Here's a paraphrased version of the article, written in my own style:
The tumultuous year of 2025 was marked by unprecedented challenges and absurdities. Amidst the chaos, some remarkable films emerged, tackling themes that forced viewers to confront our increasingly complex reality. These nine movies stood out for their unflinching honesty, humor, and resilience.
At its core, "After the Hunt" is a scathing critique of power dynamics and social media's role in perpetuating cancel culture. Alma Imhoff (Julia Roberts), a harried Yale professor, clashes with her protégée Maggie Resnick (Ayo Edebiri) over their complicated past. The film's exploration of immorality and gray areas resonated deeply.
David Cronenberg's "The Shrouds" may not be laugh-out-loud funny, but its prescient commentary on our addiction to technology and mortality is biting. Karsh, a widower and tech mogul, creates a device that allows people to say goodbye to loved ones while they're still underground – a bleakly hilarious commentary on our desire to preserve love at all costs.
Peter Vack's "www.RachelOrmont.com" is an undercover satire of online culture, where the lines between truth and deception are constantly blurred. Rachel's obsession with celebrity Mommy 6 leads her down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, highlighting our willingness to be swayed by misinformation.
Mary Bronstein's "If I Had Legs I’d Kick You" masterfully captures the exhaustion and desperation of modern life. Rose Byrne shines as Linda, a worn-out mother struggling to balance her own needs with those of her child.
Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" is a sweeping adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's novel, examining the darker side of progressive politics and technology's role in perpetuating inequality. This film is an urgent reminder that even in the bleakest times, there is always room for levity and humor.
Courtney Stephens' "Invention" cleverly dissects our obsession with conspiracy theories, using a mix of fact and fiction to explore the human desire for knowledge and control. The film's meta commentary on the nature of truth resonates deeply.
Josh Safdie's "Marty Supreme" is an ultra-relevant sports movie that delves into the cutthroat world of competitive ping-pong. This film asks uncomfortable questions about the cost of ambition and what drives us to push ourselves beyond limits.
Finally, Mona Fastvold's "The Testament of Ann Lee" stands out for its profound exploration of faith, community, and resilience. Amanda Seyfried brings a sense of conviction to her portrayal of Ann Lee, founder of the Shaker movement, as she pursues a utopia that seems impossible.
These nine films stand together as a testament to the power of cinema to illuminate our complex world, challenge our assumptions, and inspire us to confront the absurdities of 2025 with courage and humor.
The tumultuous year of 2025 was marked by unprecedented challenges and absurdities. Amidst the chaos, some remarkable films emerged, tackling themes that forced viewers to confront our increasingly complex reality. These nine movies stood out for their unflinching honesty, humor, and resilience.
At its core, "After the Hunt" is a scathing critique of power dynamics and social media's role in perpetuating cancel culture. Alma Imhoff (Julia Roberts), a harried Yale professor, clashes with her protégée Maggie Resnick (Ayo Edebiri) over their complicated past. The film's exploration of immorality and gray areas resonated deeply.
David Cronenberg's "The Shrouds" may not be laugh-out-loud funny, but its prescient commentary on our addiction to technology and mortality is biting. Karsh, a widower and tech mogul, creates a device that allows people to say goodbye to loved ones while they're still underground – a bleakly hilarious commentary on our desire to preserve love at all costs.
Peter Vack's "www.RachelOrmont.com" is an undercover satire of online culture, where the lines between truth and deception are constantly blurred. Rachel's obsession with celebrity Mommy 6 leads her down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, highlighting our willingness to be swayed by misinformation.
Mary Bronstein's "If I Had Legs I’d Kick You" masterfully captures the exhaustion and desperation of modern life. Rose Byrne shines as Linda, a worn-out mother struggling to balance her own needs with those of her child.
Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" is a sweeping adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's novel, examining the darker side of progressive politics and technology's role in perpetuating inequality. This film is an urgent reminder that even in the bleakest times, there is always room for levity and humor.
Courtney Stephens' "Invention" cleverly dissects our obsession with conspiracy theories, using a mix of fact and fiction to explore the human desire for knowledge and control. The film's meta commentary on the nature of truth resonates deeply.
Josh Safdie's "Marty Supreme" is an ultra-relevant sports movie that delves into the cutthroat world of competitive ping-pong. This film asks uncomfortable questions about the cost of ambition and what drives us to push ourselves beyond limits.
Finally, Mona Fastvold's "The Testament of Ann Lee" stands out for its profound exploration of faith, community, and resilience. Amanda Seyfried brings a sense of conviction to her portrayal of Ann Lee, founder of the Shaker movement, as she pursues a utopia that seems impossible.
These nine films stand together as a testament to the power of cinema to illuminate our complex world, challenge our assumptions, and inspire us to confront the absurdities of 2025 with courage and humor.
... but some of them feel like they're hitting me too hard in the feels 
. Like, I get it, we need to talk about cancel culture and online obsession, but "After the Hunt" is kinda heavy-handed, you know? And don't even get me started on the whole tech mogul thing in "The Shrouds"... that just feels like a rehashing of all the usual conspiracy theories 
. On the other hand, I loved how "
. And Rose Byrne's performance in "If I Had Legs I’d Kick You"... wow, that was some intense acting 
. But, I mean, isn't progressive politics just... complicated? 
Anyway, these movies definitely made me think, and for that, I'm thankful 
.
david cronenberg's "the shrouds" had me thinking about how we're willing to pay so much for love, even if it means sacrificing our own mortality 
. and at the same time, films like "after the hunt" are forcing us to confront the darker side of social media's impact on our lives 
it's wild to think that cinema can be both a reflection of our absurdity and a call to action 
"After the Hunt" is giving me LIFE right now - who else is tired of cancel culture? 
I also adore how quirky David Cronenberg's film is - technology addiction is soooo real, fam 
"
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." 
. It's like, yes, it can be harsh, but isn't that what we need sometimes? A good scolding to shake us out of our complacency? "After the Hunt" might just be the wake-up call we needed – all those grey areas are exactly what makes life interesting, don't you think? 
The way the film tackles power dynamics and social media's role in perpetuating cancel culture is just spot on. And Julia Roberts as Alma Imhoff is perfection - I love how she brings this complexity and nuance to the character 
. I'm not sure if we're getting closer to some kind of utopia or just delaying the inevitable 
.
. "After the Hunt" really got me thinking about how we're all just trying to figure things out as we go, you know? And "The Shrouds" is like, super timely on the whole tech thing... but let's be real, who doesn't love a good device that lets us say goodbye to loved ones in a creepy virtual reality? 
It's crazy how some filmmakers are tackling these big questions in a way that's both entertaining and thought-provoking.
. And don't even get me started on the themes of immortality and technology addiction in "The Shrouds". Who comes up with this stuff? It's just more proof that our society is losing its grip on reality 
.
. Whether it's Julia Roberts as a harried prof or Amanda Seyfried as a Shaker leader, everyone on screen feels like someone we've met or know from life.
.
. And at the end of the day, isn't that what cinema is all about?
.
. I mean, I know David Cronenberg's "The Shrouds" might be a bit bleak, but who doesn't love a good critique of our tech addiction 
. I mean, think about it - we've got movies that tackle cancel culture, tech addiction, conspiracy theories... it's like, what's real anymore? And yet, amidst all this chaos, these films manage to find a way to laugh at us, to poke fun at our absurdities 
. We just gotta find our way back to each other, you know?