Get Ready For The 2026 Golden Globes With These Golden Globe Nominated Films, Part 2!

[I review these Golden Globe nominated films: "Wicked: For Good," "Bugonia" "It Was Just An Accident," and "Sentimental Value:]

Wicked: For Good (2025)

Part II of "Wicked."

Well, "Wicked" is back and I have good news and bad news. 

The good news?

After over a year's wait, "Wicked" is back.

The bad news?

"Wicked" is back.

I kid.  But only a little bit, because as I said in my review of Part I - absolutely no reason to turn this musical into a two-parter, except for greed. The powers that be have taken a two hour and 45 minute Broadway musical and turned it into a five hour movie experience.  And sorry, there wasn't enough content nor hummable songs here to double the size of this story.  So to see the entire film in the theatre, you not only had to pay twice in the movie theatre but also get yourself off the couch and dressed to go out twice.  This movie wasn't worth that.

And since it's been a year since Part I debuted, it would have been nice to get some kind of recap about what happened in Part I. Going in, I did understand this was all a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz" and how Elpheba became the Wicked Witch of the West. However, "Wicked" is not my favorite musical.  I have only seen it once in a theatre, so I needed to be reminded of the details I was left with in Part I. That was not done, so I was in the dark for much of Part 2. 

To save you from that same fate, here is a quick recap of Part I.  

Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) has green skin so has popularity issues.  However, she forges a friendship in school with Glinda (Ariana Grande), who is popular.  All goes well for awhile until some boy trouble and then suppression against the talking animals.  When Glinda and Elphaba go to the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) to get help for the animals, they discover that the animals are in deep trouble and the Wizard and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) are behind it, so Elphaba goes against the Wizard and Madame Morrible and is branded a traitor. Madame Morrible calls her "Wicked," hence "Wicked Witch of the West," get it?

So that's basically Part I, which I had to remind myself of with recaps on the Internet.  You would think for a two-and-a-half hour movie, there would have been time for a recap in Part II.  

Anyway, so Part II, directed once again by Jon M. Chu, begins with a time jump after Elphaba's escape in Part I. Glinda is now "Glinda the Good" and engaged to Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey, who just happens to be People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" this year), and the hunt is on for Elphaba, who continues her animal rights campaign but who is now branded "The Wicked Witch of the West." And in the course of the movie, we also learn where the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion came from and that's basically it. What will happen to Elphaba? By the time I found out, I didn't care anymore. And just to give you some context, my nine-year-old Granddaughter didn't really like Part II either.

But okay, that aside, I didn't like Jeff Goldblum and his auto-tuned voice as the Wizard nor Michele Yeoh as Madame Morrible. She can't sing either. And Cynthia Erivo kind of irritates me but at least she can sing and has an Oscar nomination under her belt. 

But if there is a ray of sunshine coming out of all of my complaints, it is Ariana Grande.  Like I said, Erivo is a Broadway baby so I expected her to be good.  But like I said in my review of Part I, Ariana was the real star.  She showed her vocal range in this, as well as some very good acting chops.  I enjoyed her most of all. And I give props to the cinematography, costumes and set design.  The film is lovely to look at, and I will say that the theme of friendship is an important one, but it all just went on too long, and in the end, for me there was no there there.

So this film, again written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, is nominated in the category called "Cinematic and Box Office Achievement," so here comes another complaint of mine.  The Academy Awards people have also added a similar category in recent years. This is a made up category to make sure movies that made a lot of money or were popular got recognized, basically throwing out the whole idea of artistry and dumbing down the awards. If a bunch of people went to see it, why we need to give it an award.  I think there were complaints in the past that the awards folks were getting too intellectual and honoring films nobody went to see so here we are. So in this category "Wicked: For Good" is up against "Zootopia 2," "Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning," "Avatar: Fire and Ash," and a couple of other movies I didn't care about.

Other nominations for this film include Cynthia and Ariana for "Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy" and "Best Female Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy" respectively, along with a couple of songs (five total).  Note: no nomination for the director, the screenplay, even the costumes.

Will "Wicked: For Good" win for best "Cinematic and Box Office Achievement?"  

I don't really care, but wouldn't it make most sense for this kind of category to just give the Golden Globe to the movie that made the most money?

Will Cynthia or Ariana could win? 

I think Ariana has a chance and deserves to win, but I think Cynthia's competition is too steep.

And if you haven't already seen Part I and still want to see it after hearing all of my complaints, for continuity sake, I recommend a binge day. Watch all five hours at once.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a "Wicked" superfan, I know it won't do me any good to tell you to skip this, especially if you liked the first half, but don't say I didn't warn you. (Available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime)

   

Bugonia (2025)

Two environmental conspiracy theorists kidnap the CEO of a pharmaceutical corporation, convinced that she is an alien bent on destroying the earth.

