2022
Movies I watched for the first time in 2022.
Potential spoilers in comments.
Favorites:
1. Arrival (2016)
2. Tár (2022)
3. Dune (2021)
4. The Batman (2022)
5. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)
Honorable Mentions:
Potential spoilers in comments.
Favorites:
1. Arrival (2016)
2. Tár (2022)
3. Dune (2021)
4. The Batman (2022)
5. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)
Honorable Mentions:
- The Farewell (2019)
- Barbarian (2022)
- Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
- Palm Springs (2020)
- A Prayer Before Dawn (2017)
- Ready or Not (2019)
- Nope (2022)
- One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005)
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- DirectorJon WattsStarsTom HollandZendayaBenedict CumberbatchWith Spider-Man's identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.Date Watched: 1/12
Score: 7/10- When compared to many other Marvel movies, I felt that the stakes were much higher and there were much more severe consequences for characters' actions.
- Nothing exceptional, but can be a lot of fun at times.
- There were some jokes that didn't land and tonal whiplash from somber, serious scenes to comedy and vice versa, but that's pretty typical of Marvel movies.
- DirectorMamoru HosodaStarsKaho NakamuraRyo NaritaShôta SometaniSuzu is a shy high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. But when she enters "U", a massive virtual world, she escapes into her online persona as Belle, a globally-beloved singer.Date Watched: 1/20
Score: 6/10- The train station scene was the most interesting scene in the movie both on a visual and character/plot level. It's pretty low-key, especially compared to the virtual world stuff, but it works really well and will probably be the thing that sticks w/ me most from this movie.
- Great visuals, pretty good music, some good characters, but like "Summer Wars", another Hosoda film, I didn't really care about the stuff in the virtual world that much, and that stuff takes up a lot of space in this movie.
- DirectorMatt Bettinelli-OlpinTyler GillettStarsNeve CampbellCourteney CoxDavid Arquette25 years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, Calif., a new killer dons the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town's deadly past.Date Watched: 1/25
Score: 6/10- Almost on par w/ 2, which is my second favorite movie of the franchise, and a little bit of a step up from 4.
- 1 is my favorite horror movie and one of my favorite movies in general. 2 is not nearly as good as 1, but it's still pretty good and I like all the Stab movie stuff, especially the opening scene. 3 was bad and I barely remember it. 4 was ok but not very memorable. The series was bad.
- The cast was ok. I liked the new and returning characters alright, but the new ones weren't very memorable.
- Not a genius movie or a masterpiece or anything, but definitely an enjoyable watch for fans of the first movie and of the franchise as a whole.
- DirectorChloé ZhaoStarsGemma ChanRichard MaddenAngelina JolieThe saga of the Eternals, a race of immortal beings who lived on Earth and shaped its history and civilizations.Date Watched: 1/29
Score: 6/10- Some cool ideas, which I assume came from the comics. I like the ancient people living among modern society thing. And Sersei's power is pretty neat.
- I wish they clearly marked the location and time period at the beginning of the scenes, not near the end of multiple minutes into the scene. I was especially confused by the transition to ancient Babylon because it went from them in modern day saying "we need to find the others" to them all together fighting monsters, so I just assumed they immediately found them until the fight ended and it said they were in Babylon.
- The climax and ending were pretty cool.
- Some of the characters were ok, but I didn't really care about any of them all that much. I particularly disliked Druig (even past the point we were meant to stop disliking him) and Sprite (her conflict was interesting, but I didn't like how she was acted).
- Despite some confusing scene transitions, I kinda liked the little globetrotting adventure we got in this movie. It all felt a bit too condensed, though. I think this may have worked better as a series. Then we would've had more time to learn about all of these characters and we could've spent more time in all the different locations around the world and in the flashbacks at different points in time and places in history.
- I liked this movie a bit more than I thought I would. It wasn't great, but I'm not sure why it's one of the lowest-rated Marvel movies when I feel it's pretty on par with a lot of the other middle of the road Marvel movies.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsTimothée ChalametRebecca FergusonZendayaA noble family becomes embroiled in a war for control over the galaxy's most valuable asset while its heir becomes troubled by visions of a dark future.Date Watched: 2/1
Score: 9/10- Great OST, well-acted, looks great, well-written political drama, a lot of cool sci-fi concepts and images. For example, the massive Duke Harkonnen floating over other people is quite ominous and spooky conceptually and they did a good job conveying that on the screen.
- Looked and sounded very cool in IMAX.
- DirectorRyôji FujiwaraYoshiyuki TominoEikichi KojikaStarsTôru FuruyaHirotaka SuzuokiShôzô ÎzukaA teenage boy must fight in an interplanetary war as the only available pilot to a revolutionary new giant battle robot.Date Watched: 2/14
Score: 7/10 - DirectorOsamu SekitaYoshikazu YasuhikoYoshiyuki TominoStarsTôru FuruyaShûichi IkedaHirotaka SuzuokiAfter managing to survive attacks by Zeon's Char Aznable and Garma Zabi, the crew of Federation warship White Base and its mobile suits battle Zeon forces (Ramba Ral, Ma Kube, Tri-Stars, Boone) through Asia, Europe, and the Atlantic Ocean if they are to reach Earth Federation's headquarters alive. During that process many of its crewmembers like Amuro Ray, Bright Noah, Kai Shinden, Sayla Mass, Mirai Yashima, Fraw Bow, and Hayato Kobayashi must overcome their fears, losses, immaturities, and insecurities in order to survive.Date Watched: 2/15
Score: 7.5/10 - DirectorMatt ReevesStarsRobert PattinsonZoë KravitzJeffrey WrightWhen a sadistic serial killer begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, The Batman is forced to investigate the city's hidden corruption and question his family's involvement.Date Watched: 3/8
Score: 8/10- Great performances all around. Pattinson, Kravitz, Farrell, and Turturro stood out especially. Pattinson's performance was very broody and reserved, but showed a lot of subdued emotion. Kravitz did a great job not just w/ line delivery, but also with body language, especially the way she walked. Farrell was completely unrecognizable. He brought some great energy and wit to the Penguin. Both Pattinson and Farrell had very convincing American accents. Turturro, despite not appearing very threatening, did a great job of giving off a very threatening and frightening aura w/o needing to raise his voice or make direct threats of violence.
- Other performances, like Wright, Serkis, and Skarsgaard, were very solid, but just didn't stand out as much in comparison to the very strong performances from the previously mentioned members of the cast.
- Dano's performance was a lil mixed, but mostly good. He seemed genuinely delusional. He sold that he thought his actions were justified and that he believed Batman was on the same side as him. His wild emotional outburst seemed believable for a severely mentally ill person, which is what this Riddler is. There were times later in the film when he felt a bit too silly though
- The only questionable performance was Keoghan as the Joker. The voice was ok, but some of the line delivery and especially the laugh felt strangely amateurish, like something I'd see from an edgy teen on youtube or tik tok or something. His performance was a lot better in the deleted scene though.
- I think this was well written. As is popular now, everything is very morally grey. A lot of politicians, police, etc. are portrayed as corrupt, greedy, and selfish, but there are some that show a genuine belief in what they say (Gordon and seemingly Real). The Riddler is obviously evil because of his extrajudicial killings, prolonged torture, and eventual terrorist acts leading to the deaths and displacement of countless civilians. Even if he is correct about the corruption issues in Gotham, his methods are far too radical. Gordon and Real offer a more traditional institutional means of ridding the city of corruption and solving the other issues in Gotham, while Batman's vigilantism shows that perhaps not all issues can be solved by conventional institutional means. By the end, Bruce realizes he can do more to change Gotham for the better both as himself and as Batman. Throughout much of the movie, he is acting out of self-interest trying to learn the truth behind his parents' murder. this leads him to make mistakes and unnecessarily endanger himself and others. His motivations were all wrong, but now he's begun to change his outlook.
