Thoughts on 5 New TV Shows

1. Margo's Got Money Troubles - I'm 1/2 way through this series and I love a lot about it, but not the whole thing overall. It's just such a great cast - and they are all giving exceptional performances (the stand-out is probably Michelle Pfeiffer - it's a hard role to play because you have to like her and have sympathy for her even though she's a narcissistic, materialistic, terrible mother. But if you don't like her, the whole thing falls apart). And her delivery of the line "I'm terrible at everything except being pretty" should earn her the Emmy. I've been an Elle Fanning fan since the beginning, but I think she really proved herself in a more "adult" role with The Great (one of the best comedies of the last decade). I also adore the girl from Bad Sisters (her name is Thaddea Graham - she was also in Sex Education for a little while) and I really like the character that she plays here - just a really supportive friend who is confident in who she is and doesn't tear people down. I actually think all of the characters are given a lot of depth - the show is written very well (it's a David E. Kelley show, so that's kind of a given). I think the reason I'm not loving it, is because of the whole OnlyFans part - I feel like it's kind of glorifying this whole concept as a viable income source (which it is, there's unfortunately no denying that), but I find the whole thing...sad. And to be honest, it doesn't even make sense to me because you can just find porn on the internet...for free. Why are people paying for others to do dumb shit - is it purposely to degrade someone?? Does that make one feel powerful/in control? It's all just...ugh. And I'm not even someone who's like super against porn, but there's something about the influencer culture/creating "content" part of it that gets under my skin. I also just feel like the "single broke mother" plot doesn't make sense because she can just sue for child support - there's no reason to not do that (like he's not abusive, etc.). The deal that is made is very dumb - I mean, GREAT that your kid will get $300k down the line, but if you can't afford to take care of him NOW none of that will matter. She very easily could have negotiated that to get some money up front. Anyway, I'm just not ALL in on the actual story/plot, but I'm invested because of the cast. And I screamed when Nicole Kidman showed up as a pro-wrestler. LOL. It's been a while since she's done something so unexpected. 

2. Bait - This show is great! Fantastic concept, likeable characters, funny dialogue, and it moves at lightning speed. I watched the first 4 episodes in a row and the only reason I stopped watching is because Amazon Prime crashed and I got too frustrated so I watched something else. I probably would have watched the whole thing in one sitting. I LOVE Riz Ahmed though (he's the creator and star of this) - so that obviously helps. It feels very personal - and I haven't really looked into it that much, but I'm assuming that he did actually audition and/or read for the role of James Bond at some point? There's been talk of a new Bond taking over since Spectre - which was 11 years ago. There's been a LOT of different rounds of casting and then...nothing. I think Ahmed would have actually been a great Bond, but has aged out of what they want. But if they keep taking so FUCKING long, everyone is going to age out and they'll have to start all over again...AGAIN! I don't even have an opinion anymore - but the top predictions (Jacob Elordi, Callum Turner, Harris Dickinson) are killing me. Anyway, this is a fun show about the consequences of auditioning for Bond - he gets swept up in a media circus and has to endure a whole lot of racism and hate crimes, which I'm sure he's basing on experience, unfortunately. But I like the way he addresses this - a lot of it is in good humor (the gag with all of the South Asian actors getting confused by one another is always funny - because they all look SO different. It's hard to believe that people get them confused, but I'm sure it comes from truth), but also takes very serious turns (his family is threatened and a pig's head is thrown though their window). I also love how his family reacts to the news of his Bond possibilities ("Did Daniel Craig die?" "Do they know about your height?") - it's all very funny. I think the last two episodes go really off the rails, but overall, it's a fun show. And there's even a really great Bond type song that is featured by Jorja Smith called "Price of it All" (I immediately added it to my Spotify). I hope Ahmed gets to make more. It has similar energy to Atlanta the way it feels a little hyper focused and surreal at the same time. Oh also, I really like Ritu Arya (from Umbrella Academy) and would love to see more of this character. 

3. The Testaments - UGH...I hate that I started watching this. I was so happy when The Handmaid's Tale was finally over because I hated it so much, but I'm a completist (and I liked some aspects of it - mostly the parts with Serena, played by Yvonne Strahovski). I wasn't planning on watching this sequel, but then they went and cast Chase Infiniti and I HAD to watch it because I love her. But unfortunately, I hate this show too. And I almost threw my tv out the window when I realized that Elisabeth Moss is in this too. I can't stand her - just one of the worst actresses ever, but also a scientologist and I'm convinced she's lying about her age (there is NO WAY she is a year YOUNGER than me - she's at least a decade older), but it makes sense with the story (and she's not in it a lot). Unfortunately, there is another actress in this who is in it a lot who is also a terrible actress (the girl who plays Daisy - yikes! But she also gets the worst dialogue, so that doesn't help. That inner monologue is just painful! I will admit that her accent is really good. I could still tell she wasn't American, though. I guessed Irish, but she's actually Scottish.). I really struggled to get through this because it's just the same thing over and over again - we already know this story. Are they going to do anything new with it??? ANYTHING AT ALL?? But the last two episodes are really, really good - and they do actually move the story forward and give for a really great ending that will hopefully bleed into the second season. I think the casting is bad though??? They are all supposed to be teenagers (and like young teenagers who are just getting their period), but they all clearly are in their 20s. Like, I'm sorry but Chase Infiniti got her period a decade ago, so watching a scene with this *very important* plot point is just weird. Why not hire actual teenagers??? Or why not stick to the book and have them in their 20s? Also, I don't need a redemption arc or a backstory for Aunt Lydia??? You'll never make me feel bad for her. Overall, I just don't like this show at all - and no amount of "Sweet Jane" playing in the background will make me change my mind. 

4. Big Mistakes - This is okay. There's some really good stuff in it and it definitely gets better as it goes on - the first two episodes are ROUGH. But the last two episodes are GREAT. And the twist at the end is so unexpected and FANTASTIC, and definitely makes me excited for a second season (let's just say that the wonderful Elizabeth Perkins should have a much bigger role...). Other stuff that is good: Dan Levy is hilarious (I'm not sure he will every play a different character, but the one that he does is always delightful), some of the dialogue is very good ("Name a woman who has time for Chess" made me giggle), and Laurie Metcalf is acting circles around everyone. But, I strongly feel like it should have starred Rachel Sennott (she wrote this along with Levy, and it's so super clear that she was meant to star in it as well - I'm not sure what happened, I'm assuming it was a scheduling issue), and the girl they got to replace her is...not good. I also think that a LOT of the dialogue is actually terrible, but Levy knows how to deliver the lines with a perfect sarcastic energy and facial expressions that make the lines funny, but everyone else struggles. The story goes from 0 to 100 very quickly and it was hard to keep up with exactly what the end goal is - they are suddenly buying cows and involved with cocaine smuggling?? It's WILD. But, like I said, the end is great and I'm interested to see where it goes. 

