reviews | The Last Movie Guy

The Perfect Neighbor (2025): America’s Fractured Mirror

In 2005, the state of Florida passed the “Stand Your Ground” law — legislation now in effect in several U.S. states — which allows a person to use force (even lethal force) in self-defense without any obligation to retreat first if they believe their life or physical integrity is in danger. Unlike other self-defense laws, this one does not require the threatened individual to attempt to flee or avoid confrontation before using force.

One Battle After Another (2025): An Action Epic from P. T. Anderson

Posted on October 1 by Hugo Pagan Soto

Bob is absorbed in his own world, getting high while The Battle of Algiers (1966) plays on the television. The ringing of a telephone is enough to suddenly drag him back into his past and snap him into reality. By the time we reach this moment, One Battle After Another (2025) has already infected us with its frenzy. For director Paul Thomas Anderson, this is his second time adapting a novel by Thomas Pynchon. In 2014, he adapted Inherent Vice for the screen, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the peculiar detective Doc Sportello. Now Anderson draws on Vineland, published in 1990, to create the universe of One Battle After Another.

Christy: Sydney Sweeney Steps Into the Ring – TIFF 2025

Posted on September 22 by Hugo Pagan Soto

On the night of November 23, 2010, Christy Martin was brutally attacked by her husband. After stabbing her several times, he shot her in the chest, left her for dead on the floor of their bedroom, and went to take a shower. Miraculously, Christy managed to stand up and walk to the street, where she found a driver who took her to a hospital. This episode in the turbulent life of the former welterweight champion feels like something out of a horror movie. In Christy (2025), directed by David Michôd, we revisit the life inside and outside the ring of one of the most dominant female boxers of all time.

Left-Handed Girl: Invisible Wounds , Generational Trauma -TIFF 2025

Posted on September 19 by Hugo Pagan Soto

“When the intention is not upright, one seeks side doors and paths to the left.”
(Chinese Proverb)

To understand Left-Handed Girl (2025), it is necessary to delve into certain aspects of Chinese culture. In Chinese tradition, strongly influenced by Confucianism, left-handedness was seen as a deviation from order and social harmony. The “right” represented what was correct, noble, and appropriate, while the “left” carried a negative connotation. Therefore, writing, eating, or greeting with the left hand was considered improper and was often corrected from childhood. Director Shih-Ching Tsou draws on this old tradition and her own experiences to structure her story.

The Furious: Pure Adrenaline and Martial Arts Mastery – TIFF 2025

Posted on September 17 by Hugo Pagan Soto

Kenji Tanigaki, stuntman and fight choreographer turned director, delivers his eighth film with The Furious, a fast-paced ode to legendary Asian martial arts cinema. While the film navigates familiar genre paths, Tanigaki finds his own voice, crafting a work with impeccable mise-en-scène, precise technical execution, and a meticulous attention to artistic detail.