- One thing that was a little strange to me was how quickly the Riddler moved from wanting to root out corruption to wanting to destroy the city and indiscriminately kill civilians.
- The sound design is pretty cool. I especially like Batman's slow echoing approaching steps through darkness. It is a very ominous sound.
- Great aesthetic. Gotham looked very cool and the costuming, set design, and lighting were great.
- A lot of my issues are pretty minor. There are just some little dumb things, like the scene in the diner ending w/ The Riddler being arrested and the camera swinging up to reveal a "?" in his coffee. Did he ask the waiter/waitress for that just for that shot? Just seemed dumb.
- DirectorSunghoo ParkStarsChinatsu AkasakiAya EndôKana HanazawaThe prequel to Jujutsu Kaisen (2020), where a high schooler gains control of an extremely powerful cursed spirit and gets enrolled in the Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School by Jujutsu Sorcerers.Date Watched: 3/23
Score: 7.5/10- Good adaptation of the manga.
- Some cool anime original fanservice fights in Kyoto featuring characters that appear later in the series.
- DirectorOsamu SekitaYoshikazu YasuhikoYoshiyuki TominoStarsTôru FuruyaShûichi IkedaHirotaka SuzuokiAmuro Ray and the rest of the White Base crew, now denominated the 13th Autonomous Corps, return to outer space to support the rest of the Earth Federation forces for the decisive battle against the Duchy of Zeon's forces.Date Watched: 4/1
Score: 7.5/10- I feel like the story and all of the characters are at their best in this final compilation film.
- One issue I have, and I've had this to a lesser extent w/ the previous movies, is that the music doesn't always seem to fit the scene. For example, this is super apparent in Char and Amuro's fight on the Texas colony in Side 6. The music is sorta lighthearted when crazy stuff is going on: nukes are going on, Lalah isn't in a suit and is in danger of being caught in the crossfire, Char and Amuro are having a fast paced battle where they seem evenly matched. Just feels strange.
- I don't think it's quite as bad as the second movie, but I do think there are times where too much is skipped. For example, we kinda go right into the assault on Solomon after Side 6 very suddenly w/ no real lead-in. Also, Slegger and Mirai's relationship wasn't developed much.
- After watching and enjoying these compilation films, I'll prolly go back and watch the original series in its entirety at some point, despite it's slow, repetitive start.
- DirectorJay OlivaEthan SpauldingStarsKevin ConroyNeal McDonoughHynden WalchBatman works desperately to find a bomb planted by the Joker while Amanda Waller hires her newly formed Suicide Squad to break into Arkham Asylum to recover vital information stolen by the Riddler.Date Watched: 4/8
Score: 5.5/10- Totally different tone than the arkham games. way more cartoony/silly.
- Strange music choices. a lot of dubstep.
- The story is ok, but noting super special
- Some of the voice acting isn't great.
- I wish the character and world design was more similar to the games.
- I like that some locations, like the iceberg lounge from Arkham City, look the same as they do in game.
- Doesn't really feel very connected to the arkham games much at all otherwise
- Despite its generally more cartoons tone, it's more adult than the games even in some ways.
- Way too short. Stuff just happens w/ very little buildup.
- The animation isn't great and even seems amateurish at times. For example, the "slow mo" shot at 33 minutes was meant to look cool, but it doesn't look like slow mo at all. Just looks silly.
- DirectorDaniel KwanDaniel ScheinertStarsMichelle YeohStephanie HsuJamie Lee CurtisA middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led.Date Watched: 4/11
Score: 7.5/10- Kinda meta. I don't usually like a lot of modern meta stuff, but this one is still pretty unique and interesting. Doesn't feel like it's retreading too much ground despite meta stuff being super oversaturated recently, and it doesn't feel annoyingly pretentious or just dumb/unfunny like a lot of modern meta stuff.
- Not totally in line w/ my sense of humor. A lot of stuff doesn't hit for me, but nothing really falls flat either, so it doesn't take away from the movie. There are still quite a few funny or amusing moments for me though.
- Great performances all around.
- A lot of well-choreographed, cool-looking action.
- the way it's edited together is very cool. seemingly disconnected scenes from different universes are cut together at key moments because they're all thematically connected and relevant to what's happening to the main universe Evelyn.
- Visually very interesting.
- Very positive, hopeful movie, but not naively so. Sorta hopeful nihilism.
- Strangest movie I've seen in a theater. Even if it didn't completely click w/ me, I still enjoyed it a lot and I'd like to see more stuff like this being made and seeing success.
- DirectorCody CalahanStarsEvan MarshAmber GoldfarbAri MillenJoel, a caustic 1980s film critic for a national horror magazine, finds himself unwittingly trapped in a self-help group for serial killers. With no other choice, Joel attempts to blend in or risk becoming the next victim.Date Watched: 4/17
Score: 5.5/10- mediocre meta horror comedy.
- Writing isn't great. The concept is kinda fun, but some of the the dialogue isn't the best.
- Meant to be a comedy, but I don't find a lot of it very funny. Still fairly entertaining and not painfully unfunny or anything.
- The performances feel a little inconsistent. They're usually ok, but there are times when they feel a little too goofy. I know the movie isn't meant to be taken seriously, but it still feels a lil too over the top.
- DirectorTom GormicanStarsNicolas CagePedro PascalTiffany HaddishMoviestar Nick Cage is channeling his iconic characters as he's caught between a superfan and a CIA agent.Date Watched: 4/22
Score: 5/10- Very meta. There's been a lot of meta media recently, and most of it is pretty boring and played out at this point. This isn't really an exception.
- Every joke "subverted expectations" in the most predictable way. Every single misunderstanding or other intended comedic moments just went with the most obvious lazy punchline Didn't find this movie very funny at all.
- Some of the acting felt very stilted, but not in a fun, enjoyable, campy kinda way.
- The plot was just kinda whatever. Things just kinda keep happening without much buildup. Just feels kinda disjointed, like the scenes don't flow together well.
- The dialogue is not great.
- It's not particularly interesting in any other way. The score and cinematography are bland. Not sure why people liked this movie.
- It wasn't horrible. It was just kinda whatever.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodBee VangChristopher CarleyAfter a Hmong teenager tries to steal his prized 1972 Gran Torino, a disgruntled, prejudiced Korean War veteran seeks to redeem both the boy and himself.Date Watched: 4/25
Score: 3/10- Horrible dialogue w/ even worse acting. Eastwood's actor direction must've been pretty bad because every actor gave a bad performance.
- Almost no redeeming qualities outside of being unintentionally funny at times due to how ridiculous and stupid it is. I just can't take any of it seriously.
- Walt's just a really horrible unlikable protag. He always resorts to violence and he's super racist and mean all the time, and that isn't really portrayed as a super bad thing most of the time. The audience is meant to laugh along w/ a lot of the casual racism.
- I guess it's supposed to portray the vicious cycle of violence, but there are way too many scenes showing Walt's violence as cool vigilante justice for this message to come through. Just feels like a really cringe ancap/libertarian wetdream a lot of the time.
