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| Neek's 2023 Movie Hub
including all 2022 films i've since my year-end list, but will mostly be dedicated to 2023 releases in the future
C: | | 1 |  | Anthony Willis
M3GAN
M3GAN // 4.3 // Sci-Fi (Horror)
dir. Gerard Johnston
A glorious she-boot of Child's Play that doubles down on the human drama without diluting a ridiclous sense of fun, M3GAN is honestly an incredible pop film. Emphasizing an intelligent sci-fi angle that forces AI to deal with the grief of a child, M3GAN comes across as surprisingly sympathetic (both the film and the character). M3GAN's anger is rightful, the daughter's grief is palpable, and her aunt's desperation is entirely believable. Maybe I'm just not used to this kind of movie putting this much thought into both characterization and being bonkers, but I'll be first in line when MEG4N comes out. | | 2 |  | Sachiko M
Bar Sachiko
Skinamarink // 2.2 // Horror (Experimental)
dir. Kyle Edward Ball
An abusively overlong tone-poem that preys on millenial nostalgia as much as it does cheap jumpscares, Skinamarink is more believable as a curio than as a potential cornerstone of future horror. Ball clearly has some talent with texture and sound, but as it stands this is an intermittently compelling series of gifs. Just hire an actual editor next time man. | | 3 |  | Metric
Old World Underground, Where Are You Now
Millennium Bugs // 3.2 // Drama (Comedy)
dir. Alejandro Montoya Marin
A twee early-00s-set indie comedy, Millenium Bugs at first struggles to find what its about--but it's not like its protagonist can't relate. Headed by an exceptional performance from Katy Erin, the film settles into a surprisingly poignant drama that makes the best of the chemistry between leads. Marin's exacting direction on both fronts of this dramedy are what make it an ultimate success, and I know what's coming will be even better. | | 4 |  | Batushka
Litourgiya
The Wonder // 3.8 // Mystery (drama)
dir. Sebastián Lelio
A terse religious mystery suffocated in dour grays and oppressive forces, Pugh maintains magnetic hold over the plot even as things lean into increasingly dark and incredulous territory. Lelio's empathetic direction is strong as ever, weaving what could've been an excruciatingly boring parable into a strong condemnation of faith without question. | | 5 |  | Mastodon
Leviathan
The Whale // 1.9 // Drama (Psychological)
dir. Darren Aronofsky
Brendan Fraiser does his absolute best as a dramatic anchor in a sea of misguided notions. As solid as the supporting cast is, everyone is weighed down by an absolutely abysmal script that fails to address the judgement of the camera in such a delicate setting. Mocking closeups and humiliating language from those closest to him make it clear that this "message" about disability is better suited to the stage than the screen. If cinema is an empathy machine, The Whale is pity porn. | | 6 |  | Megadeth
Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?
All Quiet on the Western Front // 3.7 // War (Epic)
dir. Edward Berger
A bone-shaking portrayal of the brutality and pointlessness of WWI, All Quiet is not a remake that gets too swept up in its technological advancements, it rather utilizes them for some of the most intense war sequences this side of the millenium. If anything, it's the expansion of scope that dilutes the tragic power of the original. Constant cutting to various war rooms and political offices takes us out of that perfectly manufactured intensity, instead waxing poetic over the uselessness of war and setting up WWII to such lengths you'd almost expect a sequel. As the film slows down for a solemn yet drawn-out closing act, it's clear that this is a strong remake, but won't leave the same legacy as its predecessor. | | 7 |  | Wild Pink
ILYSM
Bones and All // 4.4 // Romance (Horror)
dir. Luca Guadagnino
There's something mythical to this rural American tale of love and violence. Guadagnino is uniquely gifted at capturing the beauty and heartlessness of the American Midwest, so much so that we understand that these nomads can never really leave it. Fueled by a pair of truly endearing lead performances and an unnerving turn from Mark Rylance, I was entranced by this film's subtle power and its willingness to push the boundaries of its story to deliver something truly powerful and memorable. | | 8 |  | The National
I Am Easy to Find
BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths // 3.5 // Drama (Epic)
dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu
A weighty, lengthy, at times formless meta-film from the mastermind behind two back-to-back Best Director wins ("Birdman" and "The Revenant"), BARDO is nevertheless a testament to the way Iñárritu can deliver expansive concepts without losing his human side. There are sequences of great excess, and there are sequences of great focus. The meta-commentary sometimes pushes the self-awareness into insufferable territory, but more often than not it cements the characters and narrative into something special. Absolutely stellar cinematography too. | | 9 |  | Emma Ruth Rundle
Engine of Hell
Dual // 3.7 // Sci-Fi (Thriller)
dir. Riley Stearns
A pitch-black comedy wrapped around a menacing and devastating sci-fi thriller about a woman doomed to fight to the death with herself, Stearns mines poignant themes of identity and disaffectedness long after he's lost hold over his story. Karen Gillan once again proves she's one of the best actresses in the genre, imbuing both sides of her character with the desperation and intensity of a character that can't find a reason to live until she has to kill herself to survive. | | 10 |  | The Felice Brothers
From Dreams to Dust
Armageddon Time // 4.3 // Drama (Coming-of-age)
dir. James Gray
A focused, personal portrait of young life, Gray's latest is both a stark condemnation of America's education system (and how it propagates racism, elitism, etc.), and also something much more bittersweet. His empathic direction smooths any bluntness in the script, and his young protagonist (through his strict moral code and impulsiveness) feels more realized than the countless coming-of-age films that strive to be universal, but end up just being plain. The acting is masterclass all around. | | 11 |  | Alvvays
Blue Rev
The Fabelmans // 4.4 // Drama (Coming-of-age)
dir. Steven Spielberg
Probably the best film Spielberg's released in almost two decades, his probing examination of his childhood and what it means to be a young artist is both affecting and profound. The way cinema and its impact is woven directly into the plot shows the endless consideration Spielberg has shown for his art--the way our young protagonist learns its power is painfully relatable and rings of absolute truth. Thankfully, this is not a self-biopic the way lesser films like Belfast dilute themselves into glorified photo albums, but rather a carefully constructed family drama with absolute powerhouse performances (Michelle Williams, Gabriel LaBelle) and a sea of characters that exude dimensionality. Goddammit, he's done it again. | | 12 |  | U.S. Girls
Half Free
Women Talking // 3.8 // Drama (Social)
dir. Sarah Polley
Both an excruciating re-examination of power in modern America and a didactic stageplay led by brilliant performances, Women Talking manages more often than not to overcome its faults thanks largely to pitch-perfect direction from writer/director Sarah Polley. While the talking points seems to flow along an artificial thread and characters trade barbs seemingly just to keep things moving, its deeply considered script is hardly callous. Its difficult subject matter is handled with a tact rarely seen at the multiplex, as are most of its secondary focuses (aside from a thoughtless suicide reference). It's a modern story in a modern setting, despite the trimmings, and it’s full of characters willing to change their world in order to make a better future for their children. Is there anything more hopeful with that? | | 13 |  | Paramore
This Is Why
Emily the Criminal // 4.0 // Thriller (Social)
dir. John Patton Ford
Aubrey Plaza hypnotizes in a terrifyingly realistic thriller of a woman so sick of being a millennial in America that she increasingly turns against her nation's institutions to secure her freedom from them. While ever-sympathetic, a violence flairs in Plaza's protagonist that makes us scared of her almost as often as we're scared of her, emphasizing her desperation as the film's tension and style continuously ratchet up. The American Dream has been obliterated, and people like us and Emily the Criminal can no longer play by its rules. | | 14 |  | PJ Harvey
To Bring You My Love
Resurrection // 4.2 // Thriller (Horror)
dir. Andrew Semans
A white-knuckled paranoia thriller that slowly becomes something even more fucked, Andrew Semans' direction puts you in a stranglehold and doesn't let go until its over. His script is deliberate, as is Rebecca Hall's ludicrously good performance, both emphasizing our protagonists' need for control after all was stripped form her in her youth. It's the psychotic dance of control that sends things spinning, as the film continues to up the ante far past what you'd expect. In the age of films like "Men," its amazing to see what could be an exploitational clusterfuck turn into a laser-focused probe into the trauma of control. | | 15 |  | volcano!
