previously posted here -- I already own a copy of that earlier poster but I would one hundred percent also like to buy the one seen here too. Sigh! And don't even get me started on the transclucent one that was being handed out at screenings of the movie in South Korea! I'd kill every person I love to just hold one of those in my hands! Aaaanyway why am I bringing up a movie I have 1) already reviewed out of NYFF right here, and 2) isn't actually out in limited U.S. theaters until Christmas? Because I got some super-powered star-fucking I am super-psyched to mention! I'm about to check another "breathing air with a favorite director" experience off my bucket-list tonight when I see this movie for a third time and it's followed up by a Q&A with Master Park himself! And his leading man, long time beloved hunk Lee Byung-hun, will be there as well! I AM SO EXCITED, YOU GUYS. I'll clearly be posting from it over on my Insta, so keep your eyes peeled there. Did you see my photos of Joel Edgerton and William H. Macy at a screening of Train Dreams last night? They're below if you missed 'em. Tis the busy busy awards-season time of year so expect more star-fuckery to come. 

Some snaps of Joel Edgerton, William H. Macy and director Clint Bentley at tonight’s TRAIN DREAMS screening! #traindreams @Netflix.com

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— Jason Adams (@jamnpp.bsky.social) November 11, 2025 at 11:22 PM

Must Be Funny in a Rich Man's World

Well it only took me two weeks and one day from the fest's last day but I have finally dropped my last review out of this year's New York Film Festival -- please clap! It normally doesn't take me this long but you try to write about Park Chan-wook's gleefully deranged satire of capitalism while on an entire fistful of cold pills and tell me how you fare mkay? Anyway I did finally birth something, and that something is a review of director Park Chan-wook's latest movie No Other Choice at Pajiba, and you can read it right here at this link. I was incredibly lucky to be able to see the movie a second time last week, which brushed aside some of those sick day cobwebs and affirmed some ideas I had had way back when I'd seen it weeks earlier. Shorter version: terrific movie! See it!

Actually, Another Choice

I prefered the artistic simplicity of the first poster that we got for Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice -- see that one here -- but in the interest of trying to cover all our bases and get a handle on what this movie's tone will be I do want to share this much busier poster for the Korean market that got dropped a few days back and which showcases all of the actors and characters involved. This makes it feel a bit whackier than that first restrained poster? I suppose we'll know soon enough since this is screening in a month or so at NYFF! (It still doesn't have a proper U.S. release date beyond that.) Speaking of NYFF though I had trouble narrowing down the movies I most want to see at that fest to just 10 (which I did do, right here) but I still think it's safe to say that if I did a list of let's say my five most anticipated 2025 movies left to see this would definitely be on it. (One of the remaining movies from that top five I'm seeing on Thursday! I won't name which one but you'll know when you know...) Anyway Neon dropped three more stills from Master Park's film today as well, so let's take a gander after the jump at those...

NYFF Make My Dreams Come True

Just a couple of weeks ago I shared the poster and a teaser trailer for Park Chan-wook's new movie No Other Choice starring his ol' pal Byung-hun Lee and I said therein, and I quote, "This movie's premiering at Venice  and I am keeping all of my assorted limbs knotted up in hope that it'll head to NYFF from there." Well unknot me cuz it came true! NYFF just announced their Main Slate this morning for their 2025 edition and Master Park's movie is up in its business -- as are several other movies I am champing at me bit to gnaw right into. So why not a list? Not counting the Opening Night film (which is Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt and so obviously my jam) here are the 10 movies out of the Main Slate that I'm the most anticipating...

My 10 Most Anitipcated NYFF63 Main Slate Movies

No Other Choice -- dir. Park Chan-wook

There's really nothing I can shriek in enthusiasm about this movie that I haven't been shrieking since it was announced. Park Chan-wook is a god, period, the end.

Jay Kelly -- dir. Noah Baumbach

Normally I try to steer clear of George Clooney vehicles but I tend to love Baumbach movies whatever he throws at me and most importantly he got his gal pal Greta Gerwig acting again. Gerwig seals the deal every time. Plus Patrick WIlson, Laura Dern, Riley Keough, Jim Broadbent, Emily Mortimer, Billy Crudup and Isla Fisher! Also Emily Mortimer co-wrote this! 

The Mastermind -- dir. Kelly Reichardt

Not only is it the never-steers-me-wrong Reichardt behind the camera and not only does the movie star Josh O'Connor but the movie stars Josh o'Connor looking like the raffish lit professor everybody, including the other teachers and parents, are all trying to fuck.

The Secret Agent -- dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho 

Wagner Moura is one of the greatest (and come on, look at the picture, sexiest) on the world stage right now, and his teaming up withthe genius behind Bacurau is white hot shit. Plus Moura won Best Actor at Cannes and Mendonça Filho won Best Director so hopes are obviously big.

Sentimental Value -- dir. Joachim Trier

And speaking of Cannes this follow-up from the director and star of the masterpiece The Worst Person in the World won the Grand Prix at that fest. I will follow these two anywhere, together or seperately, but together tastes best!

Peter Hujar's Day -- dir. Ira Sachs

It's Ben fucking Whishaw playing Peter fucking Hujar -- you think I'm not all over this? Anyway I was extremely annoyed I couldn't see it at Sundance so I'm happy to have been given this second shot, even if I wasted months -- months!!! -- of my life without it. I won't hold it against you, Ben!

