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“It’s called vanishing twin syndrome. It’s when one fetus dies in the early stages of the pregnancy and then the surviving fetus absorbs the dead one. I always thought it was kind of badass.”
“Okay. Another reason to not have kids.”

4 reasons why Tillman Singer’s Cuckoo rocks:

1) Technical skill - This has a badass split diopter shot. Also a dolly zoom and a slowly spinning rotating shot. Add in the really awesome editing during the attacks. This was made by someone that loves film.

2) Hunter Schafer - She is incredibly talented and should have a bigger career by now. The final voicemail she leaves her mother is so emotionally raw. She shows a ton of range as per usual. I’m a real big fan.

3) The Horror - Singman is clearly a big fan of blood. The blood really pops in this making for some excellent macabre imagery. Plus, the Hooded Woman (Kaitlin Morrow) is such a cool villain.

4) Gretchen’s Song - One of my favorite songs done for an OST.

Love this kooky film.

Original Review

2024 Top 10 (2 out of 10)

2024 Horror Ranked (1 out of 52)

Neon Ranked (3 out of 32 to date)

2025 Rewatches Ranked (9 out of 47 to date)

A little bit better than okay. I grew up with R.L. Stine and enjoyed the Fear Street trilogy films so I was looking forward to Fear Street: Prom Queen but unfortunately it doesn’t fully deliver. The kills are fun, impalements always make me happy and the use of a paper trimmer as a torture device is neat. The 80s soundtrack and score is great too (the Billy Idol White Wedding needle drop being my favorite). The cast gets by with mean girl Fina Strazza giving a convincing enough performance for me to want to see her elsewhere. The writing however leaves much to be desired. A strong final act doesn’t save the plodded pacing throughout and there’s a ton of dumb going on, like a dance off as a mode of settling a rivalry. There’s twists upon twists upon twists and all but one are lackluster. Overall, probably a great pick for a preteen.

2025 Horror Ranked (15 out of 21 to date)

May 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (9 out of 12 to date)

Poor Ethan has really been through it. Perhaps a victim of extremely high expectations, I found Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, co-written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, to be a good entry in the franchise, but not a great one. The action is great. I love how the underwater set piece feels ripped out of a horror movie, especially with Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey’s unsettling score. Tom Cruise is fantastic and I need a spinoff, prequel, anything with more screen time for Pom Klementieff’s Paris because she’s a badass. The writing however leaves some to be desired. The fan service/previously on flashbacks are awesome at first but that and a ton of exposition take up the first third of the film. Meanwhile, Ethan and Grace’s (Hayley Atwell) relationship is just an Ethan/Ilsa remix. Add in that this didn’t end the way I wanted (definitively vs. ambiguously) and there’s a little disappointment. That said, I still had a blast. I love Ethan and his team, and I’ll miss them just like I’ll miss watching Cruise risk his life all in the name of cinema.

Mission: Impossible Ranked (6 out of 8 to date)

Tom Cruise Ranked (9 out of 23 to date) 

May 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (5 out of 11 to date)

What a difference 17 years makes. I went in on this rewatch of Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later convinced I was going to be disappointing a bunch of people with my take but I get it now. Thanks to a bevy of tension that acts as the centerpiece of the film, this one is a must-watch, even with visuals I’m not a fan of. 

The tension in this film is palpable. It’s funny, I’m not a fan of the camcorder-like visuals and would even call it juvenile film-making but with everything else Boyle is doing here, I’m convinced I just don’t get his vision. There are so many intense scenes, the church, the stairway, the rescue in the final act, my heart was racing. Then there’s John Murphy’s score. The score is PHENOMENAL. I’ve seen 28 Weeks Later many times and I never realized In the House - In a Heartbeat originated here. It’s one of my favorite original songs from a film. With the final act, the action, the song, Cillian Murphy going feral, makes it incredibly tense. Love it!

The second half is pretty interesting to me. It takes 28 days for society to fall apart. It felt a bit premature especially in comparison to The Walking Dead (which seems like they borrowed Boyle and Alex Garland’s setup). In either event, things would certainly head that way sooner or later. Sad.

Love the use of dutch angles here. There’s whole stretches where it’s just Dutch angles. This world Jim (Murphy) finds himself in is off.

Cracked up at Jim telling everyone that if they took a Valium and got attacked in the middle of the night they wouldn’t care. My sentiments exactly Jim!

It doesn’t happen often but I love when I rewatch a film and it clicks for me. This, The Fountain, Hereditary… discovering some great cinema. 

2025 Rewatches Ranked (23 out of 46 to date).

Solid cast, weak script. I wasn’t a fan of Paul Feig’s A Simple Favor, so I wasn’t really looking forward to the follow up sequel, Another Simple Favor, and I was right not to be. The story requires an extreme stretch of the imagination off of Emily (Blake Lively) wanting Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) to be her maid of honor alone. Also, nobody seems to care that this woman is a convicted murderer, only a few bother to mention it. This also suffers greatly from pacing issues just like the first one. The characters are good, but they can’t make up for a film that is longer than it should be as well as devoid of humor that lands. The cast is good though. This time around Henry Golding was my favorite. I love how Sean has made drinking his full time job and has completely abandoned his filter. He’s fun. Anna Kendrick is good again in one of the few roles of hers I like. Blake Lively was not it for me in the first one but I liked her here. Emily has more pizzazz and Lively and Kendrick have good chemistry.

Absolutely loved Kendrick’s pink dress she wears to the wedding. Dig a good 50s look.

Overall, this was okay, just like its predecessor.

May 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked

A poor man’s Bullet Train. James Madigan’s Fight or Flight might ring familiar for those of us that were in the thick of it with Brad Pitt in 2022. Substituting a plane for a train, and Josh Hartnett for Pitt, this flick while not an entire failure due to some solid action and Hartnett’s performance, still leaves much to be desired when comparisons are undoubtedly made.

What made Bullet Train work and part of what makes this not, are the assassins. Bullet Train was a full on action comedy with ing characters like Lemon and Tangerine driving the laughs home in between the action scenes. Fight or Flight tries to do the same thing but with the introduction of our first assassin Cayenne (Marko Zaror), I knew it wasn’t going to work. He’s a performer looking to make it big using the bounty he’ll collect and it’s obvious that we’re supposed to find him hilarious. I couldn’t even manage a smirk, let alone a laugh and he’s the most memorable assassin we get too. The comedy in general is terrible and with a convoluted narrative, it makes for a dull watch.

The action scenes however come from a better film. I did actually laugh once, at a ridiculous Mortal Kombat fatality that was awesome. I perked up during the set pieces because as similar to Bullet Train, the action is kinetic and gory. Hartnett is a believable action star and he won back some good will with me after my big time disappointment with him in Trap. Still, while he is good, to no fault of his own, his look and vibe feels like a lesser version of Pitt’s Ladybug.

Loved seeing Starbuck even if Katee Sackoff looks way thinner here than she ever did on Battlestar Galactica. It took me some time to accept it was actually her on screen but she’s great.

Also, human trafficking is now to action what trauma is to horror. 

Overall, this was fine I suppose. I’m sure I’d go easier on it if the widely superior Bullet Train didn’t already exist, but it does, and Madigan seems so desperate to imitate it that this would be better received if it was straight released as a sequel.

May 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (8 out of 9 to date)

Two words: abstract art.

… and my favorite film of the year thus far.

2025 Top 10 Contenders

Original Review

May 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (1 out of 8 to date)

This review may contain spoilers.

“We live and die in the shadows, for those we hold close and for those we never meet.”

I was having some conflicting thoughts while revisiting Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning, co-written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The first time I watched this, it was coming off a first-time watch of the franchise, so I was knee deep in Ethan Hunt’s (Tom Cruise) life and I adored this. Though this time around, the first hour or so I was thinking “this is good, but it’s not great,” and I started to think maybe my love for the franchise and more importantly the love for Tom Cruise that came out of it wasn’t as strong as I thought. Then Ethan is told that he’s about to lose someone he cares about and things changed. Amongst the running, the fight with the ever awesome Pom Klementieff, the cross-cutting and Lorne Balfe’s epic score, it all came rushing back. Ethan Hunt, man of sacrifice. The man that runs in when everyone else runs out. The man who puts the lives of those he loves above his own. The man who’s been asked to give up so much for the greater good. I wasn’t a big Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) fan like everyone else, as I am 200% team Julia (Michelle Monaghan) but you know what, her dying just wasn’t fair. I swear if The Final Reckoning doesn’t end with Ethan going off in the sunset to live happily ever after, I will lose my sh*t. Great film. Great franchise.

Original Review

Mission: Impossible Ranked (2 out of 7 to date)

Tom Cruise Ranked (9 out of 23 to date)

2025 Rewatches Ranked (18 out of 45 to date)

Checked out Fleur Fortuné’s The Assessment, a sci-fi dystopian flick. It’s about a couple who are subjected to a 7-day evaluation for approval for a government issued child as reproduction has been artificially eradicated with drugs due to resource limitations. While the film may not ultimately live up to such a fascinating premise, gorgeous aesthetics and great acting make this worth a watch. 

Minus the dystopia, I want to live in Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan’s (Himesh Patel) house. Looking more like a compound, the open floor plan, red walls, and gorgeous stained glass windows makes this setting stand out more than most movie homes. Fortuné definitely uses the visual element of the medium with this setting as well as gorgeous lighting and framing that makes several shots look like paintings.

With this cast, it shouldn’t be surprising, but the acting is really solid, Olsen and Alicia Vikander specifically. I think the world of Olsen so for me to say she’s somehow upstaged by Vikander is saying something. Vikander shows incredible range, from her initial clinical and cold demeanor, to her annoyingly pitch perfect impersonation of a child as Virginia role plays with the perspective parents to her complete break in character in the final act. It serves as a reminder as to why she’s an Oscar winner. On top of that is Minnie Driver in her Hugh Grant stage of her career, playing an aristocrat type who says exactly what’s on her mind. She’s only in one sequence but it’s memorable. The women kill it in this. 

The ideas in this are unique but they’re not thoroughly thought provoking. I did find some interest in the story about the pets being exterminated by the government and the replacement virtual ones but I wanted more meaning. I wanted this to say something applicable to real life and I just didn’t get that. Still, as a science fiction narrative, it delivers. 

Overall, a solid one-time watch. 