Beautiful Seizure
Fire of Love // 4.2 // Doc (Science)
dir. Sara Dosa
Some of the most gorgeous camera work I've seen this year is from a volcanologist whose been dead for 30 years. But at the heart of this very focused, contemplative documentary is a story of two people who'd risk death to get the perfect shot. Fire of Love does an incredible job of entwining their love of volcanoes for their love of each other, and how their worldviews shaped their science. The film does run a bit long, as if it concluded its thesis early and then needed to kill time, but with images like these, it didn't bother me much. | | 16 |  | Big Thief
Capacity
Close // 4.4 // Drama (Coming-of-age)
dor. Lukas Dhont
On one hand, a heartbreaking look at how schools (and their parent societies) pull the seams of any relationship they don't understand apart, and how useless their damage control is. On the other, young guilt in its most wrenching form. Powerhouse performances from our young leads propel this into becoming one of the year's best dramas. It's a beautiful, beautiful film, one with incisive empathy and a restless heart. | | 17 |  | Placebo
Never Let Me Go
All That Breathes // 3.7 // Doc (Social)
dir. Shaunak Sen
A perceptive doc that lets its characters and world speak for itself, All That Breathes is as comfortable panning through breathtaking naturescapes in the underbrush as it is probing into the miscommunication between our protagonists between themselves and the rest of the planet. As they struggle to make up for the massive loss of life in New Delhi, their prognosis that all that breathes is equal is pitted directly with their constant frustration and dependence on each other. A layered, fascinating film that isn't your usual doc. | | 18 |  | The Afghan Whigs
How Do You Burn?
Argentina, 1985 // 4.2 // Historical (Legal)
dir. Santiago Mitre
A clear-eyed and strongly delivered examination of a revolutionary moment in history, presenting the situation and its global stakes and importance with absolute clarity. I wish it got its hands a little dirtier and spending more time on the personal ramifications the regime had on its people, but it definitely got me emotionally riled up, and that's really all you can ask for with a film this important. | | 19 |  | Schwefelgelb
Dahinter das Gesicht
Return to Seoul // 4.3 // Drama (Psychological)
dir. Davy Chou
A piercing and vibrant character study of a woman terrified of belonging to anyone, Return to Seoul is pristine drama that fully understands the visual power of its medium. There are some dream-like sequences that never once feel out of touch with the cold reality of other moments. It's simply excellent direction--we're so in her head that whatever she's feeling makes complete sense. Loved the look and feel of this, and how well handled the time-jumps were for a film like this. | | 20 |  | The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground & Nico
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed // 4.7 // Doc (Profile)
dir. Laura Poitras
The most staggering documentary I've seen in a long time, All the Beauty is partly composed of the most affecting slideshow work I've ever seen period, fully blending the arts of film and photography in a way I just didn't expect. Ultimately this paints a hugely affecting portrait of earlier queer history, which of course I had never heard before. I got fucking educated like I needed to. The modern segments taking on the Oxycotin industry aren't as affecting as Nan Goldin's personal history, but their real-world impact is undeniable and exhilarating. A proud film of how one person can make a difference with the help of other people. | | 21 |  | Garbage
Bleed Like Me
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre // 4.0 // Spy (Action)
dir. Guy Ritchie
Guy Ritchie has still fuckin' got it, because this thing absolutely rips. Not only does it feature the first (fucking brilliant) pairing of Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza, whose chemistry is just stellar, but its a banging spy-comedy with clever setups, hilarious characters, and some really great action sequences. This is about as pure pop-action as you can get, so if that's not your thing steer clear, but this has far more brains and balls than most of the action films that didn't drop like a rock in theaters (honestly the release of this was so botched, did you even hear of this one?). Anyway watch this whenever it shows up on a streaming service. | | 22 |  | Joseph Shirley
Creed III (Original Score)
Creed III // 4.2 // Sports (Drama)
dir. Michael B. Jordan
An extremely thoughtful examination of black power and privlege on top of being a banger of a boxing film, Creed III nears the original in its greatness thanks to an excellent debut turn from Michael B. Jordan as a director. The dialogue scenes between Jordan and Jonathan Majors crackle with even more menace and tension than the fight sequences, which are really great, if a little much imo. Ultimately the series doesn't miss a step leaving behind Rocky and Philly (this is very much an L.A. movie!!), and if this one proves anything, Creed might end up having even better franchise legs than Balboa himself. | | 23 |  | Tim Hecker
Infinity Pool
Infinity Pool // 3.6 // Horror (Body)
dir. Brandon Cronenberg
The young Cronenberg delights in clashing beautifully against disgusting in this tropical horror that pictures lingering imperialism as uncivilized as the nation they take advantage of. While the portrayal of this unnamed nation is problematic at best, Cronenberg luckily skews his equally clinical and visceral anthropological focus towards the beastly vacationers. Unfortunately, that sterile screen between our protagonist and us also stops us from connecting with him, which dulls the impact of his nastier moments. Still, Mia Goth gives a spellbinding performance and the film's unique blend of genres helps it to stand out as a clear work of purpose. | | 24 |  | Christophe Beck
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania // 1.5 // Superhero (Sci-Fi)
dir. Peyton Reed
A dramatically stilted, comedically lifeless, CGI fuckfest, Quantumania is the clearest example so far that the MCU is spinning wheels with nowhere to go. I'm not even gonna get into how fucking dumb it is to introduce your new main villain as someone that ANT-MAN can fucking take on. I won't rant about how Evangeline Lilly has about five minutes of screen time despite her sharing the title with Paul Rudd. But I will say that, maybe, just maybe, audiences don't need every protagonist to be a straight white male asshole like it's still 2008. And please stop hiring Rick and Morty writers to write science fiction. | | 25 |  | Birds in Row
Gris Klein
How to Blow Up a Pipeline // 4.5 // Thriller (Social)
dir. Daniel Goldhaber
Wire taut, pissed-off, and cut with rhythmic precision, this is one of the most radical films I've seen in a theater. Its mechanical structure and industrial bleakness might not make fans out of anyone, but it's an essential feature that couldn't have come out at a better time. It's got such clarity for its characters and each of their reasons for doing what they're doing, but each of them is so razor-sharp that I wish we'd see more sparks fly in their interactions. That being said, it remains constantly engaging up until a dazzling finale. Certainly my favorite film of the year so far. | | 26 |  | Brian Tyler and Sven Faulconer
Scream VI
Scream VI // 3.5 // Horror (Slasher)
dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
Scream--in New York! Not the greatest pitch, but people seem to prefer this to 5cream. I can see how its urban paranoia and even-more-hyper-meta-commentary would excite an audience, I certainly didn't find its differentiation of "legacy" and "franchise" parody very convincing. The mystery was exceptionally weak this time around, and as much as I appreciate how the lead sisters' dynamic is solidifying, they really go about it in the dumbest way here. Either ditch the generational angle, or get back to making one of these every 11 years. | | 27 |  | Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard
John Wick: Chapter 4
John Wick: Chapter 4 // 4.4 // Action (Thriller)
dir. Chad Stahelski
An exhaustive, relentless gauntlet of action and worldbuilding, Stahelski and Co. take us even farther down the rabbit hole of the John Wick franchise. Chapter 3 upped the scope without upping the stakes, while at the same time exaggerating the action to the point of humor (I get it, but this mythic/melodrama shit doesn't work unless it's played straight), but Chapter 4 proves a significant course correction in both ways. Donnie Yen is a perfect compliment to Reeves sincerity, Bill Skarsgård is icily perfect as always, and the setpieces get wilder and wilder every time. | | 28 |  | Brian Tyler
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
The Super Maro Bros. Movie // 2.6 // Adventure (Fantasy)
dir. Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic
The film that has threatened existence for decades now is finally here--an animated Mario movie. This sugar-rush gut-punch of dazzling color and scope is just further proof that Illumination is either completely unwilling or incapable of challenging a young audience. I'm certainly not gonna go on a generational tirade about how "Pixar and Dreamworks are where it's at" but this is the exact kind of film that dares me to. Sure, the voice cast is great (except for Pratt, obvs), and it's an occasionally thrilling romp, but there's no semblance of any meaningful characterization, intrigue, or suspense to be found here. | | 29 |  | Joseph LoDuca
Ash Vs. Evil Dead
Evil Dead Rise // 2.9 // Horror (Supernatural)
dir. Lee Cronin
While there is some delirious fun to be had here, and the action is shot and cut with impressive clarity, I'm just not sold on this direction for the franchise. First off, maybe it's just me, but all the constant mutilation and gore is significantly less fun when there's kids around. Turning Evil Dead into a "family possession horror" film seems weirdly reductive--the straight seriousness casts such a dour shadow over the potential for pure genre thrills (even the reboot was more exciting than this). Much of this flick feels like the exact thing The original Evil Dead was mocking from the very beginning. | | 30 |  | Frou Frou
Details
Beau Is Afraid // 3.9 // Tragicomedy (Horror)
dir. Ari Aster
A true odyssey of bonkers proportions, Aster shines such a bright light on Joaquin Phoenix's character the entire time that we never lose sight of Beau or what he's Going Through no matter what demented happenings are filling the screen. While it lacks the efficiency and same cathartic blast of Midsommar, and it might not be as resolutely original as A24 would want you to believe (for the pricetag, I don't blame them), it's a brilliant mix of tragicomedy, horror, drama, mystery, and pretty much anything you want thrown in between. It's essentially a 3-hour panic attack, and I can't wait to see what Aster does next now that he's got it out of his system. | | 31 |  | Dire Straits
Brothers in Arms
Air // 3.1 // Drama (Sports)
dir. Ben Affleck
Hey, Air is pretty good! Despite groan-inducing trailers (it must have been very hard to make this film look exciting), it's not nearly as overbaked as it could've been. Affleck clearly only needed the lightest touch with a cast this qualified, which is perfect for a film with more music cues than characters. The film definitely carries the vibe of being made by 5 buddies dicking around in a room. It's a pleasant, moderately enjoyable, little inspo-drama. | | 32 |  | Preoccupations
Arrangements
Knock at the Cabin // 3.8 // Thriller (Apocalypse)
dir. M. Night Shyamalan
This is Shyamalan's happy place: a thriller so bizarre and intense you can't do anything but play it straight. The film's focus and brevity are its greatest strength, and the regretful nature of its antagonists gives it a wholly unique flavor versus similar apocalyptic fiction. Most thankfully, it doesn't fall flat on its face with the queer family dynamic either. Bautista gives maybe his most compelling performance yet (that's saying a lot), and the rest of the cast puts their all into it. It's not his cleanest script, and several moments lack the potency he strives for, but overall it's Shyamalan's best film in quite a while. | | 33 |  | Lorne Balfe
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves // 2.7 // Fantasy (Action)
dirs. Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley
D&D comes from an impressive lineage of talent both behind and in front of the camera, which is why I was disappointed that this is less "Game Night" and more of a C-tier Marvel movie. It happily skimps on the fantasy scenery to romp around empty halls and courtyards, and the cast's chemistry is left to the wayside for an endless revolving door of poorly-staged theatrics and action sequences. There are definitely some great crowd-pleasing moments here, and I'm not gonna act like it was a total slog (I do see why it's been clicking with millennials so much), but to me it feels as arduous and tired as any action movie delivered in the last 10 years. | | 34 |  | John Murphy
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 // 3.7 // Superhero (Sci-Fi)
dir. James Gunn
Barring one of the cringiest openings of any film in recent memory, GOTG3 is a surprisingly strong third installment for the Guardians. Brimming with some of the best action sequences in the franchise and genuinely affecting character moments, it's got a real story to tell, even if it gets off track a few too many times. It's also got a villain that could have been terrifying if the film would engage with his viewpoint in any way; once the guy starts screaming things, he doesn't stop. It smartly lets others take the lead and uses Star-Lord as part of the ensemble, and more than any other film, it sells the team as a true, believable unit. For the first time, I really felt that these people wanted to be around each other. Their dynamic sells a lot of the drama better than you'd expect, and much like Vol. 2, it unexpectedly ends up being one of the more heartfelt films in the MCU canon. | | 35 |  | Daniel Pemberton
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse // 4.7 // Superhero (Sci-Fi)
dirs. Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson
A true fucking blessing of cinema. Finally an animated Hollywood blockbuster that uses the form to its full, expressive, boundless potential, and in service to a very GENRE story that is intricately told as it is explosively large in scope. With an insightful gaze into two protagonists of totally different backgrounds, it wraps its way around you from the very start with deliberate rhythm and a massive heart. The biggest thing holding me back is its conclusion--simply, it's not enough. This is definitely a Part 1 movie, with a third act that settles some wonderful character work before whisking off in a different direction full of twists that honestly feel a bit low-energy and disconnected. But everything else about it is truly divine, and at some points genuinely feels like one of the first times our generation has been properly visualized onscreen. | | 36 |  | Sorry
Anywhere But Here
Reality // 4.2 // Drama (Thriller)
dir. Tina Satter
Was really surprised by this one. A quietly seething, formally taught one-act play that also feels explicitly cinematic. A word-for-word recreation of the questioning and arrest of Reality Winner (who leaked the classfied report proving that Russians interfered in the 2016 U.S. election), Satter's direction infuses every single line with icy realism and the existential dread of a crime thriller. It does a brilliant job of belittling the law enforcement and siding you with Winner all while sticking to the script, even before its confident middle-finger of a third act. | | 37 |  | Queens of the Stone Age
In Times New Roman...
Fast X // 1.7 // Action (Thriller)
dir. Universal Studios
There really is only so far I can stretch my poptimism, and this is just a stupendously stupid action dreck wrapped in indecipherable exposition and expressionless babble. It feels like the product of mashing every pop franchise into one movie, something that exists only as a transitory phase for an overarching narrative, like an odd-numbered GOT episode or recent MCU film. It's a shame because this was always a franchise that you could count on being fun in the moment, but this film is purely in service to future films that we can only hope will be more fun than this. | | 38 | | Birds in Row
Gris Klein
65 // 2.3 // Sci-Fi (Thriller)
dirs. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods
Look, if anybody wants to love a potential sci-fi blockbuster it's me, but this creative team clearly has no clue how to master anything other than momentary tension. Because of this, 65 is not useless, and it's certainly far more watchable than other films on this list. Still, the story lacks core logic from the very beginning, with a setup so bizarre it could only have come from a desperate need not to replicate Terra Nova or After Earth more than they already had. The central dynamic between Adam Driver and the kid could've been much worse, but it's not nearly engaging enough to string your attention along for the "dramatic" moments. I wish I could recommend this as pure genre trash, but it's just irritating enough to skip. | | 39 |  | Daniel Hart
Peter Pan and Wendy
Peter Pan & Wendy // 2.4 // Fantasy (Adventure)
dir. David Lowery
Lowery is one of my favorite directors working today, but the ultimate issue is that a live-action Peter Pan was done 20 years before Peter Pan & Wendy, and in every moment felt more magical and compelling than the beats recreated here. I genuinely have no idea what inspired the choice to use his trademark naturalism to depict this magical fantasy land, but it genuinely robbed the material of its spark. There's some nice character work here, especially with Jude Law's Captain Hook, but its calculated length leaves too little time for just Peter Pan and Wendy by the time we really need to buy into their relationship. It's easy to see why it was given an unceremonious dump on Disney+. It's a distressing miss, but at least it's pleasant, with strong performances and inspired cinematography. | | 40 |  | Ben Howard
Is It?
