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Last Active 01-03-23 11:21 pm
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| 20NEEK22 - Film Ranking
another banger year might update as I see more bc there are some obvious holes hmmm | | 57 |  | John Carpenter
Halloween Ends
Halloween Ends // 1.0 // Horror (Psychological)
dir. David Gorden Green
One of the worst fucking slashers (if you could even call it that) I've ever seen, Halloween Ends is an abusrdly misconceived film from nearly every angle. Expounding on the tone-deaf social "commentary" of Kills, Ends throws the trilogy off a cliff with a near-constant cringe factor, appallingly staged kills, and the defamation of any character's logic that has been cursed to live this far. I'd rather be killed by a smart refrigerator than see this one again. A true dumpster fire for the times. | | 56 |  | Sachiko M
Bar Sachiko
Morbius // 1.1 // Superhero (Action)
dir. Daniel Espinosa
Morbius takes the cake as the single worst superhero film released since the genre's cultural zenith. The fact that years and years of examples of how to make a crowd-pleasing action spectacle has gone to waste is almost inconceivable. Nothing here works. Not a single dramatic, action, or suspenseful moment landed. There was one rapturously weird music cue (those that have seen will know what I mean) that saved it from total oblivion, but this film overall just lacked the style, charisma, or heart needed to connect with an audience. | | 55 |  | Lorne Balfe
Black Adam
Black Adam // 1.6 // Superhero (Action)
dir. Jaume Collet-Serra
The simple premise of a third-world superhero coming into conflict with America's superhero team is inspired, but everything beyond that is unpalatable, exaggerated, and unimaginative. Dwayne Johnson's natural charisma is wasted on a screenplay with no tact, violently jolting between tones of grimdark DC and fun-time Disney+ Marvel shows. It's a slog with a few fun moments, but it's as dispensible as superhero movies come these days. | | 54 |  | Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow
Men
Men // 1.7
Written and directed by a Man
It's interesting that this is what it takes for people to finally rain down hard on these 50-year-old cis male gender politics “we get it” pictures, when so many of these same people loved Last Night in Soho, but that's just me. It's backasswards male apologism that frequently places its passive protagonist in fetishistic positions of peril before throwing together one of the most tone-deaf third acts in modern history. It's a grotesque, unconsidered film, one that drew more eyerolls than jumps from the audience in its most crucial moments. Stop making these. | | 53 |  | Michael Giacchino
Jurassic World: Dominion
Jurassic World Dominion // 1.8 // Thriller (Sci-Fi)
dir. Colin Trevorrow
Hopefully the last 2010s-styled action film, Dominion depicts a franchise imploding in on itself. Crushed under the weight of too many characters, a plot that doesn't directly involve dinosaurs, and a metric shitton of misplaced reverence for franchise "feel" over form and function, this is essentially Jurassic's Rise of Skywalker. It fails as an action movie, a drama, and as a sci-fi film, and its lone joys are the rare scenes that manage to eek a few thrills out of its "x dinosaur + y setpiece" sequence chart. I was a Fallen Kingdom apologist, but this is inexcusable. | | 52 |  | Ramin Djawadi
Uncharted
Uncharted // 2.0 // Adventure (Action)
dir. Ruben Fleischer
Possibly the most flavorless action film I've seen in years (quite a statement, believe you me), Uncharted takes the wit and charismatic flair of the videogame series and squanders it with unfortunate casting (barring the confident Sophia Ali as Chloe) and the charisma of a dead fish. Its few moments of creativity (the flying pirate ship is as inspired a setpiece we could get) are flattened by stock action, flaccid chemistry, and a complete waste of the cinematic potential the entire franchise was built on. | | 51 |  | Michael Giacchino
Lightyear
Lightyear // 2.1 // Sci-Fi (Adventure)
dir. Angus MacLane
Easily the weakest Pixar film yet, Lightyear strains to be a zippy-fun space adventure, but (literally) can't even take off. Everything has a dull, gray, weight to it. The humor is lifeless, as are the people. It's plot is scattershot, if not always boring, it's always frustrating. I won't even go into the "twist," but lets just say this has the same exact third act as Lost in Space did 20 years ago. And it worked better then. | | 50 |  | John Powell
Don't Worry Darling
Don't Worry Darling // 2.5 // Thriller (Psychological)
dir. Olivia Wilde
This was not it. There are some great visual and creative choices that manage to keep this afloat for at least a while, but the plot is as thin as a cracker and the characters were in total service to it. This is largely the writing's fault rather than Wilde's direction, and it still features several great scenes and performances (namely Pugh's and Pine's). But when it comes down to it, the film's feminist bite doesn't land. It's sloppy storytelling with a powerful but unfocused message, and that's that. | | 49 |  | The Killers
(RED) Christmas
Violent Night // 2.6 // Christmas (Action)
dir. Tommy Wirkola
When Violent Night is stuffing in gory glee with coal-black humor, it’s a sure-fire winner. The issue is everything else. Between cringey wealth satire and some of the cheesiest Christmas shit I’ve seen years, there’s David Harbour doing his best in a genuinely amusing action romp. Viewer mileage will obviously vary depending on your Christmas cheer—but if you prefer your Christmas movies on the anti- side, I’d steer clear of this one. | | 48 |  | Ludwig Goransson
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever // 2.7 // Superhero (Drama)
dir. Ryan Cooler
With a gaping hole at the center of the film, it’s easy to see why Wakanda Forever suffers a bit of an identity crisis. While the drama is often gripping and Shuri’s arc is delivered with surprising heft, this is a Marvel movie and we need bad guys to fight. Namor’s entrance to the film sounds plausible at first, but the stakes never become personal for him, and his lack of connection to the characters or literally anything else in the movie eventually relegates the villains to a bubble until the third act churns through just as you’d expect. It’s hard to follow one of the few MCU films to break the mold—but to do so with an ending so clean and fanciful (and bordering on tactless given our current international situation) is simply baffling. | | 47 |  | Vespero
