SIFF 2025 Opening Night
May 16, 2025 / Kevin Ward — ★★★★☆
Director: Darren Thornton
Cast: James McArdle, Fionnula Flanagan, Dearbhla Molloy, Paddy Glynn, Stella McCusker, Niamh Cusack
“It’s a film about aging, sacrifice, and how love can nurture and smother. But above all, it’s about finding room for yourself when you've been living in service of others.”
—Kevin Ward
FULL SIFF 2025 Coverage
SIFF 2025
Daily journal and capsule reviews of everything screening at the Seattle International Film Festival 2025.
NEW Review
May 9, 2025 / Kevin Ward — ★★★★½
Director: Eli Craig
Cast: Katie Douglass, Carson MacCormac, Aaron Abrams
“…frenetic, funny, and gleefully unhinged, never content to simply pay homage to its predecessors when it can eviscerate them instead.”
—Kevin Ward
NEW Review
April 23, 2025 / Kevin Ward — ★★★½☆
Director: Gavin O’Connor
Cast: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, J.K. Simmons, Daniella Pineda, Alison Robertson
“… Jon Bernthal, as always, doesn’t just chew scenery—he devours it whole, then grins through the crumbs.”
—Kevin Ward
Recent Review
April 8, 2025 / Kevin Ward — ★★★½☆
Director: Christopher Landon
Cast: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson, Reed Diamond, Gabrielle Ryan Jeffery Self, Ed Weeks, Travis Nelson
“…a high-concept pressure cooker…And while the film is gripping in real-time, it's not necessarily the kind of thriller that demands multiple viewings—nor does it need to be. Its pleasures are immediate and tactile…”
—Kevin Ward
Recent Review
April 2, 2025 / Kevin Ward — ★★★★½
Directed by James Griffiths
Starring Carey Mulligan, Tom Basden, Tim Key, Sian Clifford, Akemnji Ndifornyen
“…Basden and Key's script resists the easy arc, pulling away from a tidy reunion plot toward something lonelier and more uncertain…a character study in grief, stubbornness, and the thin line between preservation and paralysis”
—Kevin Ward
Recent Review
March 20, 2025 / Kevin Ward — ★★★★☆
Directed by Alex Scharfman
Starring Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Richard E. Grant, Téa Leoni, Sunita Mani
“…a wildly entertaining ride that feels Jurassic Park-coded in all the best ways…blending class warfare with creature feature carnage…”
—Kevin Ward
SXSW Film and TV Festival 2025
The Best of SXSW 2025: Overall Favorites
These are the films that defined this year’s festival—bold, unforgettable, and unmissable. See our top picks!
Recent Review
February 15th, 2025
Directed by Bong Joon-ho
Starring Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette
“…undeniably ambitious. It boasts inventive visuals, far-reaching themes, and moments of brilliance…it’s also a bit much”
—Kevin Ward
Recent Review
February 13th, 2025
Directed by Osgood Perkins
Starring Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Christian Convery, Colin O'Brien, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy
“When it comes to creative kills and sheer body count, The Monkey shines.”
—Kevin Ward
Recent Review
January 30th, 2025
Directed by Drew Hancock
Starring Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Harvey Guillén, Lukas Gage, Rupert Friend, Megan Suri
“a thematically rich feminist horror film with big ideas that’s equally stylish, bloody, and surprising..”
—Kevin Ward