May 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (5 out of 8 to date)

On par with the prior installment, Final Destination: Bloodlines, directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, takes the familial approach to the freak accident franchise with mixed results. The film introduces a new way of escaping death, so obvious I have no clue why it’s being introduced 6 installments in, and the story itself has more holes than Swiss cheese. The acting is mixed. Lead Kaitlyn Santa Juana struggles with line delivery at times, making moments unintentionally funny but I dug everything Richard Harmon was doing as the tattoo artist cousin. His story makes no sense, but again… Swiss cheese. The CGI is an eyesore, seeing things go SPLAT! is fun enough but 4-6 just really overdo it. Not much in the way of memorable deaths but the opening set piece is great. Nothing on this earth could make me dance (excuse me stomp) on a glass floor 50 stories in the air. 

“Don’t you touch those babies, “ cracked me up. Erik (Harmon) and Bobby (Owen Patrick Joyner), you the real MVPs.

Final Destination Ranked (5 out of 6 to date)

2025 Horror Ranked (13 out of 20 to date)

May 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (6 out of 7 to date)

You either get it, or you don’t. Hurry Up Tomorrow, co-written, edited and directed by Trey Edward Shults is a companion thriller to The Weeknd’s latest album of the same name. A surreal dream captured on camera, this is a film that’ll struggle to find an audience. That said, thanks to excellent technical components, a great third act narrative and dedicated performances, this is definitely a film that was made for me.

Not gonna lie, this is a weird film. Barebones in narrative until two thirds of the way through, this may be accused of style over substance but the vibe works. This is a technically well made film. The lighting is gorgeous, the framing is tight and intimate, (love the aspect ratio change in the hotel) and the camera is fluid. The dream like quality in which scenes blend into others, figures appear out of focus etc, is fully ed by the technical elements. The sound is also top notch. It should be considering this features concert scenes and a constant flow of music throughout (I adore the score), but I didn’t expect to be as impressed as I was.

My one critique is the loose narrative which I’m sure is part of the reason for the reported walkouts. This isn’t about much other than The Weeknd (playing himself) losing his grip. When he and Jenna Ortega collide (she is EXCELLENT in this!), the narrative becomes compelling. I was on the edge of my seat, dying to know what would happen next and equally scared the film would leave me hanging because this is *that* kind of film. There is mostly follow through except for a piece of the story that remains ambiguous but I can forgive it.

I love the straight up jump scare that made me nearly leap out of my seat. 

Great acting in this too. Ortega, The Weeknd, Barry Keoghan.

We’ll see how the rest of the year turns out but hello Hurry Up Tomorrow, welcome to the 2025 Top 10 Contenders list.

Edit: Bumped to 4.5 stars with a second watch. 

May 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (1 out of 6 to date)

Another CGI extravaganza with a weak story and creative kills. After the disaster that was The Final Destination, it’s nice to see the franchise recover if only to a degree with Steven Quale’s Final Destination 5. The opening sequence is not quite on par with the first 3 but a collapsing bridge is way more universally feared than danger at a race car track (you can’t avoid bridges, but you can avoid NASCAR). Death’s targets are bland, there wasn’t one character I cared about which makes investment tough so it’s another one where you’re just in it for the kills. The kills mostly deliver. Despite my issues with the nonstop CGI (how films 1-3 look better than 4-5 is beyond me given advancement in technology), the gymnastics kill is stellar, just for the resulting imagery alone. The LASIK sequence is my favorite, just watching the eye clamp get inserted had me clutching my chest. Enjoyed the solid little action sequence in the last act, it’s different for the franchise and there’s no denying this goes out on a high note. It’s interesting to think back on the Easter eggs throughout once you know what you know.

Curious to see how Bloodlines lands, but I think my original notion to stick to parts 1-3 is correct. Might pull up that gymnastics kill on YouTube at some point though.

Final Destination Ranked (4 out of 5 to date)

2025 Rewatches Ranked (37 out of 44 to date) 

“I’ve got my eye on you two.”

I’m the hot take queen, but y’all are right about this one. David R. Ellis’ The Final Destination is a terrible film with some great kills. The CGI is atrocious. This seriously has a straight-to-video vibe, an insult to my 4K TV. The opening is a massive step down from the first three entries. There’s no tension building prior to the accident and who’s even scared of flying cars at a race track? I’m sure it’s there but come on, we need something a little more universal. The 3D catering this does is distracting. The fire sequence in the street is awesome, favorite kill. Car wash? New fear unlocked. The ending is somehow a banger leading into the credits. This could’ve been a good film.

2025 Rewatches Ranked (40 out of 43 to date)

“Sorry mate, wrong path.”

First off, screw you Netflix! Decided to check out David Slade’s Bandersnatch again before it is pulled off Netflix tomorrow, never to be seen again, and I only reconfirmed that I love it. Thanks to intelligent writing, a bonafide scary (creepy) horror movie and a pair of great performances, this is a film that will be truly missed.

Charlie Booker wrote this interactive film and fused it with both interesting concepts and intricate gameplay. How free is free will? Are there multiple timelines? Not since The Matrix has such interesting questions been asked. The interactivity of the film is a central piece of the story as the protagonist senses he is being controlled. It’s a genius concept that makes the viewer like they’re looking in and someone is looking back. This has various story points (5 endings) that connect dots playing a game of fate. This is just such a smart film.

This is actually a horror movie, not science fiction. First, allow me to applaud Brian Reitzell for an outstanding score. Whenever the viewer can make a choice for Stefan (Fionn Whitehead), the score gets creepy. I don’t scare easily, but this film genuinely disturbs me. I mean one of the choices in this is to chop someone up. Talk about feeling all types of wrong as I instantly selected it. Macabre in the best way possible.

Whitehead and Will friggin’ Poulter are excellent in this. Poulter steals the show as a philosophical, elusive game developer. Love his speech on the balcony. Meanwhile, as Whitehead becomes more and more unhinged he becomes creepier and creepier.

You know I don’t really understand Netflix. They rather throw $200 mill into a film no one wants to see than their viewers in what they like. Release a bluray at least Netflix. Excellent film nonetheless!

2025 Rewatches Ranked (10 out of 42 to date) 

“There was this guy, uh, black cloak. I didn’t see his face. But… the ride attendant did take his sickle before the ride started if that’s helpful in any way.”

I’ve mostly said all there is to say about James Wong’s Final Destination 3 here but what’s new is that I didn’t know Wong directed the original and this one until yesterday and that checks out. Besides having epic disaster scenes (with this one perfectly recreating the rollercoaster experience from start to nightmare finish), they both also have stronger stories with writer Glen Morgan returning with Wong. I love Wendy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Kevin (Ryan Merriman) and Jason (Jesse Moss). Genuinely sad when one of them dies at the beginning and genuinely invested in the other two surviving. The only thing that drives me a little batty is the number of times the word “control” is used in the script but I’m fairly positive this is going to be my favorite in the franchise on top of already being a favorite horror movie in general. 

2025 Rewatches Ranked (14 out of 41 to date)

Watched on Friday May 9, 2025.

“I hate you Quinn.”
“Me too!”

Not what I expected. Clown in a Cornfield, co-written and directed by Eli Craig, follows a teenager (Katie Douglas) who finds out that her new town is home to a murderous clown. Thanks to likable characters, a double-edged sword of an early twist and some solid humor, this is a slasher that makes for a fun watch. 

I always appreciate when a slasher has good characters. It’s not a must-have but the slashers I love, have characters I love. I liked our final girl instantly. Quinn is who I like to think I was at 17, cool style, rebel vibe. She’s also pretty tough, a final girl you can get behind. I immediately liked Cole (Carson MacCormac) too, so I was into the teenage brewing romance they had going on. The rest of their friends are food for the fodder but I did crack up at how badly this film wanted me to believe these prom queen and kings were the bad seeds of the town (even if that perception ultimately makes sense). 

There’s something that happens here at the beginning of the second act that turns this film on its head. It’s very smartly not revealed in the trailer and I feel a multitude of ways about it. First, it’s different. Slashers everywhere are competing with Terrifier and the gore can’t be topped so horror directors are having to get creative. This is a film I haven’t seen a million times before and I appreciate that. On the flip side, the film loses all scare potential as a result. Don’t get me wrong, this is fun, but there’s absolutely nothing scary about our antagonist. 

This is also tagged as a dark comedy and on that, the film delivers. The rotary phone gag is hilarious, I am truly so mad they put that in the trailer. That’s a good early millennial joke right there and the 20s to 80s to 40s math Quinn does made me feel old af. 

I also like that this film has some ambition. I may owe that credit to the book this is based on but there’s an interesting theme surrounding generational gaps.

Oh and yay for Kevin Durand!

Overall, I liked this. I might respect it a bit more than I like it but still, this is a fun slasher that I wouldn’t mind revisiting someday.

“Have gun, will travel.”

Thanks be to the Hollywood gods for doing something smart here and bringing back director Gavin O’Connor and writer Bill Dubuque for The ant 2. The outstanding chemistry between Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal extends to the creative team making this a solid sequel and in my opinion, an even better film than the first.

A little character can go a long way, and that’s what this film has in spades. This is one of my favorite Ben Affleck roles by far. Christian is such an interesting and entertaining character. The opening at the dating event had me in stitches, ranging from the women lining up to meet him to the painfully awkward and borderline insulting conversations he has with them down to the reveal he hacked the algorithm. Hilarious. I loved his hoedown adventure too (and hell yeah to Metallica’s Enter Sandman being his second favorite song!). Affleck really disappears into this role, it’s unlike anything I’ve seen from him. He’s also a natural action star which is surprising to me since outside of his time as Batfleck, I’ve never seen him as such. 

Jon Bernthal is just as entertaining, playing Christian’s badass brother Braxton. It’s the relationship between the two brothers that makes this film shine most. While I love the lighter moments like Braxton chucking Christian’s sunscreen off a camper (hilarious… again), I also love the scenes that address the distance between the two brothers. It turns out that after the events of the first film, 8 years ed without Christian coming to “find” Braxton like he said he would. In a somber moment, Braxton asks why, was it him (Braxton) or Christian’s condition? Christian responds that it’s just him being himself and you get the sense that these are two people who care very much about each other but just have different ways of expressing it. It’s an interesting look at the role of autism in relationships that isn’t explored often in film. In general, this franchise is very pro-inclusion/pro-neurodivergence awareness and acceptance, which is great. 

As far as the action goes, the first one is stronger, there’s no belt beat down or cool John Wick style closing set piece but what we get here is perfectly serviceable. 

