Kristofor King Movie Reviews

The Smashing Machine (2025)— a study in pain, pride, and the price of masculinity Emotion in motion: Dwayne Johnson lays down the gauntlet for his best performance yet

Dwayne Johnson gives the best performance of his career and The Smashing Machine lands a solid punch. My review is here:

One Battle After Another (2025) — the cost of being seen, the price of being ignored Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest has the bark, but does it have the bite to match his legendary filmography?

Yes, it’s one of the best of the year. But is it THE best of the year? The decade? All-time??? Leonardo DiCaprio’s best performance? My thoughts on Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another are here:

Tron was not as good as I was hoping it would be. But had a great time with my guys.

Mom likes to catch all the Oscar nominees with me. Pretty sure this will be one.

Good Boy — haunting tale of devotion shaped by a dog’s unearthly instincts A loyal dog moves to a rural family home with his owner, only to discover supernatural forces lurking in the shadows.

A scary movie with the dog as the main character. Such a creative concept for a horror movie. Check out my review on @framerated.co.uk and here:

The Lost Bus — adrenaline-fuelled survival thriller from a master of chaos A wayward school bus driver and a dedicated school teacher battle to save 22 children from a terrifying inferno.

On Medium, @kriskingreviews.bsky.social reviewed THE LOST BUS medium.com/framerated/t...

The Senior (2025) — faith, football, and facepalms An underdog comeback tale undone by clunky dialogue and tired tropes.

The Senior aims for heartfelt family film but the script should’ve worked harder in the off-season. My review is here:

Him (2025) — a bizarre dive into the horrors of ambition and American football Like a dazed quarterback with no play call, Him is confused, concussed, and spiking the ball for no reason.

HIM is an ambitious sports/horror movie but does it achieve anything beyond being completely bizarre? My review is here:

Ne Zha 2 — cultural resonance and extraordinary visuals outshine a tangled story After a great catastrophe, the souls of Nezha and Aobing are saved, but their bodies face ruin.

On Medium, Kris King reviewed NE ZHA 2 medium.com/framerated/n...

Ne Zha 2 — cultural resonance and extraordinary visuals outshine a tangled story After a great catastrophe, the souls of Nezha and Aobing are saved, but their bodies face ruin.

Ne Zha 2 is now the highest-grossing animated film of all time and chances are, you haven’t even heard of it. Here’s why it’s breaking records and what the hype is all about. My review is on @framerated.co.uk and Medium:

The Social Network — a film about connection that ends in isolation A student creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, but is sued by twins who claimed he stole their idea…

On Medium, @kriskingreviews.bsky.social reviewed THE SOCIAL NETWORK for its 15th anniversary medium.com/framerated/t...

The Social Network — a film about connection that ends in isolation A student creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, but is sued by twins who claimed he stole their idea…

I had my first film review published this week. I’m officially a contributor to @framerated.co.uk Check out my retrospective marking the 15th anniversary of The Social Network.

Film Review: The Long Walk (2025) Fifty kids, one road, no exits. A haunting Stephen King adaptation with heatstroke in its bones.

Stephen King has published hundreds of works. Hollywood has adapted a million of them. Check out my thoughts on the newest one, The Long Walk, here:

Film Review: Highest 2 Lowest (2025) Spike Lee returns to New York with a messy, magnetic morality tale.

The newest Spike Lee joint has its problems. But it also includes several moments where Spike reminds us he’s still really good at this. My full review of Highest 2 Lowest is here:

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle (2025) The action is fierce. The pacing is infuriating.

Beautifully animated. But narratively and structurally frustrating. My review of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is here:

Film Review: Caught Stealing (2025) The most average of all the average movies I’ve ever seen.

Caught Stealing hired a great director then told him to make a movie with Austin Butler in nearly every scene, throw in a decent car chase, and keep it moving. My full review is here:

The Roses (2025) The best feel-bad romantic comedy of the year.

The Roses might make you laugh or make you cry. Or, it might hit a little too close to home. My review is here:

I’m so excited to hear this. Zhao needed another top tier film to solidify herself as one of the best working filmmakers. Clearly she’s got one here. I’m so excited for her and can’t wait to see it!

Film Review: The Toxic Avenger (2025) The little slasher B-movie that could and eventually did.

The Toxic Avenger is the little slasher B-Movie that could. Two years in studio distribution purgatory was worth the wait to fans of the genre. My review is here:

Film Review: Eden (2025) Even paradise can rot from the inside out.

Eden is an observation on human behavior and the way we deflect blame outward instead of confronting ourselves. A message especially relevant today. My full review is here.

Film Review: Honey, Don’t (2025) The title tried to warn me. I wish I’d listened.

Ethan Coen getting ambitious about proving which of the Coen brothers is the mastermind. For more on whether or not it’s him, check out my review of Honey, Don’t on Medium.

Film Review: Night Always Comes (2025) The night arrives on schedule. Everything else in this film does not.

Another Netflix original not worth your time. But the article is worth reading.

Film Review: Freakier Friday (2025) Freakier Friday gives nostalgia the keys and drives straight into chaos.

It even earned a forehead slap from my five year old at one point. But Freakier Friday has its moments and is as charming as it is goofy. Click for my review.

Film Review: Weapons (2025) You don’t have to answer every question, but you better ask the right ones.

Weapons is worth the hype. If you can only stomach one true horror movie a year, this should probably be it. My review is here:

Film Review: The Pickup (2025) A star-studded heist comedy that runs out of gas.

The Pickup is Prime Video’s most recent addition to its miserable lineup of 2025 original films. My review is here.

Film Review: The Bad Guys 2 (2025) Not all bad guys deserve a second chance.

The Bad Guys 2 leaves the fun from the first and sets its sights squarely on its youngest fans.

Film Review: The Naked Gun (2025) The kind of stupid we don’t get enough of anymore.

The jokes don’t all land but I still spent most of the movie laughing. And a couple parts had me gasping for air. medium.com/@kristoforki...

2025 Fall Movie Preview It might still be hot outside, but to students, teachers, and movie studio execs, summer is over. The heavy-hitting blockbusters are gone…

Check out my 2025 Fall Movie Preview! A comprehensive list of everything to expect in theaters and streaming over the next couple months.

Film Review: Together (2025) When love becomes inseparable, sometimes it’s horrifying.

Together is a clever body horror flick that stands out in a year filled with some great horror films. Review below.

Film Review: Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) Thirty years later, Happy’s still swinging for the fences, and the ball’s still finding the hole.

#happygilmore2 seems to be mostly hated by a lot of film people.

Not me buddy! I was cracking up for most of the time. A brief general knowledge of the sports/golf world was helpful.

More of my thoughts coming at ya