A conversation or essay of a movie. It’s been a while since Gregg Araki released a movie. It’s been a while since the summer of 2020/2021, when I discovered his work and was forever changed. I’m fascinated by his style, his take on sexuality, his surrealistic flourishes, and his taste in music. He’s my favorite living director! So to say I was excited for this film is an understatement! It’s been on my most anticipated of the year list since it was announced! I love the cast! I’m currently realizing that Olivia Wilde is one of the best actresses of our time post The Invite. I’m actually so glad to say I loved it after all this time.

Gregg, in this film and in real life, has been going on a promotional campaign that my generation hates. It’s the same tried and often repeated chant that Gen Z is not having sex anymore! Which isn’t really true, but that’s not my point. I don’t really care about this constant conversation anyway— I kinda think everyone on both sides cares about what the other thinks of it all far too much because it’s just opinions. Yes, some Gen Z is a bit chaste and puritanical, but it comes from anxiety and also the fact that the opposing group of anything is gonna be louder than the others. Are the Gen Z people that do believe in sex scenes online defending the generation by explaining they’re out in the field? No! They’re busy. Obviously, Mason Gooding’s Zap (classic name for Gregg) spends most of his dialogue referring to sex he’s having while being in the Gen Z age bracket. It’s in the text! But this isn’t my point.

My point is that while, for most people, it comes from a gloating or higher-than-thou perspective, I don’t think Gregg Araki is. I haven’t really read those articles about him talking about it partly because it’s promoting a movie I’ve wanted to see before the script exists. Still, I think it’s more nuanced than a simple overinvestment in the lives of young people you wish you were. I really do think he thinks it’s just fun; it’s just a way of life for young people to be stupid and do dumb things. To have lame experiences and grow from it. Finding yourself or whatever. It’s why I found I Want Your Sex to be an enlightening take on the conversation.

I feel like this movie’s perspective on it all is that there are points on both sides of the conversation here. Yes, a Gen Z person living in a relationship that’s essentially an early dead marriage sucks. (Charli XCX is pretty funny as Elliot’s endlessly busy girlfriend. I wish she had more to do but she's great for what she's needed for.) But so does the person who’s too invested in that person. Erika Tracy (stunningly played by Olivia Wilde) is a character filled with interesting contradictions. She encourages distance while wanting to be disconnected. She understands the social niceties of our era while also blatantly breaking them. She’s a mess, to be honest, and if she’s the voice of this dissenting, holier-than-thou group, I do think Araki is aware there are faults in the ideas. I really liked how her character feels like an aged-up version of a typical female Araki protagonist. Snarky, fashionable, and probably distantly traumatized. Olivia Wilde makes her feel very complete in ways other Araki protagonists aren’t. Cooper Hoffman’s Elliot is another story.

Male protagonists in Gregg Araki’s works are usually very passive. He’s always kinda had the sub/dom undercurrent going in the background of his work. His characters often feel like the plot happens to them outside of their control. I feel like Elliot has a bit more agency in terms of what he can do here. Despite worries and a few issues with the late-style attributes of this Araki work, he does still fit the canon. Cute, earnest, and able to withstand heavy amounts of embarrassment. As usual. I think this film, and by extension, Araki believes that sex or arousal in general is what can make one feel alive. It can start new conversations in your head. Make you realize things about yourself. Broaden new horizons. Despite whatever mess you end up in, it will be something that shapes you and changes you. There’s an interaction that Chase Sui Wonders’ Apple (incredible name and performance), Erika, and Elliot have that I found really revealing in what it communicated about character. They’re all left in different places afterward narratively as their experiences changed them.

Not to pull away from discussing the movie itself (but I don’t like spoiling anything so you knew this could happen) but a certain…Madonna-related…moment in film reminds me of why I’m so drawn to Gregg’s work. Quarantine was a tough time for the world—just a lot of sitting inside deciding which parts of you were you and which were routine. At a certain point I became rabid for real intimate connection. There’s only so long you can go without before you completely lose your mind. One of these days I turned on The Doom Generation. I was promptly traumatized as one is with that film, but I found it incredibly tantalizing. That movie was one (and I must speak in euphemism here, but you get it) thing that could make me feel awake in the waking dread that life was. Despite the loneliness of my childhood bedroom, or a loft for four people that lived in alone, or even around people again, I could turn on that film and remember myself. I could remember what I wanted, remember who I even was in the midst of that strange and erotic experience. I think that’s sort of what Gregg Araki encourages. We’re all messes, and our conversations will be messes, sex will be messes, but it’ll all be experiences that shape us in some way or form, whether it’s in real life or witnessed via screen.

Unless you literally don’t want to, then this doesn’t apply. I thought the movie was good! I think it was funny, occasionally hot, interestingly weird, and, for films, a great return for Gregg Araki after White Bird in a Blizzard. I’m giving this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars. I’m really glad I like it this much. Very fascinating. Eventually I’m gonna review this with spoilers, but for now I hope you liked this review and the movie!

I’m not necessarily a Nolan super fan, but I know who he is. I love a lot of his work, with Interstellar being my favorite. My first thoughts when The Odyssey was announced were “oh that’s cool!” I was excited in the way I’m excited for most upcoming releases. I didn’t have huge expectations; I just wanted it to be good to justify the length. I was not expecting it to be so incredible; it more than justified it. Oppenheimer was a film about, among many other things, the evil of man through creation. While at its core being about a literal man’s odyssey to return home, the movie has more on its mind. The Odyssey gets down into the DNA of the world, the need to plunder and take from the world because it’s the way of history, and asks what do you gain from all that decay? What's after? It’s such a successful interrogation into this through its script, performances, editing, and craft. It’s a marvel to behold and one of the most striking movies I think I’ve ever seen. I haven’t even seen it in IMAX yet as I write this!

I really like how The Odyssey is written. Initially, it was hard to understand what was going on since even though it’s modernized, it’s still telling an ancient story. Once it gets going, so many different lines and phrases jump out at me as very insightful. I can tell Nolan has a lot of appreciation for the original work, and he makes it very easy to translate it into the current era. The way the movie takes the admittedly very cool exploits of Odysseus and his crew and presents them that way initially, before they’re revisited, is breathtaking. I also love the film’s structure, as it makes the epic story very digestible for the general public. He wouldn’t be able to succeed at doing that if his actors weren’t so good, and they’re outstanding all around in this.

The performances in The Odyssey are incredible. I felt compelled to make a list of my favorites after watching, and I was shocked by how long it ended up being. Everyone feels so dedicated to their craft, and due to the strength of the script, they all have moments to shine. My favorite performance was Anne Hathaway’s as Penelope, Odysseus’ wife. She’s phenomenal in this, letting her emotions simmer and creep around her face with every glance. She also has great chemistry with Matt Damon and with Robert Pattinson, who’s just fantastic here.

Robert Pattinson is uniquely slimy and evil as the villain Antinous, one of the suitors waiting to marry Penelope as Odysseus is gone. He has like ten incredible line readings. It’s ridiculous. The polar opposite of his character is Matt Damon’s Odysseus. Matt Damon is, of course, great as Odysseus himself. The role requires not just a lot of inner work to convey his thoughts of sadness or strength, but also a lot of physicality. He has to perform a lot of different actions during the set pieces and look incredibly confident doing them. He is also great at making his character’s arc feel real as he sees it unfold in different phases throughout the movie’s structure.

A big surprise for me in the film would be Tom Holland. I’ve been a fan of his for years because of Spider-Man and his overall personality. I do think this might be his best performance due to his commitment to playing a son who’s stuck in a stoic recreation of his father’s way of moving in the world. It reminded me of a child who wants to grow up too fast and ends up imitating a nearby adult out of adoration. Due to the story, of course, he’s not playing someone who’s been around his father most of his life, so it’s easy to see in Tom’s performance how he makes Telemachus’ actions reflect or differ from what his dad would do. It’s very different than what we used to see from him, and I was very impressed with what he brought to the film.