Overall, I had a great time with this. A 3.75 for sure but I’m willing to go the extra mile to the 4.0. as I patiently await the next sequel!

A monotonous flatline. Rewatched Paul Feig’s A Simple Favor in preparation for the sequel and I liking it a lot more than I did this time around unfortunately. The film follows a woman who goes into investigation mode after her friend vanishes. A disaster in casting with one half of our duo doing nothing for the film and a plot that just meanders throughout, this is one I won’t be revisiting again.

Anna Kendrick and I have always had a strained relationship, there’s something about her quirky schtick that I’ve always hated but her directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, really made me appreciate her and want to be more receptive to her performances. I’m happy to report that Stephanie might be my favorite role of hers. She still has that Kendrick signature flavor, but there’s more spunk, more snark, more confidence. I think she was well cast in this role and was a highlight watching.

On the flip side of that is Blake Lively. The film keeps telling us Emily is an enigma, this fascinating character when she’s really not. I don’t dislike Lively but she has zero gravitas in her work and this is a role that needed an actress that commands the screen. Emily should be compelling, alluring, dominating and Lively just seems well… b*tchy. It doesn’t help how quickly this moves either. Besides the fact that these two women are besties two scenes after meeting each other (and it never feels authentic), we don’t get much time with Emily.

Visually, outside of a nice outfit or two, this is as bland as it comes. I just got a 4K tv and now spend my time drooling over what’s on my screen (and that includes non-4k films), there was not a second of drool here. Standard point and shoot.

Nice to see Andrew Rannells though! The dialogue falls flat on his comic relief but his delivery is great. Makes me want to watch Girls.

Overall, I wasn’t a fan of this. I will reluctantly watch the sequel but the bar is definitely low.

2025 Rewatches Ranked (37 out of 39 to date)

Better than the first one, but only by a smidge. David R. Ellis’ Final Destination 2, the film that instilled a fear of log trucks into the minds of an entire generation, is a film that’s better than the first in some ways but worse in others. Brutal kills and an entirely badass Ali Larter make this a film worth watching, even if the story (and visual sophistication) shines brighter in the first.

The kills in this film are magnificent, earning my tag “killer kills.” I love when a kill makes my jaw drop. There is some nasty stuff in this film and I lapped it up, ladder to the eye, getting sliced and diced with wire, these are great but my favorite is the glass. I rewound that scene a few times, it’s like slapstick comedy to me. The very last kill is great too, also made me laugh. Yeah, in the kills department 2>1 by far. 

I really like Clear (Larter) here. She’s a veteran now and a total boss. Her character is a trope of course but Larter sells it well. Big fan.

Where this doesn’t work *as* well is in the story. A.J. Cook can’t compete with Devon Sawa as the lead and the writing is a step down. As I said, I like Clear, but pretty much like no one else. That’s a step down from liking pretty much all the characters in the first.

Overall, when I watch a movie in this franchise, I’m here for the kills and on that, this film delivers so it’s a worthy entry in my book. 

2025 Rewatches Ranked (25 out of 38 to date)

Went back today for a second helping of Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts* because my 3.5 star rating just wasn’t sitting right with me and I had to confirm. Happy to report this earns the half star bump. It’s pretty simple, “I’m here, you’re not alone.” The words that stopped me in my tracks in my first viewing brought tears to my eyes with my second. Florence Pugh is excellent, we have one badass, strong female lead in Yelena. I dig John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and want more, the corridor fight is a banger and Yelena and Ava (Hannah John-Kamen) roasting John makes me crack up but that’s not what makes this a 4. I know what it feels like to feel alone in the void, stuck with a voice telling you that you’re nothing and I also know the longing of wanting to hear those exact words that are spoken. It’s an unbelievably powerful moment and this team that ultimately comes through is just as good inside as the Captain Americas of the MCU. Tempted to make this a Top 10 contender for the year… we’ll see.

Original Review

Interesting premise but otherwise dull. I’ll always a Cronenberg, so went and saw The Shrouds, written and directed by Papa David and while it has his signature unique, intriguing ideas, it doesn’t have much to offer besides that. Still this is not a total bust with a strong first act and a solid cast. 

I went in knowing nothing about the film outside of the director which made the opening quite compelling. On a blind date from hell (from the woman’s perspective I’m sure), Karsh (Vincent Cassel) reveals that he owns the cutting edge cemetery outside the restaurant they’re in, and takes his date outside to view the grave of his wife complete with a camera inside that allows loved ones to observe the departed’s decaying corpse. Horrified, his date says thanks but no thanks and he never hears from her again. I found this to be a very intriguing setup and was locked in on what would happen next.

From there, Karsh’s cemetery is vandalized and the feeds hijacked, turning this body horror into a mystery. It was quite cold in the theater and daytime visits will sometimes make me sleepy so I’ll take that into consideration but I was fine for the entirety of Thunderbolts* right before it under the same conditions. I got sleepy. I lost interest as the film progressed as it had pacing issues. Also, Sr. Cronenberg’s weird just doesn’t work for me like Jr.’s. I thought the reveal about the perpetrator and motivation was lame. The motivation especially because the perp at that point had zero to go on. 

The body horror is kind of tame in this though I suppose you could say the skeletal work replaces it. There’s some amputation horror but it’s not as if you see it happen, it’s just the outcome.

Overall, I wasn’t really a fan of this, patiently waiting for the film to end. More like a 2.75 but gets the 3.0 for a solid beginning, just feels like Cronenberg doesn’t know what to do with his premise this time around. 

2025 Horror Ranked (16 out of 18 to date)

Honey I Shrunk The Watchlist! 2025 Challenge
Challenge #13 - Watch a film from the 2010s
Original List

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about. You’re not his type.”

A little too much day to day minutiae but still an interesting watch. It took me a minute to realize that The Assistant, written and directed by Kitty Green, shared the same filmmaker as The Royal Hotel, a film I hated. Upon connecting the dots, it was clear to me these two films shared the same universe of a director/screenwriter who likes to keep film as real to life as possible. Luckily, that method works better here than it did in the director’s sophomore effort. 

I don’t envision myself ever loving a Green film, specifically because I find them boring and anticlimatic. This one looks at the darker side of the film industry as Jane (Julia Garner) works for a Harvey Weinstein type, who both demeans her and uses his position to take advantage of women. Green’s perceived misogyny in the industry (misogyny being a theme in her follow up film as well) permeates throughout softly, such as with Jane’s office bro coworkers who try to dictate her apology emails word for word. It’s an interesting study and while I much prefer films with more actionable content (She Said is a great example), the topic interested me. Still, this is a story about someone’s job and I have a job, I don’t need to live someone else’s as they restock medication or do the dishes. 

Due to mundanity of a lot of the plot, I was teetering on a 3.0 for most of my watch but then we get to Matthew Macfadyen. Somehow he gets his name on the poster while making a one-scene cameo but maybe that’s because he knocks it out of the park. The scene between Macfadyen and Garner is riveting. Top notch acting from both of them and an eye opening exchange that leaves food for thought regarding HR departments. This scene might’ve single handedly earned my 3.5. The HR violations here both during and after the scene are ridiculous.

Overall, this is a low 3.5, better than okay. Wouldn’t watch it again but would watch it twice before The Royal Hotel.

Not much has changed since my first review. Final Destination, co-written and directed by James Wong, is a good franchise-starting time. Watching a bunch of teenagers and one poor teacher that just wants to enjoy her vodka in peace get picked off one by one is never a boring affair. The train tracks scene is still my favorite, Carter (Kerr Smith) is the most interesting character of the lot with his extreme reaction to his crippling fear of death. Picked up on some of the more technical elements with this watch. In some areas, the film hasn’t aged well but the blown out windows from the plane explosion is still top notch. The camerawork is also pretty fluid, I like how the camera moves throughout each setup. My one critique is about the final act. I get the idea of death losing its sh*t and going on a rampage but the novelty wears off quickly. The showdown isn’t bad by any means, it’s just that everything else around it is stronger. Wonder if that’ll be a common theme as I rewatch/watch the rest of the entries in prep for Bloodlines. 

2025 Rewatches Ranked (25 out of 37 to date)

If Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness had a love child, Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts* would pop out. A merry band of misfits and emotional storytelling come together perfectly in this trippy, mind bending super(anti)hero adventure.

As excited as I was to see Wyatt Russell, it’s really Florence Pugh who does the impressing. Her portrayal of Yelena is fantastic, equally fused with badassery and vulnerability. I’m a Mia Goth and Anya Taylor-Joy fangirl for days but Pugh is the best one doing it right now with her incredible range. Yelena’s a great character, one of the few post-Endgame introduced that can carry her own amongst a history of titans. The rest of the cast is stellar too. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (love Valentina’s hair), Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Lewis Pullman (who has got range himself comparing this role to his one in Riff Raff) turn in solid performances. I do wish John Walker (Russell) was given more character development since I became a fan after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (the reject Captain America jokes are hilarious). Still, I was happy with everyone.

For the most part this film was a “good” 3.5 through and through until the final act elevates it into something more. The themes of depression and isolation are prominent and perhaps a little too on the nose at times, but there’s a moment at the end when one character hugs another and what is said just really hit me. It’s just an incredibly well done moment between the action, dialogue, acting and score and I immediately thought of James Gunn, the Mike Flanagan of the comic book world, infusing his stories with heart, and that’s exactly what Thunderbolts* has, heart.

I also loved the relationship between Yelena and Alexei (Harbour), Yelena cringing constantly being embarrassed by her dad is equal parts hilarious and adorable. Another plus in the this one is meaningful column.

The surprise twist at the end was awesome. I loved how it tied together and I fully it. Always love to see the “… will return” captions, sign me up for more time with these guys please.

Iconic. Anyone who says it isn’t is lying. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 is my favorite but I know objectively that A Nightmare on Elm Street is the best in the franchise and furthermore, one of the best horror movies ever made. The ceiling death, the body bag, the bathtub, oatmeal stairs and “I’m your boyfriend now, Nancy.” How many horror movies have 5 distinct, CREATIVE moments that everyone knows? My absolute favorite horror franchise, kickstarted by none other than Wes Craven. This is my comfort film. 

*Watched this in 4K which I highly recommend. The remaster drops 20 years off the film’s age.

