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