John Leguizamo plays Eumaeus with so much soul and dedication that it was a joy to see him on screen. I wasn’t expecting him to give one of my favorite performances, but he did. Himesh Patel has a bigger role than the promotion would suggest. He’s a great presence and has good chemistry with Damon. Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, Elliot Page, Zendaya and Samantha Morton technically have smaller roles, but they make an incredible impact on the film. Zendaya, in particular, has an incredible scene that I can’t stop thinking about. I was really impressed at how much they conveyed in their short appearances. Everyone had a good chance to shine and make it worth seeing the film for any one of them.

The editing in The Odyssey is phenomenal, as expected. Jennifer Lame is a genius when it comes to the medium, as most people wouldn’t be able to make an almost three-hour-long movie feel so well-paced. I also think her working in tandem with Nolan’s script gave way to some of the most gorgeous montages of their careers. The way he cuts together brief ones to convey a memory or remind you who someone is is really striking. It’s so fun to anticipate what the next cut will be.

The craft in this movie is impeccable, as I expected. Nolan has been going around saying that most of the movie is practical, from the boats and water to the sets. It all feels very real as I watch it, too. It was easy to feel connected to the world as I watched because I could believe they were all really there. I was also just very in awe of all that I saw because it looked so great. It’s wonderful to see a film with a budget this big that both lets it show and genuinely feels like a window into another world.

The Odyssey is, among other things, a successful interrogation of the roots of human evil due to its script, performances, editing, and craft. The writing is incredible, and while I’m not familiar with the original work, I could still find lines I connected with. The performances are phenomenal, with Anne Hathaway, John Leguizamo, and Charlize Theron giving some of my favorite performances. The editing is incredible, making an almost three-hour-long movie feel like a breeze. The craft is insane, with the budget and dedication to making it all feel real paying off. I really loved The Odyssey; I hope you do too, and I can’t wait to watch it again tomorrow.

I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars. I hope you enjoyed this review and liked the movie!

Decades ago, Steven Spielberg became one of our main filmmakers who specializes in depicting earnest wonder. Whether it’s Jurassic Park or E.T., he’s always had a talent for bringing spectacle to the big screen in a refreshing way. People might laugh at their situations, but they never stop taking them seriously. I was excited for Disclosure Day, even if every trailer was strangely opaque about what the film was about. It’s about a meteorologist who suddenly is swept up in a massive conspiracy involving aliens. I knew more about the names of the cast than actual plot but I liked the film’s energy from what I saw. I had a feeling it was building to something great. It definitely was, as Disclosure Day amazed me with its wonderful performances, script, and style. I was hoping this was good, but I wasn’t expecting phenomenal.

The performances in Disclosure Day are really great, balancing wide-eyed earnestness with blockbuster stakes. Early on, it was a bit funny to see how much they communicated in secret before they got into the specifics. Josh O’Connor and Eve Hewson are our introduction to this world, and they give very well-constructed, spirited performances that add a lot to the film. The film’s centerpiece, however, is Emily Blunt’s performance. Emily Blunt as Margaret was immediately one of my favorite characters of the year. She commands the screen as soon as she enters, and she goes through several emotions in each scene very well. I know this is vague, but it has to be to preserve just how cool she is. Her character’s potency is also partly due to the script’s quality.

Disclosure Day’s script is very strange in a way I found appealing. It withholds information for long periods yet always manages to maintain a level of humanity I found incredible. The dialogue goes from pretty funny when simple to incredibly complex when discussing what things mean. It’s still all easy to understand, but I get why people say this is one of Spielberg’s weirdest. Certain dialogue is silly, and some set pieces have very fun payoffs. Occasionally, the payoffs were so wonderful that they brought some tears to my eyes. It’s cool to see a blockbuster on such a big scale be so playful. Especially in terms of style, which is just impeccable to say the least

Nearly every shot and sequence in Disclosure Day is cool. The camera moves around the characters in very fun ways. The color grading alternates between blues and yellows in a very interesting, occasionally plot-driven way. There’s a freedom in the camera’s movement and the way the characters are presented that makes you feel like anything can happen in a great way. It feels weird to say one of the greatest of all time is indeed operating on that level, but it’s true. It makes Disclosure Day one of the more surprising movies I’ve seen in a while, simply because of how varied its form is.

Disclosure Day wowed me with its amazing performances, script, and style. Josh O’Connor, Eve Hewson, and the rest of the ensemble delight in how well they handle the big swings. Emily Blunt’s Margaret, however, is the shining star of the whole movie. Easily one of my favorite characters to see grow and evolve in a movie in a while. I liked how the script started in an opaque, almost confusing place and built to a place I felt I understood incredibly well. I loved the film’s style because it felt like Spielberg was constantly trying to find the most dynamic way to convey a moment. I kept my expectations relatively average for this film, and it really exceeded them. I can’t wait to see it again.

I hope you liked reading this review and like the movie! I give it 5 out of 5 stars. Thanks for reading.

I’ve been excited for Backrooms since it was announced. I liked the concept and found the idea of the movie being made interesting. I kept my expectations pretty low, aside from wanting to like the movie simply. I was very excited to see that I ended up loving it. It taps into a very fascinating Twin Peaks/Inland Empire adjacent space for me. Operating in dream logic and occasionally avant-garde filmmaking that might deter some, but I found it incredibly interesting. Backrooms is a great film due to its performances, visuals, and handling of tension. Occasionally, it felt a little slow getting to the good stuff, but the payoff was very satisfying.

The performances in Backrooms are predictably incredible from a few heavy hitters. Chiwetel Ejiofor is a very strong lead, as he grounds the movie in a pretty grounded fashion. I was invested in his performance and excited to see it progress. Renate Reinsve is always incredible, but it was nice to see her outside of her typical zone. She works well in this strange, horror-film space and brings a very naturalistic perfection to this occasionally very abstract movie. Lukita Maxwell and Finn Bennett are also great in smaller but still important roles. They don’t feel stereotypical at all and fit very well into what this film does. That reminds me of how much I loved the movie’s visuals.

I think Backrooms looks incredible. I really like how they’re constructed. There’s one scene in the middle where I sat both terrified and thrilled at the variation in what I was seeing. The set design is nothing short of impeccable. It’s all framed very beautifully, with some of the best-lit indoor scenes I’ve seen in a while. There are also a few stylistic flourishes I really enjoyed, even in scenes that could be considered more setup. They remained disorienting and added greatly to the movie. Speaking of tension, this film was great at building it.

The experience of watching this movie was extremely tense. As I mentioned before, it’s fun to see characters explore, but it’s also very nerve-racking. They move on pure impulse, walking through every retrace and exit they can find. The camera usually moves with them in a very panicked fashion, which also contributes to the tension. It’s often very strange in inexplicable ways that leave you feeling just freaked out, which I loved. It does take a while to get to this feeling, though.

The beginning of Backrooms is definitely a little slow. It sets up all its dominoes pretty precisely and tries to head in too quickly. I’m a fan of horror when it’s quick and hits the ground running as soon as possible. I think most of these scenes definitely contribute enough not to feel like a waste overall. They’re just occasional disturbances to the spell the movie casts. The only other flaw would be the movie’s dedication to ambiguity, but I feel like that works for it. At least, it worked pretty well for me.

Backrooms was a great experience for me due to its performances, visuals, and handling of tension. Occasionally, it felt a little slow getting to the good stuff, but the payoff was very satisfying. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve are great leads, delivering grounded yet excited performances. The visuals are incredible, with every new shot making the Backrooms look both horrifying and well-composed. The film has a great handle on tension through its masterful tone. At first, it was slow and was generally pretty ambiguous, but it worked incredibly well for me. My favorite movies are ones that can keep me confused and in awe at the same time so I'm really happy I found another one.

I hope you liked reading this review and like the movie when you see it! I'm giving this movie 4 and a half stars.

I Love Boosters is gleefully insane. It’s about three best friends and boosters played by Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, and Taylour Paige. They steal clothes from a very funny, angry designer played by Demi Moore. This sounds like a very direct and easy film to figure out from that premise, but it’s not. It’s a maximalist, surrealist level-up for Boots Riley and one of the most consistently surprising movies I’ve ever seen. I Love Boosters’ performances, writing, and style all come together to make a vastly entertaining movie. Easily my favorite of the year.