5. Half Man - So far I like this show a lot (I have two episodes left to watch). I like that Richard Gadd creates really complicated, layered, and contradictory characters because they feel really tangible. He's a really talented writer (if you haven't seen Baby Reindeer, I highly recommend it purely for how well written it is). I'm surprised that the writing didn't receive any Emmy love, and that the sole nomination is for Gadd in the Supporting Actor in a Limited Series category. I saw a lot of people talk about a Jamie Bell snub, and, while I love Jamie Bell, I think the standout performance is Stuart Campbell. I don't think the younger vs older actors are cast well AT ALL based on looks, but Campbell does a great job at this absolutely psychopathic role. He is actually one of the standouts in SAS Rogue Heroes as well, and when I saw that he was in this, I actually moved it up my list. He's definitely an actor that is going to break out BIG very soon (hopefully *crosses fingers*). But, the casting is hard to get past because THAT guy is supposed to be a young Jamie Bell??? What? They don't even look a little bit similar. And the only thing connecting Gadd and Campbell is the haircut (as if someone would have the same awful haircut for 14 years??? So stupid!). But once you get past the cast, it's a good, interesting story. The way they are connecting these two people as being the "other halves", as in they both need each other in this mutualism sort of way, but it's actually more parasitic. It's just written really well, and has a lot of thought put into every single piece of dialogue and character development. There is also something darkly funny about it (and some actual laugh-out-loud moments too - the "this signed Harrison Ford poster?" moment is one of the funniest things I've seen in a while. It's so out-of-pocket - I literally laughed for like 10 minutes). I think my only other criticism (aside from the casting choices) is that the episodes feel a little too long. It can definitely benefit from quickening the pace a bit. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Obsession - I liked this a lot, but I also think that a lot of the underlying themes and depth that exists are...accidental. And I'm not trying to knock the director because he is a young, privileged, male - I fully admit he made an excellent film. And a film that resonated with a lot of people. It's obviously a box office success, but it's also a film that people wanted to TALK about in depth, and I find that really rare nowadays. So, kudos to him! I'm excited to see what he does next! But I'm also a little skeptical because I just don't think a 26 year old has this much insight into the world. But, we'll see! Because I waited until it was streaming, there was SO much written about it - I had a plethora of opinions waiting for me to read. It's incredibly interesting to read how people have interpreted the film, some of it is WILD ("she was already in love with him" is the craziest take I've seen about a film in a while - BY A WOMAN no less!). But here is how I see it: I think Curry Barker made a very surface level horror movie (again, a good one!) that's kind of (almost assuredly unintentionally) misogynistic, about a man wishing for a woman to fall in love with him only for that wish to backfire on him because she's a psychopath. The tagline is literally "Be careful who you wish for" - which literally means "careful because some bitches be CRAZY". I've come to this conclusion for one simple reason: his wish is "I wish Nikki Freeman loved me more than anyone in the fucking world" and suddenly Nikki becomes an possessive, jealous, murderous psychopath because that's how the concept of "love" is being interpreted here. It's an all-consuming obsession. And it's an excuse for men to keep their distance, to cut themselves off emotionally, to avoid commitment, etc., and still blame it on women. But the real (almost assuredly unintentional) "depth" of the film is that it is actually men who are to blame! The reality of it is that it is a big, fat, giant fucking circle (men are distant because women are clingy, so women become clingy because men are distant). There is also some great commentary (actually maybe intentional) about how difficult it is for men to just...fucking TALK to a woman they have feelings for and possibly face heartbreak/confrontation/sadness, and will opt for literally any other option. I mean, if this "wish" option actually existed, women would just lose their romantic/sexual freedom all together, because men would choose it every time (I don't know...maybe the "good" men would realize that this is, in fact, rape. But I also think that a very scarily large percentage of men would be ok with that). Anyway, the discussion around the movie is probably more interesting than the actual movie if you really think about it (there's also this theory going around that the soul of his dead cat is brought back into Nikki's body because his cat "loved him more than anyone in the fucking world", which is an interesting thought - but I don't think fully works). As far as the actual film, the acting is the highlight - Inde Navarrette is a FIND! Just an incredible debut performance. But I also think Michael Johnston does a great job of straddling this fine line of making you still care about what happens to him even if you don't necessarily like him. The super weak link is the guy who plays his friend/co-worker (also speaking of co-worker - there are WAY too many employees for an independent music shop??!! The only way they could afford that many workers is if it's a drug front). That guy can not act (I looked him up and it looks like he's friends with Barker, so that makes sense. There's no way he auditioned for this role and was the best person for it. LOL). I think the way Nikki is pushed into the shadows for a lot of the film works really well, but I hate a lot of the lighting and color choices -some of it looks like those fake western photos you take at a fair with the sepia toned saturation. And a lot of the story is just dumb - anyone would just instantly call 911 as soon as someone started smashing their own face in (and then she goes to sleep with dried blood all over her face??). I mean, I probably would have contacted a doctor well before this, but that would have definitely been my tipping point. Also, nothing actually scary happens until like 90 minutes into the film and there's only another 20 minutes left after that. But overall, I think it's a really strong, interesting film and will likely be in my Top 10 of the year (it's currently #4). 

2. Undertone - I saw extremely varying opinions on this and usually that means I will rate it 3 stars. It's always so jarring to see someone I trust rate a film 1 star and then someone else I trust rate it 5 stars though - which is what happened with this. So, just like I thought, I think it's a solid 3 star film - although I think I can understand why someone has an extreme dislike for it more than someone who thinks it's a masterpiece. It is an ok horror movie - it's very quiet and subtle, and I think that gets overlooked when it comes to horror, but it's also lacking the intensity needed to pull this off. There are strong themes of guilt, motherhood, PPD, etc. Nina Kiri is terrific (I recognize her from The Handmaid's Tale, but I think that's it?). It's a big year for horror films (and horror performances, specifically)! But I hate the whole idea of podcasts (sorry, not sorry) and the fact that they don't just turn these tapes over to the police immediately is a good indication of where we are as a society. I recently read an article about how this new age of true crime podcasters has had a severely negative impact on solving crimes because too many people are getting involved and have their own "theories" and it's actually overwhelming for detectives to narrow down actual evidence and realistic explanations. I think everyone wants to be the next Michelle McNamara (who did help find the Golden State Killer, even though police will never admit that BECAUSE they don't want to encourage average citizens to get involved!), which is crazy because that woman DIED because of her own obsession with that case. Anyway, I've gone on a tangent, but it's related because my point is that these podcasters should not have continued this "case" just to gain listeners and the idea of this is actually scarier than the film itself. Also, do they think that the fact that old children's songs are about death and disease is a new idea? They kind of act like they've discovered something here and I find it eye-rolling. 

3. Heartstopper Forever - Okay, so I rated this fairly low - 2.5 stars, compared to the series. I don't rate tv because Letterboxd doesn't have a tv section yet....I read that it's coming? I never really rated stuff until I got Letterboxd and I really don't want to use another site so I'm just waiting for Lb to separate the tv and movie stuff because I hate that it's mixed right now so I just don't add tv for now. But if I did rate the series, I would rate it 3.5? Maybe even 4 stars?? It's a very good show. I actually wrote about the first season on this blog somewhere. The main reason that I love it so much is because of its representation of queer joy - it's about teenagers finding JOY and I think this is not often the case with shows depicting LGBTQ+ themes (just like how rare it is to find media representation of black joy - it's always about racism, slavery, hate crimes, which are all IMPORTANT, but it shouldn't be the ONLY representation). I also appreciate that it doesn't have the "shock" factor of other teenage shows (like Euphoria) - there is very little sex, alcohol, or drug use. I think reality lives somewhere in the middle of this. But I think this movie tries to push the envelope a little bit (there's drinking and sex), but it also only focuses on the two main characters and everyone else is completely sidelined. That's my biggest complaint - Nick and Charlie are adorable and I love them, but I also love Elle and Tara and Darcy and Isaac (I'm a little meh on Tao - he's a little too whiny and entitled). I'm glad that the show was given a proper end, but I would have preferred like a 4 episode series ending that focused on ALL of the characters instead of a 2 hour film. Also, they RECAST Nick's mom aka Olivia Colman?! And you CAN'T recast Olivia Colman. It's just never going to work. I just think it was missing all of the genuine heartfelt moments of the show and kind of feels unnecessary and pointless. And most of the good reviews on LB are from gen Zers who discuss the movie along with the word "nostalgia" because a show that came out 4 years ago is apparently ancient (words have no meaning anymore). 