- All that is just to say it's messaging is super muddled and confused. I think it's trying to deliver an anti-racist message, but it seems to be coming from a place of ignorance on behalf the the creators (and according to recent interviews w/ the guy who played Thao, it seems like that's prolly true).
- DirectorTony KayeStarsEdward NortonEdward FurlongBeverly D'AngeloLiving a life marked by violence, neo-Nazi Derek finally goes to prison after killing two black youths. Upon his release, Derek vows to change; he hopes to prevent his brother, Danny, who idolizes Derek, from following in his footsteps.Date Watched: 4/26
Score: 7/10- pretty well acted for much of the film.
- score feels a little too manipulative at times.
- dialogue feels a little too preachy at times and some stuff feels a little too on the nose.
- Sometimes feels like it's trying too hard to be artsy.
- Pretty good story and characters tho. Feels pretty real.
- Shot well too.
- DirectorTakayuki HiraoStarsHiroya ShimizuKonomi KoharaAi KakumaA famous movie producer gives her young production assistant a chance to direct his first film.Date Watched: 4/27
Score: 6.5/10- fun shonen-ification of filmmaking. Does a good job of portraying real-world filmmaking in animation, albeit a bit simplified.
- Some things said (mainly by Pompo & Gene), like directing being subjective and editing being objective, I disagree with.
- Pompo is a fun interesting character, and Gene is a pretty good protag.
- I would like to see something like this in a longer form series format. I do like that the movie was 90 minutes, just like the movie w/in the movie. It embodied the brevity in filmmaking it advocated for. I'd just like something about filmmaking that could follow a large section of someone's career and go more in-depth on the filmmaking process, kinda like Bakuman does for manga.
- The message is somehow overly pessimistic and optimistic in some ways. I don't agree that happy people can't make good art, but I do agree that happy people are probably less likely to make good or believable art about struggle (unless they really struggled in the past maybe). And I think the "following your dream message" while nice and all, is overdone and overly simplistic and sort of silly and naive.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanEthan HawkeAlbert FinneyWhen two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelry store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father and one brother's wife barreling towards a shattering climax.Date Watched: 5/1
Score: 6.5/10- the ost sounds alright, but it feels like it's just repeating the same song over and over and it's kinda distracting.
- The non-linearity seems a lil shoehorned at times, but the labeling means it's never really confusing. Otherwise, the story was alright.
- pretty good acting all around.
- Just didn't really feel like anything special to me.
- DirectorRobert EggersStarsAlexander SkarsgårdNicole KidmanClaes BangA young Viking prince is on a quest to avenge his father's murder.Date Watched: 5/3
Score: 7.5/10- Set, prop, hair, makeup, and costume design are very good
- The lighting is great. A lot of things lit by firelight
- Well acted all around
- Cool fight choreography
- For much of the movie, the story is simple, but it facilitates all of the other good elements of the movie well.
- I'm not sure what to make of the supernatural elements. Some of them seem to be real (prophesying/visions, dogs going crazy, sword only unsheathed for worthy, crows helping Amleth escape), but the more overt stuff (fighting the draugr, Amleth's encounters w/ seemingly divine beings) seem to not be real, or for many of them are at least only seen by Amleth alone.
- I honestly don't know why the draugr fight was even shown. It was cool, but idk the purpose.
- I just don't know the rules of this world. What can and what cannot be done? What is and isn't real?
- The twist that Amleth's vengeance, what he devoted his whole life to, may have been misguided is interesting, but idk if it totally works. Was Amleth's perception incorrect? Fjolnir did try to kill him as a child. And his mother was obviously struggling as she was being carried away. Are we not supposed to trust what we saw on the screen earlier? Was Amleth's mother just power-hungry and willing to suck up to whoever was in power, even her own son if he took over?
- Seems to portray Norse culture and vikings accurately. It portrays their brutality well. The twist that Amleth's mom was a slave taken by his father would fit w/ reality.
- Feels a bit overly long. The twists in the plot are kinda cool, but they prolonged the plot past where I think it should've ended. I think these issues are w/ the script, not just the cut. Many things in the script could've been reworked to shorten this down and I don't think anything would be lost.
- The final set-piece is pretty cool. I like the lighting an fight choreography here a lot.
- I think the romance subplot maybe could've worked, but it didn't quite connect. If Amleth really anguished over what his mom said and whether his whole life had been wasted trying to avenge someone not worth avenging and save someone who doesn't want or need to be saved, his relationship w/ Olga could've factored into that and seemed a bit more important.
- Amleth ultimately choosing to give up the good life he could have with Olga to complete his lifelong quest of vengeance seemed like a foregone conclusion. What his mom said didn't really seem to shake him all that much outside of the scene where she revealed it, and Amleth and Olga's relationship isn't properly developed, so of course he's gonna complete his quest of vengeance.
- Amleth's need to adhere to fate and eventual death don't really feel tragic even though I think they should. He wasted his life and a potential future as a father, but it just feels like all that stuff w/ his mom and Olga was a minor distraction and waste of time, not a real option for him. That potential future was never really built up as something that was a great loss for him because the relationship is so paper-thin. I guess you could say it's tragic that the audience knows he is fated to get his vengeance or die trying (or both), and it's tragic that his mother's revelation, his relationship w/ Olga, and the discovery that he'll soon be a father don't sway him at all away from his path of vengeance, but meh. That's not very compelling storytelling to me, and if they wanted to go with that angle, then they would need to develop those things that he ends up losing more so viewers can feel the loss.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsKeir DulleaGary LockwoodWilliam SylvesterAfter uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.Date Watched: 5/4
Score: 6/10- Looks amazing for the time.
- Great music choices
- Kubrick & Clarke's vision of the future of space travel and AI tech is very cool and even correctly predicted (or influenced) some modern tech.
- There's something sort of interesting about how slow it is, but I think I'd enjoy it more if it was cut way down. It'd sacrifice some of the atmosphere, but I think I'd find it a lot more enjoyable.
- I really don't like the Jupiter stuff. There is an extended sequence where nothing interesting is happens plot, character development, sound, or visual wise. It's just samey psychedelic visuals for way too long.
- Innovative and even still quite visually interesting sometimes, but as someone who primarily watches movies for plot and characters, I didn't love it and I'm not super interested in watching it again.
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsJackie Earle HaleyPatrick WilsonCarla GuginoIn a version of 1985 where superheroes exist, the murder of a colleague sends active vigilante Rorschach on the trail of a conspiracy that will change the course of history.Date Watched: 5/8
Score: 7.5/10- Ultimate Cut
- I don't really get how the animated sections relate to the rest of the movie. They were fine on their own, but I don't think they belong in the movie.
- I like the characters, and I think Rorschach works well as the narrator. The plot is fairly good too, but the characters definitely carry this story. I think this did the morally gray vigilante anti-hero narrative better (and first) than The Boys (though I still like the boys).
- pretty good music choices. They help solidify the already well done world building.
- DirectorJemaine ClementTaika WaititiStarsJemaine ClementTaika WaititiCori Gonzalez-MacuerViago, Deacon, and Vladislav are vampires who are struggling with the mundane aspects of modern life, like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.Date Watched: 5/14
Score: 7/10- A few laugh-out-loud moments. Mostly just fun and entertaining.
- DirectorJean-Stéphane SauvaireStarsJoe ColeVithaya PansringarmCherry MikoThe true story of an English boxer incarcerated in one of Thailand's most notorious prisons as he fights in Muay Thai tournaments to earn his freedom.Date Watched: 5/16
Score: 7.5/10- Brutal, but feels very real. The intentional lack of soundtrack adds to the realism.
