2023 Movies

I continue to be a bitter curmudgeon who is unimpressed with most of the movies. Still gonna make my list, still gonna try to find things I actually like.

Don't Care List:
The Holdovers: Maybe I'll watch this eventually. I don't have anything against Payne's movies. It's just not a top priority for me.
Maestro: Aside from biopics always being middling to me, there's something about this movie that makes me uncomfy.
Air: Something about sports? Or sneakers? I don't care.
Nyad: Two words: sports drama. I'm already asleep.
Wonka: This shouldn't exist.

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Movies I Loved:

Barbie: One of three films I actually saw in a theater this year and with my mom of all people; we both had a great time. It's smart, it's funny, it's perfectly cast, and I had fun while also having things to think about. Probably my favorite of the year.

American Fiction: Hilariously, what I said about Barbie also applies here: smart, funny, and perfectly cast. I clearly was not in the mood for overwrought dramas (even though the Academy loves them). I want more films like this: actually funny, solid family story, and biting social commentary.

Past Lives: I took forever to watch this because on my understanding of the themes, I figured it would be a really hard watch for me. It was. I literally had to stop in the middle to write a little. It's still great though.

Talk To Me: On the flip side, we have this year's good horror film. It's a horror film with great themes that's actually pretty scary. I imagine that hand is going to become iconic.

Sanctuary: The second film I saw in a theater. I am a sucker for two people in a room stories and power plays and that was basically the film. The cinematography was also beautiful.

Reality: I guess more like three characters in a room, but this was a really subtle political drama that was actually really gripping to watch. There were a lot of acclaimed crime study type movies this year, but this one was the one I was most invested in. I thought the censoring effect was very creative.

Bottoms: A movie that made me laugh, but replace the commentary with just wackjob surrealism. God, I appreciated fun movies this year.

Poor Things: While I don't order these specifically, I am deliberately putting this on the bottom of the loved list because I have reservations. I can't resist Lanthimos movies, this is just a fact about me, but this ranks on the lower end of his films for me and it's because there's something about the script that just gives me the ick. The costumes, setting, music, acting, and themes in general are all excellent, but something really didn't come together for me. The first hour is kind of hard to watch but intriguing enough to continue, then there's about a half hour where I LOVED this movie, and then the rest of it I felt this strange mix of positive but slightly conflicted feelings with it having a perfect ending. Perhaps I need to ruminate on this more.

Movies I Really Liked:

How To Blow Up A Pipeline: A environmentalism action movie that does a really great job of showing all the different angles of destructive capitalist choices that destroy both the environment and the people who have to live in it.

Polite Society: I hesitated to watch this film, knowing what it was about, but I'm glad I finally did because it was really fun and actually had a completely satisfying ending. I would have felt differently about this film if it had ended differently so they really made the right choice here. Major props for creating a "villain" who the main character can seem like she's overreacting to with unearned hate, while also making every woman in their late 20s and older go, "I think she's right, but for reasons she hasn't noticed." Super clever writing there, and I appreciate it.

May December: My struggle with this film is while I did really laugh at the black comedy of it, I found the story of Charles Melton's character so sad (and so well acted) that I had a hard time not feeling down the whole time. I really might have to watch this one again.

Godland: I think this film proves that I can like a Western, especially if it's not set in America. I loved the consistently bleak and violent mood of the film and seeing the downfall of the main character, who I ultimately never sympathized with. Iceland is the perfect setting for a Western; who knew?

The Night of the 12th: French crime drama #1. This one was actually my favorite of the French dramas. I love the way the investigation is never solved, and the way gender affects these investigations is explored. Although I kind of wish the film didn't just state its theme so blatantly.

Anatomy Of A Fall: French crime drama #2. I feel like this was a perfectly good courtroom drama, but I don't know why it's so acclaimed? I liked it, don't get me wrong, but it didn't feel like anything particularly groundbreaking.

The Blue Caftan: This movie was really unique. It's kind of billed as a romantic drama, but when it says romance, it definitely doesn't mean that in the way you think. This is a story that highlights very different kinds of love, the kind that are more likely to exist in a restrictive society. I honestly love the kind of stories that show how love can mean so many things.

Saltburn: I didn't hear about any of the "shocking" scenes until after I had seen the film. None of them had shocked me, but I'm a weird film person. Overall, I liked the movie and had fun watching it. Derivative? Sure. I don't care.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret: I read this book when I was ten, and this was such a good adaption. The time period is so well integrated, and it perfectly captures the feeling of being a preteen in any time.

The Zone of Interest: My issue here is that I think the movie is really good, but like the last Jonathan Glazar movie I saw, I was kind of bored. I am completely fine with slow movies, but with both films I felt like I was missing things because some aspects were almost too subtle. The mise-en-scene is incredible and the sound is brilliant, but I was annoyed that I had to keep looking stuff up because I could tell I was missing plot points.

All Of Us Strangers: The strongest thing about this film for me was the vibe. I wish I hadn't spoiled the dead twist for myself in the beginning, but I still liked it. There's ultimately a powerful metaphor for loneliness and grief in this film that really hits at the end.

Blue Jean: A nice little character study during an interesting time in LGBT history.

Blackberry: I liked it more than the Social Network. Fight me.

Nimona: A good adaption of the comic book.

No Accident: A former student recommended this one to me, and it was great to hear the whole depth of this case.

Milli Vanilli: A documentary about a well known music scandal that really shows the people at the center of it and the exploitation and blame they endured.

Pamela, A Love Story: Another great documentary about famous people that really gets to the heart of the person.