Teddy Gatz (Jesse Plemons) worries about his bees.  And he worries about his mother who is in a comatose state due to a clinical trial she participated in. Teddy blames Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), the CEO of the pharmaceutical megacorporation Auxolith, whose drug messed up Teddy's mother.  And Teddy also believes that Michelle is a member of an alien species known as the "Andromedans," who are killing honeybees and destroying humanity. So Teddy decides that he and his cousin, Don (Aidan Delbis), must kidnap Michelle before the upcoming lunar eclipse so they can meet with the Emperor of the Andromedans.  And they are serious in their plan. They even go through a chemical castration in order to be able to concentrate on their plan and not be distracted by sexual urges. Oooo-kay.

Before Teddy and Don implement their plan, we see Michelle's life unfolding and she isn't a particularly nice woman.  She is quite smug, entitled and out of touch, just the kind of person you wouldn't mind seeing getting her comeuppance.

So Teddy and Don kidnap Michelle and imprison her in their basement, shave her head (because they believe her hair can somehow communicate with her fellow Andromedans), and cover her body in antihistamine cream to prevent her from sending out a distress signal to other Andromedans. Teddy explains that she has four days to negotiate a meeting with the Andromedan emperor before an upcoming lunar eclipse, which will allow the Andromedan mothership to enter Earth's atmosphere undetected.

Michelle claims her innocence and works on Teddy which kind of works because in truth, Teddy isn't that smart. Teddy tortures Michelle with electroshocks and her resistance convinces Teddy that Michelle is not only an alien but a high ranking one so he unties her and lets her come upstairs.  Big mistake. Have Teddy and Don bitten off more than they can chew?

This film, based on the Korean film "Save the Green Planet," adapted by Will Tracy and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (Stone also starred in his film "Poor Things" and "Kinds of Kindness"), feels a bit like "Misery" in reverse. It also highlights the evils of the Internet and what it does to those who go down the conspiracy rabbit holes as well as the evils of Big Pharma. The film is mostly Teddy and Michelle -Teddy trying to get Michelle to admit she is an alien and Michelle trying to out think Teddy, which isn't that difficult.

Emma Stone is always good and is deservedly nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.  But for me, Jesse Plemons is the stand out. He has been around for awhile and was even nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2022 for "The Power of the Dog," but I would guess most people do not know his name.  He is a face.  But now, nominated for a Golden Globe for his leading man performance here, he is finally getting the respect he deserves. His performance was just amazing.

I really enjoyed this film and what I especially liked was the good old-fashioned storytelling, a linear narrative that we don't often find in films these days.  If I have one complaint, the twist ending was a bit over the top.

Oh, and the title?  Look up "bugonia."

The film has three Golden Globe nominations - Best Performance nominations for Emma and Jesse and the film has a Best Picture nomination and they are all nominated in the Musical or Comedy category! What??? Okay, but for me that's a stretch.  To enjoy this film, I think you have to suspend disbelief and take it seriously but okay, a comedy, but a very, very dark one.  

Anyway, will Emma or Jesse win?  Will this film win?

Prediction: Emma and Jesse as well as the film are in my top two to win in their categories.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a very satisfying film experience.  That's all I ever ask for. (streaming free on Peacock)

It Was Just An Accident (2025)

An accident leads to an accidental meeting...and revenge.

A man (Ebrahim Azizi) with a prosthetic leg is driving his car at night with his wife and daughter when he accidentally hits and kills a dog. When the man visits a nearby garage to get his car repaired. Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), an ethnic Azerbaijani auto mechanic, recognizes him from the sound his prosthetic leg makes when walking. The next day, Vahid follows the man, kidnaps him, and attempts to bury him in the desert. He tells him that he recognized his voice and walk as that of Eghbal (nicknamed "peg leg"), his former abuser in an Iranian prison. The man denies being Eghbal and begs Vahid not to kill him, telling him his leg was amputated recently.

When Vahid examines the man's leg and it looks like a recent wound, now Vahid isn't so sure so he puts the man into his van and goes to see Salar (George Hashemzadeh) another ex-prisoner.  Finding out that Vahid has the man tied up in his van, Salar doesn't want anything to do with it, but tells him to contact Shiva (Mariam Afshari), a photographer who Vahid finds taking wedding photos of Goli (Hadis Pakbaten) and Ali (Majid Panahi) who are getting married the next day. Goli reveals that she too had been tortured by Eghbal and, though both she and Shiva, think this man could be Eghbal, they aren't sure. So next they find Hamid (Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr), Shiva's partner, who insists it is Eghbal. So now we have Vahid, Shiva, Goli, Ali and Hamid, all together in a tight space, trying to figure out if this is the tormenter, Eghbal or not.  What to do? Believe it or not, there are some funny moments.