4. Cold Storage - *spoilers ahead* I enjoyed this while I watched it but it is highly forgettable. It's another film that partly takes place in Australia (AGAIN!). I didn't know anything about this movie beforehand (husband picked it), so I was excited to see Sosie Bacon but....SHE DIES! LIKE RIGHT AWAY?! What the fuck?! So she's not even part of the cast - which is more based around the guy everyone loves from Stranger Things (Steve. I can't remember his real name. Sorry!) and the girl from Barbarian (who I really, really like). They have GREAT chemistry together and I enjoyed watching their banter. There's also Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville in smaller roles, which feels weird because, like, why are these two established actors in this movie?? It makes no sense. And THEN VANESSA REDGRAVE appears in a small role and I was like "how the FUCK did they get Vanessa Redgrave for this movie?? So that's when I had to do some digging - because as much as I enjoyed it, it's also a dumb action/sci-fi nothing of a movie. And I still can't really figure it out - other than Liam Neeson does a lot of dumb action movies and this one is written by David Koepp - who obviously has clout in the industry (probably one of the best action screenwriters there is - Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, War of the Worlds etc., and also one of my favorite (not action) film: Death Becomes Her!), and then I also remembered that Vanessa Redgrave is technically Neeson's Mother-in-Law (she is the late Natasha Richardson's mom), so maybe he convinced her to do this?? Anyway, it's certainly not a bad movie - it just doesn't warrant a cast of this caliber. There are some funny parts (the "He's got Covid" part made me choke on a mild dud), and the dialogue is written really well. And it's gory and campy and overall a good time. 

5. Normal - This definitely exceeded my expectations. It's a ton of fun and completely unexpected. It's like Hot Fuzz but with the Yakuza so...way more violence. I'm usually a big fan of Ben Wheatley films though (Sightseers is probably my favorite) - even the films I don't love have some really great moments of brilliance (except maybe his most recent one...Meg 2: The Trench because why the fuck did Ben Wheatley direct that movie??? It doesn't even make sense). This feels more old-school Wheatley and I just think it's a really good watch. The plot goes in unexpected directions, some characters get gruesomely killed, and once the action starts...it does not stop! And I love that Bob Odenkirk is in his 60s now and pretty much exclusively makes action films with him just being a "normal" guy thrust into this world. I think it's actually best if you don't know much about it and just expect a dumb action movie, so the only other thing I'll say is that the "Physics, bitch!" line had to be a nod to Breaking Bad's magnet moment and I love it! Oh also, I was very concerned about the dog the WHOLE TIME, but the dog ends up fine. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash - It took me 3 years to finally watch the second one, so I'm proud of myself for watching this one within a year of its release! I'm a big fan of the first one in certain respects - I still think it's an incredibly beautiful movie - the world building, the colors, the detail is so spectacular and I *thought* it would change the course of filmmaking (but somehow we've gone in the opposite direction in which you can't fucking see anything!). However, the story is just lacking. And it's definitely not interesting enough for 3 movies (or 5 - I think that's Cameron's goal, right?). I don't exactly get bored while watching them, because I still think there's so much to look at, but it's ALL visual - there is nothing connecting to my brain at all. There are a few things that I really liked about this third installment - I like that they give the character Spider a little more depth and a little more to do. I like that they introduce a new Na'vi tribe that are the "villains" (deepens the colonialism allegory with us giving guns to certain Native American tribes). I absolutely LOVE the Miley Cyrus song at the end - she was definitely snubbed for that Oscar nomination (I think, in general, Miley gets a bad rap, but she has an incredible voice and has some BANGERS. "Wrecking Ball" is the best pop song of the 2010s. Hands down). And, of course, the film is just so beautiful and inventive - there's just so much to look at and absorb. But, it's just soooo long (I had to split it into a two night viewing). It also feels like you're watching the SAME thing over and over again. It's literally the SAME movie as the first two - even though they add a new villain, the SAME villains are still there. Also, I didn't really notice it much in the first two, but I couldn't help but think about how fucking skinny the Na'vi women are??? I know they are supposed to be slender and strong, as they have such active lifestyles, but the leader of the Ash People is literally anorexic looking. It's...disturbing. 

2. Lee Cronin's The Mummy - Oh...I actually liked this?! I certainly wasn't expecting to. However, I probably would not have cast Jack Reynor for this role - there is something about him that is so unserious to me (also, unrelated, but he is oddly extremely hot in certain roles and then completely not in the next. Like, I just recently watched the second season of Citadel and he's in it - and he is SO HOT in it. But I find him so bland in this. He's not even a little hot). So, having him in this film that, while a "horror" film, is about grief and loss, Reynor just doesn't deliver. I also don't buy this couple at all - I'm unfamiliar with the actress but she looks A LOT older than him (no offence to the actress, but I thought she was older than me - I'm 45, and if Reynor is too young for me then he's too young for her. But I looked it up and she's actually only 41, so I guess she's not. But she just seems far more mature, I guess). Anyway, other than the miscasting of Reynor and the fact that the director's name is in the title (lol - do people know who Lee Cronin is?? I've only heard of ONE of his films - Evil Dead Rise - and I didn't like it. Although the opening title card scene of that film is still one of the best scenes in recent film history), I liked the rest of it. There's some convenient plot points that aren't very realistic (like how this hospital releases this 17 year old girl in this condition? That's medical malpractice on the highest level). And the fact that he didn't open any of the letters that were sent - if I were the parent of a missing child, I would go over every single letter 20 times to be sure there weren't hints at her disappearance. But the movie wouldn't exist without these plot devices, so just go with it, I guess. It's also stretched out to an ungodly length (135 minutes!! It could have easily been 90 minutes). Oh wait, I could also do without the scorpion scenes too because they terrify me. Okay...I guess there's a lot I don't like about this movie when I actually think about it. BUT, I was entertained - there's some good gore (the toenail/skin scene is gruesome) and some shocking events (the grandmother scene - I literally yelled "oh shit!!!" and then it GETS EVEN MORE SHOCKING!). And it has a really good ending. I don't know - I think if you enjoy movies like The Exorcist and the Evil Dead movies, then you will like this. 

3. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come - UGH...this is terribly dull and is probably the biggest disappointment of the year for me. Ready or Not was my 3rd favorite film of 2019 - I absolutely LOVED it. I even put it ahead of Parasite (yes, I know, I'm insane. You love it.). But I thought it was so fun and ridiculous and Samara Weaving is incredible. I don't think a sequel is necessary, but when they announced the cast that was joining (SMG, Elijah Wood & Shawn Hatosy - just an insane cast for anyone who was a teenage girl in the 90s! Plus, David Cronenberg - who is one of my favorite directors, but also I loved his little appearance in Alias. He looked 80 years old then....and he still looks 80 years old!), I WAS IN!! I really wanted to see it in the theater, but life has been crazy this year so it was not in the cards for me, but I'm kind of glad I didn't go out of my way for this. It's just a complete disaster. I thought it was a good idea to start the sequel directly after the first film's ending, because that's the only reasonable reason she would still be wearing a wedding dress soaked in blood. But that's where the brilliance ends. I got sooooo bored watching this. They go waaaaayyyy too deep into the devil worshipping/cult thing which was the least interesting part of the first one, and they forgot to make it batshit crazy fun. I just felt myself zoning out 1/2 way through and it's just so dull. It's not necessarily a bad movie - just an average 2.5 star movie, but just SO disappointing. Samara is still hot as fuck though. Oh...also this poster is such garbage??? It looks like a Marvel movie with all of those characters everywhere. LOL. 

