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!