Matinee Magic or Couch Potato Fodder? The Movies of Fall 2025, Rated
From Oscar bait to snake bait, here’s what to watch and what to dodge.
Fall movie season is here, which means Hollywood is serving us a buffet of sequels nobody asked for, Oscar bait that screams “prestige,” and the occasional gem that actually deserves a ticket. To save you time (and cash), we’ve slapped our Movie Night Energy ratings on each release, from Front Row Friday must-sees to Popcorn in the Trash disasters.
September
The Conjuring: Last Rites: Haven’t we exorcised this demon enough? Horror fans will show up like moths to a crucifix, but the thrills feel reheated.
Rating: 3️⃣ Couch View
Twinless: Dylan O’Brien pulls double duty in a dark comedy about grief. Quirky, layered, and could be the indie sleeper.
Rating: 2️⃣ Matinee Ticket
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale: Tea, tears, and Maggie Smith’s dagger-sharp eyerolls. Fans will sob; everyone else will nap.
Rating: 3️⃣ Couch View
Spinal Tap: The End Continues: This goes up to eleven … again. If the jokes land, it’ll be comedy gold.
Rating: 2️⃣ Matinee Ticket
The Long Walk: Stephen King dystopia, bleak and brilliant. Expect brutal pacing and gut-punch emotion. (Did anyone read the book?)
Rating: 1️⃣ Front Row Friday
One Battle After Another: Paul Thomas Anderson + DiCaprio = Oscar bait deluxe. Cinephile heaven.
Rating: 1️⃣ Front Row Friday
Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie: Gabby and her Grandma go on a candy-colored, cat-packed adventure to save the dollhouse. Hyper, fun, and perfect for the kids (or nostalgic adults).
Rating: 2️⃣ Matinee Ticket
October
The Smashing Machine: Dwayne Johnson finally acting instead of winking. A Safdie brother brings grit and grime. Rating: 1 (Front Row Friday).
Anemone: Daniel Day-Lewis un-retires, directed by his son. Family drama dripping with Oscars. Rating: 1 (Front Row Friday).
Tron: Ares: Disney keeps insisting Tron is a thing. It’s not. Rating: 4 (Background Noise).
Frankenstein (del Toro): Oscar Isaac as the monster in a gothic del Toro fever dream. Gorgeous and haunting. Rating: 1 (Front Row Friday).
Bugonia: Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone go full weird. Alien CEOs, cousin conspiracies … sign us up! Rating: 1 (Front Row Friday).
Mortal Kombat II: More fatalities, less originality. Best paired with greasy pizza. Rating: 4 (Background Noise).
November
Nuremberg: Rami Malek vs. Russell Crowe in a courtroom showdown. Heavy but powerful. Rating: 2 (Matinee Ticket).
Die, My Love: Jennifer Lawrence + Robert Pattinson in a Lynne Ramsay fever dream. Unsettling, unforgettable. Rating: 1 (Front Row Friday).
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t: The magic trick is making this franchise keep going. Rating: 4 (Background Noise).
The Running Man: Edgar Wright directs Glen Powell in a King adaptation. Smart, stylish action. Rating: 1 (Front Row Friday).
Wicked: For Good: Grande and Erivo belt their way through Oz. Event cinema, love it or hate it. Rating: 2 (Matinee Ticket).
Zootopia 2; Disney plays it safe, but Judy and Nick still charm. Rating: 2 (Matinee Ticket).
December
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery: Benoit Blanc returns, Daniel Craig chewing scenery in Southern drawl glory. Rating: 1 (Front Row Friday).
Avatar: Fire and Ash: James Cameron’s latest Na’vi tech demo. Big, bloated, but undeniably pretty. Rating: 2 (Matinee Ticket).
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2: Animatronic jump scares for teens; critics will groan. Rating: 3 (Couch View).
Marty Supreme: Timothée Chalamet as a 1950s ping-pong dreamer in a Safdie fever dream. Weird enough to work. Rating: 2 (Matinee Ticket).
Anaconda (Jack Black & Paul Rudd): Giant snake reboot with comedy-horror vibes. This isn’t a joke, but maybe it should be. Rating: 5 (Popcorn in the Trash).
The Housemaid: Paul Feig pivots to psychological thriller with Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried. Intriguing risk. Rating: 2 (Matinee Ticket).
⚡️ Takeaways
- 🤩 Front Row Friday (1): The Long Walk, One Battle After Another, The Smashing Machine, Anemone, Frankenstein, Bugonia, Die My Love, The Running Man, Knives Out 3
- 🎟️ Matinee Ticket (2): Twinless, Spinal Tap, Nuremberg, Wicked 2, Zootopia 2, Avatar 3, Marty Supreme, The Housemaid
- 🛋️Couch View (3): Conjuring: Last Rites, Downton Abbey finale, Freddy’s 2
- 💥Background Noise (4): Tron: Ares, Mortal Kombat II, Now You See Me 3
- 🍿Popcorn in the Trash (5): Anaconda
What do you think? Leave your comments below. ⬇️