The film, written and directed by Jafar Panahi, is very one note - is this guy Peg Leg or isn't he? But there is insight into dictatorships and murderous regimes and the lasting traumas that political prisoners must live with, which is very timely in our world now and the film ends on an intriguing cliffhanger.  And just, think, if that guy had not hit that dog, none of this would have happened.

The film, a co-production between Iran, France, and Luxembourg, is a very personal film for Panahi, who himself was imprisoned in 2010 in Iran for opposing the government and was abused while in prison. It won the 2025 Palme d'or Award at the Cannes Film Festival and it is nominated for four Golden Globes: "Best Motion Picture-Drama," "Best Motion Picture-Non-English Language" as well as "Best Screenplay" and "Best Director" nominations for writer/director Panahi.

Will it win?

Not sure why a "non-English" film gets nominated in both the "non-English" category and the "Best Motion Picture-Drama" category.

Prediction: "Best Motion Picture-Drama?"  No.  Too much competition in that category.  "Best Motion Picture- Non-English Language?"  I am guessing no, as it didn't win the Critics' Choice Award for "Best Foreign Language Film."

Rosy the Reviewer says...billed as a thriller, not many thrills but the film is tense and the last half hour is worth the wait. (In Persian and Azerbaijani with English subtitles - available for rent on Amazon Prime). 

Sentimental Value (2025)

This movie is all about a house...and the family in it.

Sisters Nora and Agnes grow up in their Oslo family home raised by their psychotherapist mother, Sissel, after their father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgard), a film director, leaves the family. Later, Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) marries and works as a historian while Nora (Renate Reinsve) becomes an actress, an actress with crippling stage fright.

When Sissel dies, Gustav returns to Norway to reclaim the house. He hasn't seen his daughters for some time, and though Agnes is sympathetic towards him, Nora resents him for his drinking and long absences.

In the meantime, Gustav's career has been on the decline. He can't get financing for his projects.  He has a film he wants to make about his mother, Karin, who had been a member of the Norwegian resistance movement against the Nazis in WWII.  She had committed suicide in the family home and Gustav wants to make the film in that house and asks Nora to play Karin.  Nora isn't interested so Gustav hires Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning), an American actress, whose presence in the film convinces Netflix to finance the project.

All kinds of trouble ensues during the making of the film - Rachel can't speak Norwegian, Nora loses interest in her work, Agnes argues with Gustav after he casts her son in his movie without her permission and Gustav gets drunk - but then the daughters come to understand the generational trauma that Gustav suffered because of his mother's suicide and the regret he has felt over his broken relationships - the healing power of art.

Written by Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier and directed by Trier, this Norwegian film won the Grand Prix Prize this last year at the Cannes Film Festival and felt like the kind of psychological family dramas Bergman used to do with its beautiful cinematography and long, lingering shots of faces. It was also a slow, moving lingering film. Trier directed "The Worst Person in the World" in 2021 which also starred Reinsve.  I didn't get that film.  I liked this one better, despite feeling it went on too long. But the acting is first-rate, always a pleasure to see Skarsgard, though not sure how Elle Fanning ended up in the movie.  But it must have worked because she is nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance along with Skarsgard, Lilleaas and Reinsve. Speaking of Reinsve, her scene of Nora's stage fright is tense and breathtaking. The film is also nominated for a Golden Globe for  Best Motion Picture in both the Drama category and the "Non-English" category and Trier for Best Director and Screenplay.

Will the actors win?  Will the film win? Will Trier win?

Prediction: Though this film did not win Best Foreign Language Film at the recent Critics' Choice Awards, I think it has a chance to win a Golden Globe in the "Non-English" category.  I don't think the actors or Trier will win.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you like family dramas and some insight into filmmaking, you might like this. (in Norwegian, Swedish and English with English subtitles - available for rent on Amazon Prime)

See You Next Time!

And Happy New Year!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

Get Ready For The 2026 Golden Globes With These Golden Globe Nominated Performances, Part 1!

[I review these Golden Globe nominated performances: Jeremy Allen White in "Bruce Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere," Rose Byrne in "If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You," Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in "The Smashing Machine," and Eva Victor in "Sorry, Baby"]

Bruce Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (2025)

How Bruce Springsteen's album "Nebraska" came to be.

The film begins in 1957 in black and white.  A young Bruce Springsteen is sent into the bar by his mother to bring his dad (Stephen Graham) home. Back at home, his parents fight and Bruce defends his mother (Gaby Hoffmann) with a baseball bat. His dad also has a penchant for waking young Bruce up at night to box, again dad is drunk.

Then the film shifts to color and it's 1981. Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) has just finished his sold-out "River Tour."  Exhausted and wanting to lie low for awhile, his manager, Jon Landau (an always wonderful Jeremy Strong), rents Bruce a house in Colts Neck, New Jersey, near where he grew up in Freehold. Bruce buys his first new car, a Chevrolet Camaro, and plays with local bands at the Stone Pony bar where he meets Faye Romano (Odessa Young), an old classmate's younger sister, and a relationship of sorts ensues. 