Liventure #21
Vesper // 2.9 // Sci-Fi (Thriller)
dir. Kristina Buožytė / Bruno Samper
Despite taking place inside a pulsing world of meticulously designed effects and production design, Vesper is still a dramatic disappointment. Mashed together bits of dystopian fiction create a confused setting for this simple story, and the titular protagonist is often too passive to leave an impact on the audience. While its stunning conclusion is worth the wait, it's hard to ignore the basic storytelling issues that impede this from being a true triumph of arthouse genre cinema. | | 46 |  | Bedlocked
Bedlocked
White Noise // 2.9 // Comedy (Thriller)
dir. Noah Baumbach
White Noise, meaning the static of speakers, jabbering of voices, or (in Baumbach’s case, and) the chaos of public discourse online. Stacked and stacked on one another, plots and arcs and characters are introduced, abandoned, mocked, and structurally disarranged all for the disorienting notion of confusion. While Baumbach and his excellent ensemble (Driver + Gerwig are fantastic and don’t deserve this) bring together palpable pathos to its message (or lack of one), this formlessness isn’t so frustrating as it is plain disaffecting. In the moment it’s engaging, but as a whole, I’ll have more fond memories of the end credits than anything. | | 45 |  | Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis // 3.0 // Biopic (Music)
dir. Baz Luhrmann
Like all Luhrmann films, it's half an incredible, dizzying assault on the sense, and half a soggy, paperthin melodrama. When it hits, it absolutely hits, especially in its first two acts' constant interpolation of music to tie sequences together, and watching Austin Butler is an ever-agonizing, beautiful experience. However, this shit spreads its third act across an hour-length of Elvis withering away while performing the same show 800 times while Tom Hanks performs a "I'm old and manipulating you" scene every 8 minutes. Their relationship is the core element of this film--at the same time, it's the shallowest. | | 44 |  | Soundtrack (Film)
Pearl
Pearl // 3.0 // Horror (Psychological)
dir. Ti West
Pearl is a candy-coated, widescreen ode to cinema that is so delighted with itself it's impossible to look away. Delivering impactful subversion and sympathy for its titular character, Pearl never quite adds up to more than what it is. Perhaps its because we exist in her solipsistic world-view that each of these supporting characters is colored with less vibrance and reality than herself, but at the same time these conflicts never stack up into a charged or particularly exciting narrative. Ultimately, the film justifies Mia Goth's character from X, but not its own existence as a prequel. | | 43 |  | Henry Jackman
The Gray Man
The Gray Man // 3.1 // Action (Thriller)
dir. Joe Russo & Anthony Russo
The Russos tactful but surface-level command of their actors and action worked wonders for the Avengers films that already had plenty of expositional heavyl-lifting baked in, but they ultimately falter here at getting the audience to, well, give much of a shit. That being said, it's a frenetically paced action-thriller that delivers exactly what it promises, with approx. 90% of its back-half comprising of non-stop action sequences in beautiful technicolor glory. Gosling and Co. are all in wonderful form, so if you need a dumb fun watch, look no further. (Actually worked reshoots on this one too. Got to watch the Russos direct, much cooler experience than watching this!) | | 42 |  | Simon Franglen
Avatar: The Way of Water (Original Soundtrack)
Avatar: The Way of Water // 3.1 // Sci-Fi (Epic)
dir. James Cameron
Cameron follows up the single most successful film of all time with a story somehow even more barebones and traditional than the first time around. Instantly severing us from everything we remember in this world (with some truly breathtaking narrative shortcuts), Cameron whisks us off again to worlds new and unexplored, taking the vast majority of its massive runtime to introduce us to the often jagged character arcs of Sully’s kids. Minor conflicts are settled while the Big One is saved for the sequels—for an incessant critic of modern pop-cinema, Cameron sure loves to play franchise chess. At the end of the day, The Way of the Water is honestly a gorgeous, exciting blockbuster adventure. But we deserve one less regressive or cookie-cutter than this. | | 41 |  | Deserta
Every Moment, Everything You Need
Death on the Nile // 3.2 // Mystery (Drama)
dir. Kenneth Branagh
This belated sequel to Branagh's "Orient Express" lacks the sheer amount of star power that lent that haughty mystery some credence, "Nile" might be the more enjoyable of the two (if not the better). Even outside of the gorgeous backdrop, the emphasis on melodrama and attempts to involve Poirot's pathos into the mystery are well-founded, even if they land with a weak thud more often than not. Still, things are notably more engaging this time around, and I can't imagine it being a bad pick for an escapist night with a few glasses of wine. And hey, at least it’s better than Belfast. | | 40 |  | Ludwig Goransson
Turning Red
Turning Red // 3.2 // Coming-of-age (Fantasy)
dir. Domee Shi
Pixar proves that no-one can escape making A24 coming-of-age cringe-comedies, and even one this palatable still struggles to find an individuality that these kinds of films live and die on. While the family dynamic is believable and there's an infectious energy that stops things from ever slowing down, the drama here feels far too universal and platitudinal to truly hit home. There are some incredibly effective moments, but most fail to land sorely because we've seen so many of them done before in the exact same way. It's hard to watch a studio such as Pixar lose touch of its uniqueness, but that's exactly what's happened here. | | 39 |  | Colin Stetson
The Menu
The Menu // 3.3 // Horror (Comedy)
dir. Mark Mylod
While its social satire may lack bite, The Menu is a delectable if slight thriller with a comedic bent. If said comedy didn’t land thanks to the talents of its cast, we might be in deeper waters, but luckily its bloody twists weren’t betrayed by a lack of humor. | | 38 |  | Duster
Together
Empire of Light // 3.3 // Drama (Romance)
dir. Sam Mendes
