Father Mother Sister Brother
Watchwatch by Jim Jarmusch, USA/IRE/FRA 2025
Three different stories, with certain thematic overlap. No conflicts, no resolutions, no real drama. Just people talking. A glimpse into a few people's lives, that's all. And sometimes, that's all one needs.
3 skaters of 6
Kokuho 
Kabuki-pic by Sang-il Lee, Japan 2025
Beutifully shot, and an interesting insight into the deeply rooted traditions of Japanese family culture in general, and kabuki theatre specifically. Sometimes one gets fascinated by the performances on stage, but it's difficult to relate to the main characters. The fact that the actors remain the same even though we meet the characters aged 15, 30-ish, 50 and 65 makes it difficult to take seriously, and with a runtime of almost three hours, it gets quite boring, to be honest.
2 tattoos of 6
Straight circle
Bordercrisscrossing by Oscar Hudson, GBR 2025
It starts with some poignant and believably silly antics poking fun on the absurdity of military border quarrels. The black humour works, and gets increasingly darker, seamlessly turning into a slightly surreal psychological drama. The two leads complement each other, and it never stops being engaging.
5 doves of 6
Re-Creation
Docujury by David Merriman, Jim Sheridan, IRE 2025
Interesting concept: A 20 years old real murder case gets a fictional jury discussion. A strong start with great performances from jurors #3 and #11 quickly becomes convoluted and unnecessarily jargonny. It doesn't help that the jurors speak with either thick Irish or French accents, or that Vicky Krieps is as overrated as always.
There can be a fine line between homage and rip-off, and Sheridon/Merriman place themselves blatantly in the latter; in fact, so blatantly that there's no reason to name the film they rip off.
Top billing goes, for reasons unknown, to Aiden Gillen and Colm Meany, who has one opening statement and a few sprinkles of non-speaking appearances, respectively.
Good concept and a strong opening almost push the film to a higher grade, but my inner jury opposed.
2 angry men of 6
Bulk
Dimensiondramedy by Ben Wheatley, GBR 2025
Stylish, fast-paced and playful. Great acting from Noah Taylor in multiple roles. It's a fair bit confusing, but definitely fun. Great use of cheap, but effective, filming tricks. Not necessarily a great movie, unfortunately, but great credits.
3 heavy metals of 6
Good Boy
Basementshaping by Jan Komasa, PIK/GBR 2025
A couple half adopts, half abducts a young thug, in hopes of setting him on the straight and narrow. Although the thug is a complete arsehole and the husband is a sociopath, one can emphasise with both sides, eventually.
Stephen Graham gives his character the gravitas and vulnerability needed to pull that off, and Anson Boon is not far behind.
Brilliant dramaturgy and pacing, and a heavy topic.
4 rails of 6
Le mage du Kremlin
Pravdrama by Olivier Assayas, FRA 2025
An interesting view into the powerplays of post-Soviet Russia through the lens of one of the behind-the-scenes orchestrator (albeit a fictionalized one) of such. We're told that the titular wizard (a metaphorical one, obvs) is the number one advisor and problem-solver to Putin, but we're never really see any magic. It's basically one conversation with this or that oligarch or corrupt politician after the other. Well acted, for sure (especially Jude Law as Putin himself), but kind of tedious and unengaging. Wonderful scenery, though.
3 decades of 6
Bad Apples
Basementshaping by Jonatan Etzler, GBR 2025
If I had a nickel for every film where they tie up thugs in basements in order to improve them, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right? In a single day, no less.
This one is a bit chaotic, one event escalating to the next. The characters are morally grey and weirdly relatable. Young Nia Brown delivers beyond her years, and Saoirse Ronan plays controlled panicked brilliantly.
Also, if I had a nickel for every film I saw this day in which an actor portraying the titular Sandman has a supporting role, I'd have two more nickels than the ones from before.
4 deliveries of 6
Sbormistr (Broken Voices)
Choirsilence by Ondrej Provaznik, CZE 2025
Beautiful and, considering the topic, haunting choral music, believable and subdued acting from the young leads, and brilliant cinematography and composition. The film tackles a serious and horrific issue, but the issue itself is only hinted at throughout most of the runtime. Only towards the end is it made explicit. It's clinical, nerve-wrecking and leaves you with a lump. The silence and the helplessness are what hurts, for us on the other side. In the end, it's a strong film, though obviously not enjoyable.
4 scores of 6
I Swear
Ticspic by Kirk Jones, GBR 2025
Tragic and funny in equal measures. It's based on a true story of John Davidson, a promising young goalkeeper who gets his career ruined even before it can start. The missed sports career is just symptomatic, though; his whole life alters when he develops Tourette's syndrome. But it's never due to the syndrome itself, but rather society's lack of knowledge about it. Maxine Peake, Robert Aramayo and Peter Mullan give warmth to the main roles. Kirk Jones worked closely with the real Davidson, and manages to respectfully tell a heartwarming and enjoyable story about a humble man and his price winning work for better understanding of the condition, and the people who have it.