4. Voicemails for Isabelle - Cute movie! Problematic, for sure, but cute!! I think Zoey Deutch is adorable, and ditto for Nick Robinson. They have really great chemistry and it's very funny in parts. I actually laughed quite a bit in the beginning (the guy who cums from a kiss. LOL. The "it's not pink eye" "fake news" part. HAHA! and the "don't touch my hair" all got me). But the problematic part is pretty obvious once you realize what the plot is - her sister dies, she leaves her dead sister voicemails as part of a coping mechanism/grieving process, but her sister's phone number was reassigned to a (conveniently hot) guy. The second I realized he was going to use these voicemails as a way to get close to her and manipulate her, I could not root for him, unfortunately. It's unforgivable. The whole thing is very predictable and another case of a 90 minute concept being stretched into a 2 hour movie. And they did this whole very serious chef competition thing in that movie with Florence Pugh having cancer (it was dumb then and it's still dumb). BUT *spoilers ahead* the ending for this movie makes this 2.5 star average romcom into a satisfying 3 star LOVE STORY because there is a very emotional scene featuring the song "Dancing On My Own" by Robyn. The song is an important memory she has with her sister and is featured a few times in the movie, so the moment it starts playing at the end, I thought "OMG if he gets up and dances with her I WILL CRY" and HE DOES and I DID and it is SO GOOD and cathartic and it's been so long since I've had a good cry like that. Although her shirt throws me off - do 30 year olds even know who No Doubt is??? Or is she wearing it ironically like how teenagers wear Nirvana t-shirts? Hmm...? Anyway, perfect scene. No notes. 

5. The Long Walk - I really liked this - there's an interesting, very intense plot that feels different (of course it's a Stephen King story - just a genius storyteller. I'm a little thrown off by his stubbornness in politics recently though - like, clearly the guy with the nazi tattoo who is being accused of sexual assault is not the guy Democrats should put their support behind. I feel like that is obvious?? I feel like King just doesn't want to admit that he's wrong and that is super frustrating), and some really topnotch acting. It was announced recently that David Jonsson is going to be the new Black Panther, and if you are unfamiliar with him, then I highly recommend watching this (or Rye Lane or Alien: Romulus). I'm not as big on Cooper Hoffman, but I think he's still very young and learning (he's only 23 and I think expectations for him to be as versatile as his dad was are very heavy). The oddest part of this movie is that I think they are all supposed to be teenagers (Jonsson is 32 👀)??? The only believable teenager is Roman Griffin Davis and *spoiler* he's not in it for very long. Anyway, this is kind of like Hunger Games/Battle Royale mixed with Squid Game and The Running Man, but instead of fighting or trying to win a game, they just have to walk. A lot. But I think because they are *just* walking, it gives this group an opportunity to form really close bonds and work together as a unit instead of an "every man for themselves" type of situation. They truly do try to help each other because the other option is death. And even though they want to "win" they also don't want others to die. And you especially do not want the two main characters (Jonsson and Hoffman) to die - they do a really good job of making you really care about both of them equally. Once Hoffman gives his reason for joining the walk I thought I knew how it was going to end, but I was actually wrong - and the actual ending is SO much better. I do think casting Mark Hamill in a pivotal role was the biggest mistake - completely takes you out of the movie. But otherwise, I think this film is very good. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. How to Make a Killing - This was actually not as bad as I was expecting. It just didn't get good reviews at all - and most calling it really dull. But I was quite entertained by it - and I think Glen Powell does a really good job keeping the story interesting even though you know exactly what's going to happen. But FIRST, the most shocking actor jump scare in history - Rafferty Law (Jude Law's son) is in this and he is 30 FUCKING YEARS OLD. When he appears, I literally SCREAMED "HOLY SHIT IS THAT RAFFERTY?!", because he is a CLONE of Jude - it's almost scary! Apparently, he goes by Raff now and has appeared in a few things (Masters of the Air?? I don't remember him at all in that!). I've just been a fan of Jude Law for soooo long now (since Gattaca - so around the same time Raff was born), so it's crazy that his son is so old now and it makes me feel ancient. Just put me in the grave now, man. I'm very confused by the timeline for this movie though because Powell is supposed to be the youngest of the family (so the last one to inherit the fortune), but he is clearly older than Raff by about a decade (I don't know how old Glen Powell is - don't make me look it up, but I would guess 42?). Anyway, I'll stop talking about Raff now, because he's barely in the movie - but my mind was honestly blown. The plot is kind of similar to last year's No Other Choice, but instead of killing off potential threats to a job, he has to kill off everyone who stands to inherit his family fortune. They make them all kind of assholes, so you don't feel too bad for their deaths - and he's in prison from the start so you assume he doesn't get away with it. There's a great supporting cast (aside from Jessica Henwick - because EWWWW), but most of them are underused. I also like that it takes place in very recognizable places in NJ - I literally drive by that East Orange cemetery that is along the parkway every day on my way to work! But...did that 9 year old kid ride his bike from NJ to NY??? LOL. Overall, it's entertaining and interesting. Solid 3 star movie. 

2. The History of Sound - I thought this would be better - I like Paul Mescal in quiet independent projects, and I like Josh O'Connor, but this is just SO dull. Like, there is nothing even memorable about it at all. It's like Brokeback Mountain but...not good and even more boring. I do like Mescal here though - his accent is surprisingly good (it's been surprisingly bad more often than not), and he looks so different with the little glasses and side part. He just shines in these softer roles. And I think they both have very nice voices. This just does not need to be 2 hours long - I was hoping it was over and then they just change the timeline and it still goes on for FOREVER. I think the concept of "seeing" music is interesting though - it's like the people who can "see" colors (synesthesia - and, yes, I will always think of Jennifer Lawrence trolling Cynthia Erivo in that one interview "what color is this....AAAAAAHHHHHHHH?" LOL, Lawrence is hilarious). But they never really go anywhere with this concept. I don't have much else to say about this - I will likely forget it exists by the end of the year. 

3. Pillion - I watched the "unrated" version of this (obvi!), so I'm not sure how different it is than the rated version, but I did like this movie for the way it handles such a sensitive topic (BDSM). It's not really something that interests me, nor is it something I really have any understanding of - but obviously, it is a big part of human sexuality that is often discussed and analyzed due to its popularity (I mean, the 50 Shades of Grey books were popular for a reason). This film focuses on BDSM in a gay relationship, which is a little more interesting because I think the power dynamics between two men is inherently more complicated than a man and woman - but also this kind of proves that the whole wanting to be dominated/dominating dynamic is based more on personality than gender. And I also think this film shows the importance of consent and conversation - because this relationship is an extremely unhealthy BDSM relationship. There is no conversation at all - instead this man takes advantage of a less experienced, naive person. It's exploitative. I think it will help a lot of young men in the same situation - because he clearly enjoys the dynamics of the relationship but yearns for more. And once he fights for himself, and realizes that his needs are important, he's able to find this same dynamic in a healthier relationship. It's a very important message. The cast is great, Alexander Skarsgard is super hot (and delivers one of the best dad jokes of all time - "do you want to hear a pizza joke?" "nah...it's too cheesy". LOL), and it's very funny in parts (the wrestling scene to "I Think We're Alone Now" is gold. That assless wrestling outfit? Hilarious). There's also some very graphic sex scenes (like way more than the 50 Shades movies), so if that is something that bothers you, then this is easy to avoid. 