Mendes’ dramatic sledgehammer is an ill-fit for this contemplative drama, which largely revolves around intersectional themes concerning gender, race, and mental health. Mendes’ lack of shared identity with his characters is obvious from the start, as certain circumstances manufactured and conversations held betray a fundamental lack of personal experience in his script—but this fault is frequently stayed by the exquisite work of our romantic leads. Thanks to them, for all its thematic noise, the core of the film is entirely believable. | | 37 |  | Terence Blanchard
The Woman King
The Woman King // 3.4 // Historical (Epic)
dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood
As a timely, thrilling historical action flick, The Woman King flourishes—but first and foremost it’s a haphazardly constructed drama packed with soapy reveals and Instagram-model white slavers. As truly wonderful as it is to see a major Hollywood feature rest squarely on the back of wildly skilled black actresses, the film never tops its lavish, violent hook, and loses complexity the longer we know these characters. It’s often too aware of its own conceit, as Disney-esque strings swell over wide shots of black girls training and playing, plunky keys introduce powerful kingdoms as if they were fantasy lands. As great as it can be at times, The Woman King would rather sensationalize its story instead of normalizing it. We can only hope that this leads to more ticket sales, because this is the type of film I would love to see age poorly in the face of better films like it. | | 36 |  | Michael Giacchino and Nami Melumad
Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder // 3.4 // Superhero (Fantasy)
dir. Taika Waititi
Free-wheeling into nothingness, Love and Thunder feels like the lightest, slightest entry to come from the MCU in a long time--for better and worse. For better, there are some stellar sequences (largely in act two) that blend humor and action to a sublime degree. For worse, it squanders its dramatic potential with a limp-dick finale that feels like both a regurgitation and reset for the franchise, and it refuses to up the stakes past its shallow kidnapping hook. Wonky shit. Though I will say, it's amazing to see Portman back as an action star finally. | | 35 |  | Alexandre Desplat
The Outfit
The Outfit // 3.5 // Thriller (Crime)
dir. Graham Moore
An old-fashioned, rote but functional one-room thriller, The Outfit owes as much to the stage as it does Hitchcock’s tense editing. It leisurely unfurls like a cat in the sun as Rylance’s meek edge hardens in twist after twist—think that Sideshow Bob rake joke, by the time it finally ends, you’re back on board. It’s a confident directorial debut, one with just enough muscle and restraint to truly play it cool. | | 34 |  | Garbage
Beautiful Garbage
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 // 3.5 // Action (Comedy)
dir. Jeff Fowler
It's rare to see a film own how stupid its script is quite so proudly. It all comes down to direction, Fowler knows exactly how to get a good laugh by playing a ridiculous moment serious. This film is unhinged, spiraling into a neverending third act full of popping color, bombast, and even some wit. Sure, it is a stupid, stupid movie, and one that whiffs hard multiple times--but, true to form, these bumps never slow it down. | | 33 |  | Weird Al Yankovic
Poodle Hat
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story // 3.5 // Biopic (Comedy)
dir. Eric Appel
The music biopic is finally taken down a notch by the perfect man for the job--Weird Al himself. His signature offbeat absurdism (fans of UHF will be pleased) has aged splendidly, and while its low-budget charm wears thin when it churns through the beats a little too cleanly, it's an actually funny and sweet victory lap for a musical icon for the ages. | | 32 |  | Junkie XL
Three Thousand Years of Longing
Three Thousand Years of Longing // 3.5 // Fantasy (Romance)
dir. George Miller
Deeply felt but frustratingly elusive, Miller's latest work chops itself up into mini-stories and beautiful expositions to challenge our notions of storytelling. Still, in revealing so much of the craft, he also removes some of the magic. Its visuals are lush and eye-popping, but its constant diversions delay our connection to our two leads (phenomenally played by Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba.) It certainly finds its way by the moving finale, but it ultimately proves another, possibly unintended point: the storyteller is always more important than the story. And luckily, with Miller, we're in great hands. | | 31 |  | Disasterpeace
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On OST
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On // 3.6 // Comedy (Mockumentary)
Dir. Dean Fleischer-Camp
Marcel the Shell is a lovely and bittersweet tale that ultimately relies too much on the cute charm of its protagonist to make a perfect landing. There's a serious poignancy to Fleischer's character and his observations, but you wish they could've taken the forefront in a debut that feels absolutely stretched to feature-length, as it bullies itself into having a mystery plot and being a metaphor for COVID isolation. I also found it strange that in a time of several high-profile films taking potshots at "the internet", Marcel stubbornly follows suit, when it's hard to think of another character and situation that could benefit more from its limitless information and sense of community. | | 30 |  | Tyler Bates and Chelsea Wolfe
X
X // 3.6 // Horror (Slasher)
dir. Ti West
X is a fun genre exercise that feigns interest in revisionist horror ideals and generational politics before settling into a by-the-numbers slasher finale--which is hardly a fault. It roots you in just enough character drama so you're not cheering for their demise, but you're never vicariously attached either. This mix of would-be commentary, pulp violence, and the gorgeous retro glow of the cinematography gives this film a deliciously trashy vibe that shouldn't be skipped by any genre fans, but it's also not a must-see for anyone out of its target audience. | | 29 |  | Daniel Pemberton
See How They Run
See How They Run // 3.7 // Mystery (Comedy)
dir. Tom George
A bracingly paced whodunnit without the verve of Knives Out but plenty of the wit, See How They Run manages to be affable entertainment for the majority of its runtime, but peters out in a strangely obligatory-feeling third act. Still, the film further proves that Ronan and Norton are indispensable comedic talents and should be treasured as icons. | | 28 |  | Say Sue Me
The Last Thing Left
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish // 3.7 // Adventure (Fantasy)
dir. Joel Crawford
