My Top 5 of 2025
Ken Burns's The American Revolution (2025) documentary series=
“We the people.”
“I wish the Constitution which is offered had been made more perfect. But I sincerely believe that it's the best that could be obtained at this time. And as a constitutional door is opened for amendment here after, the adoption of it is in my opinion desirable.”
“Our government daily acquires strength and stability. The union is complete. Nothing hinders are being a very happy and prosperous People. Provided we have wisdom rightly to estimate our blessings, and hearts to improve them.”
There are certain moments in history that are emblazoned onto the popular consciousness. It is fascinating to me that these moments become so accepted as pivotal components of the human experience. They are monoliths that become untethered from time and obtain a mythical status. However, this untethering disallows these moments to maintain their proper context in the ever flowing river of human events.
For an American, such as myself, this is no more true than when taking the American Revolution into consideration. Perhaps, one of the major downfalls of The United States educational system is the fact that, when it comes to history, we often lose sight of the realities of life in favor of a more heroic approach to historical events Now that I'm thinking about it, this may not be altogether true nowadays. Though, if it is still an approach used in the adolescent years of education. It's certainly not the approach used in higher education? In either case, it seems to hold firm from an anecdotal standpoint. We frequently forget the truth that lies at the heart of History. True history that is. A history made up of faulty human beings, not one constructed out of marble statues or unblemished works of art.
It's difficult to say that the aforementioned heroic viewpoint of The American Revolution is false. It certainly is not. Though, that historical lens seems to consistently miss out on the context of a varied humanity, as alluded to above. In its place Americans seem to focus more on speed when it comes to information. The more information a student gets about the Revolution, the more knowledgeable they become, right? A valiant effort to be sure. However, it can be argued that that process of conveying knowledge is frequently unsuccessful in helping a person retain said knowledge. Context, on the other hand, is, I believe 90% of the battle in retaining information and growing a knowledge base.
To think about a fact, to mull it over and attach it, in some way to our lived experience is far more important than the fact itself. It may just be me, but knowing that George Washington was a flawed human being, and yet he was still able to accomplish what he accomplished, is far more meaningful than just thinking of him as a perfect hero. His accomplishments are not out of reach. To bring it to the point, he was flawed just like you and me.
This calls to the surface, our struggle with contextualizing history in human brokenness, we seemingly don't want the responsibility of change. The responsibility of bettering ourselves as a consequence of past failures and injustices. Please don't misunderstand me here, I am certainly not saying that America's war for independence was not necessary or beneficial. However, it is worthwhile to come to terms with the fact that it was a war, fought by broken people. And these people were human beings that made revolutionary choices for the betterment of humanity; they also made tragic choices that brought humanity down to its basis of levels. That is to say, we all have more than one side to our nature. No one is perfect. The same goes for History. Though, we should still allow ourselves to cherish history's greatest accomplishments, as well as mourn its numerous tragedies.
Ken Burns's The American Revolution is a powerful exemplar of that ever present dichotomy of human nature. This 6 part 12 hour documentary series, both celebrates all the human triumphs and tries to valiantly make sense of The Revolution's most heart wrenching sorrows. Headlined by documentarian Ken Burns, this series succinctly and honestly outlines the reality of history. Beautifully conveying the truth that lies behind all great historical events. The truth is, people are the cogs that make history turn. Individuals, with all their faults, successes and inconsistencies are of course the backbone of the human cultural endeavor. To that end, directors Ken Burns, Sarah Bostein and David P. Schmidt with their many collaborators bring us back to the start of the American experiment. Hoping to discover the human truth that underpins one of the most unexpected revolutions in history.
Rated TV-14 for violence and some strong thematic material
I found Ken Burns's The American Revolution documentary series to be insightful, meaningful and thought-provoking. I hope in some way you do too.
Ken Burns's The American Revolution can be streamed on the PBS app for free. It is available to purchase as well on any digital video streaming service. It is available to purchase physically on Blu-ray disc.
4.
Thunderbolts* (2025)
“I think everyone is better off if I stay down here”
I don't really care who this guy was, but I do care what he can become”
It's what you said you can't out run the emptiness”
There is a delightfully pervasive charm and humor that weaves its way throughout the Marvel cinematic universe. From its first emergence, way back in Iron Man, to its current climb up the box office charts, this Marvel trademark shows no signs of stopping. It is certainly true that most Marvel films find their stylistic tentpole in how the screenplay presents the film's dialectic cadence. Is it different here?
