The only way to tell his story is to live his fantasy.

Starring: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard, Gemma Jones, Stephen Graham, Steven Mackintosh, Tom Bennett

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You know, I am so sick of running away from who I am. There's nothing wrong with success or pleasure. In fact, why am I apologizing for it, mum?" - Elton John

Why watch this? This clever bio film jumps from reality to animated thought and back, and it is brilliant!

Plot Summary: Rocketman tells the incredible true story of Reginald Dwight's journey from a shy piano prodigy to the global superstar Elton John. The film chronicles his rise to fame alongside lyricist Bernie Taupin, while also exploring his personal struggles with relationships, identity, and addiction. Ultimately, it's a tale of self-discovery and finding happiness and acceptance by overcoming his inner demons.

New Republic Pictures, Marv Films,
Rocket Pictures; Paramount Pictures

"A singularly rich period piece"

Starring: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami, Valeria Golino, Christel Baras, Armande Boulanger

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You were right. I am scared. Do all lovers feel they're inventing something? I know the gestures. I imagined it all, waiting for you." - Héloïse

Why watch this? At a time and place of beauty in art, forbidden love cannot be denied.

Plot Summary: In 18th-century France, a painter named Marianne is commissioned to secretly paint a wedding portrait of Héloïse, a young noblewoman reluctant to be married. Posing as a hired companion to study her subject by day, Marianne observes Héloïse, and the two develop an intimate connection as they share. As the painting progresses towards completion, the growing attraction between the women turns into a passionate, fleeting romance.

Lillies Films, Arte, Hold Up Films;
Pyramide Films

A true story about finding the courage to be yourself.

Starring: Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard, Brendan Sexton III, Alicia Goranson, Jeannetta Arnette, Matt McGrath

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Shut up. That's your business. Look, I don't care if you're half monkey or half ape, I'm gettin' you out of here." - Lana

Why watch this? This is the true story of Brandon Teena, a trans-man who was murdered.

Plot Summary: Based on the true story, Brandon Teena, a trans man, living in rural Nebraska, navigates his life and identity while seeking love and acceptance in his community. He falls for Lana, a girl who wants to get away from her small town. When "friends" around them find out the truth, fear and bigotry surfaces and does what it often does - hate what it has been taught to hate, and destroy what it doesn't understand.

Independent Film Channel Prod., Killer Films,
Hart-Sharp Ent.; Fox Searchlight Pictures

This Is the Story of a Lifetime

Starring: Trevante Rhodes, Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, André Holland, Ashton Sanders, Alex R. Hibbert, Jharrel Jerome

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you gonna be. Can't let nobody make that decision for you." – Juan

Why watch this? I'm white and privileged. Just a little understanding can help.

Plot Summary: This deeply powerful story chronicles three stages in a boy's life on the bitter hard streets around Miami during the crack epidemic. We see him in childhood, enduring constant bullying, as he is called "faggot". He's lucky that Juan, a drug dealer, takes him in and serves as a mentor. As a teen, when he finally fights back, he's sent to prison, and there becomes a tough young adult.

Plan B Entertainment, Pastel Prod.; A24

So much to give, with so few to receive it.

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, Samantha Morton, Sathya Sridharan

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"These assignments - they don't matter. This course doesn't matter. College doesn't matter. These amazing, honest things you wrote - they matter." - Charlie, to students in his online college course.

Why watch this? Sometimes, hidden deep within pain, you find love, hope and selflessness.

Plot Summary: Charlie is a reclusive and severely obese English teacher, who wants to do two things - be a great teacher and reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter, Ellie. Confined to his home and battling declining health, Charlie seeks to make amends with Ellie before he runs out of time.

Protozoa Pictures; A24

The only thing more extraordinary than their music is his story

Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, Mike Myers

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I'm going to be what I was born to be: a performer that gives the people what they want: a touch of the heavens! Freddie f'ing Mercury." - Freddie

Why watch this? Queen was an integral part of my youth. This is their story.

Plot Summary: This rock and roll epoch follows Freddie Mercury and the legendary rock band Queen. It chronicles their rise to fame, from the band's formation to their iconic performance at Live Aid in 1985. Along the way we also explore Mercury's personal struggles with his identity, relationships and drug use, amidst their unparalleled success.