For all its bouyant charm and agreeable (if not hilarious) humor, what ultimately makes the new Puss in Boots film shine is its surprisingly genuine treatment of its characters. This goes beyond our titular cat, filling a broad ensemble with cartoons cliches played by fantastic actors in a considered script. It's not reinventing the wheel, but as far as this brand of family-friendly action-adventures goes, DreamWorks is returning to form. | | 27 |  | Petrol Girls
Baby
Triangle of Sadness // 3.7 // Comedy (Satire)
dir. Ruben Östlund
Endlessly entertaining as a comedy, Triangle of Sadness's success as an audacious satire is unfortunately skin-deep. Even if its narrative flops randomly from dazzling to lazy and back again, there are still great pleasures to be had from the inverting and subverting directions of the plot. Ultimately, even the characters are at the mercy of its impulsive nature; as they lose their specificity and bend to the circumstances around them, so does the satire. As an timely political comic it succeeds greatly, but I'd love to see this through the eyes of one of the Cannes judges who handed it the Palme D'or. | | 26 |  | Mark Isham
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent // 3.8 // Comedy (Action)
dir. Tom Gormican
The definition of "get-what-you-pay-for," Massive Talent is less concerned with massive twists and shake-ups as it is a pulpy good time containing exactly what the trailer promised. Pascal is at an all-time best here, and his moment with Cage exude chemistry and comedy. The action sequences are rightfully absurd, playing up Cage's b-movie appeal to beautiful heights. The melodrama also works just as well as it needs to, allowing us to take it just seriously enough to get lost in it. If you're a fan of Cage or any of the genres this is spoofing, this one is worth a stream. | | 25 |  | Alex G
We're All Going to the World's Fair (OMPS)
We're All Going to the World's Fair // 3.8 // Horror (Drama)
dir. Jane Schoenbrun
A subtle and trancelike probe into themes of online communication and gender dysphoria, …The World's Fair is also a truly unnerving horror film whose lo-fi tendencies never betray an over-reliance on narrative nostalgia. As it morphs distorted, pixellated images to evoke the low-res fears of our youth, it never once stumbles over tired "home video" or "found footage" cliches. Its faults (jerky pacing, confusing linearity, and dense references to lore) are uniquely its own, often due to its modernity and loose form—the same form that allows it to consistently catch the viewer off guard and freak them the fuck out. It's uneven, but it can't help but feel like a new thing. It could be the first sign of the next evolution of indie horror. | | 24 |  | Brian Tyler
Scream (2022)
5cream // 3.9 // Horror (Slasher)
dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett
5cream takes a thrilling stab at the franchise legacy, nailing the series' familiar mix of cultural aping and twisty whodunnit licks better than any sequel prior. The "Ready or Not" directors nail the tone, know just when to hold back and when to let it rip, only occaisionally stumbling in some character beats and redundant plot points. Still, things feel dire when the need to, and it never loses its edge while delivering a deliciously delirious third act that shouldn't land, but somehow does just right. | | 23 |  | Wild Pink
ILYSM
Good Night Oppy // 4.0 // Documentary (Space)
dir. Ryan White
Just as bleary-eyed yet sharp as its scientist protagonists, Good Night Oppy shines with the same infectious enthusiasm that makes their cause so endearing, even beyond the science. For those fascinated in space travel and technology, the film has a plethora of interesting tidbits, whose depth more than makes up for the occasionally manipulative swelling score and shots of poor Oppy winding down. It’s bittersweet, engaging, and most importantly, inspirational. | | 22 |  | Kendrick Lamar
Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers
Breaking // 4.0 // Thriller (Drama)
dir. Abi Damaris Corbin
Featuring an awe-inspiring turn from John Boyega in the ravenous lead role, Breaking is a blistering debut feature that succeeds both as a thriller and as a social warning. Everyone in this film is caught in the spiderweb of our labyrinthine bureaucracy, and does their best to wriggle their way into doing the right thing within its rigid confines. Its ratcheting tension comes both from our unfortunate familiarity with this kind of true story (even if you don't know the story, you can guess how it ends) and from the masterful performances from every level of the cast (particularly Nicole Beharie and the late Michael Kenneth Williams). Ultimately, the craftsmanship at work here does justice to its essential themes. For a film like this, that's all you can really ask. | | 21 |  | Justin Hurwitz
Babylon OST
Babylon // 4.0 // Epic (Period)
dir. Damien Gazelle
Chazelle’s love letter to cinema (is it just me, or have we been getting more of these lately?) is a dazzlingly decadent depiction of Early Hollywood, probably coming closer than anyone before at capturing the ever-conflicting allure and danger, growth and rot of the Studio System. And while it may prove be unwieldy or thoughtless at times, it presents its ensemble weave of protagonists, familiar faces, and fading stars all on different stages of the curve with piercing honesty, finding the tapestry of cinema to be shaped by everyone who brushes it. | | 20 |  | Nilufer Yanya
Painless
Kimi // 4.1 // Thriller (Tech)
dir. Steven Soderbergh
Soderbergh once again proves himself a master of small-scale thrillers. Kravitz is more than up to the task of leading this incredibly tight and well-paced effort, lending an engaging emotional hook for the audience with her layered and confident performance. The way that Soderbergh stages and frames these encounters is exhilarating in its efficiency, which makes the short bursts of violence all the more shocking and effective. This one hardly reinvents the tech-thriller wheel, but if that's a sub-genre you're interested in, this is a must-watch installment. | | 19 |  | Soundtrack (Film)
Barbarian
Barbarian // 4.1 // Horror (Thriller)
dir. Zach Cregger
This lucid, stylish thriller starts light on scares but effortlessly grounds you in its characters and weird visual language soon enough to deliver on the goods once it matters. This is an eerie film, but one that knows when to take these people seriously and when not to. As it somersaults into its conclusion, it threatens to go over the line several times, but largely manages to remain exploitative rather than insensitive. | | 18 |  | Mark Korven