Miroirs No. 3 -- Christian Petzold

Since 2012 Christian Petzold has made five straight up masterpieces in a row with Barbara, Phoenix, Transit, Undine, and Afire -- I'm hoping he hasn't broken that streak by daring to make a movie with a title that has more than a single word in it, but I think we might be in safe hands. I mean he's reunited with actress Paula Beer yet again. We're gonna be fine.

The Fence -- dir. Claire Denis

I tend to swing wildly on my opinion of Denis movies, but the main thrust seems to be I like her more recent work while her earlier, typically more lauded works have left me cold. I'm such a maverick! Anyway Denis regular Isaach De Bankolé is her leading man this time, which is always a good sign, but this also co-stars Matt Dillon and Tom Blyth? Mkay.

Rose of Nevada -- dir. Mark Jenkin

Yeah yeah okay it stars Callum Turner and George MacKay

as fisherman, obviously it was gonna make my list. 

That's literally all I know or need to know. Fish me good, fellas!

Landmarks -- dir. Lucrecia Martel

Since The Headless Woman in 2008 

I've been a Lucretia ride-or-die-for-lifer.

Not even reading what this is about. Sign me up.

--------------------------------------

Runners-up:  It Was Just an Accident (dir. Jafar Panahi), A House of Dynamite (dir. Kathryn Bigelow), Resurrection (dir. Bi Gan), Romería (dir. Carla Simón), Kontinental ’25 (dir. Radu Jude), If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (dir. Mary Bronstein), Duse (dir. Pietro Marcello)

Just a footnote on the concept of "Runners-up" here -- I literally could have listed every single other movie that didn't make my top ten. The only reason there are runners-up at all is I limited myself to a list of ten. As happens with every NYFF there are titles that come out of nowhere to slam me onto the floor in the best of way, and sometimes the ones I'm most excited about don't totally land. Usually though I always leave NYFF happy, because as I've said before they might not get all of the big exciting world premieres but year after year they do an incredible job curating the movies from around the globe that are the most worth seeing. I love my hometown fest! Click here to buy passes -- general tickets go on sale on September 18th (and earlier for FLC members). The fest runs from September 26 through October 13, 2025. 

Master Park's Choice

There was so much cool stuff that dropped yesterday that I had to pop in on a day off to post some of it -- see the History of Sound and Luca Guadagnino news here -- but I'm glad I waited until today to share the gorgeous poster for Park Chan-wook's latest No Other Choice because the folks at Neon have just unloaded a teaser trailer for the film today. This movie's premiering at Venice  and I am keeping all of my assorted limbs knotted up in hope that it'll head to NYFF from there. Master Park is one of the few remaining of my favorite filmmakers that I have yet to be in the physical vicinity of, so say a prayer for me y'all! No Other Choice reunites the greatest South Korean filmmaker alive with actor and great movie star Lee Byung-hun, who starred in a couple of his earliest works (specifically Joint Security Area and Park's short in the Three Extremes anthology movie which, sidenote, is finally getting a blu-ray release!) Anyway here's that teaser! I'm not watching it because I don't need to know any more than I already do which is LBH has a mustache. I'm sold. 

Good Morning, World

I think about Park Chan-wook's series The Sympathizer a lot because everything that wasn't Robert Downey Jr. related was so great! I know this floats against the general consensus -- RDJ got the only awards nominations -- but I am in the right here. And it's a damned shame that his preening nonsense dragged the whole series down -- it's the first Park Chan-Wook joint I don't feel much need to revisit. And that makes me feel especially bad for its actual leading man Hoa Xuande here, who was really excellent, and really hot, on it. Hopefully Hoa pops up in more things, but I suppose for the moment I'll just have to make due with this photoshoot of him for GQ Australia for their "Men of the Year" issue (he is Australian). And thankfully it's a hot one! Hit the jump for the rest...

Park Chan-wook Is Back To Work!

Fifteen full years ago (!!!) in 2009 I posted about Oldboy director Park Chan-wook following up his vampire film Thirst with an NYC-set adaptation of Donald E. Westlake’s novel The Ax from 1997. The book is about:

"... a middle aged, middle class salaryman loses his job after a downsizing, and after spending the following two years downsizing his lifestyle, he decides to overcome competition in his own personal way: chopping down anyone who gets in the way of his path back into fiscal solvency."

Obviously that movie didn't happen then -- he did come to America but he made the great and underrated Stoker with Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska instead. But it looks like he's come back to the project -- The Film Stage has word that he is beginning shooting his adaptation this week (!!!) and it's to be called No Other Choice now. And that is the teaser poster up top too! The film will be shot in his homeland of South Korea now though, and it will star our long-standing crush Byung-hun Lee!

I've long been surprised that the two of them haven't worked together since Joint Security Area way back in the year 2000 before either one of them were really anybody... 

... so this is an overdue reunion we're thrilled to see finally happen. Also announced in the cast are actors Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won, and Yoo Yeon-seok -- Sung-min was in The Good, The Bad, and the Weird with Byung-hun in 2008, Yeom Hye-ran was in Bong Joon-ho's fantastic movie Memories of Murder, and Yoo Yeon-seok played the young version of the villain in Oldboy (that's him then and now below) but other than that I'm not super familiar with any of the cast. Not that I have anything but immense trust in Master Park! (As long as Robert Downey Jr. is nowhere to be seen anyway.)