The world doesn’t stop just because the Toronto International Film Festival is going on, so sometimes films sneak by while we focus our coverage on the festival. While they may be gone, they are certainly not forgotten. September 2025 offered a bit of everything for audiences, be it the last go-around for the Warrens, the streaming debut of the latest Spike Lee joint, two high profile team-up films, and the misadventures of a particular dollhouse. As we move forward to another month post-TIFF, read as I take a look back at the other big film releases of September 2025, from The Conjuring: Last Rites to Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie. To check any of our other reviews, click here.
The Conjuring: Last Rites
After four films over 12 years, and several other spinoff films, The Conjuring franchise comes to an end with Last Rites. A fitting end for the story of Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), the last entry in the franchise shifts the focus on the Warren family themselves as they set their sights on the future. Now 1986, their daughter, Judy (Mia Tomlinson), is all grown up and is dating a man named Tony (Ben Hardy). Meanwhile, Ed and Lorraine were not quite what they used to be, taking a step back from their regular investigatory duties to focus on speaking engagements and perhaps writing their first book. As all signs pointed to that they were ready to move on, circumstances connected to the Warrens brought them to a new case that they couldn’t just shake off. A case connecting back to one of Ed and Lorraine’s first cases, they’ve clearly come a long way since their early years, as seen in a flashback featuring a younger Ed Orion Smith, and a younger pregnant Lorraine Madison Lawlor.
Making the national news, Jack (Elliot Cowan) and Janet Smurl (Rebecca Calder) thought they had moved into their dream house with their family, however, that dream quickly became a nightmare as their home showed signs of demonic forces. With the Smurls in their sights, their lives became a living hell as those forces conspired to kill them. Using their newfound fame to call upon the Warrens to help, they eventually found themselves on their doorstep. Tasked to evaluate the validity of their claims, they were soon faced with those same horrors and decided to take action. To the film’s credit, it ratchets up the level of horror, generating some quality scares throughout. But, in the end, the film was more about the Warrens, Ed, Lorraine, Judy, and Tony, finding some closure and come together with an urgency like never before. The case itself was merely a means to an end, as the Warren family drama took up most of the spotlight. That being said, it is much more interesting than the case. While a blast to watch, the film arguably rushes through the case to facilitate a fitting conclusion that also felt rushed.
Just like past Conjuring installments, the best part of Last Rites is the winning dynamic of Wilson and Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren. At this point, they could do anything together and it will be compelling to watch. Tomlinson and Hardy add to that dynamic nicely.
Well shot and a return to form on the technical side, the franchise ends on a high note.
Highest 2 Lowest
Based on the film ‘High and Low’ from legendary Akira Kurosawa, Highest 2 Lowest sees Spike Lee and screenwriter Alan Fox bring the story to modern times. Starring frequent Lee collaborator Denzel Washington, he brings his dependable movie star charm to a film that is just off tonally, something that could be especially felt throughout its first act. Changing up some details from Kurosawa’s film, now set in the mean streets of New York City, the story is centered around music mogul David King (Washington) who became the target of an unusual ransom plot. Pushed to his breaking point both personally and professionally, King, known as having the ‘best ears in the business,’ struggled to hold it all together. However, failing to develop King beyond the so-called aura in his wake, it becomes difficult to invest in the depth of the character’s moral dilemmas he faced. The other characters in his circle essentially don’t matter to the proceedings as the level of urgency, for which the film addressed these issues and the slow pace it went about doing so, inspires very little excitement.
That being said, the film improves considerably one the story finds its footing as it decides to finally take action. With the walls slowly closing in, King was forced to make a life-or-death decision that would not only affect him, but the lives of those closest to him, moving forward. A decision with a bit more nuance than simply paying the ransom or not, a lot of moving pieces were behind the outcome, as King found himself at a crossroads. Getting up there in age, his passion for music remained. However, he faced plenty of setbacks as the music industry evolves, though this ransom case was something different. Put on a pedestal for his success and musical acumen, he was far from perfect, as everything became a perfect storm of sorts. Leaning on the back and forth dialog between King and the police, and the kidnapper in question, there is a disconnect on how it all fits together. Valuing his money, expecting to answer to the accidental kidnapping of the son of his best friend and chauffeur Paul Christopher (Jeffrey Wright), when his son was the intended target, this left King in a precarious position, but he was not going to give up without a fight. Ultimately, this ordeal proved to be a learning lesson as there is nothing like almost losing it all to get one to reassess things.
While Washington single-handedly carries the film, the script did not do it any favors. The dialog is stilted, the tone is all over the place, and the characters outside of David King are written so poorly. Suffering from bouts of melodrama, that lane gets the film absolutely nowhere. Manufacturing emotion as a means to compensate for a subpar script, the film’s score and soundtrack similarly try too hard to get there.