 
Movies I Liked:

Oppenheimer: Too Long Movie #1. I liked the movie just fine, not big on biopics overall but Chris Nolan is an engaging director, but way is it so long? Was the frame necessary? Can we just choose a theme and go with it? If people are just going to make movies this long, we need to bring back intermissions because I will never watch this length of film in a theater.

Killers of the Flower Moon: Too Long Movie #2. Someone stop these way too famous male directors. This one was almost four hours. Why? It's an important story to tell, but something is lost in the telling when I am halfway through the film and thinking, why exactly is Leo's character doing all this shit when he's married to an Osage women? Yes, cognitive dissonance racism and whatever, but the film didn't convince me that this made sense. It was too focused on the events and not the heart.

Priscilla: My attention was held by the story and the costuming was an A+. Mostly I avoid biopics but I saw some interesting discussion around biopics of women and that made me want to watch this one.

Saint Omer: French crime drama #3. I think this one resonated with me less than the other two for mostly personal reasons, so I can't really hold it against it for that. I think my main issue was that I couldn't really get the point: the writer relates to the defendant and . . . what?

The Burial: A fun legal drama about the funeral industry, one of my favorite topics. This movie felt like a film from the 90s, if that makes sense. Nothing too deep, just a solid movie.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes: I watched this before reading the book, was inspired to read the book, and then watched it again. I understand why the director didn't want to split it into two after feeling like he made the wrong choice with Mockingjay, but this book is over 100 pages longer and has a clear division. It would have really benefited from becoming a two hour movie and an hour and a half long movie. It moves way too fast in the beginning so two minutes in, I was lost. It did spark me to rewatch all the other movies and reread all the books though!

Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: The third film I saw in a theater. This movie was fun. It's not amazing or groundbreaking, but I don't think it was trying to be. It was Guardians of the Galaxy but fantasy, and I had a perfectly good time.

Saw X: I can say with complete confidence that this is the third best Saw movie, having seen all of them from 1-6 and skipping 7, 8, and 9. I have always said that the original is the only one that's actually a good movie but if you watch 1, 2, and 10, you have a decent horror trilogy (and you have to watch them in that order even though this one falls between 1 and 2). I have definitely gotten more squeamish since I was a teen and could have done without some of the gore (people forget that the first one wasn't that gory), but this one actually followed the original Jigsaw logic without the campy nonsense of everything after the second one. 

Bama Rush: I find the topic insanely fascinating, but this documentary didn't really do it justice. The presence of the filmmaker's narrative didn't really add to the film, in my opinion, and I wondered after the fact if it had been added because of a lack of authentic footage of the process itself.

 
Movies That Were Okay:

Beau Is Afraid: Ari Aster, I see what you were doing there and yes, this movie did effectively make me feel like I was also having paranoid delusions, but that doesn't mean I had a good time. I get that it's an Odyssey-type thing, but did it have to be that long? This could have been an amazing two hour movie, maybe even two and a half hours, but no.

Money Shot: The PornHub Story: This documentary was fine but wildly unmemorable considering its topic. It reminded me of the Abercombie one from last year: it told me about a thing, but it didn't do it in an especially interesting or unique way.

Movies I Didn't Like:

Cocaine Bear: It just wasn't that funny. Too self aware.

Cade: The Tortured Crossing: Never change, Neil Breen.

2022 Movies

I have possibly never been so bored looking through the films nominated for awards. I also have had a really busy (see also: rough) year. One of if not the roughest of my life. I have genuinely struggled to even watch movies this year at all unless I have been lucky enough to have someone (usually Adam) who will sit with me and watch. This is made even worse by the fact that it seems like movies are getting longer? Bring back movies that are less than two hours!

In that spirit, my list is short and I'm bringing back the "Movies I Don't Care About" list because there are a lot of acclaimed movies that I simply don't want to bother with. I may watch Fire of Love, All The Beauty And Bloodshed, RRR, Till, or Saint Omar.

Movies I Don't Care About:
Avatar: The Way Of Water: I hated the original one; why would I subject myself to more?
Elvis: I think I'm functionally done with biopics. Just give me a documentary instead.
The Fabelmans: Every time I try to read the summary, I fall asleep. It's something about Hollywood so, of course, Hollywood loves it.
Top Gun: Maverick: It's just military propaganda, right?
The Whale: I was kind of interested in this but then I saw that there were a million think pieces about it and I just decided to walk away.
Blonde: See: Elvis.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: Save me from superhero movies. Yes, Black Panther was one of the absolute best but Chadwick is dead and I don't care.
Babylon: Something else about Hollywood.
The Batman: The Batman universe was the only superhero universe that ever interested me and yet I am so done with superhero movies and DC's sloppy films. Just leave me alone.

Movies I Loved:

Everything Everywhere All At Once: This is the only movie I saw in a theater this year back in February and I spent the whole year saying it's the only movie worth seeing. Maybe not the only one but if you only see one this year, this is the one.

The Banshees of Inisherin: The other actually good award-nominated movie. I basically always love Martin McDonugh movies and plays, and this was a great study of adult friendship and significance in the face of mortality.

Glass Onion: The other other actually good award-nominated movie. Also, we were all about eating the rich this year, huh? I hope Rian Johnson continues to make Benoit Blanc films. It's great to see real mystery as a genre that also criticizes society.

Pleasure: I'll watch anything about the porn industry and this film is a good solid overview through the story of one actress.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story: Remember when comedies were a thing? This movie actually made me laugh a lot. What a concept.

All Quiet On The Western Front: As an adaption this movie is technically a failure, but as a film in general it is well constructed, has beautiful cinematography, and its soundtrack will haunt me forever.