Thunderbolts* strikes the silver screen with rapturous Marvel enthusiasm. Yet, as with all good stories there is something more dwelling just below the surface, I don't know if I should call it a secret weapon or a hidden truth. In all honesty, it's akin to something much more mundane, a story well told. This film is the quintessential team movie. It allows us to fall easily into the essentials, a reluctant team of misfits is brought together out of necessity. The only way they will survive is by working together. It is what we have come to expect, Marvel comfort food through and through. Though, this is only where Thunderbolts begins.
Rated PG-13 for strong violence, language, thematic elements, and some suggestive and drug references.
I found Thunderbolts* to be charmingly entertaining, meaningful and thought-provoking. I hope in some way you do too.
Thunderbolts* is available to stream On Disney Plus with a subscription
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)
“You're right. I guess the question is, do these stories convince us of a lie or do they resonate with something deep inside us that is profoundly true, that we can't express any other way, except for storytelling?”“Touché, Padre.”
“ Father Jud that was… very good.”
Wake Up Dead Men: A Knives Out Mystery enthusiastically engages with this centuries old conversation. Using the whodunit mystery locked door structure, detective Benoit Blanc returns to investigate a murder mystery of redemptive proportion. The honesty by which Wake Up Dead Man structures its death oriented mind game of a puzzle is refreshing on all counts. This film interrogates the Catholic faith and its surrounding culture with a respect and dignity that it is seldom granted. This is a challenging film to be sure, but its intent is to ask honest questions, not fumigate cathedrals. Wake up Dead Man is a film that seeks to find the truth at the heart of Jesus's message. Even though it may stumble in some small ways in pursuit of that truth. Though, that is only a further indication that we are all human in need of the redemptive love of Christ. Which, in its own way, is a key thematic pillar of the film and a driving force for the solving of its mystery.
As a whole, Wake Up Dead Man, is what happens when honesty and due diligence supersede preconceived notions. It is a film that delights in its structure, while also using that structure to maintain a meaningful conversation about faith and the realities of misunderstanding. Director Rian Johnson and his team enthusiastically continue a deeply honest conversation about faith. Asking us the question: what is true faith in Christ? When it comes to it, do we truly know the God man who is the beating heart of Christianity, or are we just running our Faith on our own steam? The answer is yours to discover…
Rated PG-13 for violent content, bloody images, strong language, some crude sexual material, and smoking.
I found Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery to be delightfully inventive, deeply meaningful and thought-provoking. I hope in some way you do too.
“Believing something does not make it true."
“Choice is the seat of the soul. The one gift God granted us."
“Understanding, in those eyes I saw pain and what is pain if not evidence of intelligence.”
We all know the tale, or at least we think we do. One man's attempt to become God creates a monster that ultimately becomes his downfall. Frankenstein is in some ways synonymous with Men's ambition reaching far beyond the grasp. Though is this story truly that concise in its quandaries or is there something more? Is Frankenstein's monster truly a "monster" or is he a creature searching for purpose and meaning?
There is something remarkably poignant about Guillermo del Toro’s adaption of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It is a film, at its core, about creation. Though, unlike its many predecessors Del Toro's adaption of this Gothic classic is not about creational regret or remorse. Instead, this film goes back to the source to explore the nature of creation itself, and its purpose in the struggles and sorrows present in the human experience. Del Toro's vision of Frankenstein is at once a visually arresting cinematic tapestry of the beauty and poignancy of sorrow, as well as a stalwart reminder of the resilience and promise of hope.
It may seem contradictory at first, but this hope is what drives this adaptation of Frankenstein forward to a profound realization that has stuck with me in such a way that I could have never anticipated. Ultimately, this film succeeds because it is enriched by a novel that has sadly lost its meaning in popular culture over these many years. That isn't to say that this film is a one to one retelling of this meditation on creation. There are certainly alterations here. Even so, this adaptation beautifully returns to the novel's central theme, and meaningfully adds to Mary Shelley's centuries long conversation on the purpose and meaning of a sorrow filled existence. To do this, Director Guillermo del Toro and his team metaphorically go back to the very beginning. Asking us the question, are we worthy? Are we worthy of creation and forgiveness? The real life answer may have already been given. However, Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein is well worth the watch as a powerful reminder of the love and worth inherent in the act of creation.
Rated R for bloody violence and grisly images and graphic nudity ( Brief male buttocks during a bathing scene. Lengthy full frontal & back female nudity in a transparent dress for a photoshoot.)
I found Frankenstein (2025) to be visually enthralling, thought-provoking and deeply meaningful. I hope in some way you do too.
Frankenstein (2025) can be streamed on Netflix with a subscription.
Clair Obscure Expedition 33 (2025), video game
“Sometimes, we paint the bars of our own prison.”"And repaint your throat while you're in there, before you completely forget how to have a conversation."