Shot with that same Spike Lee flare, the story and the cast are here, it’s just a shame that it couldn’t have been presented better.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
The second franchise ender of the month, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale marks the end of the Downton Abbey franchise, previously a television series that ran for 6 seasons between 2010 and 2015, and then two feature films, 2019’s ‘Downton Abbey’ and 2022’s ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era.’ Taking place in 1930s London, The Grand Finale is very much the grand finale as Lord and Lady Grantham (Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern) looked towards the future. However, that journey would not be without some adversity, none bigger than the divorce of Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery) from Henry Talbot. Something that was generally frowned upon during that time, the Crawleys were preparing for the inevitable backlash, as they faced financial issues of their own, though not by their own doing. From there, the focus was to rehabilitate Mary’s reputation and to a lesser extent, Downton Abbey. Though easier said than done, the efforts of Cora and Edith (Laura Carmichael) proved to be successful as Mary’s divorce became the inspiration of a new play.
Meanwhile, times were changing as the next generation started to take over at Downton Abbey, longtime staff made way for their younger counterparts tasked to take the estate into the future. Similarly, Robert and Cora pondered the same question. A destiny that seemed inevitable, it was now Mary’s time to take over Downton, as they set their sights on living out their lives outside the storied estate. Clearly positioning itself for that outcome, there otherwise is not that much there there. That being said, fans of the franchise will relish one more opportunity to spend time with these characters. Series creator Julian Fellowes once again returns to write the script, while the performances from its impressive cast are fine.
Not overly remarkable, there’s a comfort to it that keeps audiences coming back. It’s fine and that’s enough.
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
There are a few films to choose from in this post, but the most disappointing film of the year has to be A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. While it may be big, bold, and a journey, it is far from beautiful. Pairing Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie in anything, at least on paper, is a recipe for at least some success, but not even them could save this absolute mess. Known for making beautiful-looking films, writer-director Kogonada once again does so here but it merely makes for window dressing that fails to draw any attention whatsoever. If any film for that matter wants audiences to go on a journey with its characters, it should at least make an effort to develop them. Just plugging in Farrell and Robbie is not enough to make it work, and somehow, they have zero chemistry to make matters worse. Be it the subpar script or the direction, there was just something off about their dynamic. Grounding the characters in superficial cliches and contrivances, their respective journeys of self-discovery lack any real impact. Beyond the actors themselves, there film provides no reason to care about either of them. Additionally, an absolutely goofy premise does not help its cause.
Story wise, the film follows David (Farrell) and Sarah (Robbie), two strangers who happened to meet each other at a mutual friend’s wedding but perhaps their meeting was not exactly by chance. Soon after, the pair would find themselves embarking on a so-called big, bold, beautiful journey where they get to re-live important moments from their pasts highlighting how they got to where they are and how they could change their trajectories moving forward. Out of context, David and Sarah’s respective stops don’t offer much of anything on their own but together, they make for a silly mess that means very little, even less for how underdeveloped they are. There is nothing to latch onto, even if their journey does not amount to much. Other than its visuals, playing on the fantasy elements of the story, there is not much else to be had. Though Farrell and Robbie are okay here, their lack of chemistry creates such a disconnect that it is hard to ignore.
More a series of pieces than a cohesive whole, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is a big, bold, ugly misfire.
Him
For those who are still unaware, Him is not a Jordan Peele film, he is merely a producer. That being said, it is not a very good one either. Putting football and horror together was always going to be a tough sell but to its credit, the film got made. The question of whether or not critics or audiences have bought in appears to be clear at this point as the reception has been mixed. While there is football and there is horror, one of the ways this film fails is how it attempts to put the two together. Satisfied with a surface-level approach with every aspect, the film does no more than hint at its story and themes, without going any further. A strategy that will undoubtedly frustrate many, until they stop caring altogether, one question takes over and that is ‘What is the point?’ The story follows Cam (Tyriq Withers), a young and up-and-coming quarterback who is given the opportunity of a lifetime to train with star quarterback and his childhood idol, the charismatic Isaiah (Marlon Wayans), star of the dynastic San Antonio Saviours, for a week. However, that opportunity quickly descended into complete horror as it becomes clear that there are some darker forces at play. Coming from unfortunate circumstances, after Cam missed the last draft due to injury, he believed that this was his chance to prove himself.