The performances in I Love Boosters are as incredible as you’d expect. Keke Palmer and Naomi Ackie are very strong standouts, while Taylour Paige ended up being my favorite of the three. She’s very funny in this, and I left the movie wishing she were in it much more than she was. Kara Young and Lakeith Stanfield are also scene stealers in a few very memorable scenes. They were so funny I almost passed out from laughing. A very great ensemble that wouldn’t be nearly as good without the incredible script.

The script for I Love Boosters is incredible. It’s hilarious and manages to cram many jokes and bits into an hour and forty minutes. It also manages to pull together a pretty insightful and complex plotline. Spoiling what exactly that means would ruin most of the fun of watching it, but know it’s insane how well this comes together in the end. I also think the central characters, Corvette and Sade, are very well developed by the script. Some other characters feel a bit more slight, but the jokes added a lot to who they are. What also added to the character work was the sheer amount of style on display.

The production design and craft of this movie are insane. Every set is stunningly designed. Every outfit is impeccable and adds so much to the color. Not to mention the film’s colors. Very few movies look this vibrant and really pull off the saturation. The score is fittingly strange and catchy. The sound design is so weird, and there are so many fun things they do practically that I’m still wrapping my head around. Sometimes you can see the seams, but it adds to the charm of this being made by very dedicated, real people.

Occasionally, the movie does falter. There are a few pacing issues, as the movie is definitely stuffed with so many characters and subplots. Some sequences end abruptly or are only mentioned in passing when they would’ve been fun to see on-screen. I wish Taylour Paige had more screen time and a bigger role. It’s just that with a film of this caliber, it would be very hard for it to be perfect, so I completely understood. It’s simply bursting with creativity in such an admirable way. I want to make stuff on a scale of insanity like this someday.

I Love Boosters is amazing for its performances, script, and style. Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, and Taylour Paige give incredible performances, as does the entire ensemble. The script is incredibly sharp, with so many jokes and gags I loved. The film is stylistically genius, with so many flourishes that it would becomes laborious to count. I really loved this movie, and it’s my favorite movie of the year. I hope you enjoy it!

I give this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars. I hope you liked reading this review and like the movie when you see it! Thanks for reading!

I’ve been familiar with Halle Bailey for years, as I’m a fan of both her music and her acting career. I was always going to see this movie, so I’ve been excited since it was announced. I’ve been aware of Regé-Jean Page ever since he was on Bridgerton, which I watched on the internet as he took the world by storm. Them having a fun, vibrant romance in Italy always sounded like a decent idea to me, but I’m glad to say it ended up being even better than decent. I loved it. You, Me, and Tuscany is initially slow, but its great performances and clever writing make it an incredibly satisfying rom-com.

The performances in You, Me and Tuscany make the movie. Halle Bailey and Rege-Jean Page have incredible chemistry in this movie. Once the romance gets going, they’re so incredible onscreen. I really liked Bailey’s Anna as a character, too. She has the perfect romantic-comedy-esque strangeness to her character that makes her unpredictability intriguing. She feels like a real person despite how many odd things she does. The rest of the cast, including Marco Calvani, Aziza Scott, and Stella Pecollo, also give fantastic supporting performances. They’re all very funny and give a lot of depth to the world of a movie that would otherwise feel hollow without their work.

I was really impressed with the writing in You, Me and Tuscany. As Halle’s Anna arrives in Italy, a lot of expected rom-com hijinks ensue to bring her and Page’s Michael together. I liked how I couldn’t ever expect the next choice any character would make or say. That’s also a testament to how great the humor in this movie was. It’s a very funny movie, which I found refreshing given how many recent rom-coms skimp on comedy. Bailey’s certainly funny outside of film, and I was happy to see her natural charm translate to the movie, not just through her, but through the whole ensemble. It’s extremely well rounded on that front which should make for some really satisfying rewatches.

You, Me, and Tuscany is initially slow, but its great performances and clever writing made it an incredibly satisfying rom-com. Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page make a great couple and acting pair. They have loads of chemistry and are very watchable onscreen, as is the entire cast. I really loved how surprising the writing was, despite staying close to the genre’s conventions. The script is incredibly funny, which I also found delightful. I thought this film was a great time and I can’t wait for y’all to see it!

I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars. I hope you liked this review and like the movie when you see it. Thanks for reading!

I’ve been really excited for The Drama for a while. I love both Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, and the general premise of their characters’ soon-to-be-wedding being derailed by a revelation. I tried to avoid figuring out the twist, but I did eventually see it. I won’t say what it is, but I’m glad to say that knowing it didn’t really detract from my enjoyment. I think The Drama succeeds as an interestingly nuanced film with great performances, style, and flawed yet intriguing writing. It’s certainly not anything I expected, but definitely something I enjoyed.

Zendaya’s performance in The Drama ranks among her best. I think she shows dimensions of Emma’s character that she doesn’t get to show in her other work. She constantly feels in her head about her actions. Extremely nervous, which makes sense. She also has very great chemistry with Robert Pattinson. Pattinson is good as always. His character balances his natural chemistry with a particularly annoying neurosis. He overanalyzes everything and it comes through with his every move. They have a very entertaining rom-com-esque dynamic that’s quickly uprooted by the proverbial ‘drama’. Some incredible supporting performances from Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie, and Hailey Benton Gates also support them. Gates gave one of my favorite performances of the year in The Moment and continued to excel here. Haim is also fantastic in what might be her biggest actual role since Licorice Pizza. Zendaya, Pattinson, Haim, and Athie all bounce off each other incredibly well, and it’s due to how well this is written.

I really like how The Drama is edited. It’s a very energetic movie, always cutting around moments or cutting into scenes to get into its characters’ minds. It enhances the cringy nature and makes it so much easier to connect to the story. One particular sequence becomes one of the most mortifying scenes I’ve seen in a while as two separate incidents build into a certain character’s lowest hour. I also loved how some arguments or uncomfortable scenes are rendered in a direct close-up. The cinematography is also great. It often has to communicate a lot in very quick bursts of a shot. The blocking is often very incredible, extremely realistic. The color grading is deceptively cool-toned yet light and inviting, which clashes well with the dark subject matter. Many medium shots zoom in to maximize discomfort. I was often both worried about the next shot I would see and yet still intrigued.

I really like how The Drama is written. It approaches its central twist and the events afterward from a pretty nuanced perspective. It pulls in a lot of differing viewpoints and builds anxiety or worry about how Pattinson’s Charlie reacts to the events. In some ways, I do understand the central criticism that Zendaya’s Emma could use more development. In this movie’s special case, I do think the film develops her thoughtfully in understated ways that work very well. It’s a lot to discuss once you leave the theater in ways I’m really fond of.

The Drama succeeds as an interestingly nuanced film with great performances, editing, and cinematography. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson are great in their lead roles, balancing typical romantic chemistry with the film’s less romantic premise. Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie, and Hailey Benton Gates give great supporting performances. The editing keeps the story feeling playful and brisk. The cool-toned color grading makes the movie feel deceptively inviting, and the writing has faults, but it wowed me overall. It made me incredibly uncomfortable in a way I loved. I hope you like it too!

I give this movie 4.5 our of 5 stars. Thanks for reading this review. I hope you like it and the movie!

I was always going to see Project Hail Mary, but my expectations weren’t through the roof. Lord and Miller are great directors, and I’ve loved most of the projects they’ve been involved in. I like Ryan Gosling, too, but the movie’s ideas felt vague despite the heavy promotion. I’m happy to say that the movie exceeded all my expectations. Project Hail Mary’s visuals, performances and score are gorgeous although a few narrative and pacing flaws leave it a mostly serviceable thrill ride.

Ryan Gosling has always been an incredible performer, in my opinion. I loved his performances in Half Nelson, La La Land, and Barbie. He’s very witty, always imbuing his character with charm. I think Project Hail Mary is some of his best work yet. With his acting prowess against a very well made puppet and his chemistry with Sandra Hüller, he really makes his character memorable. Speaking of Hüller, she’s incredible in this movie. A lot of subtle and interesting choices are given to a stoic role. She’s a very great presence in the movie in general. James Ortiz also gives one of my favorite film performances of the year as a friend to Gosling’s Grace. He brought new life into the movie, but his character wouldn’t have been as effective if the film hadn’t looked as good as it does.