- I like that there are no subs for most of the Thai dialogue, so we're as lost and confused as Billy is. He understands a bit, and that stuff is subtitled, but the rest is left unsubtitled. Someone who understands Thai would have a very different experience w/ this movie.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsBenedict CumberbatchElizabeth OlsenChiwetel EjioforDoctor Strange teams up with a mysterious teenage girl who can travel across multiverses, to battle other-universe versions of himself which threaten to wipe out the multiverse. They seek help from the Scarlet Witch, Wong and others.Date Watched: 5/17
Score: 6.5/10- Big kinda boring exposition dump early on
- Dialogue feels a little off
- A lot of early stuff feels like it went by too quickly. I know scarlet witch was built up in Wandavision, but her villain reveal in this movie just felt super sudden. Coulda worked better if she pretended to work w/ Strange at first and was found out a little later in the movie rather than just accidentally revealing herself almost immediately when Strange wasn't suspicious of her at all (he literally told her where America was).
- The scene where they fly through the multiverses was really cool.
- Strange saw all the possible outcomes in Infinity War and said there was only one where they win, and that was the one that happened in Endgame, but in this movie, a Strange in one universe defeated Thanos a different way. How can both of these be true? When strange looks at every outcome, what is he looking at? Seemingly not multiverses, or else he would've seen this. Did he only see potential outcomes w/in his own universe or any identical universe that would have diverged at that point? Did the Illuminati universe diverge at an earlier point so it wasn't one of the potential outcomes? I guess that makes sense, but none of this was addressed and I'm really just guessing.
- The OST tracks w/ the rock guitars are pretty cool, but also pretty sparse. If they were present more throughout the movie it would've given the OST a lot more personality and set it further apart from other Marvel movies.
- Many of the deaths are pretty cool (Illuminati fight for example), but the fights themselves aren't terribly interesting. The musical fight between the two Stranges was an exception, as the whole fight was pretty interesting.
- Some things were edited in a strange kinda jarring way. That was definitely intentional in the reality-warping scenes, but there were times when it was obviously not intentional and just kinda off-putting.
- Some very cool visuals and scenes, but the story feels messy, the dialogue a little strange, and some of the performances worse than previous performances by the same actors in the same roles (especially Wanda). Wanda was really good in some scenes, especially near the end, though.
- Some of the character writing in this movie felt weird and a little off. For example, Wong being excited to see a zombified demon covered Strange felt weird. I feel like he should be more worried or scornful.
- I like America Chavez alright. Her character's abilities are pretty cool, but I think it's weird how quickly she goes from having no control of her abilities to having full control. Was not gradual at all. Still, her character seems pretty fun. Looking forward to seeing what they do w/ her in future MCU stuff.
- I really hope Wanda isn't actually dead. I wouldn't mind her character dying at some point or her sacrificing herself, but after just coming off of Wandavision she is one of the best most developed MCU characters. Throwing that character away now feels like a waste, and her "death" scene wasn't that great or emotionally impactful. Her decision to give up on the life w/ her kids was a good scene, but the death itself, not so much. The scene was so underwhelming that I have to believe she's not actually dead.
- This is a mixed bag. It was fairly entertaining throughout, but it felt really messy, especially everything involving Wanda. I think the script needed a lot more work, but this could still be enjoyed if you're an MCU fan and you don't think about the plot too much past a surface level.
- DirectorJames WongStarsDevon SawaAli LarterKerr SmithAfter getting a premonition about a plane crash on his school trip, Alex, a student saves a few of his classmates. However, their situation gets complicated when death starts chasing them.Date Watched: 5/18
Score: 6.5/10- A lot more interesting and entertaining than I expected it to be.
- The deaths are pretty wacky and pretty funny at times. I like how they get more elaborate as they go, almost like a Rube Goldberg machine.
- I like the whole cheating death and them dying in the same order they should have on the plane thing.
- There's some genuinely interesting stuff and some sort of wacky stuff that can be enjoyed ironically. Some of the comedic stuff is definitely intentional too. Makes the whole thing pretty entertaining.
- DirectorMalcolm D. LeeStarsEddie GriffinDenise RichardsAunjanue Ellis-TaylorWhen "The Man" tries to derail a black candidate's presidential campaign, Undercover Brother and his fellow secret agents come to the rescue.Date Watched: 5/19
Score: 6/10- Very dumb but kinda funny.
- DirectorBetty ThomasStarsJesse MetcalfeAshantiArielle KebbelThree ex-girlfriends of a serial cheater set up their former lover to fall for the new girl in town so they can watch him get his heart broken.Date Watched: 5/19
Score: 3.5/10- A few mildly amusing moments, but mostly just meh.
- The ending felt really dumb
- DirectorLeigh WhannellStarsElisabeth MossOliver Jackson-CohenHarriet DyerWhen Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.Date Watched: 5/20
Score: 7/10- Good at building and maintaining suspense. The ost, though not super unique, is pretty effective in aiding w/ the suspense building too.
- The scene in the house where C is attacked by the invisible man for the first time feels a little silly. There's this dramatic music, but onscreen you just see her kicking and pushing at nothing.
- I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. I don't really know why James decides to believe C when he obviously did not in the previous scene. Adrian didn't incriminate himself at all in that convo. Nothing he said or did should have changed James' mind.
- I'm honestly not sure if C was right in the end. Was Adrian really the one terrorizing her in the beginning? There's def not enough proof to say yes or no definitively. I'm not really sure if C was supposed to be seen as totally justified in killing Adrian or not. I feel she isn't, and I think the movie is saying she might not have been too, but again idk.
- Regardless, it was a pretty unique setup, and it was well executed. Not like many other recent horror movies I've seen.
- DirectorLulu WangStarsShuzhen ZhaoAwkwafinaX MayoA Chinese family discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies.Date Watched: 5/21
Score: 7.5/10- I found Awkwafina pretty annoying in Crazy Rich Asians and Shang Chi, but she was actually very good in this movie. The whole cast did a great job.
- The ost is very good and helps set the tone in many scenes, but not in a way that feels emotionally manipulative.
- The revelation that Nai Nai is still alive at the end felt like it undercut the whole story a bit, but she really is still alive and it's based on a true story, so I guess there was no getting around that. It doesn't really affect my enjoyment of the movie much though, just felt a little weird.
- DirectorMatt Bettinelli-OlpinTyler GillettStarsSamara WeavingAdam BrodyMark O'BrienA bride's wedding night takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new in-laws force her to take part in a terrifying game.Date Watched: 5/21
Score: 7.5/10- Very fun, but also brutal at times, horror comedy. Not laugh out loud, but very entertaining the whole way through.
- The whole cast is pretty good. Samara Weaving did a particularly good job in the lead role.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsAmy AdamsJeremy RennerForest WhitakerA linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.Date Watched: 5/22
Score: 9/10- I like the linguistic approach to a first contact movie. A lot of interesting considerations are made about how we might attempt to communicate with intelligent alien lifeforms.
- The non-linear storytelling here is very purposeful, which I've found is rare for non-linear stories. A lot of non-linear narratives seem to only be that way for a more surface-level reason, like to give a reveal of an event that happened in the past more weight. This isn't a bad thing, but this story just uses the non-linearity in a more interesting way that ties in with the narrative and themes very well. I feel like this story needs to be told non-linearly.
- It's definitely far from the types of non-linear stories that only seem to be non-linear for aesthetic reasons; to make the narrative seem more interesting than it really is.