With the full cooperation of The Boss himself, the film continues to use flashbacks in black and white to show Bruce's troubled relationship with his father, Douglas, an alcoholic battling mental health issues and Bruce's traumatic childhood which continued to haunt him.

On the heels of his first top-ten song "Hungry Heart," Bruce is battling depression and his record label is pressuring him for another hit album. Bruce suggests saving money by preparing the demo himself.  Influenced by his childhood memories and an increasing depression, Bruce writes a collection of stark, somber songs with a blue-collar perspective. He also sees the film "Badlands" about Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate, two teens who went on a crime spree in Nebraska and Wyoming in the 1950's, killing 11 people, which plays into his state of mind and influences him. Recording his new tracks unaccompanied, he makes the risky choice to embrace a raw, acoustic quality.

Meanwhile, living in California Adele calls Bruce for help with Douglas.

After visiting his father, Bruce arrives in New York City to record the new album, reuniting with the E Street Band. They lay down several successful tracks, but Bruce is unhappy with the overall full-band studio sound of the record, so Jon agrees to use Bruce's raw demo as the new record. Using older equipment to re-create the demo tape as a vinyl master recording, the new album "Nebraska" is born.

However, Al Teller (David Krumholtz), the record exec, is not happy with this artistic departure.  What?  No singles? No tours?  No press?  Why, Bruce's face isn't even on the cover! 

And then Bruce suffers a mental breakdown and contemplates suicide. 

Such was the environment where the album "Nebraska" was born."

The price of fame can be high, especially if you have traumas from your youth and issues with depression. This film shares a small, but pivotal time in Springsteen's life, a  time when he needed to express himself and his depression, and it shows how pain can turn into art. White as Springsteen does a good job of not only playing Springsteen in this difficult time of his life but showing his love for Faye  and Springsteen's love/hate relationship with fame. I mean, think about it.  White had never played a guitar or harmonica before and didn't know if he could sing! And the film has lots of music. What he did with this role was an amazing accomplishment.  

However, the movie itself is kind of niche. The first half drew me in, but then it started to drag. I mean, a movie about depression can be...well, depressing. This film covers a very small period of Springsteen's life and the making of one album. "Nebraska," which by the way, made it to #3 on the charts and, then, Bruce's next album, "Born in the U.S.A" made him a global superstar. He has produced over 20 studio albums and numerous live albums since then. We are glad he made it through that dark time.

The film, written and directed by Scott Cooper (based on the book by Warren Zanes) has one Golden Globe nomination and that is for White's performance.

So will Jeremy Allen White win the Golden Globe for "Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama?"

Prediction:  I say no.  Despite a wonderful performance, I think he has too much competition from the other nominees.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a big Springsteen fan, you might love this, but as a movie fan, it didn't do it for me. But see it for Jeremy Allen White's performance. (available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime)

If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You (2025) 

Sometimes a psychotherapist needs a psychotherapist!

Linda (Rose Byrne) is a psychotherapist stretched to her limits while caring for her daughter, who is suffering from a feeding disorder.  Her daughter is also enrolled in a day hospital program, which Linda must attend with her. The family's situation takes a turn for the worse when the ceiling in their apartment collapses, flooding the house. The sky is literally falling in Linda's life! 

With her husband, Charles (Christian Slater, heard mostly over the phone), a ship's captain, away on an eight-week work trip, Linda is forced to move with her daughter into a shabby motel. When they talk on the phone, he is not supportive. Sharing a motel room with her daughter and her daughter's feeding tube, Linda can't sleep. Sleep-deprived, she spends nights outside the motel, drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, listening to music, and eating junk food. She is befriended by James (ASAP Rocky), her next-door neighbor at the motel and the two try to buy drugs on the dark web.  This begs the question - what is your therapist doing when you are not around?

At the same time, Linda has to work and ironically is surrounded by clients in crisis, including Linda who seeks therapy from her own colleague (played by Conan O'Brien as you have never seen him - he can act)! However, he is also not very supportive and becoming increasingly exasperated by her behavior, he eventually declines her as a patient after she repeatedly crosses professional boundaries.

Things don't look good for Linda in this story of an overwhelmed mother.

This film has one Golden Globe nomination, and it is for Rose Byrne's performance which is a tour de force. She is just remarkable.  I have become increasingly impressed with her over the years. I think I first noticed her in "Neighbors," though she had done many roles before that. But I never really thought about her much, and when I did, I remembered her as a sort of "second banana," playing the wife or the friend.  Then along came the TV series "Physical" in 2021. She carried that series and was great, but she played a kind of nervous, ditsy woman and it was a bit of a comedy.  But in "Platonic" in 2023 I realized what a good actress she is.  She exuded a warmth and reality even though, again, the series was a bit of a comedy. I also liked that she actually used her real Aussie accent (in almost all of the roles I remember her for, she had to use an American accent).  This is the story of a woman struggling with her life and you would think it would be a slog, but it's mesmerizing and that's because Byrne has the ability to make us care about her.