“I treat you as if the shadow from the worst day of our lives is going to suffocate you, and take you from us too!”
"It's going to be okay… it's going to be okay… huh. You have this incredible power to paint. You'll never have to suffer a life you don't want.”
I wish there was some way to effectively illustrate the emotional staying power and thought-provoking questions of Clair Obscure Expedition 33, without robbing you of the narrative engagement of a first time playthrough. However, I know this game is not an easy introduction into the world of interactivity. Though, it is enormously worthwhile if you are willing to give it a chance. Beautifully respectful and thematically rich, Clair Obscure Expedition 33 intently traverses the valleys of grief and the climbs of disability with nuance and hope.
Here we see interactive storytelling at its highest caliber. Video games rarely get to show off their narrative prowess in such a wonderfully enthralling and enriching way. However, all this praise may not be giving this game enough credit. Claire Obscure Expeditions 33 is quite possibly the best narrative experience I've had in the past several years, let alone this year. It's one of those interactive experiences that encourages a dismantling of the barriers and misconceptions that are, in some way inherent in the interactive space of video games. To reiterate, Clair Obscure Expedition 33 is a profound meditation on grief and family trauma that seeks to find hope in the process of healing and discovering how that healing begins.
Grief and sorrow get to the very heart of a human being's relationship with mortality, and the power of memory to help us move forward. However, onward momentum is never a call to forget those who were lost or the tragedies that preceded this healing. A forward trajectory should consistently remind us of the necessity of life and the dignity and meaning it grants us for being a part of this human endeavor. No matter how brief that part may be. Expedition 33 balances all these elements with a measure of care and respect that is rarely seen in any narrative form. Enlivening its world and characters with a cohesion that beckons you to engage in mechanics that enrich the play experience with thematic weigh, as well as purpose
To that point, Clair Obscure Expedition 33 is not a second-tier expeditioner by any measure of its genre contemporaries and/or predecessors. While it is true that this turn-based historical fantasy RPG (Role-playing game) may wear its Final Fantasy influences firmly on its sleeves, with its Action Points, powers and fluid visually enthralling attacks. These mechanics also elevate Expedition 33 in such a way that the game is as much a recollection of the past, as it is a glance towards the future.
Interactive stories are the most effective when their game mechanics are a deeper elucidation of their narrative and thematic goals. Claire Obscure Expedition 33 is a shining example of that marriage of narrative and mechanics working in meaningful and tightly woven harmony. This interplay comes into focus in a simple way when you realize that the trial and error nature of turn-based combat beautifully represents the protagonist's circular struggle to come to terms with the nature of life and death. In turn, the game allows us to hope for a future where death, in the immediate sense, is not our constant companion.
However, to go any further than I have may eventually disavow you of the thematic and emotional journey Clair Obscure Expedition 33 provides. That said, I want to personally thank the games’ developer Sandfall Interactive, for not only making a beautiful meditative tapestry on death, sorrow and grief. But also, for designing that tapestry in a way that it represents disability, not as a death sentence, but as a deeply resident and purpose driven lived experience. Sandfall Interactive sincerely and innately understands the underpinnings of their game’s narrative structure. Which is no surprise, especially considering Expedition 33's most thematically resident narrative refrain. I realize now, why I made the choice I did for Maelle, as the game came to a close. I made the choice "For those who come after."
There are many sides to the disability story. Though, narrative media rarely allows disabled individuals to engage with their reality in any way. Disability is often represented in the media as a detriment to human flourishing by those who are not disabled. As a result disability stories are frequently skewed towards an able-bodied perspective, not disabled one. I should add that Clair Obscure Expedition 33's final choice for its disabled protagonist is aimed towards life, not death.
So thank you Sandfall Interactive for giving disabled players the opportunity to express what it's really like to live with a disability, and for allowing us to confront a lot of the preconceived notions that come along with it. It's amazing what one choice can do. What one kind of affirmation from a lost family member can do to change a person's perception of themselves, and the true reality of who they are as a dignified member of the society. Certainly, life after a tragedy is extraordinarily difficult. Though, the development team at Sandfall interactive, allow us to recall that grief is a powerful reminder of a life well lived.
Rated M 17+ for Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
I found Clair Obscure Expedition 33 to be deeply meaningful, mechanically rich and visually enthralling. As well as, tremendously moving and thought-provoking. I hope in some way you do too.
Click this link to see a trailer for the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VaLOc1FpSo
Clair Obscure Expedition 33 can be purchased digitally and physically on Windows PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
Comments
Post a Comment