- A very well-crafted story, adapted well for the screen, well-acted, and well-directed. All around very good.
- DirectorAlex GarlandStarsJessie BuckleyRory KinnearPaapa EssieduA young woman goes on a solo vacation to the English countryside following the death of her ex-husband.Date Watched: 5/27
Score: 6/10- Well-written and well-acted dialogue.
- The tunnel echo scene is great. very good transition into tense/unsettling too.
- I noticed the second the boy lifted the mask that he and the vicar had the same face as Geoffrey. I wonder why Harper didn't notice. I think it took me until the naked guy started limping to realize their injuries mirrored James'.
- The body horror stuff at the end was quite strange. I don't know if I'd say I liked it, but I guess it was interesting.
- The use of the song Harper made w/ the echoes in the tunnel throughout the movie was pretty cool.
- I'm not really sure what to make of this movie. I liked the first half or so quite a bit, but after a while, I don't know what was real and what wasn't. Did Harper imagine all this and go insane and murder an innocent man (Geoffery). Did all of that stuff really happen? Was there some demon or something that was haunting her? I know these probably aren't really the "right" questions to be asking and you aren't really supposed to totally understand/it's all meant to be an extended metaphor or something, but I just don't like that style of storytelling much. I like concrete stories. I like to, for the most part, know what has really happened by the end of a story. Even if a story is an extended metaphor, I like when the story can stand alone as an interesting, well-written story on its own even if you strip the metaphorical stuff away from it. This story has a lot of good dialogue, good acting, it's shot well, Harper is a fairly well-written character, and it has some cool music, but that's all that's left if you strip away the metaphors and symbols and whatnot. That's a lot of good stuff, which is why I still think the movie is kinda interesting, but there's not really an interesting story here imo, and it's hard for me to really enjoy a movie w/o a plot I enjoy.
- DirectorTony ScottStarsTom CruiseTim RobbinsKelly McGillisAs students at the United States Navy's elite fighter weapons school compete to be best in the class, one daring young pilot learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.Date Watched: 5/28
Score: 6.5/10- A few good action scenes, especially near the end.
- The dialogue isn't great a lot of the time IMO.
- a lil cheesy, but fairly enjoyable.
- DirectorAmy PoehlerStarsLucie ArnazBette MidlerCarol BurnettThis film will explore the rise of comedian icon Lucille Ball, her relationship with Desi Arnaz, and how their groundbreaking sitcom I Love Lucy forever changed Hollywood, cementing her legacy long after her death in 1989.Date Watched: 6/5
Score: 7/10- didn't realize how many famous shows their production company made (Star Trek, Mission Impossible, etc).
- Informative and presented in an interesting way.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsFred MacMurrayBarbara StanwyckEdward G. RobinsonA Los Angeles insurance representative lets an alluring housewife seduce him into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, an insurance investigator.Date Watched: 6/5
Score: 6/10- I don't really like this style of quick, snarky, quippy dialogue. I find it a lot in movies from this era (mostly 40s stuff) and it almost always feels super weird and fake.
- The story itself is fairly well written and some of the dialogue, mostly from Keyes, is well written and delivered.
- Not very interesting audio visually much of the time. As with a lot of Noir stuff, there is some cool use of lighting, but nothing super interesting.
- DirectorJoseph KosinskiStarsTom CruiseJennifer ConnellyMiles TellerAfter thirty years, Maverick is still pushing the envelope as a top naval aviator, but must confront ghosts of his past when he leads TOP GUN's elite graduates on a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it.Date Watched: 6/7
Score: 6.5/10- I liked the on-the-ground scenes from the original movie more. The romance subplot in this one seems totally unnecessary. I would've preferred more time @ flight school and no romance subplot, or a more brief subplot w/ Charlie from the first movie (either as Mav's wife or as them reconnecting after not seeing each other for a long time).
- The jet scenes, specifically the opening scene and the mission at the end, were pretty great. Way better than anything in the first movie.
- DirectorKazuhisa TakenouchiStarsTakeshi AonoHiroaki HirataMasami HisamotoThe Straw Hat Pirates learn about the Shichiseiken on Asuka Island. Zoro disappears and the marines attack the island. Luffy and his gang fight off the marines when they find happen to find Zoro in enemy lines.Date Watched: 6/9
Score: 4.5/10- Mostly pretty boring.
- Artstyle is ok for most of the original stuff. Animation is alright. Nothing spectacular.
- The story and new characters aren't very interesting. The best bits are Luffy and Usopp running through the tunnels imo.
- DirectorMamoru HosodaStarsTakeshi AonoShô AyanokôjiKôhei FukuharaThe Straw Hat Pirates received an advertisement on a recreational island. The offers all looked promising, so they sailed to the island for an opportunity to kick back and relax from their journey across the Grand Line. The site of the resort looks like a dream come true. Only our heroes find themselves greeted by the head of the island: Baron Omatsuri. He asks all 7 of them to compete in a series of contests for their granted relaxation. Luffy accepts the challenge, and they all find this island to be not so average. There is however a mystery shrouded on the recreational paradise. Such as why are the Straw Hat Pirates the only tourists around? And why is Baron hold the only flower of the island?Date Watched: 6/9
Score: 7.5/10- Even from the opening scene and title credits alone it's clear that mote thought has gone into the direction of this than most other shonen anime films.
- Despite being a One Piece film first and foremost, it really does feel like a Hosoda movie in how it's directed.
- Overall very visually interesting and diverse. A lotta different areas of the island have their own distinct style.
- Very good story for a One Piece movie.
- DirectorTi WestStarsMia GothJenna OrtegaBrittany SnowIn 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the crew find themselves fighting for their lives.Date Watched: 6/22
Score: 6/10- Nothing super special or unique, but pretty entertaining for the first 30 minutes or so.
- Starts to get kinda weird when the old woman is introduced. Not sure what to make of it really. Idk if I liked it or not. I wasn't totally sure why she was killing people. I get it had something to do with sexual frustration I guess, but it wasn't super clear.
- It was kinda weird that everyone woke up one after another. And the deaths weren't anything super special.
- All of the characters were very dumb, just like the horror movie stereotype.
- I just don’t feel very strongly about this movie one way or the other.
- DirectorMasaaki YuasaStarsAvu-chanMirai MoriyamaTasuku EmotoA cursed dancer and a musician stun society with electrifying concerts in this animated rock opera.Date Watched: 8/12
Score: 6/10- Unique art and animation style. Very colorful. The visuals are definitely the best thing about the movie.
- I liked the setting, but I felt like we were stuck in one place w/o much action going on for much of the movie.
- Cool traditional Japanese music mixed with some more modern stuff. The one rock song Tomona plays is pretty repetitive and gets old pretty quick. Wish he played a different song each time or the scenes w/ him singing this song weren't so long.
- I knew almost nothing going into this, so I was surprised that this was a musical. I don't usually love musical storytelling, and this isn't an exception. On top of that, this movie's story is even pretty unconventional for a musical.
- The voice acting was pretty good. Avu-chan (of Queen Bee) did a great job as Inu-oh.
- Overall, this movie was kinda cool, but I found myself getting bored at times, especially during the more extended musical sequences.
- DirectorJordan PeeleStarsDaniel KaluuyaKeke PalmerBrandon PereaThe residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.Date Watched: 8/15
Score: 7.5/10- On par with Get Out for me.
- Some of the dialogue, especially Holst (the cinematographer) was kinda corny, but overall it wasn't bad.