5 saves of 6
Testament of Anne Lee
Sectical by Mona Fastvold, GBR 2025
It starts with an enigmatic and well choreographed dance scene, set to wordless singing, and it drags you in. But after a while it drags on, rather than in. At times beautifully shot, it nevertheless deals with a protagonist who is, kind, non-violent and delulu, and a condescending prick. The christian cult portrayed had 6000 members at its peak, but has now decreased to two. I wonder if their obsession with considering sex, even marital, to be completely taboo has something to do with the dwindling numbers, hm?
3 schooners of 6
Kota (Hen)
Poultryportrait by György Pálfi, GRE 2025
A series of unlikely events causes a chicken to escape from the factory to a different kind of discomfort, albeit in freedom-ish. With expectations of this being completely dragged out and slow, I was pleasantly surprised. When she has little to no interaction with humans, the events are quick and exciting enough. Pálfi adds some drama wherein the titular hen indavertantly causes and suffers from it, and that gives a bit of extra entertainment value to the film. Nice bookends.
3 eggs of 6
Ingen kommentar
Dogwagging by Petter Næss, NOR 2025
Fast-paced and humourous take on spin-doctoring politics. Intersting characters, and Pia Tjelta dominates in her unsympathetic and vivid role with this year's wittiest dialogue. A fun romp, almost earning a higher grade. With better music, it might have.
4 hangovers of 6
Hateshinaki Sukâretto (Scarlet)
Revengestory by Mamoru Hosoda, JPN 2025
A mostly beautifully animated mix between Hamlet and Brothers Lionheart has ample opportunities to be a great film. However, there are a few too many plot holes, inconsistencies and clichés to succeed fully.
3 thunderdragons of 6
Sawt Hind Rajab
Coordinationdrama by Kaouther Ben Hania, TUN 2025
Based on a true emergency call between a rescue centre and a girl trapped in a car in an occupied part of Gaza. The audio from the victim and her relatives are real, but (most of) the bits from the rescue centre are dramatisations. That adds to the urgency and tragedy of the events. There were silence in the theatre during the credits, other than the occasional sobs. And those were understandable and justified.
4 calls of 6
Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes (Little Amélie or the Character of Rain)
Growthpondering by Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han, FRA 2025
Sweet, profound and wonderfully animated. The voice acting, especially from the younger cast, helps elevate this animated gem.
4 carps of 6
Blue Heron
Teenangst by Sophy Romvari, CAN/HUN 2025
Beautifully shot and well acted, but in fairness, the rest is equal parts confusing and boring. Romvari fails to keep it interesting.
2 cameras of 6
The Fires
Catastropheromdram by Ugla Hauksdóttir, ICE 2025
A not too shabby mix of action/catastrophe and domestic romance drama, although the latter is a bit cliché. Some recognizability for me, with the Fagradalsfjall lava field and the orangerie restaurant in the Botanical Gardens. Entertaining, yet predictable. Moreso than the volcanic eruptions.
3 igneous rocks of 6
The Chronology of Water
Dealdrama by Kristen Stewart, USA 2025
Intense and innovative. Tough subject matter, but Imogen Poots plays a perfect blend of vulnerability and self-imposed toughness.
4 drops of blood of 6
Franz K
Biopic by Agnieszka Holland, GER/CZE 2025
Idan Weiss looks the part, and definitely plays it, too. Clever use of chronology, even adding contemporary timelines in the form of museum and tourist guides filling in information. Sometimes less truthful rather than more. Fun, dramatic, possibly accurate and, dare I say it, slightly Kafkaesque
4 tweets of 6
Zejtune
Plotting by Alex Camilleri, MLT 2025
An unexpected friendship forms between an old singer and a young woman, the latter of whom just has inherited a surprising lot of land in Malta. Unexpected to anyone who has never seen a film, that is. While the main characters are easy to like (as are their respective actor), the music that plays a central role is harder to swallow. I don't know if ghana, the traditional Maltese song tradition, is supposed to sound so horrible. The main character can't sing for squat, and it hurts my ears. Luckily there's not too much "singing", and when it's important to the plot I can mute the film and just follow the subtitles. I wouldn't recommend seeing this in a theatre, though. Otherwise, it's passable.
3 groves of 6
Little Creatures
Changedrama by Anne Pinheiro Guimarães, BRA 2025
Good acting, realistic characters and just dramatic situations enough to pique the interest and keep it going. The bit with the little brother's best friend was a nice touch.
3 bottle caps of 6
The Thing with Feathers
Growcrow by Dylan Southern, GBR 2025
Pretty by-the-numbers horror as metaphor for grief, at least at the start. But through, mostly, David Thewlis' incredible voice acting and some clever twists and turns, it rises above the median and ends on an upnote.
4 knocks of 6
Kraken
Aquatickaiju by Pål Øie, NOR 2025
Probably the best Norwegian subaquatic kaiju film I've seen. It's well done, technically, but it follows the formula to a tee. The actors are decent enough, but not great. Cliché, yet entertaining for the time being, and beautiful scenery.
3 parasites of 6
Solitary
Depressionthriller by Eamonn Murphy, IRE 2025
Slow, but strong. Incredible acting from Gerry Herbert in the lead as a widow who has to battle faling health, estranged children, violent threatening criminals, and his own loneliness and depression.