4. Keeper - Meh. I think Osgood Perkins is an interesting horror director, but I've never rated any of his films above 3 stars (my Osgood ranking: I am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House > Longlegs > The Monkey > Keeper > >>> Gretel & Hansel. I have not seen The Blackcoat's Daughter, but I just added it to my list because I love Kiernan Shipka!! I was a stand-in for her on a film she did as a child before Mad Men. Yes, I am small enough to be a stand-in for a child! Haha!). I think he has great ideas, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. It's all very dull instead of suspenseful. There is too much focus on giving it this atmospheric horror vibe instead of focusing on the actual horror. I love Tatiana Maslany so much - one Emmy is not enough for her performance in Orphan Black. And she gives everything she's got in this, which is why I rated it 2 stars instead of 1. Also, the boyfriend is a Sutherland! I don't think I've ever seen him in anything but I knew more of Donald's kids were in the business than just Kiefer. There are a lot of plot points that just don't feel realistic at all (like they've been dating almost a YEAR and they haven't discussed kids. That discussion should happen at the very beginning of a relationship. And she hasn't been to his cabin that is obviously close enough to drive to? It seems like they don't know or trust each other at all?!). I figured it would have a supernatural twist and ending, but I was kind of hoping it didn't. It just makes it all so unreachable and unrelatable, when it could have been a stronger story of finding out your partner is a psychopath. I do like the part when the iris in her eyes are different sizes - super creepy, but simple effect. 

5. The Sheep Detectives - *spoilers ahead* Ugh another light and fluffy family movie being completely overpraised (it's like the Paddington movies). It's cute! A SOLID 3 star movie - and yet I see a TON of 5 star reviews and so much praise, with some even calling it the best film of the year. I don't understand it at all. I saw the trailer before Project Hail Mary, and it looked like the dumbest shit ever (maybe a cute kids movie, though) and then all of the reviews came in and it's so shocking. It's true - I don't have anything necessarily bad to say about it, but that doesn't mean it's a 5 star movie. There's nothing thought-provoking or creative or technically interesting about it. There is no depth or complexity, and all of these things are what makes a film a masterpiece. But anyway, it's also very predictable - my husband was like "who do you think the killer is?" and I said "probably the son that is mentioned in the will that we haven't seen yet?" (I was both right, and wrong, but only wrong because it's stupid). There are some funny parts (the "it's almost certainly a drifter" made me giggle), and the cast is great (Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, Emma Thompson, but don't go to see this for Hugh - he's barely in it), and the voice cast is excellent (Bryan Cranston, Reginal Hall, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Patrick Stewart, Brett Goldstein...the list goes on). And I see that Nicholas Braun is still getting work with no problem (I'm not a fan of cancelling people, but I wish Hollywood would at least stay consistent). I think if you're a big Agatha Christie mystery type person, or if you have kids, then I would recommend this, but that's it. 

Movie Marathon: Toy Story

1. Toy Story - First of all, I can't believe that this movie came out over 20 years ago?! How is that possible?! Second of all, I've watched all of these films before and have to admit - I'm not the biggest fan of them. They are good movies, for sure, but the way some people rave about them is mind-boggling to me. But, I decided to rewatch them all before I watch the one released this year (I will definitely wait for it to stream) because I only really remember a few scenes from each and they all kind of blend together. And maybe I'll have a change of heart on them?? But the answer to that is a solid NOPE. They are all 3 star movies (which means good!), but I did rate the 3rd one slightly higher with this rewatch (it's definitely the best one). My biggest problem is honestly that I just don't like the animation style - this is Pixar's first film and the first to use this CGI animation style and I hated it then and I still hate it. My second issue is that I find the whole idea of your toys coming to life a bit creepy and a bit depressing, and there's just no good outcome. Each film kind of does the same thing with the kid getting a new toy, or outgrowing a toy, or a toy accidentally being thrown away and even though each film "resolves" the issue - it's just going to keep happening because unless they are *actually* put through an incinerator they will live forever! It's all very dark. BUT, I do think overall it's a cute movie and there's some funny, clever dialogue that works for adults and children. I didn't actually realize that Joss Whedon was one of the writers of this first one (which makes sense as to why the dialogue is so good. It's a shame Whedon turned out to be so toxic - I do wish people spoke up sooner though. He could have been stopped so much earlier in his career). The voice casting is obviously really strong too. Also, the Randy  Newman song "You've Got a Friend in Me" is a very cute song, but it gets so grating. But the rest of the Randy Newman songs are all indistinguishable - they all sound the same and by the end of this marathon I never want to hear his voice EVER again. On a random sidenote - I find it HILARIOUS that Sid looks so much like Will Poulter - so much so that people have actually asked him if he was the inspiration for it (he was TWO when this was released! LOL). 

2. Toy Story 2 - This is the one that I remembered the least - I'm actually not positive that I watched it (but with a release of 1999, I most surely did - I saw EVERY movie during that time period. I went to the movie theater like 3 times a week and if I didn't see it at the theater I rented it at Blockbuster). I realize that it's definitely the one that I thought I would like the least - it's too Woody centric (and I think Woody is probably the worst character? He's so narcissistic and needy!), and they introduce Jessie, who is also extremely annoying (I heard she has a big role in the new one? Dear God, I hope not!). The whole plot is a bit stupid, but there are a few scenes that are EXCELLENT - and that's why I still rate it 3 stars. First, I love that Barbie gets more love in this. Second, OMG the Jurassic Park reference got me GOOD. I had to rewind it because it's so perfect. And the fake bloopers at the end is absolutely brilliant. Otherwise, this is really boring and repetitive. 

3. Toy Story 3 - I remember when this was released and everyone acted like it was the best movie they'd ever seen and that they cried and blah blah blah, and then I watched it and was so indifferent on it and I definitely didn't shed one tiny tear (I know, I know...I'm dead inside). But, I do like it more on this rewatch. I think the biggest mistake is that Andy is too old to be finally dealing with what to do with his toys. I just don't believe that a 17 year old kid still has a toy chest full of his childhood toys (17 year old boys have video games. And porn). And I think it relies a lot on a certain nostalgia factor for young adults remembering their childhood toys and I just never really had that at all (when my mom left my dad she told me I could take one toy with me and I picked my dog to which she said "no way", so then I picked a kitten we had recently rescued and she didn't have the heart to say no again. And that cat lived until he was 20 and was my best friend. I couldn't give a shit about toys. Although I did love my stuffed animals - I had a stuffed Belle (Snoopy's sister) and a stuffed Littlefoot (from The Land Before Time), but I have no idea what happened to them and I couldn't care less.). So I think if you didn't have this "typical" childhood, it's impossible to connect in a way that some seem to. But otherwise, it's definitely a more emotional movie, and has more laugh-out-loud moments than the others. And I think that the incinerator scene is extremely harrowing and intense and one of the best scenes of the entire franchise. 

4. Toy Story 4 - While this one is the worst one, it's still not a bad movie. Like I said - they are all good. Solid kids movies with great lessons, funny moments, and witty dialogue. But the plot is really, really bad. And you know what? The "woke" version of Little Bo Peep is actually one of the worst character switches in film history - it actually makes me livid and is extremely anti-feminist. It's designed to make people think that being "feminine" is a weakness, and so many people fall for it. And Forky??? No thank you! (and it should be Sporky...right??? That's most definitely a spork). And if my non-existent kid found a toy at a carnival, I would turn it in to lost & found??? If you're a mom you know how important specific toys are to children - I'm not a mom and I know that. I think the highlight is probably Keanu Reeves voicing Duke. And I think the villain in this one is the most sympathetic - if you don't feel bad for Gabby Gabby, there might be something wrong with you! 