- The cast was all around pretty solid.
- The characters were all good.
- The slow drip mystery was pretty cool. It wasn't afraid to show stuff the monster, but it was very quick and unclear what it was in the first half. It did a pretty good job of building up suspense in scenes leading up to the monster's arrival.
- The monster design for the alien was pretty cool, especially after it unfurled near the end. I like occasionally seeing alien designs that don't look humanoid at all.
- The ending felt a little sudden. I expected some falling action, but it didn't really need it. Just a lil thing that felt kinda weird to me.
- DirectorAtsuko IshizukaStarsNatsuki HanaeYûki KajiAyumu MuraseDuring an unusual summer vacation in Iceland, the Don Glees boys discover a treasure.Date Watched: 9/20
Score: 5/10- Some visually stunning backgrounds and landscapes, especially in Iceland.
- The story, especially the timeline, is kinda confusing at first.
- None of the characters or their relationships w/ each other are developed well initially, and neither is the main conflict. It feels like we were just dropped into a slice of like series halfway into its run.
- The story felt very unbelievable. It all felt pretty grounded in the real world for the most part, but then these high schoolers just decide they can up and leave to Iceland, hike through this foreign country w/o any guides, and they end up finding the treasure w/ a super broad map. Also, how did drop just move from Iceland to Japan and how did he find the Don Glees boys? And the boys just happened to call this random phone booth in the middle of nowhere in iceland right when Drop was there? There were just way too many plot conveniences for a story that I thought was pretty grounded for the majority of the movie.
- I felt like I was waiting for something to happen or for the movie to start the whole time. It felt like a very incomplete experience.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsEllen BurstynMax von SydowLinda BlairWhen a young girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.Date Watched: 10/10
Score: 7/10- Not that scary and very slow to get started, but I wouldn't say it's ever boring. The only thing I'd call super "scary" to me personally is anything with needles, which there's quite a bit of in the first part of the film.
- Well written and acted.
- Wasn't paying attention for the whole movie, so I missed some bits. Will prolly rewatch at some point.
- DirectorBrian TaylorStarsNicolas CageSelma BlairAnne WintersA teenage girl and her younger brother must survive a wild 24 hours during which a mass hysteria of unknown origin causes parents to turn violently on their own kids.Date Watched: 10/10
Score: 6/10- super ridiculous but kinda funny cuz of how crazy it is.
- the ost makes me feel like I'm insane. The music doesn't fit in some scenes to such an extent that I thought I had music playing in another tab.
- super anticlimactic ending.
- DirectorJoseph WinterVanessa WinterStarsJoseph WinterMelanie StoneJason K. WixomA disgraced internet personality attempts to win back his followers by livestreaming one night alone in a haunted house. But when he accidentally pisses off a vengeful spirit, his big comeback event becomes a real-time fight for his life.Date Watched: 10/18
Score: 6.5/10- fairly entertaining. never bored.
- kinda funny sometimes, but not super hilarious to me. the chat stuff was some of the best stuff in the movie.
- genuinely kinda ok found footage-esque horror.
- DirectorDarius MarderStarsRiz AhmedOlivia CookePaul RaciA heavy metal drummer's life is turned upside down when he begins to lose his hearing and he must confront a future filled with silence.Date Watched: 10/18
Score: 7/10- well acted.
- pretty well written. seems pretty true to life.
- overall pretty well done, but nothing super interesting to me.
- DirectorKim HenkelStarsRenée ZellwegerMatthew McConaugheyRobert JacksA group of teenagers get into a car crash in the Texas woods on prom night, and then wander into an old farmhouse that is home to Leatherface (Robert Jacks) and his insane family of cannibalistic psychopaths.Date Watched: 10/19
Score: 1.5/10- baffling horrible audio mixing and acting.
- switches from super grainy shit quality to ok quality randomly. Not sure if that's just how the movie is or if it was not preserved well.
- Just kinda incoherent. I don't really know what happened.
- DirectorMcGStarsJudah LewisSamara WeavingJenna OrtegaTwo years after Cole survived a satanic blood cult, he's living another nightmare: high school. And the demons from his past? Still making his life hell.Date Watched: 10/22
Score: 3/10- the writing feels like its trying too hard to be funny or memeable or something sometimes. There are a few genuinely funny moments but just as many, if not more, pretty cringeworthy moments.
- the acting isn't very good, but it's hard to work w/ this script I imagine.
- the editing is really strange sometimes. Stuff is just stuck in and feels like it doesn't fit sometimes.
- All of the flashback cutaway scenes felt really weirdly shoehorned in and kinda pointless. If they were meant to be funny, they failed at that. If they were meant to give more insight into these characters, they also failed at that, and idk why they'd even want to characterize these two-dimensional characters further right before they kill them.
- Kinda disappointing because I thought the first movie was alright. Nothing great, but from memory, it was a lot less cringe and more enjoyable than this.
- DirectorDamien LeoneStarsJenna KanellSamantha ScaffidiDavid Howard ThorntonOn Halloween night, Tara Heyes finds herself as the obsession of a sadistic murderer known as Art the Clown.Date Watched: 10/31
Score: 3/10- I don't get the "twist" ending. It just seemed totally dumb and meaningless. The victim was the one who attacked the interviewer at the beginning. Okay? Why? ?????????
- the writing and acting aren't good, but they're not horrible. Art's actor is pretty good tho, as is his costume.
- pretty uninspired, but the fx are pretty good, especially for a low-budget movie.
- Kinda memey. Fun to watch with others.
- DirectorDamien LeoneStarsLauren LaVeraDavid Howard ThorntonElliott FullamAfter being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to the timid town of Miles County where he targets a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween night.Date Watched: 10/31
Score: 5/10- Even grosser than the first. Doesn't really add much for me and just feels kinda cringe sometimes.
- Music is better than the first. The vaporwave song in the opening credits (The Equalizer by The Midnight) is especially good.
- Dialogue is just as bad as the first. So is the acting for the most part.
- The events of the movie first part of the movie and the way Art behaves makes this feel like a ripoff of the first half of It w/ a little bit of the Nightmare on Elm Street series.
- It's a lot more visually interesting than the first movie. Still not amazing or anything, but better.
- Fairly fun watch, but way too bloated. Cut down 20+ minutes and I think it'd be a lot better.
- DirectorZach CreggerStarsGeorgina CampbellBill SkarsgårdJustin LongA woman staying at an Airbnb discovers that the house she has rented is not what it seems.Date Watched: 11/1
Score: 7.5/10- well-acted and well-written, especially the dialogue.
- the end was strange. I didn't hate it, but I didn't exactly love it.
- the majority of the movie was really good though.
- great at building and holding suspense. not just a bunch of lame jumpscares or fake jumpscares.
- the story structure was very interesting.
- pretty funny a lot of the time too.
- DirectorTodd FieldStarsCate BlanchettNoémie MerlantNina HossSet in the international world of Western classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár, widely considered one of the greatest living composer-conductors and the very first female director of a major German orchestra.Date Watched: 11/1
Score: 9/10- It's cool that they wanted to credit everyone upfront, but man, those credits last forever w/ nothing visually interesting going on. Just singing.
- 2024 NOTE: after a bit of reflection I realized that this was not only done to credit people up front, but to set a tone. This was a way for the movie to start very chill, relaxed, and with an incredibly slow-pace. Sure, the credits are pretty long kinda boring, but I think it's worth setting the tone and pacing.
