4v291o

Watched on Saturday May 10, 2025.

80/100

Excellent dialog and tension building. I LOVED the first 75% of this movie. It had me intellectually engaged while also on the edge of my seat, so it's a slight shame that the resolution felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped. I'm still giving Heretic a high score because what it set it to do, it did quite well...I just wish more thought would have been given to keeping the same level of quality into the conclusion. Worth checking out if you like atmospheric mysterious horror, just manage your expectations a bit.

58/100

I was really hoping this would be sort of like a German version of Game Night...and to a certain extent it was, just not quite as well done or fun as it could have been. I'm a sucker for this type of set up...a game night that goes hilariously wrong...the only problem with Blame the Game is that despite a promising set up and some occasional laughs, they just didn't take it far enough or lean into the absurdity as much as they could have. What results feels a bit watered down, even if I stayed pretty entertained throughout. You can do worse for this type of comedy, but could have been so much better.

80/100

Put off on watching RRR for the longest time, because I'm a weirdo when it comes to not watching anything dubbed, and strangely enough it's damn near impossible to find RRR in its original Telugu language...glad I finally jumped into the Hindi dub though, because damn what a blast this was! Absolutely understand now why people come out of this movie singing its praises. It can be very goofy at times, but I don't think I've watched something with quite as big of a smile on my face as I did RRR. It's entertaining as hell, the action is satisfying and over the top, the main two actors are awesome, and some of the random dance scenes are just infectiously joyous. This is making me want to dive into more modern Indian movies for sure!

80/100

I'd heard very polarizing opinions on Longlegs and after watching it I can definitely see why. It doesn't play out like a normal horror movie, it's very much a vibe fest and a slow burn of dread that will either work for you or won't. I personally found it quite effective and creepy. Nicolas Cage is of course wacky and great whenever he's on screen...but the real star here is the atmosphere. Pacific Northwest Satanic Foggy Neon Grimy Grungy Deadpan Bleak Misery...and I dug it.

78/100

Four stars based off the manic creativity on display alone. This is one of those movies that is hard to really pin down or describe. Things just happen in a sort of Alice in Wonderful/fever dream/absurdist sort of way. Best to go in blind and just take the ride. I wasn't convinced for the first 25 minutes or so, but then things gradually became more and more intriguing. Ended up have a great time with it, but it is for sure not for everyone.

61/100

For the first 30 minutes or so, I was convinced I'd found THE hidden gem of all hidden gems. A low budget French Sci Fi movie with a novel plot, great visuals, and excellent world building. Then the movie kept going on, and I got less and less impressed, eventually losing most of the excitement and interest the first 30 minutes had built. You can certainly do much worse for a post apocalyptic thriller, but once the credits rolled I just found myself frustrated at how good this could have been. I can't really point to any one individual thing either...it just loses steam as it goes. Something about the progression of the story just felt wonky. Even with all my complaints though, this is still better than most American sci-fi films I've seen in the last few years...so hey maybe it's worth your time, give it a shot and see if it grabs you.

58/100

This is one of those movies where the title tells you exactly what you're getting into. A woman going through a breakup steals a car from a gas station and aimlessly drives around getting into various situations...most of which are relatively low key and lack much interest. I felt myself sliding in boredom multiple times throughout Roving Woman, but it stayed just good enough to keep watching. I did think Lena Góra was great in the lead role, but beyond that and some solid cinematography...I just can't say this did much for me. It's very much going for a specific vibe, which was achieved, just wish it did something beyond that to make me care.

54/100

This is the type of movie that feels like it was made for people who watch movies while doing other stuff on their phone. It's AGGRESSIVELY dumb and poorly written. The characters are not believable in the slightest, they often act strangely calm and lax given the situation they're in. Some of the visual effects are not great. The acting can be occasionally cringe inducing. It has a very forced twist towards the end. I could go on and on...but all this being said, I did have fun watching it, so I guess at the end of the day that's what really matters. It's absolutely absurd, but there's still fun to be had here in that B-movie so-bad-it's-good sort of way. I would rate it a little higher, but I often felt that it wasn't aware of it's own cheesiness...if it would have leaned more into not taking itself seriously, I think this could have been a real gem of popcorn entertainment.