Project Hail Mary looks incredible, as I expected. The visuals from the trailers and promotion seemed great. I also have high standards for movies set in space, whether it’s Solaris or, of course, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The cinematography, in unison with the VFX and score, really brought the film together. If the craft and style weren’t able to really pull off a few of the big set pieces in the movie, I don’t think it would’ve worked at all. Ryan Gosling spends most of his time acting against a very well done puppet and that aspect brought me back into the story after it almost lost me. There are a few issues with the pacing and story resolution that brought it down.

Project Hail Mary is a long movie. I don’t have an issue with long movies as long as they’re paced well. I could watch Oppenheimer or Babylon again any day. While it weaves between its past and present timelines, the present one has an inherent sense of emptiness as Gosling is alone in space. I understand this is the point of that stretch of the movie, but it doesn’t make it more digestible. The movie picks up after a very fun twist, but it was a bit hard to stay focused for a bit. It also doesn’t resolve the narrative split in a satisfying way. It’s simplistic by definition so I understand the broad strokes it chooses over more defined ones. The crescendos in each storyline are too detached as a certain revelation has no reflection in the other half of the story and doesn’t respect the original framing it’s set up with. The last twenty minutes are satisfying enough to keep me enjoying the film, though, despite its many endings that once again prolong everything. It’s both bloated and plain which is odd to have as consistent issue with a movie of this magnitude.

Project Hail Mary has gorgeous cinematography, phenomenal performances, and a very engaging score. I think the split-narrative formula isn’t resolved as gracefully as it could be, the pacing is occasionally off and the story is occasionally generic outside of presentation. Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, and James Ortiz hold the story together with their incredible performances. The movie’s craft and VFX is amazing and brought me back on the film’s side after the pacing wavered. Project Hail Mary is an incredibly satisfying and fun sci-fi blockbuster. I had a great time seeing it twice this month.

I’m officially giving it 3.5 stars. This is a very loving and appreciative 3.5 as initially I wanted to give it a 4.5. It just works a bit better on a first watch in my opinion. I hope you liked reading this review and like the movie when you see it. Thanks for reading!

I was ambivalent about The Bride! as it approached release. I love Jessie Buckley, but the promotional trailers felt scattered. Most of the time during the first hour, I actually was enjoying myself despite the film’s weirder qualities. But as it continued and brought so much into play that it wasn’t paying off, I became exhausted. The Bride! is an initially promising, well-acted subversion of Frankenstein before becoming a mostly disappointing yet fascinating creation itself. It’s several different incongruous parts cut together, and the result is not one of pure beauty.

What’s good about The Bride! are the performances. Mostly Jessie Buckley’s rabid and unhinged take on this character. She spends most of her time alternating between speaking regularly and a deranged, almost barked, stream-of-consciousness transatlantic accent. Think that one part of I’m Thinking of Ending Things where she imitates Pauline Kael. Christian Bale is also decent in his portrayal of Frankenstein (fascinatingly treated as a legacy character in a late-era remake here). The film itself looks pretty great all the time. I really enjoyed most of the first hour of it as it seemed fun to see how much was stuffed into this. One of the musical sequences is wonderful and effectively made me feel awe. It’s just that all this stuff doesn’t make sense together in the end. At all.

So many things happen in the Bride! that I theoretically liked. Peter Sarsgaard and Penélope Cruz play a couple of relatively likable detectives. The film tends to break into musical sequences or play into Christian Bale’s Frank’s love for film. The structure and overall energy of the movie feel very directly tied to a desire to be weird or offbeat. I’d admire it more if any of it cohered. Throughout the third act, I began to realize that the movie wouldn’t take many of its ideas to the finish line. A lot about bodily autonomy, self-actualization, gender roles, whatever the hell the mob plot is, and more is brought into play. They’re all left hovering when it ends at such a tiring, sentimental moment. It feels like the most interesting part of these characters’ lives would probably be what comes after the ending. It’s very disappointing for a two-hour-long movie.

The Bride! is an initially promising, well-acted subversion of Frankenstein before becoming a failed creation itself. Jessie Buckley gives a great performance, but the script is extremely thin. The visuals are great, but they feel entirely style-driven and communicated the film’s ideas so opaquely that I didn’t understand their point. I liked the first hour decently enough, but after a while, I felt the movie collapse in on itself. A mess is still a mess regardless but something with this much conviction in causing confusion is worth a watch anyway.

I give it 3 out of 5 stars. I hope you liked this review and possibly like the movie more than me when you see it. Thanks for reading!

For the sake of breaking metafictional barriers within a review, I’m about to go parasocial here. I’ve been aware of Charli xcx for a significant fraction of my life. I can’t pinpoint exactly what time, since I know I discovered her and downloaded all her mixtapes at some point in my much younger years, because I was naturally obsessed with her. Let’s say somewhere around Vroom Vroom.

At the time, I was coming into my own as a person (and I continue to, I was 16), and Charli’s music scratched a particular innate itch to hear something different production wise yet relatable. brat’s popular for being essentially a bunch of thoughtful voice notes set to club beats, but her music has always had a sensitive side. The sensitive, or at least slightly emotionally resonant, aspects of her work have kept me with her through a few controversies or spats. I know she’s not evil, but she’s a little... off sometimes. Once again, it’s still as relatable at my almost 26 years of age as it was at 16.

Funny enough, around the time brat released, I wasn’t listening as much. The era led her to embody that term on social media, which was a bit alienating. Eventually, I gave in and listened. Loved the album, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit of a disconnect from the work I wasn’t feeling before. I got what I was supposed to get, but it was off. The Moment sufficiently explains what brat is supposed to feel like or what it means. I also think it shines a light on how much pressure Charli’s been under, carrying the weight of such a phenomenon.

The moment satirizes the current era of pop culture we’re in pretty flawlessly, in my opinion. Vapid while woke, self-deprecating yet proud, Audacious yet terrified. Every juxtaposition exists at the same time, and while it often feels messy or chaotic, I understood it all the same. I also enjoyed how the moment weaves the music from brat into the film in very cinematically interesting ways. Charli’s performance as herself is incredible. One could say playing yourself is easy, but considering stardom already requires performance, I think this was different. The performances are all very significant, with Hailey Benton Gates, Rachel Sennott, Kylie Jenner, and Jamie Demetriou among my other favorite performances. The cinematography is incredible, the editing is excellent, and just the comedic self-deprecating tone of it all was good.

What I think the brat era tries to communicate is that party girl is only carefree surrounded by strobe lights, drugs, and music blaring from speakers. After the after party, she becomes a much more somber person, despite having to project her alter ego at all times, since it’s popular now. I think the moment captures this beautifully. In seeing this film I understand why I fell head over heels for her music over ten years ago and eagerly await her next major work (next week!) I can’t wait to see it again. I am in the target market as a gay dude, but I think this was phenomenal. Brat summer forever remembered.

I really enjoyed this movie and I hope you like it and this review. I’m giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Thanks for reading!

I only watched the first Avatar on the same day as I saw Way of Water back in 2022, but I love this franchise. I feel like it’s everything I could want from a blockbuster franchise in its visuals, action, and characters. These movies take me to places I’ve never been before, to quote Nicole Kidman. So when I saw how the reception actually seemed a little mixed a few days or weeks ago, I was shocked. Mildly worried, but regardless of everything, I was still excited. I’m happy to say, as I did yesterday with my smaller review, that I loved it! A second sequel in a franchise is when you decide whether you’re really in for the long run. You understand the formula and see whether you’re for or against any quirks or strangeness. After watching this, I'm even more sure I'm in it for the long run with these movies. Avatar: Fire and Ash is an extraordinary saga ender thanks to its interpersonal conflict, action, and the way so many storylines reach their conclusions.

I'm spoiling stuff under this picture. This is a heads up.

One of my favorite things about Fire and Ash is how much it focuses on character conflict through dialogue. Way of Water had this as well, but this is much more definitive and has a bigger effect on the story. It’s wild seeing Jake and Neytiri argue and how that impacts the story. It almost felt like something I missed from Way of Water. While the conflict doesn’t last long it still briefly exists within their relationship and develops their bond in a way I really loved. I also loved the many other conversations and disagreements people had. The Avatar franchise has faced significant criticism for its past dialogue being too simple. I see that as a positive, especially in this film, where most characters say what they mean to each other. There’s an earnest, brutal honesty in how most characters express emotion through dialogue, performance, or a mix of the two, especially in this film, which is marred by so much devastation and fear.