And the movie, written and directed by Mary Bronstein, is riveting and raw examination of a woman on the edge, mostly because of Byrne but Bronstein's directorial choices are also interesting.  The child (Delaney Quinn) is not seen through the course of the film, which I think was a good choice - we just hear her voice - and that helps the viewer focus on the challenges of the mother and not the child (even though I also thought the child's voice was annoying - with that kid I would be freaking out too)! 

I only have two complaints.  

First of all, I don't get the title at all. I would be interested to know how this film got a green light with that title.  But second, and my biggest complaint, which has nothing to do with the movie, really, but is the fact that Byrne is nominated for "Best  Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture - COMEDY OR MUSICAL." What? Did I miss something?  This film is NOT a comedy and certainly NOT a musical.  What's the deal? Did they want to make sure she won a Golden Globe because there was too much competition in the Drama category?

But that said, will Byrne win Best Performance in her category?

Prediction: She should.

Rosy the Reviewer says...an amazing performance by Byrne (for rent or purchase from Amazon Prime and Apple+)

The Smashing Machine (2025)

A biopic about American former wrestler and mixed martial artist, Mark Kerr.

Mixed martial artists, Mark Kerr, might not be a well-known name today but back in the 1990's and early 2000's, he was a pioneer in the Mixed Martial Arts world. He was a two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship winner, World Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, and a PRIDE FC competitor. He also had a drug habit and a difficult relationship with his girlfriend, Dawn (who he eventually marries).  This film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Kerr and Emily Blunt as Dawn, covers the ups and downs of Kerr's career and relationships from 1997-2000. 

Johnson is nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in this film and he is barely recognizable, in a good way.   I guess I am not used to seeing him with hair. The make-up is first-rate. Though this movie felt like a soap opera at times and didn't really do much for me, I am glad Johnson had a chance to show his dramatic acting chops.  But Emily Blunt, who is also nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance, is quite amazing. I would not have known it was she if I hadn't seen her name in the credits.  I have seen her play Americans before but never a dippy one!  She shows her range by playing a character unlike any she has done before.

Written and directed by Benny Safdie, there is lots of wrestling and punching and kicking with some modern day fighters making their acting debuts, but I couldn't help but wonder what it is about men fighting each other that people enjoy watching.  I don't.

So will Johnson win a Golden Globe for "Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama?"  Will Blunt win a Golden Globe for "Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture?"

Prediction: Johnson - probably not.  Blunt - I am rooting for her. 

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a fan of "The Rock" or enjoy mixed martial arts, you might enjoy this, but I didn't, though I give props to Johnson and Blunt. (For rent or purchase on Amazon Prime)

Sorry, Baby (2025)

The aftermath of a sexual assault.

Agnes (Eva Victor) is a literature professor at Fairpoint, a liberal arts college in rural New England.  The film flashes back to Agnes in graduate school with her friend, Lydie (Naomi Ackie).  Agnes is a favorite of her literature professor, Preston Decker (Louis Cancelmi).  Perhaps, too much of a favorite because when Agnes goes to his house to meet with him about her thesis, a Bad Thing happens, a sexual assault that is not seen but later described in detail by Agnes.  The film, also written and directed by Victor, explores the emotional ramifications of such an event, and the insensitivity many women experience from others. When a "Bad Thing" happens and life is moving on, how does one move on?

This personifies the "indie film."  Independent films are known for artistry, unique stories and niche subjects.  They are often passion projects and showcase talent.  Check, check, check, check and check.  However, they can also be indulgent and, sadly, I felt that with this movie.  It covers an important subject - how little support women often get after an assault - but it was a one-note story that played out very slowly with long lingering camera shots that lingered and lingered and lingered.

Victor is nominated for a Golden Globe in the  "Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama" category.  Will she win?

Prediction: No.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Victor's performance was believable and the topic important, but, sorry, I found the character annoying and the film too slow moving. (Hulu and HBO Max)

See You Next Time!

And Happy New Year!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

Get Ready For The 2026 Golden Globes With These Golden Globe Nominated Films, Part 1

[I review the Golden Globe nominated films "Frankenstein (the new version), "One Battle After Another," "Nouvelle Vague," and "Sinners" - And I make my predictions. Who will win?]

Frankenstein (2025)

A boy with a tyrannical doctor father grows up with the desire to outdo him, to have command over life and death. He creates a "monster."

