The Best Movies of 2025 (So Far)
Armand
There was no doubt in my mind, heading into Armand, that Renate Reinsve was going to deliver: She was enchanting as a restless millennial in Joachim Trier's wry and exquisite 2021 film The Worst Person in the World. In the Scandi drama Armand, the debut film by writer-director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel—the grandson of Ingmar Bergman and Liv Ullmann, though there are more flashes of Gaspar Noé here—we meet Reinsve as Elisabeth, a mother summoned to her young son Armand's primary school.
In the dark, ominous classroom setting, as she hears the accusations that he sexually abused another child, Elisabeth descends into a fit of incredulous, bitter laughter. And she keeps going—it lasts five painful minutes. Each giggle hits like a shovel, excavating new levels of horror, knocking at the walls we put up around uncomfortable truths and societal values. An interrogation evolves into an emotional spiral that's hard to look away from.
At first slow and elongated, then at grotesque, breakneck turns, Tøndel presents an intense psycho-drama, with slashes of surrealism and a striking, geometric visual language. He offers no easy answers, only the tools to keep digging into the murk of our own humanity long after the film ends. —Anna Cafolla
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Digital Trends
2 hours ago
- Digital Trends
10 best Amazon Prime Video movies to watch this summer
With the calendar turning to August, summer is on the back stretch. The weather will get cooler, and the days will get shorter. Summer movies will head to the back burners as horrors and awards season hopefuls take center stage. That's a September problem. It's still August, and Amazon Prime Video has an impressive collection of blockbusters, romances, and adventures to keep you occupied the rest of the summer. We narrowed down the list of summer movies on Amazon to 10. The Fall Guy (2024) The Fall Guy is the perfect summer blockbuster. It has two charming leads, thrilling action scenes, and effective comedic gags. Loosely inspired by the TV series from the 1980s, The Fall Guy centers around Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), a former Hollywood stuntman recruited out of retirement to work on a film being directed by his ex-girlfriend, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt). Recommended Videos The lead actor, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, suddenly vanishes during filming, and if he isn't found, Jody's career is at risk of plummeting. Colt goes rogue to retrieve the actor, and in doing so, uncovers a menacing plot that puts the entire production in danger. Backed by sensational chemistry between the two leads, David Leitch's love letter to the stunt community is an entertaining romp from start to finish. Stream The Fall Guy on Prime Video. Heads of State (2025) Heads of State exudes big '90s energy. It's an action movie moonlighting as a buddy comedy, making it the perfect vehicle for an Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone. Instead of those two legends, Idris Elba and John Cena star as Prime Minister Sam Clarke and President Will Derringer, respectively. Despite their dislike of one another, the political rivals agree to fly to a NATO summit together. During the flight, the plane is hijacked, forcing Clarke and Derringer to escape using parachutes. Now on the run, the duo must identify the mole who planned the attack and stop them from executing their diabolical plan at the summit. Some of this movie is dumb fun, but Elba and Cena form an effective comedic team that works. Stream Heads of State on Prime Video. Snack Shack (2024) Snack Shack has the hallmarks of a good coming-of-age movie — a strong friendship, low stakes, a romantic lead, and some hijinks. Teenagers AJ (Conor Sherry) and Moose (Gabriel LaBelle) are thick as thieves, always thinking about their next moneymaking scheme. For the summer, the duo decides to buy the local pool's beat-up snack shack. The two entrepreneurs fix it up and manage to create a profitable business. Nothing could come between these best friends — except for a girl, of course. Impressing Brooke (Mika Abdalla), the new lifeguard, becomes the boys' sole focus, even if their friendship takes a back seat. Snack Shack is more funny than feel-good, but the movie's charm is undeniable. Stream Snack Shack on Prime Video. Summer Days, Summer Nights (2018) Bridge and Tunnel's Edward Burns puts the spotlight on his beloved Long Island in Summer Days, Summer Nights. Set in the summer of 1982, the ensemble dramedy follows a group of townies from Memorial Day to Labor Day. For JJ Flynn (Pico Alexander), his summer goes from heartbreak to happiness after embarking on a passionate fling with Debbie (Lindsey Morgan). Frankie (Anthony Ramos) gets a chance at redemption with his ex-girlfriend, Suzy (Caitlin Stasey). Winky (Rita Volk) can't stand her new co-worker, Terry (Amadeus Serafini), and Jack Flynn (Burns) does what he can to keep his son out of trouble. Burns understands small-town living and perfectly captures the highs and lows of home in the summer. Stream Summer Days, Summer Nights on Prime Video. The Accountant 2 (2025) The Accountant 2 did not need a sequel. Gavin O'Connor's action thriller about an accountant with elite combat skills ended on a definitive note. Yet O'Connor crafted a sequel that channeled the spirit of a buddy comedy, and it totally justified its existence. When Ramond King (J.K. Christian) is found murdered, the words 'find the accountant' are on his arm. Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) follows orders and tracks down the accountant, Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck), and reluctantly asks him to help with the case. When Christian discovers a conspiracy involving a deadly organization of assassins, he calls in backup in the form of his brother, Brax (Jon Bernthal). This movie only works because of the chemistry between Affleck and Bernthal. You'll be surprised by how much you end up laughing. Stream The Accountant 2 on Prime Video. Piranha (1978) After the success of Jaws, Hollywood rode the creature-feature wave and commissioned many water-focused horrors. According to Steven Spielberg, Piranha is the 'best Jaws rip-off.' Spielberg supported the movie so much that he made Universal drop the lawsuit to block Piranha from being released during the same summer as Jaws 2. Genetically engineered piranhas are discovered near an abandoned military compound. They were created to fight the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Now, these piranhas are killing everything in their path and have their sights set on the river that leads to a summer camp. What makes Piranha special is its unapologetic nature. It's self-aware and embraces its B-movie characteristics. More films of this nature need to follow suit and stop taking themselves so seriously. Stream Piranha on Prime Video. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) The Thomas Crown Affair remake in one word — sexy. From the actors and story to the wardrobe and the locations, TTCA is a sexy and stylish movie. Pierce Brosnan plays Thomas Crown, who has the charm of James Bond without the cool gadgets and espionage training. Crown is a billionaire art thief who successfully steals $100 million in artwork. The museum's insurance investigator, Catherine Banning (Rene Russo), is tasked with investigating Crown as a potential suspect. As Banning gets closer to Crown, the pair embark on a passionate affair that toes the line between ethical and unethical. Hopefully, Michael B. Jordan's remake captures the same magic as this entry. Stream The Thomas Crown Affair on Prime Video. Meet the Parents (2000) The movie that made you ponder if Ben Stiller could milk Robert De Niro's nipples is Meet the Parents. Greg Focker (Stiller) is a male nurse who plans to propose to his girlfriend, Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo). First, Ben wants to ask Pam's father, Jack (Robert De Niro), for permission during a visit to their family's Long Island house. As soon as Greg arrives, things go to hell. He loses his luggage and becomes the butt of every joke. Making matters worse is Jack's background as a CIA agent, who uses his investigative skills to pick Greg apart. Never has a movie captured the uneasiness of meeting a significant other's parents for the first time more than Meet the Parents. Hopefully, your real-life father-in-law doesn't hook you up to a lie detector for questioning. Stream Meet the Parents on Prime Video. Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong (2015) Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong is a walk-and-talk that clearly takes a page out of the Before trilogy's playbook. In Hong Kong, Ruby Lin (Jamie Chung) is a toy designer working in the city temporarily. Josh Rosenberg (Suits LA's Bryan Greenberg) is an American expat working in finance. One night, the two strike up a conversation and walk the streets, confessing their hopes, dreams, and plans for the future. Timing forces them to go their separate ways, but fate brings them together again one year later. The stakes in Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong are low, as they should be. It's a brisk and easy-to-digest romantic comedy that benefits greatly from its setting — the beautiful city of Hong Kong. Stream Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong on Prime Video. The Way Way Back (2013) Many can relate to themes of adolescence and uncertainty in The Way Way Back. However, this dramedy will hit home for children of divorce. Duncan (Liam James) is a kind and quiet 14-year-old who must spend the summer at a beach house with his caring mother, Pam (Toni Collette), her arrogant boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), and his obnoxious daughter, Steph (Zoe Levin). Feeling neglected in his life, Duncan finds solace in the town's water park and its eccentric manager, Owen (Sam Rockwell). For the first time in a while, Duncan feels seen, and Trent takes it upon himself to show the boy his worth. Sam Rockwell, please play more of these endearing father figures in movies. Stream The Way Way Back on Prime Video.