Regency Ent., GK Films, Queen Films;
20th Century Fox

The first female serial killer of America

Starring: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen, Annie Corley, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Marco St. John, Marc Macaulay

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"So I made a deal. I said God I gotta spend this 5 bucks but when it's gone so am I, so, if you got something for me in this life you better bring it on, and there she was." – Aileen Wuornos

Why watch this? Charlize Theron proves that she can method act. Wow!

Plot Summary: Based on the true story of Aileen Wuornos, the film explores the life of a prostitute who becomes a serial killer. After years of abuse and hardship, Aileen finds love with Selby, a young woman who offers her a glimpse of hope and companionship. However, Aileen struggles to maintain a legitimate life, and when confronted with violence from a client, she makes a desperate decision that spirals into a series of murders.
 

Dad's Preview: In one of filmdom's great actress transformations, Theron literally becomes Aileen Wuornos - the poor, rough, damaged prostitute who murdered several of her male clients in the late '80s. This film is painful to watch as her past always resurfaces to block any attempt she makes to go straight. Things predictably spiral downward. This film won numerous awards including Theron's well-deserved Oscar for Best Actress.

Media 8 Ent., DEJ Prod., Denver & Delilah Films,
VIP Medienfonds, K/W Productions;
Newmarket Films

Everything Is Connected

Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Doona Bae, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon, Keith David, James D'Arcy, David Gyasi

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Our lives and our choices, like quantum trajectories, are understood moment to moment. At each point of intersection, each encounter suggests a new potential direction." - Isaac Sachs

Why watch this? This is a fantastic exploration of life - past, present and future, all connected - and how choices matter.

Plot Summary: This ambitious, time-spanning tale is crammed to the brim with filmdom's top talent, cutting-edge effects and race-altering make-up. Strap on your cranial seatbelts to explore six storylines, some in the past, some in possible futures. Most actors recur in each of the stories and reincarnation is apparent. Most characters, at their core, either evil or good, however, the main characters (Hanks, Berry and Broadbent) are on a journey, progressing. They begin as unlikable beings, displaying cowardice, callousness, even homicidal tendencies. But their paths, over the eras, are heading to a cosmic redemption, based on their growth, love and choices made. Is this not what we all face in real life?

Cloud Atlas Prod., X Filme Creative Pool,
Anarchos Productions; Warner Bros.

The MOST comedy ever made! The BIGGEST comedy ever made!
The HOTTEST comedy ever made!

Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Lack Lemmon, George Raft, pat O'Brien, Joe E. Brown, Nehemiah Persoff, Joan Shawlee, Billy Gray, George E. Stone, Dave Barry, Mike Mazurki

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Will you look at that! Look how she moves! It's like Jell-O on springs. Must have some sort of built-in motor or something. I tell you, it's a whole different sex!" - Jerry after Sugar strides by

Why watch this? Marilyn. Monroe.

Plot Summary: Two male musicians witness a mob hit and, to escape the gangsters, disguise themselves as women and join an all-female band heading to Florida. While maintaining their false identities, one falls for the band's beautiful singer, Sugar, while the other is pursued by a millionaire. Their attempts to evade the mobsters and navigate these romantic complications lead to a series of comedic and often precarious situations.

Billy Wilder, Mirisch Co.; United Artists

A Film from Daniels

Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, Tallie Medel, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr., Biff Wiff, Sunita Mani, Brian Le

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Every rejection, every disappointment has led you here to this moment." - Waymond Wang

Why watch this? There are mind-trip films - then there is this chaotic eye-candy.

Plot Summary: This mind-bending story centers on Evelyn Wang, a laundromat owner who feels her life has been filled with missed opportunities and regrets. During a stressful IRS audit, she discovers, with help from her husband, the existence of the multi-verse. To her amazement, she can access the memories, skills, and experiences of her alternative selves across countless universes. Evelyn is tasked with using these newfound abilities to fight against a powerful being threatening to destroy the multiverse, while also navigating complex family relationships, particularly with her daughter, Joy.

IAC Films, Gozie AGBO, Year of the Rat,
Ley Line Ent.; A24

The True Enigma Was the Man Who Cracked The Code

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, Mark Strong, Matthew Beard

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Sometimes it's the very people who no one imagines anything of who do the things no one can imagine." – Christopher Morcom

Why watch this? This engrossing story is based on the life of brilliant cryptographer Alan Turing.

