Greetings and salutations, Patriot Nation! Today, I will be reviewing all the movies I saw in the month of October this year. Let’s review!

The Smashing Machine:

The Smashing Machine is the new movie directed by Benny Safdie and starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. This is The Rock’s first attempt at “serious” acting, so I watched it… and my god, it did not disappoint! This movie was phenomenal and one of my favorite movies of the year. I’m not a big fan of UFC or wrestling, but I adored this movie. It follows the story of Mark Kerr, one of the most influential fighters in the history of UFC, and it’s all based on a true story. This is a phenomenal movie in many aspects. The clothing was actually what Mark wore in real life—from his sweatshirts to sweatpants, to watches, to his rings, even. It was overall very authentic. Every fighter was current or past in the UFC, which makes the fights feel super real. The fights feel more fictional in certain UFC films, but this feels very real. The Rock and Emily Blunt’s performances are potential Oscar bait. The Rock gained 40 pounds for this movie, and he looks unrecognizable for the first half of the film. Overall, The Smashing Machine is a phenomenal film with potential Oscar buzz.
I’m gonna give The Smashing Machine an A+

Anemone:

Anemone is the latest film from actor Daniel Day-Lewis, who came out of his eight-year “retirement” to make this movie. This film also stars Sean Bean, is directed by Daniel’s son Ronan Day-Lewis, and takes place in Northern England. The story follows a man (Daniel Day-Lewis) who ventures off into the woods and reconnects with his brother (Sean Bean), with whom he shared a rather complicated past that had been altered by life-changing events decades ago. This movie explores very complex ties between brothers, fathers, and the family overall. I saw this, and I’m sad to report that this film fell super under the radar, but I’m very happy to report this is an excellent film as well! It’s such a shame this movie received little buzz, considering the fact that it was Daniel Day-Lewis’s first movie in eight years and his son’s directorial debut. Amazing atmosphere, very thin dialogue, and outstanding cinematography. You definitely feel the cold, sorrow, and grief throughout the entire film. Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean’s performances were unbelievable. Daniel plays a haunted man who went through a terrible past, while Sean plays his brother, who lived a more conventional life. This film is not for everyone, as it is very slow-paced and nuanced, but if you let it all unfold, it will pierce you right to the bone. Overall, Anemone is an excellent film that should gain more word of mouth and should absolutely gain a cult following. If you have a lot of patience and are willing to let this all unfold, I highly recommend you check this one out!
I’m gonna give Anemone an A+

Roofman:

Roofman is a new movie starring Channing Tatum, playing real-life rooftop robber Jeffrey Manchester, who had robbed 45 McDonald’s and escaped from prison. He hides in a Toys “R” Us for six months and makes a new life for himself. This film is based on a true story and is directed by Derek Cianfrance, famous for directing films such as Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines. I had the chance to see Roofman, and I liked it a lot! I did not expect to like it as much as I did, but I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve always had an idea of what this movie was going to be like as soon as I saw the trailer, and I wasn’t so sure how it would be, but I enjoyed it a lot. Channing Tatum gives an unbelievable performance and plays a friendly conman. The thing is, the Roofman was a really good guy and paid the price, but it was entertaining from start to finish. The tension of watching him almost get caught is very good. It’s very humorous and is a feel-good story overall. There is a love story in this film that I thought was too long, but it was significant to the plot. Channing Tatum was great, Kirsten Dunst was good, and Peter Dinklage was hilarious. Overall, it was a different type of movie, so I enjoyed Roofman, and it is two hours of pure entertainment. Not a perfect film, but I did really like this one!
I’m gonna give Roofman a B+

Good Fortune:

This is a new R-rated comedy!! I’ve been waiting for these to come back! This one follows the story of an angel who means well but is quite clumsy, named Gabriel (Keanu Reeves), who believes he can do more than save people from texting and driving. So he decides to switch the lives of a struggling gig worker (Aziz Ansari) and a very wealthy venture capitalist (Seth Rogen). This movie has a great cast, also consisting of Sandra Oh and Keke Palmer. I got to see this, and I have to say, this movie is hilarious! This is definitely more of a dry comedy if anything, and it succeeds in that department. Keanu as the angel Gabriel… his delivery was on point! The writing for his character was very funny. This is actually not Keanu’s first comedy, as he starred in Bill and Ted back in the ’90s and was in Ron Howard’s Parenthood with Steve Martin. He inserts himself into Aziz’s character’s life, swaps the lives of Aziz and Seth Rogen, and kind of gets himself in trouble as an angel, so the three of them end up trying to figure out how to put everything back the way it is, so they can go on with their lives. The entire cast of this movie is hilarious, and it’s only 100 minutes that go by very fast because of how entertaining this movie really is. Overall, Good Fortune is one of the better comedies to come out as of late, and one more thing: BRING. BACK. COMEDIES!! They’re afraid to make many of them, but we really need them back, and this is a core example.
I’m gonna give Good Fortune an A-

