Mini Movie Reviews: March 2025
- Matt Quill
- Mar 2
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 18
A quick rundown of my thoughts on the movies I've seen throughout March 2025
Title: Flow
Plot
When a flood threatens the home of a lonely cat, it's forced to flee onto a refugee boat and learn to cooperate with the other animals.
Taking home the Oscar for Best Animation was a real triumph for the Latvian film. The film was made entirely on free software, and all the voice work was done by animals.
In terms of what the film has accomplished, it's truly incredible, but better yet, there's a rather entertaining film beneath all of its impressive production.
Starring a solitary cat who is forced to leave her home following a flood, she joins a survivor's raft and must learn to co-exist with its other dwellers.
Whilst the animation is impressive, and at times downright gorgeous, the real stars of the show are the animals. They never utter a word, but like all animals you know, they're full of personality in their actions and behaviour. I've never seen a cat's likeness captured in a film as well as I have in Flow. Ever curious and reacting as an isolated animal would, whilst learning to adapt and help her companions. The other animals are great too, as they try to live in this very volatile environment.
All in all, Flow is a very good film. It might be a curiosity piece for some, but the animals are so well realised and the film's simple narrative keeps the action going. It isn't perfect, and it has some weaker moments, but it still packs in the odd laughs and emotion.
Title: Last Breath
Plot
When deep-sea diver Chris Lemons finds himself stranded hundreds of feet below the ocean's surface, his fellow divers and the crew of the above ship must battle against the clock and relentless weather to rescue him before it's too late.
I remember seeing the trailer for Last Breath and getting pretty pumped. I'm kind of a sucker for survival films, and I find the ocean a truly fascinating place.
The film is not what I expected, and as I learned more about it found out it was a dramatised retelling of deep-sea diver Chris Lemons' ordeal after he was stranded at the bottom of the sea following a dive in the North Sea back in 2012.
Although the story of Chris Lemons is an interesting one, Last Breath isn't. The film feels very run-of-the-mill in its retelling.
It's a rescue film, not a survival film, and it spends most time with the crew trying to overcome the storm to get back and recover him before it's too late. The problem is that the tension or fear never seems to escalate. The crew feel like they're going through their motions; there's rarely a moment after the initial error that fills you with dread, which for a rescue film is a pretty big misstep.
The best way to sum up Last Breath is by calling it a 'Run-of-the-Mill' film. It does what it needs to and tells its story competently, but it feels far too faithful, and any sense of tension quickly evaporates. Whilst the core story is interesting, the film sadly is not. You're probably just better off watching the initial documentary.
Title: The Incredibles
Plot
When Mr. Incredible's heroics result in a wave of legal cases, superheroes are outlawed and forced to live as ordinary citizens. Now living a quiet life with his superpowered family, he receives a call that will give him the chance to be super once again.
The early Pixar movies were something else. It felt like every movie they released was hit after hit, with the likes of Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, and then The Incredibles all releasing one after the other.
Released before the Marvel Cinematic Universe became the juggernaut that it is, Pixar's Incredibles movie was as impressive back then as it still is today.
Focused on heroes in their heyday before new laws come into place that see them live their lives in secret, the Parr family are a superpowered family living an average family life, although Bob Parr/Mr Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) still yearns for the glory days.
The Parr family members are excellent, and their dynamic is so honest and believable. Even the additional characters are great with Villain Syndrome tied cleverly to the heroes and Mr Incredible's best mate, Frozone (Honey, where's my super suit?). It's a film packed with heart, but still has time to deliver the action and adventure you hope for.
The film is full of superhero and family jokes, and the bickering family works so well. The music is great, and the animation is still impressive despite how much technology has advanced.
The Incredibles is close to being a timeless animated classic. The Parr family are captured perfectly and the story is expertly told. The adventure is one that dishes out the hero action whilst still serving a handful of jokes and visual gags. Simply put, it's prime Pixar.
Title: Companion
Plot
Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid) get more than they bargained for after an isolated holiday trip with his friends quickly descends into something more sinister.
The rise of Artificial Intelligence has long been a staple in cinema, whether that be the annihilation of humankind via Terminators or AI partners like Joi in Blade Runner 2049.
Sticking close with the latter, Drew Hancock's latest feature, Companion, looks at life through a modern lens with purchasable AI Companions, a partner people can build connections with and adjust their personality and intelligence through a single swipe of a phone.
It's a neat premise and Hancock leans into the more humorous side that results in a dark comedy thriller that's a very entertaining watch.
Set in an isolated home, as many thrillers tend to be, soon everything goes wrong, and chaos descends on the group. It doesn't unfold in the way you might expect, catching you off guard and then keeping at a fast pace, never giving you much of a chance to catch your breath.
Companion is a very fun film. It had me laughing in quite a few places, and the central group works very well, but it's the well-paced story and clever dark comedy tone that stand out as Companion's best feature.
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