The Black Phone
18. The Black Phone // 4.1 // Thriller (Supernatural)
dir. Scott Derrickson
Old-fashioned but refreshing, The Black Phone maintains relentless tension that is never bogged down by weighty themes of youth violence and generational trauma. While all the threads might not pay off perfectly, there's no denying how electric and empowering the third act feels when the tables are turned--thanks in no small part to the film's fantastic young actors and Derrickson's empathetic vision. | | 17 |  | Danny Elfman
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
17. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness // 4.2 // Superhero (Fantasy)
dir. Sam Raimi
An absolute slapper of a comic book film that goes a long way towards both driving away long-term fans (likely missing the character content updates the MCU has got them hooked on) and convincing long-term haters and weary moviegoers alike that this franchise has some steam left in it. By adding an established character as the main villain, the trademark Marvel melodrama is amped up to an extreme, and combined with constant delirious visuals and unhinged square-offs, Raimi has successfully delivered the first Marvel film to finally, wonderfully not give a fuck. | | 16 |  | Carter Burwell
The Banshees of Inisherin
The Banshees of Inisherin // 4.2 // Comedy (Drama)
dir. Martin McDonagh
A strong, simple premise bolstered by exemplary direction and performances, it would've been truly difficult to mess this one up. McDonagh succeeds again in delivering a jet-black comedy that makes us question humanity in an elemental way, if in a significantly more lowkey way than his previous film works. Still, Inisherin is regularly alarming, fascinating, and moving in the way it depicts conflict and conscience. Its muted conclusion may frustrate, but rightfully so. These things never do really end, do they? | | 15 |  | Soundtrack (Film)
Top Gun: Maverick (Music from the Motion Picture)
Top Gun: Maverick // 4.3 // Action (Drama)
dir. Joseph Kosinski
An action film for those that think "they don't make them like that anymore," well, now they do. Combining modern-day pyrotechnics and stunt techniques with a vital story on legacy and ego, Maverick is an unlikely panacea for the franchise fatigue we all feel these days. Rather than milking nostalgia for cheap kicks, it doubles-down on the stakes, kickass action sequences, and surprisingly strong drama of the original, essentially delivering everything that audiences loved about Top Gun (which held up incredibly well) and even more. | | 14 |  | Alexandre Desplat
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro's Pinnochio // 4.3 // Fantasy (Musical)
dir. Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson
It’s easy to get caught up in the aesthetic, character, and even narrative changes that del Toro serves up in his edition of the Disney classic, but his deep thematic understanding of the story assures us from the start that these tweaks aren’t superfluous. Even if the songs are strained at times, the film is beautiful rendering of a timeless tale, told with the audacity and verve of a storyteller at the height of his talents. And ultimately, it rewards child viewers with an ending that feels so right its impossible to imagine it ended any other way. | | 13 |  | Florence and the Machine
Dance Fever
RRR // 4.3 // Action (Musical)
dir. S. S. Rajamouli
Bold and packed to the brim with tight action scenes and dense storytelling, RRR is a historical epic that openly challenges Hollywood stagnation with vivid imagination. The central dynamic between our two leads works wonders at centering the audience through its length, and its dazzling display of spectacle stops them from ever considering the clock. While its musical numbers and didactic translation may serve as a barrier for those not familiar with foreign filmmaking, it's a film that anyone can love and should give a chance. | | 12 |  | Ozzy Osbourne
Blizzard of Ozz
Bullet Train // 4.3 // Action (Comedy)
dir. David Leitch
Biased because this was my first Hollywood gig, but I thought this was just so much fun. It's rickety pacing and constant barrage of info and characters can be a bit much, but often it only adds to the energetic undercurrent riding through this feature. Leitch once again proves himself as one of the best action directors working in Hollywood today, as his effervescent style and tight choreography lands winces as often as they do laughs. Don't think too hard. Give in. | | 11 |  | Alan Silvestri
Predator
Prey // 4.3 // Action (Sci-Fi)
dir. Dan Trachtenberg
A top-notch example of how well small-scale action filmmaking melds with unique genre fare, this is the strongest streaming-only feature released so far this year. Trachtenberg wowed me years ago with his Cloverfield sequel, and this was no different--it's a thrilling, brilliantly choreographed and designed action feature. It's also probably the best Predator film ever. More like this, please! | | 10 |  | Sharon van Etten
We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong
Decision to Leave // 4.4 // Mystery (Romance)
dir. Park Chan-work
As captivating a romance as it is a detective story, Chan-wook’s messy tangling and untangling of lives dives headfirst through its complex plot with unbridled emotion. As magnetism between people overcomes language barriers in the plot, powerful visual storytelling renders their words as mere frosting. This is simply thriller crack with a surprisingly moving drama at its core, with brilliant performances anchoring engrossing characters. | | 9 |  | Michael Abels
Nope
Nope // 4.4 // Sci-Fi (Horror)
dir. Jordan Peele
A genuinely freaky film with a steadfast focus on sympathetic characters and crushing suspense, Nope weaves a tight web around its themes without ever spelling them out for the audience--a fault that Peele has fallen prey to in the past. It's genuinely impressive how well everything comes together in the end, even a couple weird bumps in the road do little to distract from that mysterious dark cloud that looms over the entire film. It's hard to praise this one more without dipping into spoilers, but this one proves that Get Out wasn't just lightning in a bottle--Peele is now officially a director to be reckoned with. | | 8 |  | Michael Giacchino
The Batman
The Batman // 4.5 // Superhero (Noir)
dir. Matt Reeves