Past Lives // 4.6 // Drama (Romance)
dir. Celine Song
A formally exquisite, evocatively rendered portrait of modern romance, I was so touched (and blown away!) by how perfectly written and directed each character was here, especially for a debut feature. Everyone feels real and honest, tension deriving from personal relations rather than cliched plot manipulation. It's another amazing example of tearing down barriers between languages and nations through cinema. It also has some of the best technical work I've seen in a drama like this in quite some time, perfectly patient cinematography, deliberate editing, and a flat-out gorgeous score. Everyone with an interest in film beyond the mainstream should give this one a chance before it stacks up the awards. | | 41 |  | Alexandre Desplat
Asteroid City
Asteroid City // 4.5 // Sci-Fi (Comedy)
dir. Wes Anderson
Featuring perhaps his most unwieldy ensemble yet, Wes Anderson has never made his unique brand of cinema look easier. There's a warmth palpable throughout, even through the sharpest jabs and dourest observations, and his characters rarely come off as three-dimensional as this. It's not that everyone has been propped full of backstory, his rampant humanism continues to lower his trademark veil of irony between characters more with every film. It's a visual and narrative smorgasbord peppered with moments both delightful and surprising. One of his best yet. | | 42 |  | John Williams
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny // 3.0 // Adventure (Action)
dir. James Mangold
A pleasant nostalgia ride for those that are still into that, Indiana Jones sidesteps many mistakes of recent franchise tentpoles while running headfirst into many others. There's some serious fun to had here and there, but its most memorable sequences don't compare to even its direct predecessor's. Harrison Ford's charm certainly hasn't left him, but most of the action has, which gives a hollow ring to most of its second-half theatrics that involve supporting characters jumping through significantly less inspired obstacle courses than Indy has run before. Still, it's definitely got a wow factor that might just surprise you, and James Mangold has never been less than solid as an action director. | | 43 |  | Lorne Balfe
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One // 3.6 // Action (Sci-Fi)
dir. Christopher McQuarrie
There's a delirious Spielbergian summer blockbuster energy to Dead Reckoning: Part One (groan) that's been missing from it's colder-cut late sequels, combined with the series most impressive action staging and stunts yet--but seriously, every single time someone started talking about anything plot related it was like a switch went off that suddenly made me give less of a shit than I ever had about the franchise. And it's strange, as I had long been down with the bullshit before. Perhaps its that every line is delivered with an icy seriousness that sucks the air out of the room, or its simply that we've all seen this trick before, and stuffing one half of an action film with dead-weight set-up for its sequel is the type of shit that's killing the movies. | | 44 |  | Ludwig Goransson
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer // 3.5 // Thriller (Historical)
dir. Christopher Nolan
One-part biopic, one-part political thriller, chopped and screwed in Nolan's typical narrative fashion. I've got to give him credit from the start though, his direction here is truly mesmerizing. I have major problems with the script's structure and pacing (what the fuck is that third act guys, come on), but Nolan (and his entire cast) have a vice-like control of every single scene and what it needs. Not that it always pays off, as most of these subplots and um, any scene containing a woman with dialogue, feel obligatory, manipulative, and strangely untethered from the narrative. But the performances are stellar, and it's ultimately a devastatingly interesting story with some of the best sequences of Nolan's filmography. | | 45 |  | Soundtrack (Film)
Barbie: The Album
Barbie // 4.1 // Fantasy (Comedy)
dir. Greta Gerwig
A highly ambitious, largely refreshing studio comedy with a lot to offer almost everyone, Gerwig goes above and beyond proving that inclusivity and box office success can easily go hand-in-hand with the right creatives behind the wheel. And while it's not perfectly inclusive, or perfectly original, it does manage to be an absolute blast that goes so much farther than what we've come to expect from the current studio system. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling lead the cast through the longest string of laughs I can remember hearing at the cinema in a long time, and all we can do is hope someone here in Hollywood is taking notes. | | 46 |  | Pixel Grip
ARENA
They Cloned Tyrone // 3.9 // Sci-Fi (Mystery)
dir. Juel Taylor
The sharpest black-led sci-fi mystery comedy since "Sorry to Bother You," and unlike that one Tyrone doesn't deflate at the end. Debut director Juel Taylor leads an all-star cast through a plethora of hysterical barb-trading and twist-finding, and the further down the rabbit hole you get, the more interesting it is. Absolutely love the camerawork, expressionist lighting, and vibrant costume design. This is where mid-budget genre filmmaking needs to be, and it's good to see it doing well on streaming. | | 47 |  | Ada Rook
Shed Blood
Talk to Me // 2.8 // Horror (Supernatural)
dir. Danny and Michael Philippou
A moderately enticing classical horror is both fresh in its casting and style, but frustratingly old-school in its narrative. The Philippou twins do great work getting the audience invested in their characters and freaky premise before ultimately losing them as their plot slowly bleeds out well before the climax. Don't get me wrong, the effects are dope and the talent is clearly there on both sides of the screen, but by the end the gnarliness isn't enough to keep me invested. I'm even more curious how audiences will feel about seeing the exact same thing again in "Talk 2 Me" next year. | | 48 |  | Mark Mothersbaugh
Cocaine Bear
Cocaine Bear // 2.5 // Comedy (Horror)
dir. Elizabeth Banks
While there's certainly some dumb fun to be had, Cocaine Bear wastes its ludicrous premise and studio budget on a hodge-podge of flat scares and awkward comedy. It seriously could've been a great callback to the screwball ensemble comedies of yore, but with a killer tiwst, and instead we have a film that seems caught under option paralysis and chooses to do the dumbest things possible. I admit some sequences hit harder than others (I do love the protracted gazebo sequence), but the fact that all this B-movie goofiness culminates in one of the worst-staged and poorly-lit climaxes I've ever seen in film history lowers it down to a C-movie. | | 49 |  | Charli XCX
Crash
Bottoms // 4.5 // Comedy (Teen)
dir. Emma Seligman
A joyous, irreverent, and absurd teen-comedy that ejects cliches of the genre for an exaggerated look into high school queerness--which I would argue is the only way to do it. No, this doesn't stumble into the tired coming-of-age routine either (this blissfully is not just another Booksmart), rendering a few moral lessons but much more readily jumping headfirst into chaotic sequence after another while effortlessly balancing constant shifts in tone and genre. This is a Gen Z film done right, made by brilliant young filmmakers (Seligman is 28, and her star/co-writer Rachel Sennott is 25), and one that presents us as a generation that can truly flip the script in ways both hysterical and liberating--finally a film for queer pieces of shit like me. | | 50 |  | Citizen
Calling the Dogs
A Haunting in Venice // 2.6 // Mystery (Horror)
dir. Kenneth Branagh
Oh Kenneth, when will you learn? While the script definitely hasn't done him any favors this time around, this trilogy has never felt more obligatory and reflexive than it has here. So little thought seems to be put into anything other than the pretty sets and shots; even Tina Fey and Michelle Yeoh seem more mildly amused than the slightest bit invested in this beleaguered caper. Yes yes, it serves a reasonably diverting afternoon paired with a bottle of wine, but far less so than the prior two entries, which never let up on the visual grandeur or hedonistic genre tendencies--both are gone by act three this time around, and trying to give a shit about this case without them in like slipping off a rockface without a grip. | | 51 |  | Benjamin Wallfisch
The Flash
The Flash // 1.7 // Superhero (Sci-Fi)
dir. Andy Muschietti
Honestly, it was pretty brilliant making a Flash film that's best played at x1.5 speed. I kid of course, because there's nothing the least bit intelligent about this clusterfuck of a sci-fi/superhero film. Chuck full of some of the thinnest characterization and most ridiculous plotting yet for the genre, it also fails to produce a rousing finale at nearly every level. Ezra is trying, but he seems profoundly uncomfortable in a film that features Barry Allen talking to himself far more than any other character combined. It's also a trainwreck from a design, conceptual, and directorial standpoint. But yknow what? I'm a sucker for Man of Steel, Michael Keaton, and Sasha Calle, so in the end there are worse things on this side of the multiverse. | | 52 |  | Tamaryn
Tender New Signs
It Lives Inside // 2.4 // Horror (Drama)
dir. Bishal Dutta
That It Lives Inside attempts to craft real drama and horror from the mythology and insecurities of Indian-American culture is admirable, but in every other way it is a painfully generic and sluggishly directed supernatural horror film that, not unlike its protagonist, pains so greatly to fit in with its peers that it loses nearly every shred of itself along the way. Luckily the film depends greatly on Megan Suri's simmering performance, who attacks the plot with such clarity that she threatens to make even the most undercooked sequences make sense. It mines some memorable moments from its premise at the bookends, but it's hard to imagine this leaving an impact on anyone already familiar with its influences. | | 53 |  | Interpol
Turn on the Bright Lights
The Creator // 3.0 // Sci-Fi (Action)
dir. Gareth Edwards
