Heh. We’re well into fall now. It’s raining today and I’ve been craving carbonara, but we won’t go into that. I’m just glad the temps are finally dropping.
Anyway, while the movies from this month were undeniably varied in quality and subject matter, there seemed to be a common theme of finality among some of them, or at least of looking back at the past, which is kind of fitting for the last quarter of 2025.
All right, without further ado, here we go with September’s Top Five, and as usual, click the images for the full reviews…
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
The movie’s title oversells it. It’s got some good moments, but it’s mostly a lot of not much that culminates in a cookie-cutter ending that has to happen because this type of movie must have a happy ending or die trying. It’s also a pretty blatant Burger King ad. On the plus side, if the filmmakers were looking to make a movie that would be right at home on Instagram or TikTok, they nailed it. Oh, and we get to see Colin Farrell briefly play J. Pierrepont Finch in his high school’s rendition of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Yes, really.
The Conjuring: Last Rites
For all the Warrens have been discredited lately, the Conjuring franchise has certainly traveled a lot of miles, and this installment sees them mostly retired, with Ed being told to slow down by his doctor because of his heart problems. Naturally, they get thrust into one last caper, involving a family who have acquired a cursed antique mirror and Ed and Lorraine’s daughter, Judy, who sees visions and scary things. Judy’s also set to get married to Tony, who gets swept up in the Warren’s latest case.
The Automat
Automats seem to be kind of an East Coast thing, and this 2021 documentary mostly focuses on the Horn and Hardart chain, which was not only the créme de la créme of the Automat industry, but they pioneered it in America. The film is hosted by Mel Brooks and features interviews with Horn and Hardart family members, celebrities, and regular people who have fond memories of a unique dining concept that was ultimately unseated by inflation and the fast food industry.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
It’s 1930, and the Crawley family are facing the same situation as many wealthy families in Britain after the stock market crash: How will they cope with the new social constructs in British society and their reduced wealth? Not only that, but daughter Mary has gotten divorced, which makes her a marked woman, unwelcome in certain circles. However, it’s a brand new day, and the changes that are coming may be easier to take than they seem at first. I have to say, I enjoyed this film a lot more than I thought I would, even though Julian Fellowes normally bores me. Now I want to go back and watch the whole Downton Abbey series.
Jaws
Jaws is fifty years old this year, and I couldn’t pass up the chance to see it on the big screen. It’s hard to explain how gripping this movie is to those who haven’t seen it, and on the big screen it’s even better, because we have so much more to distract us. I literally jumped out of my seat more than once and liked it. Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss are a good foil, and it’s easy to overlook the shark’s obvious jiggling in some scenes (Incidentally, Richard Dreyfuss’s Instagram page has been full of Jaws stuff lately if anyone’s interested).
My post for Sally’s Food in Film Blogathon will be up on Sunday. Thanks for reading, all, and I hope to see you then…
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