Black Phone 2:

Oh boy, here’s one I’ve been hyped for!! Black Phone 2 follows up after the first film. Finney is now 17 and has been struggling with life after being held hostage by the Grabber in the previous film. But then, his sister starts receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and sees disturbing visions of boys being stalked at Camp Alpine Lake. So they go to the camp, just for the Grabber to return for more carnage. I went into the first Black Phone a little too overhyped despite still enjoying it, and when I heard they were making a sequel, I was incredibly skeptical. I then saw the trailer and got hyped, thinking, “I take back what I said! This looks amazing!” It was even in my top five anticipated movies of the rest of the year since the Grabber was the main focus this time around. But coming out of Black Phone 2, I have to say, I enjoyed myself! My only nitpick was that some of the writing was a little too cliché, despite having the same writers as its predecessor. My favorite thing about the movie was the dream sequences shot on 35mm film because they looked absolutely phenomenal! The cinematography is worth seeing the movie alone. This movie also follows the vibe of Nightmare on Elm Street and, at times, pulls from other horror films, but I appreciate how it doesn’t feel like a blatant copy of those films. Ethan Hawke’s performance was excellent! Mason Thames was great, too, and so was his sister! Some people have not been crazy about this movie, but to me, I thought it was better than the first one. Yeah, I said it! I was at first questioning the necessity of this movie, but now I see that there was more to tell. But Blumhouse, I cannot stress this enough… I beg you, please do not make a Black Phone 3!! The first two are as good as they are, and we don’t need a third movie to ruin that. However, a spinoff could work. Overall, I really enjoyed Black Phone 2, and I thought it was better than the first one. But there were still better horror movies from this year, like Weapons.
I’m gonna give Black Phone 2 a B+

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere:

This is a biopic on New Jersey native musician Bruce Springsteen, portrayed by Jeremy Allen White. The story follows how Bruce crafted his Nebraska album, emerging as he recorded Born in the U.S.A., his childhood trauma, and his journey through depression. I went to see this movie not just to represent our town but because it piqued my interest, and boy, all I have to say is… wow. This was an amazing film! This was also a very quiet and painfully intense film, but the buildup of it all was excellent. Jeremy Allen White was fabulous as Bruce Springsteen, and he really disappeared into his character. But for me, Jeremy Strong as Jon Landau was the hidden gem of this film. It shows how he directed, listened to, and guided Bruce through his tough times, through the production of his music, and so much more. This film provides insight into Springsteen’s life, including his relationship with his mom and dad, and his collaboration with the engineer, played by Paul Walter Hauser, who helped him with Nebraska and the essence of it all. Overall, I truly believe that both Springsteen fans and non-Springsteen fans will enjoy this movie. It shows how much of a great American Bruce is, how he weathered the storms of his life, and what he represents for our country: greatness.
I’m gonna give Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere an A+

Bugonia:

Last but not least, we’ve got a new Yorgos Lanthimos satire. Bugonia follows the story of two conspiracy-obsessed cousins (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) who kidnap a high-powered CEO (Emma Stone) of a major company, convinced she’s an alien who will take over the planet. This film stars Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, and Aidan Delbis of the autistic community, with this being his debut on the big screen. I gotta admit, this was genuinely a really good movie. The performances from all three of them were excellent. This was definitely a more accessible film from Yorgos, which makes it feel a little less unique, but at the same time, it’s easy to go into without seeing a single Yorgos film. This film is under two hours, and it’s the perfect runtime for a movie like this. It was very enjoyable, very out there, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons… I really hope they get nominated by the Academy. Overall, I enjoyed Bugonia from start to finish, and it’s potential Oscar bait!
I’m gonna give Bugonia an A

So that’s it for my October 2025 ranking, and I hope to see y’all for my next articles! Leave a comment below if you have an interest in more or requests. Stay classy, Patriot Nation!