Original Review

Top 25 All-Time (#15)

A Nightmare on Elm Street Ranked (#2 out of 8)

Top 10 Horror Movies (#2)

2025 Rewatches Ranked (#3 out of 36 to date)

Wasted potential. David F. Sandberg’s Until Dawn is a video game adaptation that’s pissing a lot of gamer fans off. Well, as someone who hasn’t played the game, I can say for us, the experience isn’t much better. While the film has cool ideas and solid gore, the badly written script and wrong choice in tone hold this back from being anything memorable.

This film has some nifty ideas. Off the bat I dug the wall of rain. It doesn’t look that great but the concept of a weather event happening everywhere around you except directly above you is creepy since it goes against science. The time loop concept is cool, I like that it has a 1,000 ways to die setup, even though I thought more could’ve been done with it (which is this film in a nutshell). This also had some solid kills with gore to boot. Always love exploding people and this borrows from The Boys in that sense and the mallet kill is a nice Terrifier looking moment. In of horror, this doesn’t do a bad job.

It’s the writing and tone that really hurts this film. For starters, I was bored at times which should never happen with horror, I’m not even talking about our introduction to paper thin characters with absolutely no one to root for (except maybe Odessa A’zion’s character because I like her style). I’m talking about once the ball gets rolling. I also thought the tone was off. Sandberg takes this film as serious as a heart attack. There’s zero comic relief and I really needed a montage of these people dying again and again and again. Completely dry film. I’m also not even sure I understood the why and how of it all. 

I’m still going with a 3.0 despite thinking the story is mediocre. I could get to a 2.75 for this because the horror elements are solid at times but definitely at the bottom of the totem pole for horror released this year.

Edit: Dropped this down to a 2.5, spent too much time over the last 48 hours talking about all I disliked about it.

2025 Horror Ranked (16 out of 17 to date) 

April 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (16 out of 17 to date)

I’ve already put it as eloquently as I possibly can here, the fall of Anakin Skywalker remains the reason I love this film as much as I do. 

For a more formal review go here.

Top 10 Sci-Fi Films Ranked (6 out of 10)

2025 Rewatches Ranked (3 out of 35 to date)

“Don’t make me put you down.”

A 2.9? Pfft. Kinda wondering what people were expecting from writer/director Gareth Evans’ Havoc because the film features multiple signature Evans traits, good, bad and indifferent. The film follows a corrupt cop (Tom Hardy) who has to bend the rules to find the son (Justin Cornell) of a corrupt politician (Forest Whitaker) after the son is mistakingly identified as the person responsible for the death of a triad gang leader. While only offering a serviceable story, the action, which is what brought me here, is outstanding.

I think a large number of people forgot this was an Evans’ t. The writing in this film is bare bones and generic, but so is The Raid and The Raid 2 (though I’d argue for the story in The Raid sequel). This isn’t a bad story, it isn’t a compelling one or an emotionally investing one. Tom Hardy’s story is pretty basic and his character isn’t well developed. Of course Hardy is Hardy so we get some gravitas in some scenes but the meat is missing. I did like the son and his girlfriend (Quelin Sepulveda), I wanted them to escape but I felt like the reason the triad was after them was kind of wonky to begin with.

Where this EXCELS is in the action which should surprise no one. The universe takes hand to hand annihilation out of Evans’ hands and replaces it with guns and cars, and what a swap. The camera work is kinetic, revealed in the opening car chase. There’s shaky cam, action mimicking and more. The shootouts in this made me think of Hard Boiled, in the sense that I think Evans was trying to out bullet John Woo. Counting the number of shots fired off in this film would be a challenge. The night club sequence is by far my favorite, its non-stop action that is a hand to hand/gunplay mix and seeing Tom Hardy act like a beast is great. There’s also the fish hook kill that I rewound because it made me gleeful. Speaking of which, it’s seem Evans found his inner Timo Tjahjanto because this is his bloodiest film. Some of these kills are graphic and for that it wins my ‘killer kills’ tag.

I love how women are *always* badass in Evans’ action. Don’t tell me he’s not a feminist. Hardy gets his ass kicked exactly once and it’s by a woman. 

Loved the lighting!

This thing has like 15 bosses at the end. Another writing flaw but that’s Evans’ bag. Leave this one alone y’all. It’s not on the level of The Raid films but it was never going to be.

Tom Hardy Ranked (10 out of 11 to date)

April 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (5/16 to date)

Showed Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice to my dad tonight because I thought he might find it as fascinating as I do. We already know the acting is superb, that goes without saying but let’s give Gabriel Sherman’s script some accolades. He essentially writes a villain origin story. This is a full on character study that makes me feel like this turn to the dark side might actually be tragic. In conjunction is Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) moving in the opposite direction. In the back half, he’s sympathetic, a marvel considering what a despicable man he was. The three rules continue to be the standout. Great writing, great direction and PHENOMENAL acting. I don’t like these type of films normally, but I love this one. 

Original Review

2025 Rewatches Ranked (15 out of 34)

While i definitely don’t hold Richard Benjamin’s Mermaids in the same regard as others, I enjoyed this coming of age comedy more than most in the subgenre. Even if the film didn’t always hold my attention (at least until the final act), there’s no denying that the cast elevates this film to the nth degree.

These types of films are hit or miss for me as many know. I prefer comedic or fantastical coming of age films and while this is listed as a comedy, it doesn’t generate much in the way of laughs. It is however amusing at times, such as in Charlotte (Winona Ryder) thinking she’s pregnant after kissing a 26 year-old man… which by the way is gross considering she’s 15, and even grosser since she knows so little about the birds and the bees (in all fairness, it’s her interest in Catholicism that does that to her). Bob Hoskins is also pretty amusing, his character’s eagerness to get to “really know” Mrs. Flax (Cher) and all the funny facial expressions he makes is cute for sure. I ended up really liking Lou, especially how he truly wanted them all to be a family. The ocean room was so sweet.

Speaking of Hoskins, the cast is great as is the chemistry between them all. Having Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci in the same film is a goth dream and I somehow never knew they were both in this. Ricci is young of course but she’s clearly talented, it’s no wonder she maintained a career. We get a Ryder voice over which is always fun and she’s just great throughout. Surprisingly, it was Ryder who got a golden globe nomination where I thought it should’ve gone to Cher. I was really impressed by her performance, she slips into the character with ease. This family of a mother and her two daughters feels so authentic in general.

The 50s/60s soundtrack is great. Loved hearing Then He Kissed Me and You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me.

The President Kennedy scene made me pause for a moment. It made me wonder if the reactions to his assassination as portrayed in the film were accurate. People in the streets just totally distraught. What a sad time in our nation’s history.

Overall, I had a decent time with this. It’s not one I’d revisit but it’s certainly worth a one-time watch.

April 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (11 out of 15 to date)

A competent action thriller. Gavin O’Connor’s The ant follows an autistic A who finds himself in danger when he uncovers a corporation’s history of theft. Only thing is, this ant is far more capable of protecting himself than his would be assailants would guess. Thanks to some fine acting and gripping action, it is understandable why this film is now getting a sequel. 

Ben Affleck has said that this is one of his favorite performances and I can see why. This is a very different role for him. Playing an introverted, socially awkward character of stoicism is not his norm and I loved seeing him stretch those acting muscles. He’s got a quiet strength that radiates throughout and I found myself empathizing with Christian as well as rooting for him. It was also great to see an actual adequate ing role for Jon Bernthal, none of what The Amateur was doing (or not doing). He’s great. I wish I didn’t know the end reveal from seeing the trailer to the sequel but hard to complain about a 9-year old spoiler. Anna Kendrick is also good as the ant who initially uncovers the fraud and as a love interest for Affleck (I liked the two together). 

The action in this is pretty good too, especially the belt scene. Affleck proves again that he can play a total badass, the way his character just completely annihilates this guy in the most disrespectful way possible with the blankest of facial expressions is just awesome. I also love how much Christian is a shoot now, ask questions later kind of guy. Monologue kills, where a character is giving a speech and is nonchalantly dispatched (think Deep Blue Sea) are the best. This film has one of those moments and it sure did make me laugh.

I love that random shot in the company building where Affleck looks through glass with his reflection overlayed onto to an ment. I still can’t figure out how that shot was pulled off but it’s really sleek.

Overall I enjoyed this, definitely interested in part two, if for the return of Affleck alone.

April 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (8 out of 14 to date)

“I just thought of another headline: Negligent parents allow baby to swallow condom.”
“What’d you say?”
“It’s not a good headline.”
“Here’s a headline: How about go f**k yourself!”

Happy belated 420! Last night I checked out Neighbors, Nicholas Stoller’s comedy about a family whose lives are disrupted when the neighbors next door turn their home into a frat house. Thanks to a good cast and some solid comedy, this is a film worth checking out both on a regular day and a cannabis holiday.

Neighbors has a great cast. As per usual, I see Seth Rogan in a relationship and it takes me a minute to adapt. His voice is so odd and he’s so goofy that it’s hard to believe Rose Byrne fell in love with him, but with a little time I adapted and ended up loving their chemistry. While it’s not a word I’d normally use, their characters’ sex lives are adorable, they’re just a good couple. Then there’s Zac Efron who I will forever be loyal to for his performance in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Efron is an underrated actor and every once in a while he gets a gem to show off his stuff. That isn’t this but his character shows little bouts of crazy that really worked for me because of his talent.

The comedy, ESPECIALLY the physical comedy is a lot of fun. The airbag sequences had me choking with laughter, replayed them multiple times. The milking scene is another one that had me cracking up. Mac (Rogen) finally getting out of the house and eating special mushrooms like potato chips was hilarious. The Robert De Niro skit? Top notch.

For a standard comedy, this went hard with the lighting. Loved the neon throughout.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. Doesn’t hit the heights of a Judd Apatow flick but still a good time.

April 2025 First-Time Watched Ranked (7 out of 13 to date)

Checked out CBGB, co-written and directed by Randall Miller, for my one and only, Kyle Gallner. While I was completely ripped off in that regard, (one scene), overall this was an entertaining flick despite some of its weaknesses. A film that bites off more than it can chew narratively is elevated by a dynamite cast and killer soundtrack. 