A gripping, moody action film framed so well through its crime genre lens that it immediately eschews any tonal comparison to the Nolan films, it's also very much a Batman film. Possibly the most comics-literate of any adaptation, it also has the strongest grip on the heart of the character since Batman Returns, and Pattinson melts into the character with charismatic grief. It's gorgeous, dense, and intricately plotted, with very little (but of course some) fat to trim. Perhaps the most commendable aspect is how well they transition the character of Batman to the 2020s--a very different social era than just ten years ago (we just can't have Batman mindlessly shelling the impoverished with rubber bullets these days). Batman's slow turn from a spirit of vengeance to a symbol of hope for a better future is moving to watch in a world plagued by common trauma. | | 7 |  | Howard Shore
Crimes of the Future
Crimes of the Future // 4.5 // Sci-Fi (Horror)
dir. David Cronenberg
Cronenberg has always been smart enough to know that the human condition is a Jenga tower—remove one block as simple and vital and pain and everything, both socially and bodily, will be irreparably changed. Every one of the toppling concepts and designs of Crimes of the Future emanates from this simple premise of “a world without pain,” and while they might suffocate a slighter artist, Cronenberg remains head above water to deliver a number of kaleidoscopic statements on our rapidly changing world, and how artists play their part in facilitating that. He’s at the top of his game, and his brilliant cast and crew rises to his every eclectic whim of sex, gore, love, and fear. Once again, the man is ahead of his time. | | 6 |  | Finneas
Blood Harmony
Vengeance // 4.6 // Mystery (Drama)
dir. B.J. Novak
A sobering but pitch-perfect skewering of liberal narcissism, Novak directs his debut feature with as much precision as he acts. This at once managed to be an intriguing mystery but never once lost sight of the conflict that its Southern setting brings to the table. The fact that it manages to be one of the strongest political films in recent memory, while also commenting on media's own need to sensationalize stories over people. If people don't matter--why tell stories at all? | | 5 |  | Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor
TÁR // 4.7 // Drama (Psychological)
dir. Todd Field
A compelling, thrillingly modern character piece, Tár is stuffed to the brim with volumes of episodes about art vs. the artist and the insurmountable pressures present society places on successful creatives. It's a decidedly objective take that encourages the audience to make up their own mind, while also being told explicitly from Lydia Tár's exacting perspective. Cate Blanchette gives the performance of a generation as a magnetic, predatory superstar that finds herself quickly losing control of her life. I can't recommend this one enough. | | 4 |  | Nathan Johnson
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Glass Onion // 4.8 // Mystery (Comedy)
dir. Rian Johnson
Upping the ante on both the satire and the sentiment, Johnson delivers not just the funniest film of the year, but one of the sharpest. Distancing itself in setting, structure, tone, hell just about any way it can from the first one outside of its gleaming central sleuth (Craig again dazzles in the role), Glass Onion takes a hard left into the chaos of the post-COVID world. Despite this, it somehow retains both its escapism and immersion, along with one of the most audacious climaxes its genre has seen. I surprised myself with how much I loved this one. | | 3 |  | Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough
The Northman
The Northman // 4.8 // Epic (Historical)
dir. Robert Eggers
Eggers is simply a master of his craft, and The Northman proves it further. His detailed consideration to both production design and emotional realism lend a huge credence to his worlds--you could convince me this is exactly how it looked and felt to live in this time with these peoples. This talent warms the smaller moments, and makes its staccato descents into rampant aggression and cruelty all the more powerful. No matter how ridiculous, fucked up, or insane it gets, you believe every single moment. This film is further proof that the culture cycle is complete, and we've finally circled back into another Golden Age of genre filmmaking. | | 2 |  | Son Lux
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Everything Everywhere All at Once // 4.8 // Sci-Fi (Action)
dir. Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
An ADD-riddled blitzkrieg of nonstop gags, action, and existential crises, EEAO tears straight into the heart of all conflict—lack of understanding. This is a film of openness, acceptance, and the universality of human emotions. It's a plot so extreme and unbelievable, and yet so relatable in a time where we all can't help but imagine how different things could've gone. The Daniels manage to mesh all these contradictory genres, emotions, and visuals into a wholly moving product—and it's nothing short of witchcraft. | | 1 |  | Let's Eat Grandma
Two Ribbons
Aftersun // 4.9 // Drama (Psychological)
dir. Charlotte Wells
Aftersun joins the ranks of recent expressionist dramas that filter their narratives and chronology through their protagonists’ splintered worldviews. What makes Aftersun the best of the its esteemed peers is its ability to effortlessly maneuver roaring shifts in tension, striking gold in its story of self-conscious parenting by emphasizing all the wrong choices without once becoming exploitational or maudlin. Its viewpoint isn’t sober or clear-eyed, avoiding objectivity by shining its scrupulous father figure through alternating emotional prisms. Like all the best character studies, it leaves audiences to damn its subject as they see fit. It’s the best drama of the year, with exhilarating form. | |
neekafat
01.11.23 | Still need to see (abbreviated):
Mars One
This Place Rules
She Said
Argentina 1985
Skinamarink
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Bardo
The Fablemans
All Quiet on the Western Front
Living
Hellraiser
Broker
Master Gardener
Watcher
The Whale
Women Talking
The Wonder
Bones and All
Emily the Criminal
Fall
Armageddon Time
Dual
Speak No Evil
AmbuLAnce | MiloRuggles
01.11.23 | Love reading through these neek! Beautiful work once again. Feedback incoming, don't take it personal, I have opinions 8=D | MiloRuggles
01.11.23 | >It's interesting that this is what it takes for people to finally rain down hard on these 50-year-old cis male gender politics “we get it” pictures, when so many of these same people loved Last Night in Soho, but that's just me.