Plot Summary: Mathematician Alan Turing and his team of codebreakers work for Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park during World War II. Facing the seemingly unbreakable Nazi Enigma machine, Turing attempts to build a device that can decipher its messages.

Black Bear Pictures, Bristol Automotive
Orange Corp.; The Weinstein Co.

Inspired by a True Friendship

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, Sebastian Maniscalco, Dimiter D. Marinov, Mike Hatton, P.J. Byrne, Von Lewis

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"So if I'm not black enough and if I'm not white enough, and not man enough, then tell me, Tony, what am I?" - Dr. Don Shirley

Why watch this? In a country divided by race, we just need to rub elbows to find our common ground.

Plot Summary: In 1962, a working-class Italian-American bouncer named Tony "Lip" Vallelonga is hired to drive renowned African-American classical pianist Don Shirley on a concert tour through the Deep South. Facing widespread racial segregation and prejudice, they must rely on "The Negro Motorist Green Book" to navigate safe havens for Black travelers. Despite their vastly different backgrounds and personalities, the two men form an unlikely bond and friendship as they confront adversity and learn from each other during their journey.

Participant Media, DreamWorks Pics, Innisfee Pics,
Cinetic Media, Alibaba Pics; Universal Pictures

We accept the love we think we deserve.

Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Mae Whitman, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Joan Cusack, Paul Rudd

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You can't just sit there and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love." - Samantha "Sam" Button

Why watch this? It is an interesting, relevant, coming-of-age story that most of use can relate to.

Plot Summary: The film follows un-extraordinary Charlie, a freshman high school student. He suffers from clinical depression and is therefore incredibly shy. He meets two seniors, Patrick (an extremely animated and rebellious gay boy) and his step-sister Samantha "Sam" (a quite, awkward and adorable girl who is in a steady relationship). Patrick and Sam decide it's a good idea to bring Charlie into their small group of social outcasts; sorta take him under their wings. The brainy Patrick quickly develops a crush on Sam, and he helps her study to improve her SAT score. Then normal high school stuff occurs and starts to un-repress Charlie's mental issues.

Mr. Mudd Productions; Summit Ent. thru
Lionsgate

One simple lie destroyed everything they had.

Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner, Miriam Hopkins, Fay Bainter, Karen Balkin, Veronica Cartwright, Mimi Gibson, William Mims, Sallie Brophy

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You've always had a jealous, possessive nature even as a child. If you had a friend, you'd be upset if she liked anybody else. And that's what's happening now! And it's unnatural." - Mrs. Lily Mortar

Why watch this?  A child's lie can have devastating consequences, as we shall see.

Plot Summary: This drama centers on two women, Karen Wright and Martha Dobie, who run a boarding school for girls. When a problematic student, Mary Tilford, fabricates a lie about the two teachers, the resulting scandal threatens to devastate their lives and careers.

William Wyler, The Mirisch Co.; United Artists

A Simple Man... A Difficult Choice.

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, Dwight Yoakam, John Ritter, Natalie Canerday, James Hampton, Robert Duvall, Brent Briscoe

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #30 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Sling Blade

"Some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a Kaiser blade." - Karl Childers

Why watch this? Thornton's first film is tender, simple, and brilliant on every level.

Plot Summary: Karl Childers is a man with an intellectual disability who is released from a psychiatric hospital after spending decades institutionalized for a childhood murder. He returns to his childhood town in Arkansas and befriends a young boy named Frank, forming an unexpected bond as Karl works as a mechanic. However, Frank's home life is troubled by his mother's abusive boyfriend, Doyle.
 

Dad's Preview: This film rings so true that the audience has no choice but to believe it's based on real people. Sling Blade was Billy Bob Thornton's personal creation: he wrote the story, directed the film and stars as Karl. Thornton's immersion into the simpleton character is legendary (and oft impersonated by me and way too many TikTokers). There are some intense moments, but at its heart, this movie has a sweetness to it. It's an achievement within its own simplicity. John Ritter and Dwight Yoakam deliver incredible supporting performances, as well.

The Shooting Gallery; Miramax Films

Brace yourself for Melvin.

