Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025)

 

These theatrical additions to the series mean a lot to fans like me. All three have been a delight. I’ll miss these characters, and I imagine they will miss the many years they have worked together. This was a fine endcap to their stories. 

Rating: B-

Boy Kills World (2023)

 

Great title. Decent premise. The script is too manic for my taste. Would have preferred they play it more straight. Fewer hallucinations, video game sound fx, and jump edits. A lot of people die in the most heinous ways. Felt overkill, especially considering the twist ending. You are left with no one to root for. 

Rating: D+

Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)

 

Another fun chapter in this completely engaging series. Fans of the show like me will love this film update. The characters are like old friends at this point. 

Rating: B-

Downton Abbey (2019)

Like most movies released as a bookend to a successful TV series, Downton Abbey appeals to an established fan base; me included. I adored every episode of the British series and the feature film was a fun walk with the characters down memory lane. They mostly kept things light, which was a relief actually. The way a reunion with old friends should be. 

Rating: B

The Gentlemen (2020)

I won’t be the first person to write that this is a return to form for Guy Ritchie, so I won’t write that. Instead I’ll say that The Gentlemen is right up there with his first two films--Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels & Snatch. If that doesn’t get you wet in the panties, you should stop reading my reviews.

Within 5 minutes you will lean over to your mates and quickly whisper about how brilliant Hugh Grant is in his role. And what a role it is! Many actors would kill to get their teeth into a character like this, and most of them would squander the opportunity. Not Hugh Grant. He nails the cadence, accent, colloquialisms, gestures, and expressions masterfully. It’s an Oscar worthy performance that will sadly be forgotten come next award season.

But enough about Hugh. Guy Ritchie deserves a lot of credit too. It's his film through and through, which means I’d be crapping all over him right now if it sucked. Instead I’m piling on a hefty portion of praise. The screenplay shines and the editing elevates the material. I laughed a ton. Soundtrack is fun. Cast is solid. There are a lot of moving parts that were expertly balanced.

A word of advice. Pay attention. Don’t watch while trying to do other things. Put down your phone. Don’t watch with parents who constantly ask questions. And don’t turn on the subtitles! You won’t be able to keep up and ultimately they will be a distraction. Instead, drink some caffeine and give it your full attention. The accents are diverse and thick with slang, but the wordplay is a cocaine roller coaster.

Rating: B+

Non-Stop (2014)

Despite being riddled with plot holes, it was somewhat suspenseful and entertaining. Outside of United 93, I can’t think of an action movie that takes place on a plane that is remotely plausible. Non-Stop could only be more silly if they added snakes and Samuel L. Jackson.

Rating: C