Larry Oliver Film Reviews

  When I started a blog in 2015 writing about fifty-two films directed by women, I didn’t expect to be doing so eight years later. Much has changed. I am writing this on 29 October 2023, Day 108 of the actors’ strike in Hollywood, led, aptly enough, by a woman (Fran Drescher), over which on-screen talent seek better rewards, a new system for paying cast members of streaming shows, and better protection for actors’ work against artificially generated digital doubles. Film reviewer friends in the UK, no longer able to earn money interviewing big-name stars, are feeling the pinch. I’m also writing this less than twenty-four hours news broke that Friends star Matthew Perry was found dead in his bathtub, aged fifty-four. In the real world, specifically in Gaza and Ukraine, much worse things are happening. Yet, in the somewhat narrow realm of the entertainment industry, there are signs of improvement. This week, in UK cinemas, there are four new releases directed by women: 20,000 Speci...

Pictured (left to right): Eleven-year-old Abby ( Piper Rubio ) is protected by her brother Mike ( Josh Hutcherson ) and family friend Vanessa ( Elizabeth Lail ) in the horror sequel, 'F ive Nights at Freddy's 2 ', written by Scott Cawthon and directed by Emma Tammi . Still courtesy of Universal . The most financially successful film directed by a woman released in 2025 is Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 , grossing $222,430,104 worldwide as of 30 December 2025, $121,162,630 domestic (source: Box Office Mojo). Outside of the franchise’s fan base, the film is unlikely to figure on ‘Best of the Year’ lists or even to be remembered. You can tell an audience’s investment by the number of times they pop out for a bathroom break or a drink – perhaps both – which was plenty at the screening I attended. Written by Scott Cawthon and produced by Jason Blum, it can’t truly be said to be a film authored by a woman, but director Emma Tammi, who helmed the first film, released in 2023, has b...