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr., Skeet Ulrich, Shirley Knight, Yeardley Smith, Lupe Ontiveros, Jill the Dog

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"When you first entered the restaurant, I thought you were handsome... and then, of course, you spoke." - Carol

Why watch this? The transformation of Nicholson's character is unbelievable.

Plot Summary: Meet Melvin Udall, a misanthropic romantic novelist with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. His life is disrupted when he's forced to care for his gay neighbor Simon's dog after Simon is brutally beaten and hospitalized. Melvin also develops an unexpected connection with Carol, a kind waitress at his usual diner who is struggling with her son's illness.

TriStar Pictures, Gracie Films;
Sony Pictures Releasing

A family on the verge of a breakdown

Starring: Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, Beth Grant

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #33 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Little Miss Sunshine

"I'd like to dedicate this to my grandpa, who showed me these moves." - Olive Hoover

Why watch this? Imagine the family road trip from hell. Then multiply it by 100.

Plot Summary: The Hoover family embarks on a chaotic cross-country road trip to get their young daughter, Olive, to the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant in California. Along the way, the eccentric family faces a series of setbacks and personal struggles that force them to re-evaluate their notions of success and happiness. The journey culminates in Olive's unconventional performance at the pageant.

Big Beach Films, Bona Fide Prod., Third
Gear Prod.; Fox Searchlight Pictures

The year's most revealing comedy.

Starring: Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Addy, William Snape, Paul Barber, Hugo Speer, Lesley Sharp, Emily Woof

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 100 #95 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of The Full Monty

"Anti-wrinkle cream there may be, but anti-fat-bastard cream there is not." - Dave

Why watch this? I have never loved a film more than this one I fully expected to hate.

Plot Summary: When a group of unemployed steelworkers in Sheffield are inspired by a touring male striptease act, they decide to form their own all-male stripping troupe to make some quick cash. Despite lacking traditional physiques and facing personal insecurities, the men commit to performing a "full monty," meaning completely nude, one time only to solve their financial troubles and regain their self-respect.

Redwave Films, Channel Four Films;
Fox Searchlight Pictures

It's his most nerve-stretching thriller!

Starring: James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger, Joan Chandler, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Constance Collier, Kenneth Lawrence, Edith Evanson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 100 #94 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Rope

"I've always wished for more artistic talent. Well, murder can be an art, too. The power to kill can be just as satisfying as the power to create." - Brandon Shaw

Why watch this? This is my favorite Hitchcock film. It's lean and twisted.

Plot Summary: Two intellectual young men, Brandon and Phillip, murder a former classmate as an act to prove their supposed superiority. They then host a dinner party, with the victim's body hidden in a chest within the same room, serving as a macabre challenge to mental acuity. As the evening unfolds, their former professor, Rupert, becomes increasingly suspicious at their odd behavior.

Transatlantic Pictures; Warner Bros.

No one would take on his case... until one man was willing to take on the system.

Starring: Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Jason Robarbs, Mary Steenburgen, Antonio Banderas, Joanne Woodward

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #27 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Philadelphia

"Every now and again - not often, but occasionally - you get to be a part of justice being done. That really is quite a thrill when that happens." - Andrew Beckett

Why watch this? ... are all men created equal? Apparently not all men.

Plot Summary: An ambitious lawyer Andrew Beckett is fired from his prestigious law firm after his HIV-positive status and homosexuality are discovered, prompting him to sue for wrongful termination. He hires Joe Miller, a homophobic personal injury lawyer, as his only willing advocate, and together they fight his former employers in a landmark discrimination case that challenges prejudice and reveals uncomfortable truths.

Clinica Estetico Prod.; TriStar Pictures

Love Is A Force Of Nature

Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Randy Quaid, Linda Cardellini

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"The bottom line is...we're around each other and...this thing grabs hold of us again...in the wrong place...in the wrong time...we're dead." - Ennis Del Mar

Why watch this? This is a love story, set in a place where folks don't tolerate anybody "different".

Plot Summary: In 1963, two out-of-work cowboys, Jack and Ennis, hire on working sheep in the Wyoming wilderness. Unexpectedly, the two become intimate, something they agree was a "one time deal". They return to their lives, both marrying and having kids. Over the next ten years, however, their forbidden relationship grows as they meet for annual fishing trips.

River Road Entertainment; Focus Features