70/100

Pure pulpy 80's b movie goodness. This is a pretty fun action flick with a solid cast, and if you don't take it too seriously you'll likely have a good time with it. It's not exactly leagues above other similar movies like this I've seen...so I can't say it's a must watch or anything, but if you're into 80's crime movies with a side of grit and absurd over the top action...this will almost certainly be in your wheelhouse.

66/100

This was a strange but fascinating watch. It's a sort of hybrid documentary/narrative and for certain parts I really wasn't sure if what I was watching was real or a fiction. Basically, the movie follows a group of wild youngsters whose lives revolve around a love for speed boats. They race and cause general havoc in and around Venice...sort of imagine the phenomenon street takeovers in LA if it was instead on the water and in Italy and you might get in the ballpark of the vibe in Atlantide.

The photography is beautiful and the vibes are strangely eerie. I do wish it amounted to more than it does and it wanders aimlessly a bit too much for its own good...but for what it was, I found myself glued to the screen. Far from perfect but an interesting oddity.

69/100

I greatly appreciated the message of this film, and the highly important topic that it explores (freedom of the press). I just wish the story had been told with a little bit more zest, as it occasionally felt like I was watching a longer episode of dateline or some other investigative news report. That's not a bad thing in and of itself, but I often look to documentaries to elevate a topic beyond this. This is of course easier said than done, and it can be hard to actually articulate how a documentary leaves this realm of a simple investigative report and becomes something more...but you know it when you see it. I don't mean to disparage this documentary in any way, it's well done and the topic is quite interesting, I just don't think there will be a lot of people coming out of this thinking it was revelatory.

88/100

Masterfully done and knockout performances by both Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson. This is one of those slow burn type of dramas that just sticks with you. I haven't been able to get it out of my head since watching, which is almost always for me the sign of something truly special. The themes of self acceptance, failure, body image, etc...are at times obvious but they also run deep into the cracks and crevices of the story in a way that crescendos the angst you feel the longer things go on. I loved every minute of it. The surrealistic bend to everything. The internal horror experienced by some of these characters. The sense anything could happen at any time. In truth, it feels like movies like this really aren't made that much anymore, especially in America...so I'm just glad to see that unique and original work like this is still possible in the increasingly commercial landscape of American cinema. Great stuff.

61/100

Blink Twice felt to me like an M Night Shyamalan movie, with that comes the good and bad. It was entertaining as hell for the most part and very watchable, it had a great set up that kept me intrigued, until it falls apart in the conclusion with a twist that was at once both predictable yet messy and illogical. You can do much worse if you just want a good popcorn thriller, but make sure to set your expectations right so the ending doesn't take the wind our of your sails. Overall a decent flick that could have been great but misses the mark despite having a lot of fun doing so.

72/100

Roy Andersson films just hit different. He's the only director where I can confidently say, any of his top movies (including this one) have museum quality visuals. Legit like every scene is a master photo or painting come to life. It's astonishing really. Where About Endlessness falters a bit, at least for me, is adding enough to the strong visuals to make it more than just a spectacle for the eyes. It has the same deadpan philosophical tone as most of his other movies, but I didn't find many of the vignettes to be quite as effective as ones from other movies of his. Still, if you're into this kind of thing, there's really nothing else like these movies and I'll 100% watch absolutely anything Andersson puts his name to, because the art alone, even without a great story, is worth the price of ission.