All Cam wanted to do is play football and become the next GOAT. Thinking about retirement, Isaiah wanted to bring in Cam so they could train together and see if he had what it took but from the start, it was clear that something else was going on. It’s just a shame that the film was seemingly unsure of what that was, or even how to communicate it. Throwing plenty of vague exposition at the wall and hoping that something would stick, that choice was more hurtful than helpful, leaving no viable path forward. Split into six chapters, Cam’s week with Isaiah pushed him to his limits as the latter’s unusual training methods that, meant to be shocking, come from nowhere. What was an opportunity to peel back the layers of the aura that was Isaiah, his motivations or the reasoning for his actions remained unclear. Very quickly, all of that essentially doesn’t matter as it is merely a means to an end for a larger commentary about the relationship between White owners and Black athletes that falls on deaf ears.
Perhaps the biggest crime of Him is its inept script, one that thinks it’s deeper than it actually is. Primarily a show and not tell kind of film, the dialog is silly and the performances are incredibly stiff. Not giving Withers any chance to shine at all, Cam takes a backseat to his own story, while he is a relatively blank slate in the face of the many horrors that followed. Dull doesn’t even begin to describe his performance, contributing very little to a story that did not know how to use him. Meanwhile, Wayans is too old for Isaiah, but that is arguably the least unbelievable part of the film. Not scary in the slightest, audiences will simply be left waiting for something that never comes.
Ending in a gratuitously brutal fashion, the impact is nonexistent.
The History of Sound
Debuting at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, The History of Sound has just about everything going for it at least on paper, two of the best young actors working today in Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor and a captivating love story worthy of their talents. Based on the short story by Ben Shattuck, who adapts his work for the film, its biggest issue lies in that fact alone. Adapting a short story into a feature film is not necessarily a seamless endeavor. In this case, the pieces are here but the temptation to reach for more than what is there is a real one, as the consistency of the plot takes a hit once it veers into unchartered territory. At its best whenever Mescal and O’Connor are on screen, who deliver stellar performances themselves, the film fails to tap into that winning formula nearly enough. Taking place in 1917 New England, the film is centered around the relationship between Lionel (Mescal) and David (O’Connor), a pair of music students who bond over their love of folk music. Over time, that relationship evolved into something more. Separated by war, the men found themselves reunited once David recruited Lionel on a several month long project to collect folk songs through rural New England.
While the future of their relationship was still a question, they were compelling to watch in the moment as they travelled across the northeastern United States, from community to community. Hearing all the songs and feeling Lionel and David’s connection to the music, these scenes were so beautifully filmed that they put audiences right there with them. Going from stop to stop, it’s the smaller, contemplative moments of the two in nature, interacting with one another and the world around them while living in the moment and talking about music, were among the best of the film. The excellent chemistry between Mescal and O’Connor made it so difficult when it was clear that their time together would eventually come to an end. As their assignment was coming to a close, the two went their separate ways. From there, David’s absence can be felt as his immense charisma was gone. Two characters whose contrast was dictated by their circumstances, the more reserved Lionel was left to shoulder the drama as David’s absence created a large void in his life that he could never quite fill.
A beautiful story about music, heartbreak, and what could have been, it could have been so much more.
Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie
Contrary to popular belief, Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie is a film that exists. Based on the current animated DreamWorks animated series ‘Gabby’s Playhouse,’ the film is a live action and animation hybrid set in that world that sees the titular Gabby (Laila Lockhart Kraner) embark on a new adventure, this time to find her prized dollhouse after an unexpected turn of events led it into the hands of Vera (Kristen Wiig), an eccentric cat lady who considered the dollhouse yet another piece in her collection. A film made for a specific target audience, present company excluded, its appeal will ultimately lie with those audiences. When confident with one’s own IP, this isn’t necessarily a bad strategy but those who happen to find themselves outside of that circle (apart from the parents who regularly bring their children to theatres), will likely remain on the outside. Leaving very little in the way of an opening for older audiences, engagement will be a challenge but that’s the nature of films like these. Much in the vein of the animated series, the animation is fitting for television, aside from a boost of brightness from the big screen treatment. Meanwhile, the story itself is unremarkable, offering more of the same hijinks and more of the same lessons to learn, following more of the same shared adversity to lead its characters along to those lessons, teaching a new generation of audiences that they are never too old to play.
Take it as you will, but cutesy characters, overtly silly dialog, and grating songs are an acquired taste, especially here. Combined with a predictable story, which is to be expected, it is a watch that will entertain in the moment until being forgotten soon after the credits roll. Though the material will certainly not be for everyone, the performances do a solid job at keeping it afloat. Kraner as Gabby and Gloria Estefan as Grandma Gigi understood the assignment, however, an entertainingly campy Wiig as Vera was a delight, at least until the character had to be redeemed.
For whoever needs it, the film does the job. That being said, is it really needed?
still courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
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