The best thing about this film bar none is the cast. I don’t know much about Hilly Kristal so I can’t speak to accuracy but in of talent, getting Alan Rickman was a good decision. Hilly is such an eccentric (love how he walks out mid performance on bands auditioning for him) and Rickman nails it to a tee, disappearing into the character. Rico… aka Freddy Rodriguez blew me away as the neighborhood junkie who becomes a part of this punk rock makeshift family. Everything about his performance surprised me, especially since I’m watching Six Feet Under right now. Then there’s Rupert Grint playing a wanna be rock star and it’s just such a 180° from Ron Weasley that it blew my mind. It was a treat to see all three of these actors in such different roles. Kyle is great, it’s fun to see him with bleached blonde hair and a leather jacket, but it’s such a minor role I can barely rank it. Really the only casting I didn’t like was Malin Akerman as Debbie Harry. Akerman didn’t do the ultra cool that is Harry justice. 

On the flip side is the competing stories. As someone that grew up in NYC (Brooklyn) and has been to CBGB’s (that’s how you refer to it in NYC) a few times, I was very interested in watching the origin story of the club but when the film would pivot to other storylines (especially the one about Punk magazine), I was annoyed. It’s just less compelling material. 

Of course, the music was as good as to be expected. The Psycho Killer needledrop/performance as well as Because the Night were my favorites, totally rocked out.

Also, I wasn’t a fan of the comic book strip storytelling, felt like an odd artistic choice.

Overall, I thought this was solid enough. I’d like to see this story told again but for now I enjoyed learning some new things about the legendary club and can always appreciate a handful of good performances.
 
Kyle Gallner Ranked (14 out of 14 to date)

April 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (8 out of 12 to date)

From Dusk till Dawn meets Moulin Rouge. Sinners, written and directed by Ryan Coogler, follows twin brothers (played by Michael B. Jordan) who must survive the night at their 1930s night club after a trio of vampires show up outside the door. While some pacing issues aside, this is a film well worth a trip to the theater for both its use of music and horror to tell a compelling story.

Until around the midway point of the film, I thought Sinners was just good. The pacing isn’t the best as the horror takes way too long to get going, and once it does, flies by too fast, but I was still enjoying the film. This is thanks to a likable cast and characters (I particularly liked Delroy Lindo’s harmonica playing drunkard and Hailee Steinfeld blowing my mind playing an adult). Then we get Sammie’s (Miles Caton in his film debut) musical performance and that all changes.

Music plays an important role in this film both as a plot device and work of art. The lore in the film suggests that Sammie’s music playing can summon the devil and when we get his big performance, you can see why. The production value and overall vibe reminded me very much of Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge musical numbers which is the highest compliment I can give. I loved the blending of past, present and future in that sequence both musically and visually. The inclusion of it in a non-musical horror of all things is fresh too. I also enjoyed Jack O’Connell’s Southern Baptist counterpart. It’s amazing to think this film contains not one but two very high caliber music videos.

Speaking of music, Ludwig Göransson’s score is fantastic and easily earns my perfect score tag. I was grooving with its bluesy vibe for most of the film until we get a full on metal roll out for the horror. These two are like siblings, rarely used together, but go hand and hand. The horror is of very high quality in general. The gore and practical effects are excellent, and the vampires are actually scary. 

While I’m not sure where this lands thematically and look forward to reading interpretations, I loved the ending. Jordan is so damn badass in the final scene before the end credits. The hyper violence is very satisfying and Jordan looks damn good carrying it out but I digress.

I suspect this will be one others have in their year end top 10 list. Probably won’t get there for me but this is still an impressive film. Wonder if I’m the only one walking away convinced Coogler should do a musical next.

2025 Horror Ranked (4 out of 16 to date)

April 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (4 out of 11 to date)

Honey I Shrunk The Watchlist! 2025 Challenge
Challenge #12 - Watch a film from the 2000s
Original List

Say what you want about the man but Mel Gibson sure knows how to direct an epic tale. Apocalypto is a film I’ve shied away from despite loving both Braveheart and The ion of the Christ. Maybe it was the language that put me off so many years ago but it’s certainly not an issue anymore and I’m glad it isn’t because I’ve been missing out. Thanks to a fierce intensity that almost never lets up, this is a film that’s a must watch at least once, historical inaccuracies and all.

Me and our protagonist Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) didn’t start off on the right foot. He’s an animal killer and mean to Blunted (Jonathan Brewer), who I liked immediately but he soon won me over. I like how this film builds up to the massacre and kidnapping of his people. Spending lighter moments with this tribe endeared them to me making watching them suffer that much hard hitting (something Gibson is excellent at). Jaguar Paw rushing to save his wife (Dalia Hernández), who is a pretty badass counterpart to her husband, and his child (Carlos Emilio Báez), as well as his film long quest to get back to them put me in his corner. What this man does to survive is nothing short of heroic.

This film is pretty brutal too (another thing that Gibson does well, if you can call it that). The eclipse sequence is a rough watch as Jaguar Paw’s friends are stabbed and beheaded, their heads tossed down a pyramid of stairs as if they weren’t even human. The brutality Jaguar Paws both unintentionally and intentionally inflicts on these people is so satisfying (especially the jaguar face chomp).

Besides a lull in the middle act (cutting 10-15 minutes would’ve helped), I found this film captivating. I just wanted Jaguar Paw to get back to his family, I was scared for all three of them throughout. I know the ending is disliked for historical inaccuracy but I liked how it connected to the W. Durant’s quote at the beginning: “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.” 

Great film.

April 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (3 out of 10 to date)

Honey I Shrunk The Watchlist! 2025 Challenge
Challenge #11 - Watch a film from the 1990s
Original List

The nonchalance of war. I’ve heard for decades what a masterpiece Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan is so I’m glad I finally checked it out. War is not my cup of tea (1917 always excluded) but I’m all for being open minded, and thankfully I liked this more than a few others I’ve seen. Leaving me with deep thoughts about war, this film has meaning even if it’s one I wouldn’t return to.

More than anything, I walked away from this film thinking how arbitrary war is. The opening scene is masterful, unlike Warfare which I just saw, there’s no boredom to be had here and the viewer is thrown right into the thick of it. What struck me hard in the opening was how simplistic it all was. There is no dramatic warning, no drawn out deaths, it’s as simple as one moment someone is there, and the next moment they’re not. People are caught on fire, legs are randomly blown off, this film is gruesome but is so quiet about it. The underwater scenes really stuck out to me, the lack of sound, a stray bullet ripping through someone as if it were nothing. The whole film is like that. Everything is just so random and it’s sad.

As far as characters go, I really liked Horvath (Tom Sizemore). He was loyal to the mission, loyal to Miller (Tom Hanks) and was just to me, the epitome of a hero. Spoiler alert, but he too dies in such a meaningless way, just sudden with no bells and whistles. Meanwhile, I hated Upham (Jeremy Davies). I love me some Daniel Faraday and I get that Upham was inexperienced and traumatized but in one scene someone dies, and it was his fault. I sympathized with him but at the same time I would’ve liked to see him be courageous in that moment.

Acting wise everyone was good but it was Giovanni Ribisi that really impressed me. His monologue hit me hard. I kept thinking how awesome it was to be both a solid actor and DP.

Overall, this didn’t resonate with me emotionally as it seems to have for many others. That said, I appreciate the food for thought, sometimes that’s worth more than anything else.  

Steven Spielberg Ranked (10 out of 13 to date) 

April 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (6 out of 9 to date) 

Of course this has a 3.7 because why would agree with everyone else? *Sigh* I checked out Warfare, written and directed by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza for one reason: the sound. After seeing Civil War and being blown away by it, I knew I had to see this in the loudest theater possible. Well on that this team delivered, there’s no denying that, and while the second act is a promise of a better film, it alone cannot save the rest.

First, let me say that the tank explosion rocked my eardrums. I legitimately jumped in my seat and my ears hurt for a few minutes afterward. Garland in his experimental error has truly mastered the art of sound as a storytelling advice. I wasn’t keen on the lack of a score, but the muted audio that starts when things get horrific was chef’s kiss and the reason I wish I liked this more.

The second act is the bread and butter of this film. The hurt men screaming in agony, our directors not shying away from the inherent gore of war and the utter chaos is gripping. For that alone, this would be a 3.0 but the rest of it had me on the verge of going to a 1.5, especially the first act. I was exceptionally bored. The first 40 minutes is this military unit in a house looking through a scope and doing such mundane things that I can’t even what they were. This is also a true story, so there’s a limit of what can be done here, making the ending anticlimactic. I just kind of shrugged after. Of course this is a sad story and I feel for the real life people who experienced this but from a cinematic standpoint, the ending goes out with a whisper.

Overall this was not for me. I tend to blame this on my dislike for war films but then I always that I love 1917. Take this review for what you will, but hopefully it’ll work out better for you.

Alex Garland Ranked (5 out of 5 to date)

April 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (8 out of 8 to date)

This review may contain spoilers.

You can read a more traditional review here, but Rachel Talalay’s Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare is one of those films that you either get or you don’t. It’s incredibly kooky and definitely a horror comedy. The kills are fantastic, some of the best in the franchise. Carlos’ head explodes all while Freddy is prancing around in the background taunting him. Hilarious and good horror. Spencer’s death involves tripping out into In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida land and being in a retro video game (complete with a power glove). Need I say more? The bed of nails on the last kill? Awesome! I really wish people would reevaluate this one, it’s such a blast.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Ranked (3 out of 9 to date)

2025 Rewatches Ranked (10 out of 33 to date)

Not getting the hype. The Rule of Jenny Pen, co-written and directed by James Ashcroft, was not on my radar until I started seeing a number of positive reviews pop up so I thought I’d give it a shot. While there’s definitely some solid filmmaking at play, a narrative I frankly found silly just didn’t work for me.

First, the positive. I dig how this is edited and filmed. I wish it wasn’t wasted here for me because it’d perfect a film i loved. The psychological tricks Ashcroft plays are great. Stefan (Geoffrey Rush) is in and out of conscious in a way that’s never quite explained. He’ll be sitting in a normal setting and suddenly he’ll hear buzzing, the light will become bright and the moment becomes a fever dream. When he comes to, he’s somewhere else. It’s a pretty neat trick that I think represents the loss of mental faculty in conjunction with all the loss of physical autonomy we see. There’s also a great rotating shot during a confrontation in the common room. It gives the scene a real sense of Dave’s (John Lithgow) delirium. 

Narratively, I could not get invested, try as I might. I loved the opener, the fire was a shocker but after that all I did was wonder why Dave was getting away with all the abuse he inflicted on others. There’s one scene where two men are in danger from him and they’re laying down having a conversation. Hello? Why isn’t anyone screaming? Also, I know a horror movie doesn’t need to be scary to be horror, but I just don’t find an old dude with a puppet intimidating, just silly. Also, I was bored more often than.

