Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Love Me - Once again, I've never heard of this movie! I think it's just really disappointing because it seems like the only independent films that get press are from A24 and I'm kind of over it. While I wouldn't say that I necessarily enjoyed this movie, it's certainly...interesting. I think it's very timely and relatable for a lot of people, and it really digs into what it means to be "human" amongst an ever-growing world of AI. I was very confused and irritated during the beginning because it's all animated and the only reason I pressed play for this is because Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun are on the poster (as humans). It's not that I don't like animation, but it wasn't what I was expecting based on the poster. I also wasn't expecting to stare at a fucking Minion looking creature for a majority of the film. I questioned whether this film was going to be watchable, but then it tells this story of this influencer couple who live their lives online - and the robot (who is living in a future world) tries to copy this couple in order to find meaning to its life. It kind of asks the question of how we want the future to remember us, and if all they have is influencer life on social media as proof of life, well, we're all doomed to be remembered as that. Personally, I don't understand it, nor do I want to live my life in front of people (mostly strangers). And the only thing worse than an influencer is an influencer couple. These machines try to copy this human existence and it leads to a very false sense of identity ("who are we talking to?" EXACTLY!). So, as I said, it's an interesting way to look at the future, and asks thoughtful questions about the effects of social media, technology, and the human race. I think the animated Yeun is spot on, but I would not know that was supposed to be Kristen Stewart if I didn't already know. And it becomes a little repetitive. 

2. Sinners - Ok, so I have my issues with this movie, but overall, it's very good. The best of the year so far, but I don't think that's saying much because it's been a slow year for films (I've seen 35 2025 releases and only THREE of them are 3.5 stars or above. THREE!). I was extremely nervous about this - and the reviews for this - because a lot of people referenced the comparison to From Dusk Till Dawn, which is one of my all-time favorite films. That automatically sets it up for failure, because it's not going to be that good. But, the only real comparison between the movies is that it's an unconventional vampire movie about two brothers. But the underlying themes are very different. So, let me start with the stuff I didn't love. First of all, I'm a big fan of Michael B. Jordan. I was here since Parenthood & Friday Night Lights. BUT, I think he's miscast sometimes - he's outstanding in the Creed movies and in Fruitvale Station, but I thought he was awful in Black Panther (the over-acting was off the charts!). It's kind of crazy that Ryan Coogler has 5 feature films under his belt and ALL 5 star Jordan?! Has that ever happened before? I know there are a lot of actor/director collaborations, but FIVE IN A ROW? Like, maybe Coogler needs to step away and analyze who is truly the best person for the role instead of insta-hiring the same actor? It's not that I think Jordan is bad in this, but I found it extremely difficult to tell the difference between the twin brothers he is portraying. It's weird because the summaries all describe the brothers as if one is "more calm and collected" than the other, but that's all inferred through dialogue not necessarily through Jordan's acting. It's not easy playing two roles in one film, and unfortunately, I just did not buy this at all. I also don't think it's made particularly well. Obviously, I'm aware that it was made for an IMAX screen and it probably looked better. But the super-wide aspect ratio is hard to look at on a tv screen at home. The blocking is super weird, the angles of the camera are off-putting, and the editing is very jumpy. It's very technically ugly, but it's saved by the costume and set design, and, of course, the vibes. And my final issue is that nothing happens for the first 45 minutes. I was so exponentially bored WAITING for SOMETHING. But then it gets good. Like, really good. The scene that goes through the decades of black influence in different genres of music is incredible and I really wish that there was more of that originality and creativity in the rest of the film. Jack O'Connell is the absolute stand-out for me (no surprise there, really. He's probably my third male celebrity crush behind Taron and James McAvoy. I HAVE A TYPE!). He KILLS this role. The rest of the supporting cast are all great too - Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Mosaku, and Hailee Steinfeld all have time to shine. I also think the dialogue is written really well - very poetic and smooth. Overall, I'm not in love with it, but I certainly love parts of it. 

3. The Ballad of Wallis Island - This is a cute, little film. Nothing that I will necessarily remember, but I enjoyed it for what it is. I feel like Carey Mulligan has disappeared, so it was nice to see her in something again, even if she still has the same "I'm on the verge of tears" expression on her face ALL THE TIME (I started calling it "resting cry face" instead of "resting bitch face"). Also, she sings in this and I LOVE her voice. It's so pretty and the songs are really pretty too. The film kind of reminds me of Once - not in actual story, but the vibe of it and the folky-type music. I don't really recognize anyone else in the cast, but the guy who orchestrates this whole reunion of his favorite band is really funny (I mean, he would be annoying as fuck in real life but for a movie, it's charming). And I enjoyed the ending - and that the story didn't end the typical way a romantic comedy would. Instead, it's about opening yourself up to new experiences and letting new people into your life. It's cute! 

4. G20 - I was bored and I wanted to watch an action movie (one that my husband wouldn't want to watch - I try to save those for when he occasionally will watch a movie with me). To be honest, I was expecting worse??? I mean, I've definitely seen much worse this year. I thought it was kind of fun - a bit too predictable with WAY too much foreshadowing, but overall I was entertained. I love that Viola Davis will do prestige dramas and also dumb action movies (I think more actors need to adopt this method of choosing roles otherwise they start to get too full of themselves and are constantly seeking awards. It becomes so unhealthy). I like the supporting cast too - the woman from Westworld shows up in the beginning and I said to myself "ooooh I love her! I hope she doesn't die right away" (LOL), Anthony Anderson is always amusing, Clark Gregg, the Italian woman from The White Lotus (I'm not looking up names today...), AND Anthony Starr - who is apparently FROM NEW ZEALAND WITH A KIWI ACCENT IN REAL LIFE??? I had NO IDEA. He plays an American MAGA supervillain so well on The Boys, I was shocked to hear his real accent. The film is far too long, but Viola is a badass and it has some funny parts (like when the woman jumps into the laundry chute and they are like "where the fuck did she go?"). And it's directed by a woman! Always nice to see for an action film like this. 

5. The Woman in the Yard - Man, Danielle Deadwyler is a FORCE. I know a lot of people were upset when she didn't get the Oscar nomination for Till (I think the competition was just too strong), but I thought she was a lock for Supporting with The Piano Lesson. I also liked her in Carry On, and my favorite movie of 2021, The Harder They Fall. And I just watched her episode of The Bear, and she will most definitely get an Emmy nomination in the Guest Actress category, otherwise, we officially RIOT. She MAKES this movie. Her face is so full of expression and she just COMMANDS the screen. But, otherwise, this movie is kind of bad. I appreciate the story of grief that it is trying to tell, but it is very heavy-handed. I didn't really know what to expect with the story, but from the poster I thought it was like a ghost story/mystery kind of like The Woman in the Wall or I am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House (both oddly star Ruth Wilson!). And it pretty much is - although maybe more psychological drama than ghost story. It's also a Blumhouse horror, which tend to be very bad nowadays (I had higher hope for it because it's directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and I'm a fan! He just signed a huge Netflix deal after the success of Carry On. I hope he partners up with Taron again). This movie is just flat-out boring, though. I stopped paying attention by the end because I figured the "woman in the yard" was just a metaphor for her grief and I knew it would be stupid to watch that from a visual perspective. But then as I randomly paid attention, I think it might have been the daughter maybe? The whole backwards R thing was obviously going to be important, but I'll never know because it's not something I'll ever watch again.