Ranking: 

Toy Story 3 

Toy Story 

Toy Story 2

Toy Story 4

Emmy Nominations: The Good, The Bad, and The Snubbed

The Good: 

- The Pitt is still the best series on tv - it's weird that all of these supporting performances weren't nominated last year, but I'm glad they made up for it this year (my faves are Gerran Howell and Taylor Dearden). Also happy for last year's winners Noah Wyle, Shawn Hatosy and Katherine LaNasa (obvi). I actually didn't like this season as much as the first, but it's still incredible television. 

- Also ecstatic for Pluribus and hopeful that Rhea Seehorn is finally going to get an Emmy! 

- I love Slow Horses and Jack Lowden!! I honestly could not choose between him or Howell to win (it's actually a very tough category but I'm going to guess that Billy Crudup is going to win?). 

- Some other great but expected nominations - Hacks, Shrinking (SO happy for Harrison Ford and Michael J. Fox and Jessica Williams), and Abbott Elementary. 

- I love a good surprise and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for Wonder Man is definitely a shock, but a welcomed one. Also, I literally just finished Bait this morning and Riz Ahmed is incredible. I was expecting a snub there, so it's great that he was recognized. 

The Bad: 

- While I'm happy to see that the main actor who played JFK Jr. was snubbed for Love Story (I don't feel like looking up his name), I'm disgusted that that fucking awful show got any nominations. I'm not necessarily shocked because it was heavily predicted, but God damn, it's so bad. 

- I wasn't a huge fan of the first season of Beef and I'm even less of a fan of the second. The plot didn't even make sense and the only performance worth mentioning is Cailee Spaeny - and she's the only one not nominated LOL. The writing was terrible, the acting was overdone, and overall it was just very boring. 

- There's some actively bad shows nominated - the aforementioned Love Story is the biggest one, but also All Her Fault is HORRIBLE (Sarah Snook was great so I'll allow that one, but I didn't even remember that Dakota Fanning was in it. LOL. But it's cute that both Fanning sisters are nominated for Emmys in the same year. They are ADORABLE.). Also, DTF St. Louis? 13 nominations??? WHY? It's so boring. 

- I think The Bear is unfortunately a victim of wearing out its welcome - it didn't decrease in quality, but people are sick of it. But my big problem is that they ignored the obviously deserved talent but somehow include the cringeworthy performance that Jamie Lee Curtis does??? Kill me. 

The Snubbed: 

- My personal snubs aren't going to match what entertainment journalists are reporting as snubs. I have two big personal gripes: the first one is Smoke with Taron Egerton was completely shut out. It's partly a problem with the release (released like a week into the 2026 race - automatically a long shot), but also Apple only promotes like 2 shows and they let the rest die. I think Egerton definitely deserved a nomination (surprise, surprise), but also Jurnee Smollett and Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine both deserved some recognition. 

- The second one is Black Rabbit - I'm happy that Bateman snuck in (he was the deserving performance and that's coming from someone who is a massive Jude Law fan). But I think the show should have been nominated (it's better than 4 of the Limited Series nominees. I haven't seen The Beast in Me). And Troy Kotsur is INCREDIBLE and TERRIFYING as a mob boss. 

- One of my favorite new series is I Love L.A. and I thought it would sneak in some awards for Comedy and for Rachel Sennott. 

- Nicole Beharie is always giving the best performance on The Morning Show - she's literally the only reason to still watch it. 

- Aside from Abbott Elementary, I don't think the Emmys appreciate traditional sitcom shows but it's sad that a show like St. Denis Medical is ignored. A genuinely funny, smart, and cute sitcom with great comedic performances from David Alan Grier, Mekki Leeper, and Allison Tolman. But instead we continuously get shows nominated that aren't even comedies! 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Hoppers - This whole post is going to be pretty short & sweet because I'm really behind on my posts (and movie watching in general), and I have too much going on in my personal life to put any effort into writing (although I rarely put effort into writing these dumb posts - CLEARLY!). This movie is really cute, and not what I was expecting at all. It's called Hoppers and it was released around Easter, so I assumed it was about bunnies and Easter themed LOL, and it is not about that at all. There's actually a very cute plot about an experimental procedure that involves transferring a human mind into an animal in order to communicate with them. It's an animated body-swap story, and I think it's a great story for kids because as a child that was definitely a dream of mine - to communicate with animals. It starts off kind of sad though (I guess most kids movies do?). First of all, the whole classroom animals thing was not a thing for me and THANK GOD because I would have released them all too! The problem is that I could not stop thinking about the poor sad turtle she releases the entire time! I was like "what happened to the sad turtle?!" for the WHOLE MOVIE. But anyway, it's a really cute story about nature vs technology and how we can reconcile the two and live peacefully while still advancing as a human race. There are some very funny parts too - the talk to text scene is hilarious, but my favorite part of the whole movie is the tiny dragonfly randomly flying by saying "hey" with a really deep unexpected voice. It made me laugh for like an hour. There's a really great voice cast - Jon Hamm, Dave Franco, Meryl Streep (!!), etc. It's really cute and funny, and that's all I ask for with a kids animated movie. 

2. We Bury the Dead - First of all, why are so many movies nowadays taking place in Australia??? I'm not doing it on purpose, I swear, but I feel like every movie I watch was either filmed in Australia or takes place there. So weird! Second, I really want to like Daisy Ridley but so far...she's so meh. She's been good in a few things (the Star Wars movies, Young Woman and the Sea), but mostly...meh. She's fine in this, but I didn't even realize she was supposed to be American until someone yelled "fucking Yank" at her. Hahaha!!! I was confused and looked it up to see what nationality she was supposed to be because she doesn't seem to hide her accent at all. Her nationality is also somewhat irrelevant so they could have just made her English? I'll never understand why movies do this. Anyway, I do really like the different take on the zombie movie - it's not really a zombie movie at all, but a drama that takes place during a zombie event (there was another movie like this that I think was a foreign film but it was about people grieving their loved ones who have turned into zombies). It's weird that they phrase it as the humans "coming back online" instead of "coming back to life" though?? It makes it seem like they weren't humans to begin with (I honestly thought it might be a twist or something - like the ones that come back to life are actually aliens or robots? NOW THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MOVIE!). The film definitely goes to unexpected places, which I appreciate, but overall, I was a bit bored by it. And it feels extremely long - I paused it after 40 minutes thinking it was almost over. It's only 94 minutes long so the length isn't the problem; it's the pacing.  