It pulls at the heartstrings, but thankfully ends on a lighter note than it could have. Sometimes silence can tell a greater story than words can.
4 rings of 6
Hamnet
Dramadrama by Chloé Zhao, GBR 2025
At first it's a pretty standard period drama, with love and loss, raised by great composition, fine set and costume design, and brilliant acting. But the cause of events that lead to the decision made by the youngest son ellevates the experience in a gripping manner, providing all the feels.
5 soliloquys of 6
The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford
Donedramedy by Sean Dunn, GBR 2025
More downs than ups with a good concept handled less than stellar. I feel Sean Dunn really doesn't know fandom, and the tv show being filmed in the Scottish surroundings: is it supposed to be an erzats Game of Thrones or Rings of Power? Luckily, the dog survives.
2 swords of 6
A Private Life
Shrinkvestigation by Rebecca Zlotowski, FRA 2025
The film weens between crime thriller, interrelational drama, supernatural introspection and romcom, and I'm not convinced it does so elegantly.
3 cigarettes of 6
Gwang-jang (The Square)
Totalitariantragedy by Kim Bo-sol, KOR 2025
Good animation and a slightly gripping story. The fact that the foreign diplomat was Swedish has little to no impact on the story, which is probably why they didn't do much research on Swedish traditions (other than the colours of the flag, the eyes and the hair). The Korean interpreter has a bit of a nice character arc.
3 beers of 6
Arco
Timespectrum by Ugo Bienvenu, FRA 2025
Innovative world building and likeable characters. Some logical inconsistencies but mostly an engaging, if a bit predictable, story.
4 time crystals of 6
Startsladden
Celloloidrelay by various, SWE 2025-2026
Ellen och Bengts hus: 3 vinyl records of 6
Flatan: 3 benders of 6
Skråbock: 2 masks of 6
Syster min: 2 snails of 6
August och kriget: 2 rifles of 6
Utan Kelly: 3 wigs of 6
Det som finns kvar av mig: 3 shoes of 6
Nyheterna: 2 prompts of 6
2.5 averages of 6
Eleanor the Great
Griefgrifting by Scarlett Johansson, USA 2025
Well crafted and just the right mixture of laughs and sobs. June Squibb shines as the titular Eleanor, and Erin Kellyman isn't bad either, in her smaller, but pivotal, role. The ending is a bit saccharine, but in a good way.
4 ubers of 6
Steal This Story, Please!
Docudocumentary by Carl Deal, Tia Lessin, USA, 2025
The importance of letting those without means or platforms have their voices heard is as large as ever. As idealism in the media landscape more and more has to give in to corporate greed and political agendas, those few outlets that reports on what the machine doesn't want you to become more important. Democracy Now! and its founder Amy Goodman have fought to give voices to the voiceless for four decades, and remain essential, especially today, with the blatant fascism rising in the US.
4 headphones of 6
This year's noms, thingies and winners
(See below for winners....)
Best supporting thespian:
Cate Blanchett, Father Mother Sister Brother
Maxine Peake, I Swear
Peter Mullan, I Swear
Nia Brown, Bad Apples
Maya Kintera, Sbormistr
Best leading thespian:
Stephen Graham, Good Boy
Pia Tjelta, No Comment
Robert Aramayo, I Swear
Imogen Poots, The Chronology of Water
June Squibb, Eleanor the Great
Best ensemble:
I Swear
Good Boy
Eleanor the Great
Hamnet
Sawt Hind Rajab
Best director:
Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
Kristen Stewart, The Chronology of Water
Kirk Jones, I Swear
Kaouther Ben Hania, Sawt Hind Rajab
Agnieszka Holland, Franz K
Best film:
Straight Circle
Good Boy
I Swear
Hamnet
Steal this story, please!
And as per usual (it's a tradition, or an old charter, or something....), it seems proper to announce
This year's....
….cinema: Draken
….low-point: Startsladden
….shortage: Comedies
….best seat: Middle of VIP row at Biopalatset
….cinematography: William Rexer, The Testament of Ann Lee
….reading: ACOTAR, BoD:tSCW and EWtRtWEM
….most uneven: Hen
….set/production design: Bulk
....credits: Straight circle
….vignette film: "How much is the truth worth...?" #To you?"
….weather: Fine
….screenplay: Ståle Stein Berg, Ingen kommentar
….should be caught at the cinema: Weightless
….transport: Shoes, tram and pedals
….lost item: None
….Skarsgård: None
….animated feature: Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes
….documentary: Steal this story, please!
....rising star: Nia Brown
....most GFF 1992-2004: None really, but Father Mother Sister Brother comes closest
....music: Sbormistr
....most frequent actor: Peter Mullan
....villain: Juraj Loj, Sbormistr
....dance: Straight circle
And who won the big ones? Well:
Best supporting thespian:
Maya Kintera, Sbormistr
Best leading thespian:
Stephen Graham, Good Boy
Best ensemble:
I Swear
Best director:
Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
And last, but not least, Best film:
I Swear
Film, Filmfilmfilm.
(c) Martin Smedendahl 2026