82/100

Feels like almost required viewing for what it meant to exist during the pandemic in a small town for many types of people. The insights here from a minority family whom own a business were shocking and insightful and should serve as a eye opening to what some people in America still have to deal with even in this day and age when it comes to misaligned aggression, backwards thinking, racism, and hatred. A well made and powerful of a strong family fighting the good fight.

67/100

Clearly I didn't see what others did for this one. Although I 'liked' the movie overall, it didn't in any way live up to the hype I had going in, being one of the top rated movies of all time here on LB. It felt overly long (4 hours and I felt every minute of it) and quite hard to follow at times. I was losing track of which gang was which and which characters were doing what...not gonna lie I found myself absolutely puzzled at what others are seeing in this that I didn't. Sure, there are moment of beauty and I did like the epic scope of the whole thing, but I've seen a ton of movies that feel like this, none of which have the type of aura this does in it's overwhelming adoration from so many viewers. Maybe I need to watch it again in a few years or maybe I just don't understand the context of Taiwanese history that may have helped appreciate what was going on. Whatever the case may be...I tried to love it, but wound up merely thinking it was okay.

54/100

Cuckoo frustrated me. I enjoyed the visuals, acting, atmosphere, setting, etc...but the story just straight up did not work for me. As I've seen a few others say, this feels like a first draft of a script that needed A LOT more massaging to actually make sense beyond the very surface level of the concept being explored. It feels like a rough idea and not a well thought out story. It's somehow a confusing a mess even though I followed the broad strokes. I wasn't confused at what happened, I was confused at why...the motivations of the characters made no sense and there are just so many nonsensical plot points that exist without a logical backdrop to make them actually connect with the viewer. For example - the whole time looping aspect of things, to my knowledge goes completely unanswered in any way. In the end, I felt quite empty about it all despite all the other positive aspects of the production.

86/100

An odd little experimental gem from the 70's that works so so well. It feels like you're watching lost footage from a documentary and in fact...if things didn't get as crazy as they do, I could see this fooling many into thinking it was in fact a documentary. The dialogue is phenomenal and the themes are timeless. It'll make you mad and some of the points explored will no doubt remind you of current day issues. Best to go in as blind as possible. Really unique and groundbreaking piece of work.

72/100

I hated Sasquatch Sunset for the first 20 minutes or so, but then it kept growing on me little by little as it went on and I started to get the flow of everything. By the end, I was pretty charmed by the whole thing. Keep in mind, there's zero dialog other than grunting squatches...so know what you're getting into here. It's basically a tone poem that follows a family of squatches as they exist in the forest, hunt, build stuff, and just generally do squatch things as various challenges in their environment arise. The weak point of the movie is the humor, which often came off a bit juvenile and obvious...but there's a melancholy under the surface that did work quite well and felt unique. I'd love to see more experimental movies like this centering around sasquatches! Surprisingly well done if you don't mind the strange concept.

63/100

I absolute LOVED the vibes and style of I Saw the TV Glow, I just wish the underlying story hit harder or landed with me. There's a really interesting set up here but the ultimate payoff fell quite flat in my eyes, as if things sort of went into autopilot about 60% of the way in. I wanted to like it more, but wound up feeling disappointed because of how much promise was here that just didn't quite click together. Still worth watching though for the visuals and atmosphere alone.

86/100

While I don't think The Beasts is a perfect movie by any means (some slight pacing issues and a conclusion that might anger some) I found it so effective at creating a sense of dread and unease in this idyllic setting, that I couldn't help but be totally enthralled by it. This is a story of neighborly strife told in a realistic way, where as you're watching you'll (if you're like me) be able to see exactly how you could find yourself in a similar situation. It's nail biting, thrilling, and scary all while feeling grounded and realistic. I'd almost go as far as to call this slow cinema mixed with elements of horror, but without any real blood and guts. Really solid.