3. Pose - This might be one of the worst movies I've ever seen, and that is not hyperbole, unfortunately. If you know me or read this blog, then you know how much I love James McAvoy, so this really, really pains me to say. BUT, I'll also say that McAvoy is obviously innocent. He's great in this, and I'm sure the script was better than whatever the Hell this turned into. I also think he's kind of in this experimental phase of his career which I don't mind (he did that Covid related one, and the movie that was mostly improv - both of which I liked but don't remember the names of....). I had not heard of this movie, which is weird because I usually make a note of all McAvoy's projects, but my husband pointed it out to me ("did you already watch that new James McAvoy movie that's on Prime?" I assumed it was an old movie, but it wasn't! It was this!). But now I completely understand why - it's just awful. I don't even want to look it up, but I'm pretty sure a lot of this was improvised too. The problem is that there is no real plot. Just a group of people staying in a house obsessed with wanting to take photographs. There's this hint of something really devious going on, but it never quite goes anywhere. There's a lot of weird film techniques that don't work. The sound sounds really muffled at some points (maybe on purpose?), and there is dialogue layered over a scene with two people talking to each other (but it's heard as a voice over for seemingly no purpose at all other than being weird). I rated it 1.5 stars for these 3 reasons: Plus 1 star for James McAvoy (he looks really good and it starts with him shirtless. Thank you very much). Plus 1 star for a James McAvoy sex scene (I feel like it's been a really long time?!). Minus 1/2 a star for including an orgy scene but FILMING IT WEIRDLY! But that 1.5 stars is very generous. It's literally a 0 star movie. 

4. Jack Ryan: Ghost War - (real title: Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War is DUMB) This is fine. I watched the Jack Ryan tv show, and I would also describe it as "fine". John Krasinski is charming in the title role, it's entertaining, sometimes suspenseful (but mostly predictable), and overall just "fine". Solid 3 stars. I watched all 4 seasons though, and ask me if I remember a single plot point??? NOPE. I also don't really remember what the plot of this was (I watched it a month ago), but that's mostly because I lost the plot while watching it. It's just not interesting enough to closely pay attention. But, I still adore Krasinski, and I LOVE Sienna Miller. I usually think I look okay for a 45 year old woman, and then I see someone my age who LOOKS LIKE Sienna Miller and I quickly change my mind. How is she that gorgeous still?? And it's insane that she just had a baby too (I would end it all if I got pregnant at 45. I'm not even joking. Fucking kill me - that's literally the worst thing I could think of at this point in my life). Anyway, there's a great chase scene that turns into a great gunfire shootout scene, and Wendell Pierce is always entertaining. But this is definitely a skippable movie (especially if you've never watched the series). 

5. They Will Kill You - I wish I liked this more - it has an original plot, some excellent fight scenes, and a terrific lead. But I lost interest very quickly. But the good stuff first: Zazie Beetz is A STAR. She's been terrific in everything I've seen her in (special shoutout to Atlanta and The Harder They Fall), and she is probably the only reason I would recommend this movie to anyone. There are a few great scenes (the eyeball one in particular), and some interesting action sequences. But that's really it. I *like* all of the supporting actors, but most aren't given enough to do - especially Myha'la. She's also A STAR, but unfortunately is completely sidelined in this (side note: I might start watching Industry soon? The cast has me intrigued...). And Heather Graham jump scare! It's just very random casting of the "weird" characters. The plot doesn't really make sense (but I also wasn't paying enough attention to it because it's BORING). She's saving her sister from an immortal satanic cult...I think? But I think the biggest mistake is that there is no character development at all (back story does not equal character development), so I don't really care at all what happens to anyone. OH WAIT...the biggest mistake is having Patricia Arquette do an Irish accent. MY GOD. It's horrific. 

Best Films of 2025 ***Updated***

It's that time of year again! An update to my Best of list from the previous year. I've seen everything that I wanted to see, and I still think 2025 was one of the worst years for film in recent history. BUT there's a few good ones! Here's my list: 

1. Die My Love

2. Bugonia

3. Thunderbolts*

4. No Other Choice

5. Sinners

6. Sentimental Value

7. It Was Just an Accident

8. One Battle After Another

9. Eddington

10. Novocain  

Movie Marathon: The Cornetto Trilogy

1. Shaun of the Dead - It's been SO LONG since I've seen these movies!! I actually just bought the boxset because I've been waiting for them to stream on ANY of my streaming services for FOREVER and it just never seems like it's going to happen. I can't believe this movie is over 20 years old! That's just insane! I probably haven't watched it in about 15 (maybe even more?), so I don't remember a lot. Just that it's zombies and they get trapped in a pub, and I vaguely remembered the whole girlfriend part with Shaun being a loser and her dumping him. This is one of my husband's favorite movies (actually both husbands - my real one and also Taron Egerton always lists this as his favorite too), so I suggested we do a "Cornetto trilogy rewatch" and he had never heard them called that and asked why, so I explained that they aren't a technical trilogy - just a lot of the same cast, same director, and they all feature a character eating a Cornetto, to which he asked "what the Hell is a Cornetto?" LOL. It's IN THE MOVIE! THEY TALK ABOUT IT?! Didn't you connect that when they said the word "Cornetto" they ate ice cream?? ANYWAY. I loved this, obviously. The cast is great - I kind of miss this Simon Pegg (I feel like once he got into the M:I movies, he stopped being this silly), he has great natural chemistry with Nick Frost, Bill Nighy is terrific, and I love seeing the start of his little friendship group that forms (Martin Freeman, Rafe Spall, etc.). I also think, for this time period, this was very original and fun - to take this horror concept and turn it into a buddy comedy. And surprisingly, it's not as dated as I expected it to be. A few jokes don't land anymore, but overall it's still a silly, fun comedy. The "Don't Stop Me Now" scene is absolutely brilliant. 

2. Hot Fuzz - I have a much better memory of this one, and my initial thought was this one was my favorite out of the three, and that is still true (I think most put Shaun first? They are both 4 star films). I think the cast just work together really well, the script is tight, it's hilarious, and has some truly iconic moments (like the scene with Rafe Spall and Paddy Considine when Paddy glides back into the shot - which I think was accidental, but is literally one of my favorite shots of all time). Plus, Olivia Coleman!!! On a side note - I totally forgot that Paddy and Olivia were in this, but it reminded me of that excellent movie that Paddy directed that Olivia starred in called Tyrannosaur. Paddy needs to direct more films, please! Anyway, him and Rafe are probably my favorite part of the movie - just so funny together. I love the Romeo + Juliet scene with references to the movie instead of the play ("Love me, love me, say that you love me"! Brilliant). There's also a Bad Boys 2 reference (and a lot of other famous cop tv/movie references). Also, I screamed in the beginning - is that Cate Blanchett??? And yes, yes it is. HAHA! I think the end of this is a little stupid, but I can forgive it. 

3. The World's End - I wasn't the biggest fan of this one when I saw it on release, but I enjoyed this rewatch a bit more. I think I was just disappointed and expected it to be funnier than it was. But it's a good story! And a great cast! Paddy Considine and Martin Freeman have bigger roles than the previous two films. I also remember assuming that this was a genuine, real pub crawl that people do, and later found out that it's completely made up (how disappointing!). But, I like the film references (mostly The Day the Earth Stood Still - with the eyes that light up! Super cool!), and I like the initial run-in with the teenage android because it's really surprising (I feel like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz were a little more obvious to it being about zombies and a serial killer cult towards the beginning, but I had NO IDEA where this one was going). I just think this film moves a little too slow, feels long, and is kind of sad (with focusing on aging and nostalgia - Pegg's character is just very pathetic instead of funny). But there are still some funny moments, some great reveals and fight sequences, etc. So, it's not technically a bad film, just disappointing. The pressure was surely too great. 