Vogue
2 hours ago
- Vogue
Glam, Easy, a Little Bit Sleazy: Electric Purple Is Fall's Color-To-Watch
'Electric purple' isn't a shade I'd say has ever been a serious part of my own sartorial lexicon. In saying that, there was a time before Spanish it-girl brand Paloma Wool was the coolly restrained, subversive Paloma Wool we know it as today, when they were putting out jewel-toned corduroy jumpsuits. One in particular was a brilliant Skittles purple shade, in a style that would have fit better on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band cover art than Barcelona's Eixample streets. That balshie, bold color palette has long been scrubbed away from Paloma's now cool-toned IG aesthetic, and I sold the jumpsuit on Depop for cheap when my own personal take on color theory said the same. After that brief dalliance, I have not, for some time, seen myself as a purple girl—of any hue. Aubergine? Maybe sometimes. Lilac? Hell no. Royal purple? Not yet. And then the fall 2025 runways began to pepper in electric purple. While the previous season was defined by lithe, lighter shades of lilac and lavender—alongside the requisite butter yellows and cornflower blues—fall 2025 goes deeper, more sumptuous. At Gucci—an interim collection following the departure of Alessandro Michele—there were some era-hopping Gucci-isms: Michele's moddish '60s shapes, De Sarno's silky slips, and glam details that recalled Tom Ford's '90s tenure. But a continuous thread was a Daphne Blake-esque purple; in pea coats, sheer dresses, billowing blouses, and a monochromatic heels and stockings combo. 'A continuum of craft, taste, and culture that passes through time,' is how a press release described the show—the jewel color defined a kooky yet stoic sense of glamor for a house in flux. The color purple has long been associated with royalty and spirituality, and electric purple is a way various designers and houses chose to express their own version of power and—once again—louder luxury. At Miu Miu, it was stomping go-go boots. At Alexander McQueen, Seán McGirr took it a few shades more gothy for his Oscar Wilde-inspired characters in eggplant-y ruffles. Nina Ricci by Harris Reed revelled in the women who danced the nights of the '70s away, with sensuous fabrics, opulent jewel-colored faux-furs, animal-print slips, strong shouldered velvet blazers. Colleen Allen's irreverant collection celebrated the female form and spirit, proposing a self-described 'divisive' purple among celery greens and cerulean blues. Purple and fluoro-flecked Fair Isle clothed Anna Sui's 1930s screwball comedy heroines. Photo: Umberto Fratini / Photo: Alessandro Lucioni / Photo: Courtesy of Gucci Photo: Salvatore Dragone / Sumptuous purples have continued to find their way into the wardrobes of celebrities enjoying this louder sense of style right now: Timothee Chalamet, not yet done with Wonka, doing some 'vintaje' shopping in an open purple shirt; Meryl Streep as the stern, severely stylish Miranda Priestly in Dries Van Noten; Tracee Ellis Ross color-blocking with Barney purple and acid yellow; Pamela Anderson in a regal gown to top off her '60s press run style.
Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
‘Mafia: The Old Country' Is Bringing Back Something Gamers Want
I've heard a lot of chatter lately about a certain kind of nostalgia, one that yearns for a particular era of gaming—let's call it when the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 reigned supreme. This was a time when games were typically far more digestible (10-20-ish hours to fully complete), had little padding and also sported lower price tags, usually somewhere in the $50-60 range for many AAA titles. I'm talking about notable marquee experiences like Uncharted or Halo 3 or Gears of War. Today, the same sort of games usually start at $70 and go up from there: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, for example. Astro Bot did launch at $60, so kudos to Sony for being pro-consumer there, and the polished 3D platformer is worth every penny, in my humble opinion. Still, you'll pay $80 for a standalone copy of Mario Kart World on Nintendo's Switch 2, although to be fair, I remember paying $70-90 at retail for Super Nintendo games back in the early '90s, and $40-70 for original PlayStation titles during roughly the same time period, so perhaps games have gotten relatively cheaper over the years. Or at the very worst, they've stayed around the same price. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Yes, modern game budgets have ballooned out of control, so I guess the money needs to be made up somewhere, but this occurs in an industry that habitually, routinely, even flippantly I'd argue, lays off its talent in sweeping, impersonal waves. Of course, this is happening while publishers make billions of dollars from the hard work. I'll blame AI for now, and greedy executives, too. But maybe, just maybe, we're finally self-correcting and heading in a slightly healthier direction. 2K's upcoming franchise prequel, Mafia: The Old Country, is launching on August 8 for a reasonable and rather old-school $49.99, $10 less than the aforementioned first-party Astro Bot. Is the game AAA in quality? I suppose that judgement is subjective, but from the preliminary footage, it certainly looks to be the case. According to IGN, who published a solid (if somewhat spoiler-filled) hands-on preview of The Old Country, the $50 asking price isn't the only return-to-form aspect of the game. The newest Mafia entry ditches Mafia III's notably out-of-character pivot into open world gameplay and returns to the series narrative-driven, linear approach. One could posit that the industry's general obsession with open world premises and hyper-realistic visuals has outright lead to the problematic budgets I previously mentioned, so positioning The Old Country as a game which sports perfectly acceptable graphics and a campaign that won't take you three months to complete… well, this could please a lot of gamers, including myself. As IGN's Ryan McCaffrey touches on in the video preview, a lot of us aging gamers have children now, as well as jobs and obligations and busy lives. Thus, 40-plus hour adventures just don't hit the way they used to, don't boast the same kind of appeal. There's no official word yet from developer Hangar 13 on The Old Country's overall length, but the welcome throwback vibe is already apparent. This will likely be a game that you can play through in a weekend or two, or in short spurts during evenings after work and getting the kids to bed. Combine this with a potentially engaging story and that attractive $50 price tag, and 2K could have a winning formula on its hands, one that harkens back to an era when I wasn't worried about the mortgage or kindergarten or doing the dishes. Speaking of, I need to get back to scrubbing.