84/100

I'm officially a huge fan of Rahul Jain at this point. He's only done two documentaries to my knowledge, but both (Machines and this) hit my wavelength perfectly. The visuals he captures are SPECTACULAR and poetic. Lots of static shots that are well framed and just show daily life in a melodic and meditative way. He has a way of exploring important topics specific to India (Machines explored factory labor conditions and this explores pollution) that also speak to larger societal ills, in a way few other documentarians can. I turned off Invisible Demons in a state of reflection and many of the themes will stick with me for a while, especially as they are made more memorable because of the visuals used. I don't think Invisible Demons is quite as great as Machines, but it's right up there behind it. Recommended.

83/100

Ah, the nostalgic feels! I really had a blast with Didi. It reminded me a lot of a couple other movies I watched earlier this year (mid90's & North Hollywood). While skateboarding really isn't as central to the story like the other two...I thought Didi was the most successful at portraying what it was like to grow up around the dawn of the internet while trying to figure out life as you transition into early adulthood. It felt super genuine to me, which many coming of age stories don't actually accomplish. There was a refreshing lack of cheesy melodrama here and in it's place is a story that feels relatable and will resonate with anyone in their 30's or 40's who grew up anywhere around the same time, be it the late 90's or early 2000's. Really solid and I'm officially pumped to see whatever Sean Wang does next.

65/100

Somehow I'd never seen this one growing up, so finally checked it out and...it's alright. I could see if I'd have watched this as a kid and maybe had a nostalgia factor tied to it, how this might have aged a lot better, but having seen for the first time just now on it's own merits, it was just okay to me. The road trip aspect is fun, the dynamics between the two main characters is fun, but it wore out it's welcome just a bit the longer it went and I found myself checking to see how much time was left, which is never a great sign. I appreciated it and I can see why some people love it, it just didn't really ever grow beyond a mildly entertaining road trip comedy for me. Far from bad, but not the cult hit I was hoping for.

69/100

A highly enjoyable 'turn your brain off' action thriller. Yeah, it's a bit too on the nose in many ways when it comes to the plot elements, and I found myself cringing at how some of the characters are written...BUT, I had a hell of a good time regardless of the occasional cheesiness. This is popcorn entertainment of the highest order, the type of movie that's perfect to throw on after a long day at work. It's sort of like Die Hard if it took place at LAX in a way, including the Christmas aspect. Not my usual type of movie, but very fun.

67/100

I've been on a bit of a Kiyoshi Kurosawa kick lately, and right off the bat I'll just say that Before We Vanish is probably one of his weaker films. I really liked the alien invasion concept and there were some pretty interesting aspects of this movie which made me like it overall...but it's just a bit overlong and as it went on I felt that there was some odd logic to what happens. It doesn't stick the landing really. There are other Kiyoshi Kurosawa that are a bit better, and while even a mid tier movie from his filmography like this one is is indeed 'good', I can't wholeheartedly recommend it when he has several other movies that are better in just about every way. I kept thinking Before We Vanish was going to go somewhere really interesting, but it just never did. It has this philosophical undercurrent to it that adds a uniqueness to the alien invasion trope, but nothing interesting really ever comes of it. So so.

79/100

Creepy was genuinely...creepy. Not in a typical horror movie sort of way, though it does go to some pretty horrific places, this felt more like a drama about strange relationships and neighborhood dynamics. I found the first 90 minutes or so to be extremely effective and the whole thing got under my skin really well, unfortunately the last fourth didn't quite work as well. The characters make some strange decisions and the way things played out for the conclusion felt a bit unrealistic at times...still, the atmosphere and world this movie builds up was just too good and even with the uneven ending, I thought it was a really effective thriller. If you like Kiyoshi Kurosawa's other work...this is worth checking out.