I will say Lithgow is having the time of life here. He’s no stranger to playing a psychopath (hello Trinity killer) and he does it well. Rush is good too.

Overall, this was okay, though it skews a bit negative. Definitely not a film I’ll ever return to but I’ve seen worse. 

2025 Horror Ranked (14 out of 15 to date)

Shudder Originals Ranked (13 out of 14 to date)

April 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (6 out of 7 to date)

First dates are rough! Drop, Christopher Landon’s new film is about a woman (Meghann Fahy) who finds herself in an impossible situation when she begins receiving mysterious, untraceable messages on her phone to murder her date (Brandon Sklenar) less they kill her son. With a pretty tense atmosphere and some visual flair, this is a competent thriller worth checking out. 

Before I get started, let me say first that I fell in love with Henry (the date) immediately. Sklenar has a very warm quality about him and Henry’s a good guy right down to him bringing a hockey puck for her son. That upped the tension for me because I was really worried he was going to die. I’ll stop there to keep this spoiler free but in general, this is a pretty adrenaline fueling flick. Violet is told if she notifies the cops or anyone for that matter, her son will be killed so she tries multiple ways to get out of the situation and that creates that “what will happen next?” nail-biting moments. Bear McCreary’s score also complements the plot points upping the tension and the events at her house are rather scary. All in all, this offers exactly what you want from a thriller.

There’s a lot of nifty technical elements here too. I loved the spotlight lighting and how sets lit the normal way transitioned to it. I do think it was overused a bit. On its own, it’s very good at conveying isolation and I felt that in one scene, I wish Landon had just left it there but nevertheless, it’s awesome. Speaking of Landon, the guy clearly loves a good dutch angle. I do too but again, maybe over-saturating there a bit. There’s one scene (and only one) where Violet gets thrown (like a ragdoll I might add) and the camera follows the motion. I LOVE stuff like that. 

I liked the parallels between Violet’s predicament and her past as a battered wife. There’s a definite theme of taking your power back.

Overall this was pretty solid. If you’re looking for a thrill, this is a good place to start.

April 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (4 out of 6 to date)

A fun time at the theater. Freaky Tales, written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, is a film featuring four vignettes that are interconnected. With a creative way of telling these stories ed by both the narrative and the filmmaking, this is nice little off the radar surprise.

It took me a little bit of time to get on board but by the end of the film (with the spectacular final story that’s something out of Kill Bill) I was completely engaged. I loved how each story had a sequence that stood out like a statement piece. The first story has the awesome Nazi fight (love the Zack Snyder like shot setups with the slow motion blood), the second the rap battle, the third a special cameo that leaves you in the dark (please someone tell me what the #1 underdog movie is) and then the crème of the crop, a blood bath fight sequence set to Metallica’s For Whom the Bell Tolls. I swear that last segment was so cool, I ate it right up.

This has a lot going for it on a technical level too. There’s animation bits, a super cool black & white shot with only blood in color, cigarette burns and the soundtrack is a total banger. The acting is solid with Pedro Pascal standing out of course and Ben Mendelsohn making my skin crawl (the ice cream shop shot setups reminded me of Dennis Quaid in The Substance, yuck. Plus, Angus Cloud! Both happy and sad to see him.

As far as the actual stories, they’re alright, nothing special in my opinion, but serviceable. I found Pascal’s chapter to be the least engaging despite feeling terrible about something that happens. 

Overall, I had a good time with this. Worth the trip to the theater.

April 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (4 out of 5 to date)

“A scalpel for your eyelids… in case you insist on f**king shutting them.”

Gerard Butler is a man handling business. F. Gary Gray’s Law Abiding Citizen is a revenge thriller about a man who doesn’t just stop with the men responsible for the death of his family, but goes after the justice system that failed him. With a story that invites questions of morality and a more than competent cast, this is a film worth a watch.

I’m a big fan of revenge flicks. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing bad people get what they deserve in the most brutal way possible but at what point does revenge just become cold-blooded murder? That’s a question this film asks as the punishment slowly stops fitting the crime… or does it? Does a justice system that negotiates deals with murderers, cares more about conviction rates and getting to the next case deserve to pay? I love how Kurt Wimmer’s unique story pushes Butler’s character into psychopathy, justified or not. It’s a smart script which is what’s needed when your vigilante’s justice isn’t dolled out with his hands (I’m looking at you The Amateur).

The casting here was important to sell this story and this is definitely one where Butler shines. I love Clyde’s cocksure attitude; Butler approaches the role confidently, making Clyde a worthy antagonist (if you do decide to call him that). I also love his quieter moments, where you see his despair. One of Butler’s best performances. Jamie Foxx is also good as the ace prosecutor who refuses to see the issue in his willingness to make deals with bad people. I’m not a big fan of Nick, namely because he’s in the wrong and refuses to see it. It’s a testament to Foxx though that pulls off that overconfidence. Then there’s Viola Davis, who drops into the boys club and makes an impression with the gravitas she brings to every role. She just takes over. I honestly think I would’ve preferred to see her go up against Butler. 

There’s a shot at the end of the film that goes so hard for no reason. First, kudos for the MAGNIFICENT use of fire on screen and you know what? Most of it was PRACTICAL. The shot of the fire is hovering over Butler’s character as he despondently looks at a bracelet his daughter gave him hits hard. It’s so sad but also gorgeous.

Overall, this is a pretty well made film. A good script, a good cast and a director who values practical effects. If you haven’t given this a watch, I highly recommend that you do.

2025 Rewatches Ranked (19 out of 32 to date)

Objectively the best of the Stephen King Miniseries. It, co-written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, is a film that traumatized a generation with one of the scariest clowns put to screen. The blend of good characters and performances as well as horror that gets under your skin, this is a film that holds up decades later.

One of the things King is really good at is creating characters you end up heavily emotionally invested in. Wallace doesn’t drop the ball here either, especially in the first half as we meet the kids who eventually form “the loser’s club.” Bill (a good for his age Jonathan Brandis) is our lead, a kid suffering with the loss of his baby brother (Tony Dakota). Then theres’s his friends, all picked on both by the neighborhood bully (Jarred Blancard) and an evil entity (Tim Curry). The first half is most certainly stronger due to how Wallace fleshes out those characters, paying off in the second half when as adults, childhood romances reignite and characters die. The source material does all the heavy lifting but Wallace nails it too.

When it comes to the acting, the first name out of every mouth is always going to be Tim Curry who is frighteningly unrecognizable in this role. The makeup is great, the razor sharp teeth even better, but make no mistake, it’s what Curry does with his eyes, mouth and voice that makes this performance. Curry just oozes creepiness. He’s not scary anymore but his performance makes me squirm. The rest of the cast ranging from John Ritter to Annette O’Toole to Seth Green are good too. 

The horror here is more psychological than anything else. I love the concept that the folks of Derry are literally blind to what’s going on. Imagine having a blood drenched bathroom that only you could see? The scene with young Bev in the bathroom with her dad (Frank C. Turner), his hands gripping the sink covered in blood and acting as if it isn’t there is horrifying. Then there’s just everything going on with the Pennywise (Curry) visits, (the photograph come to life sequence terrified me as a kid). 

Also, this goes hard with the editing for a miniseries. Dig all the match cut transitions, especially from the younger characters to their older versions.

Overall, still a great miniseries, all this time later. 

2025 Rewatches Ranked (12 out of 31 to date)

“He said ‘Well, you better get out of there uh… uh’.”
“‘Or what?’ I said.”
“And he started pushing me… yeah, so I started pushing back.” 

Had some time so wanted to revisit Oliver Stone’s The Doors in honor of the incredibly talented Val Kilmer. If you’re looking for a more traditional review look here but I first saw this film at 10 years old and it blew little me’s socks off. So much of that is a testament to Kilmer’s performance. Decades later and I still don’t know where Jim Morrison ends and Val Kilmer begins. Every part of Kilmer is given over to this character, the voice, the eyes, the movement. The performances are electric, some of the best put to screen. Morrison is a train wreck in this film, but thanks to Kilmer, he’s also an enigma full of radiance.

Rest in peace Val Kilmer, I hope there is life after death. I’d like to think you got to meet the man you helped mythologize even more with this film. 

Top 25 Films All-Time

2025 Rewatches Ranked (1 out of 30 to date)

Oliver Stone Ranked (1 out of 5 to date) 

Perfectly fine. I wasn’t really anticipating James Hawes’ The Amateur, namely because there’s something about Rami Malek I don’t like. Perhaps I’d like this more with another actor but we’ll never know. While I appreciate the story for being unique, this film is more of a steady heartbeat than a thrill ride and has a few other flaws that make this just okay for me.

The story is a double-edged sword, at least for me. Charlie (Malek) is a meek, computer nerd type whose wife is murdered in a terrorist attack. When his superiors at the CIA won’t go after the killers, Charlie takes matters into his own hands, using his brain instead of brawn. On one hand, this is something different which I like. We get a dime a dozen action revenge films where the lead physically annihilates everyone in his way. Charlie is just an every day guy so it’s a different type of film. I liked that he made mistakes (and learned from them), it added realism (though how his arc ends is definitely not realistic). This is a plus but… there’s one problem, I love action revenge films. I love seeing people who deserve to get their ass kicked get their ass kicked. So it’s unlikely I was ever going to love this. Jon Bernthal is completed wasted, he could’ve added some of that but he’s got like 5 minutes of screen time and the setup of his last scene is ridiculous. 

Bernthal annoyance aside, this film also does that lame thing where the protagonist keeps seeing his dead wife. I’m into memories, they give contextual clues as to how that person was but the seeing her in the mirror walking stuff is just way too melodramatic for me.

It’s not this film’s fault but this is one of those times where the trailer really ruins it. There aren’t many kills in this film, this is no John Wick. There’s less than a handful of kills, even more so elaborate. Two of those kills are essentially ruined because of the trailer. The pool scene you see in the trailer is the pool scene you see in the film. So they don’t give you much to work with.

All that said, there are definitely some good moments so this wasn’t an entire waste. It’s okay, I’d stream it unless you’ve got the .

Honey I Shrunk The Watchlist! 2025 Challenge
Challenge #10 - Watch a film from the 80s
Original List

“They call me an animal. I’m not an animal. Why do they treat me like this? I’m not that bad.”