The action in Fire and Ash is astonishing. It’s wild to see how it tops the previous films by sheer excess. Every moment feels like it could be disrupted by chaos, and in some cases, it usually is. There are fewer lulls without substantial action within this film, which is something The Way of Water didn’t have. I can appreciate that film’s leisurely pace, but there’s an air of immediacy to Fire and Ash that I found refreshing for this franchise. It feels like it could break into intense action at any point, and I loved that. Speaking of its predecessor, I’d like to comment on the many comparisons people have made between the two.

Many people have said that Way of Water and Fire and Ash are essentially the same movie. This is literally not true as the film doesn’t even closely follow the formula laid out by the film. There are a few moments they call back to ‘yes,’ but they’re often followed by a tendency to elaborate on a once-cool but vague detail from the prior film. This film follows Neteyam’s death and the battle that unfolds around it, with the fury the characters feel etched into the film itself. Certain aspects of the previous films must be revisited in this light or fire. The pain they’re experiencing from this fuels them and pushes them towards the ends of their arcs here.

There’s a certain level of follow-through and completion in the arcs of every revisted thread from Way of Water that only makes their recurring nature earned but brings them above their predecessors. Every Sully family member plays an active role in the third act, beyond being captured. The settings in the third act might be the same, but there’s a sense that our protagonists have learned from what went wrong then, and they approach it more strongly. Like the kids might say themselves, they ‘never quit’. We were reintroduced to these characters in Way of Water’s prologue, which described them as constantly at war with the RDA since Avatar (2009). There are resources on Pandora that the humans want. They’re always gonna come back, and I have no problem with seeing the evil people killed in the Avatar movies. At this point, it’s a staple of the series.

But I also appreciate Fire and Ash for being a reward for caring about these characters for all this time. You can’t just jump into this movie without context. This is a real story James Cameron is crafting. This film draws on the first and second movies, but the undercurrent of grief, loss, and the actual fear they might lose pulls it together for me. There’s so much I love about this movie, including its focus on interpersonal conflict, action, and the way so many storylines reached their conclusions. The Avatar franchise has become near and dear to me, and I can’t wait to be seated in 2029 for the next one!

I hope you like the movie and liked reading this review or ‘ramble’. I still give this movie 5 out of 5 stars. Thanks for reading!

I have been excited to see this movie for a long time. It’s been something I’ve anticipated more through just watching other people’s reactions than through the film itself. I liked The Worst Person in the World a lot when I first saw it, although I never thought about it much after that. From how people talked about it, it seemed like something I’d enjoy. Indeed, it was something that I enjoyed immensely. Sentimental Value follows two sisters, Nora and Agnes, as they reunite with their father after years of separation. He offers Nora a role in a new film, and the story builds from there. I thought it was incredibly moving. Sentimental Value uses naturalistic performances, stunning cinematography, and a wonderfully thoughtful script to bring the Borgs’ story to life. I’m thrilled I saw this in a theater.

The performances in Sentimental Value are so incredible. I, along with the rest of the world, loved Renate Reinsve in The Worst Person in the World. She’s phenomenal here as Nora, imbuing an innate sense of dread and melancholy into her performance. It’s hard to see her without feeling some worry. It’s also easy to know that at her core, she’s hiding an inner brilliance. Who I was most excited for, and therefore most surprised by, was Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. She puts a lot more into her quieter performance than the other actors do. Her central scene with Reinsve is one of my favorites of the year. Elle Fanning and Stellan Skarsgard are also great in their roles. I didn’t get as much from them as I got from Reinsve and Lilleaas, but they served their purpose. They’re still perfect within the movie, regardless.

The cinematography in Sentimental Value is phenomenal. I really love the film’s texture and how it shifts between different visual styles. So many of the montages are incredible in how they communicate emotion through brighter colors or an effect that makes them look like older forms of film. There’s a great variety in close-ups and wides. I like how it feels like the film often shifts to cater to the characters onscreen. Skarsgard’s Gustav favors a lot of wide shots, which I interpreted as referring to his distant, detached nature. Lilleaas’ Agnes is presented in many medium shots that frame her closely while also being wide enough to include the people she cares about. Reinse’s Nora has many close-ups that reveal her character’s inner turmoil throughout the film.

I really like Sentimental Value’s script, just from the text and how it’s acted. I feel like all the characters are very well written, with the central trio feeling like real people. I’m thrilled their dynamics aren’t overdramatic or overwritten. They seem like a family that was split apart by a few bad choices the father made. Or, honestly, they were split apart by how life happened. I enjoy how the movie doesn’t try to apologize or absolve anyone of anything overtly, but shows them as they are or how they try to be perceived. The narration is also incredibly well utilized and added so much richness to the story. At times, it felt like I was watching a documentary about these people, and I was riveted by everything I saw.

Sentimental Value used naturalistic performances, stunning cinematography, and a wonderfully thoughtful script to bring the story of the Borgs to life. Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas give my favorite performances of the film, with their line readings and actions feeling very natural. Skarsgard and Fanning are also good and contribute to some incredible scenes. These scenes are written very thoughtfully, as is most of the movie. The film looks great, maintaining a texture I found immensely appealing. There are some aspects of it that I didn’t quite understand, but I wouldn’t mind rewatching it to understand more. There are a few movies that come out a year that feel like immediate favorites for me, and this is one. I really liked this movie!

I give this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars. I can’t wait to see it again. I hope you like it and the movie itself. Thanks for reading!

I like Timothee Chalamet and the Safdie Brothers. They’ve both separately contributed to some of my favorite films in general. I was looking forward to Timothee and Josh Safdie coming together to make Marty Supreme. The plot following Chalamet’s Marty Mauser pursuing greatness in life and the world of ping pong seemed silly but entertaining enough. I found it epic, obnoxious, and messy as it lacks focus despite accomplishing feeling like a grand odyssey. It indulges in tense/shocking moments without a strong structure to support them. Timothee’s performance was acceptable, but the best ones came from Odessa A’zion and Gwyneth Paltrow.

A typical Safdie Bros movie is intense and exhilarating. Marty Supreme taps into this almost immediately as the action starts when the film does. It’s just a bit overbearing how many crazy things happen back-to-back, whether it’s dialogue or some physical altercation. I became numb to this sort of pattern of introducing a new odd element before jumping to the next thing. At times, the levels of shock value almost become artful, but when it comes to money or consequences, the film decides to be realistic, which ruins it for me. There’s no good sense of structure surrounding these moments. It doesn’t feel like it rises and falls in intensity with much grace. There’s also not a lot of focus or depth in the script that I could pull from it. It’s ambitious in the number of events and characters it pulls into the story, but it’s lacking in depth. I struggled to really connect to most of what was happening here unless it was scenes featuring Odessa A’zion.

Odessa A’zion is fantastic in Marty Supreme. I’ve enjoyed her in I Love LA, so I wasn’t necessarily shocked she’s good here. I’m shocked that she’s so good at playing the polar opposite of that type. Her character, Rachel, is so interesting in relation to Chalamet’s Marty. Their chemistry is excellent, and whenever she was onscreen, I wanted more of her. I felt the same way whenever Gwyneth Paltrow was onscreen. I don’t think her character was in it enough, honestly, but she lit up the screen when she was there. She also had great chemistry with Chalamet. I think his performance in this was decent. He’s charismatic, witty, and deplorable as Marty, all of which I felt he’s done a bit better in other projects.

I found Marty Supreme epic, obnoxious, and messy as it lacks focus despite accomplishing a grand feeling. It indulges in tense/shocking moments without a strong structure to support them. Timothee’s performance is acceptable, but the best ones came from Odessa A’zion and Gwyneth Paltrow. I truly went into this movie hoping for the best, and I was underwhelmed. Hopefully, you like it more than I and get more out of it, as many other people seem to.

I give Marty Supreme 3 out of 5 stars. I hope you liked this review and like the movie more than me. Thanks for reading!