78/100

Really interesting and timely concept that speaks to societal issues in several countries as well as human tendencies both good and bad that lead to precarious situations for some seniors as they age. The short version of the plot to Plan 75 is that in a future Japan, a government program is created that allows those over the age of 75 to voluntarily be euthanized. The movie itself is an absolute tone poem...it's very quiet and understated and is filled with moments of silent reflection. This was my favorite part of the movie was simply empathizing with the characters, both the older folks and the people running this program, there was a lot to chew on as you imagined yourself going through the emotions & processes that would lead up to a decision like this. Ultimately it didn't go anywhere truly revelatory in my eyes, but I still found the journey well worth taking and some of the quiet moments depicted here really hit me on an emotional level and will stick with me for a while.

53/100

Paranoid dudes living in old military bunkers...the movie. That's pretty much it. It's exactly what you think it'll be. I didn't come out of it with strong feelings either way on this documentary. On one hand, I did find it decently interesting...but at no time did it feel elevated beyond what you might find in a well produced Youtube video. Basically, it's worth a watch only if you're really into this topic.

69/100

I'll pretty much watch anything where Christopher Doyle is the cinematographer...if you've seen any of the movies he's involved with, you know that he brings this dreamy quality to the visuals that give any movie he works on a unique feel. This is no different, I found My Heart is that Eternal Rose to be visually striking at times and overall decently entertaining...though it never crossed into 'great' territory mostly because of the story, which just didn't really feel special or alive to me. The whole thing lacked 'oomph' to make me care beyond the surface level. If you like the kind of vibes that Wong Kar-wai brings with his films, I'd say there are some similarities here and you'll probably find something to like with this one.

74/100

This was actually WAY better than I thought it would be. As a self professed hater of almost all sequels/remakes...I have to it that they nailed this one. It felt fresh, creative, and linked to the original in a way that most other sequels don't. I was super impressed with the visual effects and I think they really worked as a glue to hold together the story (I'm usually not one to say something like this, but the effects really were that entertaining and fun). Story wise, there's not anything overly impressive going on, but for a pure popcorn movie that made me feel like a kid again, it exceeded all expectations. Good stuff.

64/100

So much about this movie is absolutely absurd and hard not to laugh at sometimes...the decisions characters make and the believability of how it all happens is just truly ridiculous. Like all Shyamalan films though, I find them pretty intensely watchable/enjoyable for whatever reason. They are well made and the premises/set ups are almost always intriguing, and Trap is no different. I had a great time the first hour or so, even if it frequently veered into 'so bad it's good' territory. Unfortunately, like all of his films for the past 10-15 years, they fall apart in the last half and that level of enjoyment wanes as the conclusion draws closer. Still, with all the gripes I have about a movie like this, I found it's pulpiness and absurdity to be oddly fun in a way. If you don't mind turning your brain off, there's stuff to like here even if it's far from a great movie.

70/100

A bit sappy at times, and occasionally a bit forced comedy-wise...but overall I found this highly enjoyable and unexpectedly heartfelt. A coming of age movie with a twist, that doesn't get bogged down in details and just tells a genuine story about love, loss, growing up, and other universal themes that many of us can relate to. Not my usual type of movie, but glad I watched it.

50/100

Walks a very fine line between simply being 'footage' as opposed to an actual documentary...though I guess that line is somewhat arbitrary and may not exist at all for these types of more experimental docs. There's very little to no narration and for the most part, this movie is simply showing people working in an auto factory in . Lots of close ups of different parts of the manufacturing line without any speaking or commentary. That's pretty much it. It was okay for what it was, but if you're looking for an elevated version of this that I think succeeds a lot more, check out Machines (2016) by Rahul Jain.

78/100

Really interesting movie from Kiyoshi Kurosawa that felt different than the other stuff of his I've seen. It's got a magical realist vibe to it that gives everything quite a dreamy feel. Occasionally it's hard to tell if you're seeing reality or just the warped perspective of one of the characters, and I really enjoyed that about Bright Future. Broken people grasping at odd dreams. Worth a watch if you're into these types of esoteric Japanese films.