- Feels very real and contemporary, but not in a cringy shoehorned type of way. Just feels natural. For example, the pandemic and Kavanagh are mentioned early on. This stuff dates the movie, but some media being very much of its time is actually a good thing. Not everything should be timeless.
- Very well shot. On a technical level, everything is pretty great.
- It's a little bit hard to follow at times. Things are never really spelled out to the audience, I assume in an attempt to avoid unnatural-sounding expository dialogue. If you just pay attention and keep watching, everything should be understood in time, though.
- Did a great job of setting up a house of cards slowly throughout the first 2+ hours. Feels more and more tense as the film goes on. Then you watch it all fall down in the last 20-30 min. Some may not like how slow the start is, but it's totally worth sticking with it.
- I don’t know much about music, what it’s like to be a part of a prestigious orchestra, or what the life of a celebrity conductor is like, but this seems very well-researched to me.
- DirectorTia LessinEmma PildesStarsAbbyJudith ArcanaHeather BoothPolice arrested seven women who were part of a clandestine network. Using code names, blindfolds and safe houses, they built an underground service for women seeking safe, affordable, illegal abortions calling themselves JANE.Date Watched: 11/3
Score: 6.5/10- fairly interesting and informative.
- competently made, but nothing about it is really spectacular.
- DirectorLisa HurwitzStarsMel BrooksJohn W. RomasCarl ReinerDocumentary centers on the vending machine popularized in the 20th century that offered fresh cooked meals in a commissary-style eatery.Date Watched: 11/3
Score: 7/10- feels very informal and comedic.
- pretty enjoyable watch.
- I'd seen automats in media before I think, but I'd never known their name or really thought about them much. Pretty interesting.
- DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsDwayne JohnsonAldis HodgePierce BrosnanNearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods--and imprisoned just as quickly--Black Adam is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.Date Watched: 11/16
Score: 5/10- The writing is really weird a lot of the time. Feels very dumb and edgy a lot of the time.
- A few intentionally funny moments and a lot of unintentionally funny moments.
- The pacing is really strange. Everything seems to happen really quick.
- The soundtrack is very strange and feels kinda out of place and very on the nose a lot of the time.
- A lot of the action scenes are pretty cool. The costume designs and abilities, especially for Cyclone and Dr. Fate, look pretty cool. Way too much slo-mo though
- The story structure is really weird. I think this would be better as a like 3-4 episode mini-series.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonMarton CsokasChloë Grace MoretzA man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him cannot stand idly by when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters.Date Watched: 11/19
Score: 6/10- Fairly entertaining watch, especially w/ other people.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonPedro PascalAshton SandersRobert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed, but how far will he go when that is someone he loves?Date Watched: 11/19
Score: 5.5/10- About as good as the first. Ending was a little weird.
- Wasn't paying 100% attention to it the whole time.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsChanning TatumAdam DriverDaniel CraigTwo brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina.Date Watched: 11/20
Score: 7/10- Fun movie. Pretty well-written plot. Pretty funny.
- The structure of the story is a bit confusing. You'll eventually understand everything, so just expect to be a bit confused.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsDaniel CraigChristoph WaltzLéa SeydouxA cryptic message from James Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover the existence of a sinister organisation named SPECTRE. With a new threat dawning, Bond learns the terrible truth about the author of all his pain in his most recent missions.Date Watched: 11/28
Score: 5.5/10- Opening scene was pretty wacky, but fairly fun.
- The romance stuff is even more cheesy/cringe than it usually is in bond.
- Not interesting enough to justify its length.
- Not as bad as I was expecting though.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsSean ConneryGert FröbeHonor BlackmanWhile investigating a gold magnate's smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve.Date Watched: 11/28
Score: 6/10- Pretty misogynistic.
- Much less action-focused than newer bond films. Not as many of the huge action set pieces. A lot of the action in it is pretty silly. fun though.
- Some of the dialogue is pretty silly.
- Pretty well acted w/ an alright slow-burn thriller plot.
- The car chase stuff is pretty well done.
- DirectorCary Joji FukunagaStarsDaniel CraigAna de ArmasRami MalekJames Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.Date Watched: 11/28
Score: 6.5/10- Pretty entertaining, but like most bond movies i feel like it's 20-30% too long.
- Some pretty dumb edgy or cheesy/sappy dialogue at times.
- Great action. Pretty good send-off for Daniel Craig's James Bond.
- DirectorRuben ÖstlundStarsThobias ThorwidHarris DickinsonCharlbi DeanA fashion model celebrity couple join an eventful cruise for the super-rich.Date Watched: 11/29
Score: 7.5/10- Pretty fun, very wacky ensemble cast movie. Pretty gross at times too.
- The ending is pretty abrupt and way too open ended. I am ok w/ somewhat open endings, but they need to have some amount closure and feel like a real ending.
- Wasn't paying full attention for the entire movie. Should prolly rewatch at some point.
- DirectorTimur BekmambetovStarsBenjamin WalkerRufus SewellDominic CooperAbraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, discovers vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them.Date Watched: 11/28
Score: 6.5/10- pretty bad acting from the lead. The rest of the cast is fairly unremarkable.
- pretty boring to start, but becomes a lot wackier and more fun later on.
- feels kinda like jojo parts 1&2.
- missed a few bits.
- DirectorMax BarbakowStarsAndy SambergCristin MiliotiJ.K. SimmonsStuck in a time loop, two wedding guests develop a budding romance while living the same day over and over again.Date Watched: 12/3
Score: 7.5/10- Often quite funny. Generally well-written, even outside of the comedic dialogue. They explore the time loop concept in a lot of fun and interesting ways.
- Well acted all around.
- Very cute movie, especially the ending.
- DirectorRussell MulcahyStarsChristopher LambertSean ConneryClancy BrownAn immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his immortal opponents, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled "Prize".Date Watched: 12/4
Score: 6/10- A lot of the sword fighting is really bad.
- The dialogue is pretty bad, and a lot of the acting isn't too good either.
- Characters say sexist, racist, and homophobic stuff, and they're not really shown as being wrong in doing so. This was more common in 80s movies, but even for an 80s movie it's a lot.
- I like the atmosphere in some of the scenes in the past on Scotland. Nice scenery and sometimes pleasant, sometimes more epic music.
- The queen music is pretty good and it usually fits the scenes alright.
- The explosive scene transition to the WW2 battle scene was pretty funny.
- Very cheesy. Kinda fun sometimes. Just sorta bad other times. Can be kinda boring at times, especially near the beginning. Usually pretty fun though.
- DirectorMarielle HellerStarsMatthew RhysTom HanksChris CooperBased on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Lloyd Vogel.Date Watched: 12/5
Score: 6.5/10- I don't read anything about most movies I watch before watching them, so I was expecting this movie to be all about Mr. Rogers based on the name, poster, and bits of marketing I remember seeing. I was a little disappointed that the movie was not about Mr. Rogers, but the story that it told was still alright.
- Tom Hanks did a good job playing Mr. Rogers.
- DirectorParker FinnStarsSosie BaconJessie T. UsherKyle GallnerAfter witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, a psychiatrist becomes increasingly convinced she is being threatened by an uncanny entity.Date Watched: 12/5
Score: 3/10- Pretty dumb and at times a little funny. A lot of the scenes that are supposed to be really scary just feel very dumb and silly.
- The acting isn't always completely horrible, but it's often pretty bad.