Gorgeously shot but narratively hollow, Edwards nevertheless manages to wrap some human warmth around what might be the most creatively-bereft rendition of an AI conflict since Overwatch. No, these characters never mean as enough to you for most of this to work, but anyone that leans toward intricately designed, modestly developed science fiction worlds may intermittently find themselves in heaven anyway. | | 54 |  | Robbie Robertson
Killers of the Flower Moon OST
Killers of the Flower Moon // 4.6 // Crime (Historical)
dir. Martin Scorsese
Far from losing his edge, Killers forms a scathing condemnation from Scorsese of a desperate nation terrified of losing its precious whiteness. While it takes the familiar form of the directors many crime sagas, the devasting double-think romance at the core of the film is never less than totally involving, no thanks in small part to staggering performances by DiCaprio and Gladstone. It's also a pretty breezy flick for being 4 hours long; with this much ground to cover you'll hardly feel it tick by. | | 55 |  | HEALTH
DISCO4 :: Part II
15 Cameras // 3.3 // Thriller (Horror)
dir. Danny Madden
The geography and logic are frustratingly malleable at times, but overall this is squirmy mix of well-executed suspense and exploitation filmmaking. And while many films that try a similar mix of trash cinema and even-a-modicum-of-awareness fall into neutral, 15 Cameras’ willingness to get its hands dirty compounds its stance on meta-voyeurism rather than detracts. | | 56 |  | Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
The Killer
The Killer // 3.4 // Thriller (Drama)
dir. David Fincher
A winking act of form over function, Fincher's deft touch as a master of suspense carries this otherwise slight and self-satisfied vibe thriller over the finish line. Cool and calculated from the getgo, the truncated episodic structure causes the film to regularly run out of steam, with it winding up lost in transition for a large chunk of the runtime. | | 57 |  | Let's Eat Grandma
I'm All Ears
No One Will Save You // 3.8 // Sci-Fi (Thriller)
dir. Brian Duffield
A wildly fun and genuinely freaky throwback to B-movies of yore that jettisons dialogue (entirely) in favor of well-staged thrills and patient visual storytelling. It's pumped with enough studio cash and visual flair that its a genuine wonder it didn't come out in theaters--but hopefully is a sign that the future is bright for genre content on streaming. | | 58 |  | Wesley Gonzalez
Wild Garlic
Dream Scenario // 3.1 // Comedy (Satire)
dir. Kristoffer Borgli
Dream Scenario is an exquisitely painful cringe comedy that slowly (yet completely) loses grip of its satire by the end. Nicolas Cage deserves all the praise in the world for adding so so much that isn't on the page, but even he can't save the film from feeling like the longest comedy ever at only 102 minutes. | | 59 |  | Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
The Holdovers // 4.1 // Drama (Comedy)
dir. Alexander Payne
The 2023 king of "they don't make 'em like this anymore," The Holdovers not only emulates the 1970s in rigid form (down to the opening logos and camera movement) but in its sweet, hopeful spirit that we really can all get along if we'd just try to give a shit now and then. It's something that easily could've rung pretentious as easily as true, but thanks to a patient and unsentimental script, Payne's piercing eye, and a trio of stellar leads, its a no wonder this is becoming a go-to comfy classic for the holidays. | | 60 |  | Neggy Gemmy
Body Work
Blue Beetle // 1.9 // Superhero (Sci-Fi)
dir. Ángel Manuel Soto
What does it say about the state of superhero movies that this is only the third-worst of the year? What Blue Beetle does have going for it is, yes, the family. If we're going to continue defining minority superheroes by the strengths of their endless familial side characters, George Lopez brings a hugely necessary ease and warmth to a film that's as nervous to prove itself as its main character is. From its glossy color scheme to its try-hard fight "choreography," Blue Beetle really, really wants you to like it, as if it weren't the 14th installment of a now decade-long franchise. | | 61 |  | Lana Del Rey
Blue Banisters
May December // 4.3 // Drama (Psychological)
dir. Todd Haynes
A lucid, lurid erotic tale plucked from the taboos of our society, May December manages to peer so directly into the heart of the matter by smartly making it thrice-removed. Once by the 20 years between the main events in question, and second by a thick veil of camp satire, which makes the meta-manipulations of an actress trying to crack the case of your average American psycho all the more enticing. Oh, and Charles Melton!!!!! | | 62 |  | Naoki Sato
Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla Minus One // 4.2 // Kaju (Period)
dir. Takashi Yamazaki
The best and truest classical blockbuster since Top Gun: Maverick, Godzilla Minus One daringly reimagines its title character in a time before he was even conceptualized--quite a move for a character nearly 70 years old. Yamazaki not only manages to make great political and personal statements about a traumatic period in his nation's history, but fills it with such dramatic flair and thrilling reversals that he makes it seem easy. Godzilla's redesign is incredible, as are the massive action sequences. And with a ~$15mil price tag, Hollywood is seriously running out of excuses. | | 63 |  | Pantera
Vulgar Display of Power
Napoleon // 3.9 // Epic (Historical)
dir. Ridley Scott
A camp historical epic that belittles its hero as it brings him to power, Scott proves once again to have a scathing eye for both satire and bloodshed. Its steadfast fixation on Empress Josephine (played by the easy-to-fixate-on Vanessa Kirby) not only strengthens the pace of the film--years, battles, time erases when she's gone--but plays to Napoleon's complete single-mindedness. It's the perfect role for Phoenix, and ultimately an excellent classic epic. | | 64 |  | Sofia Kourtesis
Madres
Fallen Leaves // 3.8 // Drama (Romance)
dir. Aki Kaurismäki
An intimate but exquisite small-scale drama about how shit it is to be alive right now, Fallen Leaves is also bouyed by the specificity of its location, and the anxiety of the Ukraine War on Finland's doorstep is palpable through radio broadcasts everyone listens to but dare not mention. But this isn't a hopeless film, quite the opposite--it's the rare romance that highlights how profoundly courageous even just considering a life with another person can be in times like these. | | 65 |  | James Newton Howard
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes // 4.1 // Sci-Fi (Dystopian)
dir. Francis Lawrence
I was taken aback by how into this I was--I've always been a fan of the Hunger Games films, but never thought a prequel would be worth its salt, especially after Fantastic Beasts flushed the original franchises' world down the toilet. But no, this is a piercing, almost daring look at what would bring society to the point it's at by the time Katniss is around, and does so by crafting a central romance more compelling than anything the original films had to offer. Sure the theatrics and fireworks aren't quite as exciting this time around, but the Hayden Christensen-like turn Tom Bylth takes in the final act feels devastatingly well earned. It's amazing to see that great Hollywood melodrama is still kicking somewhere. | | 66 |  | Christophe Beck
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Shazam! Fury of the Gods // 2.3 // Superhero (Fantasy)
dir. David F. Sandberg
Shazam 2 is yet another laborously weak entry in the now-failed DCEU. Whatever good nature and bouncy fun the original had is almost immediately snuffed out in a first act so laden with joyless fantasy lore and expoisition that it feels like a soulslike game. While I continue to strangely relate to Billy as a protagonist, his arc this time around is so thinly developed for a film that really has nothing better to do and seems content to do just that--nothing--for the majority of its runtime. So yes this is a cut above "Blue Beetle" or "The Flash" thanks to the odd joke or beat that works, but as the third act continues to drone on and on you'll have long forgotten that these movies used to be fun. | |
neekafat
02.15.23 | did the guy who used to add soundtracks to the database die or something lol | budgie
02.15.23 | heeeeeeeeeeeeee
i liked the all quiet production a lot as well, way more than 1917. the scene(s) with Foch is fucking awesome even if it seems kind of deliberately framed to perpetuate that pseudohistorical trope about the treaty conditions deterministically producing WW2 or WW1: round 2 or 1870: round 3 or 1806: round 4 how far back can we go, 843 CE?
m3gan was ok, i think i'd rather just watch the chucky remake again though as far as homicidal doll-bots go, chucky remake with a. plaza was neato mosquito | unclereich
02.15.23 | 1917 may be one of the most overrated movies ive ever seen. western front is far better agreed.
whale was great | Ryus
02.15.23 | we have opposite tastes in film
skinamarink was great i did not like the fabelmans at all | brainmelter
02.15.23 | I’ve wanted to see Skinamarink for some time but it never played anywhere near me ;_;
I’ll eventually see Bardo and Armageddon Time. Bones and All was honestly a top 3 movie from last year for me. I want to live in it
I’ll probably never watch fabelmans even though I hear it’s nothing but great lol | neekafat
02.16.23 | the aubrey plaza remake rules yeah, but m3gan felt a little fresher
skinamarink suck
and yes Bones and All!! | normaloctagon
02.16.23 | So refreshing to hear a positive take on M3GAN. I thought it was a great pop film as well. Great write up | Ryus
02.16.23 | only good fabelmans moment was lynch cameo i smiled :] | neekafat
02.16.23 | @normal ty < 3
@ryus lol that scene is so good! | budgie
02.16.23 | have you ever seen Windfall neeker | neekafat
02.16.23 | No what is | Rowan5215
02.16.23 | resurrection was one of my favourites last year. Rebecca Hall is undefeated | WalrusTusk
02.16.23 | Really nice write-up man. I'll have to add some of these to my list. | neekafat
02.17.23 | @Rowbro yeah so glad I took the time to check it out, def my kinda thing
@Walrus thanks dude! Lemme know whatcha think (: | neekafat
03.24.23 | this'll start to be mostly 2023 movies soon i promise lol | butt.