Director Guillermo del Toro, who won a Best Picture and a Best Directing Oscar for "The Shape of Water" in 2018, has adapted Mary Shelley's famous work into a story of compassion and forgiveness rather than adhering to the "science gone wrong" concept. This is a reimagining of a story that has been told many times. Though Del Toro has changed some of the plotlines from the original story, such as Victor Frankenstein's backstory, Elizabeth's role and the creature's motivations, he has still captured the heart of Mary Shelley's work.

The film is divided into three parts: Prelude, Victor's Tale and The Creature's Tale. 

In the Prelude, it's 1857, and the Horisont, a Royal Danish ship sailing for the North Pole, is trapped in the ice. Alerted to an explosion in the distance, Captain Anderson (Lars Mikkelsen) and his men discover an injured Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac). After bringing him on board, they are attacked by a Creature (Jacob Elordi) who demands that they turn Victor over to him. Captain Anderson manages to shoot the Creature and sink him into the icy water after which Victor explains that he is the Creature's maker and tells his story

Part I: Victor's Tale

Victor's father (Charles Dance) is a renowned surgeon who abuses young Victor and favors his younger brother, William.  Victor grows up to also be a brilliant surgeon but an arrogant one, obsessed with wanting to be more powerful than his father by conquering death. It's the classic story of "I will show my Dad!"

When Victor is expelled from the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh for trying to bring corpses back to life, arms merchant Henrich Harlander (played by a toned-down Christoph Waltz) offers Victor unlimited funding and an isolated tower to continue his experiments where Victor harvests body parts from hanged criminals. He enlists his brother, William (Felix Kammerer) as his assistant and becomes smitten with his fiancee, Elizabeth (Mia Goth). 

Victor eventually creates the Creature and is amazed at his strength but becomes frustrated that he can only teach it one word - "Victor."  So he starts to abuse the Creature, just as his father had done with him, which in turn doesn't go over well with the Creature, who is eventually able to escape.

So that's Victor's story. 

And then when the Creature is able to get out of the water and get onto the ship, he tells his story.

Part II: The Creature's Tale

After escaping from Victor, the Creature befriends a blind man (David Bradley) living in a cabin in the woods.  The man teaches the Creature to read and speak. The Creature also becomes sentient and when he eventually discovers the truth about his creation, self-loathing sets in. He feels he is an outsider, misunderstood, hated, and realizing he cannot die and will spend eternity alone, the Creature begs Victor to create a companion for him. The Creature is not happy when Victor refuses, thus why the Creature wants to kill Victor. 

The film asks the question: Who is the real monster here?

So that's the gist of the film's story but there is much more and Del Toro has created a different ending that is a tear-jerker.

The film is two-and-a-half hours long, and you know how I feel about overlong movies, but I have to say, this one did not feel overlong.  It flew by, because every scene meant something, every scene was filled with emotion, not to mention the moody beautiful set design and cinematography, the incredible Victorian costumes and the exquisite score. And the acting is extraordinary.  Both Isaac and Elordi are wonderful. Hard to believe Elordi once played Elvis. 

Both Isaac and Elordi are nominated for acting Golden Globes as is Del Toro for Best Directing and the film for Best Motion Picture-Drama (the score was also nominated). The film has already won 27 awards and has another 90 nominations from other film societies.

So will this film win the Golden Globe for "Best Picture-Drama?" Will Del Toro win Best Director?  Will Isaac and Elordi win?

Prediction: I feel it should win and so should Del Toro and the actors. I think the main competition in this category is "Hamnet (not seen at this writing)," but this was truly a wonderful film experience.  It should win.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Del Toro has said "I dream that I can make the greatest Frankenstein ever..."  And he has. This is the best movie I have seen all year. Not to be missed! (Netflix)

One Battle After Another (2025)

Can a movie about revolutionaries and white supremacists be funny?  Well, yes, kind of.

"Ghetto" Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) are members of a leftist revolutionary group called the French 75. While breaking out immigrants from a detention center at the U.S.-Mexico border, Perfidia comes across Capt. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), one of the commanding officers, and manages to sexually humiliate him in a very cringeworthy scene. However, didn't seem to bother him that much, because turns out our very white supremacist Steven J. Lockjaw has a thing for black women, and when he catches Perfidia planting a bomb, he releases her after she agrees to have sex with him, and such is the screw, pardon the pun, that turns this story. 

Later Pat and Perfidia become lovers, and then Perfidia gives birth to a girl named Charlene and they have a little family together. Mmmm, that little girl.  Who is the Baby Daddy?  One can't help but wonder. But Pat is all in and tries to persuade her to settle down, but Perfidia has postpartum depression, or maybe she is just bored, but anyway she abandons Pat and baby Charlene. She is caught after murdering a security guard in an armed bank robbery, but there is Lockjaw again, and he arranges for her to avoid prison in exchange for her to give him information on the whereabouts of the key French 75 members which she does. Perfidia enters witness protection and walks into Mexico (can you do that without a passport?). 

