David’s Download: Fall 2025 Rewind
Beyond the movies reviewed by The Drive Home team, I try to watch several other movies – both at home and at the theater, including films I’ve never seen and some rewatches. It’s been two months since my last “Rewind,” and I’ve been busy watching dozens of horror movies in October and broadening to some other genres so far in November. Enjoy a lengthy recap below, and consider adding some of these to your watch list!
Here’s how we categorize movies in these Rewinds on David’s Download:
Delete – don’t watch or never watch again
Play – worth a viewing if the genre, actors, or something about the film matches your cup of tea (also a nod to one of my favorite J.Lo songs)
Save – worth a rewatch or definitely a must-see if you have never watched before
DELETE
The Strangers: Chapter 2
Considering the 2024 reboot of The Strangers was a disappointment, my expectations for this sequel were low, and it wasn’t even able to clear that bar.
In Chapter 2, our heroine Maya wakes up in a hospital after the traumatizing events she experienced in the original. From there, the movie takes the Halloween 2 approach with some cat-and-mouse suspense as the titular strangers reappear to harass her again.
The movie’s biggest grievance is trying to give the strangers a backstory that no one asked for. What makes them scary is the fact that they are truly strangers and the viewer doesn’t know what motivates them or makes them tick. There is also a ridiculous scene with a boar chasing Maya that had most of the audience in my theater laughing out loud.
Skip this one, and hopefully Chapter 3 will redeem the series next year.
Ghost Ship
A movie about a crew that discovers an abandoned passenger liner sounds like the perfect setup for a horror movie, but inane dialogue and a half-baked plot make Ghost Ship an excruciating watch.
My advice to anyone who has not seen this ghostly mess - watch the opening scene, which is quite fun and inventive - and then turn it off.
Vicious
As I mentioned in my review of The Woman in the Yard, I am sick of horror movies that are simply an allegory for trauma, anxiety, or some other mental health struggle, which is exactly what Vicious is. Bring back real ghosts! (Just make them better than Ghost Ship.)
Vicious is confusing, lame, and only enjoyable if you consider Dakota Fanning hyperventilating for 100 minutes to be entertainment. I expected better from Bryan Bertino, the director of the original The Strangers from 2008.
PLAY
Shell
Shell is like a Wal-Mart version of The Substance, but it still has plenty to offer.
While its take on women aging in Hollywood is similar to that of The Substance, Shell also takes a stab at corporate greed and the toxicity of the beauty/wellness industry. It also doesn’t shy away from going totally bonkers in its third act.
Kate Hudson is a devilish delight as a beauty company CEO, but I wish the filmmakers had made her co-star Elisabeth Moss’s transformation more dramatic.
The Hand that Rock the Cradle (2025)
The original The Hand that Rocks the Cradle is one of my favorite movies of all time, so there was no way this remake was going to stack up.
This version, which premiered directly on Hulu, keeps the proceedings fairly grounded and Maika Monroe plays the role of evil nanny much cooler than Rebecca de Mornay, making it less fun than the spicy 1992 original.
However, Elizabeth Mary Winstead absolutely shines as the mother in peril, and the final act delivers on the thrills and chills you expect from a movie like this.
The Woman in Cabin 10
This Hitchcockian thriller stars Keira Knightley as a passenger on a luxury cruise, who is convinced she witnessed a body thrown overboard.
While the second half of the movie takes some pretty implausible turns, the twist is fun, and the 90-minute runtime ensures The Woman in Cabin 10 is fast-paced and never overstays its welcome.
A House of Dynamite
Another Netflix thriller, this movie follows a multitude of characters across various government agencies as a missile may or may not be headed for Chicago.
There is an A-plus movie buried in here somewhere, but A House of Dynamite only manages a “Play” classification because it somehow stretches a 19-minute scenario to 35 minutes, and then recounts it a second and third time with diminishing returns.
Nonetheless, Kathryn Bigelow’s direction is sharp, and Rebecca Ferguson gives a gripping performance. Also, I want to live in a world in which Idris Elba is POTUS!
Materialists
Don’t be fooled by the marketing for The Materialists, which pitches it as a traditional rom-com. Unfortunately, there’s not much “com” to be found here.
However, there is still a lot to enjoy in Celine Song’s latest feature, which chronicles a love triangle between a matchmaker, her ex, and a rich new beau.
Song’s script gives viewers plenty to chew on and think about long after the credits roll, diving deep into the mechanics of modern dating and relationships. And while Dakota Johnson is in her element, it’s the two male leads, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal, who truly shine.
Predator: Badlands
I’m not sure I’m 100% on board with Disney turning The Predator into an anti-hero, but Badlands still managed to have me rooting for the monster by the final act.
The filmmakers have built a fascinating world with the planet Genna, peppered with unique lifeforms and brought to life by impressive visual effects.
Turn your brain off and enjoy this action spectacle!
SAVE
Arachnophobia
While Arachnophobia (1990) feels a little dated when watching it in 2025, this creature feature, which is about a rural California town infested with deadly spiders, has lots of charm and some solid scares that stand the test of time.
The movie and the cast are not taking themselves too seriously, and the spider effects look better than most of the CGI garbage we see on our screens today. I love that the monster in this movie is an army of tiny spiders, and not one giant, genetically mutated spider.
After watching this one, I shuddered every time I felt any light sensation on my skin for the next few days, so I’d say Arachnophobia knocks it out of the park when it comes to the creepy-crawlies.
The Thing (1982)
Filmmakers in the 1980’s and 90’s simply knew how to make a good creature feature, because The Thing is another excellent film in the canon.
I had never seen this classic until this spooky season, but it still works nearly 45 years later. The story is well-paced and maintains just enough mystery before going all-out in the final act when we see “The Thing” take on some disturbing forms. The practical effects are inventive and look fantastic, once again putting today’s CGI slop to shame.
Bugonia
Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone have done it again! Bugonia is a total 180 from their previous collaboration Poor Things, but I actually found their latest to be a stronger, better paced movie.
Bugonia taps into the zeitgeist around conspiracy theories, corporate greed, and environmentalism to deliver a tense thriller that keeps you guessing until the last five minutes.
Emma Stone is phenomenal as a high-powered CEO, but it’s Jesse Plemons as a radical conspiracy theorist who steals the show.
I can’t wait to give Bugonia another watch!