03.24.23 | is this thread a safe space to discuss cocaine bear | neekafat
03.24.23 | Yes i haven’t seen it yet but all new movies should be discussed here!! | budgie
03.24.23 | i watched
winnie the pooh: blood and value (2023)
1/5
there's something wrong with the children (2023)
1/5
#float (2022)
.5/5
final rose (2022)
1/5
grimcutty (2022)
.5/5
the outwaters (2023)
.5/5
| neekafat
03.24.23 | Budgie why | neekafat
03.24.23 | I was actually kinda curious about the Outwaters bc I’m hoping to direct a found footage movie soon | budgie
03.24.23 | holy fuck it's so bad. it's not even a film
watch butterfly kisses instead
| neekafat
03.24.23 | hmmmmmm ok | PotsyTater
03.24.23 | I watched part of a movie where russel crowes face splits open and he eats peoples throats and Colin Ferrell rides a pony off a cliff and it grows magical rainbow wings at my resort last night | neekafat
03.24.23 | woah yeah this shit looks really cool budgie | neekafat
03.24.23 | um what is the name of said movie | PotsyTater
03.24.23 | I couldn’t tell you I was also watching it in Spanish 😂😂
Let me do an IMDb dig | PotsyTater
03.24.23 | It’s called winters tale and it also stars Jennifer Connelly, William hurt and will smith lol | neekafat
03.24.23 | oh my god that looks wretched
Akiva Goldsman is one of the most cursed inconsistent people in hollywood | PotsyTater
03.24.23 | What I watched was gloriously terrible, enough to at least be entertaining, but watching in a dub of a language I understand very little of also may have helped with that | Emim
03.24.23 | She boot made me vomit a little bit | neekafat
03.25.23 | Thank u I’m auditioning for indiewire | Rowan5215
03.25.23 | just saw John Wick 4 (whipped sack) and Dungeons and Dragons (fun basic popcorn stuff) | PotsyTater
03.25.23 | Oh man dungeons and dragons looks so yikes but in a way where I want to watch it and say yikes | AnimalsAsSummit
03.25.23 | John Wick and Shin Kamen Fucking Rider baby | Egarran
03.25.23 | Great reviews, you make me want to watch them all. You can put that in your CV. | PotsyTater
03.25.23 | Neek have you seen beasts of the southern wild or wristcutters: a love story | butt.
03.25.23 | "Oh man dungeons and dragons looks so yikes but in a way where I want to watch it and say yikes"
yeah the trailer certainly looks that way, but it's also from the same people who made Game Night so I trust the writing will actually be dece. | butt.
03.25.23 | watched Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent the other day. also Raising Arizona. I think I'm entering the early stages of a very prolonged nic cage phase. what should come next? | PotsyTater
03.25.23 | Wild At Heart and Pig | PotsyTater
03.25.23 | And Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans | butt.
03.25.23 | Oh I loved Pig! And Mandy is one of my all time favs of his. Haven't heard of Bad Lieutenant | butt.
03.25.23 | also is now a bad time to mention I've never seen face/off? oops | PotsyTater
03.25.23 | Pig was so good and unexpected. I also enjoyed Mandy. Wild At Heart and Bad Lieutenant New Orleans are my two fav Cage films tho | PotsyTater
03.25.23 | Just don’t mistake it for the other bad lieutenant movie that does not have nic cage or you will be waiting for a very long time for nic cage | butt.
03.25.23 | good to know | budgie
03.25.23 | watched candy land (2022) last night and loved it. first fun film in a while
| Egarran
03.25.23 | >Haven't heard of Bad Lieutenant
*faints* | neekafat
03.25.23 | "it's also from the same people who made Game Night so I trust the writing will actually be dece."
honestly the best pitch I've heard for that yet maybe I'll catch it on streaming idk
I haven't heard of Bad Lieutenant either!! Wild at Heart/Pig/Mandy all kick ass yes | Gyromania
03.25.23 | Cool now I know to stay away from Creed III | Egarran
03.25.23 | Tbh I didn't know of the Nic Cage Bad Lieutenant either.
But the one with Keitel is a classic. | neekafat
03.25.23 | I’m surprised you had any interest knowing your predilections Gyro | Gyromania
03.25.23 | Which predilections would those be? | Gyromania
03.25.23 | "If cinema is an empathy machine, The Whale is pity porn."
I like this line and I think it sums up The Whale perfectly. It was just a bit too excessive and exploitative for me to really get into it. It's like something you'd throw on with the intent to make yourself upset. | PotsyTater
03.25.23 | Neek I asked you a question | Lichtbringer
03.26.23 | m3gan's a 4.3 and bones and all is a 4.4... wat | butt.
03.26.23 | M3gan fuckin ruled, don’t talk shit | Rowan5215
03.26.23 | yeah the trailer for d&d really looked like hot dogshit lmao. movie was better than i expected for sure but worse than i hoped. they did a decent job considering it is functionally impossible to make a good dnd movie at all | Lichtbringer
03.26.23 | "M3gan fuckin ruled, don’t talk shit"
it was alright for what it was, certainly not as stupid as other movies of its kind, but bones and all was in an entirely different league. | JeetJeet
03.26.23 | M3gan was fucking awesome
I watched M Nights Knock At The Cabin yesterday and it was surprisingly good too. Total redemption since his last 2 flicks were stinkers. | budgie
03.26.23 | guys watch candyland | Manatea
03.26.23 | Need work to calm down so i can go see Wick chapt. 4 | MillionDead
03.26.23 | Just saw Creed III tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it. Loved Jonathan Majors' performance. | PotsyTater
03.30.23 | Ex-fucking-scuse me neek | budgie
03.30.23 | lmao | budgie
03.30.23 | hellbender (2021) 1/5 garbage
capsules (2023) 1/5 garbage
give me good recent horror PLEASE | YoYoMancuso
03.30.23 | ^ garfield a tale of two kitties | YoYoMancuso
03.30.23 | i got a Kanopy account a couple days ago and shit slaps, so much good stuff available | PotsyTater
03.30.23 | Im mad | pizzamachine
03.30.23 | Ooo I like movie | JeetJeet
03.30.23 | Just watched John Wick 4. Movie of the year easily | PotsyTater
03.30.23 | Why did you edit pizza | neekafat
03.31.23 | Potsy no I havent Im sorryyyyyy | neekafat
03.31.23 | M3gan fucking rules will not apologize | PotsyTater
03.31.23 | I really want you to watch them. You will love them. I will listen to any two albums of your choice if you do | Ryus
03.31.23 | ive hated everything ive seen from iñarritú but for some reason i am somewhat intrigued by bardo | Ryus
03.31.23 | seeing Enys Men this weekend. some weird folk horror ish. looks good | pizzamachine
03.31.23 | “Why did you edit pizza”
More like why wouldn’t I ✍️ | PotsyTater
03.31.23 | I watched a bunch of movies on my recent flight…
Inherent vice, matrix resurrections, moonlight, barbarian… | AnimalsAsSummit
04.02.23 | John Wick 4 is the best movie of the year and I don’t need to see any other movies this year to know that. Did they make another amazing martial arts movie this year? Another movie with sick coreo? Where the fuck did these movies go??? Theaters used to have tons of martial arts stuff.... one day you wake up and realize man it’s been years since I’ve seen one of those, must be a lost art. And here they take it to the ultimate level.....JW4 all the way baby! | Egarran
04.02.23 | You should check out this years oscar winner. | protokute
04.02.23 | nice man! some of these films I'm very eager to watch | PotsyTater
04.02.23 | I give up | Gyromania
04.02.23 | What did you think of Matrix Resurrection? I thought it was the worst movie in the entire franchise but it seems like a lot of people were into it.