Pat and Charlene have been given protection by the French 75 and changed their names to Bob and Willa Ferguson and are living in the sanctuary town of Baktan Cross, Calfornia, a place that does not exist in real life, but fun to try to figure out where this was filmed. Turns out Eureka, Stockton and San Juan Bautista, all of those California locations were in this movie. 

Anyway, now it's sixteen years later, Willa (Chase Infiniti) is a free-spirited teen, and she has to be, because Bob has become a paranoid stoner. And through his vehement anti-immigration efforts, Lockjaw has become a colonel and a prominent figure within the US security agencies. When Lockjaw is invited to become a member of the Christmas Adventurers Club, a far-right white supremacist group, and they plan to do a deep dive into his personal life to see if he is lily white enough, he realizes he needs to find Willa and kill her to hide his past relationship with Perfidia. 

So now we have Bob and Willa, with the help of sensei Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio Del Toro) and Perfidia's former ally, Deandra (Regina Hall), trying to escape Lockjaw and his goons and Lockjaw trying to hide his past proclivities from the Christmas Adventurers. Lots of car chases and running around trying to avoid being killed ensues, and that is when the movie finally kicked in for me and it's description as a dark comedy resonated.

One of my criticisms of this movie is the title.  I can never remember it and not really sure how it figures in the movie. But my main problem was that it took me almost an hour to get into the film, and after some cringeworthy moments, such as when Perfidia first meets Lockjaw (not a fan of shock value moments - I actually said out loud "What the hell?"), I figured out it was supposed to be funny.

And did I say this movie is almost three hours long?  I have a problem with that too.  Directors these days seem to have a difficult time editing themselves.  And the soundtrack was really annoying at times.   

But despite my complaints, after the first hour, I was all in. 

Leonardo Di Caprio really shows his talent here.  He is really, really good.  I couldn't take my eyes off of him and Sean Penn?  Geez, that guy, whatever he does, he gives it his all and this movie is no exception.  I mean, just watch him walk.  That's acting! I see Oscar nods for both of them. And props to the other actors and to writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson ("Boogie Nights," "Magnolia," "There Will Be Blood"), who based the film loosely on Thomas Pynchon's book "Vineland."  

Though I think this film didn't need to be so long, Anderson has made an important film that speaks to where we are now.  There are all kinds of nuances that those of us who are not happy with the current political climate in America can relate to, such as rounding up immigrants en masse, authoritarian police forces and rich white men creating secret societies.

So will this one win a "Best Picture - Musical or Comedy" Golden Globe? Will Leo and Sean win in their categories? 

Prediction: With nine Golden Globe nominations, another 100+ other nominations and 110 wins already from other film societies, I say the film will probably win in this category. And Leo and Sean are right up there also as contenders in their acting categories. I also think Mr. Oscar is knocking at the door.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a timely film that will take you on a wild ride. I still haven't gotten over Sean Penn's walk. (available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime)

Nouvelle Vague (2025)

The making of Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless (1960)," one of the first feature films of the French New Wave cinema.

Director Richard Linklater is on a roll.  He has two films nominated for a Golden Globe in the "Best Picture - Musical or Comedy" category - this one and "Blue Moon (which I reviewed in my last post on December 12)." Like "Blue Moon," which paid homage to classic Broadway musicals and the songwriting duo of Rodgers and Hart, this one celebrates filmmaking, paying homage to the French New Wave, which clearly was an influence on Linklater's own filmmaking.

In 1959, Jean-Luc Godard attends the film premier of "La Passe du diable" along with his fellow film critics at "Cahiers due Cinema" - François Truffaut (Adrien Rouyard), Suzanne Schiffman (Jodie Ruth-Forest) and Claude Chabrol (Antoine Besson), all of whom had already made movies. At the afterparty, Godard harshly criticizes the film and pledges to become a film director, as his other colleagues have. Later, Godard attends the Cannes Film Festival where Truffaut's film "The 400 Blows" becomes a resounding success, so Godard decides it is his time to direct a film, so he co-writes a short outline with Truffaut and off he goes to direct "Breathless.

The story of "Breathless" involves Michel Portail, a young, impulsive petty criminal in Paris who idolizes American movie gangsters, especially Humphrey Bogart. When he kills a motorcycle cop after stealing a car, Portail becomes a wanted man. Then he meets Patricia, an American student, and the two fall in love, but as Patricia learns of Portail's crimes, she questions their relationship and it all ends badly. Actress Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch) enjoying the success of her film "Bonjour Tristesse," plays Patricia and Jean-Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin) is cast as Portail.  