Wicked: For Good was one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year. The first Wicked movie was a cultural phenomenon and set a high standard for what this movie could be. Then this movie came out to more mixed reviews than the first one even got. I waited longer than I usually would to get to this one, and I’m happy to say I loved this, flaws and all. There are a few pacing and story issues I think they couldn’t shake, as it is an adaptation, but the performances and overall earnest tone kept me firmly on the Wicked: For Good’s good side, to put it plainly.

I’ll address the issues first, the first being the pacing. It is wild how fast this movie moves. The first one lingers in every moment as it takes its time getting to the conclusion. This one, however, sort of barrels forward recklessly as it doesn’t have to set up much and instead follows up on the first. It’s admittedly a bit jarring to see, especially after watching this for the first time right after the first one. On the other hand, I didn’t mind a lot of this insanity. The stakes felt genuinely raised as the conclusion became so imminent with every pretty plot-focused scene they included. The other biggest issue would have to be the plot, as they inherited a few problems from the musical.

It’s unbelievable after waiting a year to figure out why everybody talks about Act 2 of Wicked like it’s the witch herself to see why. The tie-ins are all a little silly. The most interesting section is all of the Boq elements, especially his big scene with Nessarose, which functions as an immense melodramatic tragedy. I was so shocked when the transformation finally came to light, just as the movie jumped to something else. There’s not a lot of room to breathe after so many big moments, and it can get tiresome. What kept that from ruining the movie for me was the earnest way it’s all approached.

Throughout all of the silly nonsense that makes up this film, there’s such a dedication to taking it seriously. It’s easy to see the Wizard of Oz tie-ins and general story attributes as a little silly or misguided, as many have. I personally appreciated that the movie didn’t stop to make fun of or take jabs at the story. It’s an aspect that the movie shares with the first one in that, through filmmaking and performances, not much of this feels like a joke. Speaking of, the performances are the strongest aspect of this movie.

The performances by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are the shining center of both of these Wicked movies. They’re half the reason I go to see them, and they’re just as incredible as I wanted them to be. I really enjoyed how their takes on each character shifted in this movie as their characters questioned the realities they were in. The ensemble is pretty solid, mostly with Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, and Ethan Slater giving great performances. Their voices sound stunning and greatly enhance my enjoyment of the movie. It all just came together in a significant way, in my opinion.

Despite its pacing and story flaws, I think Wicked: For Good is a great movie. The performances from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are great, as are those of Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, and Ethan Slater. The earnest tone the film has was incredibly refreshing and made me love the movie so much more. I think the colors are more vibrant than in the first movie, and that some of the weirder story aspects make the film more distinct. It’s a reframing of one of the most popular stories of all time on an epic scale and, in my opinion, a triumph. I really enjoyed it and will be rewatching as soon as possible.

I give this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars. I hope you liked this review or the movie! Thanks for reading.

It’s so interesting to know the crux of a story, but there is no specificity in style and emotion. I thought I would be fine going into this story, centered on William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, suffering the loss of their child, which then inspired his famous play, Hamlet. It feels weird to say, but I’m not necessarily the biggest fan of Shakespeare’s work outside of liking the stories when they’re translated into modern times. I came here for Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, and Chloe Zhao. I’ve been a fan of all three of these people over the years, and I was optimistic that I’d like their work together. Somehow, even that optimism drastically underwhelmed me, as Hamnet entranced me. Between the gorgeous cinematography, acting, writing, and editing of the story, I was thoroughly impressed. I haven’t cried like this over a movie in years.

One of the first images you see in Hamnet is a gorgeous wide shot of greenery. Chloe Zhao has always loved to include shots of the environment living and breathing within her work. This movie is an addition to the theme, as most of it is shot in grand, wide shots, where the characters feel practically enveloped, as if wrapped in a blanket, by the environment. There are a few close-ups in emotional moments that are used very effectively to enhance their impact. But I still find myself marveling at the blocking within these scenes that fill the screen. One particular scene that resonated with me was the one where Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal’s characters meet for the first time. I found it almost magically framed and acted.

I have a history as a viewer and fan of both Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. Buckley is the shining center of one of my favorite movies of all time, in I’m Thinking of Ending Things, while I loved Mescal in countless projects. They’re both incredible in their roles here. It’s definitely Jessie Buckley’s film as she dominates every shot she’s in and moves around with such ease. It’s very easy to become enveloped in her emotions. I’m also very impressed with Paul Mescal. He’s a supporting player, but I think Zhao effectively portrays inner sadness and turmoil in his natural ability. I thoroughly believed both of their performances, and they both made me cry on separate occasions. Their chemistry feels incredibly natural and lived in. The romance is so good that I almost wish its section of the movie lasted longer. The entire cast is solid, really, with Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, and the kid actors all blowing me away. Jacobi Jupe is particularly incredible as the titular Hamnet, and as soon as he came onscreen, I felt so much dread as he moved towards his fate. I actually spent a great deal of my time watching this, feeling a sort of ache in my body or mind, even before the central incident happened. I constantly hoped that precisely what I knew was going to happen wouldn’t. Fully immersed.

The writing is what makes Hamnet so engrossing. I enjoyed its pacing as it moves steadily to the central loss of the story, but not as slowly as I expected. It honestly could’ve taken its time more because I became so enamored with this family that I didn’t want their happiness to end. The themes of loss, expectations of what family is, and how it should feel, echo back and forth throughout the movie. Every character has one or two central moments to shine. Alwyn and Watson’s characters are primarily on the periphery, but they still feel integral to the story being told. Nearly everything pictured here seems to contribute to the brilliance of the movie. Even on occasion when the cinema would lapse into Shakespearean language that I didn’t understand, Zhao’s direction of the actors kept me engrossed regardless. It all built to the incredible last five minutes, where everything clicked into place for me. It’s what makes it all worth it, what makes it all so compelling as a story. The passing of William and Agnes’ child, their grief, and how it affected them beautifully come center stage. It also made me cry, as I can guarantee it made others.

The editing of Hamnet significantly contributes to the movie’s power. The sounds of the trees linger in the background of the dialogue. The wide shots, as previously mentioned, are gorgeous, but sometimes they switch to handheld to get up close and personal. The few times the film indulges in flashbacks, they’re flawlessly woven into the story and add so much. Sometimes the cuts between each shot or scene convey so much love or emotion in the passing of time. Occasionally, the cuts between shots break continuity to show someone moving their head and smiling or changing expression. There are so many choices within it that I’m mulling over as I think about it again. It’s incredible to say the least.

The gorgeous cinematography, acting, writing, and editing of Hamnet floored me. The wide shots are spectacular, and the blocking within them was great. The acting is stunning, with Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal giving some of the best performances of their careers. The writing is excellent, developing all of the characters, themes, and motifs Zhao has in her arsenal. The editing is fantastic and makes the film breeze by, leaving nothing but tears in its wake. I see that the movie didn’t work for many people, but it definitely did for me. What a masterwork.

I hope you liked this review and like the movie. I give Hamnet 5 out of 5 stars. Thanks for reading!

A film is a series of moving pictures constructed together to tell a story. I can tell you that, yes, this should technically be considered one. It follows Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson’s characters moving into an old home Pattinson’s Jackson’s uncle used to own, and having a child. Naturally, as is often the case in the world of dramatic filmmaking, they do not live happily ever after. Their performances turn volatile, and the editing is erratic to match. Throughout every cut, yell, crawl, bark, scratch, cry, and loud needle drop, I found myself oscillating between slight admiration and annoyance before the latter won the battle. I’m not a fan of this one, to say the least. Die My Love is well constructed but inept as a piece of art meant to be connected with.

Subscribe now

I connected with Jennifer Lawrence’s lead character here, as the movie is constructed around (and at least tries to develop) her. Lawrence spends most of her time on-screen performing something, whether it’s making a face or causing destruction. I believed the acting because she really is a terrific actress. I wish the writing surrounding it was stronger because it just feels like she’s doing random actions in character in front of a camera. Not to mention, every other character might as well be played by a different person every time they’re on screen, because I didn’t sense any real depth or purpose to them other than reacting to Lawrence. Especially Lakeith Stanfield doesn’t even get an archetype to play, but more so an extended cameo with a bit of shock value. It was all so disappointing because I really like Pattinson, Stanfield, and Sissy Spacek’s work otherwise.