hmmmm Soho was a horrendously ill-conceived film that ran its premise(s?) way past their use-by date whereas Men was a silly endeavour that was economically paced and at least had distinctive style and some great scenes. One is far worse than the other, politics of production aside
>white noise opinions
Agreed, I hope that people read the book instead. All of those themes are expanded upon in meaningful ways! Film is a real speedrun.
>5cream praise
I wish they only made one of these
Men > Barbarian, fitemeirl
I wish Prey was my first Predator film, maybe, but it was my eleventy first and I'm DONE (until the next time I have guests)
>Nope praise
Thoughtful film, sure, but not particularly entertaining. Lost in its own thematics as far as I'm concerned, though often that exact problem is my thing, sooo...next time, hopefully? Get Out is still in a different league entirely (Us was likely worse though)
>Batman
was ok, but man are people excited?!
>Crimes of the Future!!!
Finally, we are locked in passionate agreeance. I finally watched Crash as a precursor to seeing this, and man was it a relevant precursor. Very fun popcorn flick for the kids, watch it with the extended family
>The Northman
Think I need to rewatch, was my least favourite Eggers by some distance. Love that things like this are getting made though!
>Everythingetcalletc
Yeah. Yeah. Fair enough. Deserves the accolades. | MiloRuggles
01.11.23 | Otherwise, have many of your favourites here on a list unwatched, looking forward to checking back in and maybe disagreeing | CugnoBrasso
01.11.23 | I loved White Noise (the book by DeLillo), sad to hear the movie is not on par with it... | MiloRuggles
01.11.23 | It does some things well. I think it's not the kind of book that takes well to adaptation. | someone
01.11.23 | god my film watching this year has been minimal, i hope to correct that next year.
the new Top Gun is a dizzying emptiness to me tho. do not see what others see in it.
on the other hand, this is the gazillionth time i see praise for Every...Once and Northman, so maybe i'll check those | Ryus
01.11.23 | 2 was so painfully unfunny it kind of hurt. pretty dece overall tho.
i liked banshees a lot. that and crimes of the future were prob my two favorite films i saw last year | anat
01.11.23 | i don't get the time to watch many new films these days, but my interests have been very much piqued by banshees and crimes of the future based on your recs!! | Trebor.
01.11.23 | Aftersun gonna catch on hard in the next few years | JoyfulPlatypus
01.11.23 | Just out of curiousity Neek - what movies would you give a perfect 5.0 to? | Sharenge
01.12.23 | just watched Knives Out and damn was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did - def excited to check the new one now
didn't watch nearly as many 2022 stuff, but Banshees of Inisherin and The Menu were probably my favs atm
was cool with the new Batman
was also cool with The Northman and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
was not really cool with the new Predator
Elvis was whatever, Nope meh, Men uh I dunno
Vengeance, Decision to Leave, Pinocchio, Puss yet to watch
guess maybe I'll do EverythingAllatOncewhateveryoucallit too
Top Gun and Avatar... lol don't know that I care
yet to do a Crimes of the Future rewatch, which def needs to happen before I can even come close to forming a concrete opinion on that one
will probably eagerly check The Whale and Master Gardener when they become available | PitchforkArms
01.12.23 | Barbarian and Banshees ruled harder than everything else this year for me.
Thought the Northman was lacking. Some stiff as shit mediocre performances (Joy & Kidman, especially) didn’t help what I thought to be a sorta weirdly rigid script (but I think some of that played into the prophecy type story thing)
Batman was just NOT IT for me. Copying a comment from another thread to better elaborate my bitching about it. | PitchforkArms
01.12.23 | “
God damn that Batman movie was so mediocre. It had me recoiling in annoyance sometimes. There’s a whole prolonged scene of Pattinson clearing a room in his manor and sprawling out names & clues with through lines, It’s Always Sunny Pepe Silvia style, and none of it makes any sense (or tries to) and he just looks contemplatively in the distance. There were lots of moments like that and it drove me up a wall (or really down the seat as my stomach sank). The whole incel army at the arena was horrendous and the catwoman narrative was not only boring, but poorly done and unnecessary (and it always proverbially paused to movie to have hack cat woman + Batman romance development scenes ensue)
“ | PitchforkArms
01.12.23 | Also thought Nope was deeply underwhelming. One of those movies that, despite what most people would have you think, has me disliking it the more I think about my viewing experience.