64/100

Got some chuckles out of this, but it was also a bit much a times. It felt sort of like a long SNL skit stretched into movie form...and like SNL skits, they can be pretty hit or miss. I enjoyed the deadpan, low budget, self aware vibe of the whole thing, but as I write this I couldn't tell you a specific line or scene that really blew me away or made me laugh more than a little. It's like a movie version of an 'decent' dinner that people enjoy but never talk about or return to again. I'm not mad I watched it, I see why people like it, but it's nothing I would ever enthusiastically recommend. I'd love to see this director do more with this style to see where it could go...because there's definitely SOMETHING here, I just don't think Inspector Ike is the best manifestation of what was attempted.

31/100

I'm a pretty open minded person...I love experimental movies of all kinds, but this is the rare example of something that truly felt like an exercise in pointlessness. A softcore porn intertwined with a holier-than-though artsy fartsy piece of trash that isn't anywhere near as deep or affecting as it thinks it is. The actual content didn't bother me at all, but be forewarned...this is an incredibly bleak and graphic piece of work, definitely not for the squeamish. What really bothered me here is how overly serious and philosophical this movie is, while also not really introducing any new ideas. It felt to me like 'im14andthisisdeep' through the lens of a director attempting to make the most nihilistic movie possible that would wow a very specific type of viewer that may share some of the niche perspectives it tries (and fails) to explore. I appreciate what was attempted here, but it failed miserably for me.

69/100

Not what I was expecting! The highlight here is definitely the great acting all around, especially from Linda Manz who acts the hell out of this teenager dealing with an incredibly dysfunctional family. Her performance alone makes this movie worth a watch. Now...the movie itself, I thought was a bit uneven at times, but still worked as a portrait of this chaotic family...though it never reaches the heights of something like A Woman Under the Influence. It's missing a certain level of believability at times to me, and occasionally the over the top nature of the story stretched my ability to feel that the situations we witness are actually genuine. That said, there's still a lot to like here and it's hard to look away from the train wreck depicted. A wild little 80's gem that deserves your attention.

78/100

I really enjoyed Tahara. It's this funky little dialogue driven experimental gem that does a really good job with character development despite it's short runtime. For the first twenty minutes or so I wasn't quite sure if it was gonna work very well, but then it just started slowly growing on me as it progressed, until I found myself empathizing pretty hard with some of these characters. It benefits a lot from being a single location setting too, you feel like you're really there with these characters. Add in some unexcepted visual flairs and you've got a nice little hidden gem that I think people are sleeping on. It's all quite understated but well done across the board. Recommended.

71/100

Aesthetically speaking, this movie is incredible. It has that very specific vibe that some '80s movies seemed to have, where everything is smokey. Almost like there was someone off screen constantly just pumping ungodly amounts of smoke into every corner of every scene. Something about it feels good to me, and I have no idea why, LOL. As far as the movie itself goes, it was pretty good. We basically follow a group of people who are living in a sort of post-apocalyptic enclosed bunker society, where everyone is waiting for this mystical Arc to save them. Things did feel a little bit convoluted to me at times, and the writing wasn't exactly spectacular, but it held my attention and stayed interesting enough. There are a few scenes that I found so visually arresting at times, that even if the story didn't really work at all, I think I would have still been glued to the screen. It's one of those movies where you're just plunked into this really bizarre world, and most of the fun is just experiencing how things are in this environment. Pretty interesting film even if it's far from perfect.

80/100

Rebels of the Neon God is probably my second favorite from Tsai Ming-liang, right behind The Hole. The aesthetic here is so good. Neon, synth infused, grimy, wet & unforgiving 90's Taiwan. If you've seen any of his other movies, you probably know about what to expect here. It's the film's strong suit really is just the vibes. The characters are well developed too, they all feel real, flawed, and easy to empathize with for the most part. While not a ton really happens, I was never close to bored and it really felt like a nice warm blanket just sliding over you on a cold day. A good example of something that could probably be considered 'slow cinema' (or at least adjacent to it) that actually works quite well. If you like 90's flicks or stuff out of Taiwan, this is easily recommendable.