However, the film itself is alienating in a way that is both exhausting and enriching, rather than just exhausting—constantly giving way to allusion, avant-garde visual imagery, and metaphor. J’Law’s Grace is a character developed by almost entirely small, candid moments or artsy montages. I understand that she felt trapped or alone, but there’s a lot more this film wants to convey that I didn’t connect with or understand. That usually would be fine, but for some reason, I left this film not really struck with the desire to interrogate my feelings further. I just wanted to leave the theater. Other reviews, even the negative ones, highlight specific moments that serve as metaphors or were intended to have an effect. I didn’t get any of that. I just saw a collection of moving pictures attempting to tell a story.

Subscribe now

What I did get was what I’d say was the equivalent of a fly on the wall, passively exploitative TLC docuseries cut into a movie about the mother of a newborn that’s having a tough time with experimental editing. That would probably feel more satisfying, though. Not my cup of tea. I would have preferred something with a bit more structure or resolution. More character work and less of just the actors working. All love to the cast, cinematographer, and the rest of the crew. The movie looks really good, but I didn’t care for it.

I hope you liked this review. I give this movie 2.5 stars. I hope you like it more than me.

One Battle After Another is a lot of things all at once. It’s an epic, an adventure, and a character-driven odyssey set within a world far from where we live now. I’ve been excited for this movie for years and became very hyped after hearing all the raves. Nothing compares to watching it, so I won’t spoil it by saying too much about it. One Battle After Another is a stunning and beautifully acted action-adventure movie that succeeds in being a grand and a bit overambitious epic. The canvas Paul Thomas Anderson paints in making it is too big to feel complete in the end, with so many moving parts, but it’s still a very entertaining blockbuster.

The performances in Paul Thomas Anderson's movies are known to be spectacular, and they definitely are here. Leonardo DiCaprio is good, and may be marketed as the star, but Teyana Taylor owns this movie when she’s in it. Her performance as Perfidia Beverly Hills is so dynamic and layered. I wanted so much more from her, but I feel like any more could’ve risked taking power away from the role. Chase Infiniti is stellar as Willa Ferguson. She has an insane screen presence and holds her own around many greats. Regina Hall, Tony Goldwyn, and Shayna McHayle complete the impressive ensemble. McHayle, or Junglepussy as her stage name says, has an amusing scene that I cannot stop thinking about. With all these disparate parts, it would be hard to get lost focusing on the film, but that doesn’t happen here.

The movie’s style is breathtaking, with so many great shots and the editing keeping the pace brisk. There are a lot of different styles of filming happening here, with tracking shots taking you through buildings, or even this deranged moment with a camera beneath a car. The editing keeps every style hanging together in very fluid and inventive ways. It all makes the movie feel fun and fresh. I was on my toes from the start as I couldn’t predict much of what was happening in the film. There's one scene at the end that I feel like was the tensest I've been in a while over a simple car chase and I loved how anxious I felt. I didn't want it to end.

The writing of One Battle After Another is impressively dense to the point where it becomes messy. It has so much ground to cover in its two hours and 43 minutes and stuffs a lot in. Most set pieces are formally flawless, and the tension usually stunned me in my seat. I also love how certain sections are colored by the energy the people onscreen have. Due to this denseness, there are moments with the overwhelming nature of it all, work and not work. It works regarding an earlier part that Teyana Taylor leads, which has a unique black atmosphere. Some might worry that these scenes would end up stereotypical, but they feel real and probably close to honest conversations PTA has witnessed. I could apply this idea to many other gatherings of the many factions in this film. They’re all distinct from each other and imbued with a good sense of realism. What’s unfortunate about that one moment of bliss within blackness is that while it was well used, it just disappears after the first hour. That complaint could be extended to how I felt about certain arcs and characters within this film.

Some of the characters’ endings feel unfairly trimmed or cut short compared to the other main characters and, honestly, more fair-skinned characters. While the whole point of the film is a revolution and fight, where people are lost at a certain point, that’s just an excuse for all the loose ends. It all felt a bit messily assembled, considering how much screen time and depth the trio of DiCaprio, Penn, and Infiniti got in the movie. When reading about the film about a week ago, I saw that Regina Hall’s performance was restrained for a change in this film. I was excited to see what that meant, as I love her comedic powers. Unfortunately, in this movie, characters are crafted by their humor and action, as it strays away from stopping for backstory. I can connect at least one joke to every memorable performance and moment. It’s not necessarily that her character has to be a comedian. Still, this film gives her and the other characters nothing but standard action/espionage film fodder to work with when they’re not given any real scene-stealing showcases.

One Battle After Another, among many things, employs a sort of action-first energy or form. Many of the ideas it brings up are brought up to either produce a laugh, gasp, or heighten intensity. While these significant moments and gags work within the set pieces, they don’t coalesce into fully formed characters. There’s a deranged and almost subversive way Teyana Taylor’s Perfidia interacts with another lead character. The action is interesting, but afterwards, it’s never really interrogated in her character. Most of these characters are memorable for the jokes that form their character development or service to other characters. This is not to say that I believe these people to be incredibly poorly written, but the runtime is attributed to much more humor than character work than I would’ve preferred. The movie still accomplishes much as a major studio blockbuster, but it could’ve been so much more.

One Battle After Another is a stunning and beautifully acted action-adventure movie that succeeds in being a grand and a bit overambitious epic. Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti command the screen next to the exceptionally watchable Sean Penn. The movie looks gorgeous and flies by surprisingly quickly. The writing is dedicated to action and sometimes skimps on fully completing arcs and developing characters. Despite any holdups I have with it, I still consider it a great film. You gotta see this movie.

I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars. I hope you liked this review and like the movie when/if you see it next week. Thanks for reading!

I’ve always known this movie was coming, but I was more excited due to the actors than the story. I find Cooper Hoffman immensely interesting, and I’ve loved David Jonsson‘s work since he was in Industry. The concept of The Long Walk, being this march, where teenagers walk to their death to win a prize, sounds interesting but dull. I got excited only when the positive reviews came out for this. I’m happy to say the movie exceeded all expectations and was one of my more thrilling theatrical experiences. The Long Walk floored me due to its stellar performances, writing, and style.

The performances in The Long Walk are incredible across the board. Cooper Hoffman was great in Licorice Pizza, but she shines as a lead here. David Jonsson sports an American accent that I only know isn’t his because of his prior work and charisma. Their chemistry is beautiful, and their scenes might stay with me for weeks or months after watching this. This movie stands out because there’s not a dull performance in the bunch. Tut Nyuot, Garrett Wareing, Ben Wang, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, and Charlie Plummer are also excellent additions to the central cast. I know I just named essentially every central character with lines, but even the guys who don’t speak and only briefly exist in the film mattered to me. It made watching the movie just that much more emotional. Their dialogue and actions spoke volumes, partly due to the excellent script.

With pieces like this that assemble such a large cast, it can easily feel like some people are underserved. The script of The Long Walk feels constructed against this idea, as nearly everyone has some moment. Even Judy Greer’s character, who has at most a few scenes, leaves a big mark acting-wise. It’s a movie about people volunteering to participate in one of the darkest contests put to celluloid, and I appreciate how much it made me care about every person. I also loved how the writing worked in so many beautiful landscapes and shots of the area they walked through. It was nice as a breather in between the violence. Not to mention just how great it is as a script. There are so many lines I’m left constantly thinking about.

It would be easy to film a movie like this using very dull and uninspired shots. It’s essentially just a bunch of guys talking and walking for an hour and forty minutes. I appreciated how much variation the camera had in its wide shots, close-ups, and nice long takes. The coloring of the movie is comfortably warm even as it nears the Book of Eli esque apocalyptic yellow hue. The editing is refreshingly fluid and moves along with the characters. Some moments are cut at just the last second to give characters grace, while others linger in brutality to keep you in the characters' headspace. For a movie that feels weird to box into a genre, but if anything could be considered a slasher, I wasn’t really having fun when a death happened. I would dread it because I knew with this film's style, it would be another harrowing act I’d have to witness and live with. The pacing felt long and exhausting in an immersive way. It sucked to sit through in a weirdly great way.