Lives up to the hype! Raging Bull, Martin Scorsese’s boxing epic picked up 8 well-deserved Oscar nominations in 1981. It follows the true story (and autobiography) of Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro) a boxing champion who in his personal life, never left the ring. Between the fantastic performances and the timeless cinematography, this is a must watch, especially for any film fan. 

Let me tell you, De Niro earned that Oscar. It’s weird, I’ve seen him do psycho twice (Taxi Driver and Cape Fear) but in some ways his performance here scared me more. Perhaps it’s because he’s a normal guy, a husband, a brother, a father, a son but his violent unpredictability made my body tighten often. There’s a good 15 minutes where he goes from accusing his brother (Joe Pesci) of sleeping with his wife (Cathy Moriarty), to beating on his wife, to beating on his brother, to beating on his wife again. The intensity was almost too much to take. Pesci being in the film was an added bonus because he’s never not landed a role and the beautiful, sultry Moriarty is just as good. Also was wild seeing Frank Vincent so young having watched him on The Sopranos.

This film also got the Oscar for editing and yeah, that was solid but now I need to see the film Tess (which I’ve never heard of) because how is anyone going to tell me the cinematography there is better? I was concerned when I saw this was in black & white because it doesn’t always work for me but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Michael Chapman’s photography is stunning, besides fitting the time period, I couldn’t place the decade this was made, let alone the year. The image is so smooth and I bet my eyes would pop out of my head watching it in 4K. The film also has one of the most awesome dolly zoom shots I’ve ever seen as well as an in ring moment that transitions from real time, to slow motion, back to real time giving the fight such intensity. Am I right that Chapman was robbed? Someone tell me.

I could’ve done without Vickie (Moriarty) being 15 but one is limited when it’s a docudrama so I get it. Still, that hasn’t aged well.

Overall, this was a great film fully deserving of all the praise. One of Scorsese’s best if you ask me.

The more I learn about this film, the more impressed I am. Hell of a Summer, is the directorial debut of actors Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk. While it premiered at TIFF in 2023, it had trouble obtaining distribution until Neon swooped in and saved the day. Fast forward to 2025 and this homage to the 80s slasher is finally seeing the light of day, revealing a fun, endearing horror-comedy that’s firing on nearly all cylinders.

As much as I love horror (it’s my favorite genre), it’s not exactly known for high brow entertainment. Horror hounds usually wait impatiently for the first act to end to get to the kills, ghosts, etc and the characters are usually food for the fodder. Imagine my surprise in realizing neither applied here. This starts as a coming of age comedy and honestly, I would’ve been on board even without the horror. I really loved these characters, especially, especially, especially our final boy, Jason (Fred Hechinger). A combination of Wolfhard and Bryk’s writing and Hechinger’s performance makes Jason impossible not to root for. He’s goofy and awkward but also a good soul with unwavering optimism. Think Thelma but in a leading role. In general though, I dug all the characters.

The comedy is great too. This film has a Breakfast Club vibe to it with all different stereotypes coming together. My favorite in of comedy was Ezra (Matthew Finlan), the theater kid. He is so melodramatic and Finlan’s delivery is perfect. I was cracking up whenever he was on screen. Bobby (Bryk) was great too and the Ouija board sequence was hilarious. Him using bear spray against a “ghost” is just comedy gold. 

One critique I do have are the kills. With the amount of cutaways this film has, I assumed it was PG-13 but it’s rated R. There is one great axe kill though and while it’s nothing we haven’t seen before, the practical effects are really good. It’s the one time the camera sees the kill through and I wish there was more of that. Still, this film is good enough that it manages to counteract what could be a big flaw in most slashers.

Jay McCarrol’s score gets my perfection tag. It’s straight out of any horror you watched in the 80s. I LOVED it!

This is great! Please go these two, they had a tough time catching a break and it’s a break well deserved. 

2025 Horror Ranked (3 out of 14 to date)

Neon Ranked (11 out of 32 to date)

First-Time Watch Film of the Month - April 2025

“Don’t throw your life away, not for the Staten Island ferry.”

Commits to the bit! I won’t try to convince anyone that Screamboat, co-written and directed by Steven LaMorte, is a good film but I came in expecting a fun time, and that’s exactly what I got. The overly serious crowd will hate this but thanks to David Howard Thorton and some ridiculous camp, I’m not one of them.

Some of you that follow me know I’m a big Poohniverse fan. I don’t normally watch public domain films outside of that franchise because I only trust Rhys Frake-Waterfiel. I had to make an exception for Thorton. He’s excellent at playing mute characters because of his physicality and it’s no different here. Screamboat Willie whistles and makes the cutest little animal voice that I loved but he’s silent otherwise, instead accentuating reactions and doing fun things like tap dancing.

The comedy is also pretty solid. I laughed at the Disney references and how the film makes fun of itself. The dialogue is terrible (see above) but that’s part of the film’s charm. Also without a doubt, the confrontation between Willie and the engers on the lower deck is the funniest scene in the film. The Deep Blue Sea moment is HILARIOUS and the classical music is icing on the cake. The gag with umm… a male part also had me cracking up. 

The cinematography is pretty bad, there was one scene where two characters were at the back of the ferry, looking out into the ocean and I couldn’t tell if they were really there or in a studio in front of a cardboard cutout. The acting is spotty (the final girl is absolutely terrible) and the kills are fun enough but are the weakest of the films I’ve seen in this subgenre. I’m also not sure how I feel about the scaling done converting 3-foot puppet Willie to Thorton. 

Loved seeing my girl Kailey Hyman (Brooke from Terrifier 2). I dunno why Thorton is always trying to kill her. 

Overall, I really appreciate how self aware this film is. It’s a b-movie with a b-movie director trying to make the b-ist of horror movies. I’ll never understand why we hate fun.

2025 Horror Ranked (7 out of 13 to date)

A premise that only works for a horror movie. Vaughn Stein’s Cellar Door is a thriller in which a couple are gifted a house (Scott Speedman and Jordana Brewster) by a wealthy, mysterious man (Laurence Fishburne), the only caveat is they can never open the cellar door. While the cast is great, the film itself leaves much to be desired.

The things I do for Ben Covington (iykyk). I had heard this wasn’t good but still wanted to give it a shot solely for Speedman. The film having gone straight from VOD to Tubi of all places had me concerned too but you never know when you’re gonna find a hot take. Well, it turns out the 2.2 on Letterboxd is deserved because this is such a disted film that is never thrilling and in some spots even a slog. It doesn’t help that John (Speedman) jumps to the house being evil overnight (I’m not even sure how he came to this conclusion) or also that a semi-supernatural explanation is given by a former occupant that doesn’t make sense because it’s A) rushed through and B) the film is not a horror movie (in the slightest). There are also the battling storylines of the ever-tempting cellar door and the fallout of an affair. This needed to stay in a lane, preferably not the cellar door lane because again it doesn’t fit the genre.

Another thing I found irksome was the editing. I’ve never seen so much cross-cutting in a film. When used WISELY it increases tension, here it’s just disruptive. The scenes aren’t allowed to breathe and it was annoying that I wanted to see a moment through but couldn’t. There’s also a really stupid memory montage which doesn’t reveal anything. It’s just John mulling over the film as if we’ve both forgotten everything. 

I will say I came for Speedman, and while he has the best smile ever, it was Brewster who impressed me. She’s great in this. 

Still, this is one you can skip. 

March 2025 First-Time Watches Ranked (20 out of 23)

Ranked based on enjoyment more than objective analysis and based solely on the rewatch, not my original take

Films first watched and rewatched this year excluded.

1. The Doors
2. Moulin Rouge!
3. A Nightmare on Elm Street
4. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
5. Penelope
6. Sleeping Beauty
7. Edward Scissorhands
8. The Princess Bride
9. Cuckoo
10. The Fountain

...plus 37 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Working on these outside of new releases.

1. Destination Wedding
2. Tombstone
3. In the Bedroom
4. Munich
5. The Drop
6. Crank: High Voltage
7. Coherence
8. Martha Marcy May Marlene
9. Crash
10. Rocky IV

...plus 123 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. The Life of Chuck

   6-6

2. The Ritual

   6-6

3. Dangerous Animals

   6-6

4. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina

   6-6

5. I Don't Understand You

   6-6

6. Materialists

   6-13

7. 28 Years Later

   6-20

8. Bride Hard

   6-20

9. F1 The Movie

   6-27

10. M3GAN 2.0

    6-27

...plus 18 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Hurry Up Tomorrow
2. Thunderbolts*
3. The ant²
4. Clown in a Cornfield
5. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
6. The Assessment
7. The Assistant
8. Final Destination Bloodlines
9. Fear Street: Prom Queen
10. Fight or Flight

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Companion
2. Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare
3. Hell of a Summer
4. Sinners
5. The Damned
6. Borderline
7. The Monkey
8. Ash
9. Screamboat
10. Heart Eyes

...plus 11 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

5/26 - 6/1

• Lilo & Stitch
• Friendship
• Magazine Dreams
• The Informer
• Bring Her Back
• The Alto Knights
• Overlord

There’s spots 1 - 7 and then #72.

Average rating: 3.6

1. Mission: Impossible III
2. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
3. Mission: Impossible
4. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
5. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
6. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
7. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
8. Mission: Impossible II

5/19 - 5/25

• Another Simple Favor
• 28 Days Later
• Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
• Fear Street: Prom Queen
• Summer of 69
• Repo! The Genetic Opera
• The Ugly Stepsister

1. Echo Valley

   6-13

1. Final Destination 3
2. Final Destination 2
3. Final Destination
4. Final Destination 5
5. Final Destination Bloodlines
6. The Final Destination

• Companion
• Bring Them Down
• Hurry Up Tomorrow

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Stay
3. A Star Is Born
4. The Doors
5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
6. Moon
7. Romeo + Juliet
8. Heathers
9. Big Fish
10. A.I. Artificial Intelligence

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
3. Thunderbolts*
4. Spider-Man: No Way Home
5. Deadpool & Wolverine
6. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
7. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
8. The Marvels
9. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
10. Captain America: Brave New World

...plus 3 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Progress: 13/35

For rules/participation go here: Watchlist Challenge

• 20th Century Women

  1. Watch the film that was added first - Completed

• The Loved Ones

  2. Watch the film that was added last - Completed

• Storm of the Century

  3. Watch the film that is the longest - Completed

• La Jetée

  4. What the film that is the shortest - Completed

• 12 Angry Men

  5. Watch the film that is rated highest - Completed

• Ouija

  6. Watch the film that is rated lowest - Completed 

• On the Waterfront

  7. Watch a film from the 1950s - Completed

• The Graduate

  8. Watch a film from the 1960s - Completed

• All the President's Men

  9. Watch a film from the 1970s - Completed

• Raging Bull

  10. Watch a film from the 1980s - Completed

...plus 25 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street
3. Pearl
4. Infinity Pool
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
6. Halloween II
7. Doctor Sleep
8. Possessor
9. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
10. 28 Weeks Later

1. Hell of a Summer
2. Raging Bull
3. Apocalypto
4. Sinners
5. Havoc
6. Screamboat
7. Drop
8. Neighbors
9. The ant
10. Freaky Tales

...plus 7 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Slowly working his filmography so it’s time to start ranking.