I’m excited for John Wick 4, just went through the movies recently in anticipation of the 4th. | PotsyTater
04.02.23 | As someone who has always thought The Matrix was cringe and is not a fan of the Wachowski sisters’ work in general I actually had a blast with Resurrection. The self-awareness / self-parodying and meta Hollywood studio satire of the first half was really fun. It all made me want to rewatch the trilogy as an adult with a new perspective. Which I probably will never actually do, but yeah, it was fun. | Ryus
04.02.23 | i think im broken inside because i dont think an action movie has ever been above 3/5 territory for me
the matrix is an alright movie but god damn i hate action sequences | PotsyTater
04.02.23 | Yeah the action in the matrix trilogy is definitely part of what has always been cringey to me, which in the contexts of a not-so-serious sequel is a lot more forgivable. The tone of Resurrections just really placated a lot of my grievances of the original trilogy. It was self-aware, fun, and light-hearted but gave just enough fan-service and emotional weight to still seem respectful to the original property. And it poked exactly the right amount of fun at both itself, Warner bros, and the pretentiousness of meta films in general to be humorous and mildly insightful without being pretentious and fucking stupid. | PotsyTater
04.02.23 | Barbarian on the other hand I thought was kind of overrated and I’m not sure why I kept getting told to go into it knowing as little about it as possible. It just okay. It’s so far from being the next Hereditary like people were making it out to be that it’s not even funny.
Inherent Vice was fucking hilarious. The soundtrack was amazing and every single scene that Josh brolin and walking phoenix shared was nothing short of iconic. Also the scene between Jenna Malone and Phoenix about her heroin baby was so funny I had to rewatch it twice.
Moonlight was good but I was expecting a bit more from a movie that earned the amount of acclaim that it did. I think the adult segment of the film was significantly weaker than the child and teen segments.
| PotsyTater
04.02.23 | I also watched a bit of the Nice Guys because I felt like watching a comedy that I don’t have to pay much attention to and it was all that was on the flight and it was terrible. No surprise there. | Hyperion1001
04.02.23 | "i think im broken inside because i dont think an action movie has ever been above 3/5 territory for me"
get your hands on hard boiled and i promise youll change your mind. | Trebor.
04.02.23 | The problem with action is that I need to care about the characters to care about the action and the characters in most action suck ass or are underdeveloped. Like Captain America is the most boring guy in the world why do I give a fuck who he's throwing his shield at | PotsyTater
04.02.23 | Iron man is somehow worse
Somehow | PotsyTater
04.02.23 | God all the marvel characters are so unbelievably vapid | Ryus
04.02.23 | "get your hands on hard boiled and i promise youll change your mind."
hmmmm i will add it to my list | neekafat
04.02.23 | @Potsy I absolutely will!! Sorry I haven't been on here much we're starting production on a feature and I just got thrown into it | neekafat
04.02.23 | yeah I need to see JW4 and Scream 6 and Cocaine Bear | Gyromania
04.05.23 | I can’t imagine anyone watching the action sequences in a movie like John Wick 3 and not enjoying them. A lot of action in movies is cringe, but when it’s done right it can be exhilarating and tick all the boxes | someone
04.05.23 | idk if you necessarily "need" to see Cocaine Bear | Egarran
04.05.23 | don't quell his dreams | Gyromania
04.12.23 | apparently critics are totally wrong about that mario movie. i can see it, they've def been laughably wrong in the past | PotsyTater
04.12.23 | Do the critics like it or hate it | Egarran
04.12.23 | It's a classic metacritic situation.
Pro critics: 46%
User score: 8.7 | PotsyTater
04.12.23 | I c | neekafat
04.13.23 | Not that people are usually right but | PotsyTater
04.13.23 | Critics are also people | neekafat
04.14.23 | barely
and i am one | Gyromania
05.08.23 | Evil Dead Rise was fun. Anyone see that? | budgie
05.08.23 | i saw wind river earlier and it was quite good | neekafat
05.15.23 | updated finally oof
added:
Infinity Pool
Ant Man futurama
How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Scream VI
John Wick 4
Super Mario Bros.
Evil Dead Again
Beau Is Afraid
Air | neekafat
05.15.23 | Wind River is great budgie | budgie
05.15.23 | man the more i think about scream 6 the more i hate it
evil dead rise i didnt love but it wasnt really bad. it didnt feel mean, though, which is such a signature mood of the franchise | bellovddd
05.15.23 | MEGAN and the new scream were shocking! | neekafat
05.15.23 | glad you dug them too!!
@budge yeah honestly that's why I prefer the reboot (not by much) to Rise because that movie feels very pissed off | someone
05.16.23 | yeah idk
Beau is Afraid to me is a film too indecisive in what it tries to say and how it wants to say it, too meek to exit its comfort zone of purposeful chaos to really be the provocative piece it tries to pretend it is, too shallow and bloated. Beside the fact that it is way too long and does not justify the runtime, having at least 4 different endings all ending up as a misdirect, it just plain is too confused by its own character to come to a meaningful conclusion of what it is trying to say. There also are way too many metafictional or misleading tricks played that, I assume, are supposed to show a form of directorial and writing creativity, and pave the atmosphere better, but end up being incredible nuisances, if the plot is to be analysed at face value. Most eggregious side-steps are the lack of well-developed aim Aster has with the suburban nuclear family plot, the multitude of endings, the indecision on Beau's relationship with his mother, which is a huge thing to be unclear about as a filmmaker, if that is the whole point of the movie. It does not seem like Aster went into this with much more than a vague idea of the narrative, and a wish to confuse and upset the audience.
And in the words of a Letterbox reviewer:
"Pretentious wankery" | neekafat
05.18.23 | Luckily the plot is not meant to be analyzed at face value | PotsyTater
05.18.23 | Stop watching stupid shit like antman and Mario and watch wristcutters and beasts of the southern wild already Jfc
Like bruh ur gonna love them so fucking muuuuch | PotsyTater
05.18.23 | “ Pretentious wankery"
Sounds great tbh thanks for the rec | neekafat
05.18.23 | I willllllllll | PotsyTater
05.18.23 | I don’t believe you | Gyromania
05.18.23 | Awful take on rise | Gyromania
05.18.23 | And yeah I’m gutted that the Mario movie wasn’t more intellectually rewarding | neekafat
05.18.23 | right that's what i said | neekafat
05.23.23 | Anyone see GOTG3? | Kompys2000
05.23.23 | Kids don't need art kids just need colors and noise to shut them up for two hours this is a good and prosocial thing to believe | neekafat
06.19.23 | Saw 65, Fast X, Peter Pan & Wendy
| sonictheplumber
06.19.23 | just got criterion channel. not too many jason statham movies, wtf? | MoM
06.19.23 | “ too meek to exit its comfort zone of purposeful chaos to really be the provocative piece it tries to pretend it is”
That’s all of Aster’s work | neekafat
06.19.23 | Def how I feel about Hereditary | neekafat
06.25.23 | Updooted with a buncha shit | brainmelter
06.25.23 | Ari Aster is so frustrating because he is talented but he can be so bad too lol. I haven’t really been interested in seeing Beu is Afraid because Midsommar left such a bad taste in my mouth. | brainmelter
06.25.23 | PAST LIVES is sooooooo good! saw last week at an empty 10:30pm showing and it was lovely. Probably my favorite of the year | MoM
06.25.23 | Aster hasn’t been hitting high points for me at any point. I don’t like the writing; but there’s always room for improvement! | Lichtbringer
06.25.23 | midsommar was unbelievably stupid, so i don't have high hopes | MoM
06.25.23 | Me neither. I’m not interested in watching it at all | Ryus
06.25.23 | this trend of movies like “air” is so dumb | budgie
06.25.23 | way too much crying in the two aster films i watched | Egarran
06.25.23 | Nah MoM you'd like Midsommar. Especially now the sput critics have lowered your expectations. | MoM
06.25.23 | Nah, i thought Midsommar was okay, but it didn’t do much for me | Egarran
06.25.23 | Ah I misunderstood. Carry on. | MoM
06.25.23 | It’s all good! Have you seen Possessor? | neekafat
06.25.23 | I fucken love Possessor!!! (Midsommar is my favorite Aster lol) | neekafat
06.25.23 | @brain glad you loved it too!! It’s between that and Spiderverse for me (: | MoM
06.25.23 | Wasn’t Possessor incredible?! Great movie! | neekafat
06.25.23 | Yes!! Have you seen Infinity Pool yet, his latest movie? | Egarran
06.26.23 | Haven't seen Possessor, but it sounds good. Unf it's not streaming on any of my 17 streaming services. | fogza
06.26.23 | "Alexander Skarsgård is icily perfect as always"
I dunno if I've ever seen Skarsgard be any better than adequate in anything he's been in tbh | neekafat
06.26.23 | well jokes on YOU I quoted the wrong Skarsgard
but yeah no i like him a lot in the genre stuff I've seen him in | PotsyTater
06.27.23 | deadass went out to see fast x and Peter Pan and Wendy over peeping the two amazing movies I’ve been begging you to watch for the last two years straight | PotsyTater
06.27.23 | I Am trying to bring joy to your life yet you choose pain | neekafat
06.27.23 | I saw both with friends what do u want me to do lol | PotsyTater
06.27.23 | I want you to watch wristcutters a love story and beasts of the southern wild | Gyromania
06.27.23 | "A dramatically stilted, comedically lifeless, CGI fuckfest, Quantumania is the clearest example so far that the MCU is spinning wheels with nowhere to go."
