CFTCA Digest: February 2025 - Cascadian Film and Television Critics Association

Welcome to CFTCA’s monthly digest for February 2025, a roundup of recent reviews, features, interviews, and more by CTFCA critics.

Film Reviews

The Monkey | Reviewed by Elizabeth Mulloy | Read the Full Review

“Overall, The Monkey marches to the beat of its own bloodstain drum as it embraces the absurdity of its own tale as it laughs at the face of death. Balancing horror and comedy, Osgood Perkins makes a film for all the sickos. It does lose its pacing in the final act, but it is still a fun ride for those who love this genre.”

Find more of Elizabeth’s work on The Celluloid Correspondent.

The Brutalist | Reviewed by Todd Pengelly | Read the Full Review

“And while the first half of the film is all about building, what the film’s second half (distinctly separated in theaters by a 15 minute intermission) made clear to me is that The Brutalist may be devoted to showing us construction, but it’s about the counterfactual: The Brutalist is a story of desecration, in fear and in reality.”

Find more of Todd’s work on For Reel.

My Dead Friend Zoe | Reviewed by Matthew Simpson | Read the Full Review

“My Dead Friend Zoe may be predictable, but anyone who has lost a close friend will connect with Hausmann-Stokes’s story nonetheless. The film speaks honestly and compassionately about the trauma soldiers carry with them, and the difficulty of moving forward.

Find more of Matthew’s reviews on Exclaim.

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy | Reviewed by Darren Zakus | Read the Full Review

“Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is a hilarious return for romantic comedy icon Bridget Jones that once again lets Renée Zellweger shine as the titular character in a mature, emotional and wonderful new chapter in the romantic escapades of Bridget Jones, delivering not only the perfect romantic comedy for Valentine’s Day, but what could be the perfect sendoff to the character.”

Find more of Darren’s work on Movie Scene Canada.

Blue Rodeo: Lost Together | Reviewed by Dakota Arsenault | Read the Full Review

“The film is a treasure trove of old material, but doesn’t present much new information for longtime fans of the band… For die hard fans, other than getting the chance to reminisce on all the hits, it won’t offer anything new for them. One wonders if this film will attract people who haven’t been lifelong fans of the band.”

Find more of Dakota’s work on the Contra Zoom Pod website.

Broken Rage & I’m Still Here | Reviewed by Eric Zhu | Read the Reviews

“I’m Still Here is a primo “they don’t make them like they used to” movie for adults. It’s a historical dramatization that elides politics in favor of character, and curates the lives of its subjects into readily-digestible narrative beats. Even if it doesn’t aim very high, it does displays what now qualifies as a refreshing competence.”

Find more of Eric’s reviews on The Insert.

Awards

Contra Zoom Pod’s 2025 Edition of “If We Were Oscar Voters” | Read the Full Conversation

Back for a fifth year in a row, Dakota and Rachel Ho are out to prove they have better taste than Oscar voters. They made their own list of nominees and winners for each category, and added a little commentary for each of their picks. As an added bonus this year, they are including their picks for Best Canadian film.

Find episodes of the Contra Zoom podcast on their website.

Television

Zero Day | Reviewed by Elizabeth Mulloy | Read the Full Review

“The best word to describe Zero Day is undercooked. It has all the right ingredients for a gripping modern political thriller, yet none of them fully come together. The show clearly has a story it wants to tell, but it doesn’t know how to tell it. Instead, it scrambles in multiple directions, hoping to keep the audience engaged as it stumbles toward an anti-climactic resolution.”

Find more of Elizabeth’s work on The Celluloid Correspondent.

Win or Lose S1, Episodes 1-4 | Reviewed by Matthew Simpson | Read the Full Review

“It’s hard to believe that Disney+ is now five years old, and it has yet to feature a series from Pixar… The good news then is that not only is the wait over, but Pixar has also brought their trademark creativity and story-first attitude to their first series, Win or Lose. “

Find more of Matthew’s reviews on That Shelf.

Retrospectives

Haru (Yoshimitsu Morita, 1996) | Read the Full Review

“In our quest for digital solace, perhaps Haru‘s bittersweet innocence is actually less a relic of the past and more a blueprint for our future.”

Find more of Marta’s work on Rewind & Revive.