69/100

Solid documentary about two grown up siblings going on a mission to find their Mom who had gone missing in their childhood. I really don't want to say much about the actual plot here or what ends up happening, because I think it's best for something like this to just go in blind...BUT, what I will say is that I was both delighted and let down at the same time. Hard to articulate with spoiling, but basically the reveal that ends up happening here felt somewhat anticlimactic. I get it, this is real life and it's a documentary, so you sort of have to just roll with it, but I think there could have been some diving in deeper and better exploration of what happens, instead of the familial melodrama surrounding it that yields diminishing returns for the viewer the longer it goes on. Still good and all, but could have been great.

54/100

Well, One from the Heart is certainly a visual masterpiece...I'll give it that. The sets and the overall vibe to found here are pretty much worth the price of ission alone...I just struggled to care about any of it. The story and the characters felt hollow to me and didn't come anywhere near the level of thought and quality put into the visuals. I really wanted to like it, but in the end it just sort of bored me a bit. Bummer.

74/100

Big fan of Louis Malle's (director of My Dinner with Andre) documentaries. They lean into that fly-on-the-wall style very well and let the individuals being profiled to speak for themselves without much added fluff or filler. In this case, he explores the immigrant experience deftly by hopping around to different perspectives that range from ultra successful business owners to struggling-to-survive laborers. It's fascinating to see what has changed with perspectives on this subject and what has stayed exactly the same between the 80's when this was filmed and today, since it's such a charged and divisive topic. If you're in the mood for something a bit more understated related to this topic, easy to recommend this one as a valuable slice of life portrait.

62/100

Hundreds of Beavers is such a creative delight, that I feel almost like a bit of an asshole for only giving it 3/5. While I greatly loved many aspects of this movie, it also tired me out a bit...as in, I felt like I was watching a short form sort of cartoon stretched into a two hour film. There was some repetition early on that just felt unnecessary. This is really my biggest issue with the movie, I think it would have been a lot more effective if you shaved 30-40 minutes off the runtime to tighten everything up a bit. The visual gag type format of the movie just doesn't lend itself to a lengthier runtime, at least for me. That said, I found the whole thing really charming and it has some of the best creative visuals I've seen in ages, truly unique and inventive in a way that's hard to even come up with a comparison to. Despite my runtime gripes, I think everyone should give this movie a try as it's one of the more unique things to come out in a while and I think most will enjoy this one way or another.

75/100

Thelma is a cute comedy/action caper that doubles as a metaphor about old age. I found it to be pretty entertaining and occasionally funny, but it was also a little bit too on the nose at times, which holds it back from a higher rating for me. If the topic of aging interests you, or you have aging family , or if you are getting long in the tooth yourself...I think this is pretty recommendable as a light-hearted and fun tale of a wronged grandma getting revenge on scammers while learning a bit about herself and her peers.

79/100

To quote Lloyd Christmas from Dumb & Dumber - "Feels good to mingle with these laid-back country folk, don’t it, Har? I LIKE IT A LOT."

This might not be quite the type of country folk Lloyd was talking about, but having lived in larger cities my whole life, I couldn't help but feel like this when watching 45365...and I hope that comes off in a good way. It's a style of life in small town America that feels unfamiliar to me, and therefore fascinating. Similar to the other doc I've seen from Bill & Turner Ross...they just let the cameras role and don't really interject much at all, which I like. Everything is filmed really intimate so you feel like you're there with these folks. You just get to peer through a window into these people's lives, for better or worse. There are great moments throughout and a cast of characters followed here that are sure to intrigue. Recommended for anyone who loves just watching people or putting yourself into the mindset of how it'd be like to grow up and live in a small town like this. Understated and really good.