Pinocchio: I'm obviously talking about the Del Toro one. I cried a lot. I was not surprised by all the talk about ideas of conformity versus free thinking, but I was surprised by how much of a meditation on death it was.

Navalny: This documentary was more exciting than most movies released this year. In spite of it's serious subject, I also got a lot of laughs and hope from it.

The Janes: A documentary about underground abortion clinics. Really well done and interesting.


Movies I Really Liked:

Cyrano: I saw the stage show before the world shut down and really liked the music. The film is a decent adaption that made me cry my eyes out.

Triangle of Sadness: Eat The Rich #2. Like the director's other movie I know (The Square) this movie is a kind of slow burn, but it really pays off with style and message.

The Menu: Eat The Rich #3. I was actually pretty captivated by this film. Is the message obvious? Yeah. I still enjoyed the heck out of it.

Women Talking: I love any version of characters in a room having an intense conversation. I also love cults. This movie was an obvious win for me.

Tar: This movie was really good, but can we please stop making movies so long? I honestly lose detail when films are so long.

X: I can appreciate a good horror movie and, as stated, discussion of sex stuff is also an A+. The director did House of the Devil, so that was promising, and I liked this enough to also go watch Pearl.

Pearl: These two movies together are greater than either one individually. Watching them back to back is the right choice.

Living: In spite of having seen Ikiru (and read Ivan Illych for that matter) I still somehow wasn't prepared to cry. British Isles folk songs, man. But, you know, also meaning of life stuff.

Happening: This was basically the French, period piece version of that other abortion movie from a few years ago. I still liked it.

Petit Maman: A nice, little family movie.

Orgasm Inc.: The Story of OneTaste: A messed up documentary that is also about sex and cults? Sign me up. Wait. Don't.


Movies I Liked:

Nope: This was definitely the weakest of Jordan Peele's films but it was still a good one with an interesting message about taming nature.

The Woman King: The plot was super conventional but Viola Davis is always great and I love seeing women kick ass.

The Northman: The visuals in this film were an A and I liked seeing this Viking Hamlet, but I found something kind of off-putting about it. Although, this film may be part of the reason I decided to go to Iceland instead of Peru this year so thanks film.

Causeway: A quiet drama written by the woman who wrote My Year of Rest and Relaxation. I love movies about adult friendship.

Hellraiser: Perhaps controversially, I liked this movie. It had the freaky visuals I associate with the original film, but they added clearer lore on the puzzle box. It could have been better, sure, but I had a great time watching it with my friend Mecchi.

Turning Red: My students really liked this one. I thought it was cute and nostalgic, but nothing to write home about.

Our Father: I love a messed up documentary.

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing: And again, any documentary about fraud is good with me.

Movies That Were Okay:

She Said: I kept thinking of this film as "boring Spotlight." It wasn't bad, but it really wasn't memorable.

Emancipation: One of my students insisted I watch this. It's a slavery action film, basically. Not bad, but I'm just not that into action movies.

Where The Crawdads Sing: You could tell this was based off a really good book. Too bad about the film.

White Hot: The Rise Of Abercrombie: Interesting story, could have been told better.


Movies That I Didn't Like:

Falling For Christmas: A bad movie night pick that was mostly just boring outside of studying the curiosity that is Lohan's face.

I Believe In Santa: Genuinely the wildest movie I have seen this year. Maybe in a few years. I'd recommend it just so more people will have had the experience.

2021 Movies

It's the ten year anniversary of me doing these posts. I am so tired from this year that this post is literally taking me months to complete. This year has been really underwhelming anyway, but at least we have a really clear reason. Thanks, Covid.

Movies I Still Need To See:
Possessor Uncut

May as well * the Oscar nominees this year since there really weren't many movies in general.

Previous Years: 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011


Movies I Loved:

Promising Young Woman*: Honestly, this could be favorite movie of the year. I loved the ending, I laughed, I thought, I was surprised, I was into the aesthetic and the counterintuitive casting. The end was just so much. Leave me alone.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom*: The one play adaptation that didn't suffer from "play adaption syndrome." I loved basically everything about this movie: the acting was insane, the direction saved it from PAS, the writing was great (I mean, August Wilson), and obviously I'm a sucker for the aesthetic. Like the above film, I basically watched the last five minutes with my jaw on the floor.

Sound Of Metal*: If this movie doesn't at least win an award for audio, there's no justice. Love a good character story starring my husband, Riz Ahmed.

The Father*: If this movie doesn't at least win an award for production design, there's no justice. I actually had pretty low expectations for this movie, but the way it's structured and that dang production design is so incredible at creating a puzzle that you are trying to decipher. 

Minari*: This movie I had to sit on for a little while because slow family dramas aren't really my thing. Ultimately, I came down on thinking this one was really strong when I thought more about the themes and symbolism.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7*: A really engaging courtroom drama, made extra fun for me because I was watching it with Caroline's parents who kept fact checking it since they remembered the event.

Crip Camp*: This was one of the first docs I watched this year, and I immediately recommended it to my MV kids. This is such a fantastic documenting of the disability rights movement, and I learned so much.

My Octopus Teacher*: Yes, I will cry about an octopus. This will surprise no one.

Wolfwalkers*: The third Cartoon Saloon movie in the Irish mythology trilogy. Honestly, I didn't like it as much as Secret of Kells or Song of the Sea, but it's still great. I was pumped to hear "Running With The Wolves". 

Soul*: Existentialism in a kid's movie! I was kind of hoping for more jazz overall but I was still fascinated by the Inside Out breaking down of difficult concepts for kids.