- DirectorOlivier MegatonStarsLiam NeesonForest WhitakerMaggie GraceAccused of a ruthless murder he never committed or witnessed, Bryan Mills goes on the run and brings out his particular set of skills to find the true killer and clear his name.Date Watched: 12/6
Score: 5/10- The dialogue and acting isn't great.
- The editing is insane. The action is incomprehensible because of how many cuts there are. There are even a ton of unnecessary cuts in non-action scenes.
- Entertaining and kinda unintentionally funny.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroMark GustafsonStarsEwan McGregorDavid BradleyGregory MannA father's wish magically brings a wooden boy to life in Italy, giving him a chance to care for the child.Date Watched: 12/14
Score: 8/10- I like the generally darker tone. Feels more like an old fairy tale. I also like the setting of pre WW2 Italy. I like these sort of children's movies that have more adult themes and subject matters. Stuff like Coraline that is sort of like a children's horror movie, though this feels even more adult than Coraline w/ the inclusion of real events/movements like WW1 and the rise of fascism in Italy.
- I like a lot of the designs. The animation looks pretty cool sometimes too, like the animation of Pinocchio's nose growing.
- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsColin FarrellBrendan GleesonKerry CondonTwo lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.Date Watched: 12/15
Score: 7.5/10- The shots of the countryside look nice.
- The costuming, hair, makeup, lighting, etc. all do a great job of setting the location and time period.
- The plot is simple, but pretty good, and the dialogue is well written and well delivered.
- It does a good job at creating and uncomfortable, awkward atmosphere whenever Colm and Padraic are in a scene together.
- DirectorAndrew DominikStarsAna de ArmasLily FisherJulianne NicholsonThe story of American actress Marilyn Monroe, covering her love and professional lives.Date Watched: 12/16
Score: 2.5/10- Tonally, this is really confusing. It feels so crazy over dramatic in every scene.
- I do not like Ana de Armas' performance. It feels so crazy overacted in every scene to the point where Marilyn never feels like a real person. Her accent is also strange. Most of the time she just sounds like Ana De Armas w/ her cuban accent.
- All of the acting feels really weird and bad. Idk why so many people are saying that's one of the film's highlights.
- A lot of stuff just happens without a whole lot of explanation as to what is going on or why or who any of the people involved are.
- The music, acting, switch between black, etc. all make this movie feel like a fever dream. Despite how weird it is, none of it is very enjoyable, and a lot of it somehow manages to be super boring.
- Feels like a super pretentious, meaningless, fake deep, arthouse film that's using a real woman's tragic life story.
- There are so many strange creative decisions in this movie that just don't work at all. They all feel so dumb and so silly when the movie wants you to take it super seriously.
- DirectorDerrick BorteStarsRussell CroweCaren PistoriusGabriel BatemanAfter a confrontation with an unstable man at an intersection, a woman becomes the target of his rage.Date Watched: 12/16
Score: 6.5/10- the characters are a little slow to do the obvious, like calling the police or going to a police station, but they aren't completely stupid like in a lot of thriller or horror movie. They actually do things that makes sense and don't constantly make the worst choices.
- Super crazy movie. a lot of fun to watch w/ others. Just very entertaining. Not super well made or memorable, but very entertaining in the moment.
- DirectorPierre MorelStarsCyril RaffaelliDavid BelleTony D'AmarioIn the ghettos of Paris in 2010, an undercover cop and an ex-thug try to infiltrate a gang in order to defuse a neutron bomb.Date Watched: 12/16
Score: 7/10- Very cool action. great free running and some cool car stunts too.
- The world is pretty cool too. Sorta feels like The Raid or Dredd.
- Pretty cool OST.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsTom HanksBill PaxtonKevin BaconNASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.Date Watched: 12/16
Score: 7.5/10- Well acted and shot. Some of the fx are pretty dated, but a lot of it still looks pretty good
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroJerry LewisDiahnne AbbottA passionate yet unsuccessful comedian stalks and kidnaps his idol to take the spotlight for himself.Date Watched: 12/17
Score: 7/10- There are some strange editing or directing choices. When Rupert is talking to Masha while walking away from Jerry's building it shows them stop, then cuts to them suddenly moving, then cuts back to them stopped again. I assume they didn't have the film they wanted or needed and couldn't reshoot so they used what they had. Just feels a little sloppy.
- Aside from that minor nitpick, the movie is pretty good. Fairly funny. Very slow start, but gets pretty entertaining once it’s really gotten started.
- DirectorTomas AlfredsonStarsKåre HedebrantLina LeanderssonPer RagnarOskar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl.Date Watched: 12/18
Score: 7/10- Pretty interesting take on a vampire movie. I like how it uses all of the traditional vampire tropes (surviving on blood, needing to be invited inside, burning in the sunlight).
- Pretty well written and acted all around. Nothing extraordinary, but it felt fairly unique and well-made.
- DirectorWes BallStarsDylan O'BrienKaya ScodelarioWill PoulterThomas is deposited in a community of boys after his memory is erased, soon learning they're all trapped in a maze that will require him to join forces with fellow "runners" for a shot at escape.Date Watched: 12/18
Score: 4/10- Like a lot of YA stuff, there's a lot of dumb terminology, cheesy dialogue, and everything is over explained. No subtlety at all. The evil organization is literally called Wicked.
- Some characters make some weird dumb decisions. Why did the runner drag albys body all the way to the entrance, sacrificing his chance to get back in the Grove, and then decide he wants to leave hin behind? This decision is even stranger when it's made clear that Alby is still alive.
- Also, it was super unclear that Alby was alive. It seemed like he got stung and the runner killed him.
- A lot of stuff just kinda happens with no good explanation.
- The setup is fairly interesting. Not necessarily super unique, but still enough to interest me in finding out what's going on. By the end once we start to get some answers, I'm no longer very interested, though.
- DirectorWes BallStarsDylan O'BrienKaya ScodelarioThomas Brodie-SangsterAfter having escaped the Maze, the Gladers now face a new set of challenges on the open roads of a desolate landscape filled with unimaginable obstacles.Date Watched: 12/18
Score: 3/10- Worse than the first movie. Not even an interesting hook.
- It's not completely horrible. Just kinda mediocre and boring.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsSam WorthingtonZoe SaldanaSigourney WeaverJake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the extrasolar moon Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na'vi race to protect their home.Date Watched: 12/20
Score: 6.5/10- Visually, pretty great. A step up from the first. The Navi look good. The avatars still look a little weird with their humanesque facial features. The world overall looks pretty good, but I'm honestly not super blown away by any of the landscapes or creature designs. Aesthetically, I'm not that into Pandora. It's kinda cool, but just not something that really awes me.
- I saw it in 3D IMAX. Looked cool. The 3D didn't just feel dumb and gimmicky. Didn't really blow me away though.
- Aesthetics aside, I'm just not that into Pandora and the wider world of the Avatar series on a conceptual level. The world-building is underdeveloped, but I feel that even if it were fleshed out, I just wouldn't be that interested. There is no strong hook for me.
- A lot of characters are introduced. Jake's younger son and older daughter are characterized alright, and they seem like they're going to play major parts in the upcoming movie. The least characterized of the new cast is Jake's oldest son, so his sacrifice didn't really affect me at all.
- Despite being over 3 hrs long, I still feel like some things were glossed over when I wanted a more in-depth answer.
- DirectorColin TrevorrowStarsAubrey PlazaMark DuplassJake JohnsonThree magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified advertisement seeking a companion for time travel.Date Watched: 12/31
Score: 7/10- Cute movie.
- Pretty funny a lot of the time.
- Keeps you guessing.