The Long Walk floored me due to its stellar performances, writing, and style. Every performance from the central boys who walked was excellent, with Cooper Hoffman, Ben Wang, and David Jonsson being my personal standouts. Judy Greer was also incredible in a brief but essential role. The writing effectively communicated so much about every person as the story progressed, making their deaths worse to witness. The style is impeccable with its brisk editing, beautiful cinematography, and exhausting yet exhilarating pacing. The Long Walk is now one of my favorite movies of the year, and I highly recommend you watch it.

I give this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars. I hope you liked reading this review. Run don't walk to see it when you can.

Drive Away Dolls wasn't necessarily controversial, but it caused a lot of contentious conversation surrounding its contents, creators, and general vibe. I loved its loose and cartoonish atmosphere. I found it refreshing. I went into Honey Don’t hoping to have a similarly good experience, and initially, I thought I wouldn’t. It follows Margaret Qualley as Honey O’Donahue, a lesbian private detective who’s not successful in the regular sense of the word for her profession. It often feels stilted and structurally bare, but as the movie progresses, it all clicks into place for me. The film’s aimless hijinks and numerous anti (and real) climaxes coalesce by not coalescing. They feel only connected by the setting they’re in, a few key characters, and their emotions. Everyone here is functioning after or during their grief over the past, a person, or who they used to be. Honey Don't succeeds due to its alienating yet charming thematic undertones, performances, and stunning cinematography.

Honey O’Donahue (fantastic name) is a detective or private eye in the ways you'd expect from the general archetype. Hard as nails, a killer with the ladies, with a sad backstory to back everything up. What makes her interesting is that she spends most of her time away from her current cases looking into what she finds interesting. She doesn’t solve much herself. Her central contact at the police station is a male officer who doesn’t take her plain-faced rejections of his advances. Even then, he still doesn't take her seriously, even when she’s doubtful about something. The only people who value her beyond her looks are her family and love interest, but they don’t ask too much of her. Usually, a detective would move with the air of having control over their story. O’Donahue navigates this town earnestly attempting to get closer to the truth that always seems to evade her until it inevitably finally does.

Margaret Qualley is phenomenal as Honey O’Donahue, as expected. She’s much more restrained here than usual, but that doesn’t make it any less of an excellent performance. Aubrey Plaza, as usual, is a revelation in her work here. I have always loved her performances, but her chemistry here with Qualley is terrific, as is her accent work. She does a lot of acting with her teeth here. It’s a little silly, but still not enough to push into caricature. She and Qualley have this one pretty steamy scene in a bar that I found both a funny and clever way to convey unbearable sexual tension between a pair. This is only one of the many scenes they share that I’d call one of my favorites, including a particularly visually memorable one near the end.

The cinematography is beyond stunning. It’s nice to see a movie embrace bright lighting and sunny hues juxtaposed with the darker nature of the film. Chris Evans plays a character (extremely well, by the way) that’s obviously up to no good, yet the sunlight hits him perfectly. It fits how he sees himself and adjusts to every character from scene to scene. A delightful scene for me was an old-fashioned cross-dissolve-laden montage of O’Donahue asking people questions in town. It’s set to a song performed by Qualley herself and communicates how lost Honey feels within her town's large web of mystery. Her confusion and, in extension, the confusion the viewer feels in being alongside her story is an aspect I loved about the film. I know others might, and have not.

What I think people find alienating about this film is how distant the viewer is from the characters. The movie starts with everyone in the middle of their character’s journeys, a look into how they move through the world after many tragedies. The town has the air of a place that was much better a long time ago, and even then, it was still corrupt. Many plot threads start and end with seemingly meaningless moments of violence. I couldn’t help feeling enthralled by it all. The point I gleaned from all is that this film presents a world where, instead of one central antagonist, the action only feels bonded by the general concept of evil—specifically, the evil perpetrated by men against nearly every character suffering in this story. Even the male characters usually meet their undoing by the folly of their chauvinistic ways. It’s a brilliant way to write this story. In the grander scheme of things, it even reminds me of how it feels to be a good citizen or person now. Honey O’Donahue is trying to do good, but she seems to be the only one who has the means to, or hell, even wants to in the first place.

Honey Don't succeeds due to its alienating yet charming thematic undertones, performances, and stunning cinematography. The violence feels over the top and occasionally meaningless, which adds to Honey O’Donahue’s frustration at being unable to combat the evil in this town easily. Margaret Qualley and Aubrey Plaza are a great duo with great chemistry. Chris Evans has a funny supporting role. The cinematography is incredible, with the bright yellow hue and spectacular lighting all adding to this film's stunning texture. Honey Don’t was a big surprise for me. I think it’s a misunderstood and thoughtful noir I can’t wait to see again.

I give this movie 4 out 5 stars. I really enjoyed watching and writing this review. I hope you end up liking both. Thanks for reading!

One of my screenwriting friends once told me to take everything you’re thinking about and put it on the page. For better or worse, that’s what Spike Lee did here. All his thoughts about the current moment are reflected in the text or his casting choices. I already liked what the movie was doing before the remade attributes of High and Low came into play, but the film starts soaring around there. It’s a movie centered around parallels: The script is corny and thoughtful, the score is too loud but often well composed, and the adaptation choices are too close to the original or drastically different. Denzel Washington’s David King is both an annoying and great father. Spike Lee thought the best way to enter the 2020s entirely was to collect everything about being alive in this current moment into one film and he succeeds. Highest 2 Lowest works, due to its incredible performances and creativity in shot design, paints a beautiful picture of modern life despite some odd choices.

The performances in Highest 2 Lowest are mostly stellar. Denzel Washington is tremendous as the charismatic and sometimes annoying Caleb King. Every scene gives him something new to say or do that’s funny. It’s interesting how, while he plays one of the more annoying archetypes for a man on screen, he still manages to be magnetic onscreen. The other central performance that made this movie for me was A$AP Rocky’s. I was intrigued by this bit of stunt casting ever since I heard of it, and I’m glad it’s warranted. I think he gets better and better after a spotty first scene performance-wise. The scenes they share in person rank amongst the best of the year. It’s shocking how electric they are together, making the movie a rousing success. Supporting turns from the always incredible Jeffrey Wright and, surprisingly, Princess Nokia help round out the film nicely. Wright is always a significant presence in movies, so I was thrilled to see him even though I forgot he was in this. While the movie has its fair share of stunt casting, as previously mentioned (Ice Spice is a cameo), I was surprised at how well-sketched Nokia made her character in her brief screentime. I don't want to spoil exactly how she adds to the plot, but she is a worthwhile puzzle piece.

Highest 2 Lowest often looks incredible as it progresses. The camera is usually restless, moving with the characters throughout the scenes. Spike does this sort of neat replay editing trick a few times, which works well. The iconic dolly shot is well utilized in a scene I’m still unpacking. The cinematography looks incredible, with one particular set piece pulled together so well that I was almost speechless. It’s wild how well it all comes together in the end—especially considering my issues with some of its structure.

For all the stuff I loved about Highest 2 Lowest, I still found a lot odd. The copious amounts of b-roll footage are excessive, the score is constantly blaring, and the script is corny. Some acting choices are questionable and yet work for the movie. There are about three times you’d think the film should end, and it keeps going. These are all things that regularly would sink the film for me, but they don’t. They’re all authentic choices you can tell Lee is making on purpose, and I want to understand why. It feels like David King is both a voice for Spike to speak through, yet still a kind of person he wants to criticize. I wanna see it again to process this push and pull entirely. That is why it took me so long to write this review.

Highest 2 Lowest works, due to its incredible performances and creativity in shot design, paints a beautiful picture of modern life despite some odd choices. The performances by Denzel Washington, A$AP Rocky, Princess Nokia, and Jeffrey Wright are stellar and make vivid characters. The movie looks gorgeous and features some of the most inventive imagery I’ve seen Spike Lee attempt overall. There are some structural or script-related issues here and there, but it just made the project more interesting. I’m happy to say I really enjoyed Highest 2 Lowest and I can’t wait to watch it again.

I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars. I hope you liked this review and watch this movie as soon as you can! Thanks for reading!