Onward*: This movie got to me in a lot of ways. Family narratives in Pixar movies have a 

tendency to get to me (see: Coco) but I also loved the nerdy, fantasy elements being that I am a Tolkien nerd who plays D&D.

Palm Springs: I was dubious of the description, but this movie was so fun and the only kind of romantic comedy that is worth watching: a realistic feeling couple and actually funny.

His House: Love a social commentary horror movie with some culture sprinkled in. This is the kind of movie I like to discuss afterwards.

Hamilton: I feel like this doesn't count because it's just the fantastic stage show, but people keep insisting it's a movie.

What The Constitution Means To Me: I feel like this doesn't count because it's just the fantastic stage show, but people keep insisting it's a movie, part two. 

Dick Johnson Is Dead: Documentaries this year were really solid. This one was really creative and thought provoking.

Circus Of Books: Lots of family story documentaries too. The intersection of LGBT history with a family story was really touching.

The Booksellers: As a reader and former bookseller, this was a really fascinating look at a specific culture that I have barely brushed elbows with. 

A Secret Love: More family stories, in a way, but more focused on a couple.

Disclosure: This is the kind of doc I've been waiting for from a "wanting to know" stance. Instead of being more story-based, it's such a thorough breakdown of transgender representation in media as talked about by transgender people in media. 

Athlete A: Interview based breakdown of the gymnastics scandal. 

Feels Good Man: The history of Pepe did a good job of studying how the internet works.

Welcome To Chechnya: Another LGBT doc but now with much more depressing!

Movies I Really Liked:

Judas and the Black Messiah*: The direction and cinematography were so good but the editing bothered me quite a bit. I feel like I would have liked this one more if I had seen it before Chicago 7 because there's such time period overlap that they're almost competing.

Nomadland*: This movie was well made and an interesting study, but I think I wasn't in the right mood to watch it honestly. It has this very meandering feel, which is appropriate for the film but I got distracted a lot.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm*: I genuinely enjoyed this film and have already rewatched it. The gender commentary and Trump politics study is so good, but I also really laughed a lot.

Emma*: Solid Regency romance. It's up there with 2005's Pride and Prejudice in my opinion.

Da 5 Bloods*: This movie started off strong, but it started to lose me towards the end. I feel like the themes got a bit lost in the violence, and it was maybe a smidge too long.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things: I need to watch this one again, but it was by far one of the most unique films I've watched this year.

Birds Of Prey: Man, this movie was just so joyous. It took the bad taste Suicide Squad left behind right out of my mouth. Finally, I get to see Harley as she should be.

The Old Guard: Another action movie that I just enjoyed in a really pure way. I'm happy to watch a sequel, but even as a stand alone I loved it. I think to make me care about an action movie, I need strong characters with a strong friendship or found family aspect.

Nighthawk: I wasn't sold on this movie for a while, but once it got into the imperialism themes I was on board. 

I Care A Lot: The aesthetics of this movie were flawless, and the plot was more engaging than I expected. Honestly, a decent commentary on "girl boss" culture, although I could easily see people missing the point.

The Assistant: I really loved the subtly of this movie. It's like "microaggressions" the film.

Swallow: I watched this one at around the same time so it was definitely a subtle, character study time. Representing feeling trapped by gender and class with pica was a good time.

The Half Of It: A very cute and slightly sad queer teen rom com that I really enjoyed.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always: More subtle character studies. What sold it for me was the scene in the clinic and the one in the bus terminal when the whole background really comes out.

The Boys In The Band: Suffers a little from "play adaptation syndrome" but this one felt a less slow than others probably because it was so damn brutal. The pain in this movie really made it.

The Invisible Man: Another good thought-provoking horror movie. 

Weathering With You: It's not as good as Your Name, but it's still very well made and written.

You Don't Nomi: As someone who has seen Showgirls like 7 times, it was cool to see it talked about from so many different angles.

The Social Dilemma: My mom recommended this, and I realized I really am not a fan of reenactments in documentaries. Otherwise, it was interesting enough.

Rewind: I remember thinking this one was good, but I also don't remember it so it couldn't have been that good.

Mucho, Mucho Amour: The Legend Of Walter Mercado: This was a really interesting doc from a culture perspective and from hearing more about this mysterious guy.

Becoming: I mean, I just love hearing Michelle Obama talk about stuff and that's basically the film.


Movies I Liked:

One Night In Miami*: The movie suffers a bit from "play adaptation syndrome" and got a little dry in the middle but was impeccably acted and well done. Leslie Odom Jr. as Sam Cooke makes me cry every time.

Another Round*: Overall, I like Vinterberg movies, but I usually don't love them. This one is billed as a comedy, but I really didn't see it that way. Maybe that's part of the problem.

Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets: This is a "documentary" that I kind of feel like I should have liked more. I wonder if I watched it again at a different time I might be more into it.

The Other Lamb: I'll watch any movie about a cult. This one was good.

First Cow: This movie was so, so slow. Yes, it eventually comes together, but there needed to be some editing here.

Shirley: I loved the subtle brutality of this movie, and the absolutely fascinating complexity of the relationships.  This one and the one below I feel like I maybe didn't give a fair shake to since I watched them during a tense time.

The Personal History Of David Copperfield: I love Dev Patel and I love how Iannucci made the story feel fresh and unique.

Yellow Rose: I watched it for Eva, of course, and I loved hearing her sing and the commentary on immigration, but the movie felt unfinished.

Porno: This was a fun horror movie with some hilarious religious fear mongering. 

Movies That Were Okay:

Host: Basically it's Unfriended but decent.