lol this is the best summary of that movie i've seen | pizzamachine
06.27.23 | Yeah, that sums up the critiques I heard about the movie perfectly | bellovddd
06.27.23 | winter solider is the only marvel movie i liked really. | pizzamachine
06.27.23 | Good pick | Hyperion1001
06.27.23 | i honestly don’t think I’ve seen a single movie that came out this year. | pizzamachine
06.27.23 | Too busy saving the world amirite | Ryus
06.27.23 | last marvel movie i saw was the first wonder woman and i hope i never see another | PotsyTater
06.27.23 | Lol you should watch the second Wonder Woman | bellovddd
06.27.23 | I've seen clips from the second one and oh boy lol | fogza
06.27.23 | Tbf wonder woman isn't a marvel movie | neekafat
06.27.23 | “ i honestly don’t think I’ve seen a single movie that came out this year.”
wow lucky | Lichtbringer
06.27.23 | i just randomly read about the flash's ezra miller... how the absolute fuck is this piece of trash motherfucker not cancelled??? | MoM
06.27.23 | ^ ‘Cause he still brings in money 😕 | neekafat
06.27.23 | I mean he kinda is, hollywood still works with him tho | PotsyTater
06.27.23 | Yeah he’s pretty publicly “cancelled”, Hollywood just didn’t get the memo | Lichtbringer
06.27.23 | i don't really understand how you can be cancelled and starring in blockbusters at the same time, but ok | neekafat
06.27.23 | Look we cant all be kevin spacey
| bellovddd
06.27.23 | ezra miller is disgusting. in every way. | unclereich
06.28.23 | the term cancelled is cringe and holds no weight considering bill Cosby still tours and sells out shows. | fogza
06.28.23 | "‘Cause he still brings in money"
does he? i read the flash is not doing as hot as the studio would have wanted | unclereich
06.28.23 | damn Paul Rudd must be cancelled too because ant man fucking tanked at the box office lolol | Hyperion1001
06.28.23 | actually I take it back I watched skinamarink and I thought it was pretty good.
want to see that new evil dead now that’s it’s vod | neekafat
06.28.23 | "damn Paul Rudd must be cancelled too because ant man fucking tanked at the box office lolol"
yes this can be the only reason | neekafat
06.28.23 | Nice Hyperion, lemme know whatchu think! | neekafat
08.23.23 | Updooted again (: | budgie
08.23.23 | you should check out the passenger, with kyle gallner. think it is my fav so far of the decade. not really an innovative film but it does what it does so well
| MarsKid
08.23.23 | D&D was a good fun time with friends, which really is all I could ask for from it. Probably doesn't hold up under scrutiny but eh that's how the cookie crumbles. | neekafat
08.24.23 | Will do Budge!!
And yeah i totally get it Mars, my mom really loved it and made me watch it hahaha | JohnnyoftheWell
08.24.23 | Vaporwave has never sounded so revolutionary and explosive as it does right now. I have not been much of a fan of the current glitchy nature of Death?s music in their last few releases. However, the newest set of tracks from three personal bands shows that they can still create memorable and catchy pop ideas laced with the classic underpinnings that come from vapor and its subsequent genres like vaporwave, utopian virtual, dreampunk, and mallsoft (among others). The album can still have some dry moments on it that leave you wanting to skip it, but overall, most of the tracks here are expansive and explosive without going too far into the meme that comes with vaporwave music.
| neekafat
08.24.23 | Why | Egarran
08.24.23 | His motives are unfathomable. | neekafat
08.25.23 | trv | neekafat
10.09.23 | cocaine bear
bottoms
a haunting in venice
the flash
it lives inside
all added! | Kompys2000
10.09.23 | Cocaine bear isnt that good but there's an okay crime dramedy buried somewhere in there. I liked the parts with ice cubes kid
Also I'm sorry the term "sheboot" needs to be smothered in the crib this is unacceptable | Trebor.
10.09.23 | Talk to Me is so fucking good | butt.
10.10.23 | Talk to Me is so fucking good [2]
Also, Saw X is quite fucking good as well. Probably best Saw movie since the original | PotsyTater
10.10.23 | “ she-boot”
Never say this again. | neekafat
10.10.23 | Y’all i said sheboot months ago | neekafat
10.10.23 | Oh i see it’s the first sentence
Oh well, primacy bias and all | Egarran
10.10.23 | Honestly an incredible pop film. | neekafat
10.11.23 | ty sir (unless sarcasm) | Egarran
10.11.23 | Sorry, I have developed an allergy to the word 'honestly' and derivatives. | neekafat
11.03.23 | added:
The Creator
Killers of the Flower Moon
15 Cameras | budgie
11.04.23 | watch the passenger & candy land ! i ! i ! | neekafat
11.04.23 | Already added the passenger to my watchlist (: you'll have to try harder to convince me to watch candy land from what i saw lol | bellovddd
11.04.23 | I watched 'nowhere'. intense movie! | neekafat
11.04.23 | oooooh yeah that one looks nuts! | budgie
11.04.23 | candy land is a MASTERPIECE puts a24 productions to shame | brainmelter
12.20.23 | Damn so I really adored Poor Things, definitely my favorite yorgos movie.
and Emma stone!! wows
As of now my favorites of the year are Minus One, Past Lives, and Poor Things lmao. I just recently saw The Boy and the Heron and Dream Sequence too and those were great. I still need to watch a bunch from this year like Zone of Interest and the new Scorsese movie. | Ryus
12.20.23 | poor things was awesome yeah
rly excited for zone of interest | Winesburgohio
12.20.23 | Check Kore-eda's 'Monster' and Late Night With the Devil imo. The former is one of the most affecting things | Azazzel
12.20.23 | for all my kino friends, Sight & Sound magazine Winter 2023 issue
https://files.catbox.moe/rrzi4x.pdf | bellovddd
12.20.23 | no idea they made 15 cameras.. I enjoyed the first two well enough! | brainmelter
12.20.23 | Monster is on my watchlist but I’ve never heard of the latter, will check it out! | neekafat
12.20.23 | Poor Things, Monster, Boy and the Heron, and Zone of Interest are all veryyyyyy high on my to-watch list
@bellovddd yeah the director is actually kinda in my filmmaker circle! | neekafat
12.21.23 | oh shit i have a bunch to add but forgot to bc the site was down when i remembered last | neekafat
12.22.23 | The Killer
No One Will Save You
Dream Scenario
The Holdovers
Blue Beetle
May December
Godzilla Minus One
Napoleon
Fallen Leaves
The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
i have a little brother who i really into superhero movies lol | Winesburgohio
12.22.23 | did u like the original shazam? i really really did and am saddened by the reaction to the sequel, think i'll give it a miss : * (
and shit I really liked The Killer, though am easily seduced by style-over-substance |
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