Ranking: 

Hot Fuzz

Shaun of the Dead

The World's End 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. No Other Choice - *spoilers* Oooooh I liked this a lot. Definitely one of the best films of 2026 (and miles better than a lot of Oscar nominees for Best Picture...). My biggest, and really only, criticism is that it's too long. It's a 100 minute concept, and those extra 40 minutes really drag it down. The plot is actually deranged - this man loses his job, has a chance at getting another job, but there are a lot of more qualified candidates, so he KILLS THEM one by one until he's the best person for the job. LOL. He creates a fake company to see who applies and who has better resumes than him, and then he plans their demise. It's both genius and psychotic at the same time. Obviously there is a lot of social commentary on technology taking over human jobs, capitalism, and the lines you will cross to keep your status. Park Chan-wook has such an insane filmography - directed Oldboy, The Handmaiden, Stoker - all incredible. He is definitely one of the best current working directors and someone who actually pays attention to camera angles and knows how to use the camera to tell a story (I would say that it's his DP, but the guy who shot those 3 films I just listed also shot Uncharted and the new Running Man, which are very ugly movies). Lee Byung-hun is incredible in this - certainly better than all the lead actor Oscar nominees combined. And I just realized that this film actually missed out in all the Oscar categories?! I thought it was an International Feature nominee?? It's definitely better than The Secret Agent and I have it higher on my list than Sentimental Value and It Was Just an Accident (although I love both of those movies). Anyway, there's some genuinely unexpected slapstick comedy, mixed with a dark satire of late stage capitalism. I highly recommend it! 

2. Scream 7 -  *spoilers ahead* This flat out fucking sucks. For context, I was a big fan of both Scream (2022) and Scream VI, and I absolutely adore both Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera. I think they did a great job at reinvigorating the franchise and making me care about new characters. I actually did not care at all that Neve Campbell didn't appear in the last one (because they wouldn't pay her enough), because *how* many times is this poor woman going to be attacked by serial killers in a Ghostface mask?? It's just not even interesting anymore, and this one just rehashes the exact same thing - a serial killer targeting Sidney and her family...AGAIN. How many times is she going to be stabbed??? (The answer is 4 different times, that's not including the slashings, and getting shot). And I think Gale Weathers has been left for dead more than a few times. It's all so eye-rolling. So, I just think it was a HUGE mistake to write out the two characters that made the Scream franchise interesting again (and obviously the reason behind that decision sucks). But I was still willing to give this a shot, because, overall, I'm a big fan of the franchise as a whole. The first Scream is one of my favorite horror movies of all time! This one is, by far, the worst one though (I didn't think it could get worse than Scream 3). First, the opening sequence is SO LAME. I appreciate that it's Jimmy Tatro (because I love him. He's hilarious), but the opening is supposed to be ICONIC and this one falls flat. Second, I wish Mckenna Grace was playing the main girl instead of the friend, because the main girl (Sidney's daughter) is a really awful actress (I don't know who she is and I don't feel like looking it up). Third, the plot is fucking stupid - get this fucking AI shit out of my face. It's so stupid that they bring Stu back as an "AI" generated video. But the reveal of who the actual killers are is even stupider. I actually already knew that Anna Camp was one of them because the internet spoiled it for me (but also, I probably would have guessed it from the poster? Why do they have her look so evil on the poster? Weird choice!). And then I assumed that Ethan Embry would be the other because why else would they cast him? But I need someone to explain it to me like I'm 5 as to what exactly their motivation to become serial killers is??? She killed her own son? WHY? Because her husband was abusive? So she decided to traumatize and murder people? It doesn't make any sense? But the absolutely dumbest part of the whole thing is at the end when Sidney turns to her daughter after all of her friends have been murdered, and her father is on the brink of death, and she was almost murdered, and she asks "you ok?" as if she just lost a soft ball game or something. LOL. My favorite part of this watch was when my husband came into the room and said "how's the movie? Did Maskface do it? That's his name, right? Maskface? No wait...Screamface". Funnier than the entire movie. 

3. Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man - Well, this is fine. I liked the series a lot (but from what I remember it drags a lot towards the end? I lost a lot of interest after they killed off Annabelle Wallis' character because she was my favorite. And I think that happened in season 3 - and there are 3 more seasons after that, that I remember very little about). I think that casting Barry Keoghan as Tommy Shelby's son is actually perfect and I wish he was going to continue the role in the sequel series that's been announced (I think they got Jamie Bell for it? I'm not mad about it). I don't typically find Cillian Murphy hot, but he was always super hot as Tommy Shelby and he's even hotter as old, worn-down Tommy Shelby! UGH I hate how men get better looking as they age. It's so fucking unfair. I don't really understand Rebecca Ferguson's character at all (I had to look up who she is, and I'm still unclear - she's his baby mama's twin? AND he sleeps with her??? That's low, even for Tommy Shelby). But I don't know why he trusts her whole mystical aura? It doesn't really make sense. But overall, it's a decent entry into the Peaky Blinders franchise and I think it's a good starting point for the series to continue without the main character. But it's also a little boring and predictable. 

4. The Bride! - I know this didn't get the best reviews, but I mostly read reviews that called it "weird" and I can appreciate "weird", so I was intrigued. It certainly has its flaws, but overall I quite liked this. I like that it's a well-known story told in a very fresh and bold way. It is weird, a little chaotic, and very well acted. I mean, Jessie Buckley is way better in this than she was in her Oscar winning role last year. She's incredible in this - I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I think Maggie Gyllenhaal (the director) did what she wanted to do, so I would call this a success. And it's very different than her last directorial effort (The Lost Daughter), so she also has quite a range. As far as the flaws - I think it feels a little like a copy of Poor Things. Like if you took Poor Things and the story of Bonnie & Clyde, and threw in some musical numbers you get this movie (it also feels a bit Joker sequel-esque, so if you hated that, then you will hate this). So, even though it's a Frankenstein story told in a "new" way, it's not the most original feeling film. I also think Christian Bale is a little too dry in this?? I don't think I've ever listed him as a flaw in a film, ever, so this feels weird, but his performance is so flat compared to what Buckley is giving. And I had no idea that Penelope Cruz is in this too (she's great, as per usual). I also think the film starts to lose the plot towards the end, and is about 30 minutes too long. The Mary Shelley ghostly interludes are completely unnecessary, it takes the audience out of the film, and becomes annoying. I do think a more established director would have realized that the whole idea wasn't working and would have cut it immediately, but Gyllenhaal is still learning. I'm still excited by what she'll do next. Also, "Monster Mash" during the end credits is hilarious. 

5. Thrash - I'm typically very forgiving of dumb shark films, but this one is sadly very bad. It does have perhaps the funniest and most unhinged childbirth scene I've ever seen, so that's something at least. I will never forget it (and honestly, I urge you to just google the scene because it's worth seeing, but you don't need to experience the whole movie). The line after she gives birth is "mommy's gotta fight some fucking sharks". I'm dead. Deceased. LOL. Anyway, It's a shame that the rest of it sucks because I like the cast a lot. I hated Phoebe Dynevor in Bridgerton, but she really won me over with Fair Play (a really great, under-appreciated movie). Whitney Peak is GORGEOUS. And Djimon Hounsou! They are all innocent here - they give it their all in this very, very dumb movie. It's basically a more serious version of Sharknado, except it's like if Hurricane Katrina also had sharks in the flooded waters attacking people. And they attack because a meat truck flips over into the flooded waters (lol). The biggest problem is that the sharks look insanely fake. And I just don't really care about anyone? I mean, obviously I care about a pregnant woman, but I also think she's very, very stupid for staying during a hurricane - the excuse given is due to work, but she should be on maternity leave if she's literally ready to give birth?? And then she asks this TEENAGE girl to go into shark infested waters in order to save them?? I just wouldn't do it. Then there are these three foster kids who have abusive foster parents, which is way too serious for a shark movie! Overall, I think the whole thing just takes itself too seriously, it's missing the fun!