The Trip To Greece: This is a comedy that didn't make me laugh, but I really liked looking at Greece again and getting the occasional mythology reference.

Uncle Frank: An LGBT family drama that I ultimately found kind of dry.


Movies I Didn't Like:

The Princess Switch: Switched Again: Watched this with the first one while drinking. I got a fair amount of laughs from the ridiculous premise. Can't wait to see Vanessa Hudgens play four characters in the next one.

365 Days: It is hard to shock me, but this movie genuinely shocked me by how abusive it was and how absolutely unaware it was. I searched the internet like crazy for commentary on it and I still eat it up when I find it. I want to write an essay on this movie.

A Recipe For Seduction: Watched this at bad movie night. It's kind of funny premise-wise and thankfully short, but it wasn't so funny I'd recommend it.

2020 Movies

This post is coming out long after when I should have posted it because I have been so busy with work that movie watching has been the last thing on my list. It will be updated as I actually see things.

Movies I Still Need To See:
Transit: seems debately 2018
First Love: gotta get my hands on it
Dolemite Is My Name: waiting on Adam

Movies I'm Not Interested In:
The Irishman: This movie is so long.
Ford Vs. Ferrari: This movie is so male.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood: I'd actually watch this if someone I trust wanted to watch it, but no one has expressed this desire to me yet.

Not marking the movies not nominated for Oscars because screw the Oscars. That's where I'm at right now.

Previous Years: 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011



Movies I Loved:

Midsommar: Similar to Cold War last year, this movie broke into my house and killed me but for totally different reasons. I love this movie. I was completely scarred by it after the first watch, rewatched it because I genuinely thought it was so good but hid under a blanket a lot, and then watched it a third time but this time as the director's cut. My favorite of the year by far.

Parasite: I need to rewatch this honestly. It was very good, but I think I need to see it again to adequately enjoy it. Either way, it's the year of eating the rich and I am down for it.

Little Women: This movie was very good: strong acting, strong screenplay, strong cinematography. strong everything. I cried like seven times and related way too hard to some parts in a way I don't remember relating when I read this book at 12.

Pain And Glory: A lot of the time with Almodovar films I walk away underwhelmed (Talk To Her) or a bit confused as to the point (Tie Me Up! but moreso Woman On The Verge) and the ones I remember liking have kind of faded from memory (Volver & Skin I Live In) so I went into this one hesitent. No need. This movie was great. The themes were perfectly displayed and the story was completely engaging.

Knives Out: Eat the rich: the crime comedy. I love a movie full of unique characters, the momentum of the plot was engaging, and the production design was a consistently interesting work of art.

The Farewell: I really loved the directing, the symbolism, the way the themes were portrayed, and the acting. I cried just a little off and on throughout and I loved the way it weaves together the ideas of culture, the immigrant experience, and family.

Portrait of a Woman On Fire: This movie was so tightly constructed it was unreal. I love how the visuals resemble paintings, I love the little connections to the Orpheus myth and that music piece, I love that I just read "Ways of Seeing" and it was the perfect prelude to the expectly displayed themes of the film.

Us: It's not as good as Get Out but it's still really dang good. It's more of a horror movie with a social commentary that sneaks up on you in the latter half, but of course it's solid. It's the year of class commentary, like I said.

Honeyland: I think this documentary is the clear winner for prettiest doc of the year. I occasionally found the story itself a bit hard to follow (possibly because it was shot over five years so time was strange) but every shot was a work of art.

For Sama: Ah yes, the documentary that made me cry the most. I loved the format of the film maker talking to her daughter and the amount of priceless footage was astonding. I was utterly shook by the scene where they brought a newborn baby back to life and the scene of just her husband's face as he cried, thinking of having to leave.

American Factory: I see this documentary as two parts: one about how manufacturing in America can only return in a distorted form after what was done to it and one about unions and why we need them. Classism again! This one made me think a lot.

The Edge of Democracy: When I think of this movie I most distinctly remember all the scenes of Brasilia as a monument to democracy that is not as strong as its buildings. Powerful imagery and a really timely documentary to watch as an American who is feeling the same crumble even with over 200 years of democracy. A reminder of how fragile structures are.

Hail Satan: What a charming movie documenting the rise of the Satanic Temple! I love the way the story was told and all the little interviews.

Fyre: I think I have watched this documentary four or five times. It's so engaging.

Fyre Fraud: I find this to be the lesser of the two Fyre festival documentaries but it was interesting for actually interviewing Billy MacFarland. I think the reason this one didn't resonate with me as much as the other was because it was less of a story and more of a commentary on millennials, which I didn't feel was always on point.

Knock Down The House: Keep on eating the rich by throwing them out of office! I was really sad to see only AOC winning but let's hope that starts a trend.


Movies I Really Liked:

1917: I think this is one of the most consistently stressful movies I've seen since Whiplash.  I've always preferred the bleak hopelessness of World War I movies to the optimism of World War II movies, and I think the simple plot works in this movie's favor. Do all the thematic lifting on your own and enjoy the technical achievements.

Jojo Rabbit: Is cute an acceptable word for this movie when a lot of bad stuff happens? I loved the satirical elements and it was fun.

The Two Popes: I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. I watched it on a wim while sick after Marriage Story and I found it really delightful. I really like friendship movies in general and the interactions of opposite personalities (plus the interesting morality dicatomy) so this was a win.

Uncut Gems: This movie was very stressful and is a great example of an unlikeable main character done well. This might be strange to say but I also just loved the vibe of the movie created by the soundtrack and the cinematography. 