Only including favorite film from any franchise.

1. Wuthering Heights
2. Bronson
3. The Dark Knight Rises
4. Lawless
5. The Bikeriders
6. Locke
7. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
8. Capone
9. Mad Max: Fury Road
10. Havoc

...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

I’ll be getting in deep with his filmography so might as well start ranking. I’ve seen more films but don’t feel they’re fair to rank without a rewatch first.

Oh and in case you didn’t know, I’m kind of obsessed with this guy!

1. The enger
2. Dinner in America
3. What Comes Around
4. Mother, May I?
5. Strange Darling
6. Trunk
7. Alien Code
8. Smile 2
9. The Cleansing Hour
10. Jennifer's Body

...plus 4 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. A.I. Artificial Intelligence
2. War of the Worlds
3. Jurassic Park
4. Hook
5. Jaws
6. Minority Report
7. The Lost World: Jurassic Park
8. The Fabelmans
9. Raiders of the Lost Ark
10. Saving Private Ryan

...plus 3 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Annihilation
2. Ex Machina
3. Civil War
4. Men
5. Warfare

1. You'll Never Find Me
2. What Josiah Saw
3. When Evil Lurks
4. Ash
5. The Cleansing Hour
6. Bloody Axe Wound
7. Birth/Rebirth
8. Infested
9. Stopmotion
10. Influencer

...plus 4 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

The results are in. Acoucalancha & I spent the last couple of months revisiting and viewing classic and modern fantasy films to nail down our top 10. 

List will be updated with new entries. 

Original List: Fantasy Film Challenge

Acoucalancha’s List

1. Big Fish
2. Penelope
3. Sleeping Beauty
4. Edward Scissorhands
5. The Princess Bride
6. The Fountain
7. Enchanted
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
9. Three Thousand Years of Longing
10. Paddington 2

A few notes:

I’ve seen The Babadook but don’t it giving me heart failure like most of these.

1. Oculus
2. Sinister
3. Hereditary
4. Insidious
5. The Ring
6. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
7. The Conjuring
8. Paranormal Activity
9. The Grudge
10. Halloween

I like Neon, particularly their horror. Time to start ranking. I’m in the minority I’m sure. 

I respect Petite Maman even if it is in last place.

1. Infinity Pool
2. Possessor
3. Cuckoo
4. Immaculate
5. Oldboy
6. The Worst Person in the World
7. Triangle of Sadness
8. Parasite
9. Pig
10. Longlegs

...plus 22 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Mickey 17
2. Locked
3. Borderline
4. Ash
5. The Graduate
6. Crank
7. Riff Raff
8. Ouija
9. The Parenting
10. Black Bag

...plus 13 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

There are several I haven’t seen and a few I don’t well enough to rank so will be updating

I know some of you are going to hate me for some of the low-tier ones

Always a mix of subjective and objective choices

1. Pearl
2. Saint Maud
3. Hereditary
4. The Whale
5. The Lighthouse
6. The Witch
7. C'mon C'mon
8. The Iron Claw
9. MaXXXine
10. High Life

...plus 59 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

#1 & #2 are so close. 

Only ranking my favorite film of each franchise.

1. Born on the Fourth of July
2. Interview with the Vampire
3. Magnolia
4. Collateral
5. Vanilla Sky
6. Tropic Thunder
7. The Last Samurai
8. Jerry Maguire
9. Mission: Impossible III
10. Cocktail

...plus 13 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Acoucalancha and I (give him a follow, he writes awesome reviews!) are doing a challenge starting in January to rank our Top 10 Fantasy films. Some of these are rewatches, some are first-time watches. 

The following automatic contenders won’t be getting a rewatch unless time permits.

Big Fish
Enchanted

See Acoucalancha’s list here.

• Conan the Barbarian
• Pan's Labyrinth
• A Monster Calls
• The NeverEnding Story
• The Dark Crystal
• Edward Scissorhands
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• Paddington

...plus 29 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

One of the most beautiful bridges on Earth, some directors get the right idea and shoot at the Brooklyn Bridge. I love when I spot it, it’s a beautiful location so I’m going to start tracking it. Please tell me where else you’ve seen it so I might add it and watch it if I haven’t seen it.

• Stay
• Cloverfield
• Enchanted

1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
6. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

1. Paddington 2
2. Bring Them Down
3. The Wild Robot
4. I'm Still Here
5. 12 Angry Men
6. The Monkey
7. Heart Eyes
8. Paddington in Peru
9. Romancing the Stone
10. The Girl with the Needle

...plus 17 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranked based on enjoyment more than objective analysis and based solely on the rewatch, not my original take

Films first watched and rewatched this year excluded.

1. The Family Man
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
3. A Nightmare on Elm Street
4. Braveheart
5. Doctor Sleep

   Director’s cut

6. Se7en
7. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
8. Scarface
9. Enchanted
10. Batman Returns

...plus 38 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

For the record this is a subjective list, I don’t think Emilia Pérez is award-worthy but I’m still a fan.

1. I'm Still Here
2. Emilia Pérez
3. The Girl with the Needle
4. Flow
5. The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Will add to this as I work through his filmography

1. Sinister
2. The Black Phone
3. The Gorge
4. Doctor Strange
5. The Exorcism of Emily Rose

This list is for every film I watch that has a unique death scene I enjoy. Check the notes for details.

Also, obviously there’s more but these are from the films I’ve watched since I ed Letterboxd in May of 22. Will add on as I watch more.

What am I missing?

• Friday the 13th Part III

  Death by speargun

• Influencer

  Death by high heel

• Extraction 2

  Death by bench press 

• John Wick: Chapter 2

  Death by pencil 

• Gremlins

  Death by microwave

• Punisher: War Zone

  Death by rocket launcher

• Friday the 13th

  Death by camp fire

• When Evil Lurks

  Death by mauling

• Terrifier

  Death by hacksaw

• Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

  Death by KO

  Death by guitar 

...plus 13 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

While I don’t think Emilia Pérez is actually Oscar-worthy, I loved the film and its vibe so if it wins anything, I won’t be mad.

1. I'm Still Here
2. Dune: Part Two
3. Emilia Pérez
4. Anora
5. The Substance
6. Conclave
7. Nickel Boys
8. Wicked
9. The Brutalist
10. A Complete Unknown

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

1. Paddington 2
2. Paddington in Peru
3. Paddington

1. Companion
2. My Own Private Idaho
3. Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare
4. Dead Again
5. Mothers' Instinct
6. A Monster Calls
7. The Dark Crystal
8. The Damned
9. The Loved Ones
10. The NeverEnding Story

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Time to go on record and say I’m a fan. 

Will add as I watch more from him.

1. The Doors
2. Born on the Fourth of July
3. Natural Born Killers
4. World Trade Center
5. Platoon

Since he’s one of my concentrations this year, might as well rank his performances as I move along.

1. Constantine
2. John Wick
3. Point Break
4. The Devil's Advocate
5. Speed
6. DC League of Super-Pets
7. The Gift
8. My Own Private Idaho
9. The Matrix
10. Feeling Minnesota

...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Not ranked, number relates to calendar month. Usually there are about 25-30 new watches a month and these were the champions.

1. Foe
2. The enger
3. Immaculate
4. You'll Never Find Me
5. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
6. The Bikeriders
7. MaXXXine
8. Cuckoo
9. Green Book
10. Terrifier 3

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
2. Cuckoo
3. Immaculate
4. You'll Never Find Me
5. MaXXXine
6. Strange Darling
7. Terrifier 3
8. Blink Twice
9. The Bikeriders
10. The Wasp

1. Up
2. Juror #2
3. Black Christmas
4. Babygirl
5. Constantine
6. Emilia Pérez
7. Alien Code
8. Y2K
9. Adult Swim Yule Log 2: Branchin' Out
10. Carry-On

...plus 19 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranked based on enjoyment more than objective analysis and based solely on the rewatch, not my original take

Films first watched and rewatched this year excluded.

1. A Star Is Born
2. Moon
3. Romeo + Juliet
4. A.I. Artificial Intelligence
5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
6. The Family Man
7. A Nightmare on Elm Street
8. Pearl
9. Snowpiercer
10. Infinity Pool

...plus 119 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

This is gonna change as I learn about new projects but for now…

1. Superman
2. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
3. Companion
4. The Life of Chuck
5. The Conjuring: Last Rites
6. Presence
7. The Bride!
8. The Monkey
9. From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
10. Black Phone 2

1. Cuckoo
2. Immaculate
3. You'll Never Find Me
4. MaXXXine
5. Strange Darling
6. Terrifier 3
7. Longlegs
8. The First Omen
9. Founders Day
10. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2

...plus 42 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

1. The Witch
2. The Lighthouse
3. The Northman
4. Nosferatu

Only ranking the films I’ve seen since ing Letterboxd in 2022. Also, this is ridiculously hard to do.

1. Scarface
2. Donnie Brasco
3. Carlito's Way
4. The Devil's Advocate
5. Heat
6. Scent of a Woman
7. Cruising
8. Serpico
9. Sea of Love
10. The Insider

...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

The last thing I need is a concentration in another actor’s filmography so Ryan will just have to wait. He’s someone I never list as a favorite and yet I’m constantly impressed by him. He’s also in my second favorite film of all time so 🙌🏼.

Only including films I’ve watched since ing Letterboxd in May 2022. Blue Valentine is an exception because I’ve never forgotten how amazing he is in that role.

1. Stay
2. Blue Valentine
3. Half Nelson
4. Barbie
5. Murder by Numbers
6. Blade Runner 2049
7. The Fall Guy
8. The Gray Man