70/100

Elevated mumblecore is probably the best way I'd describe this...although maybe mumblecore isn't quite the right category. Dogleg does the whole 'aimless LA living' vibe remarkably well, and with a nice little twist that keeps things interesting narratively. It's a pretty wandering style of story and it kept me intrigued throughout despite never feeling like it elevated into something truly special, though it flirted with it many times. Worth a watch if you're into low budget indie type stuff for sure, and I'll definitely be checking out whatever Al Warren does next.

78/100

Just delightful. If you have a sibling, you'll almost certainly enjoy this fly on the wall style documentary that simply follows these two kids (and their family) in a slice of time growing up. This also works wonderfully as a peek into the life of someone with autism living their best life. I found myself as I watching saying "I'd love to hang out or be a part of this family" multiple times. Wholesome, fun, and entertaining.

A ranked list of new-to-me movies I've watched in 2024. These rankings reflect how these films have grown or faded in my mind over time, and therefore may shuffle around as they marinate over the course of the year.

1. The Cremator
2. Harakiri
3. The Substance
4. Midnight Cowboy
5. Paths of Glory
6. A Ghost Story
7. The House That Jack Built
8. Branded to Kill
9. Love Lies Bleeding
10. Perfect Days

...plus 355 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Too anyone who sees this:

Well hello there Letterboxd, it seems I've been away for quite some time now. Lurking in the shadows, life had been a bit too busy to keep up on this site...but as things settle down, I'm returning from the fog to once more participate in this awesome community of film love.

I hope you've all been well, and I wish you all a wonderful 2016. Pre-apologies for the imminent spam-fest that will probably happen here as I begin to catch up and randomly review some of the stuff I've seen in the last year or so.

Cheers!

• The Cat Came Back

My favorite actor of all time. Phillip Seymour Hoffman has been found dead. Damn, I'm shattered. I recommend watching these two very under seen and underrated films from him in memoriam. RIP.

• Owning Mahowny
• Love Liza

Ranked list of great docs that I'd recommend to people, which are extremely under-viewed...I define these as super hidden gems with less than 100 views on Letterboxd.

I'm shocked these are so hidden away in obscurity...some are amongst my personal favorites.

Ranking is a mixture of how well I enjoyed the movie along with how 'hidden' it is.

1. The Smashing Machine
2. 51 Birch Street
3. Cowboy del Amor
4. Blindsight
5. The Invention of Dr. NakaMats
6. Pulling John
7. Up the Yangtze
8. Billy the Kid
9. What Would Jesus Buy?
10. Monica & David

The interpretation of what constitutes a hidden gem is pretty subjective. For the average American moviegoer a very large percentage of great films that are well known amongst film fans could . For the purposes of this list I'm going to be focusing on what I think would be considered a hidden gem amongst the movie lover crowd.

I will not be including movies that are almost always mentioned in this category...because I think in doing so, they have already been elevated out of the hidden gem status (stuff like Moon or Primer).

In order to find a way of quantifying this...I'm aiming for things that have less than 1,000 views on Letterbox, although some may go ever so slightly over.

1. Love Exposure
2. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
3. Last Life in the Universe
4. Shower
5. Rocket Science
6. Bad Boy Bubby
7. The Taste of Tea
8. 3-Iron
9. Castaway on the Moon
10. Martyrs

...plus 40 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Are you surprised at my tears sir?

Strong men also cry...strong men also cry.

***A list of films I've cried watching (lump in throat and/or misty eyes are counted for the sake of this list).

• The Fountain
• Grave of the Fireflies
• Into the Wild
• My Life
• Big Fish
• Up
• The Tree of Life
• The Sea Inside
• Shower
• Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father

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

A list of films with endings that shocked, surprised, thrilled, or just flat out came out of left field.

• Big Man Japan
• The Mist
• Oldboy
• Arlington Road
• The Usual Suspects
• Them
• Moon
• Unbreakable
• A Serious Man
• The Machinist

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