The Lighthouse: Like The VVitch, I wanted to like this more than I did. I mean, it's got two characters in a room going nuts, beautiful cinematography, and a lot of sea scenes so it's right up my alley. I think my issue with it is the same as The VVitch where I felt like there was some kind of theme that wasn't as developed as it could have been. Still good though.

Hustlers: Eat the rich: the crime drama. I was skeptical going into this movie, but I ended up just loving it. I love movies where women band together and do stuff even if that stuff is, you know, crime. J.Lo not going a supporting actress nomination is the real crime.

Her Smell: I passed over this movie a bunch of times before finally deciding to watch it because I was afraid it would feel done to death. It wasn't at all. This is a movie full of things that I love: punk rock, the complication of existing as a woman, witchy stuff, a dirgy cover of a pop song, good cinematography, strange personalities. It's great.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco: This movie was very, very good (and very pretty) but I kind of feel like small pieces of it didn't really come together for me. I loved the ideas of identity and architecture\housing (I mean, my favorite book is Hunchback so architecture as a symbol is important to me) but somewhere around the 3\4 point I started feeling like the plot was muddling a bit. I think some strategic editing could have honestly fixed it for me.

Ready Or Not: Eat the rich: the horror movie #2. This was a great ride. I love all the little symbolism. i could see the ending being a topic of debate but I thought it was perfect so fight me.

Booksmart: Every year seems to have one really solid movie about teenagers and this was that movie. It was really fun and I love when teen movies aren't mean-spirited at all because I just hate that.

Happy Death Day 2 U: I watched both the original one and the sequel this year. I think the first is the stronger film but the second is fun too and more science fiction.


I Lost My Body: This movie was very unique and strange. I'm not totally sure that I get what it was trying to convey but I enjoyed it either way.

One Child Nation: I don't have much to say but it's really good.

Ask Dr. Ruth: I watched this movie almost a year ago at this point so I don't really remember it, but I found her life very interesting.

The Brink: Distrubing and interesting but in a year of really good documentaries this one ranks quite low.


Movies I Liked:

Joker: There was a lot of good cinematic verve to this movie and the acting was great, but there were some definite holes in the writing that someone needed to fix in order to make the movie really come together. Overall, it was good though. I just can't stand the people who really like it.

Marriage Story: I found this movie well made but kind of unpleasent to watch. I have no problems with realism and the acting was very good, but I just didn't enjoy watching this. I can see why people did, but I think for me angry people going through a divorce and having to watch it is kind of a circle of my own personal hell.

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World: I watched this on the plane to San Francisco and it was enjoyable. The first in the series is still the best but they have all been competent.

Downton Abbey: It was exactly what you'd expect. I absolutely love the first three seasons of the show and then it crashed and got kind of middling fine after that. The movie is just more of that. I liked that Branson had more to do than he did for most of the later half of the show and the Barrow subplot about underground gay culture but there were a lot of subplots shoved into here (literally every character had one) and it got a bit overwhelming.

Dark Waters: I thought this was a very interesting movie but it just didn't really grab me in the way that I was hoping, especially because I've really enjoyed a lot of Todd Haynes movies in the past.

Blinded By The Light: This was a really fun film. I was kind of skeptical about the premise but the film really sold me and hell, I think it also really sold me on the significance of Bruce Springsteen overall after years of me just not getting it.

Long Day's Journey Into Night: And in the art house corner, this was a beautiful movie, kind of Lynchian, but a bit too incoherent for me to raise it above "liked."

Captain Marvel: I only watch one Marvel movie a year because I don't care about the Marvel universe so this was my movie of the year. It was fine. I liked the 90s aesthetic and the sapphic undertones.

Always Be My Maybe: This movie was cute and enjoyable. I don't really have much else to say about it.

Aladdin: I watched it on a plane. It was perfect plane watching material. Only thing I strongly objected to was that weird Jasmine song sequence.

Luce: About halfway through the film I remember thinking that it felt like it would be easy to adapt for the stage and sure enough it was a play turned film. This is fine but there's always something a little lacking about plays turned into films. Either way I love a good moral dilemna and complicated feelings without answer.

Frozen II: So this movie was cute and all but the plot either made no sense or was explained poorly.


Movies I Thought Were Okay:

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker: Maybe okay is strong. This movie had a few things I liked and a whole lot of things I didn't like. I'm not sure if time is just making me forget most of the things I did like or if it gets worse the more I think about it so it's in this category very tentatively.

Tolkien: Okay was the best way to describe this. It wasn't bad, it wasn't especially good. It was a bit long and just, well, fine. RIP Chris Tolkien.


Movies I Didn't Like:

Breakthrough: Amusingly enough this movie is Oscar nominated for best original song. We watched it on bad movie night after Adam's sister said she liked it. It has what Sarah, an APRN, described "the worst coding scene she's ever seen in a movie." It also was just bad overall.

After: I watched this after stumbling on a bunch of comical reviews of how bad the book was and the movie was fascinating in the sense that they took a bad, smutty fanfiction and made an incredibly bland romance. It wasn't funny bad, but it was an experience in adapation.

Cats: A bad movie night watch and the only way I was probably going to sit through this honestly. 

2019 Potentially Oscar Nominated Movies

I felt underwhelmed by everything put out by Hollywood. Even some movies I gave four stars to I ended up putting in my "Liked" section instead of my "Really Liked" section because so few movies really impacted me. Movies I thought I would "Love" were more "Really Liked." I had a hard time finding mainstream movies I was especially passionate so thank you independent and foreign films.