So that's the gist of "Breathless," which became a classic of French cinema, but you would never know that would be the outcome because of the chaotic, impulsive and disjointed way that Godard directed the film, and that is what Linklater highlights in this movie. For example, there isn't a finished script, and on the first day of production, Godard films only one scene.  As production goes on, Godard wants spontaneity and improvisation rather than finishing the script.  There is no continuity and short shooting days.  Cast and crew, and especially the producer, Georges de Beauregard (Bruno Dreyfurst), become frustrated. After 23 days, Godard wraps production.  

When the film is shown, Truffaut, Chabrol and others dismiss the film, but we all know what happened. "Breathless" became one of the most daring and influential films ever made; Belmondo became an international heartthrob; Seberg went on to make 35 more films but sadly died from suicide at 40 (read her biography. Really sad what happened to her); and Godard went on to have a brilliant film career for over 60 years.

Many filmmakers have been influenced by the French New Wave and particularly by Godard.  And Linklater is clearly one of them. Written by Holly Gent, Vincent Palmo Jr. and Michele Petin, this is a little slice of French film life, a look into the early days of the French New Wave, but this film also seemed to be very niche.  

I wonder how many current filmgoers can relate to this part of film history, and who will recognize the famous names thrown around, because to enjoy the film, it helps to know the movers and shakers of the French New Wave. Famous names abound as well as famous quotes (Godard's most famous line - "All you need for a movie is a girl and a gun"), but that doesn't mean much if no one recognizes the names or the quotes. The film is black and white mostly in French with English subtitles, which is fine, but Linklater also chose to include closed captions like "chuckling" and "sound of car horn."  I found that very irritating.  Not sure what the purpose of that was. Linklater also seemed to be imitating Godard's style of filmmaking because the movie felt very disjointed and chaotic at times. But the actors were great and the production values captured the times and did mimic the filmmaking of that era, and, of course, there were lots and lots of cigarettes.

Linklater pays homage to French New Wave cinema and perhaps hoped that this little film would ignite interest in that part of film history.  Not sure that will happen.

Will it win a Golden Globe for "Best Picture - Musical or Comedy?"

Prediction: I say no, and it doesn't help that Linklater's "Blue Moon" is also nominated in this category.  They could cancel each other out.

Rosy the Reviewer says...an interesting little love letter from Linklater to Godard and French New Wave cinema, but I wonder if the general movie going public can relate (Netflix).

Sinners (2025)

What does a black community in the 1930's South have to do with vampires? Nothing really but it makes for an intriguing concept in this tale about twin brothers returning from their troubled lives in Chicago only to find more trouble.

Michael B. Jordan plays identical twins and World War I veterans Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore (get it?  Smoke-Stack? - lol) who return to Clarksdale, Mississippi, after spending seven years in Chicago. These guys are gangsters and they have returned to their small town to start a juke joint for the local Black community. They are accompanied by their young cousin, Sammie (Miles Caton), AKA Preacher Boy, who is a blues singer.

They reunite with Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), a blues harmonica player; Grace (Li Jun Li) and Bo Chow (Yao), local Chinese shopkeepers; field worker Cornbread Omar Benson Miller); and Smoke's wife, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku).  Delta will perform in the joint, Grace and Bo will supply the food, Cornbread will be the bouncer and Annie will cook.

In the meantime, Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), Stack's ex-girlfriend shows up. As an aside, Annie believes in Hoodoo and thinks that she has kept the twins safe over the years, but that is yet to be determined because there are vampires afoot. What? Vampires?

Anyway, on the joint's opening night, the music attracts Remmick (Jack O'Connell), who is a KKK guy and also a vampire (huge metaphor there) and his fellow vampires, and it all goes to hell after that.

Michael B. Jordan is nominated for a Best Actor Golden Globe and it's well deserved as he played both brothers and each is distinctive. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, the film is nominated for another six Golden Globe awards and has already won 124 awards from other film societies, but this movie just didn't do it for me. It took too long to get going, and when the vampires finally showed up, I couldn't help but think, where did the vampires come from? What do they have to do with this? 

Despite the focus on the music, traditions, culture and the struggles of the black community in the 1930's South as well as the moody and sometimes beautiful cinematography, good acting, and, yes, vampires...sorry, I just didn't get it, much as I love vampires. If you are going to do black culture, do black culture, and if you are going to do vampires, do vampires, but mashing them together, didn't work for me.

So will this win "Best Picture - Drama?"  Will Michael B. Jordan win Best Actor-Drama?"

Prediction: I say, no. Despite the stylish presentation and the metaphor, I just could not get into this movie.  And I also think Michael B. Jordan has some stiff competition in the Best Actor-Drama category.

Rosy the Reviewer says...even though I kind of like vampires, I didn't find this a satisfying movie experience. It was a very bizarre vampire movie. The movie actually could have done without the vampires. (streaming on HBO Max and Hulu).

See You Next Time For More on the Golden Globes!

And Happy New Year!

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And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!