Mystery Month (2025)

There’s no central theme to the mystery movies this year; they’re all just random selections of films I’ve wanted to watch (or watch again). The best thing about mystery movies is the various ways they can captivate an audience. It can be through action, drama, thriller, or even comedy. I think the selections this month reflect that idea.

I’ve listed the selections for the month below, and I really enjoyed what I picked … with one exception. All of these movies, with four (or more) stars, I would watch again. There are also bonus and special event movies this month.

• Babygirl (2024)
• Snatch (2000)
• Fountain of Youth (2025)
• Juror #2 (2024)
• The Gray Man (2022)
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Babygirl (2024)

Directed by: Halina Reijn
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas
My Rating:

I don’t usually say this, but I do not recommend this movie, despite the cast. Two stars is probably too generous. It sucks when you have veteran actors in a movie and the movie isn’t good. I’m not even sure how this movie qualifies as a mystery.

This is Hollywood erotica; in fact, it’s borderline porn. Therefore, this movie is the exception to what I said above. Porn does not make a good mystery movie.

Nicole Kidman plays a high-powered CEO who is married to a man (Antonio Banderas) who is not adventurous in the bedroom. Therefore, she has an affair with an intern at her company who isn’t quite as shy. It’s anti-climactic (no pun intended) and the ending is rather boring. I never need to see this movie again.

Snatch (2000)

Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Stephen Graham
My Rating:

A priceless diamond is stolen, and everyone wants to find it

This is such a fun movie! It’s been too long since I last sat down and watched it. The cast is great; Brad Pitt is awesome. There are appearances from Vinnie Jones (very early in his career), Benicio Del Toro, and Dennis Farina (RIP). It’s probably in my top five favorite heist movies. It gives me such a great sense of nostalgia, too. I remember sitting in my dorm room and seeing the commercials for it.

This movie should be on everyone’s must-see list.

Fountain of Youth (2025)

Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Starring: John Krasinski, Natalie Portman
My Rating:

The fact that I picked another Guy Ritchie movie is completely coincidental. If you own an Apple streaming device, you have probably seen the trailer for this a hundred times. Do not let that turn you off because this is a fun movie to watch.

Estranged siblings join together to find the legendary Fountain of Youth. This movie brings together two Star Wars veterans: Natalie Portman (Queen Amidala) and Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux). Also, the family is named after my alma mater per the trivia on the IMDB page (you’ll have to expand the trivia). John Krasinski’s films are starting to grow on me.

Juror #2

Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons
My Rating:

A juror on a murder trial faces a moral dilemma that could send an innocent man to jail and set a guilty man free.

This is another movie that was advertised frequently on Apple streaming devices. I’m a big fan of Nicholas Hoult; he’s a very gifted actor, and this movie is no exception. I haven’t seen Toni Collette in a while, who is also a phenomenal actor. This has a few nods to 12 Angry Men, an old movie starring Henry Fonda, which I also recommend.

The Gray Man (2022)

Directed by: Anthony & Joe Russo
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas
My Rating:

A highly skilled CIA operative uncovers dark agency secrets and becomes the subject of a manhunt by a former psychopathic colleague.

I feel like Ryan Gosling is suddenly surging, and the same with Channing Tatum. Suddenly, these guys are making fun movies. Lately, I’ve been checking out Ryan Gosling films because he’s in the upcoming Project Hail Mary movie, and he’s slated for Star Wars Starfighter.

He does an excellent job in this action role, and Chris Evans is a fantastic villain. I feel the movie was just slipped into the Netflix rotation, but not given enough attention. It is more of an action movie than a mystery film, but I’m still glad I picked it.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Directed by: Tomas Alfredson
Starring: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy
My Rating:

“In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet Agent within MI6.” -IMDB Plot Description

This movie has a great cast. Besides Oldman, Firth, and Hardy, the cast also includes John Hurt, Mark Strong, Toby Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Graham, and many more.

This is a good movie with some caveats. It’s a movie about espionage, which means there is minimal action. To stay engaged, you have to sit down and watch without distraction. It has a very intricate plot with heavy British accents. I think this is one of those movies where each time you watch it, you see more details that allude to the identity of the traitor.

Bonus & Special Event Movies

We have one of each this month. August 29th is Judgement Day in the Terminator franchise, so that’s the day to watch T2 (or maybe pick any of the other Terminator movies).

Believe it or not, we saw another movie in the theater. I think this makes 6 for the year. It’s fantastic to get back out there and see movies in the theater; I have so many fond memories from my childhood, and I’m glad we are providing those same memories for our daughter. At any rate, we saw The Fantastic 4 First Steps, and you can read my review here.

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