Sam Van Haren
@samshotfirst.bsky.social
Associate Editor @talkfilmsociety.com Host of Keanu Believe It podcast, featured on various others. Talks too much about movies, cartoons, and Keanu. ♿️ he/him
Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/8EtJ
Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/8EtJ
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My Favorite 20 Movies of 2025, in no particular order beyond the Top 5
Saw the new puffy football helmet for the first time. How I laughed.
January 11, 2026 at 2:02 AM
Saw the new puffy football helmet for the first time. How I laughed.
“What happened?”
“He got the boot.”
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
“He got the boot.”
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Kicking things off: THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
I got the sudden urge to do a marathon watch of the Dalton-Brosnan-Craig Bond movies. And I don’t think I’ll be able to rest until I do.
January 11, 2026 at 12:15 AM
“What happened?”
“He got the boot.”
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
“He got the boot.”
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This movie is solid and enjoyable enough for the first hour and change but when they get to Afghanistan it becomes a different movie and a much better one.
Kicking things off: THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
I got the sudden urge to do a marathon watch of the Dalton-Brosnan-Craig Bond movies. And I don’t think I’ll be able to rest until I do.
January 10, 2026 at 11:50 PM
This movie is solid and enjoyable enough for the first hour and change but when they get to Afghanistan it becomes a different movie and a much better one.
Kicking things off: THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
I got the sudden urge to do a marathon watch of the Dalton-Brosnan-Craig Bond movies. And I don’t think I’ll be able to rest until I do.
January 10, 2026 at 10:09 PM
Kicking things off: THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
I got the sudden urge to do a marathon watch of the Dalton-Brosnan-Craig Bond movies. And I don’t think I’ll be able to rest until I do.
January 10, 2026 at 5:19 PM
I got the sudden urge to do a marathon watch of the Dalton-Brosnan-Craig Bond movies. And I don’t think I’ll be able to rest until I do.
GREENLAND: Much better than I expected. Opening is a bit rough but once the rocks start falling it’s an engaging and emotional disaster picture. Uses excellent sound design and creative camera work to really make the impacts hit.
January 10, 2026 at 3:26 AM
GREENLAND: Much better than I expected. Opening is a bit rough but once the rocks start falling it’s an engaging and emotional disaster picture. Uses excellent sound design and creative camera work to really make the impacts hit.
Always pleased when they let Gerard Butler be Scottish.
January 10, 2026 at 2:34 AM
Always pleased when they let Gerard Butler be Scottish.
Never saw GREENLAND and since sequel is out I figured I’d finally check it out. Foolishly hoping GerryButz punches a meteor.
January 10, 2026 at 12:45 AM
Never saw GREENLAND and since sequel is out I figured I’d finally check it out. Foolishly hoping GerryButz punches a meteor.
I find the whole concept of ordering food and it being delivered during the movie to be an annoying one. I have found it incredibly distracting the few times I’ve experienced it.
January 9, 2026 at 8:29 PM
I find the whole concept of ordering food and it being delivered during the movie to be an annoying one. I have found it incredibly distracting the few times I’ve experienced it.
If you see JD Vance in public, you have an obligation to tell him he’s a spineless twat who needs to go fuck himself.
January 9, 2026 at 5:35 PM
If you see JD Vance in public, you have an obligation to tell him he’s a spineless twat who needs to go fuck himself.
Having now sat with it I can safely say that EDDINGTON is pretty great *and* that the ending sucks. Aster has some keen insight into the ways our country is FUBAR, and weird fucking ideas about disability.
January 9, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Having now sat with it I can safely say that EDDINGTON is pretty great *and* that the ending sucks. Aster has some keen insight into the ways our country is FUBAR, and weird fucking ideas about disability.
Revisiting PRIMAL S1 before the new episodes. When the bad dino pops the kid in its mouth like buncha crunch, the show tells you it’s not playing.
January 9, 2026 at 3:33 AM
Revisiting PRIMAL S1 before the new episodes. When the bad dino pops the kid in its mouth like buncha crunch, the show tells you it’s not playing.
THE TOXIC AVENGER is a hoot. A fun love letter to low budget splatter fests. Big fan of the way Blair takes the absurdity very seriously. Gore and makeup work is top notch.
January 9, 2026 at 2:39 AM
THE TOXIC AVENGER is a hoot. A fun love letter to low budget splatter fests. Big fan of the way Blair takes the absurdity very seriously. Gore and makeup work is top notch.
I at least like every mainline Predator movie. Yes, even that one.
January 7, 2026 at 3:53 AM
I at least like every mainline Predator movie. Yes, even that one.
New Letterboxd policy. If I’m about to give a thing 4.5 stars but I’m still grinning like a doofus thinking about it, that sucker’s getting the full 5.
January 7, 2026 at 3:19 AM
New Letterboxd policy. If I’m about to give a thing 4.5 stars but I’m still grinning like a doofus thinking about it, that sucker’s getting the full 5.
PREDATOR: BADLANDS absolutely rules. Feels like Trachtenberg and team made this specifically for me. Closest we’ve yet come to a live-action Genndy Tartakovsky. I’m pretty giddy about this one.
January 7, 2026 at 2:59 AM
PREDATOR: BADLANDS absolutely rules. Feels like Trachtenberg and team made this specifically for me. Closest we’ve yet come to a live-action Genndy Tartakovsky. I’m pretty giddy about this one.
The day I trust fandom sites/accounts as legit sources about story points of upcoming releases is the day I go back to Twitter
January 6, 2026 at 7:14 PM
The day I trust fandom sites/accounts as legit sources about story points of upcoming releases is the day I go back to Twitter
A Different (Bat)Man
January 6, 2026 at 6:46 PM
A Different (Bat)Man
Sebastian Stan is one of my favorite actors. Matt Reeves other sequels fucking rule. This combination excites me.
January 6, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Sebastian Stan is one of my favorite actors. Matt Reeves other sequels fucking rule. This combination excites me.
11 more months of posts from people who don’t care about Marvel only talking about how much they don’t care about Marvel
January 6, 2026 at 5:16 PM
11 more months of posts from people who don’t care about Marvel only talking about how much they don’t care about Marvel
Occasionally, between watches, I start to question if it’s really as great as I’ve built it up to be. But nope, it’s one of the best movies ever made.
Keeping the Mann train a-rollin’
a man with a beard wearing a suit and white shirt
Alt: Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Heat
media.tenor.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:07 AM
Occasionally, between watches, I start to question if it’s really as great as I’ve built it up to be. But nope, it’s one of the best movies ever made.
After his first night with Edie, Neil watches her for just under 30 seconds before leaving her place. Poetry.
Keeping the Mann train a-rollin’
a man with a beard wearing a suit and white shirt
Alt: Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Heat
media.tenor.com
January 5, 2026 at 11:05 PM
After his first night with Edie, Neil watches her for just under 30 seconds before leaving her place. Poetry.
Those blues. Those blacks. Art.
Keeping the Mann train a-rollin’
a man with a beard wearing a suit and white shirt
Alt: Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Heat
media.tenor.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:54 PM
Those blues. Those blacks. Art.
Hindsight is 20/20 but they really should have put two in Waingro immediately after the armored truck job.
Keeping the Mann train a-rollin’
a man with a beard wearing a suit and white shirt
Alt: Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Heat
media.tenor.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:29 PM
Hindsight is 20/20 but they really should have put two in Waingro immediately after the armored truck job.
Keeping the Mann train a-rollin’
a man with a beard wearing a suit and white shirt
Alt: Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Heat
media.tenor.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Keeping the Mann train a-rollin’