I didn't have a "not interested" list last year but I needed one this year. I just went back through all my old posts and realized that to this day the only time I have ended up actually watching a movie on my "not interested" list was The Big Short, which was really worth my time. I've thought about watching The Martian since I ended up reading and liking the book but overall I seem to have a decent sense of which movies are skippable.

Movies I Still Need To See:
* If Beale Street Could Talk

Movies I'm Not Interested In:
* Green Book: The premise seemed okay until I looked deeper into it. Alex didn't like it which seems like a safe bet to avoid.
* Beautiful Boy: I was bored trying to read a plot description of this. I feel like I've seen this movie at least three times.
* The Wife: See above.
* First Reformed: See above.
* Never Look Back: See above.
* Boy Erased: I already watched a gay conversion movie this year and while this one got praised a lot for Nicole Kidman's performance, I just don't know if it's worth my time.
* Mary Queen Of Scots: I already watched a few period dramas this year and while this one got praised a lot for its costumes and makeup, I just don't know if it's worth my time.
* First Man: Another biopic. I'm sorry but all biopics are basically the same to me at this point. Most lack a fundemental purpose outside of telling a story of a life and trying to inject purpose often comes off as false. You're literally trying to give meaning to life.
* The Mule: See above although John Mulany and Pete Davidson's review of it made me wonder.
* At Eternity's Gate: See above although the premise seems marginally interesting compared to the other two biopics on this list.
* The Ballad Of Buster Suggs: I hate westerns. I liked Mudbound last year but no thanks.
* Mary Poppins Returns: I love and worship Emily Blunt and Lin Manuel Miranda but I don't need this in my life.
* Isle Of Dogs: The animation freaks me out somehow.
* Ready Player One: Well, how much will you pay me to watch this?

Maybe I'll get around to the other animated movies but I don't really feel strongly about them enough to really bother.

Movies with a + were not nominated for an Oscar.

Previous Years: 2018   2017   2016   2015   2014   2013   2012   2011



Movies I Loved:

Cold War: This movie broke into my house, murdered me, and stole everything. I was literally glued to my screen the whole time and off and on crying. The only non-doc movie I gave a full five stars to. I do have a very unemotional explanation for why I liked it so much (directing, cinematography, editing, acting, USE OF MUSIC) but every beat of it kept hitting me in just the right way that it also gave me a lot of feelings from beginning to end.

The Favourite: A lot of people seem torn about this movie. Complaints seem to include historical inaccuracy (I'm of the opinion that you should either go strictly accurate or wildly inaccurate and this did the latter so no problem), unlikeable characters (that was kind of the point), and tone shifts (it was a comedy, guys, but like the kind of comedy this Greek madman makes). Sorry, I loved it. It was visually beautiful on every level, the plot was interesting and layered with lots of character development, and even when I think Yorgos Lanthimos makes a film I don't think is particularly good (The Killing Of A Sacred Deer) I'm always entertained.

Roma: I was a bit on the cusp of Really Liked and Loved with this one but I bumped it to Loved for the directing, which was impectable. It reminded me a lot of La Dolce Vita for some reason but that's another movie that's long, well-directed and makes me think a lot afterwards so i guess the comparison is apt.

Burning: Same conflict with the cusp of Really Liked and Loved but once the movie was over I thought about it for about a half hour and I realized just how many layers there were and I was shook. The social commentary aspect was in the back of my mind while watching and it hit me like a ton of bricks afterwards. I'm kind of floored this wasn't nominated for Best Foreign Film.

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch: Wikipedia told me this was a movie so it is. Black Mirror is literally one of two shows that I watch so I may have an inherent bias, but this was one of the best movies of the year. I can already hear people claiming that it's gimmicky but the thing is, this movie basically created a genre of movie and then destroyed it with its content and themes at the same time. Amazing. 

Director's Cut: Technically this movie is from 2016 but it wasn't released until 2018. Speaking of movies that someone could dismiss as gimmicky, this film is unique and darkly hilarious and its gimmick really works to unfold a narrative. There need to be more fun movies in general to be honest.

Blindspotting: After watching something like 15 movies in a short amount of time, I saw this and immediately texted everyone I know to say that I finally saw a good movie. It's got a comedic friendship, drama about police brutality, gentrification, and race, and it involves a scene were someone is so angry they can only rap their feelings. It's quality.

Eighth Grade: Last year I mentioned that Lady Bird was a movie that felt almost too real but didn't quite hit all the notes to make it really amazing to me and I have sense realized that film men seem to like it more than film women. Eighth Grade hit the beats that Lady Bird felt like it was missing for me. The juxtaposition of the YouTube videos was brilliant.

Pick Of The Litter: I called this movie the best movie of 2018. I was joking but also not. My other five star movie.

Free Solo: So stressful but so satisfying.

RBG: This documentary was so well edited that I couldn't believe how seamlessly the narrative of RBG's life with her present managed to fit together.


Movies I Really Liked:

BlackkKlansman: This movie is at the top of my "I need to watch this again because I don't think I gave it a fair shake" list. I really liked it, for sure, (my only real criticism is that Spike Lee got obvious even for him at the end) but I was distracted during the first 20 minutes so it made it hard for me to catch up, interest wise. This movie deserves better than that.

Black Panther: Every year there is one superhero movie that I actually bother with and it was great that this year's superhero movie also came with a bunch of thought provoking aspects, cool characters, and a clearly passionate team behind it.

Widows: I saw this in a New York City theater with Alex and the people were INTO it. I honestly think it's Steve McQueen's weakest film but Steve McQueen's worst is still really good. I also immediately noticed Gillian Flynn's incluence on the script and it was highly appreciated because I love how she writes characters.