(Apology for comment bombardment) | renegadestrings
01.12.23 | My wife had never seen a Predator film, so I told her nothing in advance of Prey. She ended up loving the movie, despite not being a fan of the genre at all. Sometimes it truly helps to dissolve yourself if preconceptions as much as possible.
Your write-ups here are exceptional. I slept on The Woman King despite my initial excitement. Your last line about how you hope this is a movie that gets outshined by better films in the future has reignited my interest. Will watch soon | Gyromania
01.12.23 | I think the plot to Glass Onion is just kind of a copout. The detective himself says as much when he calls the crime a stupid one. For a detective movie, there's very little to detect. The movie misleads us and then just randomly reveals that she has a twin (which is such a contrivance in thriller movies at this point). Everyone seems stupid beyond belief, there are some gaps in logicit. Overall it's just a total mess when you actually break it down. It was still entertaining to watch though, I wouldn't say I downright hate it, but a 4.8 seems crazy high to me. I much prefer the first one
| FurtherDown
01.12.23 | Many of my favorites are here, still I need to catch up on many others.
NOPE and Barbarian were my highlights probably, but I enjoyed MEN too. I felt it's far more ambiguous than everybody is saying, although some of the criticism is valid I guess.
I was extremely hyped for both Batman and Northman and both came out as great, but not as groundbreaking as I hoped.
Still, great year for movies for sure. | neekafat
01.12.23 | glad everyone is enjoying!! Thanks for the kind words renegadestrings (:
Everyone needs to see every film in the top 5 sorry! | porcupinetheater
01.12.23 | Sweet work on this list, still need to see Aftersun
Absolutely despise the Northman, tho, can't remember the last time I felt so divorced from a critical consensus | neekafat
01.12.23 | Thanks! I know a lot of people seem to not vibe with Northman lol, it's a super dense and ugly film, but there's something so visceral and considered about it that's very unusual for fantasy/historical shit these days | neekafat
01.12.23 | "Just out of curiousity Neek - what movies would you give a perfect 5.0 to?"
well I've only been rating movies on the 0.1 scale for the past couple years now, and it usually never happens on first watch, but here's my recent full 5.0s (unranked)
Alien
Jurassic Park
The Prince of Egypt
Hot Fuzz
Star Trek '09
Blade Runner
No Country For Old Men
Apocalypse Now
The Simpsons Movie
Mad Max: Fury Road
Annihilation
Star Wars: Episode III
The Muppet Movie
Take Shelter
The Before Trilogy
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
First Reformed | neekafat
01.12.23 | Again this is only stuff I've seen recently so a lot of my pop faves are on there have mercy lol | FreakMachine
01.12.23 | Star Wars Episode 3 as a 5/5? That's interesting | neekafat
01.12.23 | Yeah it's my favorite lol | FreakMachine
01.12.23 | It's an interesting take I'll say that for sure. I thought it would be a lot better if not for the atrocious acting, but Star Wars has never had good acting so I guess the action scenes carry it above | neekafat
01.13.23 | It’s just top tier operatic melodrama, there’s real substance to the action unlike the rambling first two preqs (which I still like) | neekafat
01.13.23 | Btw, Armageddon Time was incredible and probably would’ve been #11 here | FurtherDown
01.13.23 | Interesting to see Annihilation there, I rewatched it before going to see MEN in cinema and while I like it a lot, there are still scenes/dialogues that felt quite cheesy upon second viewing. The final act and some visuals throughout are best in the genre though. I enjoyed MEN more probably because I feel like it takes one step forward into the absurd and is so over the top that it doesn't need to be taken seriously. Still, I know I might be in the minority here, because Garland himself seems like he takes the themes deadly serious. | neekafat
01.17.23 | I think it really wants to be taken seriously lol | brainmelter
01.18.23 | great list, I love how wildly different our tastes are. i only was able to see 2/3 of these and I still really, REALLY want to see banshees and Decision. I betting i'll love those. Babylon feels like it was made for someone like me but I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. very polarizing because it had a lot of great scenes but as a whole it was aimless and inconsistent imo. like holy shit the last 10 minutes had me laughing my ass off. I really could not believe it lmao | neekafat
01.18.23 | I feel like Babylon's audience was too narrow in that I feel it's aimed at people in the film industry. Because of that, the ending had me almost crying lol | neekafat
02.16.23 | for those keeping score, my top 25 has mostly settled after lots of catching up:
1. Aftersun
2. Everything Everywhere All at Once
3. The Northman
4. Glass Onion
5. Tár
6. Vengeance
7. Crimes of the Future
8. The Batman
9. Nope
10. Decision to Leave
11. The Fabelmans
12. Bones and All
13. Armageddon Time
14. Prey
15. RRR
16. Guillermo del Toro's Pinnochio
17. Bullet Train
18. Top Gun: Maverick
19. Banshees of Inisherin
20. Resurrection
21. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
22. The Black Phone
23. Kimi
24. Babylon
25. Emily the Criminal | PotsyTater
03.02.23 | It took me about five sittings to get through black panther 2 but I finally did it. Feel the same about it as I did the first. It had all the ingredients to be absolutely next level, but it just wasn’t. Poor Disney writing and limp noodle action sequences marring incredible concepts, characters, and aesthetics. There were some great moments in and around the whole boat fight between wakanda and talokan tho | unclereich
03.02.23 | man I disagree with a lot of these ratings but neek giving Revenge of the Sith a 5 let's me know he's truly a man of taste. III is goat tear Star Wars dont @ me |
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