July 2025 Movie Reviews: The Brutalist, Until Dawn, Bring Her Back

In this month’s movie review post, we’ll take a look at a pair of recent horror releases and a (very, very long) epic drama that came out all the way back in 2024.

The Brutalist (2024)

A24, 215 minutes

The Brutalist is a movie I avoided watching for a while just since it didn’t appeal all that much to me. It’s a film that’s critically acclaimed but not universally loved by average movie-goers.

The biggest turn-off to me prior to watching the film was its length – over three hours. I think a good rule of thumb for a motion picture is that if you need an intermission (which The Brutalist has), and the runtime for your movie on either side of said intermission is around the average length of a typical film, you either need to drastically tighten up the story you’re telling, or you’ve actually got something that should be released as a mini-series and not a film. Having now finished The Brutalist, I can safely say that it would’ve been better had it been released as a mini-series. The characters are interesting enough to sustain a longer story, but this runtime for any film is just way too long.

The Brutalist is still a really well put together film. The acting, cinematography, musical score, and direction are all top-notch. The story itself is definitely a weird, very particular one though, and I could see why lots of everyday folks who watch The Brutalist won’t find themselves really connecting with it.

The story centers on a Holocaust survivor, separated from his wife, who ends up in America. The character, played by Adrian Brody, is a renowned architect and he’s eventually able to put his skills to use working on a project for a uber rich industrialist. Despite being a work of fiction, the movie very much has the feel of a true story, partially because I think the story feels at times too bizarre for just a writer to have come up with.

Personally, I enjoyed aspects of the film. The first half of the movie is superior to the second, and I think if there existed a shorter version of The Brutalist or if it had been split up as a mini-series, I would’ve enjoyed that more. This definitely isn’t a film for everyone, but if you’re in the mood for a drama and want something more thought-provoking, it’s worth checking out.

Grade: 7/10

Until Dawn (2025)

Screen Gems, 103 minutes

My expectations going into Until Dawn were fairly low. Now that I’ve watched the film, I would say that those low expectations were probably not met. This isn’t a good movie. I didn’t expect it to be a good movie, but I think I thought it’d be a little more fun at least than it ended up being.

Until Dawn is based off of a similarly titled PlayStation video game that I haven’t played. (I’m more of a Switch fan myself.) The premise is a solid one for a horror title: Basically, the characters are trapped in a time loop where they’re unable to escape from what’s basically a haunted house and the surrounding area. While there, they continue to meet gruesome ends only to be reset to earlier in the night. They then must try again to survive “until dawn,” in order to be able to escape. It’s not a revolutionary premise, but I could see how this could be a fun survival horror game.

Unfortunately, the movie is a dud. The horror setups and threats are fairly standard. The characters are your typical horror movie teens without an ounce of originality, and the subpar acting doesn’t help matters. What’s worse, since we know characters will be revived right after they’re killed off, there aren’t any stakes with each death since we know they’ll come right back.

I still think I would’ve been alright with that fact if the movie were just more horror fun, but this script is really lacking. There’s nothing worth watching here. It’s not as truly terrible as something like A Quiet Place: Day One or Blink Twice, but Until Dawn is still one to skip.

Grade: 4/10

Bring Her Back (2025)

A24, 104 minutes 

Bring Her Back is a well-made horror film with some quality acting that I didn’t really enjoy though. It’s the sort of horror movie that’s not actually scary, but more anxiety inducing. There are also some seriously disturbing moments that are sure to make viewers squirm in their seats.

I sometimes don’t mind the type of heart-racing horror movie where you’re more nervous for characters than ever truly scared. However, in the case of Bring Her Back, I had some problems. I tend not to like in stories where a central character is clearly evil/the villain and, while this is totally obvious to viewers and the protagonist of the story, other characters are completely tricked by the villain. Such is the case with Bring Her Back.

Despite this, the movie is still very watchable. The acting by each of the three leads is really top notch, and it’s what I’d point to as the strength of Bring Her Back. The story itself, which has two step siblings being sent to live in foster care with a caretaker who clearly has sinister intentions, is fine – if you’re familiar with horror movies, you’ll be able to tell pretty quickly what’s going on.

I don’t necessarily think Bring Her Back is a bad movie, but it’s not a film I particularly enjoyed. I don’t think it’s the great, prestigious horror film that it’s attempting to be (something like The Babadook), but it’s also not a fun horror movie that embraces a more enjoyable horror tone (something like the new Final Destination movie). Maybe give it a try if you loved Talk to Me, which was the first film from this movie’s directors, Danny and Michael Philippou. However, I think this second effort from the pair is a definite downgrade from that (pretty good and actually scary) first film.

Grade: 5.5/10