A Private War: Very intense. Biopic with a point.

How Could You Ever Forgive Me: Less intense but still very good.

Shoplifters: Not my favorite Kore-eda (nothing will beat "After Life" for me I think) but definitely a good one.

The Hate U Give: I really liked the book and I thought this was a great example of how to adapt a book for film even if I have a few minor nitpicks about things they should have kept in. A lot of the changes really supported the story and tightened up the theme. 

Love, Simon: I really like the book and this movie was very, very different. It completely functions well as an separate product although I think I'm an old curmudgeon who is a little tired of Hollywood conventions (yes, it's great to have a film where two guys kiss with their classmates cheering them on; I'm not that miserly).

On Chesil Beach: It seems like the people who didn't like this movie, wouldn't have liked the book either. I love the book and I thought the movie was a great adaption of it. Like The Hate U Give, there were a few changes made that really strengthened the themes for a visual medium.

The Death of Stalin: I need to watch this again. I enjoyed it but I was kind of distracted while I watched it and I think I would enjoy it more a second time. I did laugh a bunch though. I love a good dark comedy about death.

Thoroughbreds: Speaking of dark comedy, I kind of thought this would be a Loved and while I did really like it, something kept me from putting it all the way up top. It's not quite the new Heathers but it's a solid watch for fans of Heathers.

Support The Girls: This was just such a nice, earnest movie that happened to also have some social commentary buried under all the wholesomeness. It's a family film, I swear.


Crazy Rich Asians: I watched this on a plane because I had just watched two documentaries and I wanted something fluffy. I was super pleased that it was more about family relationships than a romance and it was just fun to watch with a lot of shiny to keep you entralled. Call me a cornball but that proposal scene hit me in the gut.

Three Identical Strangers: This one's a wild ride. It reminded me of the doc The Imposter in terms of technique but I thought this one was better.


Movies I Liked:

Bohemian Rhapsody: I said earlier that all biopics are the same to me, and I continue to stand by that, which is why I only watch biopics about people who I actually like or find interesting. This biopic at least had a theme that ran through it, and I'm always happy to listen to Queen's music. 

Vice: This movie was enjoyable, particularly with the acting, but it had a lot of pieces that really didn't come together for me. Adam McKay needed to tone down his Adam McKay-ness and pick a mood because it was jarringly inconsistent for a topic that has elements that are still, you know, emotionally traumatic for your target audience.

Incredibles 2: A perfectly adequate sequel from Pixar. I don't think Pixar is particularly capable of making bad movies.

The Miseducation Of Cameron Post: A very decent film about gay conversion therapy, not to be confused with that other movie about gay conversion therapy. I saw this in a tiny theater in Burlington while on vacation with Alex and I remember us being very amused (and also two of the four people in the theater).

Colette: This was really the year of WLW in film, I swear. Twenty GayTeen indeed. Anyway, this film was fine but nothing special. Biopic historical drama with some bisexuality.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before: Sometimes you just need to watch a cute and earnest teen movie and this movie was a great one for that. Wouldn't mind this becoming a classic in the genre. My one problem with this film was that some of the boys looked the same and I kept getting confused.

A Quiet Place: This year's one good horror movie.

Ocean's 8: This movie was fun as hell. I loved the cast dynamic.

Leave No Trace: It's definitely unfair to compare this movie to Mr. Fantastic, which I really liked, but I think my problem with this film was the organization. I spent way too long wondering where it was going and even for a character study like this, I shouldn't have spent so much time looking for a purpose to the journey.

Mandy: It wasn't boring or conventional and it knew exactly what it wanted to be. Considering how many movies bore me nowadays, this movie gets a lot of points.


Movies I Thought Were Okay:

Disobedience: This movie had a good sense of style but was really underwhelming when it came to substance. I discussed it with my friend Rene who sees every lesbian movie that comes out and we managed to break down the problems in this film to two main ones: 1. The main character is weirdly underdeveloped. Her motivations, her relationship to her community, and everything about her background is never discussed and 2. The spitting. 

A Star Is Born: What worked: Lady Gaga. What didn't work: the plot, Bradley Cooper's character, Bradley Cooper's directing. 

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindlewald: I think this one barely escaped the bottom category because I enjoyed parts of it. It's a damn mess though and needed a million rewrites. I don't think the franchise is unsalvageble though, which is why it was better than the next one.


Movies I Didn't Like:

Solo: A Star Wars Story: I liked this movie less the more I thought about it. My signother and I actually talked about it and revised it to be a trilogy with all the same characters and major moments but actual story beats and it became clear that the basic material of the film wasn't bad, but it was constructed so wrong. I doubt there'll be another Solo movie.

Unfriended: Dark Web: I was about two-thirds of the way through this movie when I realized I really wasn't having a good time. I felt bad for the characters and irritated that there wasn't anything they could do to stop what was happening. This is a fundemental problem with a horror movie. Unlike the first Unfriended which involved a bunch of unlikable teens and a ghost as a enemy, this one features a bunch of very likeable 20-somethings just trying to have a nice game night over Skype being brutally hunted down by a bunch of merciless dark webbers. It felt like a really depressing episode of Black Mirror without a morale.

The First Purge: The worst one since the first. New movie, same critique: less violence, more politics. The only part that really interested me last about 5 minutes where the psychologist realized that her predictions weren't working and you find out why. The politican's intentions with what they were trying to sell to the public didn't even make sense.

God's Not Dead: A Light In Darkness: Bad movie night watch.

Cool Cat Kids Superhero: Bad Movie Night. The original Cool Cat was much better.